About the Author
William Walker Atkinson (1862-1932) written under the pseudonym Theron Q. Dumont was born in Baltimore, Maryland. He was also the author of the pseudonymous works attributed to Yogi Ramacharaka. Atkinson was an attorney, merchant, publisher, and author, as well as an occultist and a pioneer of the New Thought movement. He began working as a grocer at age 15, probably helping his father. Although he gained much material success in his profession as a lawyer, the stress and over-strain eventually took its toll, and during this time he experienced a complete physical and mental breakdown as well as financial disaster. He looked for healing and in the late 1880s found it with New Thought, later attributing the restoration of his health, mental vigor and material prosperity to the application of the principles of New Thought.
Atkinson was mentioned in past editions of Who’s Who in America, in Religious Leaders of America, and in several similar publications. He wrote an estimated 100 books, all in the last 30 years of his life. His well-known work includes: Thought Vibration: The Law of Attraction in the Thought World; The Power of Concentration; The Advanced Course in Personal Magnetism; and Mind-Power: The Secret of Mental Magic. Atkinson works have remained in print more or less continuously since 1900.
Summary
What role does concentrated thought play in developing mastery of the mind? Is it an important factor to achieving our desires? In The Power of Concentration, Atkinson provides answers to these questions as well as valuable lessons and practical methods of how to develop concentrated thought. These lessons will stimulate, inspire and bring you into harmony with the laws of success. Atkinson suggests that to make the greatest success of anything you must be able to concentrate your entire thought on that which you desire and intent to achieve. By using the law of concentration you can achieve your heart’s desires. Concentrated thought will accomplish seemingly impossible results and make you realize your boldest dreams. When you learn how to concentrate and reinforce your thought, you control your mental creations; they in turn help to mould your physical environment. By controlling your mental creations, you become the master of circumstances and the ruler of your kingdom.
The first step in developing concentrated thought is to form a mental image of what you wish to accomplish. This image becomes a thought-seed that attracts thoughts of a similar nature. Around this thought, when it is once planted in the imagination or creative region of the mind, you group or build associated thoughts which continue to grow as long as your desire is intense enough to compel close concentration. Through deep concentration you become linked with the great creative spirit of the universe, the Infinite Mind, and the creative energy then flows through you, vitalizing your creations into form. All great individuals are able to create and manifest what they want through mental concentration and owe the success of what they attract into their lives to the habit of focused concentration. You can train yourself by concentrating your attention on your purpose.
On practical exercises for developing mental concentration to achieve your desires, Atkinson recommends forming the habit of thinking of something you wish to accomplish for five minutes each day. Shut every other thought out of your consciousness. The automaticity of the habit of clear thinking contributes to goal achievement. Be confident that you will succeed; make up your mind that all obstacles in your way will be overcome and you can rise above any environment. Your imagination is able to do all that you ask in proportion to the degree of your attention. All progress, all fulfillment of desire, depend upon the control and concentration of your attention.