When it comes to understanding what is implied or meant by "mind power", the following verse, composed by the author of one of the most revered and respected literary works which belong to the realm of personal development - namely, "As A Man Thinketh", tells much more about the subject than might initially appear on the surface:
"Mind is the Master-Power that molds and makes.
Man is Mind, and evermore He takes
The Tools of Thought, and, shaping what He wills,
Brings forth a thousand joys, a thousand ills.
He thinks in secret, and it comes to pass -
Environment is but his looking-glass."
- James L. Allen (c. 1902)
The term "mind" will be defined subsequently, as we proceed, and it will also be of benefit to have an adequate definition of "power", which will apply to this discussion, which shall be done at this point:
power, n - ability to do or act; capability of doing or accomplishing something.
Those six lines of verse succinctly summarize what has often been explained via lengthy paragraphs. And that same message has also been expressed - albeit under different phraseologies, in different places and ages, across the whole spheres of religion and philosophy.
To those who might enquire, as to exactly what Mind Power is, it is possible to trace it out, from start to finish, in a reasonable and logical sequence.
For the purpose of this discussion, a Mind can best be defined as a non-physical entity, i.e., something whose presence cannot be observed, monitored or detected via the physical senses (sight, hearing, smell, taste or touch). This is, however, not a implication that, because the physical senses cannot register its presence, that Mind does not exist. On the contrary, even if Mind itself cannot be observed directly via the physical senses, its actions can be and are so detected.
The Mind may also be defined as a thinking-center, or an entity that can engage in the process known as Thinking. Thinking may be defined as, in simple terms, the exercise of Thought or Mind Power. In fact, since the Mind is a non-physical entity, the only actions or modes of action of which it is capable must likewise be of a non-physical nature. And a little consideration will reveal that Mind Power is the only mode of action that is of a non-physical nature. This in itself speaks volumes, if one were to consider all the serious attempts made in both religion and philosophy, to arrive at a sensible and workable hypothesis regarding the origin of (if one may borrow the book title coined by British author Douglas Adams) "Life, the Universe and Everything". Again, this will be delved into in greater detail a little further on, but for now, it may be enough to state the general conclusion reached by those seekers after the truth. The general conclusion - and it should be noted that this is the conclusion which makes the most sense - is that everything that exists came into being, through the mental action exercised by an Original Creative Power (i.e., an agency which is able to, literally, bring into existence that which previously did not exist), which also possesses and demonstrates the quality of Intelligence. The presence of Intelligence is, in itself, very significant, as physical science has discovered and demonstrated the existence and actions of various forms of energy - light, sound, heat, electricity, magnetism, etc., - but no evidence of Intelligence is demonstrated by any of these forms of energy; only operation according to definable principles. Again, for the purpose of this discussion, Intelligence may be defined as: the capacity for the exercise of selection or choice, and for taking initiative on its own account. Therefore, it is a reasonable postulation, that the Original Intelligent Creative Power, by and through which the Universe and all that is contained therein came into existence, could be likened unto a Cosmic or Universal Mind. The term "Cosmic" or "Universal" is itself significant, as it is intended to convey the understanding that the action of such an entity extends to the totality of all that may be said to exist. And a little consideration of the preceding points should make it clear, that all Creation should stand as indisputable evidence of what Mind Power is capable of accomplishing, if and when it is directed in a particular manner.
As to the phrase "Man is Mind", this can be demonstrated as following naturally from the preceding postulation of a Universal Mind. As stated previously, all of Creation came into being through the exercise of Thought or Mind Power by the Original Intelligent Creative Power, or Universal Mind. In addition, those same seekers who postulated the existence of a Universal Mind as the ultimate source of all that exists, also reached the conclusion that Universal Mind is the Principle, or Source of Life, or, as some put it, it is Life-in-itself. Before proceeding further, some attempt should at least be made to define what Life is. For our purposes, we may define Life as: a particular aspect of existence. And if one would take note that Life has been classified and defined in the past, as existing in various "classes" - inanimate life (e.g., rocks, soil), plant life, animal life, and human life - then this definition may be seen to make sense. From the preceding, it may be substantially put forth that everything in Creation is ultimately some physical manifestation of the Principle of Life or Universal Mind; the predominant difference between one manifestation and another being the degree of Intelligence demonstrated. In fact, at least two branches of philosophy and religion carry the postulation further, via the suggestion that body or physical form is merely the vehicle by which a particular manifestation of the Universal Mind may interact and communicate with the physical universe, and also may establish its identity in the physical universe as an Individual, which is separate and distinct from any other manifestation. Without going into all the details at this moment, and so far as our observations in the physical world would indicate, Man demonstrates a level of Intelligence that is over and above that demonstrated by any other life-form on Earth. Thus, in essence, i.e., at his very core, Man is more than merely a physical manifestation - rather, Man may be aptly defined as an Individualization of Universal Mind, i.e.,
* a reproduction of Universal Mind as a thinking-center<br>
* a thinking-center which is capable of recognition as an Individual<br>
And, if one is able to follow that course of reasoning, it sheds a whole new meaning on the proposition that has its origin in the following excerpt from the Old Testament of the Bible:
"And GOD said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth."
- Genesis 1:26 to 28 (King James Version)
The proposition in question is that which defines Man as "... made in the image and likeness of GOD".
Now, it will be covered in more detail elsewhere, but it can be shown that "GOD" is simply the name generally adopted by Christianity and Judaism, for that Original Intelligent Creative Power which may also be referred to as Universal Mind. The "traditional" interpretation of that proposition suggests that Man's physical body is patterned after what "GOD" or Universal Mind might look like, but again, it will be shown elsewhere that this is an incorrect interpretation. Rather, the "image and likeness" referred to is Mental, as opposed to Physical, i.e., the exact same quality of Mind Power that is demonstrated by the Universal Mind, and is evidenced by the existence of all creation, is actually present in the human mind (i.e., the mind of Man). In addition, all indications to date suggest that no other life-form on Earth demonstrates the same quality of Mind Power that is present in Man. Even from the standpoint of the physical world, the advances made by the human race from its first crude beginnings up till now, should serve as evidence that, by virtue of the exercise of the quality of Mind Power that he possesses, Man has indeed advanced over all other life-forms on the planet. Moreover, and as shall be addressed in further detail elsewhere, Man can never divest his Mind Power of its inherent Creative ability, and, perhaps more significantly, Man can never ever stop Thinking. Even if occasions arise where he might do so without any conscious intent, Man is perpetually exercising his Mind Power in some particular direction, which, if the necessary mental conditions are provided and maintained for a sufficient time period, will inevitably become externalized in his individual world, as conditions which correspond or match the quality of the Mind Power which is projected forth. And both experience as well as philosophical reasoning has either put it forth or proven that this applies to every class of Thought - "good", "bad", or "neutral".
And, as the last two lines of that verse by James Allen illustrate, the "environment" or external world of each and every person is an exact correspondence to the Beliefs which that person habitually operates with. According to its simplest definition, a Belief is Mind Power or Thought "combined" with Feeling or Emotion, which resides in a person's subjective or subconscious mind. The subconscious mind is is that place where Man "thinks in secret", i.e., except in some very rare instances, no-one else but you may have any idea of what your Beliefs are, until they are reproduced in your objective or external environment. In fact, and perhaps until very recently, the mass majority of people did not even demonstrate awareness of what their Beliefs are - so that, when those Beliefs are externalized in their environment as corresponding conditions, they tend to attribute the appearance of said conditions as resulting from Luck, Fortune, Chance or Coincidence - all of the preceding being terms which are often used to explain what one called "the known effects of unknown causes". However, those causes are, for all practical purposes, no longer "unknown". They are being more and more revealed as definable and quantifiable, and the effects which can be produced through their operation are more and more being demonstrated as predictable. Naturally, any person who awakens in awareness to what has been stated regarding Mind Power, will inevitably grasp the enormous possibilities as well as the significant responsibilities that must necessarily come with that awakening.
TYPE: The web link below allows the viewer to read the full text of a book published around 1912, which itself may serve to provide additional information for reference and research on the subject of Mind Power. Clicking the link will open a new browser window:
NEXT: As A Man Thinketh