The Hermetic Law of Mentalism

Introduction to the Hermetic Law of Mentalism

William Walker Atkinson formally outlined the Hermetic principles in the early 20th century in his book, The Kybalion. It’s an excellent book, and I often refer to it. It's an excellent summary of many Hermetic writings, but it's not a replacement for reading the Hermetica itself, as some might think. While it provides a wonderful way to distill the various ideas found in the Hermetica, I still recommend reading the original Hermetic texts for a deeper understanding.

The Law of Mentalism suggests that everything is mind—nothing exists beyond it. Some may argue otherwise, but how would you know? The only way you experience anything is through your mind. You see, feel, taste, and hear through your senses, but your mind interprets those experiences. How can you be sure that what you perceive is objectively real? Everything you know is filtered through your mind.

The Mind as the Basis of Reality

The only thing you can truly be certain of is that you think. From the perspective of ancient wisdom, that’s all there is—just the mind. When people think of concepts like God, the Creator, or the All, they often imagine a separate being, like a figure in the sky, controlling everything. But this idea doesn’t fit with the principle of the mind. If we all know the mind, then the universe itself is mind. By this logic, God or the Creator isn’t something separate—it’s the mind itself. You could think of God as the first idea, the original concept. It’s like the mind to expand, and as it does, the universe comes into being. In this way, you are also an idea within the mind of the Creator.

You’re not just a body—you are a thought, an idea. Yes, you have a body, but that’s how you interact with this world. You perceive your body and the world around you through your mind. Your sense organs send bits of energy to your brain, but your mind interprets and gives meaning to those signals. So, at its core, your experience of the world is shaped entirely by the mind. What part of you understands and interprets energy? It’s your mind. In reality, nothing exists outside of your mind.

The Unity of Mental and Physical Worlds

We often talk about two worlds—the mental and the physical, or the mortal and the mental—because it helps us simplify and understand things. But ultimately, there’s only one world, and it’s all mental. People often underestimate the mind, thinking it’s less important than the physical or mortal world. You hear phrases like, "Oh, it’s just in your mind," as if that makes it insignificant. But the truth is, everything is in your mind. Everything starts and exists there. When the Bible says that God created man in His image, male and female, God created an idea of you. God imagined you into existence. You are the product of God’s imagination. Think about that for a moment. Imagine you are a product of God's imagination, created by divine thought and careful conceptualization.

You were imagined as a unique soul, with every aspect of your being stemming from this imagination, extended outward. We often say you are an extension of light, and light represents the ideas of God—the ideas of the divine, the all, the one. From this perspective, light is a metaphor for understanding and a representation of divine thought itself. Everything you are and experience is a result of this imaginative process. The mind, then, remains the key to understanding the universe. It’s not a lesser reality; it’s the only reality. In recognizing this, you can begin to understand your place as both a creation of the divine mind and a contributor to the ongoing expansion of that divine imagination.

The Illusion of Separation

When considering the Law of Mentalism, we discover that we’ve elevated our conscious surface mind, mistaking it for our true selves. As we grow in our spiritual journey or practice, we understand that the mind operates on different levels. Ancient philosophies often describe these levels as the "father" and "mother" aspects of the mind, representing a deeper, more unified understanding of ourselves. The "father" aspect refers to the conscious mind. When we focus on elevating our thoughts instead of dwelling on petty or trivial ones, we align with what some call the "god mind" or the masculine mind. The "mother" aspect represents the part of the mind that exists beyond our conscious awareness. It is often described as the feminine or "goddess mind"—the creative force that transcends understanding, serving as the womb of all creation.

While the "father" and "mother" aspects of the mind have different functions, they coexist within the same mind and work together in harmony. This concept can be visualized using the Tree of Life. The second sphere represents the conscious mind, the third sphere symbolizes the unconscious mind, and the top sphere represents the oneness of all creation. It is through the activity of these aspects of the mind that creation occurs. We create in the same way that we were created. For example, if you think of God as the oneness that expresses itself as both "father" and "mother," it becomes clear that there is no actual division between them. Just as a magnet cannot be split into separate poles—each half becomes a new magnet with both positive and negative poles—the interplay of polarity remains intact.

Similarly, the "father" and "mother" aspects aren’t separate; they are two expressions of the same underlying oneness. This principle highlights the two key functions of the mind: the conscious mind and the deep, unconscious mind. The interaction between these two drives all creation and reflects the principle of mentalism, where everything is interconnected.

The Power of the Mind in Magic

When it comes to magic, it doesn’t matter whether your goals are practical—like paying a bill, getting a new car, or finding a partner—or more spiritual, like achieving inner peace or transcending aspects of your ego. The process is the same. It’s all rooted in the interplay of the positive and negative, the masculine and feminine, or your mind's conscious and unconscious aspects.

The unconscious mind works like a womb—it receives and nurtures the ideas planted by the conscious mind. Just as the earth doesn’t choose which seeds to accept, the unconscious mind doesn’t decide what it takes. That’s the conscious mind's job, which acts as the decision-maker. This is why breaking free from specific life patterns can be so challenging—it requires the discipline to choose and change the ideas you’re planting consciously.

You can tell someone endlessly that it’s "all in their mind," that they have control over their thoughts, and that they can choose better ones. But unless they’re willing to recognize the need to discipline their conscious mind, nothing will change. It’s like telling a thirsty person there’s water available—they won’t stop being thirsty until they’re willing to turn on the tap, fill a glass, and drink it. Simply repeating “there’s water” doesn’t help. They have to choose to take action.

The conscious mind is the only part of our mind we can control in this world. It’s what plants ideas into the unconscious mind, which is beyond our control. Once we understand this, we can start taking responsibility for the “seeds” we grow. This realization shows us our power, and the results speak for themselves.

Planting Seeds in the Mind

There are many tools and techniques for planting seeds in the mind. In magic, we use both mental practices and physical symbols. Even outside of magic, there are methods like hypnotherapy, prayer, and meditation. But none of these will work unless you take responsibility for your thoughts throughout the day. Discipline is key. Until you train your wandering mind, you’ll continue to get the same results because your mind is planting seeds on autopilot. No one else can fix this for you. Wishing it were easier or that an outside force could do it for you won’t change anything.

Even when you rely on a higher power, like I do with the solar light, to help with things beyond your control, it’s still your responsibility to keep your mind focused. You can’t slip back into old habits of dwelling on problems, worries, grievances, or desires that hold you back. While calling on a greater force can be helpful, ultimately, it’s a higher part of your mind you’re accessing. It may feel separate because it’s so different from your usual way of thinking, but it’s still a part of you. However, keeping your conscious mind anchored and focused on that higher power is always up to you.

Knowing everything originates in the mind, but living that truth is another. That’s why I encourage you to find a daily practice to help focus and discipline your mind. A great example is the “magic minute” technique because it’s simple, effective, and takes little time. Even five minutes spent focusing your mind in the morning can make a difference.

Creating Daily Practices for Mental Focus

If you can expand it to 20 minutes, that’s incredible, but consistency—no matter the duration—is key. Starting your day with a focused mind creates a powerful habit. Over time, this habit can shift how you approach challenges. Instead of spinning your wheels when faced with a problem, you’ll naturally start looking for solutions because you’ve trained your mind to focus.

This morning practice works almost like a guide for the rest of the day, keeping you grounded and solution-oriented. If you incorporate a similar practice at night, you'll gain even more control over your mind. And more control over your mind means more power, not new power, but the power you've always had but may not have used. It's like having unlimited power available to you at all times, but falling back into old habits makes it easy to overlook or ignore it.

Disciplining your mind allows you to tap into this power and live with greater intention and focus. Often, we resist taking control of our minds. We tell ourselves it’s too hard, but that’s how we’ve conditioned ourselves to think. It’s not hard—it’s a matter of deciding to commit and taking action.

The Law of Mentalism: Where Creation Begins

If you want something new beyond the same old patterns, then it starts with learning to create where all creation begins: in the mind. By disciplining your conscious mind, you gain power over your thoughts and your life as a whole. Consider this idea: everything starts with mentalism. Even when facing physical challenges or problems, they all originate in your mind, and you can control and redirect your thoughts.

One of the first steps to controlling your mind is controlling your words. While monitoring every thought is difficult, it’s much easier to be mindful of the words you speak. You can take it back if you say something you didn’t mean. You can remove it from the law of cause and effect by simply stating, “I take that back” or “I take that out of the law of cause and effect.”

Doing this helps build mental habits and keeps you more aware and intentional about the thoughts you’re planting in your subconscious mind. Things begin to shift when you take charge of your mind and discipline your thoughts. You’ll notice that your life starts working out differently because you’ve gained control over a part of your mind that was previously unmanaged.

Building Momentum Through Mental Discipline

This shift doesn’t happen overnight, but with practice, the results speak for themselves. Discipline creates momentum, and momentum creates change. While it can feel challenging at first, the power of your mind grows stronger the more you dedicate time to focusing and redirecting it.

Ultimately, gaining control of your mind isn’t only about achieving specific goals—it’s about unlocking the full potential of your life. The power to create, transform, and grow lies within you. By recognizing this and committing to daily practices, you’ll improve your mental focus and see tangible results in every area of your life.

The key takeaway from the Law of Mentalism is that everything starts in the mind. By understanding this and disciplining your thoughts, you can live with greater clarity, intention, and purpose. What seeds will you plant today? The choice is yours.

Recommended Reading

1. The Kybalion by Three Initiates

2. The Hermetica: The Lost Wisdom of the Pharaohs by Timothy Freke and Peter Gandy

3. The Power of Your Subconscious Mind by Joseph Murphy

4. The Divine Matrix: Bridging Time, Space, Miracles, and Belief by Gregg Braden

5. The Tree of Life: A Study in Magic by Israel Regardie

6. Initiation into Hermetics by Franz Bardon

7. Thought Vibration or the Law of Attraction in the Thought World by William Walker Atkinson

8. Practical Mental Influence by William Walker Atkinson

9. Creative Visualization by Shakti Gawain

10. The Inner Temple of Witchcraft: Magick, Meditation and Psychic Development by Christopher Penczak