Tesla was very good at making clear his philosophical premises in his work. In another paper, he described the forces that work themselves against the human body (gravity), (change in tides/atmospheric pressure), etc. and ended with by saying something like most people were controlled completely by external forces. The paper was interesting because he seems to be the first and one of few to actually calculate precisely these changing forces acting on a human being. He did say that he was a Christian - and believed in God. Most people did during his time. It appears that he is advocating determinism in this paper and the one you mentioned - that we are essentially confined to a destiny. Like any great scientist - he was also very interested in why people do things and what not only causes changes in the environment but changes in oneself.
"Were it to stop its motion it would die: hatter at rest, if such a thin; could exist, would be matter dead."
He is implying that human beings, composing more mass than a single atom, are under the principles that govern the single atom to a lesser extent because they are comprised of many. One of those principles is quoted above- if you stop, you are atrophying. Read more of his papers and you will see him describe similar ideas. He is smart obviously- and remember - there was little science backed psychiatry in his day compared to today - so he was sort of pioneering that, just like most everything else he did.
