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In the midst of the world, darkened with many sins and sorrows, in which the majority live, there abides another world, lighted up with shining virtues and unpolluted joy, in which the perfect ones live. This world can be found and entered, and the way to it is by self-control and moral excellence. It is the world of the perfect life, and it rightly belongs to man, who is not complete until crowned with perfection.

James Allen (1864 - 1912) was one of the most celebrated exponents of New Thought philosophy, a synthesis of universalist spiritual principles, which has since become the basis of many of the theories promulgated by the vast self-improvement industry of the present day.

In this book, New Thought philosopher James Allen explores various approaches to the concept of fate, or destiny, and its relationship to personal empowerment.

In 1907 New Thought author James Allen published a verse anthology entitled Poems of Peace. Included in the collection is his sole dramatic work, Eolaus, which describes the journey of a troubled pilgrim from the wilderness of worldly despair to the heights of personal realization.

This short tract on the power of thought was the second book written by New Thought author James Allen and was first published in 1903. It has never been out of print and is now considered one of most influential self help texts of all time. The title is taken from a verse in Chapter 23 of the Book of Proverbs: "As a man thinketh in his heart, so is he." Allen's central thesis is that thought is not just a vehicle for comprehending and explaining the world, but is also the prime mechanism for creating and modifing human experience.

The Divine Companion was the last work completed by James Allen and was published posthumously in 1919. Of the book, Allen himself wrote: "It is the story of my soul, and should be read last of all my books, so that the student may understand and find my message in its pages. Therefore hold it back until you have published everything else." The book is divided into three sections: The Divine Companion, The Divine Dialogue and The Divine Messages. The first section is an exploration of various aspects of truth.

The Heavenly Life is one of James Allen's lesser-known but most aphoristic works. His basic thesis is that total absorption in the eternal Now is the true path to discovering the divine center within oneself. The past is a dream and the future is just a speculation: man can only act and live in the present. He can change his world only by changing himself.

James Allen consistently taught that personal development was based on the application of certain permanent and unchanging principles. In this book, he examines the various systems—social, political, economic, and technological—that man has developed to enhance and enrich his life experience. His conclusion is that to be effective all systems must operate according to fundamental ethical and moral laws. The effect of the correct application of these spiritual principles will be a state of true peace, free from any taint of passion or conflict.

James Allen (1864 - 1912) was an evangelist for the emerging New Thought movement and wrote over twenty books that explored many aspects of his universalist philosophy. Many of James Allen's prose works contain snippets of verse, which are generally devotional and reflective. A significant number of these poetic excerpts were composed by Allen himself. This collection, which was first published in 1907, contains 37 short poems, illustrative of Allen's idiosyncratic views of the spiritual path and the personal search for truth.

The Man in the Moone, first published in 1638, is considered one of the first works of science fiction. The author was an Anglican bishop who became interested in astronomy following the circulation of the works of Copernicus, Kepler, and Galileo. Much of the current speculation about the moon was concerned with whether it was populated, and if so, by what race.

John William Polidori was an English physician and an associate of Byron and Shelley. On a tour with the two poets and Mary Godwin (later Shelley), Polidori participated in a competition to write a short ghost story. Polidori's contribution was The Vampyre, which is considered to be the first modern work of vampire fiction. The central figures in the plot are the mysterious and sinister Lord Ruthven, and a naïve and wealthy young man named Aubrey. Polidori's tale proved very influential.

In James Allen's view, the "Shining Gateway" to self-realization was meditation, which he defines as a process of transmutation of crass and limiting perceptions into higher and more refined states of awareness. As in his other works, he states the principle that all activity is generated by thought, and that by disciplined regulation of thought processes man can avoid undesirable actions and achieve a mode of life that is happy and successful.

This collection contains 21 reviews of artistic events and artifacts which originally appeared between 1877 and 1889. Clearly on display is Wilde's comprehensive knowledge of contemporary painting, fashion, and literature, as well as his capacity to create paradoxical aphorisms, which is such a feature of more substantial works like The Picture of Dorian Gray and The Importance of Being Earnest.

In James Allen's view, the man was indeed perfectible. However, he considered the path to perfection to be an interior one that is driven by the purification and elevation of the thought process.

The concept of representing the process of spiritual development as a path is frequently used in the works of James Allen. In this book, his discussion focuses not on the peaks of achievement, but the temporary retreats in which the aspirant can find solace and refreshment on his arduous journey.

In his works, James Allen sought to develop a generic spirituality by drawing on and matching the precepts of a variety of religious teachers. In this short treatise he examines the words of Jesus as a guide to spiritual advancement.

In the foreword the author says: "When the light of wisdom is introduced into the darkened understanding, confusion vanishes, difficulties are dissolved, all things are seen in their true place and proportion, and henceforth the man walks open-eyed and unhurt, in the clear light of wise comprehension."

This collection of aphorisms and reflections for each day of a 31-day month was first published in 1909, and later reissued in 1913, after the author's death, with a preface by his wife Lily Allen.

This was the third book by New Thought philosopher James Allen and was published in 1903. It consists of two volumes, each of which was later published separately: Entering the Kingdom and The Heavenly Life. Although he recommended the search for spiritual principles, James Allen was no supporter of organized religion. In fact, he disparages the search for both earthly pleasures and heavenly rewards. In his view the Kingdom of Heaven is in the here and now, and can only be reached by adopting the right mode of living.

In this short treatise New Thought author James Allen explores one of his favourite principles: that the outward expression of a person is governed by his inner disposition. In the first chapter he writes: "As is the heart, so is the life. The within is ceaselessly becoming the without. Nothing remains unrevealed. That which is hidden is but for a time; it ripens and comes forth at last."