nnecessary but hindersome. Autosuggestion succeeds when
Conscious and Unconscious co-operate in the acceptance of an idea.
Coue's long practice has shown that we must leave the Unconscious, as
senior partner in the concern, to bring about the right conditions in
its own way. The fussy attempts of the intellect to dictate the method
of processes which lie outside its sphere will only produce conflict,
and so condemn our attempt to failure. The directions given here are
amply sufficient, if conscientiously applied, to secure the fullest
benefits of which the method is capable.

Take a piece of string and tie in it twenty knots. By this means you
can count with a minimum expenditure of attention, as a devout Catholic
counts his prayers on a rosary. The number twenty has no intrinsic
virtue; it is merely adopted as a suitable round number.

On getting into bed close your eyes, relax your muscles and take up a
comfortable posture. These are no more than the ordinary preliminaries
of slumber. Now repeat twenty times, counting by means of the knots,
the general formula: "Day by day, in every way, I'm getting better and
better."

The words should be uttered aloud; that is, loud enough to be audible
to your own ears. In this way the idea is reinforced by the movements
of lips and tongue and by the auditory impressions conveyed through the
ear. Say it simply, without effort, like a child absently murmuring a
nursery rhyme. Thus you avoid an appeal to the critical faculties of
the conscious which would lessen the outcropping. When you have got
used to this exercise and can say it quite "unself-consciously," begin
to let your voice rise or fall--it does not matter which--on the phrase
"in every way." This is perhaps the most important part of the
formula, and is thus given a gentle emphasis. But at first do not
attempt this accentuation; it will only needlessly complicate and, by
requiring more conscious attention, may introduce effort. Do not try
to think of what you are saying. On the contrary, let the mind wander
whither it will; if it rests on the formula all the better, if it
strays elsewhere do not recall it. As long as your repetition does not
come to a full-stop your mind-wandering will be less disturbing than
would be the effort to recall your thoughts.

Baudouin differs from Coue as to the manner in which the formula should
be repeated. His advice is to say it "piously," with all the words
separately