Preksha Dhyana Contemplation and Auto Suggestion

Author(s): Mahapragna Acharya
Publisher: Jain Vishva Bharati

Page 13

be done or shall happen, it will happen. Full concentration of mental faculty coupled with intense willing results in the fulfillment of the desired objective. In other words, repeated willing by auto suggestion by a practitioner of anuprekshā enables him to achieve a desired objective. If his objective is to effect an attitudinal change (e.g. from negative to positive), he does bring about the change. Whether one's goal is spiritual or hot, the exercise of autosuggestion positively accomplished the desired transformation.
Suggestion can also be transmitted to others i.e. another person could be profoundly influenced by a practitioner's suggestion. By using the technique of hypnogenesis one can alleviate (other's) suffering, cure diseases, bring about a mental or an emotional change. Thus bhāvanā is a multiform therapy-it can take the form of auto suggestion of self hypnosis and effect one's own transformation or it can be projected and bring about a desired change in a person or in the environment. It can take various other forms.
Practice of bhāvanā has significant application in the ethical field. As stated earlier, one can achive permanent attitudinal change by this practice. Negative attitudes such as jealousy or pessimism can be replaced by positive ones: hastily instincts such as cruelty, retaliation, deceit, fear, lust etc. can be eradicated and human virtues such as compassion, forbearance, honesty, freedom from irrational fear, comtinence etc. can be developed.
Two conditions are essential for the success of the exercise. viz(i) totally relaxed and motionless body-posture with canalised mental concentration and (ii) intense willing in the form of steady repetition of the desired aim. Repeated auto-suggestion reinforces the will-power and brings about desired result.