William Walker Atkinson

THE POWER OF MIND


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producing Radiant Energy, known as Light, Heat, Electricity and Magnetism.

      CHAPTER XI

       THE THEORY OF DYNAMIC THOUGHT

       Table of Content

      FROM the preceding chapters we have learned that:

      (1) The forms of Force or Radiant Energy, known as Light, Heat, Magnetism and Electricity, are "Modes of Motion," arising from the Original Motion of the Particles of Substance (Molecules, Atoms, Corpuscles or Electrons). And that such Original Motion of the Particles arises from the Operation of The Law of Attraction;

      (2) That the forms of Attractive Force or Energy, known as Gravitation, Cohesion, Adhesion, Atomic Attraction, Chemical Affinity or Chemism, and Corpuscular Attraction, also arise from the operation of the Law of Attraction;

      (3) That, from the above, it follows that: All Manifestations of Force and Energy in Inorganic Substance (viz., both Radiant Energy in its forms of Light, Heat, Magnetism, Electricity, etc.; and also Attractive Energy in its forms of Gravitation, Cohesion, Adhesion, Chemical Affinity or Atomic Attraction and Corpuscular Attraction) arise from the operation of the Law of Attraction.

      It will be well to remember that the fact that some of the above forms of Radiant Force or Energy, such as Heat, Light, Magnetism and Electricity, may arise from Motion transmitted from other Substance, does not alter the matter. For if they arise from "waves" from some other Substance, it merely follows that the Original Motion that gave rise to the "waves" arose from the operation of the Law of Attraction. Or, if they arise from "interrupted Motion," it merely follows that the Motion that is interrupted may be traced back to Original Motion that arose from the operation of the Law of Attraction. So that all Mechanical Power, and all the forms of Energy or Force producing the same (omitting for the moment the forms of Energy or Force of "Living Organisms," which will be described later on) arise from the operation of the Law of Attraction.

      Now, for the next step. We have seen that the operation of the Law of Attraction results from Vital-Mental Action on the part of the Life and Mind Principle inherent in the nature of the Particles of Substance. Consequently, all forms of Energy and Force arising from the operation of The Law of Attraction—the latter being the result of Vital-Mental Action—then it follows that:

      All forms of Energy and Force having its origin in the Law of Attraction are manifestations of Vital-Mental Action.

      But this is not all—for we have not considered the Energy and Force abiding in, and manifested by, what are called "Living Organisms," such as human, animal and plant life, which are manifested by the physical organisms or "bodies" of man, animal and plant. In order to avoid a long digression into the realms of biology, we will omit all but a passing reference to the theories that seek to identify the action of the cells of organic life with those of the particles of inorganic life—for remember, that Organic Substance has its Molecules, Atoms and Corpuscles, as well as its higher combinations known as "Cells"—and we will seek the ultimate source of all forms of Force and Energy, exhibited by "Organic Life," in that which lies back of "Physical Action." We need no argument here—for all will readily recognize that behind the physical action of man, animal and plant, lies Life and Mind, and that therefore all Force and Energy arising from such action must be manifestations of Vital-Mental Action.

      And so, summing up our conclusions regarding Force and Energy and Motion in Inorganic Substance—and then in Organic Substance—we arrive at an understanding of the Basic Proposition of the Theory of Dynamic Thought, which is as follows:

      Basic Proposition.—That All forms and exhibition of Force, Energy, Motion and Power are manifestations of Vital-Mental Action. And that, consequently, at the last there is no Force but Vital-Mental Force; no Energy but Vital-Mental Energy; no Motion but Vital-Mental Motion; no Power but Vital-Mental Power.

      It is possible that the average reader will fail to recognize the tremendous importance of the above proposition. It is most revolutionary, and is not only directly opposed to the Materialistic theory which makes Matter the dominant factor—the only factor, in fact—in Life; but it is also far different from the opinion of the average person who has been taught to think of "blind force," "dead matter," "mechanical energy," "power of machinery, engines," etc. And yet, you are invited to go back over the path that leads up to the theory, and test and examine every bit of the road for weak spots—insecure bridges, etc.—the writer feels that the work will bear examination. He thinks that he has succeeded not only in proving that (1) The Universe is Alive and Thinking; and (2) That Mind is Dominant—but he believes, also, that he has made at least partially understandable the old occult and metaphysical aphorism that has been heard so much in these later days—the statement that "All is Mind—Mind is All."

      The only fact needed now is the proof of the old occult theory that Matter or Substance blends gradually into Mind, and that in the end it is found to have its origin there. So far, Science has not given us this proof, but it begins to look that way, although Science does not dream of what lies at the end of the road she is travelling. She tells us that she sees Matter melting into Force or Energy, and that perhaps the Universe may be found to be Energy or Force, at the last. But she ignores the fact that her investigations have already proven (to those who know how to combine them) that Mind is back of Force—that all Force is Mental Force, at the last. And, so, you see it is not so far a cry from Matter to Mind in these days of the Twentieth Century. The bridge is being erected by the Materialists, but the Mentalist will be the first to cross over it.

      But there are many important questions ahead of us for consideration in relation to the Theory of Dynamic Thought. And we must hasten on to them.

      One of the first questions that must be considered is that of the transmission of Force, Energy or Motion. Science has told us that Light travels and is "contagious," that Heat travels and is "contagious," that Electricity travels and is "contagious," that Magnetism travels and is "contagious." But is has failed to find evidences of Cohesive Force, or Adhesive Force, or the Force of Gravitation, or the Force of Chemical Affinity, or the Force of Corpuscular Affinity, being "contagious," and although it recognizes that they must "travel" beyond the limits of the bodies manifesting them, yet it has hazarded no theory or hypothesis, worthy of the name, to account for the phenomenon. It informs us that Light, Heat, Magnetism and Electricity "travel" (via waves of the "Ether") at the rate of 184,000 miles per second—and that when they reach their destination the "Ether waves" set up similar vibrations in the Substance with which they come in contact. The only explanation of the method or medium of "travel" is the "Aristotle's Ether" Theory, which, while generally accepted as a working hypothesis, nevertheless, brings a broad smile to the face of any thoughtful scientist who considers it in detail. As for the medium of the transmission of Gravitation, Cohesion, Chemical Affinity and Molecular Affinity, Science is mute. All that she says is that Gravitation is believed to travel instantaneously over distances that it takes Light, travelling at the rate of 184,000 miles per second, over two thousand years to travel. Verily, Gravitation defies Scientific theories and estimates, and laughs at the "Ether." Let us see if the Dynamic Thought Theory throws any light on the subject!

      The first step in the solution of the problem of the transferring and communication of Energy is the remembrance of the fact that the Energy is purely Mental. Be it Gravitation, Affinity or Attraction, on the one hand—or Light, Heat, Magnetism or Electricity on the other—it is all Mental Force. Attraction in all of its forms has been recognized as Mental Action. And the vibrations that cause Light, Heat, Magnetism and Electricity have been seen to result from the Law of Attraction, and, therefore, are Mental. This being the case, would it not be wise for us to look for a solution of the transmission of Force and Energy in the region from which it originated—the Mental Region? Does not this seem reasonable? Should not the explanation for Mental Effects be sought in a Mental Cause? And should not the medium between Mind and Mind be looked for in the Mental Region?

      Taking the liberty of peeping into some of the succeeding chapters of this book—getting a little ahead of the story, as it were—let us consider the operation of Mind in the