Monday, December 22, 2025

Thomas Troward's The Dore Lectures on Mental Science, Chapter Eleven...Salvation is of the Jews

Thomas Troward's The Dore Lectures on Mental Science,

Chapter Eleven...Salvation is of the Jews

Chapter 11 of Thomas Troward's The Dore Lectures on Mental Science'Salvation is of the Jews,' offers a metaphysical and psychological reinterpretation of this biblical phrase, arguing that "salvation" (liberation and spiritual advancement) comes through the scientific, logical, and practical method of mental application, which Troward associates with the essential spirit of the Hebrew tradition.


1. The Meaning of "The Jews"

Troward's use of "The Jews" is not about race or religion, but represents the practical, methodical, and deductive quality of mind.

  • He posits that the Hebrew tradition, in its essence, embodies the concept of a single, all-powerful, and perfectly moral law that operates with mathematical certainty.

  • To be "of the Jews" means to base one's practice on the fixed, scientific Law that the Universal Creative Principle (the First Cause) always responds deductively to the thoughts impressed upon it.


2. Salvation as a Scientific Process

"Salvation" is interpreted not as theological redemption but as the progressive emancipation of the individual from the limitations of material conditions, suffering, and death.

  • This liberation is achieved through the scientific method—the consistent, logical application of the Law of Mind.

  • The individual who achieves salvation is one who has worked with the Law (the Stone from Chapter 10) in a fixed, deliberate, and practical manner, demonstrating its power over appearances.

  • This is contrasted with a purely emotional or mystical approach that lacks a systematic, repeatable method.


3. The Necessary Logical Sequence

The key message is that true spiritual progress requires a necessary logical sequence—the mental preparation that ensures the Law will work.

  • The sequence is: Thought $\rightarrow$ Belief $\rightarrow$ Manifestation.

  • The Jewish contribution (Troward's interpretation) is providing the fixed, logical principle upon which belief can securely rest. By establishing the absolute certainty of the Universal Law, the individual can build an unshakable faith (belief) that guarantees the desired outcome (manifestation).

  • In essence, the lecture affirms that to achieve salvation (mastery over conditions), one must employ a practical, methodical, and logical approach to mental science, treating the Universal Mind as an absolutely reliable operating principle.


This chapter reinforces Troward's overall theme: that success in mental science is a matter of scientific certainty rather than hopeful chance, and that the fixed nature of the Law is the key to our ultimate freedom.

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Source

Google Gemini


Sunday, December 21, 2025

Thomas Troward's The Dore Lectures on Mental Science, Chapter Ten...The Shepherd and the Stone

Thomas Troward's The Dore Lectures on Mental Science,

Chapter Ten...The Shepherd and the Stone

Chapter 10 of Thomas Troward's The Dore Lectures on Mental Science'The Shepherd and the Stone,' is a lecture that draws upon an ancient esoteric interpretation of a biblical reference to synthesize his core principles regarding the true, self-sustaining nature of the Divine Life (the Shepherd) and the individual's role in realizing that life (the Stone).


1. The Shephard (The Source of Supply)

Troward's use of 'The Shepherd' refers to the Universal Spirit of Life—the all-providing, all-sustaining, and self-sufficient Source of all existence.

  • In a metaphysical context, the Shepherd symbolizes the Principle of Eternal Supply that perpetually moves to express itself more fully through all channels of life.

  • The Shepherd (Life Principle) is never in want because it is the originating cause of all things. It does not need to receive anything to exist; it only needs to express itself.

  • The realization of this truth—that the ultimate source of one's life is a Shepherd that wants for nothing—is the foundation for overcoming the fear of lack and insufficiency in the individual's life.


2. The Stone (The Fixed Principle)

The 'Stone' refers to a hidden principle or foundation upon which the Shepherd's operation rests.

  • This metaphor often relates to the "stone which the builders rejected" becoming the chief cornerstone, which Troward interprets as the unshakable, fixed truth of the self-sufficiency of the Spirit.

  • The Stone represents the absolute, fixed Law of Being—the unwavering principle of the Great Affirmative—that Life is inherently Good, Unlimited, and always seeking expression.

  • To stand upon the Stone means to rest one's belief entirely upon this unwavering principle rather than upon the shifting sands of external conditions (facts and appearances).


3. The Union and Practical Application

The union of The Shepherd and the Stone provides the individual with the practical formula for demonstration:

  1. Look to the Shepherd (Conscious Thought): The individual must consciously look to the Principle of Infinite Supply as their true source, detaching their thoughts from material lack or current limiting circumstances.

  2. Rest on the Stone (Subconscious Belief): The individual must embed the certainty of this Infinite Supply into their subconscious mind (the Stone), making it an unshakable foundation of belief.

By adopting this mental attitude, the individual's mind becomes the perfect channel for the Shepherd's abundance to flow and manifest externally, based on the fixed, unchanging law of the Stone. The individual is thus lifted out of the law of averages and into the law of divine provision.


The lecture is a powerful reminder that our success is guaranteed not by our striving, but by our alignment with and trust in the Universal Law of Life and Good, which is always providing and sustaining itself through us.

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Source

Google Gemini


Saturday, December 20, 2025

Thomas Troward's The Dore Lectures on Mental Science, Chapter Nine...The Story of Eden

Thomas Troward's The Dore Lectures on Mental Science,

Chapter Nine...The Story of Eden

Chapter 9 of Thomas Troward's The Dore Lectures on Mental Science'The Story of Eden,' offers a metaphysical and psychological interpretation of the biblical story, translating it into an allegory for the fall of man's consciousness into limitation and the origin of our limited mode of thinking.


1. The Allegory of the Fall

Troward interprets the story of Eden as an account of the individual mind misusing its creative power.

  • Man's Creation: Man was created to be the conscious, self-recognizing channel for the Divine Life, existing in a state of spontaneous harmony ("Eden").

  • The "Fall" (The Inverted Thought): The act of taking the "fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil" represents the individual's mind choosing to form a separate judgment about life, apart from the judgment of the Creative Spirit (the Great Affirmative from Chapter 7).

  • Eve's Action: This is a metaphor for the subjective/intuitive mind taking precedence over the objective/reasoning mind. The subjective mind accepts a limiting suggestion (fear, doubt, limitation) as truth, which leads to the subsequent creation of undesirable conditions.


2. The Cause of Death and Limitation

The consequence of this inverted mode of thinking is the introduction of limitation and death—not as a punishment imposed by an external God, but as the natural, deductive consequence of the mind's own action.

  • The Creative Spirit's Thought: The Divine thought is always Life, Good, and Expansion.

  • Man's Thought (The Inversion): Man's inverted thought introduces a conception of lack, suffering, and decay.

  • The Result: Because thought is the only creative power, this difference of opinion—the individual's belief in limitation instead of the Spirit's affirmation of Life—naturally results in the experience of death and suffering.

As Troward notes, the core message is that death is not inherent in the essence of man's creation but supervened as the consequence of an inverted mode of thinking.


3. The Bible as a Path of Correction

Troward posits that the entire story of the Bible, following the Eden narrative, is a prolonged effort to correct this difference of opinion between the individual and the Spirit of Life.

  • The purpose is to lead man to adopt the Spirit's opinion (The Great Affirmative) as his own, thus reversing the inverted thinking that led to the "fall."

  • By recognizing that the Creative Spirit's opinion is the truer one and aligning our thoughts accordingly, we begin the process of emancipation from sorrow, sickness, and death.

This chapter shifts the focus of the Eden story from a historical event to a psychological principle demonstrating how the individual mind’s freedom to choose its belief system is the source of its power and the explanation for its current limited experience.

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Source

Google Gemini


Friday, December 19, 2025

Thomas Troward's The Dore Lectures on Mental Science, Chapter Eight...Christ the Fulfilling of the Law

Thomas Troward's The Dore Lectures on Mental Science,

Chapter Eight...Christ the Fulfilling of the Law

Chapter 8 of Thomas Troward's The Dore Lectures on Mental Science'Christ the Fulfilling of the Law,' is the concluding lecture and the only one to use an explicitly religious title. Troward uses the concept of "Christ" not as a historical personage but as a Universal Principle—the perfect realization of the law of creative expression—which the individual must embody.


1. The Christ Principle as Perfected Individuality

Troward defines the Christ as the Principle of the Divine Man—the ultimate fulfillment and perfect expression of the Law of Life in and through an individual.

  • This principle represents the complete realization of Individuality (Chapter 2) in perfect harmony with the Universal Law (Chapter 3).

  • The Fulfilling of the Law is the complete subordination of matter and material conditions to the dominion of the informing Spirit, leading to absolute harmony, health, and freedom from all limitation.


2. The Necessary Realization

The individual must realize two fundamental truths to embody this Christ Principle:

  1. The All-Power of the Spirit (The Great Affirmative): The complete and unwavering certainty that the only source of power is the Living Spirit of Good (Chapter 7), and that limitation and evil are not inherent powers but the result of the mind's failure to recognize this truth.

  2. The Oneness of the Individual Mind with the Universal Mind: The realization that the individual mind is not a mere offshoot but a specialized center of the Universal Mind, capable of drawing upon the whole store of creative power.


3. Embodying the Law of Attraction

The Christ Principle embodies the perfect law of attraction and correspondence.

  • By constantly affirming and realizing the Goodness and Power of the Source, the individual mind sets up a magnetic center that attracts conditions, circumstances, and ideas that correspond to that realization.

  • This is the practical means of fulfilling the law—by making the internal thought and feeling (the Alpha) so clear and consistent that the Universal Mind must logically bring forth the corresponding external fact (the Omega).


4. Conclusion: The Final Word

Troward concludes by emphasizing that true spiritual and mental mastery is not a matter of mystery or arbitrary favor, but the logical outcome of understanding and working with the immutable laws of cause and effect in the mental realm. The Christ Principle is the embodiment of this ultimate success, serving as the blueprint for every individual's own progressive realization and fulfillment of the Law of Life.

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Source

Google Gemini

Thursday, December 18, 2025

Thomas Troward's The Dore Lectures on Mental Science, Chapter Seven...The Great Affirmative

Thomas Troward's The Dore Lectures on Mental Science,

Chapter Seven...The Great Affirmative

Chapter 7 of Thomas Troward's The Dore Lectures on Mental Science'The Great Affirmative,' culminates the preceding lectures by asserting the sole power and fundamental goodness of the Universal Spirit (God/First Cause). It provides the essential, foundational mental attitude required for all successful application of Mental Science.


1. The Nature of the Great Affirmative

The "Great Affirmative" is the unqualified declaration that the Originating Power of the universe is Pure Spirit and that its essential nature is Life and Good.

  • This Affirmative is the master key to successful creation because it establishes the true operating principle.

  • If we believe in an Original Power that is limited, capricious, or capable of producing evil, we subject ourselves to these limitations.

  • By affirming the fundamental Goodness and Life of the Universal Mind, we align ourselves with a force of infinite and benevolent creative capacity.


2. The Illusion of the Opposite

Troward addresses the logical necessity of evil, suffering, or lack, and dismisses it as a lack of realization, not an original creative force.

  • Evil, like darkness, is simply the absence of light; it is not a power in itself.

  • The only power in the universe is Good, and any apparent evil results from the individual's failure to recognize or fully utilize this Life Principle.

  • Limitation is only caused by the belief in limitation. By consistently affirming the Great Affirmative, the individual dissolves the subconscious beliefs in limitation, allowing the power of Good to flow unimpeded.


3. The Practical Application of the Affirmative

The Great Affirmative is not just a philosophical statement; it is a practical working premise.

  • It teaches the individual to turn away from symptoms of sickness, lack, or fear (which are merely the negative consequences of past thought) and to rest completely in the certainty of the originating, all-powerful Good.

  • The mind must be kept fixed on the principle of Life and Abundance, rather than the specific facts of the current limited condition.

  • This affirmation of Oneness with the Source—that one's mind is a center of Divine operation—is the means by which the individual gains mastery over conditions, as they are drawing on the only true creative power in existence.


4. The Mind as a Divine Center

The ultimate result of the Great Affirmative is the realization that "My mind is a center of Divine operation."

  • The Divine operation is always for expansion and fuller expression (new creation).

  • Since the Divine cannot change its inherent nature, it must operate in the same way through the individual mind, producing new, better conditions in their specific world, always advancing beyond previous experiences.

This realization ensures a continuous, progressive manifestation of harmony and prosperity, based on the unwavering premise that the source of all power is inherently good and unlimited.

You can further explore the foundational ideas of Troward's philosophy on the Universal Mind and creative power: Thomas Troward on Manifestation: The Power of Thought, Feeling, and Belief.


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Source

Google Gemini

Wednesday, December 17, 2025

Thomas Troward's The Dore Lectures on Mental Science, Chapter Six...The Creative Power of Thought

Thomas Troward's The Dore Lectures on Mental Science,

Chapter Six...The Creative Power of Thought

Chapter 6 of Thomas Troward's The Dore Lectures on Mental Science'The Creative Power of Thought,' focuses on the logical basis for why individual thought possesses creative power and the correct method for applying it to shape external reality.


1. Thought's Divine Origin

Troward's starting point is the axiom that Thought possesses creative power because it is identical in kind with the thought of the Originating Spirit (Divine Mind) that created the cosmos.

  • Since the whole creative process consists of the Universal Spirit continually expressing itself through the individual, any genuine thinking power must be an expression of the same power latent in the Originating Spirit.

  • Man is a thought of the Parent Mind; by consciously thinking this thought (realizing his Divine nature), he ensures his own perpetuation and draws from the infinite potential of the Universal Mind.


2. Standing Between Two Infinites

The realization of man's creative ability places him "standing between two infinites":

  • The Infinite of Mind: The Universal Mind, from which we draw the creative power.

  • The Infinite of Substance: The primary, formless substance (ether), which our thought can mould.

Recognizing this, the individual can use the Creative Power drawn from the Universal Mind to impress specific conditions onto the Universal Substance, thereby shaping their external circumstances, including their body.


3. The Right Mode of Application

Troward emphasizes that this creative power is not exercised through personal will-force applied directly to the substance, which is a common and error-prone misconception.

  • The correct approach is to realize the individual mind as a channel through which the Universal Mind operates upon Substance.

  • This operation occurs according to the mode of thought that the individual is seeking to embody.


4. Concentrating on Principles

For the most effective and harmonious creation, Troward instructs the reader to concentrate thought on principles rather than on particular things.

  • The principles originate from the Divine Mind (e.g., the principle of health, abundance, or harmony).

  • When we focus on the principle, we enable it to manifest its corresponding facts (the physical manifestation) in our lives.

  • This avoids antagonism and ensures that our individual creative use of the power is a particular application of a universal power, maintaining harmony across all individual expressions.

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Source

Google Gemini

Tuesday, December 16, 2025

Thomas Troward's The Dore Lectures on Mental Science, Chapter Five...Alpha and the Omega

Thomas Troward's The Dore Lectures on Mental Science,

Chapter Five...Alpha and the Omega

Chapter 5 of Thomas Troward's The Dore Lectures on Mental Science'Alpha and the Omega,' deals with the necessary completion of the creative process, explaining that every thought, idea, or creative act must return to its source, the individual mind, in the form of manifested reality.


1. The Circularity of the Creative Process

Troward's title, 'Alpha and the Omega,' signifies the completeness of the creative cycle, where the beginning (Alpha) and the ending (Omega) are connected:

  • Alpha (The Starting Point): The thought, idea, or desire formed in the individual's mind.

  • Omega (The Destination): The ultimate physical manifestation of that original thought.

The law is that every creative emanation must complete its circuit and return to its point of departure in the form of manifestation. This means that when you project a thought of wealth, health, or harmony, the Universal Law compels the corresponding return of that reality to your personal sphere.


2. The Universal Medium of Thought

The chapter emphasizes that the Universal Mind (or the subjective mind) is the medium through which all individualized creative thought operates.

  • Your thought is essentially a spiritual energy that leaves your conscious mind and is impressed upon the receptive, formative Universal Mind.

  • The Universal Mind, acting deductively, takes the quality of the thought you impress upon it and immediately begins to organize corresponding objective conditions to bring that thought into reality.


3. The Power of Intentional Impression

Troward highlights the importance of the deliberate intention behind the thought. While the Universal Mind is not a conscious thinker, it is a perfect executor of the thoughts impressed upon it.

  • The only check or obstacle to the return of the manifestation is an alteration or contradiction in the original thought by the sender (the individual).

  • If the individual wavers, fears, or doubts, they impress a new thought on the Universal Mind, interrupting the creative process of the first idea.


4. Resting in Assurance (The Omega)

True success in Mental Science relies on understanding that the completion (the Omega) is certain once the initial impression (the Alpha) has been clearly and confidently made.

  • The individual must maintain a state of calm assurance and certainty that the creative law is already in motion and is bringing the desired reality back to them.

  • This rest, or "resting in the assurance," is not passive waiting but the deliberate maintenance of a mental attitude that is harmonious with the idea that has been sent forth. This ensures the creative circuit remains unbroken until the manifestation is complete.

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Source

Google Gemini

Sunday, December 14, 2025

Thomas Troward's The Dore Lectures on Mental Science, Chapter Four...The Life of the Spirit

Thomas Troward's The Dore Lectures on Mental Science,

Chapter Four...The Life of the Spirit

Chapter 4 of Thomas Troward's The Dore Lectures on Mental Science'The Life of the Spirit,' provides a practical guide on how the individual can deliberately cultivate a consciousness that allows the Universal Life Principle (the Spirit) to flow through them, enriching their personal life and circumstances.


1. The Necessity of Repose and Stillness

The chapter emphasizes that the activity of the Spirit requires a counter-balancing repose on the part of the individual.

  • The individual mind is the channel through which the Universal Life flows, but the channel must be clear and still to receive the full flow.

  • By cultivating a state of repose or stillness in the mind, the individual allows the Universal Livingness to provide innumerable avenues for enrichment, whether in giving or receiving, which they had never before suspected.

  • This is a purposeful attitude, where the will does not relax its control, but merely alters its direction from external effort to internal receptivity.


2. The Power of Unrecognized Working

Troward discusses the unrecognized working of the Spirit, which is the sub-conscious mind at the individual level and the silent power of evolution at the universal level.

  • This unrecognized power is the spring of all automatic action in the body and mind.

  • By conscious recognition and rapport with this power, the individual can gradually bring the automatic action of their circumstances under their control, eventually controlling their whole individual world.


3. How to Contact the Sub-Conscious Mind

The chapter provides the practical key to putting oneself in touch with the sub-conscious (subjective) mind, which is the link to the Universal Spirit. This clue is found in the impersonal quality of the sub-conscious mind.

  • Pure Being: To make contact, we must endeavor to think of ourselves as Pure Being—the entity that interiorly supports the outward manifestation—losing sight of the facts connected with the external personality (Kim’s riddle in Kipling’s story is used as an analogy).

  • Affirmation of Good: The essential quality of Pure Being is Good (pure Life). Therefore, the purer our intentions, the more readily we connect with our subjective entity, and by extension, the Greater Sub-conscious Mind.

  • The Deductive Process: The Universal Mind acts deductively—it starts with the principle and applies it, not inductively (working from a concrete pattern). Therefore, the individual must form a clear, objective conception of the idea they wish to convey, and then mentally impress this idea onto the subjective mind as though it were an independent entity.


4. Subjective States are Reality

The chapter concludes with the fundamental law of the subjective life: "As a man thinketh in his heart, so is he."

  • Our inward, subjective states are the true reality.

  • What we call external realities are only their objective correspondences.

  • By entering into the life of the Spirit through conscious, deliberate thought and feeling, we make that Spirit's inherent reality manifest in our external world.

For more insights into Troward's philosophy on the nature of reality and the Universal Mind, you can listen to The Edinburgh Lectures on Mental Science Full Audiobook.

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Source

Google Gemini

Saturday, December 13, 2025

Thomas Troward's The Dore Lectures on Mental Science, Chapter Three...The New Thought and the New Order

Thomas Troward's The Dore Lectures on Mental Science,

Chapter Three...The New Thought and the New Order

Chapter 3 of Thomas Troward's The Dore Lectures on Mental Science, titled 'The New Thought and the New Order,' focuses on the transition from old, limited ways of thinking to an enlightened, expansive consciousness that recognizes and utilizes the infinite possibilities of Universal Law.


1. Transitioning to the New Thought

Troward describes the "New Thought" not as a fixed system but as the result of an enlightened intelligence stemming from a persistent determination to discover truth, independent of preconceived notions or old frameworks.

  • The Old Order: The old, limited mode of thought is based on judging solely by external appearances and superficial interpretations of words, which bind people to a limited perception of reality.

  • The New Order: When one begins to inquire into the real causes behind appearances, the old notions fall away, and the individual steps out into a new order characterized by liberty and life. This is a liberation from the restrictive logic of the senses.


2. The Personal Factor in Universal Law

A key idea is the relationship between Universal Law and the Personal Factor (the individual human mind).

  • The Laws of the Universe are eternal and cannot be broken. However, Troward asserts that these laws can be made to work under special conditions that produce results not achievable under the conditions spontaneously provided by nature.

  • The personal factor—the intelligent mind of the individual—is the instrumentality by which the infinite possibilities of the Law can be realized. It is the intelligence that looks beyond the present limited manifestation of the Law into its real essence.

  • This is analogous to scientific progress: iron, which naturally sinks, is made to float by applying the law of flotation in a specialized way (shaping it into a ship that displaces more liquid mass than its weight).


3. The Power of Specialized Thought

The ability to create this "New Order" hinges on the individual's capacity for specialized thought and action.

  • The Universal Spirit, without the element of individual personality, can only work cosmically by a generic law (the law of averages).

  • The introduction of the personal factor allows for far higher specialization of this law, enabling the individual to draw from the universal source to meet specific, desired ends.

  • The New Thought provides the logical, reasoned understanding of this process, teaching how to intentionally select the conditions (i.e., the specific mental attitude or feeling) necessary to make the Universal Law work in a way that manifests a new, desired result (the New Order).

This lecture provides the foundation for the practical application of mental science, showing that while we are subject to law, we have the intelligence to apply that law in new, life-enhancing ways.

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Source

Google Gemini

Friday, December 12, 2025

Thomas Troward's The Dore Lectures on Mental Science, Chapter Two...Individuality

Thomas Troward's The Dore Lectures on Mental Science,

Chapter Two...Individuality

Chapter 2 of Thomas Troward's The Dore Lectures on Mental Science, titled 'Individuality,' explores the essential nature of the individual as a necessary channel for the Universal Creative Power, emphasizing that true livingness is measured by intelligence and will.


1. The Measure of Livingness

Troward begins by noting the graded scale of life in the universe, from inanimate matter to man. The difference in the quality of "livingness" between a plant, a fish, an animal, and a human is determined by the degree of intelligence.

  • The higher the intelligence, the more completely the mode of motion (action/experience) is under its conscious control.

  • Intelligence is therefore the essential quality of Spirit (Life), while Form is the distinctive quality of Matter.


2. The Universal vs. The Individual

The chapter makes a crucial distinction between:

  • Cosmic Intelligence (Universal Law): This operates by a law of averages for the maintenance and advancement of the race. It is a process in which the individual has not taken a conscious, volitional part.

  • Individual Intelligence: This is differentiated from the Cosmic Intelligence by the presence of individual volition (will-power). It represents the highest product of the cosmic evolutionary process.

Troward argues that as intelligence advances, the individual is increasingly taken out of the law of averages and gains greater power in controlling the conditions of their own survival.


3. Man's Function as a Distributor

Troward's central tenet in this chapter is that the Universal can only act on the plane of the Particular by becoming the particular—that is, by expressing itself through the individual.

  • Man's function in the cosmic order is to act as a distributor of the Divine power.

  • Our part is to provide a concrete center around which the Divine energies can play, attracting and differentiating the undistributed flow of the Universal into suitable directions.

  • This means that our individual creative power must be in harmony with the Universal Principle, because we are distributing, not originally creating, the power.


4. The Power of Self-Recognition

The chapter concludes by defining the highest form of self-recognition:

  • Lower Self-Recognition: Realizing the self as the ego—separate and distinct from the non-ego (everything else).

  • Higher Self-Recognition: Realizing one's own spiritual nature as an individualization of pure Spirit, seeing others not as the non-ego, but as the alter-ego (another self) in a different mode of expression.

This higher recognition of self necessarily controls the lower modes of spirit (matter/circumstance) that have not yet reached the same level of self-recognition, as those lower modes are in bondage to a law they do not yet know.

The book The Creative Process in the Individual explores similar concepts about how individuals harness universal creative power: The Creative Process In The Individual – Audiobook preview.

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Source

Google Gemini

Tuesday, December 9, 2025

Thomas Troward's The Dore Lectures on Mental Science, Chapter One...Entering into the Spirit of it

Thomas Troward's The Dore Lectures on Mental Science,

Chapter One...Entering into the Spirit of it

Chapter 1 of Thomas Troward's The Dore Lectures on Mental Science, titled 'Entering into the Spirit of it,' establishes the fundamental principle of the entire course: that to benefit from any creation, one must understand and participate in the creative idea behind it.

The synopsis of the chapter is as follows:

1. The Meaning of "The Spirit"

Troward defines the "Spirit" of a thing as the idea, creative impulse, or living principle that gives it life, movement, and existence. Just as one must appreciate the thought of the author or the feeling of the musician to fully enjoy their work, one must also "enter into the Spirit" of the universe to understand and utilize its laws. If you cannot enter into the spirit of a thing, it remains "dead" to you.


2. The Nature of the Primal Power

The chapter focuses on identifying the nature of the primal moving power that is the source of all life. Troward argues that physical science, by reducing all material things to a universally distributed ether in absolute equilibrium, logically compels the deduction of an immaterial power—the Spirit—that must have initiated the first movement of creation.


3. The Creative Mind Analogy

Troward draws an analogy between an artist's original creation (a work of art, literature, or music) and the creation of the universe by the "Greater Creative Mind" (the Parent Mind/First Cause).

  • The artist's work is driven by an inner "motif" or feeling—a reaching out for self-realization.

  • Similarly, the initial movement of creation by the Parent Mind must have been purely a matter of inner feeling because, being the First Cause, no existing conditions could have externally compelled its action.


4. The Conclusion: Entering into the Feeling

The core lesson is that since the creative process originates in the feeling or motive of the Universal Mind, to cooperate with the creative power, the student must learn to partake of this feeling. By entering into the original creative feeling of Life, one accesses the "fons et origo" (source and origin) of the entire chain of causation, allowing the individual to reproduce that livingness and creative power in their own lives.

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Source

Google Gemini