CONCENTRATION
❤
THE OCCULT MASTERS HAVE EVER IMPRESSED UPON THEIR PUPILS THE IMPORTANCE AND NECESSITY OF ACQUIRING THE POWER OF MENTAL MUCH THOUGHT, TIME AND PRACTICE TO THIS MOST IMPORTANT BRANCH OF THE SUBJECT.
MENTAL CONCENTRATION CONSISTS OF FOCUSING THE MIND UPON A GIVEN SUBJECT, OR OBJECT, FIRMLY AND FIXEDLY, AND THEN HOLDING IT - NOT ALLOWING ITSELF TO BE DIVERTED OR ATTRACTED FROM ITS OBJECT. IT LIKEWISE CONSISTS IN THE CORRELATIVE POWER OF THEN DETACHING THE MIND FROM THAT SUBJECT, OR OBJECT, AND EITHER ALLOWING IT TO REST, OR ELSE FOCUSING IT UPON ANOTHER OBJECT.
THE SECRET OF MENTAL CONCENTRATION LIES IN THE CONTROL OF THE ATTENTION. AND THE CONTROL OF THE ATTENTION LIES IN THE EXERCISE OF THE WILL.
THOSE WHO USE MENTAL INFLUENCE MUST CERTAINLY POSSESS THE POWER OF FOCUSIN THE FORCE TO A COMMON POINT, AND THAT FACULTY OF FOCUSING RESULTS FROM THE TRAINING OF THE MIND ALONG THE LINES OF CONCENTRATION. AND CONCENTRATION ARISES FROM THE MASTERY OF VOLUNTARY ATTENTION.
❤
HOW TO IMAGINE YOUR FUTURE
WHAT IS KNOWN AS A MENTAL IMAGE, IN OCCULTISM, IS THE MENTAL CREATION, IN THE IMAGINATION OF A "PICTURE" OF THE THINGS, EVENTS OR CONDITIONS THAT ONE DESIRES TO BE MANIFEST OR, MATERIALIZED IN ACTUAL EFFECT. A MOMENTS THOUGHT WILL SHOW YOU THAT UNLESS YOU KNOW "JUST WHAT" YOU DESIRE, YOU CAN TAKE NO STEPS TOWARD ATTAINING IT ON ANY PLANE OF MANIFESTATION. AND THE MORE CLEARLY YOUR DESIRES ARE PERCEIVED IN YOUR IMAGINATION, THE CLEARER IS THE WORK OF PROCEEDING TOWARD THE REALIZATION OF THAT DESIRE. A MENTAL IMAGE GIVES YOU A FRAMEWORK UPON WHICH TO WORK. IT IS LIKE THE DRAWING OF THE ARCHITECT, OR THE MAP OF THE EXPLORER. THINK OVER THIS FOR A FEW MOMENTS UNTIL YOU GET THE IDEA FIRMLY FIXED IN YOUR MIND.
CAUTION : DO NOT ALLOW YOUR IMAGINATION TO "RUN AWAY WITH YOU" - DO NOT BECOME A DREAMER OF DREAMS AND A DOER OF NOTHING. YOU MUST MASTER YOUR IMAGINATION AND MAKE IT YOUR SERVANT AND NOT YOUR MASTER. YOU MUST MAKE IT DO YOUR BIDDING, INSTEAD OF ALLOWING IT DO DICTATE TO YOU.
YOU WILL SEE IN THE SUCCEEDING CHAPTERS THE IMPORTANT PART THAT MENTAL IMAGING PLAYS IN THE DIFFERENT PHASES OF MENTAL INFLUENCE. EVEN WHEN IT IS NOT REFERED TO DIRECTLY BY NAME, YOU WILL SEE THAT THE "IDEA" SOUGHT TO BE CONVEYED BY ONE MIND TO ANOTHER - THE FEELING, DESIRE OR MENTAL STATE SOUGHT TO BE TRANSFERED FROM ONE MIND TO OTHERS - MUST AND DOES DEPEND VERY MATERIALLY FOR STRENGTH UPON THE DEARNESS AND COMPLETENESS OF THE MENTAL IMAGE HELD IN THE MIND OF THE PERSON SEEKING TO DO THE INFLUENCING, THE "PROJECTOR" OF THE MENTAL IMAGE UPON THE SCREEN OF THE MINDS OF OTHERS. CARRY THIS PRINCIPLE WELL IN MIND THAT YOU MAY SEE ITS OPERATION IN THE DIFFERENT FORMS.
❤
KEY POINTS
MENTAL IMAGE IS THE MENTAL CREATION, THE IMAGINATION OF A "PICTIRE" OF THE THINGS, EVENS OR CONDITIONS THAT ONE DESIRES TO BE MANIFESTD OR MATERIALIZED IN ACTUAL EFFECT. UNLESS YOU KNOW "JUST WHAT" YOU DESIRE, YOU CAN TAKE NO STEPS TOWARD ATTAINING IT ON ANY PLANE OF MANIFESTATION. AND THE MORE CLEARLY YOUR DESIRES ARE PERCEIVED IN YOUR IMAGINATION, THE CLEARER IS THE WORK OF PROCEEDING TOWARD THE REALIZATION OF THE DESIRE. A MENTAL IMAGE GIVES YOU A FRAMEWORK UPON WHICH TO WORK.
THE CLEARER A MENTAL PICTURE YOU POSSES OF ANYTHING THAT YOU WANT - THE BETTER YOU KNOW JUST WHAT YOU WANT - AND THE BETTER YOU KNOW THE LATTER, THE BETTER ABLE YOU ARE TO TAKE STEPS TO GET IT.
BUILD YOUR MENTAL IMAGES BY DEGREES, COMMERCING WITH THE GENERAL OUTLINES, AND THEN FILLING IN THE DETAILS. ALWAYS COMMERCE BT TRYING SIMPLE AND EASY THINGS, AND THEN WORKING UP TO THE MORE COMPLEX AND DIFFICULT FEATS.
