Welcome to my newsletter series covering The 7 Hermetic Principles. Let’s start from the top, the crown, the brain — the Mental.

The Principle of Mentalism 🧠

∴ THE ALL IS MIND; The Universe is Mental.

The fundamental nature of reality is consciousness or mind. Everything in the physical universe is a manifestation of a universal, divine mind — what The Kybalion calls 'THE ALL.' Just as a dream exists entirely within the mind of the dreamer, the universe exists within the Mind of THE ALL. This makes our own thoughts, beliefs, and mental states powerful creative forces.

Understanding this principle is considered the master key of Hermetic philosophy — by mastering our own minds, we can influence our experience of reality. The Kybalion calls this the most important principle, the foundation upon which all others rest. THE ALL is described as 'Spirit' — 'Unknowable and Undefinable,' yet may be considered 'An Universal, Infinite, Living Mind.' The Hermetic view positions THE ALL closest to panentheism — God is both immanent in all things and transcendent, beyond and greater than creation.

SCHOLARLY NOTE

The concept of THE ALL parallels Brahman in Hindu Advaita Vedanta, the Tao in Taoism, and Spinoza's 'God or Nature,' though each has distinct nuances. In the Corpus Hermeticum, God is reflected by a divine intelligence (Nous/Mind) that gives order to the universe through the demiurge.

PRACTICAL APPLICATION

By recognizing that all is mind, the Hermetist learns to use focused 🎯 intention 🔥 to shape experience. Mental transmutation — the art of changing mental states, conditions, and moods — is the practical application. Rather than denying the material world, one works with its mental nature.

INTERCONNECTION TO OTHER TRADITIONS:

Stoicism 🏛️

The Logos — divine reason pervading the cosmos — parallels Mentalism. Epictetus taught that it is not things that disturb us, but our judgments about them.

Buddhism 🪷

The Dhammapada opens: 'All phenomena are preceded by mind, led by mind, created by mind.' Yogacara philosophy teaches that experience is constructed by consciousness.

Taoism ☯️

The Tao Te Ching's opening points to an ineffable ground of reality beyond material perception. Wuji (the Unlimited) parallels THE ALL.

Jungian Psychology 🪞

Jung's collective unconscious — a shared psychic substrate of universal archetypes — mirrors Mentalism's universal mental reality.

For reference: https://hermetica.invisiblecollege.live/