Non-fiction: The Secret of the Ages

Overview

Robert Collier's The Secret of the Ages presents an energetic, earnest program of mental and spiritual techniques designed to unlock personal success, health, and happiness. Drawing on New Thought, biblical phrasing, and popular metaphysical ideas of the early 20th century, the book treats the human mind as a creative force whose focused attention and belief can shape external circumstances. Collier writes in a practical, exhortatory tone, mixing instruction, examples, and exhortations to discipline the imagination and will.
The narrative frames desire as the starting point of achievement and habit and belief as the mechanisms by which desire becomes reality. Emphasis falls on the power of thought, the necessity of inner conviction, and the use of imagination and feeling to impress the subconscious. Collier positions these practices as lawful and repeatable, available to anyone willing to learn the mental art of constructive thinking.

Central Ideas

Thought is presented as causative: what a person concentrates on, imagines vividly, and emotionally accepts tends to manifest. Collier insists that the subconscious mind does not distinguish between literal fact and well-held mental images; sustained imagery combined with belief programs the inner life to find or create matching outer circumstances. Faith and feeling act as accelerants for this process.
Collier frames success through a few recurring principles: form a clear, definite object of desire; feed it consistently with constructive thought and images; banish doubt and fear; nourish gratitude and confidence; and persist until results appear. He emphasizes the unity of individual consciousness with a universal or infinite mind, suggesting that proper alignment allows individuals to draw on an inexhaustible creative source.

Techniques and Practices

Practices recommended are concrete: mental rehearsal, repeated affirmations, vivid visualization, auto-suggestion, and habit-forming through repetition. Collier advises readers to write down goals in specific terms, create sensory-rich mental scenes of having achieved them, and relive those scenes with feeling until the subconscious accepts them as true. He prescribes daily discipline, including periods of concentrated imagination and regular review of written statements.
Attention management and emotional regulation receive equal stress. Collier calls for replacing negative self-talk with constructive phrases, confronting fears with counter-imagery, and cultivating a steady sense of expectancy. He also underscores the importance of right action: imagination and belief must be accompanied by efforts that align the outer life with inner aims.

Philosophical and Spiritual Basis

The book rests on a blend of metaphysical optimism and practical psychology. Collier borrows language from Christian scripture, Hermetic aphorisms, and contemporary metaphysical authors to argue that laws govern mind and matter. The underlying claim is spiritual: there exists an intelligent, creative principle accessible through disciplined mental life. Collier treats success as not merely material but moral and spiritual, urging readers to use mental power for constructive and benevolent ends.
This approach situates the work within the New Thought movement, sharing its confidence in human potential, moral causality, and the therapeutic possibilities of right thinking. At the same time, Collier stresses empiricism of a personal sort: the laws are validated through repeated individual practice and observable change in life circumstances.

Impact and Critique

The book influenced generations of self-help and personal-development writers, contributing phrases and techniques that later appear in motivational literature and modern coaching. Its blend of visualization, affirmation, and faith-based practice helped popularize an approach that remains central to many contemporary success philosophies.
Critics point out a lack of rigorous evidence and an occasional tendency toward magical thinking or oversimplification of social and structural barriers to success. The tone can be repetitive and proselytizing, and the historical style reflects metaphors and examples of its era. Nonetheless, for readers drawn to mind-centered self-help, the book offers a foundational statement of the belief that disciplined imagination and unwavering faith are essential tools for shaping life.