The Mystic Will | Page 4

as young may profit.

It is worth noting that, were it for nervous invalids alone, or those who
from various causes find it difficult to sleep, or apply the mind to work,
this book would be of unquestionable value. In fact, even while writing
this chapter, a lady has called to thank me for the substantial benefit
which she derived from my advice in this respect. And, mindful of the
fact that Attention and Unwearied Perseverance are most necessary to
succeed in such processes as are here described, I have taken pains to
show or explain how they may be rendered more attractive, tolerable,
and habitual to the fickle or light-minded; this, too, being a subject
which has been very little considered from a practical point of view.
But, above all things, I beg the reader, laying aside all prejudice or
preconceived opinion, and neither believing nor disbelieving what he
reads, to simply try it--that is to test it in his own person to what degree
he can influence his will, or bring about subsequent states of mind, by
the very easy processes laid down. If I could hope that all opinion of
my book would be uttered only by those who had thus put it to the test,
I should be well assured as to its future.
And also I beg all readers, and especially reviewers, to note that I
advise that the auto-suggestive process, by aid of sleep, shall be
discontinued as soon as the experimenter begins to feel an increase in
the power of the will; the whole object of the system being to acquire a
perfectly free clear Will as soon as possible. Great injustice was done,
as regards the first edition of this work, by a very careless though
eminent critic, who blamed the author for not having done what the
latter had carefully recommended in his book.
There are four stages of advance towards the truth: firstly, Disbelief;
secondly, Doubt, which is, in fact, only a fond advance towards
Disbelief; thirdly, Agnosticism, which is Doubt mingled with Inquiry;
and, finally, pure and simple Inquiry or Search, without any
preconceived opinion or feeling whatever. It is, I trust, only in the spirit
of the latter, that I have written; therefore I say to the reader, Neither,
believe nor disbelieve in anything which I have said, but, as it is an
easy thing to try, experiment for yourself, and judge by the result. In
fact, as a satisfactory and conclusive experiment will not require more

time, and certainly not half the pains which most people would expend
on reading a book, I shall be perfectly satisfied if any or all my critics
will do so, and judge the system by the result.

INTRODUCTION.
"Unto many Fortune comes while sleeping."--Latin Proverb.
"Few know what is really going on in the world."-- American Proverb.
It is but a few years since it suddenly struck the gay world of comic
dramatists and other literary wits, that the Nineteenth Century was
drawing to an end, and regarding it as an event they began to make
merry over it, at first in Paris, and then in London and New York, as
the fin-de-siècle. Unto them it was the going-out of old fashions in
small things, such as changes in dress, the growth of wealth, or "the
mighty bicycle," with a very prevalent idea that things "are getting
mixed" or "checquered," or the old conditions of life becoming
strangely confused. And then men of more thought or intelligence,
looking more deeply into it, began to consider that the phrase did in
very truth express far more serious facts. As in an old Norman tale, he
who had entered as a jester or minstrel in comic garb, laid aside his
disguise, and appeared as a wise counsellor or brave champion who had
come to free the imprisoned emperor.
For it began to be seen that this fin-de-siècle was developing with
startling rapidity changes of stupendous magnitude, which would ere
long be seen "careering with thunder speed along," and that all the
revolutions and reforms recorded in history were only feeble or partial,
scattered or small, compared to the world-wide unification of human
interests, led by new lights, which has begun to manifest itself in every
civilized country. That well nigh every person or real culture, or
education guided by pure science, has within a very few years
advanced to a condition of liberal faith which would have been in my
university days generally reprobated as "infidelity," is not to be denied,
and the fact means, beyond all question, that according to its present

rate of advance, in a very few years more, this reform will end in the
annulling of innumerable traditions, forms of faith and methods.
Upharsin is writ on the wall.
More than