Table of ContentsWallace D. Wattles
Wallace D. Wattles
Last updated: July 7, 2026
The man who turned metaphysical theory into business strategy, giving prosperity consciousness its most practical blueprint.
Lived
1860 – 1911
Nationality
American
Tradition
New Thought
Known For
The Science of Getting Rich (1910), The Science of Being Great (1910), The Science of Being Well (1910)
Tone
Light-Leaning2 / 6
Prosperity through right thinking; upbeat with underlying rigor.
Why Wattles Matters
Wattles stripped away the mystical language that often obscured New Thought principles, delivering instead a businessman's guide to universal laws. While others spoke in abstractions about Divine Mind, he provided step-by-step instructions for impressing thoughts upon Thinking Substance to create wealth. His work bridges the gap between spiritual idealism and material results, making him the most practical voice in the New Thought canon. His influence extends far beyond his era, directly inspiring modern manifestation teachings and prosperity gospel movements.
Start Here: The Reading Path
- The Science of Getting Rich1910Start here because it contains Wattles' complete system in its most refined form. Focus on his three-part formula: thinking in the Certain Way, acting in the Certain Way, and receiving in the Certain Way.Read it as an instruction manual, not philosophy. Wattles meant every word literally.
- The Science of Being Great1910Follow with this to understand how Wattles applied his method beyond money to personal development and purpose. It shows the spiritual foundation underlying his practical techniques.
- The Science of Being Well1910Complete the trilogy with his health applications, which demonstrate the consistency of his method across all domains of human experience.
Core Ideas in 60 Seconds
- There is a thinking stuff from which all things are made, and which, in its original state, permeates, penetrates, and fills the interspaces of the universe.The fundamental substance of reality is mental in nature and responds directly to human thought when properly directed.Formless Substance
- You must get rid of the last vestige of the old idea that there is a Deity whose will it is that you should be poor, or whose purposes may be served by keeping you in poverty.Poverty is not spiritual virtue but a violation of natural law, and wealth creation is a legitimate spiritual practice.Abundance
- Every thought of form, held in thinking substance, causes the creation of the form, but always, or at least generally, along lines of growth and action already established.Mental images impress themselves upon universal substance through existing channels and systems, not through miraculous violations of natural order.Manifestation
- The whole matter turns on receiving, once you have clearly formed your vision, you must in your mental attitude become a receiver.Manifestation requires not just visualization and action, but cultivating the mental state of confident expectancy that allows results to come.Realization
Major Works
| Title | Year | What It Teaches | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Science of Getting Rich | 1910 | How to systematically apply mental laws to create wealth through thinking, acting, and receiving in harmony with universal principles. | Anyone seeking practical application of New Thought to financial success |
| The Science of Being Great | 1910 | How to develop personal greatness by aligning with universal purpose and expressing one's highest potential. | Readers wanting to understand the spiritual foundation of Wattles' practical methods |
| The Science of Being Well | 1910 | How to apply the same mental principles that create wealth to establish and maintain perfect health. | Those interested in mental healing and the mind-body connection |
Lineage & Influence
Influenced By
Wattles drew heavily from Ralph Waldo Emerson's transcendentalist philosophy and Thomas Troward's systematic approach to mental science, combining American individualism with rigorous metaphysical logic.
Influenced
His work directly inspired Napoleon Hill's success philosophy and provided the foundational text for Rhonda Byrne's The Secret, making him the grandfather of modern manifestation teachings.
Parallel Thinkers
While Charles F. Haanel developed similar ideas about mental power in The Master Key System, Wattles was more direct and business-focused, and William Walker Atkinson explored similar territory but with more occult complexity.
The Story
Wallace Delois Wattles spent most of his life as a failure by his own standards, struggling through various business ventures and reform movements in Indiana while supporting his family. The turning point came when he discovered New Thought principles in his forties, applying them with methodical determination to transform his circumstances. In his final years, he experienced the prosperity he had long sought and distilled his discoveries into three concise books that would outlive him by decades. He died in 1911 just as his work was gaining recognition, leaving behind a system that promised anyone could duplicate his transformation by following the same mental laws he had mastered.
In Their Own Words
There is a thinking stuff from which all things are made, and which, in its original state, permeates, penetrates, and fills the interspaces of the universe.
The Science of Getting Rich
You must get rid of the last vestige of the old idea that there is a Deity whose will it is that you should be poor, or whose purposes may be served by keeping you in poverty.
The Science of Getting Rich
Every thought of form, held in thinking substance, causes the creation of the form, but always, or at least generally, along lines of growth and action already established.
The Science of Getting Rich
The whole matter turns on receiving, once you have clearly formed your vision, you must in your mental attitude become a receiver.
The Science of Getting Rich
Frequently Asked Questions
Did Wallace Wattles really inspire The Secret?
Yes, Rhonda Byrne explicitly credits The Science of Getting Rich as her primary inspiration for The Secret. She discovered Wattles' book during a personal crisis and built her entire program around his core concepts of Thinking Substance and mental impression.
Was Wallace Wattles wealthy when he wrote about getting rich?
Wattles experienced financial success only in his final years after applying his own principles. He wrote The Science of Getting Rich based on his personal transformation from failure to prosperity, making his teachings autobiographical rather than theoretical.
How is Wallace Wattles different from other New Thought authors?
Wattles stands out for his practical, business-oriented approach and his systematic three-step method. While other New Thought writers focused on spiritual development, he provided specific instructions for material results, making metaphysics actionable for everyday people.
What does Wallace Wattles mean by Thinking Substance?
Thinking Substance is Wattles' term for the intelligent, responsive medium that underlies all physical reality. He taught that this substance takes the form of whatever thoughts are consistently impressed upon it, making conscious creation possible through mental discipline.
