Here’s an interesting quote from William Walker Atkinson:
“Some of the writers on the subject of personal magnetism have fallen into the error of considering that the entire secret of personal magnetism is to be found in the phenomena of telepathy or transference of thought.
These writers, however, have been so carried away by the wonderful facts of the mental phase of personal magnetism, that they have entirely overlooked the other phase, i.e. the physical pole of the magnetic personality.
This second phase is just as important as is the mental phase, and the person who wishes to cultivate and develop personal magnetism must give this second phase the same careful attention and practice as the first phase.
There are two distinct phases or poles of personal magnetism, (1) the mental and (2) the physical. Do not fail to note this fact, for your success will depend upon the coordination of the force of both poles.
To many, this idea of there being a second or physical phase of personal magnetism will seem strange, so accustomed have they grown to hearing the teachings that personal magnetism is a mental phenomenon pure and simple. But as we proceed in our study of the subject in this book, I hope to thoroughly convince you that this second pole of personal magnetism really exists, and that it is equally potent as the first, or mental phase or pole.
A man is a dual organism, with both mental and physical phases of manifestation, both mind and body, so is his personal force composed of two distinct phases or poles, each coordinating with the other in the work of manifesting energy and creating effects. Some persons have more mental magnetism, while others have more physical magnetism, but
the individual who really manifests the highest degree of personal magnetism is the one who is developed along both poles of activity, both phases of magnetism – physical as well as mental.
The mental pole or phase of personal magnetism depends for its force and energy upon the ability of the mind to create thought-waves and to project them beyond the limits of the brain, into the personal atmosphere of the individual, and even beyond the range of his own personal atmosphere when necessary.
When accompanied with the physical magnetism generated by the other pole of magnetic activity, this mental magnetism strongly affects other persons coming within the field of action of these thought-waves.
But without a good supply of the physical magnetism, these thought-waves fail to have sufficient strength to produce marked results. It would seem that the physical magnetism were needed to give “body” to the mental magnetism, just as the mental magnetism is needed to give color, character or “soul” to the physical magnetism. The two phases of magnetism must work together to gain the best effects.”
