self-suggestion自我暗示

In The Early Sessions Book 4, Seth offers a deep and distinctive discussion of the concepts of "suggestion" and "self-suggestion." He not only redefines this widely used term but also clarifies its central role in the formation of illness, bodily healing, and the construction of physical matter.

1. The Nature of Suggestion: Expectation, Action, and Electromagnetic Reality

Seth points out that the word "suggestion" itself is actually quite inappropriate ^[1]. In essence, what people call suggestion is really "expectation" ^[2].

1. Inner source: Seth emphasizes that suggestion, ideally speaking, should come from within the self rather than from outside the self ^[2]. The physical image of the body is built from the inside out; the inner self attempts to construct the body according to its self-image, and any errors in construction, such as illness or deformity, arise from distortions in the personal subconscious or the ego ^[2].
2. Electromagnetic reality and action: Suggestion itself is a kind of "action," and therefore it possesses its own "electromagnetic reality" ^[3]. Because constructive suggestion has this electromagnetic property, it can initiate certain healing processes and stimulate the formation of other healing processes ^[3].
3. Universality: Suggestion operates not only in human beings but is equally powerful, real, and practical in atoms, toads, or leaves; it is essential to the construction of the physical universe and physical matter ^[1].

2. Self-Suggestion and the Production and Removal of Illness

Seth explains that what is called suggestion not only causes illness but also brings health ^[1].

1. The formation of illness: The patient has accepted illness into his or her self-image through suggestions given largely by himself or herself ^[4]. Illness is an expression of failure to resolve mental or psychological problems in the correct way; the patient focuses on the illness both consciously and unconsciously, thereby maintaining an unhealthy balance and a vicious circle ^[5].
2. The removal of illness: Since illness is caused by suggestion, only suggestion can free the patient from illness ^[4]. No cure depends on any particular therapy, but rather on the patient's belief in healing, desire, the strength of the purpose served by the illness, and the ability to mobilize his or her own energy ^[4].

3. Practical Methods of Applying Self-Suggestion

In daily life, self-suggestion can serve as a very practical tool for promoting bodily recovery and resolving psychological problems.

1. Daily and pre-sleep suggestion: Seth recommends giving oneself brief but effective suggestions before sleep and at various times during the day ^{[5] [1]}.
2. Inducing therapeutic dreams: Through the practice of self-suggestion, "therapeutic dreams" can be induced ^[3]. When the inner self feels despair and automatically opens deep channels, such dreams bring about almost instantaneous regeneration or miraculous improvement. Actively guiding this process through self-suggestion has extremely high practical value in modern life ^[3].
3. Shifting the focus of attention: When the patient tries to discover and resolve the underlying psychological problems avoided by the ego, this attempt automatically helps the patient shift the focus of attention away from the symptoms he or she has created, thereby weakening the symptoms ^[5]. Conversely, the drawback of many health recovery programs is that they prompt the patient to focus on the illness even more than before, thereby delaying the resolution of the problem ^[5].

In The Early Sessions Book 5, Seth discusses the concept of "self-suggestion" in a concrete and highly practical manner. Self-suggestion is regarded not only as a tool for changing inner beliefs but also as something applied to bodily healing, the induction of intuitive states, and the exploration and recall of dreams. The following are the core points concerning self-suggestion in this book:

1. Inducing Therapeutic Dreams Self-suggestion can be used to request specific dreams from the inner self. Jane (Ruburt) once successfully obtained a therapeutic dream by giving herself a suggestion before sleep. Seth affirmed this highly, pointing out that it was an excellent example of producing a therapeutic dream through self-suggestion, and praised Jane for attempting and testing this method ^[1].

2. Bodily Healing and Improvement of Vision Seth emphasizes that consistent self-suggestion can significantly improve bodily conditions. He clearly states that Jane could at that time greatly improve the condition of her eyes and her vision through consistent self-suggestion ^[2][3]. To achieve the best effect, Seth even gave a specific suggestion: "I am relaxed and at ease, and confident. I can see easily and well. Now." ^[3].

3. Guiding Intuition and Receptive States of Mind During tests involving extrasensory perception or object reading, self-suggestion can play a constructive role. Seth points out that one of the most beneficial uses of self-suggestion is to help the individual enter a more intuitive frame of mind, thereby facilitating rapport and better test results ^[4].

4. Dream Recall Practice and Precise Wording In dream experiments, self-suggestion is the simplest and most effective method for improving the rate of dream recall. Through suggestion, the individual can wake immediately after a dream ends and record it, thereby greatly increasing the number of remembered dreams ^[5][6]. Seth provided two specific forms of wording for this purpose:

5. "I will wake after each of my first five dreams, and record each one immediately."

6. Use the same statement as above, but omit the word "wake up" ^[6].

7. The Potential Alteration of Dream Nature by Self-Suggestion Seth raises a distinctive side point: the self-suggestion used to help recall dreams may itself, to some extent, also alter the nature of the dreams. This is because "any action changes other actions." However, Seth also mentions that this influence is normal, and as the novelty fades, this altering effect will gradually diminish ^[6].

In summary, in the sessions of this stage, Seth explains self-suggestion as a highly practical inner technique that requires precise wording and can produce substantial changes on both the physical and conscious levels.

In The Nature of Personal Reality, Seth offers a profound and distinctive explanation of the concept of "self-suggestion." He points out that suggestion is not some external magic, but a natural result of the operation of the individual conscious mind.

1. The Core Nature of Self-Suggestion: Conscious Belief and "Self-Talk"

Seth points out that people are constantly governed by suggestion, but the most important and fundamental "suggestion" is actually the individual's "conscious belief" ^[1]. The "self-talk" that goes on in the mind during most of the day, that is, self-suggestion, determines whether we accept or reject outside ideas ^[1]. For any external suggestion to be accepted, two conditions must be met: first, it must not conflict with the individual's general view of the nature of reality; second, it must fit with the individual's particular ideas about himself or herself ^[1]. Even the classic self-suggestion popular in society, "Every day, in every way, I am getting better and better," ultimately depends entirely on the individual's conscious beliefs for its effect ^[2]. For example, if a person's belief about being a "responsible parent" is strict discipline rather than direct expression of love, then the suggestion of "getting better and better" will only strengthen the efficiency of that discipline, rather than bring about the expression of love ^[3]. Therefore, the operation of self-suggestion cannot be separated from or transcend conscious belief ^[2].

2. A Distinctive Side: The Physical Vehicle of Self-Suggestion, the "Inner Sound"

Seth puts forward a distinctive viewpoint: self-suggestion has electromagnetic reality and possesses the value of an "inner sound" ^[4]. This sound of thought existing in the mind has an even greater effect on the body than external sound; it directly affects the atoms and molecules that compose the body's cells, "speaking" and shaping flesh and bone from within, which is what is meant by "You speak your body" ^[4]. When the body has problems, it means that the inner sound has lost its harmony ^[5]. Verbal suggestions and recommendations are translated into this inner sound and penetrate the body ^[5]. Therefore, Seth emphasizes that one must never repeat negative suggestions to oneself, otherwise these disharmonious inner sounds will be reinforced, thereby consolidating illness at the bodily level ^[5].

3. Self-Suggestion and the Mechanism of "Natural Hypnosis"

Seth equates self-suggestion with "natural hypnosis." He points out that when a person is fully absorbed, he or she is simultaneously the hypnotist and the hypnotic subject ^[6]. In daily life, people constantly give themselves "posthypnotic suggestions" through inner "self-talk," especially when projecting the present situation into the future ^[7]. For example, a firm belief in food taboos can cause real illness after eating the forbidden food; this is a conditioning process established through self-hypnosis ^[8]. Seth advocates removing the idea that hypnosis is "magic," and instead using the natural operation of the mind, spending five to ten minutes a day on "natural hypnosis" ^[6]. The method is to focus attention on the desired new belief and repeat it again and again, aloud or mentally, in order to activate and reflect biological patterns, but without forcing ^[6].

4. Conflicts, Misunderstandings, and Correct Application in Practice

1. Belief conflicts cause suggestion to fail: Many people try to give themselves suggestions, such as "I will remember my dreams," but still wake up with a blank mind, and then conclude that conscious suggestion is ineffective ^[9]. In fact, this is because there are conflicting inner beliefs, such as "fear of discovering in dreams a self one cannot face," and these negative beliefs block the occurrence of the experience ^[10].
2. The misunderstanding of "positive thinking": Seth criticizes the blind school of "positive thinking." These schools try to impose beliefs that the individual does not currently possess, which instead makes people afraid of negative thoughts and brings more harm ^[11]. If all actual beliefs run in the opposite direction, merely telling oneself forcefully "I want to attain clarity" will only send contradictory messages and cannot produce results ^[12].
3. Combining physical action with the power of the present: For suggestion to be effective, one must stop looking for faults in the past and take action at the point of power in the "present" ^[13]. Seth suggests that at least once a day, one should show confidence in the new belief through a simple physical act, such as smiling at someone when lonely, buying something slightly more expensive when poor, or acting as if not ill for five minutes when sick; this will bring astonishing results ^[14].