Here is an illustration of heterosuggestion: A relative of
mine went to a crystal gazer in India who told him that he had a bad heart and predicted that he would die at the next new
moon. He began to tell all members of his family about this
prediction, and he arranged his will. This powerful suggestion
entered into his subconscious mind because he accepted it
completely. My relative also told me that this crystal gazer was
believed to have some strange occult powers, and he could do
knowing
harm or good to a person. He died as predicted not
that he was the cause of his own death. I suppose many of us
have heard similar stupid, ridiculous, superstitious stories.
Let us look at what happened in the light of our knowledge
of the way the subconscious mind works. Whatever the
conscious, reasoning mind of man believes; the subconscious
mind will accept and act upon. My relative was happy, healthy,
vigorous, and robust when he went to see the fortuneteller.
She gave him a very negative suggestion, which he accepted.
He became terrified, and constantly dwelt upon the fact that he
was going to die at the next new moon. He proceeded to tell
everyone about it, and he prepared for the end. The activity took
place in his own mind, and his own thought was the cause. He
brought about his own so-called death, or rather destruction of
the physical body, by his fear and expectation of the end. The
woman who predicted his death had no more power than the
stones and sticks in the field. Her suggestion had no power to
create or bring about the end she suggested. If he had known
the laws of his mind, he would have completely rejected the
negative suggestion and refused to give her words any attention,
knowing in his heart that he was governed and controlled by His
own thought and feeling.
Like tin arrows aimed at a battleship, her prophecy could
have been completely neutralized and dissipated without
hurting him.
The suggestions of others in themselves have absolutely no power whatever over you except the power that you give
them through your own thoughts. You have to give your
mental consent; you have to entertain the thought. Then, it
becomes your thought, and you do the thinking. Remember,
you have the capacity to choose. Choose life! Choose love!
Choose health!