Concentration and the Acquirement of Personal Magnetism
	The Will: How Thought Travels – Varieties Of Thought Waves <  Previous Contents Next  >

THE seat of WILL, or the over soul, may, I think, be safely placed in the NERVE AURA surrounding the brain.

The exact nature of thought has not, so far as I have been able to discover, ever been fully explained. There is no doubt that thought is of atomic origin, else I do not quite see how, in accordance with Nature’s law, it could travel through the ether.

In regarding the action of thought in the ether, we are too much in danger of regarding the ether as something outside ourselves, and thought as an unconsidered and unknown quantity, a mistake which must be rigorously guarded against.

The ether permeates our whole body, and because of this wonderful invisible medium, thought, magnetism, and other know substances of a similar nature can attract to themselves matter from throughout the universe; thought, of course, having a greater power of attraction than any other substance. There is nothing in the world, which can prevent this attraction, no matter what may intervene between the thought and the object it seeks. The reason for this may be summed up in one word – ether. This acts as a conducting medium for the light waves which travel form the most distant planets and fixed stars, light which takes ten years to reach our little earth; and it acts as a conducting medium for our thought, whether we desire to send it to the other side of the earth, or to some far distant region in the unknown, or back, back into the long forgotten past, or forward into the yet unexplored future.

I have frequently held forth respecting the nature of that invisible substance called ether, but for the benefit of new readers, at the risk of boring the old, I will repeat myself.

The ether, then, is an invisible medium filling all space; scientists accept it as a necessity to account for the transmission of LIGHT through space where no ordinary medium, such as air, is to be found.

It is said by scientists to be of a smooth, jelly-like substance, and by Rosicrucian’s it is looked upon as living flame: We are at present more concerned with the scientific standpoint of what is called the “aluminiferous ether.” As my readers can readily understand, there must be some substance to fill all space, or we could get light from sun or moon, or the far distant stars.

This light travels through the ether by means of “waves,” that is, the tiny atoms, or particles, travel through space in a series of concentric (that is, from a common center) waves, each particle communicating motion to the next adjoining particle, and so on. Remember, too, that each particle, or atom, becomes, in its turn, a center of disturbance, sending out new waves. These wavelengths are exceedingly minute, and travel at an immense speed. They follow the waveform usual to water when, say, a stone is thrown in to cause a disturbance. There is the crest of the wave and the trough, and although the scientific method of measuring the length of these waves does not affect us at present, measured they are.

We know that light travels through ether by means of waves continually spreading outward; that a RAY of light is really non-existent. Light travels in minute particles, or atoms, and THOUGHT is propelled through the ether and through space in a similar manner to light.

You will consider the brain as a dynamo, only, of course, more powerful than any other known machine, and more delicately constructed. Man, as a race, is in constant danger of under-estimating the power of this machine, simply because he cannot CONCEIVE of such power.

From the central point of the brain, where motion is so intense, it almost appears at a standstill, thought radiates outward, as light radiates from our central point of energy - the sun.

We have seen, first, the machine, which generates thought, and secondly, the medium through which thought is propelled in its journey from one point of the globe to another.

The NATURE of thought is such that it is invisible as far as ocular demonstration is concerned, but its POWER is such that it is manifested in our daily life on every hand.

I assume thought to be of atomic origin, and, as I have already explained, the ether is a smooth, jelly-like substance with the property of transmitting atoms and molecules (a molecule is a group of two or more atoms) through space (which it entirely fills) at a terrific speed, the speed, of course, depending entirely upon the nature and size of the atom. Thought atoms are so infinitesimal that they probably exceed the highest known rate of speed, for the smaller the atom the higher and swifter the rate of vibration.

Whenever anybody thinks, even on the most trivial matter, they at once set up a stress (or disturbance) in the ether, and all around them becomes disturbed. If the thought was feeble, the disturbance will be merely local, and affect nobody, although, if charged with anger, worry, or discontent, it will affect the thinker very much for evil.

Such thoughts upset the ether, recoil upon the internal organism through the brain, and set up a state of irritation similar to the mental process, thus affecting not only the secretions of the vital organs, but surrounding the whole with a negative aura, which destroys the waves of love and good feeling which would otherwise surround that person. Then also, in a slight degree, these conditions will affect others in the immediate vicinity. They may experience feelings of depression, and the sensation of a cloudy atmosphere; but the thoughts are too unorganized to have a lasting effect, unless one is continually living with this species of thought emanation; it will not affect anybody seriously, EXCEPT the THINKER. He, or she, will at once show the work they have been unconsciously performing – bad digestion, sleepless nights, wrinkles, flabby cheeks, and the general inability to enjoy anything. These are the lasting results of such disturbance of the etheric substances.

We are all anxious to obtain success in life, and to help others; but the life success must be so perfectly blended with the spiritual success, that the two are one, else neither will be very lasting. I am aware that certain people may take exception to this statement, but it is my firm opinion that true-life success embraces this dual aspect I have described.

The law of vibration is always traveling from a higher to a lower rate and back again; it follows a free-path motion, and returns upon its journey laden with the errand it set out to perform. If you will look at the first diagram of this lesson, you will see a perfect circle, which we will call the sphere of spirit. At the mark “A” in this circle we see pure spirit, and at ‘B” we will place matter. Thus ‘A,” pure spirit is a rate of vibration which is intense –

the swiftest possible. From this, spirit travels at a rate that grows slower and gradually slower, and, of course, denser, until it arrives at the base “B,” where it is practically at a standstill. This may be interpreted as the procession of spirit through the grosser shades of matter, until at “B” we find matter almost pure and simple; but from “B” back to “A” again this etheric flow grows swifter and swifter, until at “A” it again assumes its swiftest rate of speed, and, having shaken off the confining elements of matter, is again merged into pure spirit.

We can trace this as the process of life. All life is spirit, and this diagram represents the entire period from the first separation of the individual from spirit, on its journey through life to the time when, having passed through countless incarnations, it is ready to return whence it came. The reason for this journey is not apparent; it is simply the law of Nature.

Thus from “A” to “B” is the spiritual basis upon which we are all founded, and from which, by the slow processes of evolution, we attain the state of so much gross matter, the state in which quite nine-tenths of the population of the world are at present. Then, from here, man’s higher sense begins to crave a higher state of evolution, and at last realizes that he has it in his power to obtain this when he pleases. “We live in the state of development our thoughts create for us.” The higher our mental aspirations, the swifter and purer the rate of vibration we attain. If you live in the dirt you cannot expect to attract anything else; but if you are a child of sunshine, so will you be garbed in light, and draw to yourself all that is your by right.

To retrace our steps a little, we will repeat that the brain center is a medium, a machine for manifesting and creating thought, as a dynamo, only, of course, more powerful than any other know machine, and more perfect.

At the center of the brain, energy is so intense that it almost appears to be still and calm, and from this still center radiates outward thought, the quality and quantity of which depends upon the machine, which generates the power. The generating process takes place through the all-compelling action of the WILL or OVER SOUL, that part of man, which never dies. This action is helped, and often to a very great degree, by correct breathing, which has the most wonderful effect upon concentration of thought.

The following diagrams will illustrate very clearly how thought will proceed under given circumstances. Thought will proceed under given circumstance. Thought is dynamic, or, properly speaking, kinetic; * but, of course, the words apply to the same thing. Under the compulsion of a strong and well-advanced WILL, or over soul, thought travels in a direct line towards that upon which it is concentrated. The more intense this form of concentration, the swifter and more direct the journey of that thought.

Fig. 2 shows the action of thought when directed upon some particular point. From “A” to “B” we get concentrated thought traveling from the brain center, “A,” to the point it is intended to reach, “B.” This may be defined as organized thought, a substance of which the vibrations are almost as subtle as the transmitting medium, etheric waves.

From “A” to “C,” however, we obtain the action of thought as it is understood in everyday parlance, the vacillating, uncertain thought of the organized mind which follows a zigzag course, varying in strength, and finally filtering away, without ever reaching its goal.

*Producing motion. Force of any kind as a motive power and its action.