Excerpts from

  "The Gateway to Prosperity"
Leading to

HEALTH — HAPPINESS  AND  SUCCESS
 
by Victor Dane




Order in Adobe PDF eBook or printed form for $11.95 (+ printing charge)




Book Description
In this hard to find book from 1937, Consulting Psychologist and well-known English Lecturer-Scientist Victor Dane gives practical methods by which one can develop greater will-power, concentration, memory, and thought-control, overcome bad habits, conquer fear, develop personality, and create success.

The book is especialy dedicated to those who are seeking a bigger, finer, and more successful life, and who, weary of words, are ready for practical instruction.


CONTENTS

FOREWORD...........................................
Lesson 1 - "KNOW THYSELF"..........................
Lesson 2 - "THE WILL AND ITS DEVELOPMENT"..........
Lesson 3 - "THE IMAGINATION AND ITS DEVELOPMENT"...
Lesson 4 - "THE MEMORY AND ITS TRAINING"...........
Lesson 5 - "HOW TO CONCENTRATE"....................
Lesson 6 - "HOW TO CONCENTRATE"(Continued).........
Lesson 7 - "HOW TO CONCENTRATE"(Continued).........
Lesson 8 - "HOW TO RELAX"..........................
Lesson 9 - "BREATHING AND ITS CONTROL".............
Lesson 10 - "HOW TO CONTROL THOUGHT"...............
Lesson 11 - "THE MAGNETIC EYE".....................
Lesson 12 - "HOW TO READ CHARACTER AT A GLANCE"....
Lesson 13 - "AS WE SOW, SO WE REAP"................
Lesson 14 - "HOW TO DEVELOP PERSONALITY"...........
Lesson 15 - "HOW TO CONQUER FEAR"..................
Lesson 16 - "HOW TO CURE BAD HABITS"...............
Lesson 17 - "HOW TO GET A JOB".....................
Lesson 18 - "HOW TO CREATE SUCCESS"................
Lesson 19 - "HOW TO INSPIRE INSPIRATION"...........
Lesson 20 - "THE HEALING POWER"....................
Lesson 21 - "UNKNOWN POWERS OF SEX"................
 



FOREWORD


by
MAJOR REGINALD F. E. AUSTIN R.A.M.C. (Retired),
M.R.C.S.Eng., L.R.C.P.Lond.

As a general rule books on the subject of self-development leave one with a sense of incompleteness. They set off with glorious promises, fill up page after page with long words, and only succeed in leaving the reader disappointed. I therefore welcomed with eager anticipation, a book on the subject written by my old friend Victor Dane, and since reading the manuscript, I have realized my faith was not unfounded.

What, in my opinion, gives this book its main value is its complete balance. Every exercise has been carefully worked out and the author never expects his reader to do what he has not mastered himself. Furthermore the book strikes one as being absolutely practical. Whilst there is no doubt as to his psychological ability, Victor Dane has a knack of explaining in one paragraph what it usually takes the average writer on the subject a chapter.

Reading over this work I begin to realize its tremendous value to the average man and woman who, not satisfied with his or her condition, wishes to find a way out of the rut. The author has in this book neglected nothing and I was astonished at the storehouse of knowledge it contains. At this there is no cause for wonder. Victor Dane is himself a man who has achieved what he is preaching, though he will always say that he considers himself a long way from what he ought to be. On the other hand surveying his life, we find that he has reached the top rung of the ladder in more than one walk of life. Besides being a professional psychologist, a subject which he knows from every possible angle, he is also a first-class athlete—not one of those trainers who sit back and tell their men what to do, but one who shows them how to do it.

Outside his professional abilities he is known as a philosopher, a linguist, and is a formidable chess player. He is one of the few Europeans to be initiated into the mysteries of the Eastern Yogis, and can practice some of the physical as well as the mental processes of that philosophy in a manner which is doubtful if any other living European can duplicate.

The reader will therefore readily understand that when Victor Dane asked me to write a Foreword to his book I was only too pleased to do so. Since reading the manuscript I have become all the more eager that the book should find a resting place in every home.

His three chapters on concentration alone make the work a good investment. He elaborates this subject in a manner far and away superior to any other I have read. There is no doubt that if people will practise as he suggests they will develop exceptional mental ability. The beauty of the system he proposes lies to a great extent in the manner in which he leads the reader through the work of training he suggests their doing by easy steps, and yet when the last exercises have been mastered he will find himself capable of mental feats of which he would previously have thought himself, or herself, quite incapable.

At no time more than the present is there a need in this country for people who are mentally fit and, with Victor Dane, I believe that Mental and Physical fitness walk hand in hand. When we are fitter both in mind and body, we shall see our way clear from the general turmoil which years of muddle-headedness have brought about. There can be no doubt that Victor Dane is not muddle-headed, and I hope that every reader will practise his advice and clear away any psychological inferiority they may possess.

For years the author has been training people's minds as well as their bodies. A good proportion of the people who consult him are not ill. There are many who do not seem to fit in with life; by using methods he outlines in his book he has taught them to face life and make a success of it. Having himself such a keen balance between the physical, mental and spiritual, he has been able to apply that almost uncanny knack of being able to see right into the hearts of people to help them in their difficulties.

No one wants to read a long Foreword. This book speaks loudly enough for itself not to need any praise. All I would say is that it will do for people all and more than the author pretends.



LESSON 1

"KNOW THYSELF"

IT has been said that all modern philosophies are no more than commentaries on Plato, greatest of the Greek Sages. It was these very Greeks who brought the fundamental axiom of wisdom down to the two words "Know Thyself." Wonderful words! Words which every student of this book should keep perpetually in mind because with self-understanding comes an understanding of others.

It is all very well to say " Know Thyself." It gives the teacher an air of wisdom. But, that he may deserve his cognomen as a wise man, he must go further and teach others how to set about doing this. To walk around in small circles repeating " Know Thyself " is quite useless. We are living in a practical age. We are not interested in high-sounding phrases. What our readers want is useful knowledge.

The purpose of this book is to teach people how they may understand their own natures, how they may be strengthened in every part of their make-up, and how they may thus be equipped to make a success of their lives, in health, business, and in their personal relationships with society. It is hardly necessary to stress the fact that anyone who puts into practice the instructions given herein will find his, or her, life changed beyond belief.

No one is asked for blind faith. Faith in this system will develop as you find that the practices give definite results. Faith will come through the obvious evidence of the senses. Experiments will bring about results.

Before going any further and showing how self-knowledge may be obtained by following a simple reasoning process, which anyone can carry out irrespective of rank, education or profession, it is necessary to put forward the bases on which these lessons are worked. You know what is being offered, now you should know what is expected of you.

The mere reading of a book like this will only help in so far as it will stimulate thought and create new ideas. In order that those ideas should bear fruit, work is necessary. So the first thing you should do is to put aside half an hour each day, or more if possible, for practice. At the end of each lesson full instructions are given regarding how to practise, so you have a guide with you the whole time.

It is now necessary to anticipate an old, well-worn excuse—"I have no time."

Nothing is easier to destroy than that phrase. First of all it is absolutely against the whole principle of self-development! A negative statement of this kind should be cut right out of one's vocabulary! Time is the easiest of all things to make. The obvious way to make time is to "Rise half an hour earlier."

On the other hand if you make a careful study of your daily life you will be surprised to see how much time you have to spare. Time spent in wasting time. Time which can be made by a better organization of your day. So the first exercise is: "Work out how much time you waste or could put to a better use; and if there is no wasted time in your day—rise half an hour earlier."

The time problem being solved, we can come down to other points. First of all the more you put into it the quicker will the results be obtained. There is a great deal more to this than meets the eye at first. Putting a great deal into one's practice does not necessarily mean spending a great deal of time. Half an hour well spent is better than two hours spent in lackadaisical practice. As the gym-instructor who first set the writer's feet in the path of physical health and strength told him many years ago, "an exercise done once correctly is better than the same done six times incorrectly." Therefore what is asked of you is to carry out the exercises conscientiously and as well as possible for whatever period of time you allot for the purpose. Everything has been done to make the exercises as interesting as possible; in fact there is no doubt but that the majority of readers will be fascinated by them.

This leads one to another point. Many persons will become so interested in the exercises that they will want to go on and on. Control your enthusiasm. Too much work can cause strain, and the aim of this book is to make each reader a fine example of its teachings. Do the work conscientiously but, for the first few weeks, do not spend more than one hour each day in practice.

You should buy an exercise book or a large diary. In this keep a record of your doings. For instance: —

Ex. Description.        Date.     Time Spent              Remarks  
 
x                            5/9/37      15 mins      Much more successful today.
                                                                   Steady concentration.
                                                                   I feel a definite improvement.
 
x                            8/9/37      10 mins      Not as good as I would like.
                                                                   I must keep my attention from
                                                                   straying. Promise myself that
                                                                   tomorrow will be done much better.

The above is just a rough idea of what can be done in the way of keeping a record. The diary is also useful for putting down matters on which one's brain is not quite clear. Also for putting down new ideas, new realizations, and for making plans to which one has to adhere. You will be surprised, after a few weeks, to see how much you have learned and to note the difference in yourself. Further words would be redundant. Do it and no suggestions will be necessary to show you the value of this diary.

Now comes a suggestion which many people will not like but which is strongly recommended all the same. Each lesson can be mastered in one week. But the time necessary will depend upon the work put into it, and upon personal difficulties with regard to certain lessons (for example "A" may master the lesson on "Will" very easily, but have trouble with that on "Imagination." "B" on the other hand may find that he makes quicker progress with "Imagination" but is slow in "Concentration"). Therefore the length of time given to mastering each lesson may, and probably will, vary.  So, after having read the whole book through, start again at Lesson One and master it thoroughly. When you are easy in your practice go on to the next lesson. The plan at the end of each chapter will include work from previous lessons so that the training may make one comprehensive whole. Let us remember the old adage, "More haste less speed."

Now you have all the requisites, viz., yourself, the book, time, notebook, the desire to develop, and the necessary cautions, so that we can carry on with our subject "KNOW THYSELF."

This brings forth the natural question: "What am I?"

You are a human being; a psycho-biological entity functioning in a three-dimensional world and endowed with a mind which, properly trained, will do anything you may want. It will give you health of body and mind, absolute self-control, money as much as you want, and will lead you into unexplored regions of consciousness whose wonder lies beyond human understanding.

You are composed of body, mind and soul. For the purpose of this book it is better not to delve into the nature of the soul. With practice each reader will form his or her own opinions. Though the writer believes that nothing great can be achieved without the inner self aiding, without working hand in hand with that unknown but sublime quantity, yet to avoid long metaphysical discussions it is better to keep within observable fact.

As far as one can observe man is made up of mind and body, the third element being left out for our present purpose. These two, mind and body, are linked together by that wonderfully sensitive organization known as the nervous system. Through the nervous system the mind can send messages to the body and the body messages to the mind. The two can never be separated during life, and the one affects the other all the time. For instance, if anyone is so foolish as to sit down to a meal after being in a bad temper that person will most surely suffer from indigestion. The other way round, if anyone is constipated, that person will feel depressed, thinking will be difficult, and everything will become of a negative aspect.

By thinking correctly the mind influences the body beneficially. Through the subconscious the whole body can be re-formed and made into what we wish it to be. This does not mean that the body, as such, must be neglected. However wonderful may be the latent powers of the mind we are not to become unbalanced. The simple way is the easiest way, and the best way. Everyone should keep the body fit by right exercise and diet, and thereby help the mind to function clearly by having a clean organism through which the mind can work.

Have you ever realised the powers of this mind of yours? Do you know that a trained mind can project its influence over thousands of miles? Do you realise that you can follow the training which gives these powers?

The writer has travelled over a goodly part of the globe. He has met all kinds of strange, and some rather terrible, people and been taught by them. This is not written in order to boast, but to show that he is speaking from personal experience. In fact there is not one statement or exercise in this book which has not been thoroughly and personally studied or practised by its writer. In India messages travel across country quicker than by telegraph—how? By the knowledge and application of telepathy.

The writer has frequently been able to make himself appear miles away from his place of residence in order to help patients and friends in trouble. There is nothing wonderful in this, simply mind used as it can be used.

In this way people can be influenced either nearby or at a distance. But here a word of caution is necessary. See to it that your intentions are pure because, as will be shown in a further lesson, whatever we send out we receive back again one day. As a proof of this law, which the writer is constantly seeing at work, a small confession will be in place.

Several years ago the writer was studying philosophy with so earnest an endeavour that money matters were forgotten. However pleasant one's inner experiences may be, in our present social conditions it is necessary to remember that we must eat and pay the landlord—occasionally, anyway! The writer found himself almost without money and he decided to produce this commodity by a magical process. The correct procedure will not be divulged as there are far better and wiser ways of doing it, but anyone reading The Book of Sacred Magic of Abramelin the Mage, will find many a good hint. The money came, plenty of it, within one week. But the fates were not to be denied—over the period of two years during which the writer paid, the interest worked out finally to about 500 percent. Verbum sap!
Among the strange powers of the mind comes that of prophecy. No faculty is easier to develop. None is less worthwhile. As a child the writer found this faculty a great nuisance. When he grew up he conquered it with philosophy, and now views its manifestations with interest but no concern one way or the other. A sixth sense does develop with the exercises advised in this book, but you will find that your will is so strong that it can be used and will be of definite benefit, especially in business, where it may serve you often.

In order to apply the old adage "Know Thyself " in a practical way you should practise certain mental exercises. First of all ask yourself, "What am I? " and then think it out. You will find that you are a combination of many things. You are body, nerves, ideas, functions and everything which you can observe about yourself. Write down in your diary what conclusions you come to concerning yourself. Observe yourself quite detachedly, summing up the good and the bad with an equally impartial hand. Notice what you need, whether it be a healthier body, calmer nerves, a stronger will, more concentration, and whatever it is, decide to obtain it. The lessons that follow will show you how.

In practising the exercise of self-analysis you may find that you are lacking in certain qualities. Do not let this discourage you. Many people completely devoid of personality, or lacking in "push and go,'' have all by steady practice of correct mental exercise developed themselves in a manner almost unbelievable. The following will show how this can happen.

One day a pale-faced man of medium height came into the writer's consulting room. He expressed negation itself. He was the sort who would be hectored and bullied by everyone with whom he came into contact.

"What is your trouble?" He said that he was fairly well physically, that he had a good brain, but that he could never make headway against others with stronger personalities. Did Mr. Dane undertake such cases? Could anything be done about it?

He was told that a great deal could be done if he followed instructions right away. "Sit up!" No one can have personality unless they know how to sit up and tilt their chins at the world.

From the first day when he was told to sit up he made steady progress. Now he is staff manager of a large continental firm. He has to deal with all sorts and conditions of men, sum up the staff for jobs, sack useless men, drive them when a greater output is called for, and generally do a job which one would think would be all that a hectoring giant could manage. Yet this man was the worst possible material to work upon, but six months showed the complete metamorphosis.

EXERCISE SCHEME FOR CARRYING OUT LESSON 1.

MORNING.—(1) Stand in front of a looking glass (a full-length one if possible) without any clothes on. Consider your body. Is it satisfactory? Could I not improve it in any way? What does my body mean to me? Is it just a mass of bone, muscle, etc., or does it express something definite? Looking at yourself squarely in the eyes, in the glass, take a slow deep breath and say "BODY, YOU MUST EXPRESS MY TRUE SELF!" Do this three times first thing every morning and you will find that two things will happen, one physical and one mental.

(a) Physically you will become conscious of your body which will, somehow, feel as if it were expanding.

(b) Mentally you will find yourself asking yourself questions concerning your own nature. This will be quite as it should be. I do not propose to elaborate those questions as that would suggest ideas to you and these must really spring upon the mind itself.

(2) Make a plan of your day's doings and try to adhere to it strictly.

DURING THE DAY.—For this first week just spend all your spare time in buses or walking to and from your office, or instead of reading a newspaper or book—your mind is a far more interesting book than any ever written—pondering that question, "What am I? " Analyse yourself as much as possible and put down your results on a piece of paper.

EVENING.—(1) Read Lesson 1 each evening. New ideas will sink into your consciousness.

(2) Make a careful study of your emotional system. Suggested questions:—

Am I bad-tempered? Hasty tempered? Nervous? Nervy? Unreasonable? Too passionate? Too cold? Merciful? Selfish? Vain?

Think of other questions. Always put these down in your diary and note your answers. Only put down the notes when you have sat down in an armchair and thought out each problem. If at the end of the first week you feel that you can elaborate more fully, do so, and wait a little before going on to the next lesson. Very often bigger brains take longer to finish an analysis as they can see more points and wish to go deeper.

You will astonish yourself at what you will find in your mind. The above exercises carried out regularly for five days will show you a definite improvement in your faculty for reasoning and seeing more sides of a subject than one.


"The Gateway to Prosperity"
Leading to

HEALTH — HAPPINESS  AND  SUCCESS
 
by Victor Dane

Order in Adobe PDF eBook or printed form for $11.95 (+ printing charge)