Geneviève Behrend
(1881 - 1960)
About New Thought Author Geneviève Behrend
Geneviève Behrend was a French born author and teacher of Mental Science, a New Thought discipline created by Thomas Troward.
There is not much known about her childhood or parents. Early in her life she began to study Christian Science and at one point met its founder, Mary Baker Eddy. Geneviève eventually left the faith of Christian Science. Soon she met Abdul Baha, the son of the founder of the Bahá’í Faith. Abdul told her that she would one day "travel the world over seeking the truth, and when she found it, would speak it out".
One day found a book of Thomas Troward's lectures and became inspired by it. She decided she wanted to study with Troward, but lacked the money to travel from New York to Cornwall, England, where Troward lived. Every morning and night thereafter, Geneviève visualized counting out twenty $1,000 bills, buying her ticket to London, traveling on the ship, and being accepted as Troward's pupil. She would constantly affirm to herself, "My mind is a center of Divine operations".
In Geneviève Behrend's book Your Invisible Power, she talks about the experience, and quotes: "While these reflections were going on in my mind, there seemed to come up from within me the thought..'I am all the substance there is.' -- Then, from another channel in my brain the answer seemed to come, 'Of course, that's it; everything must have its beginning in mind. The 'I', the idea, must be the only one and primary substance there is, and this means money as well as everything else. 'My mind accepted this idea, and immediately all the tension of mind and body was relaxed." After six weeks of visualization and affirming her desire, Geneviève reveived the money for her travels to England.
From 1912 until 1914, Geneviève Behrend studied with with Thomas Troward; Behrend was the only personal student he had throughout his life.
Around the year 1915, after her studies with Troward, Geneviève Behrend founded a New Thought school called The School of the Builders in New York City. She ran the school herself until 1925. Behrend then founded another New Thought school in Los Angeles. She then began traveling throughout North America lecturing on Mental Science and New Thought for about 35 years, as well as giving several radio broadcasts during this time. Rhonda Byrne, author of the book The Secret, quotes Behrend as an expert in the New Thought field.
Resources:
Quotes by Geneviève Behrend
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