A SIMPLE AND GOOD GUIDE TO USE THE POWER OF VISUALIZATION FROM THE ONLY PERSONAL
STUDENT OF THE “MASTER OF MENTAL SCIENCE,” THOMAS TROWARD: A REVIEW OF GENEVIEVE
BEHREND’S
“YOUR INVISIBLE POWER”
Explaining how to harness the amazing power that exists in your mind is not
easy. Genevieve Behrend does a very good job to put in simple terms how to train
your thoughts to capture this power. The terms she uses have lost little of
their expression even though they were penned in 1921. Some of the Chapters in
particular are very helpful in understanding the process. Chapters 6 and 7 are
quite brief but they give a good foundation to the reader of what is needed to
utilize the power that exists through the mind. As reinforcement in a longer
chapter, Chapter 16 walks the reader through the process with helpful
suggestions. These chapters concentrate on the process.
Other chapters are interesting as well. Ms. Behrend writes of her own study of
mental science and how she became the only personal student of Thomas Troward.
She also writes in the beginning of the book about numerous examples of
successes due to her instruction.
The language and illustrations that Ms Behrend uses bring understanding to her
lessons. As she stated in her Forward: “Try to remember that the picture you
think, feel, and see is reflected into the Universal Mind, and by the natural
law of reciprocal action must return to you in either spiritual or physical
form. Knowledge of this law of reciprocal action between the individual and the
Universal Mind opens to you free access to all you may wish to possess or to
be.” As she further explains in Chapter 1: “In other words, when your
understanding grasps the power to visualize your heart’s desire and hold it with
your will, it attracts to you all things requisite to the fulfillment of that
picture by the harmonious vibrations of the law of attraction.” And in a graphic
picture of its own, Ms. Genevieve further describes: “You know that all you have
to do is to start the plastic substance of the Universe flowing into the
thought-moulds your picture-desire provides.”
Ms. Behrend uses an illustration of how our mind is part of the Universal Mind
in the way branches are part of the tree. The quote illustrates the Christian
context in which the power of the mind is described: “If we, as individual
branches of the Universal Mind, would refer our difficulties in the same
confident manner to the source from which we were projected, and use the
remedies which it has provided, we would realize what Jesus meant when he said,
‘Ask and ye shall receive.’ Our every requirement would be met. Surely the
Father must supply the child. The trunk of the tree cannot fail to provide for
its branches.”
Some of the Chapters are not as easy to follow. Chapters 12 and 13 talked about
the importance of Faith and how one could increase one’s Faith. These chapters
were more difficult to bring in line with the main message of the book. The
connection was as strong as other concepts.
Another concept that was not easy to follow was the importance of keeping the
desire of your powerful thought secret. The power did not seem to dissipate when
people told her of the power they were receiving due to her lessons. Still, Ms.
Genevieve states: “The more enthusiasm and faith you are able to put into your
picture, the more quickly it will come into visible form, and your enthusiasm is
increased by keeping your desire secret. The moment you speak it to any living
soul, that moment your power is weakened. Your power, your magnet of attraction
is not that strong, and consequently cannot reach so far. The more perfectly a
secret between your mind and your outer self is guarded, the more vitality you
give your power of attraction. One tells one’s troubles to weaken them, to get
them off one’s mind, and when a thought is given out, its power is dissipated.”
This concept may need more explanation than this brief document could explain,
but as stated it is not clear.
Overall, however, this book is excellent as a guide to understanding the power
of one’s mind. The examples used are vivid and expressive. No more demonstrative
example of the power of the mind was stated than the author’s own search for
$20,000 to be able to go to England and try to convince Thomas Troward to take
her on as a student. The ideas of how to reach that goal came in one after
another once she had her mind properly focused. As she described the process in
Chapter 15: “You are intent upon an idea not quite complete as to the ways and
means of fulfillment, and behold along comes another idea, from no one can tell
where, and find friendly lodging with your idea; one idea attracting another,
and so on until your desires are physical facts.” It is with this visualization
and focus that our ideas become reality.
