The SELF!

Sometimes it is difficult to know and understand our "Self." We think we know who we are, but then things happen and you wonder, "Why did I do that?" "Why did I say that?" "How could that happen to me?" "How did I know that?" "How could I have done that?"

But these are minor questions compared to the very idea that the "Self" may be bigger and more comprehensive than the "I" with which you identify.

We are all (us ordinary people, as well as psychologists, mystics, seekers, metaphysicians, religionists—anyone doing any kind of self-analysis) confronted with familiar terms and concepts recognizing different "parts" of the Whole Person: Higher Self, Lower Self, Soul, Spirit, Subconscious mind, Conscious mind, Super conscious mind, Shadow, Ego, Personality, etc.

How can this be? How, for example, can you have a soul and not be the soul? How can it be that you know you have a mind only to find out that you have a subconscious mind that you don't know anything about? How can the person you thought you were be split up into parts that seemingly operate independently of each other? They don't, really, but we are not ordinarily conscious of these parts and their operations.

That, however, is the reality of the Self. And the object of all human growth work (whether we call it psychological growth, spiritual growth, unity of self, holistic thinking), the purpose of all programs of "Self" improvement (from alchemy to yoga), and ultimately everything we have identified as "New Age" is to become aware of these parts.

Just think for the moment: what if you could bring all these parts, all those that you didn't even know were there somewhere in your being, together in a unified "whole person" within which you were fully aware of their particular "powers" and be able to apply them knowingly under conscious direction?

We've all heard that the average person uses only ten percent of his potential; think what it might mean to you to double that, to triple it, to quadruple it! Think, in comparison, to the tremendous increase in power that modern technology has provided to the "ordinary" person in just the last quarter century, and then speculate about the same increase for your inner powers.

I don't speak with any kind of spiritual authority or professional training, so I can only tell you what I believe from my own studies, from self-analysis, my own experiences, from the occult, magical and psychological work I've done, and my own intuitions and (I believe) higher awareness.

I believe that each of us is a "work in progress." I believe that we are born into this life with an inheritance from previous lives and lives-in-between-lives, and with presently unconsciousness connections with all lives now and back to the beginning of all things. I believe we started long ago with a "program" of growth and development for which we—alone and together—are responsible. In other words, I believe we are here to grow and "to become more than we are" so that thus becoming self-empowered we can serve the whole of life and being everywhere.

I believe that we are all "children" of God (or Goddess/Source/Creator/Force/whatever name you prefer), and that like all children we are expected to grow into adults and to make ourselves better beings than those before us, and to make the world a better place than it was. I am reminded of the Native American phrase, "to walk in beauty." I don't believe we are doing as good a job as we could. Unfortunately, short-term thinking; greed; and manipulation by angry and sick-at-soul religionists, politicians and financiers have created an immense barrier to Peace, Progress, and Prosperity.

I am optimistic, but at the same time a bit scared, for our future.

We have to start from the beginning, from "home base" so to speak. We know that we can improve over whatever we are now. We may have harmful habits to overcome, we may benefit from training in career skills, we may have physical, mental, or emotional problems to overcome, we may desire to develop psychic powers, and more. All this is possible once we recognize the possibilities of growth, and once we understand that we do have inherent abilities to do things for our own self.

The important thing is to understand this concept of "Self for Self"—that you are truly the one who has the power to best make these changes and improvements, that you are the one to open the hidden doors to your subconscious mind and facilitate your own growth and development of psychic powers and to unify your fragmented self. This is what I mean by "Self-Empowerment." Others have called it "Self-Realization" when speaking in a more spiritual sense, and "Self-Improvement" when speaking in a most practical sense, but "Self-Empowerment" is comprehensive of all the goals we've already mentioned.

Self-Empowerment is both your goal and your ability to accomplish this ultimate becoming more than you are, to become the Whole Person that you are intended to be.

Self-Empowerment through Self-Hypnosis is the title of a book by Dr. Joe H. Slate and myself. It is built entirely upon the concept of "Self for Self"—the recognition that you are your own best teacher, your own best healer, and your own best guide to your whole mental and spiritual fulfillment.

We're conditioned to look to others for help like sheep directed by the good shepherd, and in the process we've lost understanding that we always have to do our part. Education is a good example: we go to school to learn, and we are at first taught basics about numbers, the alphabet, writing, and social skills; then we learn to add and subtract numbers, to write sentences, to read, and to interact well with others. We move onward and upward into more advanced skills and applying them in example situations, and then learning how to find information and how to analyze in terms of our needs. We are introduced to science, the arts, literature, and sometimes languages and advanced science, mathematics, and other skills. We learn to stand on our own two feet and to work with and serve others.

As we move onward and upward in our education we learn more about how we have to learn for ourselves, through our own efforts, and we understand that a major part of our education is not in the subjects we learn but in the training of our conscious mind. We are becoming more than we were, learning to become more than we are. We are becoming Self-Empowered.

When we turn to health professionals for help, we are first treated for the symptoms we have (by whatever modality the healer employs) and simultaneously we are tested so that a diagnosis can be made and our condition analyzed; this is so any further necessary treatments may be prescribed, which may require changes and adjustments in our daily routine and lifestyle. We become involved in our own healing process. Sometimes we can go beyond the prescribed treatment, learning healing techniques that can be applied on our own. Always, some degree of self-healing is involved. Perhaps we realize what it is that we need and become our own Energy Healer, or our own Nutritionist, or we learn Yoga or one of the Martial Arts that will go beyond healing to Empower our self to become more than we were and to become more than we are.

Within all this there are many smaller and larger steps involving specific learning (such as learning a language) or specific modifications (such as quitting smoking) or specific forms of consciousness development (such a astral projection or past life memory). Here it is that "self for self" can become directly applicable by means of Self-Hypnosis. With Self-Hypnosis the Conscious Mind directly engages with the Subconscious Mind, and sometimes also drawing upon the Collective Unconscious, to work together in consciously directed goals. Nearly anything can be the subject of your goals from learning skills to behavior modification, and conscious involvement of "higher" aspects of the Whole Person that you are. With Self-Hypnosis you can engage in specific training programs for the development of your innate psychic powers into skills, to engage your "inner bodies" to explore the inner dimensions of the universe and communicating with other intelligences.

The book is written to carefully prepare you for an understanding of your own consciousness, and then introduces you to Hypnosis and Self-Hypnosis. Dreaming and the Imagination are explored as two of the doors to expanding your consciousness. Then the actual techniques for inducing self-hypnosis along with example scripts—and case histories—of specific applications are fully described.

You can take charge of your life and realize your full potential when you tap into the unlimited power of your subconscious mind. Linking scientific techniques with practical application, this groundbreaking guide explores the true nature of the conscious and subconscious, and reveals how you can use them together to achieve any goal. Featuring true case studies of successful self-hypnosis, it presents clear scripts and easy-to-follow techniques—such as trance, meditation, and sleep—that you can use to immediately begin to transform into the empowered person you’re meant to be.

There is so much in this book that it may at first seem to be overwhelming—but it's not. It's expertly written for you, for the ordinary reader as well as the professional. Joe Slate has been a university professor, chairman of a psychology department, founder of a parapsychology research foundation, a practicing clinical psychologist, and the author of academic research papers and popular books. Me? I've been publishing and writing books at Llewellyn for fifty years. I have an academic degree, an honorary doctorate, a certificate in clinical hypnosis, a doctorate of divinity, and seventy years of reading, study, research, and practical experiment and application.

Here's what others have written about this book:

"This primer says it all: from metaphysical theory to the science behind it, from personal development to practical application, from accessing our dreams to addressing the challenges of our time with exercises for visioning a positive future. Weschcke and Slate have left a legacy of esoteric knowledge that should become part of everyone’s inner development."—Anodea Judith, PhD, author of Wheels of Life and Waking the Global Heart

"From the internationally renowned author of eleven other books on psychic phenomena comes this exciting joint venture—Psychic Empowerment for Everyone. This astounding collaboration between Dr. Joe Slate and the CEO of Llewellyn Publications, Carl L. Weschcke, can teach you how to make practical use of the amazing powers that all of us possess. I hope you will give this book the opportunity to transform your life."—Dr. Penne J. Laubenthal, Professor Emeritus, Athens State University

"Psychic Empowerment for Everyone shows beginning and advanced psychics alike, through unique, practical, and easy mind-opening exercises, how to open the sixth sense and use it to enhance the five senses. Meticulous research by Joe Slate, PhD and straightforward explanations by co-author Carl Llewellyn Weschcke not only teach readers how self-empowerment is vital to our health and spiritual development, but how it can change the world in which we live."—Debra Glass, MAed, author of Mediumship To Go

"This book is a treasure—everything psychic you want to know or explore is here, in clear language and with plenty of advice and guidance for practicing and obtaining results. Buy this book and practice, practice, practice."—José Feola, PhD, author of PK: Mind Over Matter

"Thought has power—Weschcke and Slate show this vividly in Psychic Empowerment for Everyone. Here is the common sense of psychic power: self-hypnosis and control of the imagination focus plans for success. All of us need it."—Noel Tyl, author of Solar Arcs and Noel Tyl's Guide to Astrological Consultation

"This book offers an opportunity to improve your intellectual and creative potential and help you achieve and experience much more success and happiness in life than you ever dreamed possible."—Dr. Frazier Douglass, professor of psychology, Athens State University

I'm not asking you to buy this book, but I am recommending that you do and also the audio CD produced specifically to make the scripts and applications easier. I believe that Self-Hypnosis is one of the most powerful techniques for Self-Empowerment and all that individual applications we've described and all those that you will learn to do on your own to meet your needs will help you become more than you are. "Self for Self" places the power, and the responsibility for its application right where it belongs—with you.