Satsang 15 : Precautions to be taken while framing autosuggestions

Until now, under the Personality Defect Removal process, we have learnt about the ‘A-1’ and ‘A-2’ autosuggestion methods. We are now going to learn about the various points to be considered while framing autosuggestions so that they become effective and are accepted easily by the mind.

Easy sentence construction

The construction of the sentence while framing an autosuggestion should always be easy. The suggestion should be framed with appropriate and limited words.

Avoid negative words in autosuggestions

The suggestion should not be negative. Negative words like ‘no’, ‘not’, ‘never’, etc., should never be used in the suggestions. The suggestion should always be positive. For example, the sentence construction should be ‘I will reply calmly’ instead of ‘I will reply without getting angry’, ‘I will get up early’ instead of ‘I will not get up late’. Instead of framing an autosuggestion like ‘I will not cross a busy road hurriedly’, the suggestion should be ‘Whenever I am about to cross a busy road hurriedly, I will realize and will cross the road carefully and calmly’.

Autosuggestion should never be in past tense

Autosuggestion should never be in the past tense. The sentence construction for ‘A-1’ and ‘A-2’ techniques should always be in the future tense.

Use words like ‘Me’, ‘Mine’ instead of
‘We’ and ‘Ours’ for self in the autosuggestion for oneself

In autosuggestions for self, first person plural usages like ‘We’, ‘Us’, and ‘Our’ should be avoided and first person singular usages like ‘I’, ‘Me’, ‘Mine’ should be used. For example, the sentence construction should be ‘When Sunil asks me ‘Have you finished studying?’, then I will calmly reply that I have finished studying’ instead of ‘When Sunil asks me ‘Have you finished studying?’, then I will calmly reply that we have finished studying’.

Frame a specific and positive
autosuggestion instead of a generalized one

Specific autosuggestions should be given for personality defects. Generalized ones should not be given. It becomes easier for the subconscious mind to grasp an autosuggestion if a specific one is given taking into consideration things like place, time, individual, incident, and topic instead of a generalized one. When a person comes in front of us, we see the defects in him. If one needs to give autosuggestion in order to avoid this, then the name and virtue of that person should be mentioned in the autosuggestion. For example, instead of an autosuggestion like ‘Whenever I meet anyone, I will always try to notice their virtues instead of their defects’, we should frame a specific one like ‘Whenever I meet Sunil, I will always notice his virtue of honesty’.

The reason why we should not give a generalized autosuggestion is that in a generalized one, we don’t understand the specific improvement that we want. If we write a generalized autosuggestion like ‘I will not do any work hastily’, it will not be accepted by the subconscious mind because things like what does hastily mean, what is the appropriate action, etc., are not indicated in the autosuggestion. If we give a specific autosuggestion, then we come to understand exactly where we are going wrong and what we have to change in that. Therefore, instead of a generalized sentence like ‘I will not do any work hastily’, the sentence should be framed mentioning the specific action. For example, ‘Whenever I am about to filter tea in a hurry, I will realize that the tea might spill and I will filter the tea slowly and with care’.

Levels of autosuggestion

First level

There are level as well while giving autosuggestions. In the beginning, one should give autosuggestions of the first level. At the first level, we should mention what harm the personality defect does to the person. The human mind refuses to accept it at first if it is told that ‘This action will be beneficial to you’. Therefore, if it is told that ‘If you avoid doing this action, then it will be harmful to you in this way’ and made aware of the danger, then the mind prevents the person from doing that action. At the first level, if autosuggestion is given using this principle, then it becomes effective. Let us understand this from an example.

Appropriate autosuggestion for the first level

Let us see how to give autosuggestion of the first level if we want to impress the importance of wearing a helmet while travelling on a two-wheeler – ‘Whenever I tend to hesitate to wear a helmet while traveling on a two-wheeler, I will realize that ‘there is a danger of losing my life in an accident if I do not wear a helmet’ and I will wear a helmet and only then travel on a two-wheeler’.

In this autosuggestion, when we make our inner mind aware of the fact that ‘there is a danger of losing my life in an accident if I do not wear a helmet’, then the fear of losing one’s life in an accident makes the mind realize the seriousness of wearing a helmet while travelling on a two-wheeler.

Second level

In the second level, the inner mind should be made aware of the benefits one obtains if one performs an appropriate action. Because of this, one feels encouraged to do an appropriate action.

Appropriate autosuggestion for the second level

When I am about to go on a two-wheeler and I get a thought that ‘I am just going out for an hour and so what is the need to wear a helmet?’, then I will realize that ‘By wearing a helmet while driving a two-wheeler, it will be a safe journey’ and I will wear a helmet and only then travel on the two-wheeler.

Third level

At the third level, mention should be made of both the benefit to oneself as well as to others if one performs an appropriate action. Because of this, one develops the habit of thinking about the good of others as well.

Appropriate autosuggestion for the third level 

Whenever I have to travel on a two-wheeler, I will realize that ‘by wearing a helmet I will be following traffic rules and that mine and my co-passengers safety will be ensured’, and I will wear the helmet and only then travel on a two-wheeler.

Fourth level

At the fourth level, the autosuggestion should incorporate the essential points that are required for appropriate action to happen.

Appropriate autosuggestion for the fourth level 

Whenever I have to travel on a two-wheeler, I will wear the helmet and only then travel on the two-wheeler.

Autosuggestion should be one that creates introversion

Autosuggestion should be one that creates introversion in a person and not extroversion. If one frames an autosuggestion like ‘When my father yells at me to stop playing and start studying, I will realize that my father is short-tempered and I will ignore him’, then what is impressed upon the mind is, that father is short-tempered and hence he should be ignored. If this happens, then our journey starts towards extroversion. The intention of the PDR process is to make oneself introvert. Therefore, in this case, the autosuggestion should be ‘When my father tells me to stop playing and start studying, I will realize that he wants me to score good marks in the exams and that is why he is telling me so and I will stop playing and start studying immediately’.