Psychiana
Mary Abshire

"In the year 1929, a tall, breezy Westerner walked into an advertising agency in Spokane, Washington, and expressed a desire to have an advertisement placed in certain periodicals… they took the ad, read it through, and handed it back to the man, saying, ‘The ad is not well-written. It will never bring results.’ …The man was troubled but undiscouraged and turned away, saying, ‘Well, either you people are crazy or I am.’" (Braden 78)

Crazy or not, this man, who was to become the Archbishop of Psychiana, found another company to print his ad, and this first ad generated 3,000 responses and $13,000. (Petersen 2) The advertisement gives big promises, proclaiming in large letters, "I TALKED WITH GOD—YES, I DID—ACTUALLY AND LITERALLY." It goes on to say, "You, too, may experience that strange Power which comes from talking with God, and when you do, if there is poverty, unrest, unhappiness, ill-health, or despair in your life, well—this same God-Power is able to do for you what it did for me." (Scrapbook LCHS 1)

Dr. Frank Bruce Robinson formed Psychiana, the New Psychological Religion, in Moscow, Idaho. It was to become an enterprise that would encompass the ideals of rising American modernism. Frank Robinson sold his story—his narrative—to those who would listen and believe.

To classify Frank Robinson, briefly, he was a storyteller and a businessman. In one of his ads, he claims, "I advertise God. And I do it very successfully." (Scrapbook, L.C.H.S.)

The story Robinson presented to his followers through the medium of the postal service was a story that appealed to the times. Robinson had his fingers on the pulse of America. He used contemporary events like the atomic bomb and the Depression as subject matter for his lessons, sermons and quarterly magazine, "The Way."

"I tramped the streets," says one ad, "Hungry. Broke. Weary. Finally landed a job playing the piano in a saloon for sleeps and eats. I made a startling discovery! And now? Well, I live in a $25,000 home, drive a beautiful Cadillac limousine, have money in the bank, and have won international fame and fortune. You, too, can have all these things and more, if you use the power I use!!!" (Scrapbook LCHS 34)

Robinson sold more than a way of thinking—he sold a story and was successful in telling his story because he knew what would appeal to his listeners. Frank Robinson was a religious leader whose teachings were successful partially because they gave hope to many people whose lives had been shattered. The followers’ letters and testimonials display this quite clearly. Many converts to Psychiana were people who had suffered the loss of a son or husband in the war, people who were financially destroyed by the Depression, or people who were watching a loved one die of cancer or some other devastating disease.

As usual, people who felt trapped in their circumstances were the first converts to the story Robinson sold. But as the Depression covered the nation and then the war, everyone felt helpless. Many of the students’ letters testified that they felt powerless, that traditional religious doctrine didn’t fulfill them, didn’t work for them or were incapable of helping them break various sorts of chemical addiction. Robinson promised power, power, power! He promised that converts would be able to take back their lives by tapping the power latent within oneself and the universe.

"During the war years, his efforts were confined largely to the United States…Even so, the mails were flooded constantly with inquiries, perhaps more numerous because of the troubles that piled up on people during the critical war period." (Braden 80)

An ad from a Psychiana symposium in Portland, Oregon, says, "The World is Ablaze—Civilization is Threatened, but We Believe We Can Help It—We Think We Have the Answer." The answer is, of course, a subscription to Frank Robinson’s lessons, where students will learn to find the God-Law that lies within everyone.

Who subscribed to this narrative and why? Charles Braden conducted a study on religious minority groups in 1949. He paid a visit to Frank Robinson, where Robinson explained Psychiana to him, emphasizing that all subscriptions were money-back-if-you’re-not-satisfied. He allowed the researcher to look through the paperwork of Psychiana’s administration.

At the main office of Psychiana, Robinson tracked his subscriptions by the periodical from which they had been clipped. From a sampling of 25 magazines, Braden concluded that from 3% to 21% of those who read the ads and requested further information eventually subscribed to the lessons. (Braden 81)

21% of returns came from a periodical that dealt with the future. Two magazines dealing with astrology accounted for 18% and 14% respectively. Three separate detective story publications accounted for 16%, 15% and 11%. Movie and radio publications accounted for 14% and 8%. A widely circulated Sunday newspaper section accounted for 13% and a newspaper almanac accounted for 14%. Braden also admits that "a favorite of the old-time, barbershop male clientele" accounted for a 13% return (whether he was referring to a pornographic magazine here, it is not clear.)

The lowest returns (3% and 4%) came from newspapers that circulated in rural areas. Other low returns came from a Midwest farming magazine (9%), a nationally-read weekly (7%) and a veteran’s magazine (5%). (Braden 82)

Robinson informed Braden that the typical profile for a subscriber was 40-60 years old (with an equal number of male and female) and that 79% of the households were white-collar, earning around $3,000 a year. The problem with Braden’s statistics is that Robinson was the sole provider of all his data, which seems somewhat suspicious, especially considering that when Braden was allowed to read the letters of followers, he reported all of them to be positive concerning both Robinson and Psychiana.

However, Robinson also provided him a list of names and addresses of subscribers, so that Braden was eventually able to contact a large portion of both satisfied and disgruntled people who had been exposed to the Psychiana experience; this act would be questionable today for legal reasons, no doubt, but it did allow Braden to get a collection of legitimate responses to Psychiana.

The people Braden contacted varied in age, religion, affluence and ethnicity. Many of those interviewed were regular churchgoers in denominations ranging from Episcopalian to Roman Catholic. Others were followers of contemporary religions like New Thought Theosophy. Robinson would never admit to Braden or anyone else that his religion was essentially a branch of New Thought religion, though he did credit Robert Collier of the Christian Science movement for inspiring him with his book, "The Secret of the Ages." However, many other people did consider his work as a part of New Thought, and in essence, it was.

New Thought was a popular persuasion at the time. All over the country, "new doctrines reconciling religious teaching with scientific evidence had gained widespread acceptance in mainstream Protestant denominations." (Hawley 147) In Your God Power, Robinson says, "There are over sixteen millions of Americans who belong to New Thought organizations (his statistics here, as elsewhere are unqualified, since noone seems to know where he found them). They find some truth there, but they can never find the fullness of the power of God there so long as these dear New Thought people insist on basing their teachings on Jesus instead of God. (Robinson 338-339)

In addition, the country was in need of change, and one of the most active grounds for change was American religion. "Worldly pursuits of happiness and conversions to scientific materialism continued to encroach upon religion’s place in American life." (Hawley 146) Robinson’s work seems to be the most obvious example of this phenomenon, since his approach promised possessions and prosperity, while offering at the same time, spiritual blessing and healing.

As Keith Petersen, a local historian says:

Psychiana was a religion for the 1930s. Partially secular in an era when people abandoned churches, it preached prosperity during depression. It taught self-help at a time when people questioned the ability of business to provide work…the 1940s were different. The 1940s brought war. Frank Robinson, shrewd businessman, shifted again, launching a "spiritual Blitzkrieg" against the Fascists. (Petersen 10)

The millions of people who could not use guns to conquer the enemy could use religion. The people who stayed at home could do battle also, by chanting three times a day, "The unseen forces of God are bringing about the speedy defeat of the Axis," as Dr. Robinson suggested.

Where there was a feeling of helplessness, Robinson stepped in to encourage. He used advertising for all it was worth; magazines and periodicals reached the most people, but he also learned to use the airwaves, and radio advertisement became an important outlet.

Frank Robinson did not seem to add anything new to theological thought. What he did accomplish was a simplification of complicated New Thought ideals. He was aiming for the hearts and the minds of the masses, not the select intellectuals who could understand the New Thought writings. "While not an original thinker, Robinson absorbed what read and gave some new twists to contemporary theology…he molded secular ‘positive thinking’ and religious ‘rationalism’ into one belief." (Petersen 17)

Robinson’s lessons were subscriber’s second experience with Psychiana, apart from the myriad of ads that were published in the U.S. and internationally. From Lesson One, published and copyrighted in 1932, the reader learns that Robinson doesn’t care who the reader may be, whether mail carrier, priest or auto-mechanic. He says, "I am going to show you in the course of instruction just exactly what Law is and then, naturally, when you apply this Law to your own life problems, you will be able to drive poverty, ill-health, and unhappiness completely out of your life as fast and as effectively as I did." (Robinson 3)

In the first lesson, Robinson continues in a similar style, referring to contemporary culture and events (comparing the smooth highways in California to the rutted dirt roads of Idaho). Above all, he emphasizes science and contemporary scientific statistics and figures with the discussion of railroad engineering, mixed explosives, astronomy and radio waves. Somehow, he manages to loosely relate these things to the real discussion at hand, which is the God-Law.

Many promises are made to the reader in the first lesson, with assurances of a strict definition of the God-Law and other mysterious forces that the reader will learn to tap into if they continue to complete (and pay for) their lessons. However, having read through the set of lessons, Robinson never defines his terms, as he promises to do in the first lesson. Instead, there is more evasiveness and circularity.

There is no real substance to the so-called Law. The advertisements tell far more about the religion than the actual lessons. The evasiveness that Robinson was able to mass produce is quite astonishing, given the vast amount of people who were awaiting the eventual revelation, who were waiting to find out—what is it??

Even the people who testified to the beneficial powers of Psychiana were not very clear, even in their praises of it. Here is Braden’s version of one such testimonial: "Miss D, a colored woman of about fifty years of age…said she had been ‘feeling rather low,’" when she received a "nice letter" from Robinson (direct mail approach) and sent for the lessons.

"Did they help you?"

"Yes, indeed," she replied, "I found them very helpful."

"Were you ill?"

"No, I wasn’t sick, but they made me feel much better."

"What was your church background?"

"Episcopalian."

"Are you still one?"

"I sure am. Nothing is going to take me out of the church."

"Dr. Robinson is quite anti-church in his attitude."

"Yes, I know, but I don’t pay any attention to that. He helps me just the same. I just take what helps me. I don’t bother about the rest."

Braden continues to talk to the woman. Apparently, the woman greatly admires Robinson and if she has a doctrinal disagreement with him, she just refuses to let it bother her. When told that Robinson had recently been in her city, she became very excited, "Why didn’t he come to see me?" she cried, "But then I suppose he has so many he couldn’t do that." (Braden 117)

Robinson’s narrative is told best by him; he went to every effort to present the segments of his biography that suited the purposes of Psychiana. Whether his beliefs were genuine is another matter. The Moscow community’s narrative of Robinson is another matter, as well. The Robinson story considered within the narrative of Modernism and the New Deal Era is another story. The tenets of Psychiana considered within the greater story of New Thought Theosophy are another aspect.

All of the stories that add up to the story of Pyschiana make this minor cult religion a great narrative, but too large to tackle in this setting. In a broad historical context, Psychiana was not very memorable; people won’t identify it readily. Yet, Psychiana the Psychological Religion is a key to understanding the people who bought into it. "The history of Psychiana can unlock details of how people were in the 1920s, 1930s, and 1940s; of hard times and war times; how some made it through those difficult decades." (Petersen 18)

Frank Robinson lived his own version of the American dream in a time when it was fairly difficult to do so. Ahead of his time in ingenious methods of advertising, he found many to whom his ideas appealed. He gained his fame. He understood technology and the need for contemporary or "cutting edge" ideas for continued success. More than anything, he learned the trick of adaptability in business.

Robinson’s narrative voice was a confident, fearless one. He inspired hope where there was none. He gave himself wholeheartedly to the business of religion. He was the leading citizen and a philanthropist in the small town where he lived. He donated a youth center to the city with paid memberships of $300 for fifty teenagers. He employed many women in Moscow during the war. He received so much mail for Psychiana that Moscow was given a Class "A" postal status and a large post office was built, providing more chances for employment. He poured most of his wealth back into Psychiana. Though Robinson harmed noone, he helped many; his business approach was honest—he offered a service. If it didn’t work for you, you didn’t have to pay.

Moscow’s most vocal historian, Lola Clyde, was born in 1900 and knew Frank Robinson. "We all talk with God. Our Gods, you know. And I’m sure Frank Robinson talked with his God, because he did so many lovely, fine, openhearted, generous things." (Petersen 18)

Community members were never able to ascertain if Robinson was a true believer or just an adept businessman. Does this distinction make a difference in the narrative of Psychiana and the story Frank Robinson sold? Probably not. Frank Robinson is now just a symbol of his times and his dated advertisements sound humorous in our ears.

For more on Psychiana check out Psychiana: Propaganda and Storytelling

Frank Robinson Timeline

(based largely on Keith Petersen’s Psychiana the Pschological Religion.)

1886

Born in England to hellfire Congregationalist minister. Immigrated to Canada.

Driven from home by step-mother.

Discharged from Royal Canadian Mounted Police and United States Navy for alcoholism.

Early 1920s

Became a pharmacist in Oregon and Arizona.

Late 1920s

Moved to Moscow.

1929

Asked local business people for money to start a religion.

Ran first Psychiana ad with large response.

Stock Market Crashes.

Early 1930s

Started to produce and mail the first set of lessons. The lessons were re-printed and re-issued until 1953, when Psychiana was closed permanently.

1934

Robinson bought the Elk River News, moved it to Moscow, and renamed it the News-Review; this press printed all Psychiana materials.

Robinson bought a hand-made Deusenberg convertible for $16,000: "the fastest, most expensive car in the Northwest."

1936

Indicted by a grand jury for falsifying passport information; he apparently thought he was an American citizen because he was born in New York during his parents’ vacation from England. When the trial was over, the Immigration Department began deportation proceedings for the crime of unlawfully residing in the United States.

1937

Robinson investigated for mail fraud by US Postal Service; they find him guilty of nothing but a clever use of the postal service.

Robinson Lake Park opened: Frank Robinson’s gift to the community.

1942

Sen. William Borah interceded in Robinson’s deportation; Robinson traveled to Cuba, obtained a visa, and returned to the United States, where he became a naturalized citizen

1945:

Robinson alleges persecution by eighty-four Better Business Bureaus; claimed they influence publications to refuse his advertisements.

1948

Frank Robinson’s dies of a heart-attack.

1953

Robinson’s wife, Pearl and son, Alfred shut Psychiana down; they had kept the movement alive to this point primarily to keep from forcing dependable employees and friends out of work.

1961-1967

The Idahonian (controlled by the Robinson family) publishes a tabloid history of Moscow with not one printed word concerning Psychiana or its founder.

The Robinson family kept a controlling interest in the Idahonian (currently Moscow-Pullman Daily News) until 1967.

For more on Psychiana check out Psychiana: Propaganda and Storytelling

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