Practical Mental Influence

by William Walker Atkinson

Book Overview

Students of history find a continuous chain of reference to the mysterious influence of one human mind over that of others. In the earliest records, traditions and legends may be found giving... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1602061386
• ISBN13: 9781602061385
• Release Date: March 2007
• Publisher: Cosimo Classics
• Length: 84 Pages
• Weight: 0.52 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.2" x 6.0" x 9.0"

Customer Reviews

not bad!

the size of the book is a reflection of the information in it, which isnt very large. even though it contentrates on the area of personal magnetism, it does explain it very well without any fluff. it would of been great to see some more inovative techniques, as the ones in this book seemed very straight forward but what can u expect from something that was written almost hundred years ago.

Practical Advise, easy to Follow

Use the power of your mind to influence others, and your environment. As usual, William Walker Atkinson lays it out in an easy to follow lesson plan, that allows your to use the powerof your thoughts to influence others in a positive way. I started to try it out, and got results pretty quickly. Good stuff!

Insightful theory with practical applications

This is a fascinating book! Once I started, I could not stop until I got to the last page! This book was first published just a year after Einstein had published his ground-breaking papers that lead to the field of quantum mechanics. The value of quantum mechanics can be readily observed by its relevance in a multitude of fields today. Likewise, the importance of this work in modern society can be clearly measured by its effects on contemporary America. Of course, the author did not have the advantage of understanding the world through the lens of 20th century advances in the sciences. Nevertheless, one can see how relevant this book is to our time by seeing the references the author makes to justify his Theory of Vibration. The initial reaction of the superficial reader may be one of skepticism. That's quite understandable, given the depth of this tome. In my experience, books of great significance require multiple readings to derive the maximum benefit. If you see a line you don't understand, ponder upon it. How does the author's 1908 English translate into modern day scientific thought? Insight is achieved with effort to understand great works. Take for example, the Hermians, having carefully saved the historical documents of Nesmith and his crew, followed in his footsteps to acquire the ability to defend themselves against Sarris. Only when you understand the author's Theory of Vibration can you acquire the powers that this book was meant to give you. And when you do, you will find yourself a different person. In short, figure out if you have not yet learned this material by searching inside the book on this site (or in a bookstore). If it looks like there is something to learn, then the small amount of money this book costs will more than compensate you in terms of wisdom and insight.

Step by Step Directions on Thought Vibrations - how they work - how you can make them work for you!

An awesome book. Simply blew me away. And most amazing of all - this stuff actually works!

Sensible explanation of mind power

This striking little book published in 1908 takes a practical approach to the idea of mind power, persuasion, thought transference and mass influencing. Whereas most of the early New Thought metaphysicians like Thomas Troward & Emmet Fox wrote in the mystical tradition, Atkinson engages mental phenomena from an angle where natural science meets psychology. His analyses are convincing, especially when measured against the blood-soaked history of the century that was then in its infancy. He starts out with the law of vibration by first demolishing the tenets of scientific materialism and then by comparing consciousness to scientific theories of vibration with analogy to sight and sound. Argueing that the study of consciousness belongs in the realm of physical science rather than in metaphysics, Atkinson quotes some of the scientists of his day on the massive gaps between vibrationary rates, inaudible sounds & invisible light. There are 'atmospheres' that appear to inhabit places; these may be impossible to measure but the anecdotal evidence is overwhelming. The two main factors in the manifestation of mental influence are concentration and visualization/mental imaging, both of which the author explores in detail. He discusses the two general forms of the use of mental influence that he calls "fascination" and "hypnotism." Influencing at a distance, as in the practice of distance healing, is also dealt with. Atkinson shows how advertising and sales techniques draw upon ancient knowledge of thought transference. The chapter on mass influencing describes how ideas and beliefs rapidly spread amongst large sectors of a population. He then shows how vitally important it is for the individual to be resistant or at least aware of the various currents of ideas prevalent at any given time. This advice is more pertinent than ever in our age of ubiquitous mass media. His insight is timeless. Considering that his writing dates from 1908 before the slaughters of the 20th century had started, many of his ideas proved prophetic. Since then, quantum physics has confirmed the legitimacy of his insights, e.g. that everything is energy. As mentioned before, Atkinson takes a practical approach to explaining the mechanics of thought power and thus appears to lean to the occult side of the esoteric more than the mystical. I do not mean this in a negative way, as his moral psychology is based on the best in the Western tradition. He was certainly an advocate of what William James called The Religion of Healthy Mindedness. Atkinson's contributions are particularly valuable in explaining how susceptible the individual is to fashions, trends and thought patterns that spread around the globe. In order to remain immune to individual & mass mental influence, one has to rely on the Indwelling Presence or Higher Self for clarity & guidance. This is the only antidote against mental waves of feelings & emotions that sweep the public mind with the potential of "sta