Repetition & Suggestibility

[parthens]

Josef Goebbels, Hitler’s minister of propaganda, wrote:
“It would not be impossible to prove with sufficient repetition and a psychological understanding of the people concerned that a square is in fact a circle. They are mere words, and words can be molded until they clothe ideas and disguise” (emphasis added). This is how the greater part of the population of Germany was led to call good evil and evil good.

Repetition is a primary principle of mesmerism. Any thought that I think over and over again becomes a belief. Any belief that I perpetuate will eventually, irresistibly, become a reality to me.

This is why the third and last of Mrs. Eddy’s “Daily Duties” is so important: “Alertness to Duty – It shall be the duty of every member of this Church to defend himself daily against aggressive mental suggestion…”

Hitler and Goebbels were masters of agressive suggestion, and one of their most effective and aggresive propaganda tools was repetition.

The apostle Paul in the second chapter of II Thessalonians speaks of the antichrist as gaining power through deception and through the deceivableness of his followers

A deceiver is only as strong as the deceivability, or suggestibility, of his audience. The human mind is suggestible, and this is why it is so important to put off the human mind and “put on the Mind of Christ”: https://www.kingjamesbibleonline.org/Bible-Verses-About-The-Mind-Of-Christ/

“This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success.” (Joshua 1:8.)

“Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.” (Philippians 4:8.)

[Florence]

Thanks for your cautionary post. Mrs. Eddy admonishes alertness to duty( as mentioned above) to be careful we are not hypnotized by what we hear; and we can prevent such mesmerism if we are always careful with our loyalty to the things of God. This means I have to ask often:

Is this of God? Father what do you say? These should be my ready tests for all that comes to my thought, what I see or hear; since without these measures one can be influenced to believe the repeated lies that come about health, politics or anything else from the News and elsewhere.

This caution is why we are encouraged to keep our conversations in heaven. How easily we can become mesmerized with evil thoughts if we keep listening to them.
Philipians 3:20 For our conversation is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ.
How wise and protective these Bible admonitions are and thanks to Mrs. Eddy who says in SH p 103: The malicious form of hypnotism ultimates in moral idiocy.

[DaleW]

Thank you Parthens for this post, and for including the link to the Bible verses related to “The Mind of Christ.” I love 2 Timothy 1:7, “For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.” How wonderful that we can release fear from ourselves because God never gave it! And to embrace the power of God, through love, and to do it in the right way, at the right time, because we reflect that “sound mind” – our reflection of the one Mind!

Thanks very much for this reminder, and to act upon it moment by moment!

And thank you, Florence, for the practical examples of what to be alert to in our daily lives.

This is indeed an important and timely Bible Lesson this week – thank you!

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