What do you think?
Rate this book
The Edinburgh Lectures on Mental Science: And Other Essential Works
The Edinburgh Lectures on Mental Science is an essential new collection of Thomas Troward’s most groundbreaking work.
Thomas Troward was an English author writing in the 19th century who was deeply involved in the New Thought movement. In The Edinburgh Lectures , Troward explores the ways that Mental Action influences Material Conditions, explains the reciprocal action of the universe, and much more. Deeply insightful and profound, Troward is an indispensable voice in the New Thought canon and essential reading for fans of Norman Vincent Peale and Napoleon Hill.
This edition of the book also includes Your Invisible Power by Geneviève Behrend, one of Troward's students.
The Edinburgh Lectures on Mental Science is part of The Library of Spiritual Wisdom, a beautifully designed series of curated classics written by some of the greatest spiritual teachers of all time. With books covering topics ranging from prosperity and motivation to the occult and metaphysical thought, The Library of Spiritual Wisdom is the definitive collection of texts from some of the most revolutionary thought leaders of the last two centuries and belongs on the shelves of home libraries everywhere.
Thomas Troward was an English author writing in the 19th century who was deeply involved in the New Thought movement. In The Edinburgh Lectures , Troward explores the ways that Mental Action influences Material Conditions, explains the reciprocal action of the universe, and much more. Deeply insightful and profound, Troward is an indispensable voice in the New Thought canon and essential reading for fans of Norman Vincent Peale and Napoleon Hill.
This edition of the book also includes Your Invisible Power by Geneviève Behrend, one of Troward's students.
The Edinburgh Lectures on Mental Science is part of The Library of Spiritual Wisdom, a beautifully designed series of curated classics written by some of the greatest spiritual teachers of all time. With books covering topics ranging from prosperity and motivation to the occult and metaphysical thought, The Library of Spiritual Wisdom is the definitive collection of texts from some of the most revolutionary thought leaders of the last two centuries and belongs on the shelves of home libraries everywhere.
400 pages, Hardcover
Published July 27, 2021
7 people are currently reading
1753 people want to read
About the author
Thomas Troward
407 books118 followersThomas 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.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
August 17, 2025
Though a bit dry in parts where Troward gets lost in abstractions, this series of lectures elucidates the relationship between the objective (conscious) mind and the subjective (subconscious) mind and how they work together to manifest what we perceive and experience as external reality. His careful philosophical arguments provided the metaphysical underpinnings for the many New Thought practitioners—Behrend, Wattles, Allen, Hill, Goddard—who expounded on his ideas.
Favorite Passages:
“Now the principle universally laid down by all mental healers, in whatever various terms they may explain it, is that the basis of all healing is a change in belief. The sequence from which this results is as follows:—the subjective mind is the creative faculty within us, and creates whatever the objective mind impressed upon it; the objective mind, or intellect, impresses its thought upon it [the subjective mind]; the thought is the expression of the belief; hence whatever the subjective mind creates is the reproduction externally of our beliefs.” (p. 44)
“Now the only conception you can have of yourself in the absolute, or UNCONDITIONED, is as purely living Spirit, not hampered by conditions of any sort, and therefore not subject to illness; and when this idea is firmly impressed on the subconscious, the subjective mind will externalize it. The reason why this process is not always successful at the first attempt is that all our life we have been holding the false belief in sickness as a substantial entity in itself and thus being a primary cause, instead of merely being a negative condition resulting from the absence of a primary cause; and a belief which has become ingrained from childhood cannot be eradicated at a moment’s notice. [Train] the subconscious mind to hold the new belief until at last a permanent cure is effected.” (p. 45)
“We must therefore withdraw our thought from the contemplation of symptoms, and indeed from [our] corporeal personality altogether, and must think of [ourselves] as a purely spiritual individuality, and as such entirely free from subjection to any conditions, and consequently as voluntarily externalizing the conditions most expressive of the vitality and intelligence that pure spirit is. Thinking of [ourselves] thus, we then make mental affirmation that [we] shall build up outwardly the correspondence of the perfect vitality which [we] know [ourselves] to be inwardly, and the subjective mentality proceeds to work out this suggestion into external manifestation.” (p. 46)
“And if we realize that above and beyond all this we want something still greater and more enduring, the building-up of character and unfolding of our powers so that we may expand into fuller and yet fuller measures of joyous and joy-giving Life, still the same rule holds good: convey to the Universal Mind the suggestion of the desire, and by the law of relation between subjective and objective mind this too will be fulfilled. And this the deepest problems of philosophy bring us back to the old statement of the Law:—Ask and ye shall receive, seek and ye shall find knock and it shall be opened unto you. This is the summing-up of the natural law of the relation between is and the Divine Mind. It is this no vain boast that Mental Science can enable us to make our lives what we will. We must start from where we are now, and by rightly estimating our relations to the Divine Universal Mind we can gradually grow into any conditions we desire, provided we first make ourselves in habitual mental attitude the person who corresponds to that desire: for we can never evade the law of correspondence, and the externalization will always be in accord with the internal primary cause that gives rise to it. And to this law there is no limit.” (p. 59)
“Never fear to be yourself. . . . Yourself, more yourself, and get more yourself is what you want; only with the knowledge that the true self includes the inner and higher self which is always in immediate touch with the Great Divine Mind.” (p. 60)
Dream BIG, pilgrim!
Favorite Passages:
“Now the principle universally laid down by all mental healers, in whatever various terms they may explain it, is that the basis of all healing is a change in belief. The sequence from which this results is as follows:—the subjective mind is the creative faculty within us, and creates whatever the objective mind impressed upon it; the objective mind, or intellect, impresses its thought upon it [the subjective mind]; the thought is the expression of the belief; hence whatever the subjective mind creates is the reproduction externally of our beliefs.” (p. 44)
“Now the only conception you can have of yourself in the absolute, or UNCONDITIONED, is as purely living Spirit, not hampered by conditions of any sort, and therefore not subject to illness; and when this idea is firmly impressed on the subconscious, the subjective mind will externalize it. The reason why this process is not always successful at the first attempt is that all our life we have been holding the false belief in sickness as a substantial entity in itself and thus being a primary cause, instead of merely being a negative condition resulting from the absence of a primary cause; and a belief which has become ingrained from childhood cannot be eradicated at a moment’s notice. [Train] the subconscious mind to hold the new belief until at last a permanent cure is effected.” (p. 45)
“We must therefore withdraw our thought from the contemplation of symptoms, and indeed from [our] corporeal personality altogether, and must think of [ourselves] as a purely spiritual individuality, and as such entirely free from subjection to any conditions, and consequently as voluntarily externalizing the conditions most expressive of the vitality and intelligence that pure spirit is. Thinking of [ourselves] thus, we then make mental affirmation that [we] shall build up outwardly the correspondence of the perfect vitality which [we] know [ourselves] to be inwardly, and the subjective mentality proceeds to work out this suggestion into external manifestation.” (p. 46)
“And if we realize that above and beyond all this we want something still greater and more enduring, the building-up of character and unfolding of our powers so that we may expand into fuller and yet fuller measures of joyous and joy-giving Life, still the same rule holds good: convey to the Universal Mind the suggestion of the desire, and by the law of relation between subjective and objective mind this too will be fulfilled. And this the deepest problems of philosophy bring us back to the old statement of the Law:—Ask and ye shall receive, seek and ye shall find knock and it shall be opened unto you. This is the summing-up of the natural law of the relation between is and the Divine Mind. It is this no vain boast that Mental Science can enable us to make our lives what we will. We must start from where we are now, and by rightly estimating our relations to the Divine Universal Mind we can gradually grow into any conditions we desire, provided we first make ourselves in habitual mental attitude the person who corresponds to that desire: for we can never evade the law of correspondence, and the externalization will always be in accord with the internal primary cause that gives rise to it. And to this law there is no limit.” (p. 59)
“Never fear to be yourself. . . . Yourself, more yourself, and get more yourself is what you want; only with the knowledge that the true self includes the inner and higher self which is always in immediate touch with the Great Divine Mind.” (p. 60)
Dream BIG, pilgrim!
February 28, 2022
Studying the wisdom of this great New Thought teacher!!! Love how all things are governed by laws and principles which do not change, but our knowledge and appreciation for them and coming to increased levels of knowledge understanding and wisdom in applying them can expand one’s entire lifetime!!! Wondering why this collection omitted The Hidden Power???
Studying his Edinburgh Lectures will be a lifetime study, rereading and applying this man’s amazing wisdom in following Jesus Christ and developing all 6 of our higher faculties of mind!!! Gonna seek to get all writings I can from Thomas Troward, a truly great philosopher and applier of eternal principles of truth and law, knowing ourselves, and seeking to promote goodness, beauty, truth, liberty, growth, and using our will, intuition: tapping into the infinite— our higher or highest Source, growing gratitude, expanding beauty, increasing love, abundance, opulence, and truly recognizing that all things begin with our conscious first causes in thought/s and feelings!!!!! Thank you for sharing your wisdom in book form for generations to personally profit thereby!!! Expanding my vocabulary big time on these works!!!
Studying his Edinburgh Lectures will be a lifetime study, rereading and applying this man’s amazing wisdom in following Jesus Christ and developing all 6 of our higher faculties of mind!!! Gonna seek to get all writings I can from Thomas Troward, a truly great philosopher and applier of eternal principles of truth and law, knowing ourselves, and seeking to promote goodness, beauty, truth, liberty, growth, and using our will, intuition: tapping into the infinite— our higher or highest Source, growing gratitude, expanding beauty, increasing love, abundance, opulence, and truly recognizing that all things begin with our conscious first causes in thought/s and feelings!!!!! Thank you for sharing your wisdom in book form for generations to personally profit thereby!!! Expanding my vocabulary big time on these works!!!
August 30, 2023
I got this book through a Goodreads giveaway. I didn’t know about Troward or Mental Science before reading this book. After reading it, I know why I never heard about it. This was so ridiculous and full of nonsense that I have a hard time believing that he was taken seriously, and his disciple who wrote the last section was even worse. Does positive thinking make a difference? Yes. It at least changes your perspective, and I believe that God does answer prayer. Does this equate to Mental Science and it’s belief in “visioning”? Hardly. You can’t just think people to health. You can’t think away death. You can’t think yourself into thousands of dollars or a piano (actual examples from the book). Every once in awhile, I would get a decent thought from Troward, which is why the book isn’t a one star book. At the same time, the book is so laughably bad that I don’t think anyone will take this seriously today.
March 29, 2023
Not an easy read, but it is one of the best books I've read in a long time.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews