Dynamic Thought

by William Walker Atkinson

In that Great Ocean of Universal or Cosmic Mind, bodies of Substance are but as floating specks of dust—or even bubbles formed of the substance of that Ocean itself—on the surface of that Ocean, there may arise waves, currents, ripples, eddies, whirlpools,—storms, hurricanes, tempests,—from its bosom may rise vapor, that after stages of clouds, rain-drops, flowing in streams, rivers, bays, at last again reach the source of its origin.

In view of what we have seen in our consideration of the facts and principles advanced in this chapter, we are invited to consider the following two Supplemental Propositions: Supplemental Proposition III.—Connecting each Particle of Substance with each and every other Particle of Substance, there exists "lines" of Mental Connection, the "thickness" of which[Pg 198] depends upon the distance between the two particles, decreasing in proportion as the distance is increased. These "lines" may be considered as "conditions" of the great Ocean of Cosmic Mind which pervades and fills all Space, including the essence or inner being of the Particles of Substance, as well as the space between the said Particles. These "lines" are the "Lines of Gravitation," by and over which the phenomenon of Gravitation is manifested. These Lines of Gravitation have always existed between each Particle and every other Particle, and have persisted continuously and constantly, throughout all the changes of condition, and position, and relation, that the Particles have undergone. There is no "passage" or "transmission" of Energy or Force of Gravitation over these lines, or any other channel, but, on the contrary the Energy or Force of

Gravitation is a constant and continuous Mental Connection or Bond existing between the Mind of the Particles, rather than between their Substance or Material.

Supplemental Proposition IV.—The Lines of Gravitation, mentioned in the preceding proposition, are the medium over which travel, or are transmitted the "Thought-waves" resulting from the Excitement of the Particles, and by which waves the "Mental States" are communicated[Pg 199] or transmitted. The same medium transmits or carries the Mental Force of Attraction—Cohesion, Chemical Affinity, etc., evidencing in the relation of the Particles to each other. Thus Gravitation not only performs its own work, but also acts as a "commo...

This

The Materialist is prone to an attempt to rout[Pg 203] the advocates of "Mind" with a demand for an answer to the question, "What is Mind?" The best answer to that question lies along the proverbial Irishman's lines of answering a question by asking another one, resulting in the "answering question," "What is Matter?" As a fact, the human reason is unable to give an intelligent answer to either question, and the best opinion seems to be to consider them as but two aspects of Something, the real origin of which lies in Something Higher, of which both are aspects or forms of expression.

But, comparatively, the fragment of Mind is apart from the rest, and we must consider it in this way, at least for the purpose of study, consideration, and illustration.

It is like a drop in the Ocean of Mind, although connected, in a way,

with every other drop, and the O...

The Mind of Man is a far more complex thing that is generally imagined by the average man. Not only in its varied manifestation of consciousness, but its great region of "below-consciousness" or Infra Consciousness, as it is called. It shall be the purpose of the sequel to this book (now in preparation) which will be entitled "The Wonders of the Mind," to describe these inner workings, and to point out methods of utilizing the same.

In fact, Man has the same power, potentially, that is possessed by the Atom, only refined to a degree corresponding to the development of Man as compared to that of the Atom. The Power is raised to a higher Plane of Mentation, but is fully operative.

In his Mental regions, man has the power of the Atom of attracting particles of Substance to him, that he may combine it with other Substances in building up his body—then he has the plant-like cell mentation, that does the building-up work, and repairs wounds, and damaged[Pg 208] parts, etc.—then he has the animal mentation evidencing in the passions, desires, and emotions of the purely animal nature, and which mentation, by the way, keeps Man busy in controlling by means of his higher mental faculties, that are God's gift to Man, and are not possessed by the animals.

And, just as Man is enabled to use elementary the physical qualities that he finds in his body, and to turn same to good account in living his human life, so does man, consciously, or unconsciously, make use of these elementary Mental powers in his everyday mental life. And if he but realizes what a conscious use of these faculties, guided by the Human Will, will do, Man may become a different order of being.

But to return to the subject—the Individual Mind of Man is in direct touch, not only with the great Cosmic Mind, but also with the Individual Mind of every other Man.

Just as the Particles are bound by lines of Attraction, so are the Minds of Men bound together by lines of Mind, or Mental filaments.

In the first place, while the Brain is the Organ of the Mind—the Instrument that the Mind uses in producing Thought, still the Brain does not do the thinking, nor is the brain-matter visible to the eye, the material instrument of thinking. The Brain (and other portions of the nervous systems, including the "little brains" or ganglia, found in various parts of the body) is composed of a certain substance—a fine form of Plasm, which however is but the ground-work[Pg 211] of foundation for finer forms of Substance used in the production of Thought.

Thought is a form of "Excitement" in this fine brain-substance, which we may as well call Psycho-plasm, from the two Greek words meaning "the mind," and "a mold, or matrix," respectively—the combined word meaning the "mould or matrix of Mind," in other words the material Substance used by the Mind in which to "cast" or "mold" Thoughts.

Then he, like the Particle, has an "Aura" or egg-shaped projection of Mind and fine particles of Psychoplasm, which has been thrown off in the process of Thought, and which clusters around him, producing a "Mental Atmosphere," which constantly surrounds him, and makes itself "felt" by those coming in his presence. Those who read these words may remember, readily, the "feeling" they have experienced when coming in contact with certain people—how some

radiated an atmosphere of cheerfulness, brightness, etc., while others radiated the very opposite. Some radiate a feeling of energy, activity, etc., while others manifest just the reverse. Many likes and dislikes between people meeting for the first time, arise in this way, each finding in the mental atmosphere of the other, some inharmonious element. These radiations are perceived by others coming into their range.[Pg

For

Besides the operation of these particles of Thought-stuff emitted during the production of Thought, there are many other phases of Thought Influence, or Thought in Action. The principal phase of this phenomena arises from the working of the Law of Attraction between the respective minds of different people.

Just as are the Particles of Substance united and connected by "lines" of connection, so are the minds of Men connected.

And the strong "pull" of Desire manifests along these lines, just as it does i...

There has been much written of recent years regarding[Pg 228] this "Drawing Power of the Mind," and although some of what has been written is the veriest rubbish and nonsense, yet under it all there remains a...

Men do attract Success and Failure to them—people do attract things to them—as strange as it may seem to the person who has not acquainted himself...

We draw to ourselves that which we Desire very much, or that which we Fear very much, for a Fear is a Belief, and acts in the direction of actualizing itself, sometimes.

Let us close this book with the thought of the Greatness of this Thing that we call Dynamic Thought—which, great as it is, is but as the shadow of the Absolute Power of The Infinite One, which is the Causeless Cause, and the Causer of Causes. And in thus parting company, reader, let us murmur the words of the German poet, who has sung:

"Dost thou ask for rest? See then how foolish is thy desire; the stern yoke of motion holds in harness the whole Universe.

"Nowhere in this age canst thou ever find rest, and no power can deliver thee fr...

"Rest is not to be found either in heaven or on earth, and from death and dying break fo...

"All the life of Nature is an ocean of Activity; following on her footsteps, without ceasing, thou must march forward with the whole. "Even the dark portal of death gives thee no rest, and ou...