And here "is a good place in which to direct your attention to a very important fact concerning the operation of suggestion in inducing mental states in others. I allude to the fact that suggestion operates along the line of "emotional mentality," "feeling," or "imagination," and has nothing to do with judgment, reason, argument, proof, etc. It belongs clearly to the "feeling" side of the mind, rather than to the "thinking" side. One's reason may be appealed to by clever reasoning, argument, logic, proof, etc., and an effect gained - but this belongs to an entirely different phase of mental action. The induction of mental states in others by means of suggestion has to do entirely with the "feeling" or "'imaginative" phase of the mind. It deals with the production of "emotional mentality" rather than with "rational mentality." This is a most important point, and one that should be thoroughly understood by all students of the subject.

It is true that suggestion may accompany an appeal to the reason or judgment of the person influenced, and, indeed, is generally so used; but, strictly speaking, it constitutes an appeal to a part of the mind entirely removed from reasoning and judgment. It is emotional, and imaginative first, last, and all the time. And it operates along the same lines as the mental induction produced by mentative currents, as we shall see.

And now, with this preliminary understanding, let us pass on to a consideration of the meaning of the terms used. There is nothing like a clear understanding of the terms employed in treating of a subject. If one understands the "exact" meaning of the terms, he has progressed very far to an "exact" understanding of the subject itself, for the terms are the crystallized ideas involved in the subject. To understand the full and complete meaning of the terms of any subject is to know the whole subject thoroughly, for no one can understand a term thoroughly until he knows it in all of its relations - all that pertains to it.

Let us start with the word "suggestion" as used by the writers on mental suggestion. Some authorities give the broad, general definition of "anything that is impressed upon the mind through the senses," but this I consider entirely too sweeping, for this definition would make the term cover knowledge of all sort, no matter to what part of the mind it appealed, for all knowledge of the outward world is obtained through the senses.

Other authorities define the term as "anything insinuated into the mind, subtly, cautiously, and indirectly," this definition fitting nearly the one favored by the dictionaries in defining the word "suggestion" in its general sense, which is as follows: "a hint; a guarded mention; an intimation; something presented to the mind directly; an insinuation; etc." But this last definition of mental suggestion does not fit all the phases of the subject. It fits admirably into the phase known as Passive Suggestion, which operates by direct, forceful command, statement, etc.

And so I must give my own definition of the term to fit my conception of and understanding of its meaning. I, therefore, here define my use of the term "a Mental Suggestion" as follows: A physical agency tending to induce or excite mental states or ideas through the imagination. This is a broad definition, which, I think, will cover all the observable phenomena of Mental Suggestion.

I use the word "physical" to distinguish suggestive agents from the "mental" agents inducing mental states by the operation of mentative currents, telementation, etc Of course this distinction will not please those who would claim all "mental" action as a form of the "physical," or vice versa. But as I have to draw the line somewhere, I prefer to draw it between the "physical" agent and the "mental," and I think that the majority of my readers will approve of this position. The word "agent" means, of course, "an acting power or cause," etc. The word "inducing," as I have used it, has been defined in the previous lesson. The word "excite" means" to call into activity in any way; to rouse to feeling; to kindle to strong emotions." The imagination is "that phase of mind which creates mental images, or objects, or sensation previously experienced."

In my use of the term "physical" in the above definition I include all words, spoken, written, or printed; mannerisms; physical actions of all kinds; physical; characteristics and appearances, etc., etc. All of these physical manifestations act as "agents" inducing mental states under favorable circumstances. By "mental states" I mean states of "feeling or emotion." By "ideas," I mean "images of objects conceived of by the mind."

It may be urged that the use of "words, spoken, written or printed," may be employed, and are employed, in every appeal to the mind of another, whether the appeal be along the lines of suggestion or argument, reason, etc. Certainly I And in that sense they act as suggestions. Arguments appeal to judgment and reason - but not to feeling, emotion or imagination which are, on the contrary, excited or induced by suggestions or other forms of emotional induction. One may present an idea to the mind of another, in a bold, forcible, logical manner, accompanied by argument or proof, hut this is an appeal to reason and judgment, not to "feeling or emotion," which belong to an entirely different field of the mind. Then again, many personal appeals, which are apparently made to reason, are really made to the emotional side. One may subtly insinuate into an argument or conversation an appeal to the feelings or emotion of the hearer, in the shape of an idea in the nature of a hint, or indirect mention. Such idea will be "felt" by the listener, who will accept it into his mind, and before long he will regard it as one of his own thoughts - he will make it his own. He will think that he "thought" it, whereas, really, he simply "feels" it, and the "feeling" is induced. This is a case of "suggestion."