The subconscious is recording everything that goes on and these impressions act in us, so we must be vigilant in choosing our sources of influences.
By Roberto Assagioli, date unknown, From the Assagioli Archive in Florence. Doc. #21887. Edited With Notes by Jan Kuniholm[1]
Abstract: The plastic unconscious is like photographic film, but the images recorded act within us. We take in elements from the environment all the time and these may be either beneficial or harmful. Good psychological hygiene involves two principles: elimination of harmful influences and conscious use of beneficial elements. We need to take protective measures when exposing ourselves to psychic poisons. There are also several methods to use beneficial influences, including mottoes and phrases, readings, images and colors, nature, and music. This essay explores these methods. They are part of the art of living.
The plastic subconscious is like an inexhaustible supply of unused photographic film. We, as conscious beings in vital contact with external reality, are like a cinematographic camera functioning uninterruptedly, so that each moment a new section of the sensitive film receives impressions of the pictures which happen to appear before the lens. But in our case the impressions thus received do not remain as mere images; they act in us. They are living forces which stimulate and evoke other forces, according to the psychological laws of association by affinity, by resemblance, and by contrast. They tend to produce the ideas, the emotional states, the physical conditions and the external actions corresponding to their nature.
We can consider the question also from another angle and use another analogy. Our body is continually absorbing vital elements from the outer world, from the air, from light, water and from various foods, and these elements exercise corresponding influences upon it according to their nature, which may be beneficial or harmful, pure and wholesome or impure and unwholesome. In the same way our subconscious is absorbing all the time, through our sense organs, vital elements from the psychological surroundings. It breathes, as it were, and unceasingly assimilates psychological substances, and on the nature of the latter depend the helpful or harmful effects upon ourselves.
We should then keep a constant watch and make a careful choice of the psychological atmosphere to which we expose ourselves and systematic use of the mental foods we take in. There should be certain principles and applications of psychological hygiene and treatment in this respect as there are those of physical hygiene and treatment. In both cases these fall into two categories:
- The elimination of harmful influences.
- The conscious, wise and systematic use of beneficent elements.
1. The Elimination of Harmful Influences
Physical hygiene has made considerable progress in the last 50 years. The gross mistakes of previous times are now recognized and avoided. Our bodies are being more and more exposed to the beneficent influences of nature and nourished with simple and wholesome foods. But in the field of psychological hygiene, we are comparatively more than a century behind. In this field there is still great ignorance, gross carelessness and lack of elementary caution. Who would now take food without knowing whether it was wholesome or bad, clean or infected? What modern and intelligent person would swallow medicines chosen only for their pleasant flavor regardless of their properties and physical effects?
Yet, most of us are constantly doing such things with psychological foods and medicines — or rather poisons — such as the company of unsuitable people, the exposing of oneself to the influence of the unwholesome material contained all too frequently in newspapers, magazines and books, and in films and plays. Many expose themselves carelessly to these impressions under the illusion that they are proof against their power to influence, and that they are not open to suggestion. But this is a mistaken and dangerous idea. Even if we are not aware of these influences, they affect our subconscious. It should therefore be an elementary principle of conduct never to expose oneself unnecessarily to influences of a negative character.
Some will object that this is unavoidable in leading an active life under modern conditions, and that the strict application of the principle would necessitate the life of a hermit.
Of course, some exposure to these influences cannot be avoided under existing conditions, and I would certainly not wish to give the impression that we ought to be afraid of them. Doctors and nurses are obliged to expose themselves to the dangers of infectious diseases, but they counteract them by taking the appropriate prophylactic precautions.
In the same way, whenever duty obliges us to be present at meetings where impassioned discussion and conflict give rise to emotional storms and we are forced to inhale an unhealthy psychological atmosphere, or when (in the theater or cinema) we expose ourselves to a performance which presents the base and unbalanced aspects of human nature, we can avoid harmful effects provided we take the necessary protective measures. These require us to be watchful, and afterwards to disinfect our subconscious and counteract the impressions that have infected it by the use of constructive suggestions and affirmations; or by absorbing neutralizing influences such as harmonious and friendly company and the healing beauty that radiates from nature and works of art.
Thus there is no need to fear or consciously avoid situations that might exercise a pernicious influence. Only, as it takes time and energy to counteract them, it is foolish to expend energy in exposing ourselves to them if there is no good reason for doing so.
2. The Systematic Use of Beneficent External Influences
We cleanse our bodies with water and expose them to the healing rays of the sun or to ultraviolet lamps. Similarly we can, and should, systematically expose our subconscious to the beneficent psychological rays coming from the spiritual sources of light and life. Let us consider the practical ways of doing this.
a. Mottoes and Phrases
These can be used as direct suggestions; i.e. by repeating them verbally. But a similar result can be obtained from them by scrutinizing and allowing them to penetrate and influence us through the eyes. For this purpose the words should be written clearly and in large letters and then looked at for a while in a state of quiet concentration and receptivity, so that they may penetrate the subconscious and act upon it effectively.
The suggestive power of written words and phrases was more or less consciously recognized in the past, as is evidenced by the maxims printed upon the inside walls of churches and monasteries as well as in ancient castles and palaces. It was also the custom of noble families to adopt a motto which was inscribed on their coat-of-arms, and which constituted a moral pledge to uphold its principles.
Such a plan could be adopted today with advantage, as is already happening here and there, and helpful and constructive mottoes [are] exhibited in public halls and private houses. These should be short and inspiring sentences graphically expressing the principle or the spiritual quality we particularly desire or need as psychological food.
It is generally advisable for each individual to select a motto or phrase which carries a strong appeal and arouses vital inner response. A kind of vibration or thrill is set up which one learns to recognize. If the selected phrase should become stale after a while and lose its power, it is well to substitute another. It often happens that a return later to the first phrase renders it more effective than before, and reveals its meaning more deeply and vitally. After some practice one feels intuitively when the right moment has come to change a motto or revert to a previous one.
These visual influences can be classed as a kind of psycho-spiritual advertisement, and the rules referred to in this context are not dissimilar from those used by advertisers, who also use short impressive sentences printed in large type, which they insert again and again in periodicals, varying the approach from time to time.
As business firms proclaim to the public the virtues of their soaps, toothpastes, clothing and other material commodities, so must we advertise “WILL,” “Faith,” “Concentration,” “Persistence,” and “Joy” to ourselves. Why should we not also make the fullest use of this power?
Another very effective means is to write the chosen words or sentences many times. There are two reasons for this. Firstly, it combines two sets of sense perceptions: the visual and [those of] the motor organs; and, secondly, it takes advantage of the enormous penetrating influence and power of repetition. Daniel B. Herring furnishes a striking example of the healing of a serious affliction by this method, without the use of any other means. Here is how he tells about it:
I had a political position in Oklahoma which gave me occasion to visit the state prison. There I became acquainted with a young man who was addicted to drugs. He came from a very good family and had had a good education. Talking with me of his terrible condition, he said how much he desired to be freed from it. I obtained permission to try an experiment with him, for I believed that if I succeeded in implanting a high spiritual truth in his subconscious, his life would change. Thus one day I told him that, if he would write the following verse ten thousand times, he would be cured:
“Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in Thy sight, O Lord, my strength and my redeemer.”
Soon after this I left the State and lost track of my new friend. A few days ago I was walking on a street in Kansas City, when I came face to face with him. I noted that he had a good appearance and was elegantly dressed. He told me that my advice had been quite successful and that he had been dismissed from prison on his word. “I had written that verse only seven thousand times, when suddenly its true meaning revealed itself to me and I began to meditate on the thoughts, and words, and actions which would be pleasing to God. This brought me to the life, and I am still in it.” He went on telling how the affirmation of the 19th psalm was the most powerful and vitalizing factor of his life and that it had formed the central idea to which he conforms every action, including his business. He is married, has two children, and is prosperous.[2]
b. Readings
Reading is one of the avenues by which we open ourselves most frequently to psychological infections and poisons. Who can tell how great and widespread has been the demoralizing and destructive influence of countless novels in which the lower human passions are graphically depicted, and in which there is not a glimmering of moral uplift or elevating stimulus?
Owing to its direct influence upon the imagination, and to the passive receptivity of most people, the reading of such novels, as Eymieu says in his excellent book Le Gouvernement de soi-même, “becomes a kind of hypnotic séance in which the book plays the part of the hypnotizer.”[3]
But such undesirable effects are not restricted to novels and stories of a low order, accentuating the glamor of sex and crime. It is not generally realized that literature having high artistic value can also, unfortunately, exercise a harmful influence upon highly impressionable people, particularly adolescents. Instances have been observed where the effect produced by such fine literary works as Goethe’s Werther,[4] Dostoevsky’s Crime and Punishment,[5] and Foscolo’s The Last Letters of Jacopo Ortis.[6] has been deeply depressing and has led to crime and even suicide.
And what shall we say of the newspapers which present us daily with a mixture of psychological poisons that can compete successfully with the most diabolical cocktails! The systematic kindling of party strife; the sensational descriptions of accidents, crimes and miseries; all in fact that pertains to the inferior, the negative and the distressing side of human life — these make up the major portion of the contents of our dailies all over the world!
It is evident that such material can have only a detrimental effect on our subconscious. But apart from this, the usual cursory glancing at newspapers is not good for us. The rapid turning of the attention from one subject to another and the crowding of the mind with ideas and images of different kinds, which in turn give rise to diverse and often mutually opposing emotions — all this conduces to a scattering of mental powers, to superficiality, and to the blunting and impairment of the capacity for real feeling. In this state of passive extroversion, of “dissipation” (to use the apt expression of the ancients), we are especially liable to be influenced by the mental atmosphere of the news sheet: alternately skeptical, cynical, sensational, and depressing.
What, then, is the remedy? To give up reading newspapers is hardly possible, and would not be advisable. It would mean a cowardly retreat into an unnatural isolation. To reform the newspapers would be the most desirable thing, and many suggestions could be given to that effect; but until such an ideal can become a practical reality we must look elsewhere for the remedy.
It can be no other than this: to change our way of reading the newspapers. Instead of looking upon this as an opportunity for diversion and passive receptivity, we should take up the newspaper in an attitude of mental alertness, of careful discrimination, of sympathetic understanding. We should resist the temptation to read from idle curiosity, to linger over lengthy stories of “human interest” and futile discussions, or to immerse ourselves in trivialities. We should resist all suggestions conveyed by the stream of prevailing ideas and collective passions, and avoid the ordinary personal way of looking at events and reading about them.
The great mass of sad and sordid facts which reach publication and throw warning shadows across the glittering surface of our civilization, should make us realize how great is the sum of human suffering, and generate in the depths of our being that divine impulse urging us to devote our efforts, to dedicate our lives, to the work of reducing the ocean of human misery.
But let us come back to the beneficent effects of good reading. The help it can give is incalculable. Many of the highest minds and noblest souls of humanity have revealed their precious inner treasures through their writings (“King’s treasuries,” as Ruskin aptly calls them in Sesame and Lilies)[7], and all this spiritual wealth is ready to influence us, to inspire us, to awaken and call forth any particular note or quality which we desire or need. This good influence generally acts upon us even without our conscious evocation of it, but how much greater the benefit, could we avail ourselves of it deliberately!
We must all make our own selection according to individual needs. I shall but suggest that the most effective books are biographies or autobiographies of great people who have been representatives and embodiments of the psychological or spiritual quality we wish to cultivate in ourselves.
To obtain the maximum benefit, the reading should be done in a particular way. We should first induce in ourselves a quiet and receptive attitude and then read slowly, marking the outstanding passages and re-reading or copying the most striking and helpful paragraphs. Reading conducted in this way becomes a definite psychological exercise.
c. Images and Colors
Images and pictures have great suggestive power, particularly over certain individuals (visual types, extroverts). Their influence is twofold: one being inherent in the meaning, and the other due to the intensity of their expressive power or the charm of their beauty. To absorb their emanation fully we must contemplate them intently and identify ourselves to some extent with the thing or person represented. For this purpose, we can have in readiness a collection of pictures expressing all the positive qualities and the gifts of the spirit, and use those which answer our particular needs at a certain time.
It has become a matter of general recognition that each color has a distinct psychological quality of its own, and consequently a specific effect. There is not yet full agreement upon the distinct quality and influence of each color, and further experiments are needed to settle this question; but there are some points which can be considered to be practically verified: for instance, the fact that so-called cold colors, and the subdued ones, have a calming effect. Certain shades of blue are generally regarded as having a soothing, harmonizing influence; light green a refreshing one; red and bright yellow are exciting; pink suggests joy. Thus we know already enough to begin to make good use of color in awakening feelings it is to our advantage to arouse.
d. Influence of Nature
The great physical benefit to be derived by the body from right contact with nature, and the harmony of natural rhythm can give to the body is well known. Here we shall consider only the psychological benefit which car be ours if we open ourselves to nature’s subtler influences. In order to profit to the full from this source, an attitude similar to that suggested for the contemplation of pictures is needed. We must open our soul, as it were, and absorb the scenery while we gaze upon it, become one with it so as to feel in ourselves the security of the solid mountains, the strength of the great trees, the serenity of the green meadows, and the joyousness of the multicolored flowers.
But as each natural element, each locality, each kind of scenery has its specific qualities, and as natural influences are by no means always harmonious and friendly, we should not open ourselves indiscriminately and passively to all the influences of nature, but learn instead to choose wisely those which suggest the particular psychological qualities we lack or desire to develop. For instance, to the passive and dreamy type of person, who is usually irresolute and mutable, the influence of the sea can be detrimental, because the watery element suggests just those characteristics which are already over-developed in that person. In the same way, a hard, stubborn and over-positive character would get no benefit from the influence of a rugged mountain landscape. Such a temperament needs the softening and harmonizing influence of a quiet place by the sea, surrounded by olive trees and a profusion of flowers, such as is found on the Mediterranean Riviera, or an idyllic and tranquil valley among the hills. On the other hand, the passive and unstable type previously mentioned would find an excellent tonic in the power emanating from the massive ruggedness of a mountain such as the Matterhorn in Switzerland. Thus the choice of the best place for a vacation becomes a question of psychological consideration and a matter of individual prescription.
There is also a general principle that can be safely applied; a southern region is often particularly beneficial for northern people. The latter are apt to be introverted and lacking in the facility of easy self-expression as a result of the influence of the harsh climatic conditions of their native countries. When they come to the South they often experience a marvelous sense of release. Their inner nature responds to the charm and attractions of its fresh beauty and the irresistible influence of a soil which rapidly produces flowers and fruit under the burning kiss of the sun; and in a similar manner these stimulate the rapid blossoming and fruitfulness of their cramped and suppressed natures. The most illustrious example of this stimulating and illuminating influence of the South is the case of Goethe, who virtually discovered himself during his stay in Rome and who consciously recognized and described his indebtedness in this respect. Inversely, for Southern types who are usually too extroverted, too passionate and lacking in self-control and concentration, the sobering influence of a northern landscape with its snow-covered fields, leafless trees, and cold climate, can be equally beneficial. [8]
e. Music
Music is another powerful means of suggestion. Music can heal and, unfortunately, it can also have an injurious effect on our nerves and mind. Interested readers can find much relevant information in the book Music and Medicine, edited by Schullian and Schoen.[9] But the subject is too complicated and important to be dealt with fairly and adequately in a short survey. In this brief review we have surveyed the chief means of indirect suggestion. They are manifold and varied enough to permit everybody to find those most adapted to his constitution, his conditions and his opportunities. The ability to make the right choices, to combine and alternate these influences, is an important part of that most precious of all arts — the art of living.
[1] The earliest version of this document was Doc. #24053, which was a manuscript of unrevised notes for Lesson VII of 1928, written in Italian. Subsequent version of this essay were prepared by the author and revised in English, as is shown in documents #8213, #21779, among others which were drafts or excerpts of the present essay. This essay is based upon Doc.#21887 and has applied the hand-written corrections of Doc.#21886 and cross-checked with the other documents and attempts to be as complete as possible. Some minor editing of this document has been made to improve grammar and standardize spelling and punctuation, etc. —Ed.
[2] Herring’s identity and the source of this quotation are unknown. —Ed.
[3] Antonin Eymieu (1861-1933) was a French Jesuit and spiritual director, and author of several books, including Le Gouvernement de soi-même (Government of One’s Self) in 1906. Modern editions in French are still available. —Ed.
[4] Goethe’s The Sorrows of Young Werther(1774-1878) was an epistolary novel which made Goethe an instant literary celebrity. The novel, about an unhappy young man, was alleged to have stimulated a rash of “copycat suicides” in Europe. —Ed.
[5] Dostoevsky’s Crime and Punishment (1866) follows the mental anguish and moral dilemmas of an impoverished ex-student who plans to murder an elderly pawnbroker. He commits the crime and then is wracked by confusion, paranoia, disgust and guilt. —Ed.
[6] Ultime lettere di Jacopo Ortis [The Last Letters of Jacopo Ortis] (1798-1802) was modeled on Werther (see note above). The main character falls in love with a girl affianced to another, and commits suicide. —Ed.
[7] John Ruskin (1819-1900) was an English author, poet, painter, and art and social critic. His Sesame and Lilies (1865) consists of two lectures, “Of Kings’ Treasuries” and “Of Queens’ Gardens.” While these lectures emphasize the connections between nature, art and society, they are essentially concerned with education and ideal conduct. The first half of the original work, “Of Kings’ Treasuries,” is a critique of Victorian manhood. —Ed.
[8] It is clear that the author is speaking from the perspective of earth’s Northern Hemisphere, and particularly that of Europe. A similar phenomenon is probably effective in the Southern Hemisphere at certain locations, with the directions reversed. —Ed.
[9] Music and Medicine was edited by Dorothy Schullian and Max Schoen. New York, Henry Schuman, Inc., 1948. —Author’s Note.
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