William Atkinson - The Complete Works of William Walker Atkinson

I can do no more than merely mention these things now. In the succeeding chapters, I will try to go into each phase of the subject a little more fully, but it would take many volumes before I could feel that I had even penetrated beneath the surface of the subject. And then remember that I am only giving you my little bit of the Truth. Every other man or woman has his or her bit, so that my portion is merely as a grain of sand on the seashore.

The New Thought is not a “fad” as many have supposed, although many have made it the amusement of an idle hour. It is no new religion as others have thought—it contains within it only that which may be found in all the great religions of the world, but generally so safely hidden that only those who looked carefully could find it. It is no new religion, but it will help to throw new light on every religion, or shade of religious thought. It has no churches or temples—it allows its followers to worship in the temples of their fathers, or, if they prefer, in the open field, on the ocean, in the forest, in their rooms; anywhere—everywhere, for they cannot escape from the Universe, and God is everywhere, and everyone is in constant touch with him, and may feel the pressure of his hand if they will but allow it—will hear the whisper of his voice if they will but listen to it.

The man or woman who awakens into a consciousness of the real principles underlying and making up that which we call The New Thought, will have found a peace which exceeds in comfort anything that has ever been known—will feel a joy beyond anything that has ever been dreamt of—will have acquired a knowledge exceeding all that has ever been deemed possible. Words cannot express this thing—it must be seen, felt, lived, to be realized.

This, my friends, is my answer to the question, “What is ‘The New Thought’?” That it does not answer it, I am fully aware, but I also see that one cannot answer such a question in a few words—perhaps it could not be fully answered in as many volumes as I have used sentences. It is too great. It means something to every man or woman who is attracted to it—each takes from it that suited to his needs, and leaves the rest for others, And draw from it what we may, the supply is never diminished. And so, it seems, I have merely answered the question by telling of a little that The New Thought means to me—just a little. So if it means something else to you— something more than I have mentioned—something different from what I have stated—do not blame me or yourself—we simply see that which we have drawn from the spring in our little cup—the spring is still full and constantly flowing. Your cupful is as good as mine—mine as good as yours—so let us not dispute about it—nor yet compare cupfuls, Let us, instead, drink of the sparkling, life-giving fluid that has been given us, and shout aloud that others who are thirsty and are seeking the spring, may know that it is found. It is not yours, nor mine—it is the property of All.

Table of Content

Thought waves—Vibrations—Telepathy—Thought-transference—We are all affected by thought-waves—Public opinion the result of thought-waves—An almost irresistible influence, unless understood—The attractive power of thought—Like attracts like—The thought of a community—Making one’s self positive to the thoughts of others—Thought auras surround every one, affecting others—Attracting and repelling—Attracting the best thoughts from outside—The mind is a magnet—How to protect yourself from being unduly affected by the minds of others—Fix your keynote—The inner influence stronger than the outer—How you may avail yourself of the world’s unexpressed thought—Unexpressed thought seeks eagerly for expression—How to attract it.

EVERY THOUGHT that we think starts in motion thought-waves, or vibrations, which travel along with greater or lesser speed and intensity, varying with the force of the original thought, and which affect, more or less, people far removed from the persons sending forth the thought. We are constantly sending forth thought influence, and are constantly receiving thought waves from others. I do not now refer to thoughts deliberately sent out to the mind of another, or thoughts deliberately received by one from the mind of another, according to the well-known, and well established, laws of Telepathy, but to the equally real, but far less understood, unconscious sending forth and receiving of thoughts, which is going on in each of us all the time. Of course these are all different manifestations of what we call Telepathy, or thought-transference, but the term is generally used to designate the conscious sending and receiving of mental messages.

This power of thought-transference is being continually exercised by all people, generally indirectly and unconsciously. Our thoughts create vibrations which are sent forth in waves in all directions, and affect more or less all persons with whose minds they come in contact. We can see instances of this in every-day life. Men are affected by the thoughts of others in business, on the street, in the theatre, in church, and in fact everywhere. Public opinion is largely formed by the thoughts of a number of vigorous, positive thinkers, sent forth in thought-waves, rapidly influencing the whole country, the thought-wave gaining force as it progresses, being added to by the thought vibrations of everyone whom it affects. Great waves of popular feeling sweep over the country carrying before them all except those who understand the laws of mental influence, and who have protected themselves against these outside impressions. The combined thought-waves of the majority of the people beat against the mind of the individual and exercise an almost irresistible influence.

There is one very important fact in this study of the power of thought vibrations, which every man or woman should constantly carry in mind. I refer to the fact that the law of “like attracts like” maintains in the thought-world, and that one attracts to himself the thoughts of others which correspond in kind with those held by himself. A man who Hates will attract to himself all the Hateful and Malicious thought-waves within a large radius, and these added thoughts act as fuel to the fire of his base feelings, and render him more Hateful and Hating than ever. One who thinks Love, and has outgrown the old negative thoughts of imperfect development, will not attract these negative thoughts to him. They will pass him by, hurrying on to some point of attraction in the minds of others who are thinking along the same lines. And the man who thinks Love will attract to himself all the Loving thoughts within his circle of influence. Men instinctively recognize this force when they gather in the same neighborhood with others in the same line of thought. Communities have their individualities just as persons do. Every village, town, and city has its own peculiarities, which are noticeable to those who enter it. And strangers moving into these communities gradually take on the characteristics of the place, unless the same prove very uncongenial to them, in which case they manage to move away from the town as soon as possible, and are not contented so long as they are within its borders. It is well to be surrounded by those whose thoughts are akin to our own, as we thus add to each other’s power and are comparatively free from outside disturbing influences. Of course persons may by practice, and understanding, make themselves positive to the thoughts of others, and may with impunity allow themselves to be surrounded with persons of an entirely different line of thought, and may even, when so doing, attract to themselves, from greater distances, the thoughts which harmonize with their own.