Capítulo 1
The Magic of Belief: Unlocking Your Mind's Hidden Power
Have you ever wondered why some people seem to effortlessly attract success while others struggle despite equal talent and effort? The answer may lie in a force so powerful yet so misunderstood that it has shaped human destiny throughout history. Claude M. Bristol's "The Magic of Believing" reveals this transformative secret-a science of belief that has helped thousands multiply their incomes, overcome seemingly impossible obstacles, and achieve what others deemed unattainable. This isn't just another self-help book; it's a practical manual for harnessing mental power that has influenced luminaries from Liberace to Phyllis Diller. Written during the aftermath of the Great Depression, its principles have proven timeless, with modern neuroscience and quantum physics increasingly validating what Bristol discovered through years of research and personal experimentation. Whether you're seeking financial abundance, career advancement, or personal fulfillment, the science of belief offers a proven pathway to transform your deepest desires into tangible reality.
Capítulo 2
The Discovery of Belief's Extraordinary Power
Is there a mysterious force that some people instinctively understand and use to achieve outstanding success? Claude Bristol firmly believed there is. His journey to this discovery began during World War I, when as a penniless soldier on a crowded troop train in France, he made a pivotal declaration: "I would have a lot of money" upon returning to civilian life. This simple statement, spoken with conviction in a moment of clarity, altered the entire pattern of his existence.
Though familiar with scientific concepts like vibrations and frequencies from his youthful studies, Bristol hadn't yet connected them to mental power. After the war, mysterious forces began working in his favor. He was unexpectedly transferred from dangerous ammunition duty to First Army Headquarters, then to the Stars and Stripes newspaper. Upon returning home, a surprise phone call led him into investment banking where he achieved the fortune he had visualized. Throughout those years, he maintained constant mental pictures of wealth, even habitually "doodling" dollar signs on every paper that crossed his desk.
Bristol witnessed this same power work in countless ways-from manifesting rare Trappist cheese on an ocean liner when none was thought to be aboard, to receiving special treatment from a ship's captain who inexplicably felt compelled to seat him at his table. These weren't mere coincidences but demonstrations of the science of belief in action.
The power extends even to physical healing-from warts disappearing through suggestion to potentially more remarkable cures as we learn more about the mind's capabilities. Despite resistance from specialists who refuse to explore these concepts, the evidence for thought power continues to mount. As novelist Marie Corelli noted, people often resent those who discover advantages they themselves have missed through indolence or indifference.
Bristol's files overflowed with testimonials from people who multiplied their incomes using this science. Ashley C. Dixon, once broke at forty-three, made over $100,000 after applying these principles. Business leaders confirmed these "startling and extraordinary results" even during the Great Depression. Dorr Quayle, partially paralyzed and facing financial ruin when the government cut his compensation, used these principles to build a thriving business with twenty-two employees.
The author discovered his own firm was failing not because of external circumstances but because of their collective mental attitude. By reversing their thinking, they transformed both individuals and the organization. While some academics may ridicule these principles, thousands demonstrate their effectiveness daily.
Capítulo 3
The Nature of Thought and Its Material Power
To understand this subject fully, we must contemplate thought itself. Though no one knows exactly what thought is beyond some form of mental action, we witness its manifestations everywhere. The more we study thought, the more we recognize its unlimited power.
Everything around us-from skyscrapers to smartphones-began as thoughts before materializing. Your very life is your thinking process. While your physical body reduces to mostly water and chemicals worth perhaps a few dollars, it's your mind and thoughts that make you who you are. The secret of success lies within, not without.
The way you walk, carry yourself, talk, and dress all reflect your thinking. A slovenly carriage indicates slovenly thinking; an alert posture reveals inner strength. What you exhibit outwardly, you are inwardly. You are the product of your own thought. What you believe yourself to be, you are.
Thought is the original source of all wealth, success, material gain, discoveries and inventions. Without it, we would remain primitive with no great empires, fortunes, or modern conveniences. Your predominant thoughts determine your character and everyday life, making or breaking you. As Shakespeare wrote, "There is nothing either good or bad, but thinking makes it so."
Great scientists like Sir Arthur Eddington suggest our universe is largely a creation of our minds, while Sir James Jeans proposed it resulted from some great universal mind. Throughout history, powerful thinkers have swayed people by appealing to their minds. We become what we contemplate, as Irish poet George Russell noted, though we're also influenced by others' thoughts bombarding us constantly.
El Dorado, that legendary land of abundant riches, lies at every person's door. Your bonanza is under your feet, your luck ready at hand. All is within; nothing is without. Whatever you seek, you can have by paying the price, bartering the gold of your own spirit. You find this spiritual gold when you discover yourself. Self-discovery brings freedom, riches, and prosperity.
Thomas Edison believed ideas come from space, an inexhaustible source of power. As Paracelsus taught, through faith the imagination is strengthened, for doubt mars its perfection. Self-knowers always dwell in El Dorado, drinking from the fountain of youth.
Capítulo 4
The Science Behind Mental Power
For centuries, outstanding thinkers have claimed that humans can shape events and control matter through thought. A. Conan Doyle believed there was a constructive and destructive power in thought alone akin to "faith that can move mountains." Just as radio waves penetrate solid objects, thought waves might affect molecules of solid objects at higher oscillations.
Scientific validation comes from Duke University, where Dr. J.B. Rhine and associates demonstrated psychokinesis-the power of mind to influence material objects. Using mechanically thrown dice to eliminate trickery, they conducted millions of throws since 1934. The results led Dr. Rhine to conclude that subjects influenced the dice without physical contact. By mentally concentrating on certain numbers while standing at a distance, experimenters frequently controlled the dice, defying traditional mathematical odds.
Our thoughts create after their kind-fear thoughts attract troubles just as positive thoughts attract positive results. The power of thought varies according to its pitch, intensity, emotional quality, and depth of feeling-comparable to the wave length and wattage of a radio station.
While no one knows whether thought is electrical energy or something yet undefined, scientists have developed apparatus that charts brain vibrations. Dr. H.S. Burr at Yale University concluded after twelve years of research that all living things possess an electrical aura connecting life to the universal pattern-confirming what mystics have claimed for centuries.
Ancient philosophers like Hermes Trismegistus taught the theory of vibration, while Pythagoras held that everything that exists is vibration-the very essence of our modern electronic theory. All matter consists of electrons and protons in constant interaction, and when their frequency changes, the form of material objects changes. This may explain the alchemists' claimed ability to transmute elements.
Our nervous system perceives the world only through vibration-seeing, hearing, feeling, tasting, and smelling are all vibrations transmitted to the brain. Yet many vibrations exist at frequencies beyond our five senses' detection.
Simple experiments confirm thought's influence on physical objects. Using Dr. Baraduc's "biometre" with its copper needle suspended in glass, an operator can change the needle's direction through concentrated thought. Similarly, paper balanced on a needle point will revolve in different directions according to the mental commands of someone whose hands are held near it without touching.
The Rosicrucian "dialette" experiment further demonstrates thought's influence on matter. An arrow-shaped cardboard sliver balanced on a needle over a clock-face disc will move to any position commanded by the operator's concentrated thought.
Capítulo 5
The Subconscious Mind: Your Hidden Power Center
Sigmund Freud brought attention to the powerful force within us-an unilluminated part of the mind separate from conscious thought that shapes our thoughts, feelings, and actions. This division of mental existence has been called many names: soul, super-ego, inner power, super-consciousness, unconscious, or subconscious.
Though not physical matter like the brain, this force has been recognized throughout recorded history. The ancients called it "spirit," Paracelsus named it "will," and others refer to it as Universal Mind-the intelligence connecting all living things.
No matter what we call it, this subconscious essence of life possesses unknown limits of power. It never sleeps, supports us in trouble, warns of danger, helps accomplish the seemingly impossible, and performs apparent miracles. Objectively it follows commands from the conscious mind; subjectively it acts on its own initiative or responds to outside influences.
The subconscious mind has helped countless people achieve wealth, power, fame, and solve problems. Dana Sleeth, a columnist and farmer, relied on it to find lost tools and generate story ideas. He would ask questions like "Pocket knife, where are you?" then relax his mind until the answer came in a flash. He also used visualization techniques to recall forgotten names and facts by relaxing, elevating his head, and placing his hand above his forehead.
The subconscious provides inventions, musical compositions, poetry, fiction, and original ideas. When you engage it with desire, results follow "as though a magical hand" arranged everything. What appear as coincidences are actually the working out of patterns you started.
We possess two minds with separate attributes and powers, each capable of independent action. The conscious mind operates in the brain-you feel its concentration in your head, sometimes causing headaches or eye strain. It processes information from your senses, handles reasoning, and tackles problems until exhaustion forces you to "let go."
When you release a problem from conscious thought, it sinks below consciousness. Often the next morning, the solution appears fully formed-your subconscious worked while you slept. Louis Bromfield relied on this process, noting that his subconscious judgment was "virtually infallible" compared to conscious reasoning.
The conscious mind gives us awareness, recognition of environment, control of faculties, memory recall, and emotional understanding. Its chief powers include reason, logic, judgment, calculation, and moral sense. It observes the world through our five senses and helps us navigate material existence.
Meanwhile, the subconscious is our source of power. Rooted in instinct and aware of our elemental desires, it constantly presses upward into conscious existence, storing spontaneous impressions and memories. It functions as both storehouse and powerhouse, providing material for the conscious mind while charging the individual with energy to recover strength, courage and faith.
Capítulo 6
The Law of Suggestion: Programming Your Mental Computer
The power of belief enables people to accomplish what others consider impossible. That sudden voicing of belief-"We can beat them!"-can reverse the tide from defeat to victory. In emergencies, when you feel you'll be saved, that belief activates power that assists you. As Emerson noted, our spontaneous action in difficult situations is always best.
The subconscious mind operates through repetition-whether in mystical religions with their mantras and prayers, or in tribal ceremonies with rhythmic movements and drumming. This principle appears in Buddhist chants, Christian litanies, New Thought affirmations, and even martial music that inspires soldiers. Theos Bernard described Tibetan lamas repeating prayers 108,000 times daily to generate spiritual power.
This is the law of suggestion-whether autosuggestion (from yourself) or heterosuggestion (from outside sources). Repetition of affirmations leads to belief, and when belief becomes deep conviction, things begin to happen. A contractor who repeatedly tells himself "I can do that" eventually gets the job and completes it successfully.
Hitler masterfully wielded suggestion as a weapon, mobilizing propaganda to control the German people. Slogans like "One Reich, one Folk, one Leader" bombarded citizens constantly. Signs proclaiming "Germany has waited long enough" and "Today we own Germany, tomorrow the entire world" appeared everywhere, convincing Germans they were superior and destined to rule.
Americans too were subjected to suggestion during both World Wars, with repeated messages about unconditional victory paralyzing individual thinking. This force of repeated suggestion overcomes reason by acting directly on emotions and penetrating the subconscious mind. It's the principle behind successful advertising and even our beliefs about nutrition-from our former fear of "poisonous" tomatoes to our current vitamin obsession.
Religious movements have masterfully employed repeated suggestion, hammering teachings into us since birth, just as they did to our ancestors for centuries. This creates powerful "white magic" in belief. Statements like "What we don't know won't hurt us" gain significance when we realize only things we become conscious of can harm us-like the man who accomplished the impossible because he didn't know it couldn't be done.
In sports, suggestion works powerfully. Knute Rockne famously used psychological tactics at Notre Dame, once merely poking his head into the locker room of his losing team and saying, "Excuse me, I thought these were the quarters of the Notre Dame team" before leaving-stinging them into a furious comeback victory.
Stock market fluctuations demonstrate suggestion's power-prices change not based on intrinsic values but on what investors believe will happen. During the Depression, repeated phrases like "Times are hard" and "The banks are failing" became a national chant, convincing millions prosperity would never return. Even strong-willed men collapsed under this constant hammering of fear thoughts.
Capítulo 7
The Art of Visualization: Seeing Is Achieving
Human imagination, visualization, and concentration are the chief factors in developing the magnetic forces of the subconscious mind. "Hold the picture" means maintaining a clear mental vision of what you desire. Through repeated suggestion, vague ideas become clearer-like visualizing a new home until you see it in all details, after which your subconscious works to manifest it. The same process applies to better jobs or vacation plans-you must see yourself already possessing what you desire.
Our fears can become realities through imagination, just as Job's did, though fortunately many don't materialize if we don't focus on them long enough. Without vision, as the Bible warns, people perish-for without mental pictures of accomplishment, little gets done.
Many have demonstrated the power of visualization. One man needed an electric drill for boat-building but couldn't afford to buy one. After mentally affirming that "somewhere there was a drill for me," a friend he hadn't seen in years visited and offered to lend him one. Similarly, when he needed a band saw, another friend unexpectedly delivered one to his home.
Another man obtained a thirty-foot ladder for house painting by repeatedly telling himself "You're going to find a ladder" until noticing his neighbor using exactly what he needed. Someone else acquired a specific garbage container during wartime shortages after visualizing it clearly.
A master fisherman used visualization to catch fish when others couldn't, calling it his "squeeza-ma-jintum." When fishing in the same spot as others using identical techniques, he mentally pictured the fish taking his bait. Expert naturalist Ben Hur Lampman confirmed that successful fishing involves "something psychic" beyond mere technique.
In golf, a former tennis champion could place the ball precisely on greens with his short game. His secret was creating mental pictures of where he wanted the ball to land before swinging. Amateur golf phenomenon John Montagu explained: "Golf is played with the head... I must have a clear mental picture before I play the shot. That mental picture takes charge of the muscular reaction."
Mental pictures can transform intimidating situations into manageable ones, particularly in sales and business encounters. A young investment salesman feared approaching an intimidating millionaire client. Bristol advised him to visualize the imposing executive as a harmless dancing bear wearing a fez. Laughing at this mental image, the salesman confidently made a $20,000 sale. He later used the same technique with a stern, white-bearded man by picturing him as Santa Claus, resulting in a $5,000 order and ongoing business.
During the Depression, grocery store managers applied visualization techniques to boost sales. Staff mentally pictured customers buying specific items like cheese, roasts, salmon, and squash. Results were remarkable-one store sold more cheese in a day than in six previous months, another sold out of roasts by noon. Nearly all participants eventually started their own businesses or secured better positions.
Capítulo 8
The Mirror Technique: Your Gateway to Subconscious Power
The greatest challenge most people face is lack of money. While some claim to manifest cash bundles through mind power alone, wealth typically comes from combining mental focus with energized action. Wealthy people invariably possess a "money consciousness"-they think wealth and naturally attract it. The technique remains consistent regardless of your desires: visualize what you want while repeatedly affirming you'll get it, then take practical action toward your goal.
Countless examples prove the power of money consciousness combined with action. One widow and her daughter built a half-million dollar fortune starting with a boarding house, expanding to a tea room, then acquiring apartment buildings. Another case involved a young pharmacist who, despite lacking funds, convinced a building owner and wholesaler to back his drugstore. His belief in a special preparation later attracted $5,000 in financing, eventually generating over $100,000 annually.
Bristol discovered a powerful technique years ago when observing an intoxicated host at a business dinner. Before presenting to guests, he stood before his mirror, gripping the dresser and repeating, "John, you're sober, cold sober." Within minutes, his posture straightened, facial muscles tightened, and drunkenness vanished. This technique works remarkably with tearful clients-simply having them face a mirror and look into their own eyes stops crying immediately.
Great communicators like Winston Churchill and Woodrow Wilson practiced speeches before mirrors first. The mirror supercharges your subconscious forces, creating a vivid picture of yourself speaking that becomes reality when facing your audience. Even evangelist Billy Sunday used this technique, as witnessed by reporter Eric Sevareid who observed him "grasping the dressing-table firmly while lecturing his reflection." Top salespeople rehearse presentations in mirrors before important meetings, knowing that if they convince themselves, they can convince others.
When using the mirror technique, you're harnessing subconscious forces to influence others. During the Depression, Bristol implemented this method in numerous businesses with startling results-placing mirrors in delivery trucks, offices, and on salespeople's desks. One pie delivery man who'd failed repeatedly with a restaurant owner sold her ten pies his first day using the technique, eventually averaging fifteen daily.
To practice: Stand before a mirror, come to attention like a soldier, breathe deeply until feeling powerful, look deeply into your eyes, and verbalize your goals. Make this a twice-daily ritual, writing key affirmations on the mirror with soap. Before tough sales calls or speeches, rehearse with appropriate gestures until confidence replaces fear. Your eyes will develop a penetrating gaze that others recognize as the mark of confidence and determination.
Capítulo 9
Projecting Your Thoughts: The Art of Mental Influence
Success demands never-ceasing application and diligence. You can never rest on your laurels, as others are always ready to take your place if you show weakness. Despite America's great progress, we've barely tapped our resources. In fifty years, our current achievements will look primitive compared to what's coming-scientists are already developing revolutionary materials, energy sources, and even thought-recording devices.
One successful septuagenarian attributes his continued vitality to "starting something new at least once a week"-whether a simple kitchen gadget or an entirely new sales plan. He believes retirement at sixty is a grave mistake, as inactive minds and bodies quickly deteriorate like unused machinery. Initiative is essential for success; without it, you're stopped before you begin.
Your enemies may be of your own making-they're merely reflections of your thoughts. The other person will consider you friend or foe according to the mental picture you project. Bristol converted hostile individuals into staunch allies simply by believing they were actually friendly people. When someone who had been "knocking him" for months crossed his path, instead of fighting back, he greeted him warmly with genuine friendliness in his voice. He caught this energy, and they became the closest of friends.
This principle works everywhere-with bus drivers, elevator operators, and store clerks. Send out friendly thoughts and watch people respond positively. It's not merely Pollyanna-ish-it's the fundamental law of reciprocity: for every cause, there must be a logical effect.
The biblical principle "do unto others as you would have them do unto you" isn't just moral guidance-it's practical psychology. When you do something for others, something will be done for you in return. It's not bootlicking to please your boss; it's common sense, as he's the one who promotes people.
If you want riches, you must go where riches are. Alone on a desert island, amassing wealth would be impossible. Associate with people who have money or know how to make it. If you're selling anything-products or yourself-identify who has the authority to make decisions and focus your efforts there.
Packaging and eye-appeal harness the power of suggestion. Grocers know attractive packaging commands better prices despite no improvement in the products themselves. The skilled chef arranges food artistically while the average cook piles it haphazardly. This principle applies equally to personal packaging-your appearance sets you apart in the crowd. When you combine proper packaging with high quality within, you create an unbeatable combination.
The right mental attitude, keeping your eyes fixed on your goal, and projecting a proper aura through imagination can work wonders. Theos Bernard escaped a threatening crowd in Tibet by assuming his own aura-straightening his shoulders, lifting his head, directing his eyes straight ahead, and moving with firm, rapid strides.
Capítulo 10
Women and the Science of Belief: The Feminine Power
Women possess extraordinary power through belief that can transform the world. When women fully understand and apply this science, they can accomplish remarkable feats, as their natural adaptability and determination make them particularly effective once they commit to a purpose.
Ben Hur Lampman once told Bristol women could "turn the world upside down" once they understand this science. "Women are supreme egotists," he said, "when they get the idea they can do something, and that idea becomes thoroughly embedded in their consciousness, they will stop at nothing to achieve their purpose." American women already control the nation's wealth and demonstrated during wartime their ability to perform traditionally male tasks. From educators to industrialists, women have been behind many of America's greatest reforms.
Mrs. Bondurant, at seventy-one and partially disabled, exemplifies the power of belief. Despite needing crutches, she continues her forty years of activism for women, children, and the disabled. She told Bristol, "There is certainly something, call it a power, God, or anything you wish, which is always there to sustain us in time of need. I have never seen it fail."
Grace Moore overcame tremendous obstacles, including losing her voice when a specialist said she'd never sing again, to become a renowned opera singer. Ellen Wilkinson, Britain's Minister of Education, was a tiny, red-haired woman who drove her way upward through persistence, successfully campaigning to raise the school-leaving age despite opposition.
Throughout history, prophets, oracles, and fortune-tellers have influenced people's destinies. While some are charlatans, others possess mysterious abilities that defy explanation. What matters isn't necessarily the accuracy of predictions but how suggestions planted in the subconscious mind work to manifest outcomes. When someone believes in a prophecy, their mind works tirelessly to make it reality.
The world has seen remarkable women whose belief in themselves propelled them to greatness despite overwhelming obstacles. Helen Keller, deprived of sight, hearing, and speech as a toddler, became an inspiration to thousands through her achievements. Sister Elizabeth Kenny, despite ridicule from the medical establishment, persisted in promoting her hot pack treatment for polio victims. Mary Baker Eddy overcame bitter ridicule to establish Christian Science, while Florence Nightingale transformed nursing from an unrecognized practice to a respected profession despite opposition from the British War Office.
Movie actress Angela Lansbury reveals how she consciously uses her subconscious mind to achieve success. She explains that accessing creative power is remarkably simple: "If you tell yourself over and over again that there's no limit to the creative power within you, that's about all there is to it." While this isn't a shortcut around hard work-"You've got to keep plugging like mad, perfecting whatever kind of expression you've got"-it provides extraordinary resources when needed.
Capítulo 11
The Science of Belief in Action: Everyday Miracles
I'm convinced that telepathy and thought-transmission occur daily, far more than most realize. Great leaders, preachers, orators, and salespeople consciously or unconsciously exercise this power. When meeting someone, we often experience immediate like or dislike before words are spoken-this is thought-transmission at work.
A prominent lawyer shared his technique of visualizing the recipient while dictating letters, mentally directing his thoughts as if the person stood before him. A successful book saleswoman mentally repeated her preferred book title to hesitating customers. An automobile executive silently affirmed "You're going to buy this car" to prospects with means. Though few like admitting they're influenced by others' silent thoughts, this invisible power exists and operates constantly-between mothers and children, husbands and wives, especially those closely attuned to each other.
A company president mentally suggested to his long-serving sales manager that he should resign and become a salesman instead. The very next morning, the manager requested exactly that change-ultimately doubling his income and becoming happier. Another businessman shared how he'd belonged to a secret organization embracing belief principles for thirty years without understanding them until attending mind control lectures. After applying these principles, his clothing manufacturing business thrived even during the Depression.
Insurance agent Alfred F. Parker shared how he used the "tap-tap" idea when his young son fell desperately ill. Parker kept his son's picture on his desk and in his pocket, repeatedly affirming "He will recover" hourly. Though initially feeling like he was lying to himself, gradually he began believing his affirmations-and at that precise time, his son began recovering.
The author cautions against attempting telepathic experiments around scoffers, as negative thoughts can obstruct results-referencing Dr. Rhine's finding that disbelief depresses psychokinesis test outcomes. Dr. G.R. Schmeidler of Harvard Psychological Clinic discovered subjects who believe telepathy is false invariably score below chance levels in tests.
What gamblers call being "hot" is nothing more than a deep-rooted belief that they can win. Though this book isn't written for gamblers, these examples prove that concentrated thought, expectancy, and steadfast belief set in motion forces that bring material manifestations. Charms and talismans have no power themselves, but those who believe in them develop psychokinetic abilities.
Yet belief can be lost-many have risen to great heights only to fall, or regained health only to relapse when negative suggestions infiltrate their subconscious. Happiness exists entirely within ourselves, independent of wealth or possessions-it's a mental state we control through our thinking. As Marcus Aurelius said, "Everything is opinion, and opinion is in thy power."
We must resist emotional distress through willpower, becoming the creators of our thought habits. The law of cause and effect brings into our lives what our dominant thoughts create within and attract from without. "Whatever man can conceive mentally, he can bring into materialization." Health, wealth, and happiness follow when proper mental pictures are created and maintained. Know your power, use the techniques faithfully, and back your belief with resolute will to become unconquerable.
