American humorist and author (died 1891)

Prentice Mulford

Prentice Mulford was an American literary humorist, philosopher, and early figure in the development of the New Thought movement. Many of the principles that would become standard in the movement, including the Law of Attraction, the power of thought, spiritual autonomy, and mental healing, were clearly laid out in his Your Forces and How to Use Them, released as a series of essays during 1886–1892. Mulford’s writings laid foundational concepts that shaped later metaphysical and psychological systems, including auto-suggestion and personal magnetism. He is recognized as one of the earliest voices to articulate the idea that thought itself is a creative force that influences both personal health and external circumstances.