Segno's Sending of Thought

From Chapter XII, “How to Win Friends and Affections”:

1. Find common ground. “He must first ascertain the subjects upon which the person and he are mutually interested; the things they can think and talk about and agree upon.” Identify real shared interests.
2. Attend to those subjects to harmonize. “By paying special attention to these subjects his mental organization will soon harmonize with that of the other.” Deliberately give attention to what you share until you are genuinely “in tune” with them.
3. Take the concentration exercise daily. “He must then take the concentration exercises for half an hour every day” — i.e., the seated concentration practice (alone, quiet, single-pointed; see Segno’s concentration method).
4. While concentrating, hold and project the chosen goodwill. “While concentrating, send out the thoughts and feelings he wishes the other person to accept.” Hold a clear, warm intention — that the relationship be cordial, that the person feel friendly toward you — and direct it toward them.
5. Be sincere — no selfish motive. Segno is emphatic that the thoughts “must be sincere.” Any underlying selfishness will “travel with the others and counteract their effect,” and even destroy the resulting friendship. The intent must be genuine goodwill, not manipulation.
6. For children (the parental variant): go to the child “after it has retired for the night,” “caress and love it and talk to it of beautiful things,” get “into perfect harmony with the better part of its nature,” and then gently hold the wish that it will want to be better, dislike displaying temper, etc. Do not bring up past misbehavior — that “will call back those contrary thoughts and antagonize it.”
7. Maintain it. Continued daily application sustains the effect; Segno says discontinuing the focused goodwill lets the influence fade. (Sourcing note: quoted phrases are from Ch. XII of the 1902 edition. The “harmonize first, then project sincere goodwill” structure and the no-reproach rule are Segno’s own.)

A. Victor Segno (1870–c.1925), of the American Institute of Mentalism, taught thought-transference as the mechanism behind influence; his Segno Success Club advertised collective “mental waves” sent to members at fixed hours.

The practice belongs to the late-19th/early-20th-century vogue for telepathy and “thought-force” (Atkinson/“Three Initiates,” Hudson, Prentice Mulford’s “thoughts are things”).

Its sober core — build rapport, hold goodwill, drop blame — overlaps with later relationship and persuasion advice (e.g. Carnegie’s How to Win Friends, whose very title echoes the chapter).

Metta / loving-kindness — deliberately holding and “sending” goodwill toward a specific person. Structurally the closest validated cousin: it changes the sender’s attitude and behavior. → /

• New Thought “treating” another person — silently holding the desired good for someone (Troward, Holmes).
• Mulford / “thoughts are things” — projecting thought toward people and aims.
• Carnegie-style rapport — find common interests, give sincere attention, avoid criticism. The behavioral half, secularized.
• Visualization of a harmonious relationship — imagining the desired warm interaction (assumption).

Skipping the rapport, expecting projection alone to work. The behavioral half does the real work; sitting and “beaming” without changing how you actually treat the person accomplishes little.

• Selfish or manipulative intent. Segno’s own warning — and the ethical line. If the aim is to override someone’s will or extract something, stop. Use honest communication instead.
• Rehearsing grievances. The no-reproach rule is key: dwelling on the person’s faults trains your hostility. Hold the goodwill version.
• Substituting it for actually talking to the person. Silent goodwill complements honest conversation; it never replaces consent or directness.
• Treating results as proof of telepathy. Improvements come via your changed behavior; don’t over-read them.