THE POWER OF MIND. William Walker Atkinson
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and are used by all, either consciously or unconsciously. The mastery or control of these forces, means that one may learn to "knowingly" apply that which all have been using blindly and unknowingly. And as knowledge and intelligent use always means Power, the knowledge of the principles of these forces, and the consequent intelligent application of them brings power to those acquiring it.
While it is true that that which is known as "magic" has always been mixed up with a mass of credulity, superstition, and meaningless forms and ceremonies, the close student will see that these excrescences and appendages necessarily arose from the superstitions of the mass of the people, and to the various forms of primitive religions that the race has fostered during the procession of the centuries and ages. The magicians were nearly always priests in the old days, that being the only career open to them, and one that enabled them to erect the barrier of primitive religious rites between their wisdom and the ignorance of the race.
The careful student will be able to trace the possession of something real and true always manifesting among the various forms and ceremonies of the various ancient cults. There was always to be found an esoteric or inner cult, within the mass of the exoteric or ignorant priesthood and followers of the temples. There was always the light of Truth burning in the holy of holies of the temples, for those who were sufficiently advanced to worship at its shrine.
And, among the dim records of the ancient mysteries that have come down to us from ancient India, Egypt, Persia, Chaldea, Babylon, Greece, and Rome, and the other old centers of civilization and culture, we may always find the underlying principle of the existence of some mighty force connected with the human mind—or more particularly, the will—that was at the bottom of the mysteries, and magic, and miracles. Back of all the ceremonies, rites, and incantations was the esoteric idea that the will was the real force employed under the mask of incantation and rites assumed to impress the imaginations and minds of the populace. Back of the amulet and charm was the working of the will of the person wearing them, which was called into effect by the faith or imagination (a real power and not a fancy as many believe) of the man ignorant of the real force.
As the writer on this subject in the Encyclopædia Britannica has truly said (although he was ignorant of the truth underlying the silly forms): "There being an evident relation between an object and the thought of it, it becomes one of the chief practices of the sorcerer to try to make things happen by thinking about them." And the same writer in another place speaks of: "The element in Magic, not depending upon 'spirits,' depends upon imagined powers and correspondences in nature, of which the adepts avail themselves in order to discover hidden knowledge, and to act upon the world around them by means beyond the ordinary capabilities of men. Thus by mere effort of will," etc., etc.
And the student who will look under the surface, and read between the lines, will be able to see the evidence of "Mental Magic" underlying all the forms of magic, mystery, and wonder-working miracles of all times and ages, and people—of all kinds, character or name. Behind all the masks he will see the features of this use of the Mind-Power of man—always the same, in spite of the fantastic and grotesque masks and trappings.
I could fill pages with recitals of the many disguises under which Mind-Power masquerades, but I must hurry on the telling "how," and I can do no more than to hastily call your attention to the many evidences of the use of this power in all parts of the world, and in all times. The ancient mysteries of Egypt, Greece, etc.; were systems of forms and ceremonies, wherein were hidden the use of Mind-Power. The sick were brought to the temples and healed. The minds of the populace were filled with the thoughts of victory impressed upon them by the will and subtle suggestions of the priests. What we know in these days as "Mental Suggestions," including that which we now call "affirmations" or "auto-suggestions," were understood and skillfully used by the priests, or magicians, in order to control the people.
And it must not be for a moment supposed that these forces were used for evil purposes. On the contrary, the priests were the real governing classes—the powers behind the throne— and they felt the responsibility of power, and endeavored by their knowledge of the occult forces of the mind to lead the people in the right path. Of course, selfish men there have always been, and we hear of cases away back in the early days of history where this power was prostituted for evil and selfish purposes, just as power is always capable of wrong application.
In all ages we learn of the healing of the sick by mental power, for Mental Healing presents an unbroken line from the earliest days down to the present, concealed often under fancy trappings, but the same in principle always. And what we call "Mental Suggestion" has always been in force in the hands of the leaders of the race to influence, for good or evil, those under them. The great leaders of men have always been adept in the use of Mind-Power, although many of them have never suspected the sources of their power.
To many it may seem almost sacrilegious to state that the highest uses of Mind-Power, such as leading the race up to higher ideas, aims and accomplishments—to success, happiness and health—are merely higher forms of the same force that is used by the ignorant and repulsive savage in his rites, and dark practice. But it is true. Mind-Power is like any other great natural force—it is above good or evil. It is neither good nor evil, but may be used for either. This is true of electricity, steam, explosives and every other natural force. And we might as well look this fact squarely in the face, and govern ourselves accordingly.
The same force that is used by the modern "healer," when he or she "treats" a patient for health, success, or some other desirable quality, is the same used by the black Voodoo; the Congo sorcerer; the Salem witch; the Hawaiian "Kahuna," who prays people into sickness and death; the medicine-man of the American Indian, with his charms and incantations; the wizards and enchanters of the Middle Ages; the practitioner of "adverse treatments," or "malicious mental magnetism," of the modern cults. The same force pervades all, just as the same life-force flows through the saint and sinner; the angel and demon; the dove and the serpent; the lamb and the tiger—Nature's one force through all.
And just as Mind-Power is brought into operation through the prayers of the faithful of all religions, before their shrines, images and holy objects, so may the force be brought into operation through the fetiches, conjurations, enchantments, charms, spells and devil-worships of the ignorant and depraved minds. The secret is this: The power does not come from the supposed source, but from within the mind of the man employing it. And, still more startling, to the uninitiated, is this statement, which is equally true: The power of the mind of the person affected is the real cause of the effect, rather than the power of the mind of the supposed causer, the latter merely calling into operation the power of the mind of the person affected.
Passing from the past to the present age, we see in greater use than ever this wonderful Mind-Power. No longer the property of the few, the information has filtered out among the masses, through various sources, and we see the force in use on all sides. Often, the persons using it have not the true knowledge of its real nature, and such persons often involve themselves in a terrible whirlpool of effects by reason of a selfish and base employment of this power. Many are playing with this force like children playing with dynamite.
It is one of the purposes of this book to call the attention of such people to the nature of the force they are employing, and the possible, nay, probable, results of a misuse of it. Not that they are punished for such misuse, but rather by reason of it. Black magicians are invariably caught in the meshes of their own nets—are entangled in the psychic machinery of their own manufacture—and are blown up by their own psychic high explosives.
In concluding this little consideration of the subject, I would call the attention of the student to the fact that now, for the first time in the history of the world, Mind-Power is being employed for furthering commercial aims and ends. Mental treatments for wealth and success are commonly known and advertised; instructions in the use of suggestion for commercial purposes are furnished both personally, and in correspondence courses; the laws and principles are explained, partially, at least, in books written for the instruction of those selling or advertising goods, and otherwise soliciting the patronage of the public.
It is true that the few strong men in business life have always made use of this force, consciously or unconsciously, but never before has it been taught generally as a part of a business education.