24 Chapters

The operations of the mind are produced by two parallel modes of activity, the one conscious, and the other subconscious. Professor Davidson says: »He who thinks to illuminate the whole range of mental action by the light of his own consciousness is not unlike the one who should go about to illuminate the Universe with a rushlight.«

This point is very important to understand because our sensory perception is inextricably linked to our mind via the cerebrospinal nervous system. However, since most processes are subconscious, most of creation is also removed from our conscious perception. An attempt to explain the whole of creation intellectually is doomed to failure. Through systematic practice, however, we can directly influence the domain of the subconscious and gain access to the so-called 'miracles of life'. It is not achieved at the drop of a hat, however, but through perseverance, discipline and the conscious employment of uplifting thought processes.

The Subconscious‘ logical processes are carried on with a certainty and regularity which would be impossible if there existed the possibility of error. Our mind is so designed that it prepares for us the most important foundations of cognition, whilst we have not the slightest apprehension of the modus operandi.

Pay attention: The subconscious merely executes, it does not argue! All that is entertained and nurtured by you as a thought or - intensified - as a feeling, is taken up and implemented by the subconscious. Your reality, your life, results from this. If you do not like this in any way, you can make use of the fact that the subconscious mind does not argue and provide it with new, life-justifying information (thoughts and feelings), which will be reliably implemented there.

The subconscious soul, like a benevolent stranger, works and makes provision for our benefit, pouring only the mature fruit into our lap. Thus, the ultimate analysis of thought processes shows that the Subconscious is the theatre of the most important mental phenomena.

By 'stage of the most important mental phenomena' Haanel means that in the domain of the subconscious, persons, places or circumstances play no role. Only the conveyed feeling counts, and persons, places and circumstances are merely aids to achieving and maintaining this feeling. If they no longer do this, there is technically no resonance (echo), no amplification of similar vibrations and thus no life force. We then reorient ourselves and look for new tools to help us achieve the feeling of joy, harmony and bliss. This also explains why we look for new life partners, move or turn to other subjects, such as the Master Key System at present.

It is through the Subconscious that Shakespeare must have perceived, without effort, great truths which are hidden from the Conscious Mind of the student; that Phidias fashioned marble and bronze; that Raphael painted Madonnas and Beethoven composed symphonies.

It's a bit like running or cycling. Ease does not come from constantly thinking about something, but from the fact that it is out of our waking consciousness, has planted itself in the domain of the subconscious mind and is working there reliably and with ease. Much more on this later when we deal with concentration, because concentration impacts on your subconscious mind.

Ease and perfection depend entirely upon the degree in which we cease to depend upon the consciousness; playing the piano, skating, operating the typewriter, the skilled trades, depend for their perfect execution on the process of the Subconscious Mind. The marvel of playing a brilliant piece on the piano, while at the same time conducting a vigorous conversation, shows the greatness of our subconscious powers.

Nothing that works well and 'like clockwork' in our lives does so because we give it much thought. All vital processes run subconsciously. Through the mind we only perceive the effects, but the mind has no direct influence on creation. It is the subconscious that is connected to the greater whole. The mind is only there to bring you into harmony with the Great Whole. The rest then happens automatically and benevolently because it is subject to laws.

We are all aware how dependent we are upon the Subconscious, and the greater, the nobler, the more brilliant our thoughts are, the more it is obvious to ourselves that the origin lies beyond our ken. We find ourselves endowed with tact, instinct, sense of the beautiful in art, music, etc., of whose origin or dwelling place we are wholly unconscious.

That is exactly what this is about: You reorient yourself. You develop abilities that have a certain quality. Tact, instinct, a sense for the beautiful, the sublime and the benevolent, not only for yourself but also for your fellow human beings. It is a step from 'I' to 'we'.

The value of the Subconscious is enormous; it inspires us; it warns us; it furnishes us with names, facts and scenes from the storehouse of memory. It directs our thoughts, tastes, and accomplishes tasks so intricate that no Conscious Mind, even if it had the power, has the capacity for.

The last statement is of great importance. The conscious mind cannot comprehend what is happening on the creative level. You can approach step by step, and it may give you satisfaction, but remember that as soon as you turn your attention to one thing, you become unaware of innumerable other things, because you are not there. By the way, this can also be applied to news in daily life. While you think that one message is important, you miss countless others at the same time. Tomorrow there will be something new, and so it goes on happily, which is why it is so important to decide what you are concerned with, because that inevitably becomes what we call life.

We can walk at will; we can raise the arm whenever we choose to do so; we can give our attention through eye or ear to any subject at pleasure. On the other hand, we cannot stop our heartbeats nor the circulation of the blood, nor the growth of stature, nor the formation of nerve and muscle tissue, nor the building of the bones, nor many other important vital processes.

We cannot stop these processes, but we can influence them, because the cells needed for this have intelligence and respond to our instructions. Remember that spirituality is the first Hermetic Principle. This means that the spiritual vibrations are the highest there are and that through them other forms can be influenced. In fact, you remember this all the time, but unconsciously. With this new knowledge you are given a sceptre of power with which you can steer your life in exactly the direction you consciously set by your intention, attention and perseverance.

If we compare these two sets of action, the one decreed by the will of the moment, and the other proceeding in majestic, rhythmic course, subject to no vacillation, but constant at every moment, we stand in awe of the latter, and ask to have the mystery explained. We see at once that these are the vital processes of our physical life, and we cannot avoid the inference that these all-important functions are designedly withdrawn from the domain of our outward will with its variations and transitions, and placed under the direction of a permanent and dependable power within us.

Here again we find a reference to the infinite power within us. While the mind has a definite and all-important task, realisation takes place with amazing reliability in the subconscious mind. Therefore, Master Key System study aims to make new thought processes habitual through repetition, then automatic and finally subconscious. The seed you have sown has then sprouted and come true for you.

Of these two powers, the outward and changeable has been termed the »Conscious Mind,« or the »Subjective Mind« (dealing with outward objects). The interior power is called the »Subconscious Mind,« or the »Subjective Mind,« and besides its work on the mental plane it controls the regular functions which make physical life possible.

The subconscious mind has a dual function. On the one hand, to express life health, on the other hand, to attract from the domain of the spiritual - the infinite and perfect - all the material it needs to express life.

It is necessary to have a clear understanding of their respective functions on the mental plane, as well as of certain other basic principles. Perceiving and operating through the five physical senses, the Conscious Mind deals with the impressions and objects of the outward life.

By the certain other fundamental principles Haanel means the 6 other Hermetic Principles.

It has the faculty of discrimination, carrying with it the responsibility of choice. It has the power of reasoning - whether inductive, deductive, analytical or syllogistic - and this power may be developed to a high degree. It is the seat of the will with all the energies that flow therefrom.

For you as a student, this means that you first recognise the important role of the mind and then use it accordingly. In practice, this will show itself by looking at what presents itself to you in the outside world with different eyes. You take on the role of an observer - for yourself as well as for others. You will decide more and more consciously which people you spend time with or which information or situations you expose yourself to. Metaphysically speaking, this means that from now on you will consciously resonate with people, places or circumstances, whereas up to now it has been more of a habit.

Not only can it impress other minds, but it can direct the Subconscious Mind. In this way the Conscious Mind becomes the responsible ruler and guardian of the Subconscious Mind. It is this high function which can completely reverse conditions in your life.

Read this section again carefully. With the help of the conscious mind you can completely turn your circumstances around. It is an indication of the creative power of thought at your disposal at all times, for at no time is it written anywhere how or what you must think. You decide that all by yourself, or it is decided for you. In the latter case, however, you get what others have intended for you, and that is what they want for themselves and not necessarily what you want for yourself.

It is often true that conditions of fear, worry, poverty, disease, inharmony and evils of all kinds dominate us by reason of false suggestions accepted by the unguarded Subconscious Mind. All this the trained Conscious Mind can entirely prevent by its vigilant protective action. It may properly be called »the watchman at the gate« of the great subconscious domain.

You realise that this is about training, not just absorbing knowledge. It is a matter of training your gatekeeper in such a way that he no longer passes on information to the subconscious that is contrary to life. It's about consciously filtering until this process also becomes habitual, then automatic, and then to yourself. At that point, what you initially thought over and over again has become a part of you that you no longer have to worry about. Apply this knowledge to your daily consumption of media and products, but also to the people you surround yourself with.

One writer has expressed the chief distinction between the two phases of mind thus: »Conscious Mind is reasoning will. Subconscious Mind is instinctive desire, the result of past reasoning will.«

When something has become subconscious to you, you instinctively demand it and no longer willfully justify it. It then happens 'as if by itself'.

The Subconscious Mind draws just and accurate inferences from premises furnished from outside sources. Where the premise is true, the Subconscious Mind reaches a faultless conclusion, but, where the premise or suggestion is an error, the whole structure falls. The Subconscious Mind does not engage in the process of proving. It relies upon the Conscious Mind, »the watchman at the gate«, to guard it from mistaken impressions.

The whole structure collapses because defective thoughts or constructs have no principle, no continuity, no structure and no integrity. They have no strength and substance of their own. This is very important to understand because the point of master key system study is to recognise what the truth is which has principle. This truth must then be expressed consciously (mentally, verbally and through feelings and actions) until it too has found entrance into the domain of the subconscious.

Receiving any suggestions as true, the Subconscious Mind at once proceeds to act thereon in the whole domain of its tremendous field of work. The Conscious Mind can suggest either truth or error. If the latter, it is at the cost of wide-reaching peril to the whole being.

The subconscious is creative. It no longer asks if you have forwarded something erroneous. It also implements it. Errors are defined by the fact that they are unpredictable in the truest sense of the word. But this is opposed to the order and structure of life. Thus, errors lead to the destruction of life when they are perpetuated by thought.

The Conscious Mind ought to be on duty during every waking hour. When the »watchman« is »off guard«, or when its calm judgment is suspended, under a variety of circumstances, then the Subconscious Mind is unguarded and left open to suggestion from all sources. During the wild excitement of panic, or during the height of anger, or the impulses of the irresponsible mob, or at any other time of unrestrained passion, the conditions are most dangerous. The Subconscious Mind is then open to the suggestion of fear, hatred, selfishness, greed, self- depreciation and other negative forces, derived from surrounding persons or circumstances. The result is usually unwholesome in the extreme, with effects that may endure to distress it for a long time. Hence, the great importance of guarding the Subconscious Mind from false impressions.

A very appropriate example here is television. When you watch television, you pick up the thought forms of other people. When you watch the news, you often pick up the feelings of other people in areas far away from you, but you do not ask yourself if this is really serving you. In most cases the answer will be a clear no, which is why you will most likely drastically reduce your TV consumption over time, without even beginning to miss it.

You will think your own thoughts in silence, in seclusion, which you will seek out more and more - far away from the influences of other people. There you will come to new insights and realisations, which you will then consistently put into practice.

The Subconscious Mind perceives by intuition. Hence, its processes are rapid. It does not wait for the slow methods of conscious reasoning. In fact, it can not employ them.

'The subconscious hears (recognises, feels) through intuition'. The slow methods of the Objective Mind are of no use to the subconscious mind. This is exactly why the Master Key System study aims to train your intuition. You thereby establish a direct and, above all, fast connection between yourself and Creation. In this way you attain a certainty of behaviour that is at your side in all situations.

The Subconscious Mind never sleeps, never rests, any more than does your heart, or your blood. It has been found that by plainly stating to the Subconscious Mind certain specific things to be accomplished, forces are set in operation that lead to the result desired. Here, then, is a source of power which places us in touch with Omnipotence. Here in is a deep principle which is well worth our most earnest study.

This is the 'Djinn principle', 'Aladdin's magic lamp', 'Your wish is my command'. There are no restrictions here on what you can imagine - what you can command the subconscious to do. The more developed your imagination, the more grandiose and extensive the images you create in your mind and then realise on the outside.

The operation of this law is interesting. Those who put it into operation find that when they go out to meet the person with whom they anticipate a difficult interview, something has been there before them and dissolved the supposed differences; everything is changed; all is harmonious. They find that when some difficult business problem presents itself they can afford to make delay and something suggests the proper solution; everything is properly arranged. In fact, those who have learned to trust the Subconscious find that they have infinite resources at their command.

This is the confidence that develops for those who know about their subconscious and its power. There is no hecticness or stress, but the whole process is characterised by knowledge, insight, sovereignty, calmness and inner peace, from which intelligent decisions then emerge. It is the characteristic of a person who intuitively makes the right decisions without having to analyse much.

The Subconscious Mind is the seat of our principles and our aspirations. It is the fount of our artistic and altruistic ideals. These instincts can only be overthrown by an elaborate and gradual process of undermining the innate principles.

It is precisely this undermining process that takes place through external channels, including the media, as well as family, cultural and religious influences, without being recognised. Thus it cannot be stopped. This is why it is important to be very careful here and to fundamentally question what we are used to, especially when things do not feel good.

The Subconscious Mind cannot argue controversially. Hence, if it has accepted wrong suggestions, the sure method of overcoming them is by the use of a strong counter suggestion, frequently repeated, which the Subconscious Mind must accept, thus eventually forming new and healthy habits of thought and life, for the Subconscious Mind is the seat of Habit. That which we do over and over becomes mechanical; it is no longer an act of judgment, but has worn its deep grooves in the Subconscious Mind. This is favourable for us if the habit be wholesome and right. If it be harmful, and wrong, the remedy is to recognize the omnipotence of the Subconscious Mind and suggest present actual freedom. The Subconscious being creative and one with our divine source will at once create the freedom suggested.

The strong, often repeated counter-proposal is a cornerstone of the Master Key System and a theme that will accompany you for the foreseeable future. It is this counter-suggestion that must be made again and again when you catch yourself thinking, saying or acting badly. The repetition creates new habits; with time it becomes easier and easier to think the new ('good'), thus gradually but consistently and permanently leaving the old ('bad') behind. This is the mental work to be done - the work on oneself, one's own thoughts and habits.

To sum up: The normal functions of the Subconscious on the physical side have to do with the regular and vital processes, with the preservation of life and the restoration of health; with the care of offspring, which includes an instinctive desire to preserve all life and improve conditions generally.

' ... To preserve all life and to improve conditions generally.' It is for this very reason that you learn with the Master Key System what the subconscious mind is all about and how to harness its properties: Preserve life and improve conditions! Let this really melt on your tongue!

On the mental side, it is the storehouse of memory; it harbours the wonderful thought messengers, who work, unhampered by time or space; it is the fountain of the practical initiative and constructive forces of life: It is the seat of habit.

'Seat of Habits'. In German this means: the result of practice and repetition; doing something again and again until it has become a habit.

On the spiritual side, it is the source of ideals, of aspiration, of the imagination, and is the channel through which we recognize our Divine Source, and in proportion as we recognize this divinity do we come into an understanding of the source of power.

It is a matter of recognising and claiming our own divinity our creative power. Through our ideals, our aspirations and our imagination we can bring about new circumstances. Indeed, we have been doing this since time immemorial, but now we are living it consciously and systematically and based on our own will, instead of silently carrying on what others - attention! - have foreseen or conceived for us.

Some one may ask: »How can the Subconscious change conditions?« The reply is, because the Subconscious is a part of the Universal Mind and a part must be the same in kind and quality as the whole; the only difference is one of degree. The whole, as we know, is creative, in fact, it is the only creator there is, consequently, we find that mind is creative, and as thought is the only activity which the mind possesses thought must necessarily be creative also.

Pay attention! The difference is only one of degree. The subconscious and the Universal Consciousness are equal in kind and quality because it is the role of the Universal Consciousness to express life. Thus, infinite resources are available to you through the subconscious mind - they just have to be utilised. This can be done by you, but also by others, as mentioned above.

But we shall find that there is a vast difference between simply thinking, and directing our thought consciously, systematically and constructively; when we do this we place our mind in harmony with the Universal Mind, we come in tune with the Infinite, we set in operation the mightiest force in existence, the creative power of the Universal Mind. This, as everything else, is governed by natural law, and this law is the »Law of Attraction,« which is that mind is creative, and will automatically correlate with its object and bring it into manifestation.

Actually, it is not difficult to understand, but it is exactly this aspect of consciousness that brings us into harmony with the Universal Consciousness. Since creation is subject to laws, this means that structure, order and system play a role here. If you as an individual now also include these components, your reality will present itself accordingly. Simple thinking - or rather: having thoughts - makes room for a systematic, controlled and constructive process. After all, your goal is to integrate more wealth, more love and more health into your life. These are all constructive processes that lead from less to more.

Last week I gave you an exercise for the purpose of securing control of the physical body; if you have accomplished this you are ready to advance. This time you will begin to control your thought. Always take the same room, the same chair, and the same position, if possible. In some cases it is not convenient to take the same room, in this case simply make the best use of such conditions as may be available. Now be perfectly still as before, but inhibit all thought; this will give you control over all thoughts of care, worry and fear, and will enable you to entertain only the kind of thoughts you desire. Continue this exercise until you gain complete mastery.

It is important to note that the exercises systematically build on each other. Without the body control in the first chapter, no thought control or slowing down in this chapter is possible. Your ability to control thoughts will lead you next week to give certain mental instructions, which again makes the systematic process clear.

The point of this exercise is not to turn off thoughts, but to become aware of them and to slow them down in some way. You should thereby learn to recognise how many thoughts seek access to you at every moment - thoughts which, if they are not controlled by you and if necessary rejected, are passed on to the subconscious and there are not subjected to any further evaluation.

You will not be able to do this for more that a few moments at a time, but the exercise is valuable, because it will be a very practical demonstration of the great number of thoughts which are constantly trying to gain access to your mental world.

Consider the thoughts here carefully, for many are simply conditioning. You can record them as an additional exercise. Just record the words as an audio file or write them down. Then question where they come from, whether they are yours and whether they serve you. You will do this exercise more and more often in your daily life, because only in this way will you be able to mentally 'cross' the thoughts and thereby prevent them from taking root in you.

Next week you will receive instructions for an exercise which may be a little more interesting, but it is necessary that you master this one first.

Mastery implies success. Mastery means to progress from one success to another; to recognise things, to classify or complete them accordingly, and then to 'put the lid on it' and move on to the next. Success is always also completion and consummation.