702 THE PRINCIPLES OF SELF-CREATION
Dr. Schofield describes the case of a woman who had a tumor.
They placed her on the operating table, gave her anesthetics, when
suddenly the tumor disappeared and no operation was necessary. But
when she came back to consciousness the tumor returned. The physi-
cian then learned that she had been living with a relative who had a
real tumor, and the woman's Imagination was so vivid that she had
imagined this one upon herself
She was placed on the operating table again, given anesthetics, then
bandaged around the middle so the tumor could not artificially return.
When she awoke, she was told the operation had been a success but it
would be necessary to wear the bandage for several days.
The woman believed the doctor, and when the bandage was finally
removed, the tumor did not return. No operation whatsoever had
been performed. She had simply relieved her subconscious mind of
the thought that she had a tumor, leaving her Imagination nothing
to work on but the idea of health. And as she had never really been
sick, of course she remained normal.
The mind may be cured of imaginary ills in exactly the same
manner that it became diseased with those ills-by autosuggestion.
The best time to work on a faulty Imagination is at night, just as you
are ready to go to sleep, for then the thoughts or suggestions you give
your subconscious mind, just as your conscious mind is about to go
off duty, will be taken up and worked on during the night.
This may seem impossible, but you can easily test the principle:
You wish to get up at seven tomorrow morning, or some hour other
than your regular time. Say to yourself, as you are ready to go to sleep,
"I must arise at seven o'clock tomorrow without fail:' Repeat this sev-
eral times, impressing on your mind that you must arise at that precise
moment. Turn this thought over to your subconscious mind with
absolute confidence that you will awaken at seven o'clock, and when
that hour arrives your subconscious mind will awaken you. But you
must give the command in no uncertain or indefinite terms.