The Inner Chamber of the Science of Mentalphysics
Edwin Dingle, born in Cornwall, England in 1881, spent his early professional life working as a journalist and geographer. In the early 1900’s and 1910’s, Dingle spent years in China, where, in 1911, he witnessed the Xinhai revolution first-hand. In 1914, Dingle published his bilingual “New Map of China,” a pivotal work that led to his fellowship at the Royal Geographic Society of Great Britain. As Dingle continued to travel the Far East, he eventually crossed into Tibet, and there he claimed to have learned secret and advanced spiritual techniques from a mystical teacher. Based largely on these experiences, Dingle came to America in the twenties and began preaching on a topic he called “the science of mentalphysics.”
In 1933, he founded The Inner Chamber of the Science of Mentalphysics in Oakland, California. He later opened the “Mentalphysics Spiritual Teaching and Retreat Center” on 420 acres of desert land in what is now Joshua Tree. The structure was designed by Dingle, legendary architect Frank Lloyd Wright, and Wright’s son, Lloyd Wright. As leader of The Inner Chamber of the Science of Mentalphysics, Dingle began calling himself Ding Le Mei, and assumed the role of philosopher, psychologist, and author. During this period, Ding Le Mei, as the representative of his organization, issued many commentaries for his students. In these commentaries, Ding Le Mei would offer lessons on breathing exercises and meditation, as well as presenting his philosophical and spiritual teachings.
Special Collections at the University of Southern Mississippi Special Collections has a bound range of The Inner Chamber of the Science of Mentalphysics Commentaries (numbers 31-74). This book can be requested in the Brooks Reading Room on the third floor of McCain Library, Room 305. For more information about this item or any of our collections, contact Andrew Rhodes at or 601-266-8377.
Sources:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edwin_Dingle
https://jtrcc.org/institute-of-mentalphysics/