I may as well tell you at this point, that you should cultivate the "positive mental attitude," as it will enable you to obtain much better results and will prevent your being influenced by the exercise of Volation on the part of others. If you feel an indication of outside influence, you have merely to form the thought recognizing the "I AM" which will impart a feeling of psychical strength to you at once, and render you impervious to the vibrations. By a full appreciation and recognition of the higher self, you will surround yourself with a thought aura, which will protect you, without any voluntary effort of the mind from outside mental influences. Until you fully acquire this recognition you merely have to hold the thought for a moment, assert your real self by the affirmation "I AM," accompanied with the mental conception of the real self. A mental image of yourself surrounded by a protecting thought aura which deflects the vibrations of others, will, of itself, create an aura which deflects the vibrations of others, will, of itself, create an aura of moderate proportions which will last as long as you hold the thought, and will act as a perfect defense against outside vibrations. You should practice the production of these mental pictures, as the results will be of great value to you. If you ever feel that you wish to be alone and able to think without taking the opinions of others into consideration; just sit down and shut out the vibrations as above stated, and you will be surprised at the clearness of thought which will result. I will tell you in my next lesson about the influence of thought vibrations of others, even when not directed at us, move in widening circles, affecting us all more or less. Nature had provided us with instinctive powers of resistance, but nevertheless we are affected more or less by the thought vibrations of others, and what we think are our opinions are often merely the consensus of the opinions of others with whom we are surrounded. The change of residence by a man may result in his changing his views of religion, politics, ethics, etc., to correspond with the general impressions of his new environment, the change being wrought by the effect of the combined thought waves of his new neighbors. A little reflection will remind you of numerous instances of these phenomena: Waves of popular feeling will sweep over a country, arousing nearly every one, and then, will die out as suddenly as they came. A peaceable crowd may be converted into a savage mob, and so on; the emotions and opinions of a man being molded to a greater or lesser degree by the quality of the thought waves reaching him. You will readily see how valuable is the knowledge which will enable you to shut out these outside impressions at will, and allow you to be governed entirely by your own reason, judgment or intuition. Do not pass by this matter lightly, for the time may come when this knowledge will be of incalculable benefit to you. There are times in which clear thinking is of vital importance to every man. A powerful pressure may be brought on you to do a certain thing, and you are undecided just how to act. You need your best thought a this point, and the way to get it is to surround yourself with the protecting thought aura, and whilst secure in your own mental castle, decide what is best to be done. Many of your best decisions will be made in this way. By all means acquire the art.