Dyer reframes intention not as personal will but as a universal field of energy you align with. The book lays out a path of co-creation through embodying the qualities of the source — kindness, beauty, abundance, expansion. It is structured in three parts: principles of intention, an applied intention guide, and Dyer’s vision of a world in harmony with what he calls the universal mind.
Reception
A New York Times bestseller and one of Dyer’s commercial peaks, the book sold strongly through Hay House’s distribution and the PBS pledge-drive specials Dyer fronted in the mid-2000s. Praise centred on its accessibility and Dyer’s gift for translating mystical material for a mainstream self-help audience. Critics — including those sympathetic to the field — argued that the metaphysics are loosely defined, often conflating intention as a psychological discipline with intention as a quasi-physical "field," a blur Dyer carried across most of his late work. It remains influential in New Thought circles and is, for many readers, their first exposure to Dyer.
Frequently asked
What is The Power of Intention about?
Wayne Dyer reframes intention not as personal will but as a universal field of energy you align with. He identifies the attributes of that field — kindness, beauty, abundance, expansion — and argues that embodying them is how co-creation actually works. The book is structured in three parts: principles, an applied guide, and a closing vision.
Where does The Power of Intention sit in Wayne Dyer’s career?
It is one of Dyer’s commercial peaks — a New York Times bestseller distributed by Hay House and supported by the PBS pledge-drive specials he fronted in the mid-2000s. For many mainstream readers it remains the first Dyer they encountered.
What is the standard critique of the book?
That its metaphysics are loosely defined. Critics argue Dyer conflates intention as a psychological discipline with intention as a quasi-physical "field," a blur that runs through most of his late work. It is most influential within New Thought circles, less so in academic or contemplative scholarship.