Emile Coue

Émile Coué – Life, Method, and Lasting Influence

Émile Coué (1857–1926) was a French pharmacist, psychologist, and hypnotist who pioneered the method of conscious autosuggestion. Discover his life story, the philosophy behind his famous mantra, how his approach worked (and its criticisms), and his enduring legacy.

Introduction

Émile Coué de la Châtaigneraie (February 26, 1857 – July 2, 1926) was a French pharmacist turned psychologist and hypnotist, best known for pioneering a method of psychotherapy and self-improvement based on optimistic autosuggestion. His simple yet powerful formula—“Every day, in every way, I am becoming better and better”—became emblematic of his approach and remains quoted to this day.

Coué’s work bridged the realms of medicine, suggestion, and the mind’s influence over health, and inspired later developments in self-help, hypnosis, and psychosomatic theory.

Early Life and Education

Émile Coué was born in Troyes, in northeastern France, on February 26, 1857. His family had roots in Breton nobility, though by his time their means were modest.

His early academic interest was in analytical chemistry, but because of his family’s financial constraints, he shifted direction to pharmacy. He completed his pharmacy training in 1876.

From 1882 to 1910, Coué worked as a pharmacist in Troyes, running a drugstore. Early in his practice, he observed that patients to whom he expressed confidence in their medicine often responded more favorably than those to whom he said little. This observation is frequently seen as the seed of his later work in autosuggestion.

He also studied with notable figures in the field of hypnosis, such as Ambroise-Auguste Liébeault and Hippolyte Bernheim, who were major proponents of the Nancy School of hypnosis and suggestion.

In 1910, Coué closed his pharmacy in Troyes and relocated to Nancy, where he established a clinic and devoted himself to his evolving method of psychological healing.

The Coué Method: Conscious Autosuggestion

Underlying Philosophy

Coué believed that imagination dominates willpower—that is, our subconscious suggestions and mental imagery have a greater effect on our behavior and health than conscious exertion of will. According to him, the will is weak when pitted against the power of repeated ideas in the imagination.

He distinguished between two types of suggestion:

• Reflective (or deliberate) suggestion — when the conscious mind tries to impose a thought or idea.

• Spontaneous suggestion — when ideas flow from feelings, memory, imagery, emotions, or habit, influencing us without conscious effort.

Coué argued that if a thought is repeated persistently and emotionally (but without internal contradiction), it will eventually take root in the subconscious, influencing body and behavior.

One of his core principles:

“Everybody’s thoughts, good or bad, becomes concrete, materializes, and in short a reality.”

Thus, negative ideas can reinforce illness or failure; positive, carefully chosen ideas can support healing and improvement.

The Famous Mantra

The hallmark of Coué’s method is the affirmation:
“Every day, in every way, I am becoming better and better.”
(In French: « Tous les jours, à tous points de vue, je vais de mieux en mieux »)

Coué recommended repeating this formula—ideally twenty times a day, especially upon waking and before sleep—as a ritual of autosuggestion.

He emphasized that the repetition should be relaxed, confident, and free from conflicting thoughts or doubts (i.e. without conscious resistance).

He sometimes called this principle his “trick” or his “secret”—not meaning deception, but pointing to the simplicity of the method.

Coué often said he never cured anyone himself; rather, he taught people how to cure themselves.

He believed that even in physical illness, the mind’s influence could play a significant role in recovery, especially by shifting attention from symptoms to health.

Applications & Claims

Coué and his followers claimed that his method could help with a wide range of conditions: kidney issues, migraines, memory loss, stammering, weakness, and more.

He also applied the method in group sessions, sometimes free of charge, to many people at once.

Some of his supporters claimed success rates as high as 93%, though these figures are contentious and disputed.

Reception, Criticism & Limitations

Although Coué attracted enthusiastic followers during his lifetime, his claims also drew skepticism from medical and psychological professionals.

Critics argued:

• His approach lacked rigorous empirical evidence or controlled clinical trials.

• Some cures were likely attributable to placebo effect, psychological encouragement, or temporary relief rather than lasting organic changes.

• Doubts were raised about whether universal formulas (the same mantra for all persons) could effectively address idiosyncratic illnesses.

• Some psychiatrists and psychoanalysts viewed his method as simplistic or derivative of earlier hypnotic suggestion, lacking depth in addressing unconscious conflict.

Even so, some later psychological research and theory (on affirmation, mindset, placebo, suggestion) have been seen as resonating with Coué’s insights into the power of belief.

Legacy and Influence

• Coué’s method, sometimes called Couéism, became popular in Europe and to an extent in the U.S. in the early 20th century.

• Many self-help, New Thought, positive thinking, and affirmation movements cite Coué as an early influence.

• His doctrine of imaginative suggestion anticipated later psychological ideas about self-talk, autosuggestion, affirmations, placebo, and the mind-body link.

• A memorial bust of Coué stands in St. Mary’s Park, Nancy.

• His life story and method continue to be studied in historical psychology, hypnosis, and self-development circles.

Though his method is no longer mainstream in academic psychology, his legacy lives on in popular culture and practices that emphasize the power of repeated positive thought.

Notable Quotes by Émile Coué

Here are some of his most cited lines:

“Tous les jours, à tous points de vue, je vais de mieux en mieux.”
(“Every day, in every way, I am becoming better and better.”)

“I have never cured anyone in my life. All I do is show people how they can cure themselves.”

“Everybody’s thoughts, good or bad, become concrete, materialize, and in short become a reality.”

Lessons from Coué’s Approach

1. Small, consistent efforts matter. The idea that repetition of a thought or phrase can gradually shift inner patterns is still influential in affirmation practices.

2. Mind and body interact. Coué’s work underscores the idea that our beliefs and imagination can influence physical well-being (though not in unlimited ways).

3. Avoid internal conflict. His emphasis on repeating an idea without countering it with doubt mirrors cognitive-behavioral insights about self-talk.

4. Humility before complexity. He recognized that his role was not to cure others, but to teach methods of self-suggestion.

5. Legacy beyond science. Even if modern psychology questions some of Coué’s claims, his life shows how new ideas often start at the edges and influence popular culture in unexpected ways.