William Walker Atkinson is one of the most important people in the New Thought movement. and influential figure in the early days of the New Thought Movement. A prolific writer, he wrote over one hundred books including:

Links to William Walker Atkinson's Works:

• Arcane Formulaes/Mental Alchemy (1909)
• Art of Logical Thinking (1909)
• Bhagavad Gita
• Gnani Yoga - The Yoga of Wisdom
• Life Beyond Death
• Nuggets of New Thought
• Practical Mental Influence (1908)
• Thought-Force in Business & Everyday Life (1900)
• Thought Vibration or the Law of Attraction in the Thought World (1906)

Little is known about his early years, except that he was born in Baltimore, Maryland on December 5, 1862, to William and Emma Atkinson, both of whom were born in Maryland also.

He married Margaret Foster Black of Beverley, New Jersey on October 1889 and they had two children. He pursued a business career from 1882 onwards and in 1894 he was admitted as an attorney to the Bars of Pennsylvania. Whilst he gained much material success in his profession as a lawyer, the stress and over-strain eventually took its toll.

Atkinson experienced a complete physical and mental breakdown, and financial disaster as a result of excessive materialism. He began looking for healing and found it in the late 1880's with New Thought. Through the application of New Thought Principles and Practice he had a complete recovery with consequent perfect health, mental vigor and material prosperity.

This prompted him to write some articles on New Thought, which at the time was more commonly called Mental Science. In 1889 New Thought pioneer Charles Fillmore published Atkinson's article "A Mental Science Catechism," in the periodical, Modern Thought.

By the early 1890's, the work of Emma Curtis Hopkins transformed Chicago into a major mecca of New Thought. This motivated Atkinson to move there and become an active promoter of New Thought through editing and writing.

In 1900 he worked as an associate editor of Suggestion, a New Thought journal, and wrote his first book, Thought-Force in Business and Everyday Life: a series of lessons in personal magnetism, psychic influence, thought-force, concentration, will-power & practical Mental Science.

He soon teamed up with met Sydney Flower, a well-known New Thought publisher and businessman. Assuming the editorship of Flower's popular New Thought magazine from December, 1901 until 1905. His tenure created a huge following for his work with readers clamoring for more and more of his articles. He founded the Psychic Club and the "Atkinson School of Mental Science." Both were located in the same building as Flower's Psychic Research Company and New Thought Publishing Company.

During this time, Atkinson began to explore major religions with a particular interest in Hinduism. He made the acquaintace of Baba Bharata, who was familiar with Atkinson's writings. They both shared similar ideas, which led to collaboration with Bharata providing the material and Atkinson the writing talent. Together they created a series of books penned under the name Yogi Ramacharaka as a measure of their respect for a former teacher. Atkinson wrote about 13 books under this pseudonym. They were published by the Yogi Publication Society in Chicago and reached more people than his New Thought works did. In fact, all the books they created under this pseudonym are still reprinted today, a tribute to their collaboration.

In addition to these works, Atkinson wrote a great many books on New Thought, which achieved wide circulation becaming both popular and influential among New Thought practitioners. Atkinson returned to legal practice in 1903 in Illinois, all the while strengthening his abilities through New Thought Practices. In 1916 he started writing articles for Elizabeth Towne's magazine The Nautilis. From 1916 to 1919 he edited the journal Advanced Thought, and was for a time honorary president of the INTA (International New Thought Alliance).

Atkinson used many pseudonyms including: Theodore Sheldon, Theron Q.Dumont, Swami Panchadasi, The Three Initiates, Magus Incognitus and probably others not identified at present. He wrote books together with Eduard E. Beals and Laurion, William De Laurence. He wrote a series named The Arcane Teachings, published at Arcane Books Co., with 6 volumes, without signature. Among these books we can identify and comproof his authority in Arcane Formula or Mental Alchemy; The Cosmic Laws; and Vril, or, Vital Magnetism.

William Walker Atkinson died on November 22, 1932, in California. He will always be remembered as one of the greats of New Thought.