OR THE LAW OF ATTRACTION IN THE THOUGHT WORLD
by William Walker Atkinson
Chapter
II
THOUGHT WAVES AND THEIR PROCESS OF REPRODUCTION
LIKE a stone thrown into the water, thought produces ripples and waves
which spread out over the great ocean of thought. There is this difference,
however: the waves on the water move only on a level plane in all directions,
whereas thought waves move in all directions from a common center, just
as do the rays from the sun.
Just as we here on earth are surrounded by a great sea of air, so are
we surrounded by a great sea of Mind. Our thought waves move through this
vast mental ether, extending, however, in all directions, as I have explained,
becoming somewhat lessened in intensity according to the distance traversed,
because of the friction occasioned by the waves coming in contact with
the great body of Mind surrounding us on all sides.
These thought waves have other qualities differing from the waves on the
water. They have the property of reproducing themselves; in this respect
they resemble sound waves rather than waves upon the water. Just as a
note of the violin will cause the thin glass to vibrate and "sing,"
so will a strong thought tend to awaken similar vibrations in minds attuned
to receive it? Many of the "stray thoughts" which come to us
are but reflections or answering vibrations to some strong thought sent
out by another. But unless our minds are attuned to receive it, the thought
will not likely affect us. If we are thinking high and great thoughts,
our minds acquire a certain keynote corresponding to the character of
the thoughts we have been thinking. And, this keynote once established,
we will be apt to catch the vibrations of other minds keyed to the same
thought. On the other hand, let us get into the habit of thinking thoughts
of an opposite character, and we will soon be echoing the low order of
thought emanating from the minds of the thousands thinking along the same
lines.
We are largely what we have thought ourselves into being, the balance
being represented by the character of the suggestions and thought of others,
which has reached us either directly by verbal suggestions or telepathically
by means of such thought waves. Our general mental attitude, however,
determines the character of the thought waves received from others as
well as the thoughts emanating from ourselves. We receive only such thoughts
as are in harmony with the general mental attitude held by ourselves;
the thoughts not in harmony affecting us very little, as they awaken no
response in us.
The man who believes thoroughly in himself and maintains a positive strong
mental attitude of Confidence and Determination is not likely to be affected
by the adverse and negative thoughts of Discouragement and Failure emanating
from the minds of other persons in whom these last qualities predominate.
At the same time these negative thoughts, if they reach one whose mental
attitude is pitched on a low key, deepen his negative state and add fuel
to the fire which is consuming his strength, or, if you prefer this figure,
serve to further smother the fire of his energy and activity.
We attract to us the thoughts of others of the same order of thought.
The man who thinks success will be apt to get into tune with the minds
of others thinking likewise, and they will help him, and he them. The
man who allows his mind to dwell constantly upon thoughts of failure brings
himself into close touch with the minds of other "failure" people,
and each will tend to pull the other down still more. The man who thinks
that all is evil is apt to see much evil, and will be brought into contact
with others who will seem to prove his theory. And the man who looks for
good in everything and everybody will be likely to attract to himself
the things and people corresponding to his thought. We generally see that
for which we look.
You will be able to carry this idea more clearly if you will think of
the Marconi wireless instruments, which receive the vibrations only from
the sending instrument which has been attuned to the same key, while other
telegrams are passing through the air in near vicinity without affecting
the instrument. The same law applies to the operations of thought. We
receive only that which corresponds to our mental attunement. If we have
been discouraged, we may rest assured that we have dropped into a negative
key, and have been affected not only by our own thoughts but have also
received the added depressing thoughts of similar character which are
constantly being sent out from the minds of other unfortunates who have
not yet learned the law of attraction in the thought world. And if we
occasionally rise to heights of enthusiasm and energy, how quickly we
feel the inflow of the courageous, daring, energetic, positive thoughts
being sent out by the live men and women of the world. We recognize this
without much trouble when we come in personal contact with people and
feel their vibrations, depressing or invigorating, as the case may be.
But the same law operates when we are not in their presence, although
less strongly.
The mind has many degrees of pitch, ranging from the highest positive
note to the lowest negative note, with many notes in between, varying
in pitch according to their respective distance from the positive do negative
extreme.
When your mind is operating along positive lines you feel strong, buoyant,
bright, cheerful, happy, confident and courageous, and are enabled to
do your work well, to carry out your intentions, and progress on your
roads to Success. You send out strong positive thought, which affects
others and causes them to co-operate with you or to follow your lead,
according to their own mental keynote.
When you are playing on the extreme negative end of the mental keyboard
you feel depressed, week, passive, dull, fearful, cowardly. And you find
yourself unable to make progress or to succeed. And your effect upon others
is practically nil. You are led by, rather than leading others, and are
used as a human door-mat or football by more positive persons.
In some persons the positive element seems to predominate, and in others
the negative quality seems to be more in evidence. There are, of course,
widely varying degrees of positiveness and negativeness, and B may be
negative to A, while positive to C. When two people first meet there is
generally a silent mental conflict in which their respective minds test
their quality of positiveness, and fix their relative position toward
each other. This process may be unconscious in many cases, but it occurs
nevertheless. The adjustment is often automatic, but occasionally the
struggle is so sharp - the opponents being so well matched - that the
matter forces itself into the consciousness of the two people. Sometimes
both parties are so much alike in their degrees of positiveness that they
fail to come to terms, mentally; they never really are able to get along
with each other, and they are either mutually repelled and separate or
else stay together amid constant broils and wrangling.
We are positive or negative to everyone with whom we have relations. We
may be positive to our children, our employees and dependents, but we
are at the same time negative to others to whom we occupy inferior positions,
or whom we have allowed to assert themselves over us.
Of course, something may occur and we will suddenly become more positive
than the man or woman to whom we have heretofore been negative. We frequently
see cases of this kind. And as the knowledge of these mental laws becomes
more general we will see many more instances of persons asserting themselves
and making use of their new-found power.
But remember you possess the power to raise the keynote of your mind to
a positive pitch by an effort of the will. And, of course, it is equally
true that you may allow yourself to drop into a low, negative note by
carelessness or a weak will.
There are more people on the negative plane of thought than on the positive
plane, and consequently there are more negative thought vibrations in
operation in our mental atmosphere. But, happily for us, this is counterbalanced
by the fact that a positive thought is infinitely more powerful than a
negative one, and if by force of will we raise ourselves to a higher mental
key we can shut out the depressing thoughts and may take up the vibrations
corresponding with our changed mental attitude. This is one of the secrets
of the affirmations and auto-suggestions used by the several schools of
Mental Science and other New Thought cults. There is no particular merit
in affirmations of themselves, but they serve a twofold purpose: (1) they
tend to establish new mental attitudes within us and act wonderfully in
the direction of character- building - the science of making ourselves
over. (2) They tend to raise the mental keynote so that we may get the
benefit of the positive thought waves of others on the same plane of thought.
Whether or not we believe in them, we are constantly making affirmations.
The man who asserts that he can and will do a thing - and asserts it earnestly
- develops in himself the qualities conducive to the well doing of that
thing, and at the same time places his mind in the proper key to receive
all the thought waves likely to help him in the doing. If, on the other
hand, one says and feels that he is going to fail, he will choke and smother
the thoughts coming from his own subconscious mentality which are intended
to help him, and at the same time will place himself in tune with the
Failure-thought of the world - and there is plenty of the latter kind
of thought around, I can tell you.
Do not allow yourselves to be affected by the adverse and negative thoughts
of those around you. Rise to the upper chambers of your mental dwelling,
and key yourself up to a strong pitch, away above the vibrations on the
lower planes of thought. Then you will not only be immune to their negative
vibrations but will be in touch with the great body of strong positive
thought coming from those of your own plane of development. My aim will
be to direct and train you in the proper use of thought and will, that
you may have yourself well in hand and may be able to strike the positive
key at any moment you may feel it necessary. It is not necessary to strike
the extreme note on all occasions. The better plan is to keep yourself
in a comfortable key, without much strain, and to have the means at command
whereby you can raise the pitch at once when occasion demands. By this
knowledge you will not be at the mercy of the old automatic action of
the mind, but may have it well under your own control.
Development of the will is very much like the development of a muscle
- a matter of practice and gradual improvement. At first it is apt to
be tiresome, but at each trial one grows stronger until the new strength
becomes real and permanent. Many of us have made ourselves positive under
sudden calls or emergencies. We are in the habit of "bracing up"
when occasion demands. But by intelligent practice you will be so much
strengthened that your habitual state will be equal to your "bracing
up" stage now, and then when you find it necessary to apply the spur
you will be able to reach a stage not dreamed of at present.
Do not understand me as advocating a high tension continuously. This is
not at all desirable, not only because it is apt to be too much of a strain
upon you but also because you will find it desirable to relieve the tension
at times and become receptive that you may absorb impressions. It is well
to be able to relax and assume a certain degree of receptiveness, knowing
that you are always able to spring back to the more positive state at
will. The habitually strongly positive man loses much enjoyment and recreation.
Positive, you give out expressions; receptive, you take in impressions.
Positive, you are a teacher; receptive, a pupil. It is not only a good
thing to be a good teacher, but it is also very important to be a good
listener at times.
