"For what man knoweth the things of a man save the
spirit of the man which is in him?"
1 CORINTHIANS ii. 11.
To my American readers a special word of gratitude is due for theirgenerosity to this little book. I hope that it has given them as muchencouragement and help as they have given me.
In America, the home of so many systems of mental healing, it isperhaps even more necessary than in Europe to insist on the distinctivefeatures of M. Coué's teaching. It is based, not on transcendental ormystical postulates, but on the simple and acknowledged facts ofpsychology. This does not mean that it has no relation to religion.On the contrary it has a very close one. Indeed I hope in a futurevolume to point out its deep significance for the Christian churches.But that relationship remains in M. Coué's teaching unexpressed. Thepowers he has revealed are part of the natural endowment of the humanmind. Therefore they are available to all men, independently ofadherence or non-adherence to any sect or creed.
The method of M. Coué is in no sense opposed to the ordinary practiceof medicine. It is not intended to supplant it but to supplement it.It is a new ally, bringing valuable reinforcements to the commoncrusade against disease and unhappiness.
Induced Autosuggestion does not involve, as several hasty critics haveassumed, an attack upon the Will. It simply teaches that during theactual formulation of suggestions, that is for a few minutes daily, theWill should be quiescent. At other times the exercise of the Will isencouraged; indeed we are shown how to use it properly, that is withoutfriction or waste of energy.
C. H. B.
19 October, 1922.