Émile Coué (1857–1926)

> Babelio : https://www.babelio.com/livres/Coue-La-methode-Coue-u0152uvres-completes/1163881

> LA MÉTHODE COUÉ (Œuvres complètes), Editions EB Bussière (Astra) - 20 €, 300 pages. — Pharmacien à Troyes, Emile Coué (1857-1926), a mis au point une méthode, dont on parle encore beaucoup, parfois en raillant, mais que l'on connaît mal. Nous pourrions dire qu'Emile Coué a développé quelque chose de très proche de certains aspects du yoga, comme par exemple les samkalpa que l'on retrouve dans le yoga-nidra. Ce livre nous permet un accès direct à travers ses propres textes. Il est précédé d'une courte biographie. Un livre très complet. "Tous les jours, à tous points de vue, je vais de mieux en mieux."
—Infos Yoga, (69), Octobre 2008, (p. 42)… (altro)

> Babelio : https://www.babelio.com/livres/Coue-La-methode-Coue-La-maitrise-de-soi-meme-par-...

> La méthode du professeur Coué est certes célèbre mais reste relativement méconnue dans ses fondements du grand public.
—Danieljean (Babelio)… (altro)

As I’ve recounted in a previous review, my mother told me about Emile Coué when I was ill in bed with the measles at the age of 10 and not feeling so good. She told me that when she was young (she was born in 1908) there was a man called Emile Coué who told people that they could recover from their illnesses merely by repeating “Every day in every way I am getting better and better”. They did this, and recovered and he became very famous.

This little book provides us with the basic information about Coué’s method, and also includes a chapter listing many cases of patients who were cured from various ailments and diseases, e.g. stammering, kidney disease, enteritis, nervous dyspepsia, heart disease and so on. Many of these patients were cured instantly after seeing Coué; however, it is not explained what exactly he did to effect these immediate cures, presumably some sort of hypnosis.

His system is based on the patient curing him- or herself by what he terms “conscious autosuggestion”.

Coué informs us that we have an unlimited power in our imagination. When will and imagination are in conflict, imagination always wins. He declares that this is an absolute rule.

No effort should be made. Our state of mind should be: I desire to do (or have) such and such a thing and I am about to do (or have) it.

He tells us how to practise autosuggestion:

Every morning on awakening and every night as soon as we get into bed we should close our eyes and pronounce twenty times, just loud enough to hear our own words : “Every day in every way I am getting better and better”.

We should use a string with twenty knots in it for counting. Since I can’t make such a string, I use my fingers instead.

Moreover, if during the day we get a pain or depression, we should say “it passes, it passes”. Since saying this does not seem natural to me, I prefer to use the French “Ca passe, ca passe” which is presumably the original phrase used by Coué.

We should repeat the “Ca passe” phrase and the every day, every way phrase with absolute faith and confidence, but calmly, without effort.

The book also includes thoughts and precepts of Emile Coué, extracts from letters to him and also letters to one of his female disciples who also taught the method; these letters recount how the writers have been cured of this and that by its use.

This is an inspiring little book, though penned in old-fashioned language, just as the described cures all took place before 1920, so these patients are long since dead. This does not of course detract from the success of the method.

I have not myself as yet had any success with the method, but things take time; try it yourself, if you feel inspired – it is such a simple method and has helped thousands of people.… (altro)