The First Hermetic Principle: The All Is Mind—The Universe Is Mental

By Michael Wallick

 Part 1 in the Practical Hermetics Series

The First Hermetic Principle states: “The All is Mind. The Universe is Mental.”This is not just poetic philosophy—it is a profound truth with real-world implications.

Modern neuroscience confirms that the mind is far more powerful than we often realize. Whatever you focus your thoughts and energy on, your brain begins to process, often below the level of conscious awareness. The imagination generates possibilities; the intellect applies critical thought to refine them. This partnership between creativity and analysis is not just thinking. It is magick—and it is built into us all.

Most people never grasp the full significance of this.

The Power of Collective Thought: Egregores and Group Minds

In his book Egregores, author Mark Stavish explores an ancient occult concept that bridges mystical and modern thinking. An egregore is a thoughtform, a kind of psychic entity created and sustained by the collective focus of a group. It acts like a “group mind”—shaped by shared beliefs, desires, and goals.

Think of a corporation as a legal “person.” Now imagine that, but metaphysical. That’s an egregore. Memes, ideologies, religious institutions, political parties, even nations—they’re all sustained by collective mental energy.

A nation, for example, is not held together by borders or buildings. It is held together by ideas. As long as the people within it believe in and work toward common values—freedom, democracy, justice—the nation thrives. But when belief in those ideas falters, or when those ideals are deliberately weakened, the structure begins to erode.

When Belief Fractures, Nations Crumble

The breakdown of a society doesn’t begin with violence—it begins with doubt.

When enough people challenge, undermine, or abandon the guiding ideals of a group, whether a nation, a religion, or an organization, the egregore loses cohesion. The shared idea that held the group together begins to collapse. This isn’t hypothetical; history proves it.

That’s why propaganda—the shaping of collective thought—is so powerful. Propaganda can either support or attack an egregore. It can unify people or divide them. Importantly:

• Positive propaganda reinforces a shared vision.

• Negative propaganda destabilizes it. And yet, “positive” doesn’t always mean “constructive,” and “negative” doesn’t always mean “destructive.” Sometimes, a guiding idea must change—but if it changes too quickly or without wisdom, chaos is inevitable.

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Individuals Are Limited—Groups Create Gods

One person alone, no matter how powerful, cannot reshape an egregore. But when enough people align their beliefs and focus, they create real change. Groups like the World Economic Forum demonstrate this. Powerful individuals, pooling their resources and influence, can alter the beliefs of millions through media, policy, and digital platforms.

They challenge existing egregores—like democracy, liberty, and national identity—by reshaping the public’s perception of truth, safety, and power.

Weakened Ideals Invite Outside Influence

As people focus on society’s flaws and amplify fear and division, the original vision of a nation or institution gets muddled. When citizens no longer agree on how to govern or what is sacred, the system becomes unstable.

This instability makes the group vulnerable, not just to internal shifts, but to external ideologies. People who once believed in liberty might become open to authoritarian alternatives, like communism or totalitarianism, simply because the dominant egregore has lost their trust.

But these alternatives are not immune. Every system—democratic, communist, capitalist—is subject to corruption, because all human institutions are. As long as humans can be swayed, so can the systems they build.

Every Revolution Proves the Principle

History is a cycle of ideas rising, decaying, and being replaced. The French Revolution, the American Revolution, and now the cultural restructuring influenced by groups like the WEF all follow this arc.

Radical new ideas—such as programmable digital currencies or central economic controls—don’t just offer convenience. They open the door to unprecedented levels of surveillance and restriction. They challenge the old egregores and aim to install new ones.

This is why the Hermetic principles were hidden for so long—because those who understand them can use them to control minds, shape culture, and manipulate reality.

The All is Mind. Control the mind, and you control the world.

Choice, Resistance, and the Nature of God

You always have a choice:

• Adapt to new ideas, making change smoother

• Resist, making change harder—but possibly more meaningful

Power always decides the outcome, but power shifts. As Thomas Jefferson said,

“A little rebellion now and then is a good thing, and as necessary in the political world as storms in the physical.”

Revolutions happen when one idea becomes so powerful that it displaces another. But every new idea eventually faces its corruption and challenge. This is the rhythm of collective thought and why change is both necessary and painful.

Angels, Demons, and the Nature of Ideas

From an occult perspective, all ideas are spirits—born of human will and given form through attention.

• To a Satanist, ideas are demonic because they arise from individual will.

• To a theist, good ideas are angelic, divine expressions of higher truth.

• From a dualistic view, ideas are good or evil depending on their outcomes. Even in the Bible, God says:

“I create peace and I create evil.” (Isaiah 45:7)

So who decides?

The All Is Balance—And So Are You

“The All,” in Hermetic philosophy, is not a person but a principle of balance. You—your thoughts, your emotions, your choices—are part of it. You decide what is good. You decide what is evil. And the ideas you believe in—those are your gods.

Propaganda is how those ideas are spread. The more people who believe, the more real and powerful the idea becomes. That’s what an egregore is: a living idea, made real by belief.

Final Reflection

Let me say it again:

“Whatever we choose to focus on and expend our energy on, the brain will subconsciously help us to clarify the ideas and solve the problems we face—if we apply critical thinking to the ideas generated by imagination.”

That is the real magick we all possess. And in that way, we are all gods, creating the world through the egregores we choose to empower .That is the meaning of The All is Mind.

My business is using symbols to help people feel better and be more successful, using the brain’s ability to do what it naturally does, which is backed by Neuroscience. Yes, it is magical the things we can achieve if we just hack our brain’s natural capacities. http://www.occultamagica.net

I invite anyone to debate with me or make an offer for me to speak to any group.