Six Steps in Self-development

it is not a question of thinking about this or that subject, but of thinking objectively and appropriately, and invoking inner strength.

Corresponding ‘thinking exercises’ should not therefore be focused on distant and complex subjects but on simple ones that are near to hand. If we overcome our resistance and, over several months, turn our thoughts for at least five minutes each day to a mundane object (such as a pin or pencil, etc.), excluding all other, unrelated thoughts as we do so, we have already achieved a good deal.

All meditation and concentration exercises, and suchlike, are worthless and may even be harmful in a certain sense if we do not regulate our lives in accordance with these conditions. We can’t receive powers: we can only unfold those that already lie within us.

First supplementary exercise

Control of thoughts

Regulating the course of thinking

Mastery of thought processes

Objectivity

Concentration

Focused thought