I received an email from a reader named Derek L. in which he wrote:
Thanks for your great posts/blog. It’s refreshing to see someone tell the truth and not sell any more snake oil.
I have a question…
I am intrigued by the lineage of thoughts related to this topic. Since he has a lot of exposure to this material, I wonder if he has any idea where Haanel got the original concepts for it.
I am often asked that question because there is so much mystery surrounding Haanel and his perennial work. The master key system. Was he part of a Masonic conspiracy? Did he receive his knowledge through arcane means? Someone even theorized about some kind of Russian wizard who shared his knowledge with Haanel.
The story is quite interesting, but more nonchalant than some of the stories would have you believe. The master key system it must be seen within the context of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. The New Thought philosophy was in full swing with many books and magazines publishing the new beliefs for a seemingly hungry audience. Based on the Christian Science espoused by Mary Baker Eddy, Christian Scientists and many followers of New Thought firmly held to the belief of what Jesus Christ said about the powers available to each and every person.
Believe me when I tell you that I am in the Father and the Father is in me; or at least believe the evidence of the miracles themselves. I tell you the truth, anyone who has faith in me will do what I have been doing. Greater things than these he will do, because I am going to the Father. And I will do everything you ask in my name, so that the Son gives glory to the Father. (John 14:11-13)
Therefore, with enough faith and belief, one could perform miracles as Christ did. Even a cursory reading of The master key system it would reveal to someone that this was something Haanel deeply believed in. That said, the monotheistic ideas that Haanel espouses are more than likely derived from his involvement in Freemasonry, while Freemasons do not define their God, their only prerequisite is belief in one God. It is then through this God that miracles and extreme human potential can occur.
Before delving into this, it’s worth noting that there were at least two other publications emphasizing the words “The Skeleton Key” before the 20th century. The actual phrase has been used since the 17th century by Freemasons and for a publication in the 18th century: Hiram, or the Master Key to the Door of Freemasonrypublished in 1760. Another use of the phrase can be found in the famous (or should I be infamous) 600-page book by Madame Helena Blavatsky. isis revealedwith your subtitle A master key to the mysteries of ancient and modern science and theologypublished in 1877. The popularity and influence of Blavatsky and those who followed her teachings, the Theosophists, should not be underestimated.
In the 20th century, two authors published books with “Master Key” in the title. The first comes from L. Frank Baum, the author of The Wizard of Oz fame, and is one of the first science fiction novels. Was called The master key and subtitled an electric fairy tale. It told the adventures of Rob and the Demon of Electricity. This was published in 1901.
Another book came out around the same time that Haanel was working on his correspondence school. His ad featured a book and a man reading a book inside an hourglass. The ad said:
The Skeleton Key ~ reveals things you never thought possible. The hourglass of success. You will never get another book like “The Skeleton Key”.
It was written by LW de Laurence and published by The de Laurence Company of Chicago, Illinois, USA, in 1914. Quoting a few lines will show obvious similarities to Haanel’s The Master Key System.
“THE MASTER KEY is divided into Six parts: it contains Thirty-seven full Chapters covering Thirty-five Lessons of graded difficulty covering Forty individual numbered Exercises in which the fundamental principles of Concentration and Mental Discipline are fully explained.”
LW de Laurence, whose full name was Lauron William de Laurence, was an American author, publisher, and owner of a supply mail-order house in Chicago. He has been accused of plagiarism and illegal publication of various occult works. The number of posts by this man appears to be considerable.
De Laurence was active at the same time as Haanel and was, in fact, only two years younger than him. De Laurence, who was born in 1868 and died in 1936, had connections with AMORC. It is not clear if there was any connection between the two authors.
This then brings us to Charles F. Haanel’s main influence: the New Thought Movement.
When you read Haanel’s The Master Key System, it’s not long before he starts using crossover terms. To be fair to Haanel, many of the quotes he uses have nothing to do with the New Thought Movement. He was a man of his time and very cultured. He uses references to eminent figures of the 19th century and talks about the inventions of that time and the early years of the 20th century. Other quotes come from the Bible, but all are quite cryptic and symbolic, which could indicate that they were influenced by New Thought writers, Christian Scientists, Freemasons, or Rosicrucians. There are several hints of a possible knowledge of Hinduism, but Haanel’s exact knowledge on that subject is unclear, as references such as pranic energy or pranic ether may come from Rosicrucian teachings or possibly, and more likely, from Theosophy. .
There are several words and phrases that may be of interest:
“The Great Architect of the Universe”
“Secret Place of the Most High”
“Universal Mind”
The I”
“The Law of Attraction”
The “Great Architect of the Universe” is a phrase often used by Christians, Freemasons, and Rosicrucians to represent God or the Supreme Being. It can go back to the Middle Ages or beyond. Thomas Aquinas used a similar phrase but with “Great” instead of “Great”.
“Secret place of the Most High” can be found in the Bible in Psalm 91:1 –
He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will dwell under the shadow of the Almighty.
“Universal Mind” appears to come from Friedrich Von Schelling and was expanded upon by Georg WF Hegel. Ralph Waldo Emerson also made use of this term.
The concept of the “I” also seems to have its origin in the works of early German philosophers. It would seem that “I” was the first principle of Johann Gottlieb Fichte’s Wissenschaftslehre – “Doctrine of Science”.
The phrase that is on the tip of the tongue of many today is “The Law of Attraction”. Like the other terms used by Haanel, this one was probably not invented by him. It seems to have first come to light in the works of William Walker Atkinson (1862 – 1932) and particularly in Thought Vibration or The Law of Attraction in the Thought World published by The New Thought Publishing Co., Chicago, Illinois, USA. USA, 1906 Although the phrase itself is much older, its meaning became somewhat different with Atkinson and Haanel.
The Law of Attraction also appears in the syllabus of the SRIA – The Society of Rosicrucians. However, it is not known how old this show is and it is likely to be quite modern. The SRIA was formed in 1909 with the idea of teaching the general public rather than Masons as with earlier Rosicrucian groups. Some other aspects of the SRIA curriculum bear similarities to Haanel’s works. However, it may be that both this curriculum and Haanel’s ideas come from an older source, or just coincidence. It is unknown which came first.
Ultimately, it may be possible to trace the idea of the Law of Attraction back to certain phrases that were put into the mouth of Jesus Christ in the New Testament of the Bible.
Ask, and it will be given to you; Seek and you shall find; knock, and it will be opened to you: For everyone who asks, receives; and he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, it is opened. (Matthew 7:7-8, King James Version)
Another book that cannot be ignored was published in 1908 and it was called The Kybalion: Hermetic Philosophy by Three Initiates and it was published by The Yogi Publication Society, Masonic Temple, Chicago, Illinois, USA. It cannot be ignored that this book can having played a role in the development of Haanel’s The Master Key System. It was certainly not a collection of lessons and exercises, but the wording of this book is remarkably similar to Hannel’s publications. At one point the phrase “Mental Chemistry” is used. And while there is nothing in the title remotely similar to Haanel’s work, the phrase “Master Key” is used in the Introduction and several times in the body of the book. The Kybalion also delves into the power of thought.
…(H)ermetic Philosophy is the only Master Key that will open all the doors of the Occult teachings…. One of the ancient Hermetic Masters wrote, long ago: ‘He who grasps the truth of the Mental Nature of the Universe is well along the Path to mastery.’ These words are as true today as they were at the time they were first written. Without this Master Key, Mastery is impossible, and the student knocks in vain at the many doors of the Temple… The Principles of Truth are Seven; whoever knows them, with understanding, possesses the Magic Key at whose touch all the Doors of the Temple suddenly open.
The Kybalion is believed not to be an ancient document, but rather was written by William W. Atkinson and the other “Insiders” guessed to be Paul Foster Houses and Mabel Collins. Atkinson was certainly active in the years leading up to the publication of The Master Key System and it is hard to believe that Haanel knew neither of the man nor of his works. Master Key Arcana includes short pieces from the writings of various members of the New Thought Movement, including William W. Atkinson, James Allen, Florence Scovel Shinn, Henry Drummond, and Phineas P. Quimby.
However, whether Haanel was influenced by Atkinson, or any other member of this Movement, is something else and it is difficult to be sure what his sources were.
Much of Haanel’s life is a mystery. Not many records were kept or preserved and the lack of many living descendants who knew him adds to the fact that we don’t know much about him. CW Evans-Gunther researched and examined Haanel’s life as much as possible. His full biography can be found at www.haanel.com.
Investigating the influences of Haanel and his game in his works is somewhat easier. As noted at the beginning of this article, when you look at the times Haanel lived in, you can see the influences and how Haanel used those influences to shape his thoughts and his works.
In the time period that Haanel lived in, the self-help/personal development movement (although not called that) was quite large and actually very similar to the current scene. As the saying goes, times may have changed but things remain the same. By some accounts, Haanel was a somewhat important player, although he never had the infamy of Blavatsky or some others of the time.
It was all of these elements (at least) that came together in Haanel’s mind to form one of the best books on personal development.
[Please note: This article was researched by C.W. Evans-Gunther. He is also responsible for writing the majority of it. Additional information was added by me. I am also responsible for additional editing and any mistakes that one might find. More information can be found at http://www.haanel.com.]