Robinson, Frank B. (Frank Bruce), b. 1886

Background on Psychiana Collection

The son of an English fire and brimstone Baptist preacher, Frank Bruce Robinson founded Psychiana, a mail-order religion based in Moscow, Idaho, in 1928 after he became disenchanted with organized religion. Instead of belief in concepts such as heaven and hell, Psychiana believes avows that anyone can enjoy life in the moment through the power of positive affirmation, and promises health and material prosperity in return. The name Psychiana came to him Robinson a dream. Robinson’s initial investment of $2,500 allowed him to publish an ad in the nationally published Psychology, 1,000 lesson plans, and 10,000 form letter responses from which he netted $23,000, according to his biography. The founding of Psychiana coincided with the start of the Great Depression creating an audience open to his message. By the end of its first year, Psychiana had subscribers in 67 different countries and by the early-1930s, so much mail was coming in – up to 60,000 pieces a day – that the town of Moscow had to upgrade their post office to a larger facility. Psychiana shut its doors in 1952 after Robinson’s death in 1948, but not before having distributed about one million of his publications and receiving praise from Benito Mussolini. Robinson claimed that Psychiana was the eighth largest religion in the United States, and the largest mail-order religion in the world.