Why the radical metaphysics of thought-causation just might work — I believe that some of us dedicated to experimental spirituality and mind metaphysics must attempt to theorize the mechanics and delivery systems behind what we experience and observe. There exist, of course, manifold risks of personal bias toward a favored thesis. But to limit the wish to “know thyself” to…

Luck is learnable — All my life, I’ve been fascinated with the question of good luck. I believe that what we call luck or fortuitous circumstance is not blind chance but rather a network of causative factors, which can be identified and cultivated. As the 1908 occult classic The Kybalion puts it: “Chance is…

The extraordinary afterlife of Neville Goddard — Although he died in relative obscurity in 1972, mystic Neville Goddard (1905–1972) now ranks among the 21st century’s most widely followed writers and lecturers in alternative spirituality. Search results for the mononymous Neville’s talks number in the millions. His books, once relegated to literature tables at New Thought churches (and…

Why the inspirational author has touched readers for a century — What makes a “serious writer”? In the final book of metaphysical author Florence Scovel Shinn, The Secret Door to Success, venerable New Thought minister Emmet Fox (1886–1951) wrote in his 1940 foreword: One secret of Shinn’s success was that she was always herself…colloquial, informal, friendly, and humorous. She never sought…

Founders of the twelve-steps drank deeply from esoteric sources — Historically, some of the most effective purveyors of therapeutic or self-help spirituality in modern life harbor little-seen ties to mystical and occult movements. Among such figures, the most consequential in shaping a persuasive, globally popular mental-therapeutic spirituality were Bill Wilson (1895–1971) and Bob Smith (1879–1950), cofounders of Alcoholics Anonymous (AA).

Douglas Rushkoff and Mitch Horowitz consider — Check out the new live recording of Douglas Rushkoff’s Team Human Show where we consider the plausibility, purpose, and potential of magick. A preview appears below. Mitch: What we call a thought — which is something that our civilization has never really defined even as we barrel toward something…

The striving life and tragic end of New Thought’s forgotten pioneer — The modern writer who most decisively advocated the health-and-wealth-building powers of the mind is an American journalist, essayist, and mystic troubadour whose legacy, while etched across motivational literature, has faded like pencil on a water-logged page: Prentice Mulford (1834–1891). In a sense, Mulford’s work forged the missing link in the…

Machiavelli taught more than cold-blooded attainment — “A Prince should, therefore, understand how to use well both the man and the beast.” — The Prince, chapter XVII Political philosopher Leo Strauss (1899–1973) considered Niccolò Machiavelli a “fallen angel” of realpolitik. “To recognize the diabolical character of Machiavelli’s thought,” Strauss wrote in his 1958 Thoughts on Machiavelli, “would…

How positive-mind pioneer Christian D. Larson combined soaring rhetoric with ethical compromises — The famous coinages of inspirational giant Christian D. Larson (1874-1962) appear everywhere: “be all you can be;” “attitude of gratitude;” “live the simple life;” “make yourself over;” and “live in the present.” Today’s culture would sound differently without the influence of the twentieth-century motivational icon.