OR THE LAW OF ATTRACTION IN THE THOUGHT WORLD
by William Walker Atkinson
Chapter
I
THE LAW OF ATTRACTION IN THE THOUGHT WORLD.
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, 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 rate of vibration.
The annals of science throw 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 trembling
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, Malice and Jealousy
will 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 in harmony; 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 in harmony
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. These fields of energy have its established laws, as well
as have the others, 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.
