Law of Attraction - 12. DEVELOPING NEW BRAIN-CELLS: Molding Your Brain for Mastery - William Walker Atkinson cover art

Law of Attraction - 12. DEVELOPING NEW BRAIN-CELLS: Molding Your Brain for Mastery - William Walker Atkinson

Law of Attraction - 12. DEVELOPING NEW BRAIN-CELLS: Molding Your Brain for Mastery - William Walker Atkinson

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 Law of Attraction - 12. DEVELOPING NEW BRAIN-CELLS: Molding Your Brain for Mastery - William Walker Atkinson (1908)Chapter 12 of William Walker Atkinson's *Thought Vibration or the Law of Attraction in the Thought World* (1906), titled "Developing New Brain-Cells", represents a bold, pioneering application of New Thought principles to the emerging science of the mind and brain. Building on the preceding chapters—covering the psychology of emotion, habit training, life-force assertion, mental control, transmutation of negatives, immunity to injurious thoughts, the secret of the will, mind building, and thought waves—Atkinson here shifts focus to the plasticity of the brain and the power of directed thought to literally create new neural pathways and brain cells. He asserts that undesirable emotional states and habitual negative thinking result from overdeveloped "bad" brain centers, while positive transformation comes from deliberately cultivating new centers attuned to higher vibrations.Atkinson begins by addressing undesirable states of feeling—anger, fear, jealousy, envy, worry, and the like—which dominate so many lives. He insists that humans are **not creatures of their emotions**; rather, emotions arise from brain activity shaped by repeated thought patterns. The majority of people allow these lower emotions to govern them because certain brain centers have been over-exercised through habitual indulgence, while centers for higher qualities—courage, love, poise, self-control—remain underdeveloped or dormant. The brain, he explains, is not a fixed organ but highly adaptable. Through persistent mental effort, one can weaken overactive negative centers and stimulate the growth of new cells in regions corresponding to desired traits.This idea draws on early 20th-century notions of brain localization (functions tied to specific areas) combined with the New Thought belief in mental causation. Atkinson argues that thought vibrations impress themselves upon brain substance, gradually building or reinforcing neural structures. Just as physical exercise enlarges muscles, mental exercise enlarges and develops brain cells associated with the exercised faculty. To overcome a vice like anger, one does not merely suppress outbursts but starves the anger-center by refusing to dwell on angry thoughts, while actively feeding the opposite center—patience, forgiveness, calm—through repeated affirmations, visualizations, and deliberate cultivation of peaceful states.The chapter emphasizes practical techniques for this development. Atkinson advises readers to **select the quality** most needed—courage instead of fear, love instead of hate, self-control instead of impulsiveness—and hold it steadily before the mind. Visualize yourself embodying that quality: see yourself acting calmly in provoking situations, responding with poise to insults, radiating confidence amid uncertainty. Feel the emotion as vividly as possible, as if it were already your normal state. Repeat affirmations like "I am courageous," "I am poised," "I am filled with love," not mechanically but with earnest conviction and emotional intensity. This mental rehearsal, done consistently, impresses the brain, awakening latent cells and building new ones.Atkinson warns against half-hearted efforts. Sporadic attempts yield little; success requires persistence, just as building physical strength demands regular training. He likens the process to gardening: weed out negative thoughts ruthlessly (by refusing to entertain them) and nurture positive ones with steady attention. Over time, the negative centers atrophy from disuse, while positive ones flourish, leading to automatic, habitual expression of the desired traits. Emotions that once overwhelmed become manageable or disappear entirely, replaced by higher vibrations that attract corresponding outer conditions via the Law of Attraction.He addresses skepticism about "growing new brain cells," acknowledging that science of his day debated whether new neurons form in adulthood. Yet Atkinson points to observable changes—people who transform character dramatically, overcoming lifelong temper or timidity—as evidence of real physiological shifts. He frames this as part of mind-over-matter: thought, being the creative force, molds even physical structures. The brain serves as the instrument through which mind manifests; refining thought refines the instrument.A key theme is **balance and wholeness**. Developing one positive quality strengthens the entire mental structure, as all faculties interconnect. Cultivating courage bolsters self-confidence, which aids persistence, which supports success in desires. Atkinson urges readers to start with fundamentals—overcoming fear and worry (as emphasized in earlier chapters)—then progress to higher emotions like joy, gratitude, and universal love. This progression aligns the personal mind with Infinite Mind, amplifying manifestation power.The ...
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