Pelmanism? What’s Pelmanism? Evidently, a big deal … once upon a time.

The UK paperback edition of Agatha Christie’s One, Two, Buckle My Shoe contained the following advertisement on page 8, tucked between the poem referenced in the title and the first page of novel text. (I’m sorry I couldn’t provide a clear scan of this, but I hesitate to press the inside of a ’50s paperback flat against a scanner, and so instead snapped as clear a pic as I could.)

I’m chagrined to admit that until I encountered this ad, I’d never heard of Pelmanism, which promised here to cure me of Depression, Forgetfulness, Weakness of Will, Worry, Indecision, Mind-Wandering, Procrastination, Inferiority Feelings, and Lack of Confidence.

Apparently, this system of training was created in the 1890s, was studied by millions, including writer H. Rider Haggard and Boy Scouts founder Sir Robert Baden-Powell, and has since been mostly forgotten … though according to one of the descendants of its creator, you can find the full 15-lesson course for free online.

Is there anything to it? Will Pelmanism truly “clear [my] mind of its difficulties and weaknesses”? I have no idea. (And the word “clear” in relation to my mind when it comes to self-help movements like these kind of scares me.) I’m just surprised that something like this, once so popular, could have for the most part vanished.

And here I thought I knew everything.

Am I the only one who’s never heard of Pelmanism?