The Law of Suggestion — Rev. Stanley LeFevre Krebs — 1906

An early systematic study of suggestion as a force operating through speech, expectation, authority, repetition, and the subconscious mind.

Published in 1906, The Law of Suggestion: A Compendium for the People by Reverend Stanley LeFevre Krebs surveys suggestion at a moment when hypnotism, education, advertising, religion, medicine, and popular psychology were all beginning to examine its power more seriously.

Krebs considers how ideas may be implanted or reinforced through language, environment, confidence, fear, prestige, habit, and repeated thought. He also addresses distinctions among forms of suggestion, the activity of the subconscious, and the ethical questions raised when one person attempts to influence the thought or conduct of another.

Why This Work Matters

The book records an important transitional period between nineteenth-century mesmerism and the emerging language of modern psychology. It is relevant not only to collectors of hypnotism and mental science, but also to the histories of persuasion, advertising, education, religion, therapeutic suggestion, and mass influence.

Collector’s Note

The physical listing is for the original 1906 volume shown in the photographs. Specialized early works on suggestion and subconscious influence were often absorbed into later popular psychology without the original books remaining widely available. The photographs form part of the condition description and should be reviewed carefully.

Historical Note

The terminology and applications reflect the psychological understanding of 1906 and should not be confused with contemporary clinical standards.

Details

• Author: Reverend Stanley LeFevre Krebs
• Publication year: 1906
• Subjects: Suggestion, hypnosis, subconscious influence, persuasion, psychology, ethics, education, and mental direction
• Available formats: PDF and original physical book