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Thought power : its control and culture

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The human mind has a hidden power that can do amazing things. The key is for one to learn how to activate this power and control it. That is what this book is about. Subjects include training the mind, improving concentration, strengthening thought power, meditation, improving memory, thought transference, building the mental body, combining thoughts with others and achieving peace of mind. This is an easy to read instruction manual for the mind that includes practical exercises.

152 pages, Paperback

Published March 15, 2004

60 people are currently reading
307 people want to read

About the author

Annie Besant

2,122 books150 followers
Noted British reformer Annie Wood Besant vigorously supported socialism, birth control, trade unionism, and rights of women; the cause of independence interested her through her involvement with the theosophical society, and she moved and founded the home rule league in 1916 and served as president of the Indian national congress in 1917.

This prominent activist and orator wrote of Irish.

She, aged 20 years in 1867, married Frank Besant but separated over religious differences.

Once free of Frank Besant and exposed to new currents of thought, she began to question her long-held religious beliefs and the whole of conventional thinking. She began to write attacks on the way of the churches in lives of people. In particular, she attacked the status of the Church of England as a state-sponsored faith.

She quickly wrote a column for the National Reformer, the newspaper of the national secular society, to earn a small weekly wage. The society stood for a secular state and an end to the special status of Christianity and allowed her to act of its public speakers. Very popular public lectures entertained in Queen Victorian times. People quickly greatly demanded Besant, a brilliant speaker. Using the railway, she crisscrossed the country, spoke on all of the most important issues of the day, and always demanded improvement and freedom.

For many years, Besant befriended Charles Bradlaugh, leader of the national secular society. Bradlaugh, a former soldier, long separated from his wife; Besant lived with him and his daughters, and they worked together on many issues. He, an atheist and a republican, also tried to get elected as member of Parliament for Northampton.

She then prominently spoke for the national secular society, wrote, and closely befriended Charles Bradlaugh. In 1877, people prosecuted her and Bradlaugh for publishing a book of campaigner Charles Knowlton.

Besant and Bradlaugh, household names in 1877, then published a book of the American campaigner Charles Knowlton. It claimed that never happy working-class families ably decided not want of children. It suggested ways to limit the size of their families.

The scandal made them famous, and people elected Bradlaugh as member of Parliament for Northampton in 1880.

Actions included the bloody Sunday demonstration and the match girls strike of London of 1888. She led speakers for the Fabian society and the social democratic federation of Marxists. She topped the poll and won election to the school board of London for Tower Hamlets, topping the poll even despite few qualified female voters at that time.

In 1890, Besant met Helena Blavatsky, and over the next few years, secular matters waned. She joined as a member and a prominent lecturer on the subject. As part of her related work, she traveled. In 1898, she helped to establish the central Hindu college.

In 1902, she established le Droit Humain, the first overseas lodge of the international order of co-freemasonry. Over the next few years, she established lodges in many parts of the empire. In 1907, she led at international headquarters in Adyar, Madras (Chennai).

She also joined politics. When World War I broke in 1914, she helped to launch to campaign for democracy and dominion status within the empire. This led to her election in late 1917. After the war, she continued to campaign.

In 1922, she helped establish the Hyderabad (Sind) national collegiate board in Mumbai.

She fought, starting with freedom of thought, Fabians, and workers as a leading member of the national secular society alongside Charles Bradlaugh.

She continued to campaign until her death.

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5 stars
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
Profile Image for Andrew Barnett.
Author 2 books10 followers
December 7, 2020
As a therapist, I learned a lot more about thinking from this book than any CBT textbook. Couldn't recommend it enough.
Profile Image for Meenal Sinha.
21 reviews1 follower
April 29, 2019
This book is timeless. The understanding of our thoughts and it’s usage and how to use it in service of others, it has all.
You will understand how to make or break a habit of yours and also help others in developing or quitting habits.
Readers with a spiritual bend will find it easy to relate and digest and for the rest it will be a new journey in uncharted territories.
Profile Image for Jin Sun.
11 reviews2 followers
December 11, 2017
Got some good tips like how to read and think efficiently, and to improve memory power and concentration etc... from this book. Main con IMO is the complicated nature of the book. 60 % of the book is too complicated for a normal reader to understand but the remaining 40% is still worth the read and it is a short read too. 3.5/5
Profile Image for Laika.
75 reviews1 follower
February 27, 2023
I loved this book! I’m giving one star off because the language is very professional and old english, which makes it hard to comprehend quickly. For such a short book I spent a lot of time reading it, because of all the information it carried. It was a great book that changed my perspective on many things, and I would recommend it to many people.
Profile Image for Dr Ranjan.
27 reviews29 followers
March 3, 2025
Awesome Book. A. Besant, who is a theosophist explain origin, functioning and mechanism of action of individual and collective thoughts. Each thought is a living entity, has dual wave form as well visible form having a colour. In Man visible and invisible her colleague CW Leadbeater has given picture of thought forms, as perceived during clairvoyant investigations.
Understanding Science of Thought, One can achieve success in desired work; improve quality of life.
One can reach destination - enlightenment (all 5 initiations).
as a Teacher of metaphysics, I recommend all books of Annie Besant esp. Ancient Wisdom.
Her commentary on Voice of Silence (HPB) & Light on the Path (Mabel Collins) is excellent.
Prayer of Theosophy, O hidden Life ... O hidden Light ... O hidden Love
has been written by Annie Besant.
Patriji, Founder of worldwide Pyramid Spiritual Society Movement praise HPB n Besant in his 'Jai Ho Jai Ho' song.
Profile Image for Nahla Al Anqodi.
164 reviews3 followers
July 7, 2024
كتاب يقدم رؤية عميقة عن قدرة الافكار في تحسين حياتنا على كل الأصعدة الشخصية والروحيه وان افكارنا لا تؤثر فينا فقط ولكن تتجاوز الحواجز لتؤثر على الاخرين مما يجعلنا مسؤولين عن نوعية أفكارنا

"الافكار لديها القدرة على الشفاء والتدمير"
"عندما نملاء عقولنا بأفكار ايجابية نفتح الابواب امام الفرص
والإمكانيات اللامحدودة"
"‏الفكر هو الطاقة الحقيقية التي تشكل واقعنا ما نؤمن به ونتصوره في عقولنا يمكن ان يصبح حقيقية في حياتنا"

"نحن جزء من حياة عظيمة لا تعرف الفشل او ضياع الجهد أو القوة تطلب كل شىء بقوة ولطف في آن واحد لتقود العالم نحو هدفها"
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews

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