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The New Thought Movement or New Thought is a loosely allied group of organizations, authors, philosophers, and individuals who share a set of metaphysical beliefs concerning healing, life force, Creative Visualization, and personal power. Creative visualization refers to the practice of seeking to affect the outer world via changing one's thoughts The New Thought Movement developed in the United States during the mid to late 19th century and continues to the present time. It promotes the ideas that God is all powerful and ubiquitous, spirit is the totality of real things, true human self-hood is divine, divine thought is a force for good, all sickness originates in the mind, and 'right thinking' has a healing effect.

Contents

History

19th century origins

The earliest identifiable proponent of New Thought was Phineas Parkhurst Quimby(1802-66), an American faith healer, student of Mesmerism, and practitioner of hypnosis, who claimed he could heal by mere suggestion. Phineas Parkhurst Quimby ( February 16, 1802 – January 16, 1866) was a New England philosopher magnetizer mesmerist healer Faith healing is the attempt to use Religious or spiritual means such as Prayer, mental practices spiritual insights or other techniques to prevent The term's most common usage today refers to a person's sexual attractiveness or raw Charisma. Hypnosis is often thought to be a wakeful state of focused attention and heightened suggestibility with diminished peripheral awareness Suggestion is the name given to the psychological process by which one person may guide the thoughts feelings or behaviour of another Quimby developed a belief system that included the tenet that illness originated in the mind as a consequence of erroneous beliefs and that a mind open to God's wisdom could overcome any illness. Belief is the psychological state in which an individual holds a Proposition or Premise to be true Illness (sometimes referred to as ill-health or ail) can be defined as a state of poor Health. MIND ( Moving In New Directions) (est 1975 is an alternative education high school in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. God is the principal or sole Deity in Religions and other belief systems that worship one deity. [1] During the late 19th century the metaphysical healing practices of Quimby mingled with the "Mental Science" of Warren Felt Evans, a Swedenborgian minister. The New Church Swedenborgianism is the belief system developed from the writings of the Swedish theologian Emanuel Swedenborg (1688 – 1772 In Christian churches, a minister is someone who is authorized by a church or religious organization to perform clergy functions such as teaching of beliefs [2]

New Thought as a movement had no single origin, but rather emerged along with a variety of religious denominations and churches, particularly the Unity Church, Religious Science, and Divine Science. Unity also known as Unity School of Christianity and informally as Unity Church, is a school of thought founded upon holistic Christian principles Religious Science, also known as Science of Mind, was founded in 1927 by Ernest Holmes (1887-1960 and is a spiritual/philosophical/metaphysical religious movement Church of Divine Science is a religious group founded in Denver Colorado in the late 19th century during the dramatic growth of the New Thought Movement in the [3] It was a feminist movement in that most of its teachers and students were women; notable among the founders of the movement were Emma Curtis Hopkins known as the "Teacher of Teachers" early adopter of the phrase New Thought in the 1900s. Emma Curtis Hopkins (1849–1925 organized New Thought and was a primary theologian teacher writer feminist mystic and prophet who ordained women at what she named Melinda Cramer and Nona L. Brooks founders of (Divine Science). Nona Lovell Brooks, described as a "prophet of modern mystical Christianity" was a leader in the New Thought movement and a founder of the Church of Divine Science [3]

20th century diversity

From 1900 through the 1920s, New Thought was popular in all regions of the United States, and spread to other nations as well. New Thought churches and centers began to form, as did New Thought clubs and other organizations. It was during this period that many books of the New Thought movement were published, including the financial success and will-training books of Wallace Wattles, Frank Channing Haddock, and Thomas Troward. Wallace Delois Wattles (1860 – 1911 was an American author A pioneer success writer he remains personally somewhat obscure but his writing has been widely quoted and remains Frank Channing Haddock (1853-1915 was an influential New Thought and Self-help author best known for his series The Power-Book Library Thomas Troward (1847-1916 was an English author whose works influenced the New Thought Movement and mystic Christianity.

In 1906, William Walker Atkinson (1862 - 1932) wrote and published Thought Vibration or the Law of Attraction in the Thought World. William Walker Atkinson ( December 5, 1862 - November 22, 1932) was an attorney merchant publisher and author as well as an Occultist [4] Atkinson was the editor of New Thought magazine, a student of Hinduism, and the author of more than 100 books on an assortment on religious, spiritual, and occult topics. A religion is a set of Tenets and practices often centered upon specific Supernatural and moral claims about Reality, the Cosmos The word occult comes from the Latin word occultus (clandestine hidden secret referring to "knowledge of the hidden" The following year,Elizabeth Towne, the editor of The Nautilus Magazine, a Journal of New Thought, published Bruce MacLelland's book Prosperity Through Thought Force, in which he summarized the "Law of Attraction" as a New Thought principle, stating "You are what you think, not what you think you are. Elizabeth Towne (1865 - 1960 was an influential writer editor and publisher in the New Thought and Self-help movements The Nautilus was a magazine of the New Thought Movement, founded in 1898 by Elizabeth Towne. " [5]

The 1915 INTA conference, held in conjunction with the Panama-Pacific International Exposition -- a world's fair that took place in San Francisco -- featured New Thought speakers from far and wide. The Panama-Pacific International Exposition (PPIE was a World's fair held in San Francisco California between February 20 and December 4 in Expo (short for "exposition" and also known as World Fair and World's Fair) is the name given to various large public exhibitions held since the The City and County of San Francisco is the fourth most populous city The PPIE organizers were so favorably impressed by the INTA convention that they declared a special "New Thought Day" at the fair and struck a commemorative bronze medal for the occasion, which was presenting to the INTA delegates, led by Annie Rix Militz. [6]

In 1916, the International New Thought Alliance was formed, encompassing many smaller groups around the world; several years later the Alliance adopted a creed known as the "Declaration of Principles". The International New Thought Alliance (INTA is an umbrella organization for New Thought adherents "dedicated to serving the New Thought Movement’s various branches organizations [3] The alliance is held together by one central teaching: that people, through the constructive use of their minds, can attain freedom, power, health, prosperity, and all good, molding their bodies as well as the circumstances of their lives. The declaration was revised in 1957, with all references to Christianity removed, and a new statement based on the "inseperable oneness of God and Man". [3]

Belief systems

The chief tenets of New Thought are: [7]

Evolution of thought

Adherents also generally believe that as humankind gains greater understanding of the world, New Thought itself will evolve to assimilate new knowledge. Alan Anderson and Deb Whitehouse have described New Thought as a "process" in which each individual and even the New Thought Movement itself is "new every moment. " Thomas McFaul has hypothesized "continuous revelation," with new insights being received by individuals continuously over time. Jean Houston has spoken of the "possible human," or what we are capable of becoming. Jean Houston, PhD (born 10 May 1937) has been a leading figure in the cross-cultural study of New Thought spirituality and ritual processes [8]

Theological Inclusionism

Home of Truth, which, from its inception as the Pacific Coast Metaphysical Bureau in the 1880s, has disseminated the teachings of the Hindu teacher Swami Vivekananda, is one of the more outspokenly interfaith of New Thought organizations, stating adherence to "the principle that Truth is Truth where ever it is found and who ever is sharing it. A Hindu ( Devanagari: हिन्दू is an adherent of the philosophies and scriptures of Hinduism, a set of religious, Philosophical Swami Vivekananda (স্বামী বিবেকানন্দ Shami Bibekānondo; स्वामी विवेकानन्द Svāmi Vivekānanda) ( " [9]

Therapeutic theories

John Bovee Dods (1795-1862), an early practitioner of New Thought, wrote several books on the theory that disease originates in the electrical impulses of the nervous system and is therefore curable by a change of belief. A disease is an abnormal condition of an organism that impairs bodily functions and can be deadly The nervous system is a Network of specialized cells that communicate information about an animal's surroundings and itself Later New Thought teachers, such as the early 20th century author, editor, and publisher William Walker Atkinson, delved into this theory as well. William Walker Atkinson ( December 5, 1862 - November 22, 1932) was an attorney merchant publisher and author as well as an Occultist Atkinson wrote a number of books on healing and he also developed a theory of personal magnetism and success that outlined a linkage between general electromagnetic phenomena, neural processes, and mental states of being. Electromagnetism is the Physics of the Electromagnetic field: a field which exerts a Force on particles that possess the property of The nervous system is a Network of specialized cells that communicate information about an animal's surroundings and itself [10]

Divine Science, Unity Church and Religious Science are organizations which developed from the New Thought movement, which teach that Infinite Intelligence or God is the sole reality, sickness is the result of the failure to realize this truth, and healing is accomplished by the affirmation of the oneness of the human race with the Infinite Intelligence or God. Faith healing is the attempt to use Religious or spiritual means such as Prayer, mental practices spiritual insights or other techniques to prevent [11][12][13][14]

Distinguishing New Thought from other belief systems

New Thought / Christian Science

Both New Thought and Christian Science do place an emphasis on direct healing of the body, but Christian Science developed in a different direction from New Thought and is not considered a New Thought organization. Mary Baker Eddy, the founder of Christian Science, was a disciple and patient of New Thought pioneer Phineas Quimby, but she rejected his healing methods, citing her belief that healing came from the power of the Christian God, not the mind. Mary Baker Eddy (born Mary Morse Baker July 16, 1821 &ndash December 3, 1910) was the founder of the Christian Science Christian Science is believed by its supporters to be a system of spiritually scientific truths which are summed up in the two commandments having one God one Mind one Life Truth [15]

New Thought / Christianity

Not all New Thought organizations consider themselves to be Christian (Seicho-No-Ie for example) but the Unity School of Christianity quite obviously does. Seicho-No-Ie, sometimes rendered Seicho-No-Iye, (生長の家 Seichō no ie, (IPA no ie roughly translated into English means "The Home of Infinite Life" Unity also known as Unity School of Christianity and informally as Unity Church, is a school of thought founded upon holistic Christian principles Many traditional Christian writers have raised criticism aimed at Unity concerning matters of how Unity interprets the Bible[16].

Differences between various New Thought teachings

Unity / Religious Science

The two largest New Thought teachings are Religious Science and Unity School of Christianity. Religious Science, also known as Science of Mind, was founded in 1927 by Ernest Holmes (1887-1960 and is a spiritual/philosophical/metaphysical religious movement Unity also known as Unity School of Christianity and informally as Unity Church, is a school of thought founded upon holistic Christian principles Ernest Holmes, the founder of Religious Science, stated that Religious Science/Science of Mind (RS/SOM) is not based on any "authority" of established beliefs, but rather on "what it can accomplish" for the people who practice it. Ernest Shurtleff Holmes (1887-1960 was the founder of a movement known as Religious Science, also known as "Science of Mind" a part of the New Thought [17] It therefore differs from the philosophy of another New Thought organization, Unity School of Christianity, in that it does not embrace any single traditional religion. It does, however, incorporate selected aspects of numerous traditional teachings. [18]

See also

Notes

  1. ^ Phineas Parkhurt Quimby at MSN Encarta. Retrieved Nov. 16, 2007.
  2. ^ New Thought entry, The Columbia Encyclopedia, Sixth Edition, at Bartleby.com. Retrieved Nov. 16, 2007.
  3. ^ a b c d Lewis, James R. This is a list of notable New Thought writers. A C Alexander -- The Crystal Silence League Abel This is a list of New Thought membership organizations. It is historically based therefore not all of these groups may be in existence at this time The phrase Law of Attraction, although used widely by esoteric writers has a variety of definitions ; J. Gordon Melton (1992). Perspectives on the New Age. SUNY Press, pp16-18. ISBN 079141213X.  
  4. ^ William Walker Atkinson. Thought Vibration or the Law of Attraction. Advanced Thought Publishing. 1906. Full text public domain version online.
  5. ^ MacLelland, Bruce, Prosperity Through Thought Force, Elizabeth Towne, 1907
  6. ^ Dresser, Horatio, History of the New Thought Movement, 1919
  7. ^ New Thought at MSN Encarta. Retrieved Nov. 16, 2007.
  8. ^ Houston, Jean. The Possible Human. 1997.
  9. ^ Home of Truth home page. Retrieved Sep. 20, 2007
  10. ^ Dumont, Theron, Q. [pseudonym of William Walker Atkinson. William Walker Atkinson ( December 5, 1862 - November 22, 1932) was an attorney merchant publisher and author as well as an Occultist Mental Therapeutics, or Just How to Heal Oneself and Others. Advanced Thought Publishing Co. Chicago. 1916.
  11. ^ New Thought at MSN Encarta. Retrieved Nov 16, 2007.
  12. ^ Official website of Divine Science. Retrieved Nov 16, 2007.
  13. ^ Official web site of Unity Church. Retrieved Nov 16, 2007.
  14. ^ Official web site of Religious Science International. Retrieved Nov 16, 2007.
  15. ^ Mary Baker Eddy at MSN Encarta. Retrieved Nov. 16, 2007.
  16. ^ Vahle, Neal (1993). Open at the top: The life of Ernest Holmes, Open View Press, 190 pages, Chapter 16.
  17. ^ Vahle, Neal (1993). Open at the top: The life of Ernest Holmes, Open View Press, 190 pages, p7.
  18. ^ Holmes, Ernest (1926) The Science of Mind ISBN 0874778654, pp. 327-346 "What the Mystics Have Taught".

Further reading

External links

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