NOETI C LEARNING PROG RAMM E

An Instructio n Manual for the developm ent

of human potential

NOETIC M ETH OD
by
DR .J. P. D. CLAASSEN
(BA, Ors. Phil.(Ed) ., Ph .D. (Med .Psy.) ., BAS .RA•* D.Sc. et Ing . (Math .Phys. ) (H o n.Caus .))
( .. M ember of the British and American Association for Educational, Mathemati cal and Scientific Research)
(Research graduate in Psychology : Cape Town University)
(1950 - 1970)
( Paramedic Psychol ogist)
,, ii I 1brary of South Afn c~

Cape Town

111111111111
1650003413775
Perception Comprehension Super Memory Sense of Destination

Speed Reading Creative Problem Solving

Noetic Method
by
Dr. J.P.D. Claassen
(B.A., Ors. Phil. (Ed)., Ph.D (Med. Psy.)., B.A.S.R.A . ++ )
(D. Sc. et Ing. (Math. Phys.) (Hon. Caus.)
(Member of the British & American Associatioh for Educational,
Mathematical &Scientific Research)
(Researcher in Psychology: University of Cape Town)
(1950 - 1970)
Practising Paramedical Psychologist

International Copyright 1978 Noetic Research

Publishers Noetic Research Institute

PO Box 2646, Cape Town, 8000

po Box 7086, Roggeuaai, 8012
 11111

INDEX

INTRODUCTION

CHAPTER 1 :
SELF ANALYSIS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 1

CHAPTER 0 :
MEMORY TRAINING Page 11

CHAPTER 3 :
PROBLEM SOLVING Page 33

CHAPTER 4 :
SPEED READING Page 39

ADDENDUM Page 40
See end of manua l

7
t ,r
 - i

lNTl{OOU CT ION

The intenti on of thi s publication i s to explain to you the best available

method s of l ear ni ng. These methods have been developed by the writer
over a per iod of more t han t wenty years of intensive research and have
been acc l a i111ed by many .

fh e Noet i c method i s a sys tem of techniques which will improve your

111cmory fu nc tion s , ab ility to so lv e problems, perception of reality,
co111prehens ion and readi ng abi li ty . The application of this method
can and shou l d be 111aintained for a li fet ime.

Thi ,; method ca n be app li ed in all walks of life. Although most of the

in s t i·uctio ns will ensure i111111ediate results some will take a lifetime
Lo he .:ipp li ed effect iv ely. For instance, the principle of "Frequency of use
,rn d CtTor s " demands dai ly attention but ensures lifelong results.

I ty Lo be as open minded as possible when you read these pages. The

l'Ssc ncc of the method i s to enlighten your whole being and to improve
the valu e of your existence.
 - 1 -

CHAPTER 1

SELF ANAL YS IS

I t wo ul d appear strange that an instructio n manual of t he hu~a n However,

brain potential should begin with the concept of self analy s i s. self-
this concept is the decisive factor in all forms and meth ods of per son a 1i ty
development. It is psycholog ically interwoven into one' s whole
or organism. Consider the concept of self analysi s fu ll y.
The next concept that must be fully unders tood fr om th e beginn ing is the
following A positive approach to life i s far more i mpor ta nt t han
unfavourable circumstances. It is the ba s is of a st ra tegic and attackin g
view of life. If you carefully consider and fully unders t and t hi s conce pt
it will enable you to achieve your aims under any circ umsta nces. The bi gg est
problem in life is that one is inclined to be blin ded by dai ly pr obl ems,
thereby upsetting one's aims. Should one use all 0ne ' s ene rgy in
solving daily problems there will be nothing lef t of ore s st rength fo r any
positive, higher i deals.
In struction : Search yourself thoroughly and f i nd wheth er you have not
become strangled by your daily routine problems . Anal yse further and
decide to what degree they have defeated your aims. The re aft er , you
must make the following decision: - Am I going to live f or my higher
ideals or my daily problems . Remember th at one int rinisic ach ievement
creates another; whereas one problem create s an other .
Remember : Po s itive attitudes are far more impo rtant t han unfavoura ble
cir cumstanc rs . Repeat this statement dail y t o yo urse l f unt il you
compl et ely comprehend, convince and in spire yo urself with its tr uth .
At ten t ion and concentra tion, thought s and r efele ct io ns are no t i mma te ria l,
powerle ss phenomena that pass through one' s br ain . Th ey form definite
el ec tro- chemi ca l and neuro-magnetic force s t hat ca n transform or deepen
yo ur action s , hab its and attitude s toward s li fe. Positi ve reflecti ons
and thoughts are subj ective t ransfo rmation forces th at can reform your
whol e concept of li f e, creative abiliti es and zes t for work . Posit i ve
att itudes and con s t ructive lans of actio n wi ll alwa s over come and
et te r un avoura e cir cums t ances, un r o 1t 1ou s o st ruct ,o ns an appar antl y
hope ess s ituations .
Th e tech ni ca l an d sc ientifi c proof of thi s i s overwhelming and very
in te rest ing. Should you, f or example, com plete ly rel ax, with an el ect ro de
on your ann whi ch i n tu r n is connected to an oscill oscop e , only a straigh t
green line wi l l be indi cated on the screen. Thi s mean s t hat no el ec t r i c
curre nt is fl owing . But whe n current f lows , t he green line explod es i nt o
vol leys of spi ke wav t s . Suppo se now, t hat i n you r ima gination onl y, you
think of l i f ti ng a bucket ful l of wate r . Al thou gh you r arm i s vi s ib ly
comp lete ly re l axed, th e osc i llo scope wi l l indicate enormou s vol ley s of
spike waves. Many s imi l ar ex periments have clear ly pro ved th at a
pe rso n uses a l arge amo unt of energy wh en thin ki ng.
Whisper to a comp letely rel axed pe rs on mere ly a word t hat has a connection
with t ou chi ng or emo tional circumstances i n hi s l ife and i mmediatel y the
stra i ght line wi ll break out into a sto rm of spike wave s, his blood
pre ss ure will ri se, hi s pul se r ate will increa se , etc . etc.
 - 2 -

Thousands of similar tests have concisively proven that one thinks with
one's whole body; action and reaction; muscles, heartbeat, glandular
operations, blood flow, breathing, organ functions, etc.
But what is the most important consequence of this phenomenon?
The following explanation is very important, consequently you must try
to understand it very well. Later the nature, results and uses will be
handled more thoroughly.
By means of the nervous system, all thoughts are signalled back to the
whole conscious and subconscious workings of the brain that culminate
in actions and habits. This reciprocal effect occurs continually while
you think, reflect and act.
The sub-conscious workings of the brain cannot discern the difference
between imagination and reality. It is for this reason that you can
understand that positive, constructive ideas, reflections and actions
create a permanent trend in such attitudes thereby replacing and
eliminating negative attitudes.
Self Anal ysis consequently forms the basis of all your functions as a
person an d personality. At the same time it is limiting and freeing.
It is bounded and fenceless, it shrinks and expands your life expression
and ability in all respects. It influences your activities negatively
(evasively) and positively (strivingly). Self Analysis is thus an inner
system of sub-conscious and conscious relations with negative and positive
values.
Self Analysis and Human Potential
In the mean time, a short survey of the ordinary human brain, will
convince you that it has a very vast scope.
Your brain's latent capacity is virtually inexhaustable. Your memory
storehouse and inventive-creative potential is beyond comprehension.
The brain of an average human has 10 to 12 thousand million cells and
over a period of 70 years stores up to 15 billion bits of information.
This roughly constitutes a paltry 10% of its capacity. As a matter of
fact this is an over-estimation; by far. In the light of more recent
knowledge it is impossible to fill up the human brain. It grows as
it absorbs.
Each of your brain cells (called neurons) contains millions of mole cules
of a substance called, ribonucleic acid (RAN). In addition a brain cell
has hundreds, often over a thousand, much smaller glial or contact-cells
attached to it. These glial cells contain RNA melocules which can
permeate the brain cells by means of enzyme catalysts. You can imagine
the latter as strings of protein-molecular magnets with positive and
negative poles creating specific electrochemical fields between glial
cells and various neurons, thus acting as modif~ing carriers of
11 11

impulses reverberating thoughout your brain. T ese molecular modifi-

cations constitute the brain's part of what we call thought, imagination,
recognition, memory circuit contacts. The changes brought about in this
way we call learning. Simply realise that any one brain cell can serve
as a contact-knot for many memory circuits and you will also realise how
 ◄
- 3 -

astronomical the number of memories could be, and also why memories are
not strictly localized in the brain. In this sense it is quite true to
say that every thought or memory in your brain is related to ev~ry other
one. Yet how fascinating it is to think that none of your brain c~lls
are structurally in contact with any neighbouring cells. You~ brain
is a floating universe of neurons in electrochemica l contact with each other.
Conclusion : thoughts and memories are not things, but molecular
electrochemica l relations. Think about the relationships between humans,
between planets, stars, radio contact, radar as possible analog o~ s instances .
We understand the greater universe in terms of geometrical relati ons and
dimensions, perhaps one day we shall be able to understand the funct i oning
brain in the same way and transpose our geometric grasp into short-hand
algebraic terms!
Some practical minded readers may object that this simpl e description has
suddenly been swamped by somewhat intricate compo s i tio n - that they are
not interested in a tissue of theory, but fact s . "Give me the hard-and-
fast, down-to-earth rules, and waive the rest:" Let their impatience
be calmed by the consideration that every t r ue theory is a statement of
fact: a statement of fact about other facts. This is the key to simplicity .
Remember, simplicity is clarity of pattern, not simplemindedness:
This idea refers to a system-princip le, subsequently explained in the te xt.
A th eory is a single pattern of fact unifying numerous, apparently dis-
jointed facts. IF YOU WISH TO CATCH A SWARM OF BEES, CATCH THE QUEEN-BEE.
If you wish to remember a thousand facts, search for the unifying pattern
behind them all and formulate the system-princip le, the thread which binds
them together. (See pages 12 and 13).

BASICS
This is a very important wo rd in the sense used in this book. Fi x it in your
mind, because the practice it suggests is extremely important.
Details are always inevitable and blatant, each masking the same system-
principle under different expressions. YET ONCE THE PATTERN IS GRASPED
MANY DETAILS NOT KNOWN BEFORE CAN BE DERIVED FROM IT S STRUCTURE . Thi s i s
a labour-sav ing device of incalculable significance.
Intelligen t learning is thus not a matter of ding-dong association or the
linking of details in an endless chain: it is in essence a search fo r patte r n.
IN THIS SENSE, MEMORISING rs A SPECIAL WAY OF THINKING.
It is in fact nothing less than a variety of creative, inventive problem-
sol ving. This approach immediately lifts memorising fro ni mere plodding and
pai nful drudgery to a higher level of an exciting and fascinating skill .
However, memory drill cannot be entirely eliminated, yet even the basi c details
of drill can be infused with pattern, rhythm and meaningful grouping .
Thi s i s structuring of BASICS.
Many brigh t people nurse a secret dread that they are ra t he r dull or
s l ow on t he uptake, because they have failed to master the basic elements
of ce rtain subj ects. Spe l l ing, reading, science and mat hematics all too
often cr op up in th is connection. Gradually, (and quite uncons ciously),
a person loca ted in t his type of category, i dentifies his e o self-esteem)
on a par wi t h such i nadequacies. Should t e rea er suspect, even vague y,
 - 4 -

that he may be the unwitting victim of such a "self-fostered" attitud e ,

he should challenge his specific "handicap" by means of careful self-
analysis.

Under these circumstances people are prone to shy away from admitting
the truth, because they find it far too humiliating to return to the
Kindergarten, the ABC, the BASICS of a subject or skill they secretly
wish to master. In the case of many adults, however, it is not a matter
of returning to the very beginning of a subject or skill they have already
mastered up to a certain point, but retracing their steps to a level
where they had unfortunately gone astray.
The special topics of this book are creative-inventi ve thinking and
memorising, yet these activities are fundamental to all forms of learning;
therefore the acquisition of exceptional mastery in this respect could
undoubtedly carry the reader over any hurdle he may find particularly
difficult to surmount.

INTERIM /l,DVICE

You need _a cle~n slate. Preconceived notions, interfering habits, deep-

seated disto~ti~ns, out~oded knowledge, veiled self-pity, self-deceptions,
excuses, splitting tensions, hanging onto the past and future, and missing
the present - gradually the inside-you, must be carefully, patiently,
neutral~y and calmly self-examined, without making any decisions or
resolutions unless they make themselves with compelling force.
You are not to hurry. Simply isolate yourself for 15 to 30 minutes every
day, (no more, no less), and think about yourself. That's all.
After a while you will need this short period of complete isolation like
fresh air. Don't force, don't try, don't coerce your self-exploration .
Ju s t let it happen.
Some readers who entertain the idea that they are first and foremost
"realistic and level-headed", are bound to look upon this self-analysis
as a waste of time. "Give me those concrete memory-training rules, and
leave the pseudo mindstuff meditations to gullible, fringe eccentrics, pious
old spinsters and men about to be hanged'." - or some such theme could
be a fit expression of their impatience. In a sense this would be a
fairly sound judgement. Self-knowledge is not an imperative condition
in developing an exceptional memory, but it is a preliminary necessity for
people who wish to develop self-confidence and insulation against examination
shock or situations of stress. Like it or lump it, as you prefer.
However, a determined try at self-searching is nothing less than a courageous
attempt in gaining a vital grounding in higher education beyond the ordinary
univers ity level. (Write two essays : 1) Against, 2) For, this point
of view).
During self-exploration you may discover that often you are not fully alive,
or clearly aware of experiences in your relations to other people, your work
or si mple being, because you are still in the past, perhaps already in
th e future, while you act and you are in the present. Clinging to the pa s t
or r ushing into the future cuts your potential down to less than 1, ! , 1/8 .
A quie t, daily journey into your own mental interior, will slowly, impe rcepti bly
uni fy your inner resources to a poised power. Every thought and attention,
de cisi ve act i on and lucid recollection. In fact, little by little you are
di~ l odgi ng hidden handicaps and unknown (or known) attitudes that interfere
 5 -

or bl ock quantities of your brain' s energy. You are tran sformi~g.

bou nd energ ie s into free energies. Your brain become s mor e efficient,
~ bec ome more efficient. Formerly unavailable energy become s available.

Unle ss he i s soaked no se ns ible per s on will run a car with the brake s on,
a f l at tyre or two, and faulty s parking plug s . Unde r the s tres s and s train
of s uch conditions even a s l eek Jaguar or Mercedes would be hopel ess l y
outc l ass~d by a fr~e-runnin g, overhauled and fi nel y_t uned ja~opy . . Sup pre ssing
and evad ing a fee ling, desire, perspective and emotional attitude i s not
se l f - co nt ro l, but a terrib le waste of e nergy. Co nt ro l s i gni fies guidance
and use '.

. Ons c
d unc d' tractions and bt ed ly
on s undou
i Ous em o tiand
Tra nsmargina l inhibit~ons , (i.e . _rep re sse _,
, anx ie~y, i s and crea tiv e th in ki ng
inclination s) , give ri se to te ns, i ons
interfere with menta l functions comp rehe ns ion, memory ·

The most prominent fu nct i on of an agi le and reten~i~e br~i n (or mi nd ) i s

UNO[RSTANOING , seeing t he poi nt, 30 , 40, nD (m ultid1men s 1~na ll y);
horizo nt a ll y , verti cally, ex te nsio nall y , tempo rane ous ly, in thoug ht ,
feeli ng and action; in s hort, to grasp a s i gnifi ca ~ce !ram ma ny angles,
a . in sequence, orb . s imultaneous ly. If your mind i s una bl e to .
under s tand th e mos t important pressures usua ll y brought to bear upon it ;
the competit io n of other minds; yo ur mind ca nnot draw upon it s latent
energy . It is ohvio us th at such understandi ng i s de pendent upon se l f -
know l edge . Compl e t e unders ta nding is impos sib le, but the greater your
se lf - knowl edge , t he more f le xib l e yo ur mind will be. Fl exible? The
qui cker i t 1vi 11 I. EARN Hm~ TO LEARN .

Tli e l a tt er s t atement i s not an obsc ure paradox . It mean s that whenever

you se l th e t ask of l ear ning anythi ng , you do not onl y l ear n the co nte nt s , .
bul a l so the me th od you deli berate l y or inadverten tl y emp l oy. Self-an al ys i s
eli mina t es recoTTec tive interferenc es , it i s a ge neral me t hod of
1·emember in g be tte 1-. fo r ex ampl e , if you learn to type by a lternate ly
u~i ng two ~Cy - boa r ds wi t h di ff erent lette r-seque nce , the l ea rnin g of one
1-.i ll i nt e r fere 1v i th ttl e learning of the other . However, i f you have a
th ornug h undei- s t andi ng of th e sys tem- pri ncip l e governi ng th e t wo lette r -
seq uen ces , mutua l inter f eren ce i s virtua ll y e l i minated. Se lf- a naly s i s
i ~ the mos t ge nera l meth od lead i ng t o se l f-understan di ng , whi ch again
is thr mos t yener al system-pr i nciple governing all your action s and
t h in~ i ng - and t here fo re tend s t o eli minate or reduce a ll for ms of
reco 11 ec t i ve ( or memory) inte r ferences. Later , experi men ta 1 evide nce wi 11
be J i scus sed in subs tanti a ti on of the f oregoing .

Thus , the g1·ea t er your sel f - understandi ng , the more f le xible (or
imp re ssio na ble ) you r mi nd. At cer ta in levels of self - knowle dge , whi ch
(ou l d be ca l l ed "cruc ial levels " , self- ana lysis detaches bound mental
ene r gy , hi the r to una vailab l e mental power becomes available . At ea ch
"c ruc i al l e vel " a transformat ion in qu antity and qua lity occurs ; you r
men ta 1 ene rgy ( and eo ip so your memory ) expands.

l f you ob se r ve a cube of i ce dr ifti ng i n water at zero degree s Ce l s i us ,

you will note that i t is s ubje ct t o certai n variations at it s s ur f ace.
Some mol ecul es a re deta ched , becom ing part of th e water. I n rever se ,
rrolecu l es from th E water bec ome a ttached to the ice. However, the
ice cube remai ns an ob serva b l e e nt ity. Because detachment i s gr ea ter at
the co rn e rs of t he cube , gradual chan ges occ ur . The cube will become
o:;pheroid in s tructur e and th e s ituatio n becomes s tat ic .

hould th e ~ce or water absorb he at , its shape and s tate wi ll chan ge. Wh at
twas prev10usly "cap able of doi ng" onl y within very na r r mv l i mi t s , it
an now do comp letel y . Thp crucia l level ha~ been pass ed.
 - 6 -

Abov e zero Ce l siu s th e i ce cuhc chdnacs Lo wJt.er and dt " JOO dcg r r. !",
Ce l siu s it vapori ses . /\ sc2c onrl cr ,i c1n1 l eve l hns ll er. n ri1 t1fi t1 rl.

We know that water con tra cts as ; t i s coo 'I i ng . ro r examp le, we nu t,1~ U1 (JL
it co ntr acts continuou sly as 'i t coo l s down from 100 de~Jrcc s C. Lo 4 . ~,
degrees C. Extrapo ·l ati ng , we would exp ec t 'it t o contrG c t ind ~linl tc ly
on coolin g down. However, j ust nt t he l aLtcr l cvc 'I in th e '5C ri cs ;:i ch,Jn(J <:
in th e continuity of var -i Jtion occ ur s . /\ t ju s t below 4.~ degree•:, C. w0t cr
begin s to exp and unt i l it so'li cl'ifi es ot fr cCZ 'i ng- poi nt . (Llu L fo r t hi 'I ll e11

would be irnpo ss ·i bl e . Why ?)

/\ll ow t hese exampl es t o suff •i ce c1 s r c111 i ncl cr s of t he Lyp c o f Lhi nrJ thnL
l1 uppe ns during se lf-a naly si s , /\NO /\LSO DUl~ING OROIN/\11Y U: /\lrnlN G. /\l't cr
a long period of ap pl i ca tio n a s11 cldcn hrcak - 1.t1 row1 h f"lc:c ur ~ ~nd you f' ind
y our s el f perfo rnri n~ on n h·i ghcr I eve I .

Rul e : Do not ex pec t. ~p· Jd ually i ncr ens ·ing rr• r.u'l 1>, wh en y ou try Lo n1 t1 ", l: cr
a new t ec hniq11 c . Yo11 111ily oflen r cr1 ch J poi11I., "pl Jtc nu, wh ere lu rL hcr
tra inin ~1 sec111 s use le ss , yo11 111ny opp ear l. n ll d VC 1·c.ich cd L11 e: very I i 111i Ls
of your ca pr1city. Fnr ·in s t:rn1 cc , d11r i n9 Lr.i in ·iri(J in spcc cl - r ea clin g you
1110y suddenly fi nd t lwt y ou cann ot l'\~ad rc1•:; te t· t han, l e t ' s •,Jy, 520 word•, per
111inute . ll owevcr , ,1ftrr nn un know n period o l tryinq tn hrcak
t ll ·i s reco rd y our pcdo nn ci ncc r tj 11,1 iw, r1t 500 to 520 w.p.111., y et , r; u(ldcnl y
t he next cl ay yo11r spee d shoot s 11p Lo .in upp ro x i111 i1Lu I 00 0 w. p .111 . . t· ·i ~'in u
91·r1 du r1 '1'1y until you rcc1 cl1 tino t ll cr plc1Lrt1 11 ,1 1. e .g. I 700 wor d'i per 1winu t 1~.

l~e111c111b cl' t he ·i dea of " cr uc·i r1l k vc·l s" to ,1v oi d di sc ouro9 c111cn l '.

SOM[ MORE AUOU T SE LF- ANALY Sl S

Durin g se lf-ana ·ly si s y our a-i111 111u s t be to 1> r ·i11 9 about il r c-c xa 111iniJ l: 'i 011 or
tho se inn er convi c tio ns wh ·i ch thwart y our dcvelop111cnt . Mc111ory tli c;fun v tio ns
and per sonal 111al ad ju st 111c nt s fir e cl ue to l<[S-S"fAN CES M/\ I NTAl'N r.D 13Y YOIJI{
ASSESSMENT or YOUlb ELF. Self - analy si s i 11 1;,li cs n tc chniq,i e or ~ra clually
bec o1wi ng con sc i ou s or aware of t he co111p l ex of contr adictio ns irt wll'i ch y ou
huve bc co111e inv olv ed.

Co ns i dcr t he case of on i nt e 11 i ge nt per son wh o consid er s himself as a

poor or def i c i ent 111e111ori se r. Very ofte n such n per son i s fo und to Im an
eff i ci ent work er or an in te lli ge nt co nv er salionali s t , perh aps with a wid e
ge ner al knowl edg e , he 111ay be qu ·i ck on t he 1q1takc , yet "f' org e t s " t hings at
criti ca l moment s . Hi s defic i ency ·i s ob vi ously not Lh c r csu'lt of st upidity,
bu t r at her of an un con sc iou s , ac t iv e r es i sta nce whi cli blo cks hi s r ec oll cct iv c
ab ih t y. Thi s r es i s tance i s t he prod uc t. or pil s L si t uat ion s or exp eri ences
whi ch convin ce d him t l1 at li e i s a poor 111e11101· i ser , /\ CONVICI I ON TII/\T WAS
ACCEPTED AND IN CORPOR/\T EO INTO III S DEF [NIT (ON OF IIIMS[ LF, now un ac liv c
pro cess in hi s t ot al pc t' son a·li t y. At a'll costs li e r emain s true to
1l ·i111 se lf. [ f he dcf ·incd himse lf as ,l per son w·i t h il poor 111e111ory ( or a
declinin g n1er11 ory ), a bad 111e111ory beco111c s wi Lh h'i111 al111o s L n 111orJ l i s,; ue .
He ca nn ot co nce ntrate , pily atte n tio n or Il e l or·gcts es senti al l ac.: t. s
for th e same r easo n t hat he r cf 11 scs t: o s t eci'I or 111u n lcr . 111! 111u s I. n,rr, t.11 'l y
act in u way cons·i s te nt wi t ll hi s i cl ea of hi111" c·1r.

He fail s test s and exa111in at ion s , he co111pl flin s ol,ou t ll 'i s bacl lllc111ory for
names , numb er s , formula e or wh at not , he exp r es ses th e fear t hat ~l"i s 111r.111 ory
i s fa iling du e to agei ng al t110u gl1 he nwy know lllen and wolllen of over 70
w'ith magnific ent r ec oll ec tiv e power s . ("I j ust ca n' t con cc nt. rate '." i s
almo s t th e invariabl e nut shell co111pl ain t of such peop l e - and t hen th ey
 """Ill

- 7 -

blame their poor brains or memories without seeing the contradiction at all'
Hardly ever do such people complain that t~ey are STUPID.),, Should one ·
divert such a person's attention from his mem?ry trou~les a~d s~ilfully
draw him out on diverse topics, gradually leading to his examination 11

subjects, he will hold forth like an expert. A pers?n ma~ say: I simply
cannot remember names 11 ,
and afterwards astound one with his knowledge on
stocks and shares or sporting statistics.
11

Part of the technique of self-analysis consists in noting your strong

points" and realising the inconsistency between these demonstrahle
abilities and your belief in having a deficient memory. Most people who
consider themselves as poor memorisers virtually invite sympathy, they
beg for indulgence, without realising that they are classing themselve s
?n a par with chimpanzees. When you begin to realise that a weak memory
is a fo~m of stupidity, a reorientation will become a necessity. You
w?uld violently reject your ingrained definition of yourself as a person
with ~n unreceptive brain and vigorously set yourself to the task of
altering that degrading self-appraisal.

TO BE FOREWARNED IS FOREARMED
THINKING AND MEMORISING ARE SKILLED ACTIVITIES. IT IS UTTERLY FALSE
TO BELIEVE THAT WE ARE INHERENTLY ABLE TO THINK LOGICALLY AND MEMORI SE
EFFIC!ENTLY - WITHOUT INTENSE APPLICATION AND EXPERT TRA INING.
EXCEPTIONAL EFFICIENCY IN THINKING AND MEMORISING REQUIRES AS MUCH (IF
NOT MORE) SKILL THAN CARPENTRY, PLAYING CHESS, TENNIS, GOLF OR BRIDGE,
OR A MUSICAL INSTRUMENT WITH EXTRAORDINARY PROFICIENCY. THEREFORE,
PEOPLE WHO HAVE NOT TRAINED THEIR MINO) (OR BRAINS) CONSI STENTLY IN CLEAR
THINKING AND EFFICIENT MEMORISING CAN AS LITTLE EXPECT TO DO THE FORMER
OUTSTANDINGLY AS THEY COULD ANTICIPATE TO BE ADEPT ARTISANS OR ARTI STS,
GOLFERS, TENNIS- OR BRIDGE PLAYERS, REMARKABLE MUSICIANS, WITHOUT
THE NECESSARY TRAINING AND GUIDANCE.
ANY PERSON WHO SERIOUSLY WISHES TO DEVELOP MATCHLESS SKILL IN THIN KIN G
LOGICALLY AND MEMORISING PROFICIENTLY, SHOULD DETERMINE TO TAC KLE HIS
TASK WITH THE ENDURING EFFORT AND GRUELLING TRAINING IN WHIC H HE WOUL D
ATTEMPT TO LEARN THE RULES, TECHNIQUE AND TO PRACTICE SOME GAME AT W HICH
HE WISHES TO BECOME A CHAMPION.
~o~ . Jf us, because we have had the good fortune of some general educ ati on ,
take writing, speaking, thinking and memorising very much for granted.
Unfortunately many of us unwittingly assume that we have developed_al'.
these functions to particularly high jegrees of efficiency. Yet it 1s
probable, on the whol~,.that most of ~s _h~bitually employ less than 1/ 8
of our inherent capacities. Every civilised person can read, yet even
university students who are supposed to be the most intelligent peopl e
of a country, read with an incredible inefficiency. In America and
South Africa the average universi~ student covers ordinary reading matter
at a snail-pace rate of 250 w.p.m., whereas they should be able to read
at varying rates from 2 000 to 5 000 w.p.m. With occasional exce pti on s,
the same applies to our writing, speaking, thinking and memorising. It
is not easy to get out of a rut, but it is far more difficult to organi se
new habits of performance near the limits of our capacities.
F?r exampl~, it is much easie~ t? improve from 10% to 90% effi cie ncy
(1 -~· 80% 1mprovem~nt) ,_t~an 1t is to improve from 90% to 95% ef f i cien cy.
To improve from 95 %efficiency to 99%0, e, 4%) would involv e as much
effort a~d concentrated training as the range f rom 10% to 90%. Thu s t he
 - 8 -

nearer the limit, the harder the going. Nevertheless, there are ways
and means, inherent in the inverted optimum memory technique to bypass
this inexorable "law" of nervous function. In a way, but only in a
rather general way, its basic rules and facets are cryptically reflected
in the words of G.B. Shaw : "Striving and struggling is the worst way
you can set about doing anything... The more effort you make, the less
effect you produce ... Ease and strength, effort and weakness, go
together . " ( Do you agree? Write a short essay in 10 minutes. Don't
ponder, write as fast as you can.)
(N.B . Keep a special file for all your notes.)

SOME LEADS TO FOLLOW DURING SELF-ANALYSIS

The following questions are not to be followed rigidly, but you should have
them firmly fi xed in your mind or return to them as often as poss ible as
starting-points of thought. Using a personal journal, answer them in
writing, every two or three months. For the purpose of compar i son your
journal would serve as a valuable progress report.
1. What are my aims in life?
2. How far have I progressed in achieving these aims?
3. What precisely, is impeding my development?
4. Are the factors underlying my progress-impedence located in my
a. Environment, (city, town,farm, residence, etc .);
b. Relationship with other people, (wife, husband, boss, co-workers, etc.)
c. Inner nature, (habits, limitations, temper, self-confidence,
training, knowledge, etc.)
5. What is my greatest handicap?
6. How do I react to my obstacles? Do I : Blame others ? ~✓ ark
harder? Day-dream? Escape in a world of drink, reading, cinema
sport, etc.? Compromise?
7. Do I really know my latent capabilities?

8. Have I made a complete investigation of the opportunities latent

in my vocation? Do I take the necessary steps to this end?
9. Have I upsetting problems outside my work?
10. How much do I do to help others?
"The Frequency of Use and Error" is a method of self-improvement that
~ppears ~o ~e so trit~ and simple! th~t many peop~e are apt to disregard
it, yet it is astoundingly effective in transforming the habits, energy
mental efficiency, success and zest of individuals who apply it with '
determination.
Frequency of Use means that you
1. Make a complete list of the things which you use or do (or fail
to use or do) in your daily life.
2. Find out how to improve these things which you use or do.
3.
Perform according to the improved method which you have discovered
or found advisable.
 9 -

Fr equ ency of Error mean s that you :

Of ten make in your daily
1. Make a li s t of the mistake s whic h You
life.
2. Find out how to eliminat e these errors.
3. Elimin at e the errors in your daily life.
· t t ·n the discove ry of t truth " .
"The d1· sper s ,· on of error ,· s the f1 rs s ep 1 · l · t sty 1e ' men a 1-
And li kewi se th e st eps to harmony, grace, no b1 1 Y,
effic i ency, and ultimate ly, happiness.
Single Important Aspe ct s
1. Should you des ire to produce something, a definite plan fll ust
fir s t be worked out, revised and elaborat ed . . Use the example
of the modern business enterpri se that plans in advance the
di ffe rent stadia in the construc tion of a buildin g or the
production of items. Change you r plan of action where cir~umst ances
require. In everything you must attempt to be alert, fle xi ble and
fluid without divertin g from your main objecti ve.
2. In st ead of describing your plans as a general aim e. g . "I
sh all do X", your planning should preferab ly include th e
part i cul ar method to be used in order to achieve your objecti ve
e.g . "l shall do X in this particul ar manner. " Concent rat e your
atte ntion, bra in power and effort on the particul a r HOW to
ac hi eve the aim. -

3. Pl an t o DO, not to BE. In other words, do not pay so much

atte nti onto the th'","ngs you 1vill do after you have achieved vou1-
ai111, but pay particul ar attentio n to the realisat ion of t he pl an
itself. (For example do not think of 1vhat you will acc o111 pli sh
should you be a milliona i re, but think more pr ofitably about HOW
to become a million aire) .
4. To_s t re ngthen your inspirat ion and enthusiasm, you must do some-
thing ~o advanc~ the re~lisat ion of your plans; everyda ywithou t
exc eption both in relation to outward and inner development.
5. Measu r e you r progress; it will serve as a lasting inspirat ion
and release your forces.
6. Do not try to do everything at once. Work from phase to phase.
Give your full attentio n to the order of preferen ce of various
st eps taken, work step by step, and untroub led, cheerfu l and with
confidence allow the full result to materia lise in the future.
7. Co ndition the following motto to be an automat ic, essentia l and
stimulus of your life and being :
"DO IT NOW" ........ . .

Jo hann Wolf gang van Goethe ( 17 49-1832) who l · d . •

life , somewh ere wrote "Just begin· d th iv~ a~ amazing , ver satil e 11
--~- ~' an e task will complete itsel f .... .
Ha ve you noti ce d that it i s far more d1"ff "
tha n it is to kee p it moving? Th 15 ' . icult to start a heavy roll er
MOMENTUM... . · is expounde d in terms of kineti c
•
A PRACTICAL GUIDE FOR SELF-ANALYSIS
The aim of this supplement is to help the reader to determine his/her
self-image, to build up this self-image and to develop the reader's human
potential - all in a practical and experimental way. If the reader carefully
applies this guide, it will serve as a substitute for personal
psychological training.

1. DETERMINE YOUR SELF-IMAGE

Instructions: - Answer every question quickly and honestly. No
one but yourself must have access to this information.
- The questions are evaluation questions. You are
requested to mark yourself on a scale which ranges
from Oto 10 in each case. Simply put a circle
around the figure that best expresses your
evaluation.
Section A: Childhood Background
1. How well did you get on with your father up to the time when you
were eight years old? 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
2. How well did you get on with your mother up to the time you were
eight years old? 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
3. How many members were in your family up to your ninth birthday?
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
4. Generally speaking, how popular were you with your schoolmates at
primary school? 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
5. How popular were you with primary school teachers ?
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
6. How bright a child were you up to the age of eight ? 0 1 2 3 4 5 6
7 8 9 10
7. How did you do in games and sports? 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
8. Up to the age of eight, do you consider you were particul ar ly
imaginative? 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
9. Do you feel your childhood was a happy one? 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
10. Were you a healthy child? 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
11. How well loved were you as a child? 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Section B: Adolescence
12. During adolesence, how popular were you with members of the
opposite sex? 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
13. How good-looking were you? 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
14. How individualistic were you? 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Section C: Current Attitudes

15. Are you ambitious? 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
16. Do you consider yourself intelligent? 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
17. Do you have a strong personality? 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
18. How decisive are you? 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
19. How much charm do you feel you have? 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
 - 1l

20. Are you sexually attractive? O 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

21. Do you mea sure up in ability against colleagues in your
own field? 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
22. Do you have leader ship potential? O 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
23. Do you enjoy taking risk s? O 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
24. Are you aggressive? 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
25. Do you con s ider yourself brave? 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
26. Are you healthy? 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
27. How would you rate your general levels of energy?
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
28. Ge nerally speaking, how happy are you? O 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
29. Do you find it easy to rela x? 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
30 . How do you rate your memory? 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
31. How effic i ent are you in th e thing s you do? 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
32. How s tron g ar e your powers of co ncentration? 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
33 . Do you consider your self lu cky? 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
34. Are you at ease with member s of your own sex? 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
35 . Are you at ease with members of the opposite sex? 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
36 . If you were marooned in a strange city with neither friends nor money,
how well do you think you would cope? 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
37. If you were marooned on a strange island with lots of game and fruit
but no dangerou s animals, and your only weapon was a knife, how
we ll do you think you would survive? 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
38 . How about it if there were dangerou s animals? 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
39 . Finally, how would you feel if there were dangerous animals, game,
but no fruit? 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
40. llmv much do you enjoy your own company? 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
41. How 111uch do you fancy making a parachute jump? 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
42. How do you rate your chances of surviving more than a few days on a
raft, without food, in the middle of the Atlantic? 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
43. Rate the success chance s of any company you might form?
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
44. Do you feel you have better business sense than most?
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
45. Are you intuitive? 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
46. Do people like you? 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
47. Do you consider yourself physical fit? 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
48 . Are you phy s ically well proportioned? 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
49. Do you have a good skin? 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
50. How well plea sed are you with the way you look? 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
51. How about the way you dress ? 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
52. How tenacious are you? 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
 --
- iii -

53. How well can you work within a team? O 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

54. Do you feel yourself a persuasive individual?
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
55. If you were running a working team, how well could you cope with an
out and out trouble maker? O 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
56. You hire your best friend for an important post in your company.
He/She turns out to be useless. How easy would it be to fire him/her?
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
57. How good a job do you think you would make of running South Africa
as Prime Minister? 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
58. How about running a multinational corporation?
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
59. How well do you think you manage personal relationships with people
of the same se x? 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
60. And with people of the opposite sex? 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
61. How well do you repair things about the hou se?
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
62. How self sufficient are you? 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
63. If you were required to make a speech before 2 000 university
graduates, how well do you feel you would handl e it?
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
64 . Can you write memos well? 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
65. How adequate do you feel your educational backgroun d ha s been
so far ? 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
66. Generally speaking, how well do you rate your power s of
discernment? 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
67. And how about discrimination? 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
68. What level of good taste do you have ? 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
69. How wou ld you rate your level of sophistication?
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
70. Are you a good driver? 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
71 . Rate your financial potential ? O 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
72. Do you feel you are currently living up to thi s potential ?
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
73. Hmv strong ly do you feel members of the opposite sex are attracted
to you ? 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
74 . How do you rate your physical reaction time?
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
75. How we ll do you react mentally to an une xpected s itu ation?
How quickly do you react? 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
76 . How coo l are you in a crisis? 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
77. Do you consider yourse lf well-read? 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
78 . Do you s leep well ? 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
79 . How high up the social ladder do you see yourself at present?
O 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
80 . Do you be lieve yourself well travelled? 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
 - iv

81. You are forced to take a job as a door to door salesman of brushes.
Hmv well do you think you \voulct fa 1·e? 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
82 . You've landed a job sel"ling international aeroplanes to an executive
market . How well do you think you'd fare? o 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
83 . You ha~e to esc~rt a glamorous film star (of the opposite sex )
on a night out in your city. How co nf ident are you of giving him / her
an interesting time? 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
84. You have to do a job as a night club bouncer in a tough area .
How well will you handle it ? 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
85 . You have to entertain world ches s champion Bobby Fischer for an hour
without once mentioning chess. How well would you fare?
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
86 . you feel is your potential as th e most famous personality
What do
field of interest? 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
in you r
87. you feel is your pot ential as a kung-fu ma s ter?
What do
4 5 6 7 8 9 10
0 1 2 3
88 . How well is your general knowledge? 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
89 . How well do you manage money ? 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
90. Rate you r level of self-confidence. 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
91. How well ca n you relate to all kinds of people ?
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
92. What's your level of musical appreciation? 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
93. If you felt like singing aloud about the house, how likely are you
actually to do so? 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
94. What do you feel are the chances of life after death ?
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
95. What do you think are your chances of making a million ?
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
96. How tough, psychologically, do you reckon you are?
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
97. If your country's entire political and economic system were overthrown
overnight, how do you rate your chances of finding your feet
quickly and prospering under the new regime? 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
98. How much do you know about the human mind? 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
99. How well can you explain a big mistake to a temperamental boss?
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
100. Do you feel competent to advise nuclear scientists on the morality
of creating bigger bombs? 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
To work out your score and a more or less accurate indication of your self-
image, you simply have to add up all the numbers you've ringed and divide
the total by 10. Remember, the higher this percentage is, the more likely
you are to achieve personal success. Whether it is high or low, there
are techniques of improving your self-image and thus tapping your unknown
potential.
The whole aim of psychological treatment in most cases is to help the
pat ient to realise his/her own value. This means that the patient is
to be helped to realise his own limitless potential, his own sense of
destination, his own identity and his own independence. As soon as the
patie nt becomes sill-sufficient in his own eyes his sense of gravity has
been restored and the patient can fa ce 1 if e ~v i Lil 11 cw ll opc c111 cl i1 ' " ' '' " ( '
of meaning. Now, and only now, can he 111e un s o111C't hi11 s1 Lo ho lil hi1 ll',t' II
and society around him.

One of the biggest problem s psy chol ogist s ofte n ht1v c Lu f ,1n' i . ; till' i11 ,t1 1 i I 1! v
of the patient to have pride in hi111 se lf fo r ~vh a L he is . llli '., pl'Ol1il'1 11, 111(1·. !
often i s ca u s e d by the r i g i d va l ue s tr uc tu r e soc i e t y f o i·n' c; u II I n t IH'
patient. He is offered very little cha nce to i·e o l i s L' Iii " rnv ri idL' r1t.it y
and the importance of hi s own mi ss ion on ea rth. That i s 1vily tli t' 1·L'dd('I'
should realise that he ha s a very great r es pons ibili ty Lrnvc1 1·d-; ili1111.,c ll
and his own happiness to create cii· cu111 s t ances in 1-v hi ch hi s 0\-v ll id('11lit y
and potential can flouri s h. Re111emb e r, s oc i e ty i s defi nit e l y 11 o l qn i11 ~1 1( 1
do it for you. The reader al s o ha s to r ea li se thut L11i ~ id r rit i Ly 111.1y
be completel y different to \vh at soc i e ty would li ~e t o p1·c.i cll t u lli111.
I n f act , t he more it d i ff er s and t 11 e III ore one t •c tl 1 i c; r s t Ii (' -; l' d i f r c 1·t' n Cl ' " ,
the more unique that person a lity i s . Th e ve ry f.:ic l t hJ l c1 pc i·..:.O 11 1., l1011ld
feel himself inferior toward s any one e l se s hows ll mv ~1rn..:., ly he 11th
negle cted hi s own per so nality and pntcnr ia l .
1
What is really important to realis e , onc e yo u l1cw e 1vo i·~ed ou l 11·l''- t' 11 t
self-image, is that this self- imag e does n't ha ve to heM til l' 1., I iqlll t'-., l
resemblance to what you really are. In fact , t he cll a ncec; tl l ' l ' C)() ll1 t1 t
your self-image is totally and compl ete ly wr ong.

2. RULE S : THE GRIP OF SOCIETY

In this section we would like you to come to t e r111 s wi t ll yo u,· o~v.2._1 rnl1• -,.

The rules that society make for you ca n ofte n lo ck yo ur e ntir e prr c; nn t11 i t y
in a very painful way. All the se ru l es have a t e nde ncy to or, c 1·(1u,
below the level of consciousness. They ar e ne ve1· cxa1n-in ed , i1nu lys ctl,
or questioned. But they a re enormou s l y s tron g f oi· u 11 Lh ,1 t . l 11 111an y
cases they are totally unbr eakab l e .

You carry a complete set of rule s aro un d in yout· hea d at l hi c; very 111rn11r 1ll .
Who made these rules ? More import a nt, ar e th ey of any acl vun tMJ r to
your personal progress and se l f-reali s ation ?

Sit down and analyse these rule s one by one . Thi s 111ay Lake a ve1·y l orrn
time, but it is worth every si ngl e minute of th e exer c i se . Yo11 wi ll
find that 111a11y of these ru le s are go od on es , we ll wor lh keep in g . You wi 11
also find, however, that many hav e no valu e at a ll to yo ur pc i·s ont1 I we ll -
being and aims in life. As soo n as you come ac ro ss one of Lh e c; c rulr <.,
you must throw it out, fast. There i s no way th at you ha ve to hr we i ghed
down by a load of useless rules. Di scardi ng us e l ess ru l es i s a very
powerful method of bringing about the ne ces s ary chan ge yo ur pe r s ona l ily
needs to bring it to total fulfilment. Make s ure th a t yo u wrile down
the rules you have logical ly decided to di s pe nse with .

3. RELA XATION
Relaxation is a very important thing, even in i s olation. It ca n s top you
from gettin g a heart attack , it can e ven help you t o rememb e r bett e r and
s olve prob l ems eas ier and more effec tiv e l y . We woul d li ke to ex p l a in thi c;
to yo u.

1 and 2 are l a rg e ly ba se d on th e quest i onnaire a nd t cch nic,uc, o f

J . !l . Bre n nan .