From the Editors June 4, 2012 Issue

Never under negative influence

The Editors

“You are getting sleeeeepeeeee. Your mind is a blank. You are getting sleeepeee . . .”

Fans of old movies or visitors to sideshows at a large country fair may have watched a hypnotist put people under their influence through such suggestions. These days hypnotism has moved out of the circus tent into the health-care establishment. And other mental influences, sometimes almost as suggestive, may lure thought into a negative or confused mode. These may be reports about economic and employment conditions that point aggressively downward. Political and other advertising that inflame emotions. Studies that claim people of a certain gender or age can be subject to certain behaviors, ailments, or disabilities. 

Without a vigorous defense, one may inadvertently accept these influences for oneself or others. To overcome them and bring to light the spiritual reality of the situation, it’s essential to break through the hypnotic effect of such messages.

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