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The Life Beyond Death
Followers of the early "New Age" movement known as New Thought, which was wildly popular at the turn of the 20th century, were intensely interested in gleaning the fruit of all of humanity's spiritual wisdom. Here, in this curious volume originally published in 1909, one of the most influential New Thought writers and editors introduces Western readers to Eastern thought on what, exactly, is on "the other side of the river of death." From the geography of the astral plane to the "soul-slumber" that occurs after death, from communication with spirits to what lies "beyond reincarnation," this is a fascinating look at the pop spirituality of a century ago. American writer WILLIAM WALKER ATKINSON (1862-1932) was editor of the popular magazine New Thought from 1901 to 1905, and editor of the journal Advanced Thought from 1916 to 1919. He authored dozens of New Thought books under numerous pseudonyms, some of which are likely still unknown today, including "Yogi Ramacharaka" and "Theron Q. Dumont."
196 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1912
About the author
William Walker Atkinson
2,796 books415 followersPseudonyms: Theron Q. Dumont, Yogi Ramacharaka, Swami Bhakta Vishita & Swami Panchadasi
William Walker Atkinson (December 5, 1862 – November 22, 1932) was an attorney, merchant, publisher, and author, as well as an occultist and an American pioneer of the New Thought movement. He is also known to have been the author of the pseudonymous works attributed to Theron Q. Dumont, Swami Panchadasi and Yogi Ramacharaka and others.
Due in part to Atkinson's intense personal secrecy and extensive use of pseudonyms, he is now largely forgotten, despite having obtained mention in past editions of Who's Who in America, Religious Leaders of America, and several similar publications—and having written more than 100 books in the last 30 years of his life. His works have remained in print more or less continuously since 1900.
William Walker Atkinson was born in Baltimore, Maryland on December 5, 1862, to William and Emma Atkinson. He began his working life as a grocer at 15 years old, probably helping his father. He married Margret Foster Black of Beverly, New Jersey, in October 1889, and they had two children. The first probably died young. The second later married and had two daughters.
Atkinson pursued a business career from 1882 onwards and in 1894 he was admitted as an attorney to the Bar of Pennsylvania. While he gained much material success in his profession as a lawyer, the stress and over-strain eventually took its toll, and during this time he experienced a complete physical and mental breakdown, and financial disaster. He looked for healing and in the late 1880s he found it with New Thought, later attributing the restoration of his health, mental vigor and material prosperity to the application of the principles of New Thought.
Some time after his healing, Atkinson began to write articles on the truths he felt he had discovered, which were then known as Mental Science. In 1889, an article by him entitled "A Mental Science Catechism," appeared in Charles Fillmore's new periodical, Modern Thought.
By the early 1890s Chicago had become a major centre for New Thought, mainly through the work of Emma Curtis Hopkins, and Atkinson decided to move there. Once in the city, he became an active promoter of the movement as an editor and author. He was responsible for publishing the magazines Suggestion (1900–1901), New Thought (1901–1905) and Advanced Thought (1906–1916).
In 1900 Atkinson worked as an associate editor of Suggestion, a New Thought Journal, and wrote his probable first book, Thought-Force in Business and Everyday Life, being a series of lessons in personal magnetism, psychic influence, thought-force, concentration, will-power, and practical mental science.
He then met Sydney Flower, a well-known New Thought publisher and businessman, and teamed up with him. In December, 1901 he assumed editorship of Flower's popular New Thought magazine, a post which he held until 1905. During these years he built for himself an enduring place in the hearts of its readers. Article after article flowed from his pen. Meanwhile he also founded his own Psychic Club and the so-called "Atkinson School of Mental Science". Both were located in the same building as Flower's Psychic Research and New Thought Publishing Company.
Atkinson was a past president of the International New Thought Alliance.
Throughout his subsequent career, Atkinson wrote and published under his own name and many pseudonyms. It is not known whether he ever acknowledged authorship of these pseudonymous works, but all of the supposedly independent authors whose writings are now credited to Atkinson were linked to one another by virtue of the fact that their works were released by a series of publishing houses with shared addresses and they also wrote for a series of magazines with a shared roster of authors. Atkinson was the editor of a
William Walker Atkinson (December 5, 1862 – November 22, 1932) was an attorney, merchant, publisher, and author, as well as an occultist and an American pioneer of the New Thought movement. He is also known to have been the author of the pseudonymous works attributed to Theron Q. Dumont, Swami Panchadasi and Yogi Ramacharaka and others.
Due in part to Atkinson's intense personal secrecy and extensive use of pseudonyms, he is now largely forgotten, despite having obtained mention in past editions of Who's Who in America, Religious Leaders of America, and several similar publications—and having written more than 100 books in the last 30 years of his life. His works have remained in print more or less continuously since 1900.
William Walker Atkinson was born in Baltimore, Maryland on December 5, 1862, to William and Emma Atkinson. He began his working life as a grocer at 15 years old, probably helping his father. He married Margret Foster Black of Beverly, New Jersey, in October 1889, and they had two children. The first probably died young. The second later married and had two daughters.
Atkinson pursued a business career from 1882 onwards and in 1894 he was admitted as an attorney to the Bar of Pennsylvania. While he gained much material success in his profession as a lawyer, the stress and over-strain eventually took its toll, and during this time he experienced a complete physical and mental breakdown, and financial disaster. He looked for healing and in the late 1880s he found it with New Thought, later attributing the restoration of his health, mental vigor and material prosperity to the application of the principles of New Thought.
Some time after his healing, Atkinson began to write articles on the truths he felt he had discovered, which were then known as Mental Science. In 1889, an article by him entitled "A Mental Science Catechism," appeared in Charles Fillmore's new periodical, Modern Thought.
By the early 1890s Chicago had become a major centre for New Thought, mainly through the work of Emma Curtis Hopkins, and Atkinson decided to move there. Once in the city, he became an active promoter of the movement as an editor and author. He was responsible for publishing the magazines Suggestion (1900–1901), New Thought (1901–1905) and Advanced Thought (1906–1916).
In 1900 Atkinson worked as an associate editor of Suggestion, a New Thought Journal, and wrote his probable first book, Thought-Force in Business and Everyday Life, being a series of lessons in personal magnetism, psychic influence, thought-force, concentration, will-power, and practical mental science.
He then met Sydney Flower, a well-known New Thought publisher and businessman, and teamed up with him. In December, 1901 he assumed editorship of Flower's popular New Thought magazine, a post which he held until 1905. During these years he built for himself an enduring place in the hearts of its readers. Article after article flowed from his pen. Meanwhile he also founded his own Psychic Club and the so-called "Atkinson School of Mental Science". Both were located in the same building as Flower's Psychic Research and New Thought Publishing Company.
Atkinson was a past president of the International New Thought Alliance.
Throughout his subsequent career, Atkinson wrote and published under his own name and many pseudonyms. It is not known whether he ever acknowledged authorship of these pseudonymous works, but all of the supposedly independent authors whose writings are now credited to Atkinson were linked to one another by virtue of the fact that their works were released by a series of publishing houses with shared addresses and they also wrote for a series of magazines with a shared roster of authors. Atkinson was the editor of a
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Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
February 17, 2019
Esta é a primeira vez que leio algo deste escritor, e confesso que tive alguma dificuldade em acompanhar alguns “termos espirituais” revelados ao longo do livro. Não é uma leitura fácil: não digo isto em termos de conteúdos ou informação, mas pela sua forma de escrever, demasiado técnica e pouco acessível na linguagem utilizada.
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July 6, 2020
Life of a soul - clarified
The most convincing answer I got till now regarding details of soul life. End of this book, I got link for another book which was actually a collection of 58 books written by yogi ramacharaka / William walker Atkinson.. getting ready for next rounds of truths / secrets
The most convincing answer I got till now regarding details of soul life. End of this book, I got link for another book which was actually a collection of 58 books written by yogi ramacharaka / William walker Atkinson.. getting ready for next rounds of truths / secrets
February 3, 2019
It is an interesting reading exercise, although a bit confusing from a diversified use of the word Astral in different cisrcumstances... I wonder if it was the Author who was not clear or weather the translation is what confused it - namelly because probably sanscrit terms should have been used to make it clearer and instead the same word was used for different meanings and planes...
Anyway, it was worth reading.
Maria Carmo,
Lisbon 3 February 2019.
Anyway, it was worth reading.
Maria Carmo,
Lisbon 3 February 2019.
February 5, 2026
Experimentei um novo tipo de literatura e não correu nada bem, provavelmente por culpa minha, mas o tipo de linguagem utilizada, pseudocientífica, tentando dar aparência racional a conceitos espirituais, propor modelos metafísicos como se fossem leis naturais, não me pareceu nada adequado.
Há, sim, uma reinterpretação do Hinduísmo, Teosofia, ocultismo ocidental e a influência do movimento espiritual-filosófico surgido nos EUA no final do século XIX, New Thought, nada mais do que isso.
Há, sim, uma reinterpretação do Hinduísmo, Teosofia, ocultismo ocidental e a influência do movimento espiritual-filosófico surgido nos EUA no final do século XIX, New Thought, nada mais do que isso.
October 20, 2023
A morte....um tema tabu que nos cria muita expectativa e ansiedade. O que acontece depois desta vida?
Ao ler este livro houve explicações que deixaram-me desiludida se assim acontecer e outras explicações que identifiquei a minha maneira de encarar a morte.
A escrita não é a mais acessível e por vezes tinha de ler e reler o capítulo para perceber o que o autor queria transmitir.
Ao ler este livro houve explicações que deixaram-me desiludida se assim acontecer e outras explicações que identifiquei a minha maneira de encarar a morte.
A escrita não é a mais acessível e por vezes tinha de ler e reler o capítulo para perceber o que o autor queria transmitir.
May 1, 2026
Entrei nesta leitura sobretudo pela curiosidade em relação ao tema da vida após a morte e acabei por encontrar um livro muito mais filosófico e espiritual do que esperava. Gostei da forma como a morte é abordada não como um fim, mas como uma continuação, quase como uma passagem para outro plano de existência, o que torna a leitura bastante reflexiva e até reconfortante em alguns momentos. Ao longo do livro senti claramente uma forte componente espiritual e metafísica, com muitas explicações sobre an alma, os diferentes planos de existência e a evolução espiritual do ser humano. Houve partes que achei genuinamente interessantes e que me levaram a pensar bastante sobre estas questões existenciais. Ainda assim, nem sempre foi uma leitura fácil. Em certos momentos senti a linguagem demasiado densa e algumas explicações acabaram por se tornar confusas ou repetitivas, sobretudo para quem não está tão habituado a este tipo de temática espiritual. Não sendo um género que leia normalmente , no geral, achei um livro interessante para quem gosta de espiritualidade e procura uma reflexão mais profunda sobre a vida, a morte e aquilo que poderá existir para além dela (ou não 🤷♀️).
March 12, 2022
A compelling and engaging text that presents fascinating discussions on life, death, and spirituality. Anyone interested in these topics, as well as the occult and concepts such as astral projection, will no doubt find this to be a useful and inspiring resource. Highly recommended.
October 25, 2022
Muito interessante
June 10, 2024
Breve y conciso, pero sin mencionar la realidad arconte, por lo que incompleto.
November 11, 2024
Gostei imenso e tive uma nova percepção sobre a "vida"
June 24, 2026
É o primeiro livro que leio deste autor e achei difícil acompanhar o raciocínio. Não é uma leitura fácil, não pela informação partilhada ou termos técnicos mas pela própria escrita.
July 30, 2011
No, dice nada nuevo, sólo trata la muerte como cualquier religión asiática.
August 10, 2011
este libro nos enseña que hay en el mas alla...nos deja claro que la reencarnacion si existe..y es un libro que nos da muchas enseñansas del mas alla.
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews