The Edinburgh Lectures on Mental Science

The Edinburgh Lectures on Mental Science is a book by Thomas Troward, first published in 1909. Drawn from a course of talks delivered in Edinburgh, it sets out a systematic, practical account of the relation between mental action and material conditions. Troward writes with the precision of a jurist and the curiosity of a student of comparative religion, guiding readers through the subjective and objective aspects of mind, the law of cause and effect, the power of visualization and will, and exercises for applying mental principles to everyday life.

The tone is measured and evidence-minded rather than mystical — a useful balance for readers seeking reliable guidance in mental science and the mind–body connection. The book has long been read as an early classic of New Thought and practical metaphysics. Its clear, logical explanations of the power of thought and visualization influenced later writers in spiritual philosophy and self-help — thinkers who developed those ideas into modern techniques for affirmation, creative thinking and personal transformation. For anyone building a book collection of historical self-help, spiritual philosophy, or mental science texts, Troward’s lectures remain a foundational text that bridges Victorian-era scholarship and the later New Thought movement.