Geneviève Behrend: The Only Personal Student of Thomas Troward

Introduction

Geneviève Behrend (1881–1960) holds a singular place in the history of the New Thought movement as the only person to have studied personally with Thomas Troward, the British judge and mental scientist whose lectures reshaped metaphysical Christianity in the early twentieth century. Her journey from Paris to Cornwall—funded by a vivid visualization of twenty one-thousand-dollar bills—has become a legendary illustration of the very principles she later taught. Through her book Your Invisible Power (1921), Behrend crystallized Troward’s teachings into a practical manual that continues to inspire students of mental science and the broader self-help tradition. This article traces her life, her unique apprenticeship, and her enduring significance within New Thought history.

Historical Context

The New Thought movement emerged in the mid-nineteenth century as a reaction to both orthodox Christianity and the mechanistic worldview of the era. Its roots reach back to the Transcendentalists—Ralph Waldo Emerson and his circle—who emphasized the indwelling divine spark and the power of the individual mind. The healing practices of Phineas Quimby, who used mental suggestion to treat illness, laid a direct foundation for what would become mental science. By the 1880s, Mary Baker Eddy had institutionalized a form of this teaching as Christian Science, while other leaders such as Emma Curtis Hopkins, Charles and Myrtle Fillmore, and Malinda Cramer developed their own expressions. The movement’s central conviction was that the mind is a creative force, that thought shapes reality, and that divine law operates through human consciousness. In this fertile environment, the writings of Thomas Troward—a British judge who had served in India—offered a philosophical and metaphysical framework that appealed to intellectuals and seekers alike. Troward’s lectures, delivered in the early 1900s, synthesized Eastern and Western thought, emphasizing the unity of the individual mind with the universal Mind. It was into this world that Geneviève Behrend stepped, and her eventual connection with Troward would bridge the American and British branches of New Thought.

Main Narrative

Early Life and Influences

Geneviève Behrend was born in Paris in 1881, though little is known about her early years. One of her parents was Scottish, which may have given her a connection to the English-speaking world. After the death of her husband, she began to travel extensively, seeking spiritual truth. Her quest led her to Christian Science, and she met its founder, Mary Baker Eddy. Although she initially embraced the faith, she ultimately left Christian Science, finding its teachings incomplete for her needs. Later, she encountered Abdul Baha, son of the founder of the Bahá’í Faith, who prophesied that she would “travel the world over seeking the truth, and when [she] had found it, would speak it out.” This prophecy proved remarkably accurate.

Discovery of Thomas Troward

While living in New York, Behrend came across a book of Thomas Troward’s lectures. The ideas resonated so deeply that she felt an overwhelming desire to study with him personally. Troward, a former judge in India, had retired to Cornwall, England, where he wrote and lectured on mental science. Behrend lacked the money to travel, and her initial attempts to contact him through a friend’s letters went unanswered. The silence would have discouraged most people, but Behrend had already begun to practice the principles she would later teach. She later wrote in Your Invisible Power that she remembered the biblical promise, “All things whatsoever thou wilt, believe thou hast received, and thou shalt receive” (Matthew 21:22), and this conviction transformed her approach.

The Visualization and Journey to England

Determined to overcome the obstacles, Behrend began a daily practice of visualization. Every morning and night, she pictured herself counting out twenty $1,000 bills, buying a ticket to London, traveling on the ship, and being accepted as Troward’s pupil. She also constantly affirmed to herself, “My mind is a center of Divine operations.” This practice, which she later detailed in her book, was not mere daydreaming but a deliberate mental rehearsal of the desired outcome. After some time, a reply finally arrived from Troward, and the necessary funds materialized. Behrend sailed to England and was accepted as his student. She became the only personal pupil Troward ever took, a fact that she proudly recorded in the title of one of her later chapters.

Career and Teachings

Under Troward’s tutelage, Behrend absorbed his philosophical system, which emphasized the creative power of the subjective mind and the importance of aligning one’s thoughts with the divine will. She learned to distinguish between the objective world of appearances and the subjective realm of thought, and she developed a practical method for using mental imagery to bring about change. After Troward’s death in 1914, Behrend carried his teachings forward, lecturing and writing in the United States. She became a teacher of Mental Science, a New Thought discipline that Troward had helped define. Her approach was intensely practical, focusing on the mechanics of visualization and affirmation rather than abstract theory.

Major Work: Your Invisible Power

In 1921, Behrend published Your Invisible Power, a slim volume that distilled her understanding of Troward’s principles. The book opens with her personal story of how she became Troward’s pupil, using it as a case study in applied mental science. It then explains the nature of the invisible power—the subjective mind—and offers step-by-step instructions for using visualization and affirmation to achieve specific goals. The book was well-received and went through multiple editions, becoming a staple of New Thought literature. Its enduring appeal lies in its blend of spiritual insight and practical guidance, a combination that has made it a favorite among students of the law of attraction and the broader self-help genre.

Later Life and Legacy

After publishing Your Invisible Power, Behrend continued to teach and write, though she never achieved the fame of some of her contemporaries. She died in the United States in 1960, leaving behind a small but influential body of work. Her legacy is twofold: she preserved and transmitted Troward’s teachings in an accessible form, and she provided a personal example of the power of visualization that has inspired countless readers. Her story—of a woman who visualized her way into the presence of a master teacher—remains one of the most vivid demonstrations of New Thought principles in action.

Why It Matters in New Thought History

Geneviève Behrend’s significance extends beyond her personal achievements. She served as a bridge between the British metaphysical tradition of Thomas Troward and the American New Thought movement. By becoming Troward’s only personal student, she inherited a direct line of teaching that influenced later figures such as Ernest Holmes, the founder of Religious Science, who drew heavily on Troward’s ideas. Behrend’s emphasis on practical visualization anticipated the techniques later popularized by the human potential movement and the New Age self-help industry. Her book Your Invisible Power remains a primary source for understanding how New Thought practitioners translated metaphysical principles into everyday practice. For students of New Thought history, Behrend offers a unique window into the movement’s internal dynamics—the role of mentorship, the importance of personal experience, and the transmission of teachings from one generation to the next. Her life exemplifies the core New Thought conviction that the mind is the avenue to divine power, and that anyone, regardless of circumstances, can access that power through focused thought and faith.

Primary Sources

• Your Invisible Power by Geneviève Behrend (1921). The primary text, containing her autobiographical account and practical instructions. Available in multiple reprint editions.
• Thomas Troward’s Lectures (e.g., The Edinburgh Lectures on Mental Science, 1904). The philosophical foundation of Behrend’s teaching.
• Letters between Behrend and Troward (if extant). Correspondence that documents the initial contact and acceptance. Some may be held in New Thought archives.
• New Thought periodicals such as The Nautilus and Unity Magazine, which published articles by and about Behrend and her contemporaries.
• Archival collections at the International New Thought Alliance or the Unity Archives, which may contain photographs, lecture notes, and personal papers.