The Edinburgh Lectures On Mental Science - Thomas Troward

by Thomas Troward

In commencing a course of lectures on Mental Science, it is somewhat difficult for the lecturer to fix upon the best method of opening the subject. It can be approached from many sides, each with some peculiar advantage of its own; but, after careful deliberation, it appears to me that, for the purpose of the present course, no better starting-point could be selected than the relation between Spirit and Matter. I select this starting-point because the distinction--or what we believe to be such-- between them is one with which we are so familiar that I can safely assume its recognition by everybody; and I may, therefore, at once state this distinction by using the adjectives which we habitually apply as expressing the natural opposition between the two--_living_ spirit and _dead_ matter. These terms express our current impression of the opposition between spirit and matter with sufficient accuracy, and considered only from the point of view of outward appearances this impression is no doubt correct. The general consensus of mankind is right in trusting the evidence of our senses, and any system which tells us that we are not to do so will never obtain a permanent footing in a sane and healthy community. There is nothing wrong in the evidence conveyed to a healthy mind by the senses of a healthy body, but the point where error creeps in is when we come to judge of the meaning of this testimony. We are accustomed to judge only by external appearances and by certain limited significances which we attach to words; but when we begin to enquire into the real meaning of our words and to analyse the causes which give rise to the appearances, we find our old notions gradually falling off from us, until at last we wake up to the fact that we are living in an entirely different world to that we formerly recognized. The old limited mode of thought has imperceptibly slipped away, and we discover that we have stepped out into a new order of things where all is liberty and life. This is the work of an enlightened intelligence resulting from persistent determination to discover what truth really is irrespective of any preconceived notions from whatever source derived, the determination to think honestly for ourselves instead of endeavouring to get our thinking done for us. Let us then commence by enquiring what we really mean by the livingness which we attribute to spirit and the deadness which we attribute to matter.


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Genres: Philosophy, Psychology, Nonfiction, Personal Growth, Metaphysics, Science

69 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 1909

About the author

Thomas Troward was a judge in British-administered India, where he made a personal study of the teachings of Christianity, Islam, Hinduism, and Buddhism. After retiring from the bench in 1896, he applied his legalistic mind to matters of philosophy, and began lecturing and publishing on "Mental Science," eventually becoming president of the International New Thought Alliance.

Reviews

[Cary Trudell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Take your time with this one, to grasp every concept, well worth your time if you have the brain power to comprehend it - and you do, as long as you believe you do.

[Argawal · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Æons upon æons would not suffice to grasp all the laws of the universe in their totality, not in the visible world only, but also in the world of the unseen; each failure to know the true law implies suffering arising from our ignorant breach of it".
-Thomas Troward

So much knowledge for a book written in 1909. I think Thomas was one of the pioneers of this new thought movement. He was a mystic and in this book deciphers the occult powers of the mind.

[Dan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read this for a new understanding of God.

[Alaa Jerbi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Finally, a philosophical New Thought book that skips the shallowness of "prosperity gospels" that has plagued the genre and dives right into the heart of the subject with superb and entertaining reasoning.

Unlike other New Thought authors, Troward does not start from undefended assumptions that other authors usually like to build their treaties upon (assumptions like "thoughts are things", "thought vibrations", etc); he takes a philosophical approach to the subject: he starts from the ground up, presenting arguments for each proposition before concluding its validity and only then he uses it to build the next proposition. Exactly what you may expect from a Judge.

This book was an absolutely fascinating read and definitely deserves a second reading. Now I can confidently say that Troward has become my favorite New Thought author. I'm looking forward to reading his other books; I'm sure they won't disappoint.

[Mikhail Agladze · Rating 5 out of 5]

A wonderful read

A unique and inspiring metaphysical perspective... it is on a level beyond what one would think of as being introductory. We may wonder how a man such as Troward came to this level of spiritual knowledge, but it is clear that he is a deep thinker and perhaps saw himself as a vessel for sharing the wisdom he possessed.

[Sadhia Khan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely fascinating
A bit abstract
I would need to re read this many times to digest it
Brilliant for the time and still applicable
Would love to have read this at school and studied and discussed it

I would have loved a discussion with the author

[Maerose SCN · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read 39% of the book. It just doesn’t «speak» to me as a reader. I feel like the words or expressions are cliches. Like how intelligence makes something greater than others. It also talked about manifestation and visualization in the first few chapters.

[Donald Minor · Rating 5 out of 5]

Worth the read

Powerful read. Breaks down spiritual thoughts into scientific truths. I will be reading more of his work. It would be best to lean the basic words of the philosophy of logic.

[Dillon Hargrave · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow. Great stuff here.

[Matt · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of the first books ever written on the law of attraction. Fascinating stuff. Loved it.

[Pete Andrews]

I read this multiple times since 1st reading it in 1997 and will again.

[Antonio Harris · Rating 4 out of 5]

Was confusing at first, but revealed it self through careful observation of content and reason.

[Miguel Solari · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a phenomenal insight into the inner workings of the body, mind and spirit and it was published in 1909! Thomas Troward was an absolute genius and this work is timeless. This incredible lecture requires full attention because every sentence is packed full of critical thought, logic and ultimate wisdoms. I’d say it is a really intense read for the average reader so be prepared.

[James · Rating 5 out of 5]

These lectures are exceptional in their clarity and relevance today, despite being about 150 years old. The ideas espoused by Thomas Troward influenced the American Transcendalists - Thoreau, Emerson, etc. - and provided a foundation for the New Thought movement and cognitive psychology techniques.

[Valerie Thompson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Judge Troward is one of the founding fathers of what is now commonly known as Positive Thinking or New Thought.

[William Jones · Rating 5 out of 5]

Starts a little slow but then it gets amazing.Very interesting concepts here...

[Jude Warsaw · Rating 5 out of 5]

Genius.