The Edinburgh Lectures on Mental Science

by Thomas Troward

This book was converted from its physical edition to the digital format by a community of volunteers. You may find it for free on the web. Purchase of the Kindle edition includes wireless delivery.

Genres: Philosophy, Psychology, Nonfiction, Metaphysics, Science

39 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 1909

About the author

Thomas Troward was a judge in British-administered India, where he made a personal study of the teachings of Christianity, Islam, Hinduism, and Buddhism. After retiring from the bench in 1896, he applied his legalistic mind to matters of philosophy, and began lecturing and publishing on "Mental Science," eventually becoming president of the International New Thought Alliance.

Reviews

[Cary Trudell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Take your time with this one, to grasp every concept, well worth your time if you have the brain power to comprehend it - and you do, as long as you believe you do.

[Argawal · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Æons upon æons would not suffice to grasp all the laws of the universe in their totality, not in the visible world only, but also in the world of the unseen; each failure to know the true law implies suffering arising from our ignorant breach of it".
-Thomas Troward

So much knowledge for a book written in 1909. I think Thomas was one of the pioneers of this new thought movement. He was a mystic and in this book deciphers the occult powers of the mind.

[Dan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read this for a new understanding of God.

[Alaa Jerbi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Finally, a philosophical New Thought book that skips the shallowness of "prosperity gospels" that has plagued the genre and dives right into the heart of the subject with superb and entertaining reasoning.

Unlike other New Thought authors, Troward does not start from undefended assumptions that other authors usually like to build their treaties upon (assumptions like "thoughts are things", "thought vibrations", etc); he takes a philosophical approach to the subject: he starts from the ground up, presenting arguments for each proposition before concluding its validity and only then he uses it to build the next proposition. Exactly what you may expect from a Judge.

This book was an absolutely fascinating read and definitely deserves a second reading. Now I can confidently say that Troward has become my favorite New Thought author. I'm looking forward to reading his other books; I'm sure they won't disappoint.

[Mikhail Agladze · Rating 5 out of 5]

A wonderful read

A unique and inspiring metaphysical perspective... it is on a level beyond what one would think of as being introductory. We may wonder how a man such as Troward came to this level of spiritual knowledge, but it is clear that he is a deep thinker and perhaps saw himself as a vessel for sharing the wisdom he possessed.

[Sadhia Khan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely fascinating
A bit abstract
I would need to re read this many times to digest it
Brilliant for the time and still applicable
Would love to have read this at school and studied and discussed it

I would have loved a discussion with the author

[Maerose SCN · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read 39% of the book. It just doesn’t «speak» to me as a reader. I feel like the words or expressions are cliches. Like how intelligence makes something greater than others. It also talked about manifestation and visualization in the first few chapters.

[Donald Minor · Rating 5 out of 5]

Worth the read

Powerful read. Breaks down spiritual thoughts into scientific truths. I will be reading more of his work. It would be best to lean the basic words of the philosophy of logic.

[Dillon Hargrave · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow. Great stuff here.

[Matt · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of the first books ever written on the law of attraction. Fascinating stuff. Loved it.

[Pete Andrews]

I read this multiple times since 1st reading it in 1997 and will again.

[Antonio Harris · Rating 4 out of 5]

Was confusing at first, but revealed it self through careful observation of content and reason.

[Miguel Solari · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a phenomenal insight into the inner workings of the body, mind and spirit and it was published in 1909! Thomas Troward was an absolute genius and this work is timeless. This incredible lecture requires full attention because every sentence is packed full of critical thought, logic and ultimate wisdoms. I’d say it is a really intense read for the average reader so be prepared.

[James · Rating 5 out of 5]

These lectures are exceptional in their clarity and relevance today, despite being about 150 years old. The ideas espoused by Thomas Troward influenced the American Transcendalists - Thoreau, Emerson, etc. - and provided a foundation for the New Thought movement and cognitive psychology techniques.

[Valerie Thompson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Judge Troward is one of the founding fathers of what is now commonly known as Positive Thinking or New Thought.

[William Jones · Rating 5 out of 5]

Starts a little slow but then it gets amazing.Very interesting concepts here...

[Jude Warsaw · Rating 5 out of 5]

Genius.