21

or claim of fact often obtains credence without possessing any

basis in truth. Many utterly foolish superstitions and ridiculous
notions have become current because of repetition. The
whole matter is understood when one begins to understand
the nature of the subconscious mind, and the region of the
memory. In these regions of the mind there is preserved a
mental record or impression of each thing that comes to the
attention of the person. And these impression-records are
strengthened by each repetition of the thing. The realization
of this law gives us the key to the development of the memory,
and also to the understanding of Suggestion of Repetition. The
process and the rule is the same in both cases.
If you wish to impress a thing upon the records of your
memory, you know that repetition is one of the most effective
methods. Each impression of the die of attention deepens the
original record-impression. And in Suggestion of Repetition,
each time the Suggestion is made and accepted, the recordimpression
is made deeper. You have heard the old story of the
person who told the tale so often that he grew to believe it
himself, have you not! Well, this idea of Suggestion of Repetition
is along the same lines. You hear a thing so often that you get
to believe it yourselfits repetition giving to it an air and
appearance of validity, and causing you to involuntarily imagine
that you have always believed it. Who has not known persons
who vigorously combated certain ideas in the beginning, and
who afterward yielded to the insistent repeated suggestions of
others regarding the thing, until she accepted them and finally
asserted that he had always so held.
Many a shrewd judge of human nature, along the lines of
salesmanship and advertising, understand this law of Suggestion
of Repetition. They will artfully manage to get in repeated
suggestions, by presenting the same statements in different
terms, or else by a flat repetition of an authoritative statement,
until you forget the beginning, and the idea grows to be an old
story with you, and one that you never seem to question. We
Suggestion and Auto-Suggestion
22
have heard of a politician of national renown, who once said:
Proof! We dont need proof! Tell the public a thing solemnly,
and authoritatively, and repeat it sufficiently often, and you
will never need to prove anything! Repetition, like Pretended
Authority are two old frauds masquerading as Truth. When you
once take their measure, you have disarmed them so far as you
are concerned. When you call for Proof, they take refuge in
dignity and reiterationthat is their entire stock in trade. But
Suggestion of Repetition has its value in imparting Truth. It is a
poor rule that wont work both ways.
23