Independent publication
Old ideas about mind and spirit, read with fresh eyes.
Hermeticism, New Thought and the research on consciousness, explained plainly. The classic texts, where the ideas came from, and how far the evidence reaches.
Latest articles
- New Thought
A Short History of the New Thought Movement
A short, balanced history of New Thought, from Phineas Quimby and Emma Curtis Hopkins to Unity, Religious Science and the self help books it later inspired.
- Foundations
Synchronicity: Carl Jung's Idea and How to Think About It Clearly
What Carl Jung meant by synchronicity, where the idea came from, what probability and psychology say about meaningful coincidences, and how to hold both views.
- Mind and Research
Reincarnation Research: The Ian Stevenson Case Studies and Their Critics
A fair look at Ian Stevenson's reincarnation case studies at the University of Virginia, what his method was, and the strongest criticisms of his work.
- Foundations
Why 3, 6 and 9 Keep Showing Up: A Short History of Number Symbolism
From the Pythagoreans to a viral Tesla quote not found in his writings, a short, careful history of why 3, 6 and 9 feel special and what is really going on.
- New Thought
Thoughts as Vibration: An Early New Thought Idea and How to Read It Today
What William Walker Atkinson meant in Thought Vibration (1906), why the idea caught on, what science says about thought, and how to read the book today.
- Practice
Meditation and Attention: What the Evidence Supports
What research actually shows about meditation and attention: the solid findings, the overhyped claims, the known risks, and how to practice it sensibly.
- Hermeticism
"The All Is Mind": The Principle of Mentalism in Everyday Life
What the Hermetic principle of Mentalism claims, how it relates to philosophical idealism, what psychology does support, and how to use it in daily life.
- Hermeticism
The Kybalion: Who Wrote It and Why It Still Sells
The Kybalion claims ancient Hermetic roots, but it first appeared in Chicago in 1908. Who likely wrote it, what it teaches, and why readers still buy it.
- Mind and Research
Near-Death Experiences: What Researchers Have Actually Found
What near-death research has found: Raymond Moody's early work, the Greyson scale, hospital studies of cardiac arrest, and what remains open.
- Practice
Old Concentration Exercises That Still Work
Simple attention drills from early 1900s mind-training books like The Power of Concentration, what they ask of you, and what modern research says about them.
- Hermeticism
The Seven Hermetic Principles, Explained Simply
The seven Hermetic principles from The Kybalion, explained in plain words: what each one says, how to read it today, and where belief ends and evidence begins.
- Mind and Research
Consciousness and the Brain: What We Know and What We Don't
A plain look at consciousness and the brain: what neuroscience has firmly established, what the hard problem is, and where the big theories still disagree.
- New Thought
The Law of Attraction: Where It Came From, What It Claims, and Its Critics
A balanced history of the law of attraction, from New Thought writers to The Secret, what the idea claims, and what psychologists and critics say about it.
- Foundations
What Is Spiritual Science? A Plain Guide
A plain guide to spiritual science: what the phrase means, where it comes from, how it differs from lab science, and how to explore it with a careful mind.
Common questions
What is spiritual science?
In this publication it means approaching spiritual ideas with the same curiosity and care you would bring to any subject: separating history, belief and evidence, and saying plainly which is which.
What are the seven Hermetic principles?
They come from The Kybalion (1908): Mentalism, Correspondence, Vibration, Polarity, Rhythm, Cause and Effect, and Gender. The book presents them as a summary of ancient Hermetic teaching, though most scholars treat it as a modern New Thought text.
Who wrote The Kybalion?
It was published under the name "Three Initiates." Most researchers attribute it largely or wholly to William Walker Atkinson, a prolific New Thought author.
Is the law of attraction scientifically proven?
No. The idea that thoughts directly attract matching events is a New Thought belief, not an established finding. Psychology does support narrower effects, such as goals and attention shaping what people notice and act on.
What does research say about near-death experiences?
Prospective hospital studies confirm that a minority of cardiac arrest survivors report vivid experiences with common features. What causes them, and whether they say anything about survival after death, is still debated.