Affirmations are cool and all, but when did they start, and how long have they really been working for people?
The idea of affirmations goes back to a French psychologist and pharmacist, Emile Coue. He introduced a method of psychotherapy and self-improvement based on optimistic autosuggestion. Working as an apothecary Coué quickly discovered what later came to be known as the placebo effect. (or the power of suggestion)
He became known for reassuring his clients by praising each remedy's efficiency and leaving a small positive notice with each given medication. The application of his mantra-like conscious autosuggestion, "Every day, in every way, I'm getting better and better" is actually called Couéism.
The Couéism method centered on a routine repetition of this particular expression according to a specified ritual—preferably as much as twenty times a day, and especially at the beginning and at the end of each day. Unlike a commonly held belief that a strong conscious will constitutes the best path to success, Coué maintained that curing some of our troubles requires a change in our unconscious thought, which can be achieved only by using our imagination.
He introduced this concept officially in 1920. So we’ve had official history of affirmations on the European history books for a century, but we know that these affirmations were happening long before this!
Stay close - We’re just getting started with proof that affirmations work. We’ll dive into more modern examples in a few weeks!