The
Universe is governed by Law--one great Law. Its manifestations are
multiform, but viewed from the Ultimate there is but one Law. We are
familiar with some of its manifestations--but are almost totally
ignorant of certain others. Still we are learning a little more every
day-the Veil is being gradually lifted.
We speak
learnedly of the Law of Gravitation--but ignore that equally
wonderful manifestation--The Law of Attraction in the Thought World.
We are familiar with that wonderful manifestation of Law which draws
and holds together the atoms of which matter is composed. We
recognize the power of the law that attracts bodies to the earth,
that holds the circling worlds in their places--but we close our eyes
to the mighty Law that draws to us the things we desire or fear--that
makes or mars our lives.
When we come to see that
Thought is a force--a
manifestation of
energy, having a magnet-like power of attraction--we
will
begin to understand the why and wherefore of many things that have
heretofore seemed dark to us. There is no study that will so well
repay the student for his time and trouble as the study of the
workings of this mighty law of the world of Thought--The
Law of Attraction.
When we think, we send
out vibrations of a fine ethereal substance, which are as real as the
vibrations manifesting light, heat, electricity, and magnetism. That
these vibrations are not evident to our five senses is no proof that
they do not exist. A powerful magnet will send out vibrations and
exert a force sufficient to attract to itself a piece of steel
weighing a hundred pounds, but we can neither see, taste, smell, hear
nor feel the mighty force.
These thought vibrations,
likewise, cannot be seen, tasted, smelled, heard nor felt in the
ordinary way; although it is true there are on record cases of
persons peculiarly sensitive to psychic impressions who have
perceived powerful thought-waves, and very many of us can testify
that we have distinctly felt the thought-vibrations of others, both
whilst in the presence of the sender and at a distance. Telepathy and
its kindred phenomena are not idle dreams.
Light and
heat are manifested by vibrations of a far lower intensity than those
of Thought, but the difference is solely in the rateof vibration. The annals
of sciencethrow an
interesting light upon this question. Prof. Elisha Gray, an eminent
scientist, says in his little book, "The Miracles of Nature:"
There
is much food for speculation in the thought that there exist
sound-waves that no human ear can hear, and color-waves of light that
no eye can see. The long, dark, soundless space between 40,000 and
400,000,000,000,000 vibrations per second--and the infinity of range
beyond 700,000,000,000,000 vibrations per second, where light ceases,
in the universe of motion--makes it possible to indulge in
speculation.
M. M. Williams, in his
work entitled "Short Chapters in Science," says:
There
is no gradation between the most rapid undulations or tremblings that
produce our sensation of sound--and the slowest of those which give
rise to our sensations of gentlest warmth. There is a huge gap
between them, wide enough to include another world of motion, all
lying between our world of sound and our world of heat and light; and
there is no good reason whatever for supposing that matter is
incapable of such intermediate activity, or that such activity may
not give rise to intermediate sensations--provided there are organs
for taking up and sensifying their movements.
I
cite the above authorities merely to give you food for thought--not
to attempt to demonstrate to you the fact that thought-vibrations
exist. The last-named fact has been fully established to the
satisfaction of numerous investigators of the subject, and a little
reflection will show you that it coincides with your own experiences.
We
often hear repeated
the well-known Mental Science statement, "Thoughts are Things,"
and we say these words over without consciously realizing just what
is the meaning of the statement. If we fully comprehended the Truth
of the statement and the natural consequences of the Truth back of
it, we should understand many things which have appeared dark to us
and would be able to use the wonderful power--Thought Force--just as
we use any other manifestation of energy.
As
I have said, when we
think we set into motion vibrations of a very high degree--but just
as real as the vibrations of light, heat, sound, electricity. And
when we understand the laws governing the production and transmission
of these vibrations, we will be able to use them in our daily
life--just as we do the better-known forms of energy.
That
we cannot see, hear, weigh or measure these vibrations is no proof
that they do not exist. There exist waves of sound which no human ear
can hear, although some of these are undoubtedly registered by the
ear of some of the insects, and others are caught by delicate
scientific instruments invented by man. Yet there is a great gap
between the sounds registered by the most delicate instrument and the
limit which man's mind--reasoning by analogy--knows to be the
boundary line between sound waves and some other forms of vibration.
And
there are light waves
which the eye of man does not register--some of which may be detected
by more delicate instruments, and many more so fine that the
instrument has not yet been invented which will detect them--although
improvements are being made every year and the unexplored field
gradually lessened.
As
new instruments are invented, new vibrations are registered by
them--and yet the vibrations were just as real before the invention
of the instrument as afterward.
Supposing
that we had no instruments to register magnetism. One might be
justified in denying the existence of that mighty force, because it
could not be tasted, felt, smelt, heard, seen, weighted or measured.
And yet the mighty magnet would still send out waves of force
sufficient to draw to it pieces of steel weighing hundreds of pounds.
Each
form of vibration
requires its own form of instrument for registration. At present the
human brain seems to be the only instrument capable of registering
thought-waves, although occultists say that in this century
scientists will invent apparatus sufficiently delicate to catch and
register such impressions. And from present indications it looks as
if the invention named might be expected at any time. The demand
exists and undoubtedly will be soon supplied. But to those who have
experimented along the lines of practical telepathy no further proof
is required than the results of their own experiments.
We
are sending out thoughts of greater or less intensity all the time,
and we are reaping the results of such thoughts. Not only do our
thought-waves influence ourselves and others, but they have a drawing
power--they
attract to us the
thoughts of others, things, circumstances, people, "luck"--in
accord with the character of the thought uppermost in our minds.
Thoughts
of Love will
attract to us the Love of others--circumstances and surroundings in
accord with the thought; people who are of like thought.
Thoughts
of anger,
hate, envy, maliceand
jealousywill
draw to us the foul brood of
kindred thoughts emanating from the minds of others; circumstances in
which we will be called upon to manifest these vile thoughts--and
will receive them, in turn, from others; people who will manifest
inharmony, and so on.
A
strong thought or a thought long continued will make us the center of
attraction for the corresponding thought-waves of others. "Like
attracts like" in the Thought World--as
ye sow, so shall ye reap.
Birds
of a feather flock
together in the Thought World--curses, like chickens, come home to
roost--and bringing their friends with them.
The
man or woman who is filled with Love sees Love on all sides and
attracts the Love of others. The man with hate in his heart gets all
the Hate he can stand. The man who thinks, "fight"--generally
runs up against all the Fight he wants before he gets through.
And
so it goes--each gets what he calls for over the wireless telegraphy
of the Mind. The man who rises in the morning feeling "grumpy"
usually manages to have the whole family in the same mood before the
breakfast is over. The "nagging" woman generally finds
enough to gratify her "nagging" propensity during the day.
This
matter of Thought
Attraction is a serious one. When you stop to think of it, you will
see that a man really makes his own surroundings-- although he blames
others for it. I have known people who understood this Law to hold a
positive, calm thought and be absolutely unaffected by the inharmony
surrounding them. They were like the vessel from which the oil had
been poured on the troubled waters--they rested safely and calmly
whilst the tempest raged around them. One is not at the mercy of the
fitful storms of Thought after he has learned the workings of the
Law.
We
have passed
through the age of physical force on to the age of intellectual
supremacy and are now entering a new and almost unknown field--that
of psychic power.
This
field has its established laws--and we should acquaint ourselves with
them, or we will be crowded to the wall--as are the ignorant on the
planes of effort.
I
will
endeavor to make plain to you the great underlying principles of this
new field of energy which is opening up before us--that
you may be able to make use of this great power and apply it for
legitimate and worthy purposes--just
as men are using steam, electricity and other forms of energy today.