about
New Thought
New Thought
Ernest Holmes, Agape, Tolle and more…
The Science of Mind was an original and early work of author and religious figure, Ernest Holmes. The work talked about the power of the mind. Main principals covered in the work are itemized on the Science of Mind magazine. Some (but not all) of the core principals are:
- The Spirit is in each of us, and all of us are manifestations of this Source Spirit
- Everything is eternal
- As the Bible says, “The Kingdom of God is within you [us]”
- The goal of life is to be in freedom from all disharmony.
- Seeking unity of all life
- Direct revelation (Gnosis) is a core principal of the path
- Healing of the mind and body is possible through their beliefs
Groups formed around these teachings. Religious Science (now called Centers for Spiritual Living) / Christian Science are examples of this, along with the modern adaptation of AGAPE church (founded by Michael Bernard Beckwith) and Unity Churches (founded by Charles and Myrtle Filmore).
At the time, I attended the above mentioned groups (CSL, Agape church in Culver City, and a Unity Church in Culver City). CSL and Unity were set up like traditional churches: a building, pews and a pulpit. Agape was set up like a modern mega church, where crowds lined up to get in.
Overall I have no complaints about the groups. To this day Agape does live streaming of their services for free. I can’t think of anything they asked payment for. The same I could say of CSL and Unity. It was like typical Christian services where donations are asked for, but no demands or paywalls for teachings. Most of these organizations sell books or media to help with understanding the message of the faith, but that’s about the only cost I encountered.
I mentioned Eckhart Tolle. Tolle would often pitch the New Thought work, “A Course in Miracles,” even quoting from it. I figure he deserves to be mentioned in this grouping as well. Tolle was another influence on me at the time, his classic work being “The Power of Now.” Tolle’s message was to quiet the mind and live in a state of perpetual mindfulness. This message is important and a core aspect of all mystical paths (the quieting of the mind/ego).
At this time I was also ordained in a New Thought organization: University of Sedona. I didn’t keep up with my ordination and shifted into other beliefs afterwards. However, the material taught through their online course system is on par with what you would learn from Ernest Holmes, Tolle and others.
As for personal growth, I suppose what you put in as what you get out. There’s quite a lot of material on different faith’s, but the depth of those teachings is surface level (at least in my experience). Buddhism is mentioned and discussed, but there’s not a lot of deep dives into the faith, unless a Buddhist monk/nun is called in to give a lecture. For me, personally, I felt I needed more and moved on. However, I have much respect for these groups and continue to be influenced by the teachings I received.