It is true that different people will react in different
ways to the same suggestion because of their subconscious
conditioning or belief. For example, if you go to a sailor on the
ship and say to him sympathetically, “My dear fellow, you’re
looking very ill. Aren’t you feeling sick? You look to me as if
you were going to be seasick.” According to his temperament
he either laughs at your “joke,” or expresses a mild irritation.
Your suggestion fell on deaf ears in this instance because your
suggestion of seasickness was associated in his mind with
his own immunity from it. Therefore, it called up not fear or
worry, but self-confidence.
The dictionary says that a suggestion is the act or instance
of putting something into one’s mind, the mental process by
which the thought or idea suggested is entertained, accepted,
or put into effect You must remember that a suggestion cannot
impose something on the subconscious mind against the will
of the conscious mind. In other words, your conscious mind
has the power to reject the suggestion given. In the case of
the sailor, he had no fear of seasickness. He had convinced
himself of his immunity, and the negative suggestion had
absolutely no power to evoke fear.
The suggestion of seasickness to the other passenger called
forth his indwelling fear of seasickness. Each of us has his own
inner fears, beliefs, opinions, and these inner assumptions rule
and govern our lives. A suggestion has no power in and of
itself except it is accepted mentally by you. This causes your
subconscious powers to flow in a limited and restricted way
according to the nature of the suggestion.