"When an idea exclusively occupies the mind, it is transformed into an actual physical or mental state"
About this Quote
The intent is partly instructional, partly corrective. Vivekananda was speaking to audiences in the late 19th century when “mind power,” mesmerism, and Western self-help were in the air, and when Vedanta was being translated for skeptical moderns. He offers a bridge: spirituality framed not as miracle but as mechanism. The promise is empowering (you can train the self), but the warning is implicit (you are also training yourself all the time, whether you mean to or not). If an idea can “transform” you, then resentment, fear, and desire aren’t private moods; they are builders.
Subtextually, the quote sells responsibility with a soothing tone. It rejects fatalism without preaching willpower for its own sake. “Physical or mental state” is a neat double claim: concentrated thought can shape the psyche (beliefs, cravings, calm), and it can leak into the body (stress, steadiness, compulsion). The line works because it turns metaphysics into a practical wager: watch what you let move in, because attention is an architect.
Quote Details
| Topic | Wisdom |
|---|---|
| Source | Help us find the source |
| Cite |
Citation Formats
APA Style (7th ed.)
Vivekananda, Swami. (2026, January 18). When an idea exclusively occupies the mind, it is transformed into an actual physical or mental state. FixQuotes. https://fixquotes.com/quotes/when-an-idea-exclusively-occupies-the-mind-it-is-10085/
Chicago Style
Vivekananda, Swami. "When an idea exclusively occupies the mind, it is transformed into an actual physical or mental state." FixQuotes. January 18, 2026. https://fixquotes.com/quotes/when-an-idea-exclusively-occupies-the-mind-it-is-10085/.
MLA Style (9th ed.)
"When an idea exclusively occupies the mind, it is transformed into an actual physical or mental state." FixQuotes, 18 Jan. 2026, https://fixquotes.com/quotes/when-an-idea-exclusively-occupies-the-mind-it-is-10085/. Accessed 12 Feb. 2026.






