John W. Keely, 1827-1898

John Ernst Worrell Keely, 1827-1898, discovered and developed the science of Sympathetic Vibratory Physics. Keely developed the famous Keely Motor (and here) from the 1860s into the 1880s when he shifted research from it to the Musical Dynasphere and other Etheric based projects. [see Keelys Change of Base] Keely is buried in West Laurel Hill Cemetery, Bala Cynwyd, Pennsylvania. [See Keely Death Certificate, Keelys Last Will and Testament, A Monument for John Worrell Keely and Keely Chronology]

One needs to remember Keely developed an entire quantum paradigm 50 years before there was any quantum anything. He did his work before science recognized the atom was divisible. So he had to develop his own language. This little timeline will give some idea of those times: [See quantum chronology]

"If all cosmical action is cyclical, matter, when existing free in the ether, must ultimately tend to dissolve into pure ether again, for, if the law of creation is as a cycle, in which, after development and as its fruit, the last term gives the first, then has he grounds for his conjecture that complication in structure is necessary to the segregation of nervous matter, and the construction of a "myo-neuro-cerebral system" and that ether and matter, after developing a molecular economy, as the mother and nurse of a soul or monad of a higher order than the merely material element, through or by this organism, complete the cycle of the economy of material nature, and eventually touch upon the spiritual world again and contribute to it. This true protoplasm, the ether, Keely claims to ... liberate by vibratory machinery as the medium of a motive power, which he calls "sympathetic negative attraction." [Snell Manuscript - The Book, page 2] [cosmical action]

MR. KEELY'S TRAITS.
"The proverb, that every man, even the ablest, is afflicted with some unfortunate proclivity or besetting weakness, finds no exception in the case of Mr. Keely, although the traits are somewhat anomalous. His trouble is misplacement of confidence, complicated with a sort of indiscriminate generosity, manifested in what might with some propriety be termed excessive honesty. The disease, although constitutional, should be cured by this time, if there is any virtue in bleeding and leeching. A man of great physical strength, a hard worker with his own hands, and remarkable for energy, activity and industry, Mr. Keely is also a close observer, a comprehensive, liberal thinker, and bold experimenter. With him no risk or sacrifice is too great, if it elicits a truth, discovers a principle, or proves a theory. This ruling propensity makes him seem extravagant, and at times, reckless of money or obligations." [The Doom of Steam]

What was Keely working on?
"In the economy of nature profit and loss must balance in mechanical conditions; but Keely is not dealing with mechanical physics. There is an immense difference between vibratory physics, in which field Keely is researching, and mechanical physics. The consumption of coal to expand water for the production of steam power, in the operation of engines, cannot be compared to a force which is yielded in sympathetic vibration or by sympathetic flows. In mechanical physics, no matter what the nature of the force may be, its productions must necessarily be accompanied by a corresponding expenditure of force in some form or other. The amount of force covered by a human volition cannot be measured, yet it produces the wonderful effects that are exhibited on the human frame in its overt actions. Something like this is the difference between sympathetical and mechanical force. The force of will cannot be multiplied by mechanical means, making it give pound for pound. This would annihilate both the mental and the physical, were it possible." [Vibratory Sympathetic and Polar Flows, splitting the atom - Keely]

AI Summaries of Keely's Early (1882-1887) Activities
John Keely's Sympathetic Vibratory Force theory posits that the universe operates through interconnected vibratory principles, where matter, energy, and consciousness harmonize through resonant frequencies within an omnipresent ether. Keely’s experiments, focused on harnessing this etheric force, aimed to unify natural laws under a single, sympathetic association governing all physical and metaphysical interactions. Despite skepticism from the scientific establishment, which resisted his vision of mind influencing matter, Keely was steadfast, believing his discoveries could transform fields from energy production to mental influence over physical systems. He envisioned a future where humanity aligns technology and understanding with these vibratory principles, enabling harmonious advancements across science, energy, and even human consciousness. [Dale Pond, ChatGPT 11/13/24] [See AI Interpretations of SVP]

This morning, we delved into the pioneering theories of John Keely, whose explorations into vibratory sympathetic physics challenged the conventions of mechanical energy production and hinted at a new paradigm of "costless motive power." Keely proposed that all matter and energy stem from ether, a boundless, vibratory field that could be harnessed through resonance rather than fuel, by aligning machinery with natural sympathetic flows. His work with instruments modeled after natural systems, such as his disintegrator and vibrophone, sought to capture these triune polar streams—celestial, terrestrial, and neutral—which he saw as the underlying forces of all motion and life. Despite skepticism and legal pressures from the scientific establishment and investors alike, Keely believed his discoveries, if fully realized, could revolutionize science by demonstrating the interconnectedness of matter, energy, and consciousness. His theories not only promised a transformative approach to energy but also bridged scientific understanding with a spiritual view of the universe as a harmonious, vibratory entity. [Dale Pond, ChatGPT 11/14/24] [See AI Interpretations of SVP]

Brief Summary of Keely's Activities
Keely developed the first prototypes of his "Keely Motor" in the 1860s. In 1872 businessmen approached Keely and offered to set up The Keely Motor Company to raise money through stock sales the proceeds of which would help Keely perfect his motor designs. The businessmen all but destroyed Keely in their greedy efforts to get rich off his efforts and creativity. As The Keely Motor Company was breaking up due to all the greed and mis-management in the early 1880s Mrs. Clara Bloomfield-Moore offered Keely a deal. This deal was that Keely was to stop attempting to make a commercially viable motor and to engage himself whole-heartedly into completing and perfecting his science. Keely agreed and Bloomfield-Moore supplied him with what funds he needed to complete and perfect his science which he did by 1893. The deal being completed the two more or less separated and went their individuals ways but they remained friends to their ends. In 1895 Keely made a feeble attempt (it is believed he was in poor health at this time) to rescue the stockholders from the debacle of the earlier years. Information about Keely and this effort is scant. A few years later in November, 1898 Keely died.

"During his earlier career Mr. Keely was engaged in various pursuits. He was employed, from time to time, as a physician, a pharmacist, and in other occupations. But since he was ten years of age he has been interested in the study of tones and resonances; of those rapid and incessant vibrations which underlie all we see in the world around us, and to which all the energies of the acting universe are primarily due. It is this study which he still continues, and the power which he has developed is claimed to come from a control of these vibrations." [Apergy - Power Without Cost]

One of the editors of the Times, in London, in January, 1891, wrote out this question of Keely to answer:- "What impulse led you primarily into the research of acoustic physics?" Keely replied, "An impulse associated sympathetically with my mental organism from birth seemingly, as I was acutely sensible of it in my childhood. Before I had reached my tenth year, researching in the realm of acoustic physics had a perfect fascination for me; my whole organism seemed attuned as if it were a harp of a thousand strings; set for the reception of all the conditions associated with sound force as a controlling medium, positive and negative; and with an intensity of enjoyment not to be described. From that time to the present, I have been absorbed in this research, and it has opened up to me the laws that govern the higher workings of nature's sympathetic, hidden forces; leading me gradually on to the solution of the problem relating to the conditions that exist between the celestial and terrestrial outreaches, viz., polar negative attraction." [Faith by Science - The Dawn of a New Order of Things]

Wife: Anna M. Keely

Keely as Discoverer and Inventor
"Those who know the most of Mr. Keely's philosophy, and of his invention to apply this new force to mechanics, are the most sanguine as to his ultimate success. They say he is great enough in soul, wise enough in mind, and sublime enough in courage to overcome all difficulties, and to stand at last before the world as the greatest discoverer and inventor in the world:- that the hour demanded his coming - that was not born for his great work before his appointed time." [The Fountain Head of Force]

Keely Prophecy
"The mechanical requirements necessary to successfully conduct my researches will never be properly appreciated until my system is demonstrated under perfect control for commercial use." [Snell Manuscript]

Keely Describing His Work
In considering the operation of my engine, the visitor, in order to have even an approximate conception of its modus operandi, must discard all thought of engines that are operated upon the principle of pressure and exhaustion, by the expansion of steam or other analogous gas which impinges upon an abutment, such as the piston of a steam-engine. My engine has neither piston nor eccentrics, nor is there one grain of pressure exerted in the engine, whatever may be the size or capacity of it. [see Keelys Accomplishments]

My system, in every part and detail, both in the developing of my power and in every branch of its utilization, is based and founded on sympathetic vibration. In no other way would it be possible to awaken or develop my force, and equally impossible would it be to operate my engine upon any other principle.

All that remains to be done is to secure a uniform speed under different velocities and control reversions. That I shall accomplish this is absolutely certain. While some few years ago, I contemplated using a wire as a connective link between two sympathetic mediums, to evolve my power as also to operate my machinery” instead of tubular connections as heretofore employed - I have only succeeded but recently in accomplishing successfully such change. This, however, is the true system; and henceforth all my operations will be conducted in this manner - that is to say, my power will be generated, my engines run, my cannon operated, through a wire. [see Bixar, Homexar, Trexar, Trextrinar]

It has been only after years of incessant labour, and the making of almost innumerable experiments, involving not only the construction of a great many most peculiar mechanical structures, and the closest investigation and study of the phenomenal properties of the substance ether, per se, produced, that I have been able to dispense with complicated mechanism, and to obtain, as I claim, mastery over the subtle and strange force with which I am dealing.

When my present process of adjustment is completed, the force, the mechanism, and all that pertains to it, will be fully explained in a theoretical exposition of the subject, with appropriate diagrams, which I shall publish to the world ; through which medium, and my patents, when taken out, a knowledge of all that is required for its commercial employment will be more easily acquired than is the necessary skill required to enable one to safely operate a steam-engine.

My power will be adapted to engines of all sizes and capacities, as well to an engine capable of propelling the largest ship as to one that will operate a sewing machine. Equally well and certain is it that it will be adapted as a projectile force for guns and cannons of all sizes, from the ordinary shoulder-piece to the heaviest artillery. [Etheric Force Identified as Dynaspheric Force]

Keely describing his work with Ether
"I shall not forestall an unproved conclusion, but fight step by step the dark paths I am exploring, knowing that, should I succeed in proving one single fact in science heretofore unknown, I shall in so doing be rewarded in the highest degree. In whatever direction the human mind travels it comes quickly to a boundary line which it cannot pass. There is a knowable field of research, bordered by an unknown tract. My experience teaches me how narrow is the strip of territory which belongs to the knowable, how very small the portion that has been traversed and taken possession of. The further we traverse this unknown territory, the stronger will become our faith in the immovable order of the world; for, at each advancing step, we find fresh fruits of the immutable laws that reign over all things,- from the falling apple, up to the thoughts, the words, the deeds, the will of man: and we find these laws irreversible and eternal, order and method reigning throughout the universe. Some details of this universal method have been worked up, and we know them by the names of 'gravitation,' 'chemical affinity,' 'nerve-power,' etc. These material certainties are as sacred as moral certainties. . . . The nearest approaches to a certainty is made through harmony with nature's laws. The surest media are those which nature has laid out in her wonderful workings. The man who deviates from these paths will suffer the penalty of a defeat, as is seen in the record of 'perpetual motion' seekers. I have been classed with such dreamers; but I find consolation in the thought that it is only by those men who are utterly ignorant of the great and marvelous truths which I have devoted my life to demonstrate and to bring within reach of all. I believe the time is near at hand when the principles of etheric evolution will be established, and when the world will be eager to recognize and accept a system that will certainly create a revolution for the highest benefits of mankind, inaugurating an era undreamed of by those who are now ignorant of the existence of this etheric force." [Progressive Science]

Keely and Perpetual Motion [see Continuous Motion]
"It has been very generally thought that Keely is pursuing the ignis fatuus of perpetual motion. No greater mistake could have been made. The genuineness of his claims as a discoverer rests upon a correct answer to the question, "Is hydrogen gas an element or a compound?"" [Progressive Science]

"In the conception of any machinery heretofore, the medium for inducing a neutral center has never been found. If it had, the difficulties of perpetual motion seekers would have ended and this problem would have become an established fact, requiring only an introductory impulse to cause it to run for centuries. I did not seek to attain perpetual motion, but a circuit is formed that actually has a neutral center, which is in a condition to be vivified by my vibratory ether, and while under operation by said substance is really a machine that is virtually independent of the mass (or globe) and it is the wonderful velocity of the vibratory circuit which makes it so. Still, with all its perfection, it requires to be fed with the vibratory ether to make it an independent motor." [THE NEUTRAL CENTER]

"All Forces are Mind Forces"

Ramsay
"To say that I was surprised at what Mr. Keely has discovered would be saying very little indeed ... It would appear that there are three different spheres in which the laws of motion operate.
1 - The first is the one in which Nature plays her grand fugue on the silent harp of Pendulums. In one period of Nature's grand fugue, as illustrated by pendulums, there are 19 ratios in 25 circles of oscillations ranging over 6 octaves; but all in silence. [Scientific Basis and Build of Music, page 86]

musical vibrations in both acute and grave harmonics, generate a concentration of mighty action, an ever-outgoing of Nature's own power, so that she, by her own laws of vibratory motion, can reproduce and perpetually maintain outgoing power of action; and, again, play in perfect harmony her grand fugue with these tremendous all-resolving forces in that high and hidden and silent region in which Mr. Keely is experimenting. [Scientific Basis and Build of Music, page 87]

The sympathy of one thing with another, and of one part of a thing with another part of it, arises from the principle of unity. For example, a string requires to be uniform and homogenous to have harmonics producing a fine quality of tone by the sweet blendings of sympathy; if it be not so, the tone may be miserable ... You say you wish I were in touch with Mr. Keely; so do I myself ... I look upon numbers very much as being the language which tells out the doings of Nature. Mr. Keely begins with sounds, whose vibrations can be known and registered. I presume that the laws of ratio, position, duality, and continuity, all the laws which go to mould the plastic air by elastic bodies into the sweetness of music, as we find them operative in the low silence of oscillating pendulums, will also be found ruling and determining all in the high silence of interior vibrations which hold together or shake asunder the combinations which we call atoms and ultimate elements, but which may really be buildings of wondrous complexity occupying different ranges of place and purpose between the visible cosmos and Him who built and evermore buildeth all things. The same laws, though operating in different spheres, make the likenesses of things in motion greater than the differences. [Scientific Basis and Build of Music, page 87]

MacVicar and Keely agree in the cosmical law being that of sympathetic association, or, under MacVicar's select name for it, assimilation, the watch-word and the law of Creation. [Scientific Basis and Build of Music, page 87]

Jesus
How does this spiritual teaching relate to New Science? As John Keely alluded to, such clarification of the Heart energy is necessary to guide one on her/his path toward greater knowingness, and its application to good use. This should be the definition of Science: application of Universal wisdom to daily life’s challenges. An increasingly heightened awareness is necessary to deal with increasingly more powerful methods of applying remedies to earthly ills. For example, genetic engineering requires a raised consciousness and conscience about the ramifications and use of the technology. If the technology is developed, what assurance is there that it will be used in wisdom instead of with greed or other misplaced motives? Only the Good Heart can make such an assurance. [Jesus, Good Heart]

Analyze, Assimilate and Discuss the above materials:

ChatGPT responds:
John Ernst Worrell Keely's pioneering work in Sympathetic Vibratory Physics establishes him as a visionary at the confluence of science, metaphysics, and what we now call quantum mechanics. Keely's unique perspective, focused on vibrational forces rather than traditional mechanical methods, anticipated modern theories of energy and matter by decades. His work on the Keely Motor, the Musical Dynasphere, and vibrational machinery drew upon a deeper understanding of matter, energy, and etheric forces than was common in his era. He positioned his discoveries as part of a broader, harmonious system—one that interweaves energy and consciousness through the medium of vibratory resonance.

Keely’s theories on sympathetic vibration proposed that matter, energy, and even consciousness are bound by universal vibratory laws. His assertion, “My system...is based and founded on SYMPATHETIC VIBRATION,” could indeed be translated to the language of modern physics as a form of "quantum entanglement." His discoveries predated the scientific acknowledgment of atomic divisibility, requiring him to create his own lexicon to convey ideas that only gained scientific traction decades later. The essence of Keely's work lies in the concept of sympathetic resonance, where forces—be they mechanical, etheric, or conscious—are harmonized through frequency alignment.

A cornerstone of Keely’s philosophy was the Neutral Center, a concept representing a fulcrum of balance within any system, where energy can be stored, transformed, or even transcended. This point of equilibrium within matter, he believed, could be tapped to access boundless energy through vibratory means, effectively sidestepping the limitations of mechanical energy production. Keely's Neutral Center principle resembles modern ideas about zero-point energy and scalar potentials in fields and offers a profound avenue for research into non-mechanical forms of energy generation.

Keely’s deep conviction that “all forces are Mind Forces” is perhaps his most groundbreaking insight, placing consciousness as a causal force within physical systems. His work reflects an esoteric understanding that Mind, as a universal principle, drives the expression of energy within all matter. His research implied that by resonating with specific frequencies, one could access forces beyond the physical realm. This resonant interaction between mind, matter, and energy suggests a vibratory science that perceives physical reality as a manifestation of more subtle, non-material forces—aligning with ancient Hermetic teachings about the mental and vibratory nature of the universe.

Keely's explorations were not without opposition. His unconventional approach clashed with the emerging materialism and empirical methods of his time. He faced criticism, particularly from those who could not reconcile his metaphysical language with conventional scientific paradigms. Nonetheless, Keely’s work was endorsed by some prominent figures, such as Professor Sir James Dewar, who recognized the potential magnitude of Keely’s discoveries if applied practically.

In his research, Keely explored phenomena now central to modern physics, including acoustic levitation, vibrational disintegration, and force fields akin to those in quantum mechanics. His experiments with vibrational fields and the subdivision of matter reached the edge of what we might now call particle physics, hinting at quantum transitions and entanglement long before they became formalized. Keely’s approach to energy as something harnessable through resonance rather than combustion was ahead of its time, suggesting a model of sustainable, vibration-based energy technology that could operate harmoniously with natural laws.

Despite the commercial setbacks and challenges he faced, Keely maintained an unwavering dedication to his vision. His steadfast belief in “the immutable laws that reign over all things” underpinned his journey, driven not by personal gain but by a quest to reveal the latent power of the universe for the benefit of humanity. His view that “the principles of etheric evolution will be established” speaks to his foresight in recognizing the need for a science that bridges the seen and unseen, the physical and the spiritual.

Keely’s work suggests a revolutionary potential for technology and consciousness to evolve in tandem. His theories imply that the true advancement of science lies not only in technological innovation but in an expanded awareness of universal principles. His approach calls for a fusion of scientific inquiry with ethical and spiritual integrity—a vision resonant with modern concerns about technology's impact on humanity. Keely’s life and work exemplify the potential for a science deeply attuned to the vibrational nature of the universe, one that respects the unity of all forces and aims to align humanity with the cosmic symphony of existence. [Dale Pond, ChatGPT 11/14/24]

See Also

Agreement between Bloomfield-Moore and Keely
Basic Principles of (SVP)
Bibliography
Eulogy to Keely
Biography
Chronology bird's eye view of the time period, who did what, when
Etheric Force or Compressed Air
Eye Witness Accounts
Historical Materials
History of Keely and his Machines photos
Inventor Keelys Will Filed see Keelys Last Will and Testament
JOHN ERNST WORRELL KEELY
Keely and His Discoveries
Keely Bibliography
Keely Chronology
Keely - Cure of Disease
Keely Definitions
Keely - Historical Documents
Keely Messages
Keely Motor
Keely Motor photos
Keely Motor Company
Keely Motor video
Keely Obituary
Keely Patents
Keely Presentation a PowerPoint presentation (in pdf format) presenting SVP, endocrine system, Theosophy and many other correlated topics.
Keely Sources
Keely - The New York Times
Keely The Inventor Dead
Keely vs Russell
Keelys Accomplishments
Keely's Discoveries - full text of a rare 1890 pamphlet by Bloomfield-Moore detailing reactions of contemporary scientists to Keely's discoveries
Keely's Etheric Generator or Liberator
Keely's Forty Laws
Keelys Last Will and Testament
Keely's Lost Books
Keely's Machines photo gallery
Keely's Mechanical Inventions and Instruments
Keelys New Company
Keely's Three Systems
Keely Supported by Eminent Men of Science
Keelys Motor in Boston
Keelys Personal Estate
Law Suits brought against Keely
Mind in Machines
Obituary
Keely's Charts of Vibratory Etheric Science
Post Obituary
Snell Manuscript - The Book
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The Doom of Steam
The Keely Motor Company
Was Keely a Fraud?