The Milkman Bog

CHAPTER 14
THE SIXTH SENSE
THE DOOR TO THE TEMPLE OF WISDOM
The Thirteenth Step toward Riches
THE “thirteenth” principle is known as the SIXTH SENSE, through which
Infinite Intelligence may, and will communicate voluntarily, without any
effort from, or demands by, the individual. This principle is the apex of the
philosophy. It can be assimilated, understood, and applied ONLY by first
mastering the other twelve principles.
The SIXTH SENSE is that portion of the subconscious mind which has been
referred to as the Creative Imagination. It has also been referred to as the
“receiving set” through which ideas, plans, and thoughts flash into the mind.
The “flashes” are sometimes called “hunches” or “inspirations.”
The sixth sense defies description! It cannot be described to a person who has
not mastered the other principles of this philosophy, because such a person
has no knowledge, and no experience with which the sixth sense may be
compared. Understanding of the sixth sense comes only by meditation through
mind development from within. The sixth sense probably is the medium of
contact between the finite mind of man and Infinite Intelligence, and for this
reason, it is a mixture of both the mental and the spiritual. It is believed to be
the point at which the mind of man contacts the Universal Mind.
After you have mastered the principles described in this book, you will be
prepared to accept as truth a statement which may, otherwise, be incredible to
you, namely:
Through the aid of the sixth sense, you will be warned of impending dangers
in time to avoid them, and notified of opportunities in time to embrace them.
There comes to your aid, and to do your bidding, with the development of the
sixth sense, a “guardian angel” who will open to you at all times the door to
the Temple of Wisdom. Whether or not this is a statement of truth, you will
never know, except by following the instructions described in the pages of this
book, or some similar method of procedure. The author is not a believer in,
nor an advocate of “miracles,” for the reason that he has enough knowledge of
Nature to understand that Nature never deviates from her established laws.
Some of her laws are so incomprehensible that they produce what appear to be
“miracles.” The sixth sense comes as near to being a miracle as anything I
have ever experienced, and it appears so, only because I do not understand the
method by which this principle is operated.
This much the author does know—that there is a power, or a First Cause, or
an Intelligence, which permeates every atom of matter, and embraces every
unit of ene rgy perceptible to man—that this Infinite Intelligence converts
acorns into oak trees, causes water to flow down hill in response to the law of
gravity, follows night with day, and winter with summer, each maintaining its
proper place and relationship to the other. This Intelligence may, through the
principles of this philosophy, be induced to aid in transmuting DESIRES into
concrete, or material form. The author has this knowledge, because he has
experimented with it— and has EXPERIENCED IT.
Step by step, through the preceding chapters, you have been led to this, the
last principle. If you have mastered each of the preceding principles, you are
now prepared to accept, without being skeptical, the stupendous claims made
here. If you have not mastered the other principles, you must do so before you
may determine, definitely, whether or not the claims made in this chapter are
fact or fiction.
While I was passing through the age of “hero-worship” I found myself trying
to imitate those whom I most admired. Moreover, I discovered that the
element of FAITH, with which I endeavored to imitate my idols, gave me
great capacity to do so quite successfully. I have never entirely divested
myself of this habit of heroworship, although I have passed the age commonly
given over to such. My experience has taught me that the next best thing to
being truly great, is to emulate the great, by feeling and action, as nearly as
possible.
Long before I had ever written a line for publication, or
endeavored to deliver a speech in public, I followed the habit of reshaping my
own character, by trying to imitate the nine men whose lives and life-works
had been most impressive to me. These nine men were, Emerson, Paine,
Edison, Darwin, Lincoln, Burbank, Napoleon, Ford, and Carnegie.
Every night, over a long period of years, I held an imaginary Council meeting
with this group whom I called my “Invisible Counselors.”
The procedure was this. Just before going to sleep at night, I would shut my
eyes, and see, in my imagination, this group of men seated with me around my
Council Table. Here I had not only an opportunity to sit among those whom I
considered to be great, but I actually dominated the group, by serving as the
Chairman. I had a very DEFINITE PURPOSE in indulging my imagination
through these nightly meetings. My purpose was to rebuild my own character
so it would represent a composite of the characters of my imaginary
counselors. Realizing, as I did, early in life, that I had to overcome the
handicap of birth in an environment of ignorance and superstition, I
deliberately assigned myself the task of voluntary rebirth through the method
here described.
BUILDING CHARACTER THROUGH AUTO-SUGGESTION Being an
earnest student of psychology, I knew, of course, that all men have become
what they are, because of their DOMINATING THOUGHTS AND
DESIRES. I knew that every deeply seated desire has the effect of causing one
to seek outward expression through which that desire may be transmuted into
reality. I knew that selfsuggestion is a powerful factor in building character,
that it is, in fact, the sole principle through which character is builded. With
this knowledge of the principles of mind operation, I was fairly well armed
with the equipment needed in rebuilding my character. In these imaginary
Council meetings I called on my Cabinet members for the knowledge I wished
each to contribute, addressing myself to each member in audible words, as
follows:
“Mr. Emerson, I desire to acquire from you the marvelous
understanding of Nature which distinguished your life. I ask that
you make an impress upon my subconscious mind, of whatever
qualities you possessed, which enabled you to understand and
adapt yourself to the laws of Nature. I ask that you assist me in
reaching and drawing upon whatever sources of knowledge are available to
this end.
“Mr. Burbank, I request that you pass on to me the knowledge which enabled
you to so harmonize the laws of Nature that you caused the cactus to shed its
thorns, and become an edible food. Give me access to the knowledge which
enabled you to make two blades of grass grow where but one grew before, and
helped you to blend the coloring of the flowers with more splendor and
harmony, for you, alone, have successfully gilded the lily. “Napoleon, I
desire to acquire from you, by emulation, the marvelous ability you possessed
to inspire men, and to arouse them to greater and more determined spirit of
action. Also to acquire the spirit of enduring FAITH, which enabled you to
turn defeat into victory, and to surmount staggering obstacles. Emperor of
Fate, King of Chance, Man of Destiny, I salute you! “Mr. Paine, I desire to
acquire from you the freedom of thought and the courage and clarity with
which to express convictions, which so distinguished you!
“Mr. Darwin, I wish to acquire from you the marvelous patience, and ability
to study cause and effect, without bias or prejudice, so exemplified by you in
the field of natural science. “Mr. Lincoln, I desire to build into my own
character the keen sense of justice, the untiring spirit of patience, the sense of
humor, the human understanding, and the tolerance, which were your
distinguishing characteristics.
“Mr. Carnegie, I am already indebted to you for my choice of a life-work,
which has brought me great happiness and peace of mind. I wish to acquire a
thorough understanding of the principles of organized effort, which you used
so effectively in the building of a great industrial enterprise.
“Mr. Ford, you have been among the most helpful of the men who have
supplied much of the ma terial essential to my work. I wish to acquire your
spirit of persistence, the determination, poise, and self-confidence which have
enabled you to master poverty, organize, unify, and simplify human effort, so
I may help others to follow in your footsteps.
“Mr. Edison, I have seated you nearest to me, at my right,
because of the personal cooperation you have given me, during my
research into the causes of success and failure. I wish to acquire
from you the marvelous spirit of FAITH, with which you have
uncovered so many of Nature’s secrets, the spirit of unremitting toil with
which you have so often wrested victory from defeat.” My method of
addressing the members of the imaginary Cabinet would vary, according to
the traits of character in which I was, for the moment, most interested in
acquiring. I studied the records of their lives with painstaking care. After some
months of this nightly procedure, I was astounded by the discovery that these
imaginary figures became, apparently real.
Each of these nine men developed individual characteristics, which surprised
me. For example, Lincoln developed the habit of always being late, then
walking around in solemn parade. When he came, he walked very slowly,
with his hands clasped behind him, and once in a while, he would stop as he
passed, and rest his hand, momentarily, upon my shoulder. He always wore an
expression of seriousness upon his face. Rarely did I see him smile. The cares
of a sundered nation made him grave.
That was not true of the others. Burbank and Paine often indulged in witty
repartee which seemed, at times, to shock the other members of the cabinet.
One night Paine suggested that I prepare a lecture on “The Age of Reason,”
and deliver it from the pulpit of a church which I formerly attended. Many
around the table laughed heartily at the suggestion. Not Napoleon! He drew
his mouth down at the corners and groaned so loudly that all turned and
looked at him with amazement. To him the church was but a pawn of the
State, not to be reformed, but to be used, as a convenient inciter to mass
activity by the people. On one occasion Burbank was late. When he came, he
was excited with enthusiasm, and explained that he had been late, because of
an experiment he was making, through which he hoped to be able to grow
apples on any sort of tree. Paine chided him by reminding him that it was an
apple which started all the trouble between man and woman. Darwin chuckled
heartily as he suggested that Paine should watch out for little serpents, when
he went into the forest to gather apples, as they had the habit of growing into
big snakes. Emerson observed—”No serpents, no apples,” and Napoleon
remarked, “No apples, no state!” Lincoln developed the habit of always being
the last one to leave the table after each meeting. On one occasion, he leaned
across the end of the table, his arms folded, and remained in that position for
many minutes. I made no attempt to disturb him.
Finally, he lifted his head slowly, got up and walked to the door, then turned
around, came back, and la id his hand on my shoulder and said, “My boy, you
will need much courage if you remain steadfast in carrying out your purpose
in life. But remember, when difficulties overtake you, the common people
have common sense. Adversity will develop it.”
One evening Edison arrived ahead of all the others. He walked
over and seated himself at my left, where Emerson was accustomed
to sit, and said, “You are destined to witness the discovery of the
secret of life. When the time comes, you will observe that life
consists of great swarms of energy, or entities, each as intelligent as
human beings think themselves to be. These units of life group
together like hives of bees, and remain together until they
disintegrate, through lack of harmony.
These units have differences of opinion, the same as human beings, and often
fight among themselves. These meetings which you are conducting will be
very helpful to you. They will bring to your rescue some of the same units of
life which served the members of your Cabinet, during the ir lives. These units
are eternal. THEY NEVER DIE! Your own thoughts and DESIRES serve as
the magnet which attracts units of life, from the great ocean of life out there.
Only the friendly units are attracted—the ones which harmonize with the
nature of your DESIRES.” The other members of the Cabinet began to enter
the room. Edison got up, and slowly walked around to his own seat. Edison
was still living when this happened. It impressed me so greatly that I went to
see him, and told him about the experience. He smiled broadly, and said,
“Your dream was more a reality than you may imagine it to have been.” He
added no further explanation to his statement.
These meetings became so realistic that I became fearful of
their consequences, and discontinued them for several months. The
experiences were so uncanny, I was afraid if I continued them I
would lose sight of the fact that the meetings were purely
experiences of my imagination.
Some six months after I had discontinued the practice I was
awakened one night, or thought I was, when I saw Lincoln standing
at my bedside. He said, “The world will soon need your services. It
is about to undergo a period of chaos which will cause men and
women to lose faith, and become panic stricken. Go ahead with
your work and complete your philosophy. That is your mission in life. If you
neglect it, for any cause whatsoever, you will be reduced to a primal state, and
be compelled to retrace the cycles through which you have passed during
thousands of years.” I was unable to tell, the following morning, whether I had
dreamed this, or had actually been awake, and I have never since found out
which it was, but I do know that the dream, if it were a dream, was so vivid in
my mind the next day that I resumed my meetings the following night.
At our next meeting, the members of my Cabinet all filed into the room
together, and stood at their accustomed places at the Council Table, while
Lincoln raised a glass and said, “Gentlemen, let us drink a toast to a friend
who has returned to the fold.” After that, I began to add new members to my
Cabinet, until now it consists of more than fifty, among them Christ, St. Paul,
Galileo, Copernicus, Aristotle, Plato, Socrates, Homer, Voltaire, Bruno,
Spinoza, Drummond, Kant, Schopenhauer, Newton, Confucius, Elbert
Hubbard, Brann, Ingersol, Wilson, and William James.
This is the first time that I have had the courage to mention this. Heretofore, I
have remained quiet on the subject, because I knew, from my own attitude in
connection with such matters, that I would be misunderstood if I described my
unusual experience. I have been emboldened now to reduce my experience to
the printed page, because I am now less concerned about what “they say” than
I was in the years that have passed. One of the blessings of maturity is that it
sometimes brings one greater courage to be truthful, regardless of what those
who do not understand, may think or say.
Lest I be misunderstood, I wish here to state most emphatically, that I still
regard my Cabinet meetings as being purely imaginary, but I feel entitled to
suggest that, while the members of my Cabinet may be purely fictional, and
the meetings existent only in my own imagination, they have led me into
glorious paths of adventure, rekindled an appreciation of true greatness,
encouraged creative endeavor, and emboldened the expression of honest
thought.
Somewhere in the cell-structure of the brain, is located an
organ which receives vibrations of thought ordinarily called
“hunches.” So far, science has not discovered where this organ of
the sixth sense is located, but this is not important. The fact remains that
human beings do receive accurate knowledge, through sources other than the
physical senses. Such knowledge, generally, is received when the mind is
under the influence of extraordinary stimulation. Any emergency which
arouses the emotions, and causes the heart to beat more rapidly than normal
may, and generally does, bring the sixth sense into action. Anyone who has
experienced a near accident while driving, knows that on such occasions, the
sixth sense often comes to one’s rescue, and aids, by split seconds, in avoiding
the accident.
These facts are mentioned preliminary to a statement of fact which I shall now
make, namely, that during my meetings with the “Invisible Counselors” I find
my mind most receptive to ideas, thoughts, and knowledge which reach me
through the sixth sense. I can truthfully say that I owe entirely to my
“Invisible Counselors” full credit for such ideas, facts, or knowledge as I
received through “inspiration.”
On scores of occasions, when I have faced emergencies, some of them so
grave that my life was in jeopardy, I have been miraculously guided past these
difficulties through the influence of my “Invisible Counselors.”
My original purpose in cond ucting Council meetings with imaginary beings,
was solely that of impressing my own subconscious mind, through the
principle of auto-suggestion, with certain characteristics which I desired to
acquire. In more recent years, my experimentation has taken on an entirely
different trend. I now go to my imaginary counselors with every difficult
problem which confronts me and my clients. The results are often astonishing,
although I do not depend entirely on this form of Counsel. You, of course,
have recognized that this chapter covers a subject with which a majority of
people are not familiar. The Sixth Sense is a subject that will be of great
interest and benefit to the person whose aim is to accumulate vast wealth, but
it need not claim the attention of those whose desires are more modest.
Henry Ford, undoubtedly understands and makes practical use
of the sixth sense. His vast business and financial operations make
it necessary for him to understand and use this principle. The late
Thomas A. Edison understood and used the sixth sense in
connection with the development of inventions, especially those
involving basic patents, in connection with which he had no human
experience and no accumulated knowledge to guide him, as was the case
while he was working on the talking machine, and the moving picture
machine.
Nearly all great leaders, such as Napoleon, Bismark, Joan of Arc, Christ,
Buddha, Confucius, and Mohammed, understood, and probably made use of
the sixth sense almost continuously. The major portion of their greatness
consisted of their knowledge of this principle.
The sixth sense is not something that one can take off and put on at will.
Ability to use this great power comes slowly, through application of the other
principles outlined in this book. Seldom does any individual come into
workable knowledge of the sixth sense before the age of forty. More often the
knowledge is not available until one is well past fifty, and this, for the reason
that the spiritual forces, with which the sixth sense is so closely related, do not
mature and become usable except through years of meditation, selfexamination,
and serious thought.
No matter who you are, or what may have been your purpose in reading this
book, you can profit by it without understanding the principle described in this
chapter. This is especially true if your major purpose is that of accumulation
of money or other material things.
The chapter on the sixth sense was included, because the book is designed for
the purpose of presenting a complete philosophy by which individuals may
unerringly guide themselves in attaining whatever they ask of life. The
starting point of all achievement is DESIRE. The finishing point is that brand
of KNOWLEDGE which leads to understanding—understanding of self,
understanding of others, understanding of the laws of Nature, recognition and
understanding of HAPPINESS.
This sort of understanding comes in its fullness only through familiarity with,
and use of the principle of the sixth sense, hence that principle had to be
included as a part of this philosophy, for the benefit of those who demand
more than money. Having read the chapter, you must have observed that
while reading it, you were lifted to a high level of mental stimulation.
Splendid! Come back to this again a month from now, read it once
more, and observe that your mind will soar to a still higher level of
stimulation. Repeat this experience from time to time, giving no
concern as to how much or how little you learn at the time, and
eventually you will find yourself in possession of a power that will enable you
to throw off discouragement, master fear, overcome procrastination, and draw
freely upon your imagination. Then you will have felt the touch of that
unknown “something” which has been the moving spirit of every truly great
thinker leader, artist, musician, writer, statesman. Then you will be in position
to transmute your DESIRES into their physical or financial counterpart as
easily as you may lie down and quit at the first sign of opposition.
FAITH VS. FEAR!
Previous chapters have described how to develop FAITH, through Autosuggestion,
Desire and the Subconscious. The next chapter presents detailed
instructions for the mastery of FEAR. Here will be found a full description of
the six fears which are the cause of all discouragement, timidity,
procrastination, indifference, indecision, and the lack of ambition, selfreliance,
initiative, self-control, and enthusiasm.
Search yourself carefully as you study these six enemies, as they may exist
only in your subconscious mind, where their presence will be hard to detect.
Remember, too, as you analyze the “Six Ghosts of Fear,” that they are nothing
but ghosts because they exist only in one’s mind. Remember, also, that
ghosts—creations of uncontrolled imagination—have caused most of the
damage people have done to their own minds, therefore, ghosts can be as
dangerous as if they lived and walked on the earth in physical bodies. The
Ghost of the Fear of Poverty, which seized the minds of millions of people in
1929, was so real that it caused the worst business depression this country has
ever known. Moreover, this particular ghost still frightens some of us out of
our wits.