Here’s an interesting quote by William Walker Atkinson:
“You will see, by a little thought, how much stronger will be the effect upon any special individual, if, in addition to the vibrations of our personal atmosphere, we add the force of a special current of mental force directed steadily and pointedly at his mind, by an effort of our will.
Do you see the point?
You first affect him by the effect of your energized personal atmosphere, and then just when he is in the proper receptive condition you discharge at him a psychic rifle-ball which hits him right in the bull’s eye of his mind with enormous force.
At first thought, this may seem to you like very strenuous proceedings, and one which would require the outlay of a great amount of will power on your own part.
But, this is not so, for the thought-currents are very responsive to the action of the will, and the main thing is to hold the will firmly to the task, and the thought-currents will flow out over the channel thus made for them.
It is like holding a rifle properly aimed, and then letting the force of the powder drive the bullet home; or, again, like holding the nozzle of a hose pointed exactly where you wish the current of water to go, and lo! When the water is turned on, it flies straight to the mark, long after it has left the tip of the nozzle of the hose.
The strong men of all times have employed the will in this way in the direction of creating a strong personal atmosphere, and also in the direction of producing strong impressions upon those who they wished to affect.
In many cases they have not fully understood the character of the forces set into operation by themselves, but they understood the “how” part, even if they did not grasp the “why”.
The next time you come into contact with a strong individual, watch him or her, and see if you cannot almost see the operation of this direction of mental force of which I have just spoken.
But, far more important than even studying others, is that of cultivating the art of doing the thing for yourself, and this is what I am trying to teach you to do. And you will succeed in it, too, if you will enter into the work fully with heart and mind. Get in earnest about it, and the power will develop in you to bring about success.”
In this text William Walker Atkinson teaches that every person influences others through what he calls a “personal atmosphere” or magnetism. Our thoughts, emotions, and presence subtly affect the people around us through this magnetism. But this influence becomes much stronger when we intentionally direct our Will and focus our thoughts toward someone.
His idea is simple: when a person concentrates their Will on a clear intention, the mind naturally sends that intention outward. It does not require enormous effort. The real task is keeping the Will steady and focused, like aiming a rifle or pointing a hose exactly where you want the water to go. Once properly directed, the force flows on its own.
Atkinson believed many powerful individuals throughout history used this principle instinctively. They might not have understood why it worked, but they knew how to project confidence, purpose, and mental intensity that strongly affected others.
The lesson is practical: develop this ability yourself by strengthening your focus, intention, and inner power while cultivating your magnetism.
