New Thought

SOME THINGS I THINK I KNOW

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“The latent divinity within us stirs our imagination and, because of Its insistent demand, impels and compels our growth. It is back of every invention; It proclaims Itself through every creative endeavor; It has produced sages, saints and saviors; and will, when permitted, create a new world in which war, poverty, sickness and famine will have disappeared.”
~ Ernest Holmes

“The Practical Application of the Science of Mind,” page 49.2

I found The Science of Mind, and therefore, New Thought, in 1989. I was instantly attracted to the ideas of the teaching and the community I found at the (then) Science of Mind Center in Fort Lauderdale. I began classes within three months of my first visit, became a practitioner 3 years later, and a minister 2 years after that, in 1995. I have worked and practiced the teaching ever since and I credit it with “saving” my life, if not my physical life, then my spiritual and psychological one.

“The end of the hero’s journey is not the aggrandizement of the hero. The ultimate aim of the quest is not ecstasy for oneself, but the wisdom and grace, and the power to serve others.”
~ Joseph Campbell

“The only wisdom we can hope to acquire is the wisdom of humility: humility is endless.”
~ T.S. Eliot

So, here are some of the things I have learned in those 36 years. There are 2 endnotes along the way:

FOR ME

  1. My center of power is within me, so no amount of trying to please an outside god, institution, or person will save me. Cause and effect is the primary, but not the only way that the universe operates. There is randomness and acausality which means I must live in the mystery more than I might prefer.
  2. My thoughts become my beliefs, and my beliefs become the law of my life – my job is to discover my soul’s agenda[i] and align my thoughts with that as best I can.
  3. Ernest Holmes recognized that our Reality is energy infused with intelligence. What he called “love” is that intelligence-infused energy, not an emotion. What he called “law” is the way that energy works across the domains of reality (physical, mental, cosmic, subatomic).
  4. Spirit, the Creative Intelligence of the Universe, the Ultimate Mystery, operates by infusing its creation with intelligence and energy. My good is fully available to me when I am in alignment. Spirit does not manage my life in any way and does not know me individually, any more than I can know an individual cell in my body.
  5. I am at my best when I have clear intentions in alignment with my soul’s agenda and I follow the path toward demonstration. Through spiritual practices, I can become aware of being out of alignment more quickly.
  6. I need to be open to everything – the good, the bad, and the ugly – to have the degree of awareness necessary to extinguish my belief in limitation.
  7. My life won’t be perfect in the sense that nothing will go “wrong.” My opportunities for growth come from my challenges.

“The great yogi, maybe he smokes a cigarette, or has a bad temper occasionally: something that keeps him human. And that little thing is very important. It’s like the salt in a stew. It grounds him. This is another way of saying that even a very great sage, a great Buddha will have in him a touch of regret that life is fleeting, because if he doesn’t have that touch of regret, he’s not human and he’s incapable of compassion towards people who regret very much that life is fleeting.”
~ Alan Watts
Uncarved Blocks, Bleached Silk (LINK)

“For a fully enlightened being, the difference between what is neurosis and what is wisdom is very hard to perceive, because somehow the energy underlying both of them is the same.”
~ Pema Chödrön

The Wisdom of No Escape

FOR THE MOVEMENT

  1. Our movement began as a bridge from traditionalist-Blue religion to a modernist-Orange spirituality, according to the Spiral Dynamics Model[ii]. Since then, we in New Thought have evolved to a more postmodern-Green culture, and some of the theology and cultural approaches of the earlier movement are no longer appreciated or relevant.
  2. The movement has essentially stopped growing for the past 40+ years due partly to this shift toward Green (LINK) and partly to the changing cultural evolutionary patterns of the society around us. Essentially, much of our theology and the programs and classes which supported growth at Orange do not appeal as much to those who have evolved into Green. The organization(s) and most spiritual communities have not adapted to these changes very well – congregations are shrinking and revenues falling as many seek to return to the way it was in the past.
  3. What began as a very individualistic teaching (Orange) which drew thousands to a message of positive thinking for personal growth with strong teachers who ruled in an authoritarian way, has evolved into something else. While many celebrate the change to a more egalitarian, less rigorous approach, there is also a longing for the success of the earlier model. Essentially, there has been a failure to develop the wisdom to negotiate the transition from an “I” teaching to a “we” teaching, or a beneficial combination, as those centered at Orange generally feel unwelcome in a Green-centered community (LINK).
  4. I think that the egalitarian nature of those centered at Green has led us to a place where our students have no clear, direct curriculum to mastery of the teaching. A wide array of classes with few requirements regarding readiness for certain content (who are we to judge whether a student is ready?) means that beginning students are in more advanced classes and more advanced students are in classes where beginners must be accommodated. There is little room for rigor or a clear path toward mastery. And the credentialing process is less rigorous as well.
  5. There has also been a shift in who has come into leadership in the organizations. My knowledge of Centers for Spiritual Living is more current, but I see similar patterns in other NT organizations. Where the ministers of the larger churches, who were almost always centered at modernist-Orange, used to serve on the boards and councils, that is no longer the case. There are at least two reasons for this: one is that there are fewer large churches today; the second is that the evolution into Green brings a greater desire for consensus and egalitarian representation. Larger churches usually have leadership centered at Orange. They are used to making decisions quickly and decisively, which clashes with the dynamic in a Green leadership group where significant time for processing decisions and valuing input from all stakeholders is needed before making decisions, ideally by consensus. This is not to say that those in leadership are not good leaders; it is more about the values systems which arise as a result of cultural evolution and the inherent conflicts within those systems.

“How old are we? As a culture, as individuals? Not in years but wisdom. This question makes me whistle through my teeth, shift uneasily on my chair. Because I think I know. Deep down I know. Many of us never quite got over the hump of adolescence.”
~ Martin Shaw

THE FUTURE

  1. We often discuss what will happen to the teachings – The Science of Mind, Unity, Divine Science, etc. – should our current forms of ministries and organizations cease to exist or become increasingly smaller. I have a sense that the teachings would continue to be discovered, albeit without so many places for instruction and community practice.
  2. I see this as being in the hands of the newer generation of spiritual leadership, a group who I strongly admire. They are cocreating what is next. Perhaps as some evolve into integral-Yellow they will see the richness of talent and possibility across the other stages and create ministries which serve everyone.
  3. I think that ANTN (LINK) is well positioned to grow as more ministries and individuals leave the traditional organizations. However, the reality is that almost all spiritual communities are either shrinking or in other forms of transition – moving online or toward unpaid ministry for two examples.
  4. For me individually, the future holds the opportunity to continue to grow and deepen my practice, to connect with like-minded people where possible, and to live a life of great joy and contribution. If I am a sage at this point, that both cheers me and challenges me.
  5. I also believe that our futures are mostly unknowable – lots of surprises are on our agendas. However, we can neither wait for such things to show up nor despair if they do not. Ours is to live our best lives in each moment, knowing that we have the benefit of great teachings to support and sustain us.

“To finish the moment, to find the journey’s end in every step of the road, to live the greatest number of good hours, is wisdom.”
~Ralph Waldo Emerson

Essay on Experience

Copyright 2025 – Jim Lockard

[i] Soul’s Agenda: C.GH. Jung saw that the goal of life — individuation — is actually to ACQUIESCE to the Soul’s agenda and learn to trust it so completely as to give over control entirely.    Link: https://roadopener.medium.com/acquiesce-to-the-souls-agenda-a6731bac0188

[ii] Spiral Dynamics: Spiral Dynamics is a model about human thinking and development – it says that human intelligence is evolving and developing within the context of the world in which we live. Further, that this development is the key to how we perceive and interact with the world – we see the world as we are, not as it is. LINK: IS THE CHURCH MODEL GOING AWAY? PART 3 – SPIRAL DYNAMICS INTRO | New Thought Evolutionary

SOME MUSINGS ON TURNING 74

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“How terribly strange to be 7(4).”
~ Paul Simon, “Old Friends”

“Old age cannot be cured. An epoch or a civilization cannot be prevented from breathing its last. A natural process that happens to all flesh and all human manifestations cannot be arrested. You can only wring your hands and utter a beautiful swan song.”
~ Renee Winegarten

I have had the great good fortune to grow old as a Religious Scientist. This means that I have had an advantage that I would not otherwise have had. That is knowing how to direct my thoughts and feelings toward my good – health, wealth, creativity, vitality, etc. – as a matter of practice. This advantage has brought me, I believe, a far more fulfilling life than I might have had given my former trajectory.

Looking back at my 35+ years in the teaching, all of it as a student and some of it as a minister, I can see how different my mental state is now than before. I am reminded of something that a classmate of mine in what was then called “Science of Mind 1” said to me. It was during a class break, and he was an elderly gentleman (although probably not as old as I am now). He said to me, “You know don’t you, that the Science of Mind is about learning how to die?”

I replied that I did not know that. He went on to the effect that it is only by learning how to live fully that we learn how to die. He meant that by living fully, when the time for death comes, we are prepared, fulfilled, if you will.

“Death is extraordinarily like life when we know how to live. You cannot live without dying. You cannot live if you do not die psychologically every minute. This is not an intellectual paradox. To live completely, wholly, everyday as if it were a new loveliness, there must be a dying to everything of yesterday, otherwise you live mechanically, and a mechanical mind can never know what love is or what freedom is.”
~ J. Krishnamurti

When we have not learned how to live, we resist and struggle with death. It need not be so.

Another lesson that this teaching has brought me over the years is the importance of humility. I do not mean the way humility is often understood, as the need for self-deprecation or diminishment. I mean it in its truest sense, as living as honestly as possible. To be humble is to live in truth. This means that I both see my own faults, but that I also know that my potential is virtually unlimited.

“One need only grow old to become gentler in one’s judgments. I see no fault committed which I could not have committed myself.”
~ Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

I have learned that it is easy to use spirituality in a very limited way so as to hide from your true potential and from the world. Using calls to prayer/treatment to halt the dynamics of group interaction as soon as something becomes uncomfortable, for example. To use a limited sense of the spiritual to bypass the deep and often painful introspection to reveal not only our true selves, but what we have repressed in our attempts to fit in and be accepted by others. A strong spiritual life requires mental awareness and emotional intelligence.

True spirituality leads one to a realization of a great power within and to the expression of great courage in life. The aphorism “Treat and move your feet” is often misunderstood. The “move your feet” portion is not optional. If one has done a treatment and does not act in alignment with that truth as stated, one has simply done an exercise in trying to feel better. We are not here to hide from the world; it is not what our soul wants from us.

At my age, I have become frustrated with a growing tendency to support a sense of victimhood in our movement. To be sure, the cultural necessity of accepting everyone as equal and demanding as much of every individual and institution is essential. But accepting a victim consciousness as inevitable or even as laudable violates the basic tenants of our teaching. Someone who has been harmed may well need to be enveloped with love and acceptance; however, it is best that they are guided away from victim thinking toward the realization of their own power. I want my friends to see my possibilities and not accept any tendency to see myself as helpless. Ours is to love one another toward a deep realization of our power and possibility.

My gratitude for The Science of Mind, for those who taught me how to integrate it into my life (including my students), and for the wonderful community which now extends to all of New Thought is deep and endless.

I want the movement to survive and thrive. So, I may criticize it from time to time. May I do it with the wisdom of an elder and not simply as an old person.

“The great secret is to embody something essential in our lives. Then, undefeated by age, we can proceed with dignity and meaning, and, as the end approaches, be ready ‘to die with life’. For the goal of old age is not senility, but wisdom.”
~ Anthony Stevens

Copyright 2025 – Jim Lockard

NEW THOUGHT THEOLOGY – TIME FOR AN UPDATE? PART 8 – NT THEOLOGY RESTATED

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“We arrived on this planet without an instruction manual and then we were misinformed.”
~ Rev. Dr. Charles Geddes (LINK)

This is my latest attempt at a basic statement of the philosophy and theology of New Thought inclusive of human knowledge in 2025. While the existing philosophy and theology are useful, they are incomplete and in some cases inaccurate as described earlier in this series (LINK).

As noted earlier in the series, having a philosophy and a theology are necessary for both individuals and spiritual organizations/communities. What follows is my personal philosophy and theology as a student of New Thought (particularly The Science of Mind™). I am offering it here as both an example for individuals to use to build their own version, and as a blend of traditional and updated material for New Thought spiritual organizations and communities. Some of it will be similar, some new to you, some may sound strange.

You can use any term you like for the Ultimate Source. I like Spirit, Creative Intelligence of the Universe, Source, and Infinite Possibility. The word “God” tends to carry some baggage and is often not open to expansion but use it if you like. I will use Spirit in this document.

PHILOSOPHY:

  • Spirit, the Creative Intelligence of the Universe, is infinite. Since nothing can be separate from an Infinite, you are never separate from Spirit. This idea, Oneness[1], is present in almost every religious tradition.
  • Spirit consists of pure intelligence and pure energy; It is all that there is, which is what infinite means.
  • It creates out of Itself and becomes what it creates (how is a mystery); Its creation, this universe we occupy and everything in it (and any other universes which may exist), is made up of energy vibrating at various frequencies.
  • Its creation is imbued with intelligence and is itself creative.
  • Spirit is not a being, It has no “personality” and experiences its creation as an unfolding, evolving experience (another mystery).
  • Being Infinite, Spirit contains all potential. Spirit’s creation has the intelligence to actualize potential into experience. Spirit is omniscient in the sense that It knows all potential; but it does not know what Its creation will actualize from that potential. Therefore, Spirit is not static, but an evolving intelligence, constantly expanding, refining, and evolving.[2]
  • Spirit is not moral or immoral; it is AMORAL. Morality is a human concept. Spirit is an impersonal Force.
  • Spirit knows you, but no better than you know an individual cell in your body. We say that Spirit is Love because everything you need to survive and thrive exists in potential awaiting your actualization of it, not because Spirit feels emotions. 

THEOLOGY:

  • Ours is a panentheistic (LINK) theology – Spirit within and as all of creation, and all of creation within Spirit. “God in you and you in God.”
  • Being one with the Infinite Spirit (Oneness), is expressed in the physical universe as a growing diversity as the universe evolves to greater complexity. At the beginning of the universe there was one element, Hydrogen. Later, as heat and time affected the Hydrogen, more complex elements emerged. The Universe expanded and more energy was converted to matter (which is energy vibrating more slowly) in more and more ways. This all happens due to the intelligence within the new universe, its elements, and later, its life forms.
  • The universe operates by using evolution and emergence from an inner intelligence to grow in complexity and produce a wealth of experience. This occurs through trial and error – some things evolve and some do not – and follows physical laws, such as when more complex elements are created in the explosions of stars and galaxies.
  • The energy in the universe takes shape in the form of vibrational frequencies according to physical laws, underlying intelligence, cause and effect, and true randomness. There is no grand plan or design, it happens as it happens.
  • The bias of the universe is toward the evolution of greater complexity and therefore, greater actualization of potential. In that sense, Spirit is “for you” if only in the sense that you are a possible conduit to the next expressions of complexity.
  • Human connection with Spirit (the divine, the transcendent) and the universe is through our brain/mind, and to a lesser degree through our senses. Spirit acts through us and around us.
  • Psychological health and emotional intelligence are important keys to human fulfillment. Spiritual instruction should promote these qualities.
  • Quantum physics tells us that the Universe (or the Quantum Field) contains an intelligence (consciousness) and New Thought tells us that our mind is the point of access to that intelligence.
  • Modern psychology tells us that we can know the divine only through our own understanding of reality and of ourselves. We can never know the full nature of the Infinite; Its full nature is a mystery.
  • We manifest or actualize from potential according to the creative process, in which we actualize experience from the infinite field of potential. It is the relationship of our mind (beliefs) to our deepest self (Soul), to Spirit (Universal Mind), and the world around us which determines how and what we actualize. Our thoughts create the belief systems at the unconscious/subconscious level. Our intuition arises from the Universal and Soul and reaches our conscious mind best when we are aligned. See image.
  • What we manifest is the result of the degree of alignment among those relationships at a moment in time. The more those elements (Universal Mind-soul-subconscious-conscious mind) are in alignment, the more our manifestations will reflect our true desires and identity.
  • Spiritual practices are for the purpose of bringing our mind into alignment so that what we actualize is consistent with our true desires and identity. We pray (treat) to change ourselves (to come into greater alignment), not to ask the divine to change, which It cannot do anyway. We meditate to calm our conscious mind to allow a free flow of intuition from our Soul level.
  • The unpredictability of the universe arises within the subatomic level, where true randomness (acausality) exists. This randomness seems to ensure that the universe remains on its evolutionary path – a path which is not predestined but is evolving and creating as it goes. The universe progresses because of the nature of the intelligence within it and its forms and the choices made by entities which become capable of consciousness.
  • There is no heaven or hell, however it is unknown if or how our consciousness may continue after our physical death. In any case, we are not punished or rewarded for behavior here on earth.

This is only a beginning, and it begs more contemplation and conversation. In updating our philosophy and theology to include a more current understanding of human knowledge, we must remain “open at the top[3]” to allow changes where needed. When we cling to an old set of ideas about Reality, we also cling to the limitations of those ideas.

“In all my research I have never come across matter. To me the term matter implies a bundle of energy which is given form by an intelligent spirit.”
~ Max Planck

“We keep thinking of deity as a kind of fact, somewhere; God as a fact. God is simply our own notion of something that is symbolic of transcendence and mystery. The mystery is what’s important.”
~ Joseph Campbell

This ends this series, although there will surely be more about the concepts here in future posts.

Your comments are welcomed, as always.

Copyright 2025 – Jim Lockard

[1] Oneness, whether relative or absolute, is an attribute that defines the uniqueness of the entity that possesses it. While relative oneness can be possessed by anything unique in any respect, absolute oneness is a feature of Divinity alone. (LINK)

[2] This idea is consistent with many ancient scriptures, particularly the Mandukya Upanishad (1.2): “Sarvam hy etad brahma, ayam ātmā brahma, so ‘ham asmi.” (All this is Brahman. This Self is Brahman. I am That.)

[3] Open At the Top – a saying attributed to Ernest Holmes about remaining open minded. Also the title of a Holmes biography by Neal Valhe (LINK)

NEW THOUGHT THEOLOGY – TIME FOR AN UPDATE? PART 7 – EVOLUTION & EMERGENCE

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“How devastatingly easy it is for patterns of fear, legacies of dominance, and habits of control to make us forget that creation emerges from the generous movement of the Divine, the mutual reciprocity of giving and receiving and sharing.”
~ Rev. Ana Blaedel (LINK)

“This is exactly the position that modern philosophers take; it is called the theory of emergent evolution, which means that when nature needs something, it demands it of itself, and out of itself makes it.”
~ Ernest Homes

The first six posts in this series (LINK) have brought us here, to an exploration of what the theology[1] of New Thought might be if, going forward, it includes the lessons of quantum physics, brain research, and developments in psychological knowledge of the past century. Quantum physics helps us to see that there is true randomness (acausality) in the universe, and that this randomness is not accounted for in classical (Newtonian) physics. It also teaches us about things like “spooky action at a distance” or quantum entanglement (LINK) which helps us to understand more about the nature of consciousness and how our prayer can help to heal others.

Brain research has taught us that there are neural cells throughout the body and that the concept of a mind/body dichotomy is inaccurate. Our mind and its vessel, the brain extend throughout our being, and even the microbiome in our gut colony can and does influence our thoughts and emotions (LINK1) (LINK2). Science also has told us that all humans do not think in the same way and that things like depression can be affected by thought patterns but can also CAUSE or change thought patterns (LINK).

While the theory of evolution was known at the time of the founders of New Thought, the ideas of that theory have expanded and deepened in the past century. We now know that evolution is, in effect, the operating system of our universe and of every aspect of development within it.

“Evolution … is the central, enabling process not only of life but also of knowledge and learning and understanding. If you attempt to make sense of the world of ideas and meanings, free will and morality, art and science and even philosophy itself without a sound and quite detailed knowledge of evolution, you have one hand tied behind your back. … For evolution, which knows nothing, the steps into novelty are blindly taken by mutations, which are random copying ‘errors’ in DNA.”
~ Daniel C. Dennett

Intuition Pumps and Other Tools for Thinking

Evolution is a process of becoming something new from something which exists, and it is the developmental process of the universe and everything in it, including human development. We evolve physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually at the individual level and, in a like manner, our human cultures evolve. Evolution moves toward greater complexity. We are all connected with everything as evolving aspects of an evolving universe.

“Accept that the meaning of life is to first wake up to connective consciousness; and then, in each waking moment, to serve whatever is seeking to emerge within it so we use our one life to shape the material world around us in a way that reduces suffering and increases thriving.”
~ Nick Jankel

Our collective connections are more invisible than visible, but they exist. Evolution urges us forward, but not in a straight line of development. We rise and fall, we succeed and fail, we grow, stagnate, and sometimes regress. One of our challenges as students of New Thought principles is to remember that our trajectory toward spiritual growth is never a straight line. We must go into the depths of our being to reveal and heal the shadow elements we have repressed on a fairly continuous basis.

Rather than seeing our challenges, failings, and pain as defeats or signs of a “lack of the right consciousness,” we do better to see them as times of great potential for growth. Surrendering to the pain, living with it and learning from it can be invaluable to our ultimate journey to realization. This, among other things, is what developments in psychology have told us.

“When we must deal with problems, we instinctively resist trying the way that leads through obscurity and darkness. We . . . completely forget that these results can only be brought about when we have ventured into and emerged again from the darkness.”
~ C.G. Jung

“What looks like the end of the world today is often divine intelligence prodding us to incubate (to cocoon) to change ourselves from the inside out and emerge the butterfly. Don’t fight it.”
~ Nathalie Wynn Pace

Another major area of new awareness from the sciences is the concept of emergence[2], a familiar concept now used in human development to describe the arising of capacities or potentials once latent within an individual or a society. Emergence works through evolution, manifesting something new in experience. In cultural evolution, emergence describes the revelation of new stages of complexity of thought and the values systems which accompany them from within us (LINK). The potential is already within us, both encoded into our DNA and accessible from Universal Mind (Source) or the Collective Unconscious[3]. Emergence is a key to understanding all human growth and development, including spiritual development.

“Emergence violates so many of our Western assumptions of how change happens that it often takes quite a while to understand it. In nature, change never happens as a result of top-down, preconceived strategic plans, or from the mandate of any single individual or boss. Change begins as local actions spring up simultaneously in many different areas. If these changes remain disconnected, nothing happens beyond each locale. However, when they become connected, local actions can emerge as a powerful system with influence at a more global or comprehensive level. (Global here means a larger scale, not necessarily the entire planet.)”
~ Margaret Wheatley, Deborah Frieze (LINK)

Our theology should include the concepts of evolution and emergence as basic elements of our understanding. These, along with the lessons of quantum physics and brain science referenced earlier, combine to form a more coherent spiritual theology or design for living a life of spiritual realization. We are in a universe of both randomness and cause and effect, where evolution is the driver of new developmental expressions which emerge from within the cosmos and within our own consciousness.

“To live authentically, we often have to leave behind the reasonable, sensible option, and learn to live with the pervasive uncertainty and, sometimes, the seeming madness of the unique path and calling presented to us.”
~ Keiron Le Grice

The Rebirth of the Hero

In the 8th and final part of this series, I will attempt a cogent and user-friendly statement of philosophy and theology for New Thought in the 21st Century.

Your comments are welcomed, as always.

Copyright 2025 – Jim Lockard

[1] Theology: the study of religion and religious belief, or a set of beliefs about a particular religion.

[2] Emergence: the development of particular patterns, properties, or behaviours in parts of complex systems that happen only when the parts of the system interact, and that the parts do not have on their own: The concept of emergence dates back to Aristotle or even further. Some types of emergence involve incredible complexity emerging from simple elements, as with the emergence of the universe’s structure in a few microseconds after the Big Bang. (Cambridge Dictionary)

[3] Collective Unconscious: According to Jung’s teachings, the collective unconscious is common to all human beings. Jung also believed that the collective unconscious is responsible for a number of deep-seated beliefs and instincts, such as spirituality, sexual behavior, and life and death instincts.

NEW THOUGHT THEOLOGY – TIME FOR AN UPDATE? PART 6

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“God is…Living Intelligence…. God is universal, infinite Mind. God is Spirit. Spirit is vital essence, formless, radiant, vibrant, omnipresent, omnipotent, omniscient…. God is stable Principle…infinite Being…the originating cause and the continuing source of all life, all being, all creation. God is at the same time the supporter and the support in its essence and basis. God is the creator and moves within the creation unceasingly.”
~ Helen Zagat, Faith & Works (Divine Science)

“Since one’s idea of God is always a projection of her own human consciousness, she needs to develop that consciousness to high levels to have any useful sense of God.”
~ Jim Lockard

As I noted in the first installment of this series (LINK), New Thought has both a philosophy and a theology. In this post, we will look at our philosophy, the essential beliefs and principles, and see how they might be updated based on the ideas in this series. In Part 7, we will explore the theology (the practices and teaching) might be updated.

The philosophy of New Thought teachings, the basis for what we believe about the nature of Reality/God/Spirit, is remarkably consistent among the families of New Thought (LINK). I listed some aspects of this philosophy in my book, Sacred Thinking (LINK) in 2010.

1.  There is ONE Infinite Spirit. This One Spirit created the universe out of Itself, out of Its own infinite nature.

2.  The universe, or cosmos, is the expression of the creative nature of the One Spirit.

3.  The Universe is constantly changing, evolving toward greater and greater complexity.

4.  The Universe and everything in it is infused with intelligence and is self-organizing.

 5. As a human being, you are an individualized (not individual, which means separate) expression of the One Spirit, as are all other human beings and everything else in creation.

One infinite Spirit which created existence out of Itself and became what it created (from Troward), using evolution as a means of “growing” its creation, the creation itself is infused with intelligence. We humans are individualized expressions of the infinite Spirit as is everything else in existence. Simple, right? But how does it work?

“Briefly, the Law is this: there is an unbreakable sequence of cause and effect right throughout the universe. This sequence is never broken, and therefore there is no such thing as favoritism, special providences, hard cases, or anything of that sort. As we sow we reap.”
~ Emmet Fox

“If thought power is good for anything it is good for everything. If it can produce one thing it can produce all things. For what is to hinder it? Nothing can stop us from thinking. We can think what we please, and if to think is to form, then we can form what we please.”
~ Thomas Troward

As we explored in the first two parts of this series, the past century of scientific discovery has led us to the realization that cause and effect is not the only mechanism by which reality operates. Therefore, we need to take this truth into account in our lives, our relationships, and, indeed, in our theology. Our manifestation technology of Thought = Belief = Demonstration as cause and effect is true within a limited realm (the world described by classical physics), but not reliably beyond that realm (quantum physics). Yet, quantum physics also tells us that it is all consciousness – that beneath the quantum field (so to speak), which is all energy and matter, there is “a thin layer of intelligence” (Bohm).

“The usual way to say this is that in quantum physics, there is ‘true randomness.’ In true randomness (acausality), we don’t know the cause and also there is none. In classical physics, nothing happens randomly. If a billiard ball is picking up speed to the right, it’s because some force is pushing it in that direction. If we don’t know the nature of the force, it might seem like it’s random motion. But be assured, there is a causal force.”
~ Alexis Shasta, Quantum Physics Lady (LINK)

Note that the “causal force” described above is a physical thing, not the result of consciousness. If random acausal events occur (and they do), then we need to develop a more effective way to allow for that – one which does not victimize us when we are affected by such acausal events. And, since we cannot know in most cases whether something is the result of cause and effect or is random or acausal, we must learn to be more compassionate with ourselves and others.

Quantum physics, and specifically quantum mechanics, has shown us that the nature of reality is vastly different at the quantum, or subatomic, level. Energy and matter behave differently there, and those differences are the foundation for the way reality operates at our level (which is between the subatomic and the cosmic levels). The weirdness at the quantum level is as much a part of our reality as the so-called classical physical laws at the classical level (LINK). And, increasingly, it looks like it is all consciousness, or thought, which is infused into every bit of energy or particle of matter.

“The Universe begins to look more like a great thought than like a great machine. Mind no longer appears to be an accidental intruder into the realm of matter… we ought rather hail it as the creator and governor of the realm of matter.”
~ Sir James Jeans, physicist

Somehow, Spirit is operating at both levels (and at the cosmic level, which also has some different rules). It is all Spirit with no exceptions, therefore, that aspect of our philosophy is as valid as ever. However, we must come to understand that cause and effect, while the dominant dynamic at our everyday level of being is not the only dynamic in our reality.

Including an understanding of some of the lessons of quantum physics does not require the same level of complex knowledge that working in the field of quantum physics does. We can understand that much of what is happening is mysterious (it is mysterious to quantum physicists, too) and allow for the mystery to be part of our relationship with reality. All religious beliefs or faith require this to some degree, with the danger being that we try to make up explanations for what we do not and cannot understand. This is how misleading dogma is created.

“If this is all a bit dense, in a nutshell: if you’ve intuited an interconnected universe, where a meaningful, ordered consciousness transcends the physical and the mental, quantum theory is a scientific affirmation of that intuition. Of course, the Vedas explained this thousands of years ago, as have many Western philosophers and mystics, but science is slowly catching up, so let’s smile and nod as more of these ‘revelations’ appear.”
~ Ricky Derisz

Including the lessons of quantum physics into our philosophy of reality expands our ability to relate to the world around us in meaningful ways. It deepens the wondrous nature of our universe and ourselves. There is greater space for compassion as we realize that we know less about how things manifest and must extend with grace our willingness to live with mystery. The ideas contained in quantum physics have been hinted at in religious traditions for millennia, but only in the last century have we developed sufficient working knowledge of them to put them into practice. This reinforces the idea that “principle is not bound by precedent!”

“The one and only test of a valid religious idea, doctrinal statement, spiritual experience, or devotional practice was that it must lead directly to practical compassion. If your understanding of the divine made you kinder, more empathetic, and impelled you to express this sympathy in concrete acts of loving-kindness, this was good theology. But if your notion of God made you unkind, belligerent, cruel, or self-righteous, or if it led you to kill in God’s name, it was bad theology. Compassion was the litmus test for the prophets of Israel, for the rabbis of the Talmud, for Jesus, for Paul, and for Muhammad, not to mention Confucius, Lao-Tsu, the Buddha, or the sages of the Upanishads.”
~ Karen Armstrong

Your comments are welcomed, as always.

Copyright 2025 – Jim Lockard

NEW THOUGHT THEOLOGY – TIME FOR AN UPDATE? PART 5

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“The meaning of word ‘trauma’ in its Greek origin, is ‘wound.’ Whether we realize it or not, it is our woundedness, or how we cope with it, that dictates much of our behavior, shapes our social habits, and informs our ways of thinking about the world.”
~ Gabor Maté, (Link to film on trauma by Dr. Maté)

The Myth of Normal

As we continue this series on looking at where New Thought theology needs updating (LINK to Previous Posts), we arrive at trauma (LINK). This is another area of human dynamics about which little was known at the time of the founders of New Thought. Over the past several decades, a wealth of new information has become available about trauma and its effects. This will merely be a sketch of what is a burgeoning field of study.

We have learned that trauma is more than physical violence. It is anything that creates a wound to the psychological or emotional process. While physical violence can cause trauma, so can being abused, devalued, or diminished by others, particularly by caregivers early in life. Indeed, trauma is closely associated with shadow development in children and adolescents. Trauma can show up as a form of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD Link), or in a variety of other ways.

Trauma affects our ability to learn and how we learn; our ability to teach and how we teach. It affects our emotional intelligence, interpersonal relationships, and professional achievements. It affects our ability to enjoy life, to feel empathy, and to love ourselves and others.

“Traumatic symptoms are not caused by the ‘triggering’ event itself. They stem from the frozen residue of energy that has not been resolved and discharged; this residue remains trapped in the nervous system where it can wreak havoc on our bodies and spirits.”
~ Peter A. Levine

Waking the Tiger

Gabor Maté has studied trauma and its relationship to subsequent life issues such as addiction. His work is both accessible and relevant.

“The greatest damage done by neglect, trauma or emotional loss is not the immediate pain they inflict but the long-term distortions they induce in the way a developing child will continue to interpret the world and her situation in it. All too often these ill-conditioned implicit beliefs become self-fulfilling prophecies in our lives. We create meanings from our unconscious interpretation of early events, and then we forge our present experiences from the meaning we’ve created. Unwittingly, we write the story of our future from narratives based on the past…Mindful awareness can bring into consciousness those hidden, past-based perspectives so that they no longer frame our worldview. ’Choice begins the moment you disidentify from the mind and its conditioned patterns, the moment you become present…Until you reach that point, you are unconscious.’ …In present awareness we are liberated from the past.”
~ Gabor Maté

In the Realm of Hungry Ghosts: Close Encounters with Addiction

When someone comes into New Thought in adulthood, or even in adolescence, they already have a degree of shadow[1] built up because of traumatic events and the kind of thinking which embeds such events into the psyche. Learning to pray/treat/affirm, while important, is particularly difficult in the areas where the footprints of trauma have taken hold. We can have demonstrations stemming from our spiritual practices, but they will not be in the areas of the traumatic effect because the affirmation process does not go that deeply into our psychological process.

In those areas, coming to conscious awareness – a necessity for healing, must involve deeper work. This is because in our mind we have built a psychological wall around the aspects of ourselves which we have deemed inadequate. I cannot see through my own walls. I cannot pray away my shadow. I can use prayer to increase the courage needed to confront what I have repressed, but affirming along does not heal trauma/shadow. In such cases, I may use spiritual practices to bypass my true healing needs and support a false self I have created to avoid the pain of true self-realization.

“What we call the personality is often a jumble of genuine traits and adopted coping styles that do not reflect our true self at all but the loss of it.”
― Gabor Maté

In the Realm of Hungry Ghosts: Close Encounters with Addiction

Unless we do the deep work of healing shadow trauma, we will use any skills and techniques we obtain in spiritual instruction to strengthen the parts of ourselves which repress what needs to be revealed and healed. Getting past this repression is difficult work, and it requires both personal courage and an environment which both recognizes and supports the need to do such work.

“Optimism doesn’t come natural to trauma survivors because our brains are still scanning the environment for threats and danger.“
~ Dr. Nicole LePera

How difficult it can be for wounded people to come to accept beneficence as the nature of Reality! How difficult it can be to affirm one’s worth and goodness when the psyche has been molded by fear and self-defeatism! Trying to heal the effects of trauma with affirmation is like trying to heal a headache with a Band-Aid. Unless deeper work is undertaken, the surface work of spirituality will have little positive effect. However, healing can and does happen with a proper approach.

“(Carl) Jung believed that the psyche was purposeful; that we have a natural urge to grow to wholeness. Whatever trauma may happen to us, there is something within that remains whole, beautiful and true.”
~ Vivianne Crowley

Healing from trauma can be a difficult journey, however, as noted above, we do have a natural, soul-driven urge to grow to wholeness. This urge, called The Law of Growth in New Thought, is always present and urges us to be the best version of ourselves regardless of where we are in our development. Healing from trauma is a multifaceted process.

“Healing from trauma involves: 1. Learning to trust Self (keeping small daily promises) 2. Practicing setting and holding boundaries 3. Learning what your needs are and how to meet them 4. Practicing emotional regulation 5. Body healing: nutrition, gut health, movement, sun, proper sleep.”
~ Dr. Nicole LePera

Using our New Thought technologies of meditation, affirmation, and spiritual realization can lay a solid foundation for other modalities, such as therapy, to be successful. Such a healing process often involves surrendering to the realization that the traumatic injury has been deep and pervasive. It will involve forgiveness of self and others and is helped by being in a loving spiritual community where trauma is recognized as a common aspect of human life in our society.

Teachers of New Thought principles ought to be aware of trauma and its effects on teaching and learning, in their students, congregants, and in themselves.

“Anything that’s human is mentionable, and anything that is mentionable can be more manageable. When we can talk about our feelings, they become less overwhelming, less upsetting, and less scary. The people we trust with that important talk can help us know that we are not alone.”
~ Fred Rogers

In the next installment, we will summarize where we are in this process of updating New Thought theology and practice. Your comments are welcomed, as always.

Copyright 2025 – Jim Lockard

[1] Shadow is any repressed aspect of the authentic self. It can be developed due to trauma or by a conscious or unconscious “decision” to repress something about oneself because it is not acceptable to others.

NEW THOUGHT THEOLOGY – TIME FOR AN UPDATE? PART 4

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“Recent brain science and ancient spiritual practice reveal that mind is wired to make heavens and hells moment after moment. We perceive and almost instantly we react, overlaying experience with a feeling tone-pleasant or unpleasant, worth grasping or pushing it away”
~ Tracy Cochrane

This post and Part 5 will deal with issues relating to how we teach our philosophy and theology in light of scientific and medical discoveries of the past century relating to brain and neurological science. In Part 4 we will look at depression and some forms of neurodivergence and in Part 5 we will look at trauma and its impact on functioning in later life.

Mental science, as New Thought’s understanding of how we interact with Reality, is a metaphysical concept based on thought, emotion, and belief as how we master cause and effect. During the 140 years or so since the inception of what became New Thought in the 1880’s, we have come to know much more about the human brain, the neural systems beyond the brain, the limbic system, and how these interact with the nervous and circulatory systems to produce the experience of our lives.

It turns out that while we got a lot right, we also got some things wrong – not surprising, since the founders did not have access to the advanced knowledge early on. Our collective failure to incorporate new knowledge into our teaching of New Thought principles has led to some damage, and in too many cases, a well-deserved reputation for a lack of compassion.

At a point along the path to the new discoveries, Joseph Campbell wrote:

“In the field of consciousness research –– and also in physics and astronomy –– we are breaking past the cause-and-effect, mechanistic way of interpreting things. In the biological sciences, there is a vitalism coming in that goes much further toward positing a common universal consciousness of which our brain is simply an organ. Consciousness does not come from the brain. The brain is an organ of consciousness. It focuses consciousness and pulls it in and directs it through a time and space field. But the antecedent of that is a universal consciousness of which we are all just a part.”
~ Joseph Campbell

Mythic World, Modern Words

It has been common for New Thought ministers and teachers to teach their students things like “you can’t be depressed unless you first think depressing thoughts.” We now know, and have known for about half a century, that this is not true for many types of depression. In fact, the opposite is often the case – the brain/body chemistry from which depression emerges is responsible for the thought which arise from it.

We often teach that thoughts are a combination of language, images, and feelings which build beliefs. In doing so, we assume that everyone can direct their thinking simply by willing themselves to do so and that everyone can think in three dimensions. In assuming this, we are off target for a portion of the population.

“If a person’s behavior doesn’t make sense to you, it is because you are missing a part of their context. It’s that simple.”
~ Devon Price, author

Unmasking Autism

The tendency to see one’s consciousness (belief system) as being 100% responsible for whatever occurs in their life is, we now know, simply wrong – there is more to Reality than cause and effect, as we have seen in previous posts (LINK). It is also wrong to assume that we are 100% responsible for building that consciousness; that would require that we have full dominion over our thought processes. Our responsibility for how we react and respond to what occurs is also limited as with the case of some forms of depression and other biologically driven conditions.

We know that there are people who are nonneurotypical or neuro-divergent (LINK) in their way of thinking[1]. In general, nonneurotypical conditions can range from mild forms of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder ADHD (LINK) to severe forms of autism. These conditions affect how people learn and how their thinking process works.

Some are affected by a condition called Aphantasia (LINK), which means that they think without images. I have had students who cannot form images in their mind. One described their mental imagery as “a fog bank” with nothing really there. The inability to imagine images can limit one’s ability to generate emotion in the thought process.

“Before I knew I had Aphantasia, it didn’t even occur to me that imagination could be visual process. I just thought of concepts in a more abstract sense, and mentally added other elements or concepts to it as my imagination allowed. No images necessary.”
~ Alan Kendle

Aphantasia: Experiences, Perceptions, and Insights

We know today that there are a variety of conditions which can affect one’s executive functioning in the brain (LINK). And that there are other forms of being neurodivergent or on the autism spectrum (LINK) which affect the thought process in a variety of ways.

We are also realizing that these kinds of conditions are not pathological, but conditions of being human. While they may limit some capacities associated with normal brain functions (meaning the way the majority is commonly believed to function), they also can provide many benefits, some of which far exceed normal capacities (LINK).

Our challenge, one of many in these times, is to design our teaching materials and train our teachers to be inclusive in making materials, concepts, and principles accessible to all. We know too much about these, and other developments relating to human learning and functioning, to ignore them.

There are learning designs, techniques, and technologies in place and being developed across a spectrum of learning environments which can be adopted or adapted for our purposes in teaching New Thought principles and practices. It is important that our institutions dedicated to training ministers and teachers incorporate these in their curricula and that those in the field explore their use so that we are better equipped to reach current and future students.

In the next segment, we will explore trauma, it’s short, medium, and long-term effects on human dynamics, and how it affects one’s ability to embody New Thought principles.

“Learning about ourselves is rather inconvenient because it turns the world we live in upside down.”
~ Peter Kingsley

Your comments are welcomed, as always.

Copyright 2025 – Jim Lockard

[1] The links inserted here are from reputable medical sources. There are other ways of looking at the conditions referenced, but I am using these because they represent the more common usage for the terms and descriptions.

NEW THOUGHT THEOLOGY – TIME FOR AN UPDATE? PART 2

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“Others will arise who will know more than we do; they won’t be better or worse, they will be different and know more than we do. Evolution is forward.” ~
Ernest Holmes,
Sermon By The Sea- Asilomar, Saturday, August 15, 1959

“… in the Chandogya Upanishad, the key word to such a meditation is announced: tat tvam asi, ‘Thou art That’ or ‘You Yourself are It!’ The final sense of a religion such as Hinduism or Buddhism is to bring about in the individual an experience, one way or another, of his own identity with the mystery that is the mystery of all being.”
~ Joseph Campbell, Thou Art That

As we explore the philosophy and theology of New Thought, it is important to note that there are some differences among the various denominations and groups. These mostly involve the theology and practices, as there is general agreement on the philosophy, or the definition of God/Spirit.

Again, a few definitions (Source: Cambridge Dictionary):

PHILOSOPHY: aparticular system of beliefs, values, and principles

THEOLOGY: the study of religion and religious belief, or a set of beliefs about a particular religion

PRINCIPLE: a basic idea or rule that explains or controls how something happens or works

DOCTRINE: a belief or set of beliefs, especially political or religious ones, that are taught and accepted by a particular group

DOGMA: a fixed, especially religious, belief or set of beliefs that people are expected to accept without any doubts

PRACTICES: in religion, actions taken in support of religious doctrine or principles

OTHER: things done in spiritual community in support of the above – from having a choir to performing outreach or engaging in social justice activities

My familiarity is mainly with Religious Science, but I want to note a two statements from Unity and Divine Science on their philosophy and theology.

The five basic ideas of Unity teachings reflect the universal spiritual principles taught in most of the world’s religions.

  1. God is everywhere and always present in every circumstance. This divine energy underlies and animates all of existence.
  2. Human beings are innately good because they are connected to and an expression of Spirit.
  3. Our thoughts have creative power to influence events and determine our experiences.
  4. Prayer and meditation connect and align us to our own spiritual nature and to God.
  5. It is not enough to understand spiritual teachings. We must apply our learning in all areas of life, incorporating them into our thoughts, words, and actions.

Divine Science defines itself as “an organized teaching pertaining to God and the manifestation of God in Creation.” It holds that its foundation truth is “that limitless Being, God, is Good, is equally present everywhere, and is the All of everything.” It defines God as “pure Spirit, absolute, changeless, eternal, manifesting in and as all Creation, yet also transcending Creation…” (Link: Wikipedia)

While there are differences in the spiritual technologies and how they are taught, all of the New Thought denominations agree on the definition of Good as pure Spirit, the Creative Intelligence of the Universe, and have a panentheistic viewpoint – God in everything; Everything in God. They see humans as being creative by means of thought in a universe of cause and effect.

QUANTUM STUFF

“If you’ve intuited an interconnected universe, where a meaningful, ordered consciousness transcends the physical and the mental, quantum theory is a scientific affirmation of that intuition. Of course, the Vedas explained this thousands of years ago, as have many Western philosophers and mystics, but science is slowly catching up, so let’s smile and nod as more of these ‘revelations’ appear.”
~ Ricky Derisz (LINK)

Most of us have a worldview based upon Newtonian physics, or the physics of the aspects of the universe larger than the atom and smaller than the cosmos. Since we project these “rules of reality” onto whatever we are thinking about or trying to understand, we create an image of God/Spirit based on this level of reality. For most of us, our definition of God/Spirit is a projection of what our senses can perceive and the sense of who we are and the nature of our world which we developed in childhood[1].

Over a century ago, scientists discovered that the physics of the very small and the very large are different, and they have been unsuccessfully trying to find a unified theory of physics ever since. Newtonian physics might be called the physics of our five senses, because it works generally in aspects of reality that we can sense (and some that we cannot). But what happens at the very small and very large edges of reality affect us very powerfully.

As we have discovered during the 20th Century, the universe has other forces at play beyond cause and effect. Quantum mechanics tells shows that the kind of reality we experience at our level of creation is vastly different than what happens at the atomic and subatomic levels. While this was not known in a scientific sense earlier, it was intuited by many, from the ancient Hindu mystics to the Transcendentalists in the 19th Century. We are conditioned to see reality through the lens of Newtonian physics, which makes the illogic (to our way of knowing) of the quantum level so puzzling.

Here, Mitch Horowitz speaks to that.

“In a sense, (our problem) arises from the mind-power movement’s tendency to see reality as subject to a single law…with its absolute powers of cause and effect.
Unlike the Transcendentalists, who studied the cycles of nature, the teachers of New Thought made no allowance for the inevitability of night following day. They made no room for the balance of life and death, illness and health that Emerson depicted in his essays, which many New Thoughters call their inspiration…Diverging from Transcendentalism, New Thought viewed life as subject to a single principle and ignored the prospect of multiple laws and forces.”
~ Mitch Horowitz

Quantum physics, a subset of quantum mechanics[2], has shown that there is more to how our universe operates than cause and effect, although cause and effect does play a major role in our reality – just not the only one. A problem with quantum physics is that it is very difficult for the lay person to understand the mathematics and the science of it. It is said that only a few thousand people alive today understand it enough to work with it.

“If you are not completely confused by quantum mechanics, you do not understand it.”
~ John Wheeler

“I think I can safely say that nobody understands quantum mechanics.”
~ Richard Feynman

We can, however, work with the lessons from quantum physics. Important to our exploration here are the concepts of action at a distance (quantum entanglement), acausality, and quantum superposition (LINK). More on the specifics of these later, but for now, know that they do two important things. They refute much of scientific dogmatism and they open a vast realm of possibility for how the universe operates beyond cause and effect.

“[T]he atoms or elementary particles themselves are not real; they form a world of potentialities or possibilities rather than one of things or facts.”
~ Werner Heisenberg

“What we call theology is now history. To really engage in a vital theology, everything, including God, must be revisited in light of evolution and quantum physics.”
~ Ilia Delio, Theologian

Essentially, all of this means that some things are without cause, at least without any cause related to our individual thoughts. Some events truly are random. If you are struck by lightning, it isn’t because of anything you did (other than be in a certain place at a certain time) or anything that you thought. Therefore, it would be useless to feel guilty or to see yourself as having any responsibility for that event. It had no cause, or it had a cause beyond cause and effect and we understand it.

However, cause and effect would again be relevant as you think about the event afterward and lay the groundwork for your response to the event and the creation of memories and beliefs stemming from those thoughts. The feedback loop of the creative process – thoughts – emotions – beliefs – actions – repeat, would continue from there, occasionally interrupted by acausal events.

“Quantum physics significantly affects the language of matter, which is why the classical terms of pantheism and panentheism are not helpful today. I … use the term ‘entanglement’ … because it better expresses the inextricable relationship of mind and matter.”
~ Ilia Delio

The Not-Yet God, xxvi

Quantum physics changes how we understand relationships and it brings us closer to oneness as the nature of reality. Any language which hints at separation must be left behind. Panentheism, despite being an advancement over more limiting ideas of reality, limits our understanding of the true integral relationship between Spirit and creation. It is not necessarily harmful to our understanding, but it is limiting. As we deepen our understanding of oneness, we also shift how we understand the creative process.

Here is what my creative process usually looks like:

From time to time we need to review and update our working definition of Reality. This is true for individuals and for spiritual philosophies. While the original ideas of working in a universe which is exclusively cause and effect can still be effective, it is no longer relevant to the known reality of today,  much less a cutting-edge viewpoint.

Next, we will explore the potential role of the lessons from quantum mechanics and quantum physics in an evolving idea of the true nature of Reality/God/Spirit.

“The Russian word for God is ‘Bog.’ The Basques call the Supreme Being ‘Jingo.’ To purge your psychic dockets of built-up fixations about Deity, you might try singing improvisational prayers to  ‘Jingo Bog.’”

~ Rob Brezny

Your comments are welcomed, as always.

Copyright 2025 – Jim Lockard

[1] One study showed how people “see” God – https://www.science.org/content/article/what-does-god-look-look-mirror ; another, earlier study showed that most adult Americans had an image of God which relected the temperament of their parents or caregivers when they were under 5 years of age.

[2] Quantum mechanics is a fundamental theory that describes the behavior of nature at and below the scale of atoms. It is the foundation of all quantum physics, which includes quantum chemistry, quantum field theory, quantum technology, and quantum information science.

NEW THOUGHT THEOLOGY – IS IT TIME FOR AN UPDATE? PART 1

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“That God (however defined) exists is philosophy; the way to be in relationship to God is theology.”
~ Lou Tice

This series will explore the theology of New Thought and its expression as it has been and how it can be in the future. It will not be a deep dive into complexity, but a simpler look, which is sufficient for this purpose. I think that simplicity is important as we begin this conversation, because our philosophy and theology are essentially simple and easy to understand while providing endless opportunities for deeper intellectual exploration.

“The world is full of people who expect to have every point cleared up intellectually before they begin to live . . . who are in search of the book they never will find, namely, one which shall reveal every step of the way so that no thinking will thereafter be required.”
~ Horatio Dresser, 1917

First, a few definitions (Source: Cambridge Dictionary):

PHILOSOPHY: aparticular system of beliefs, values, and principles

THEOLOGY: the study of religion and religious belief, or a set of beliefs about a particular religion

PRINCIPLE: a basic idea or rule that explains or controls how something happens or works

DOCTRINE: a belief or set of beliefs, especially political or religious ones, that are taught and accepted by a particular group

DOGMA: a fixed, especially religious, belief or set of beliefs that people are expected to accept without any doubts

PRACTICES: in religion, actions taken in support of religious doctrine or principles

OTHER: things done in spiritual community in support of the above – from having a choir to performing outreach or engaging in social justice activities

The inception of New Thought in the latter part of the 19th Century caused a jolt in religious philosophy and theology in the United States. People like Mary Baker Eddy, the Fillmores, Melinda Kramer, Nona and Fanny Brooks, Thomas Troward[1], and later, Ernest Holmes brought a new definition of God and a new way of connecting with the God of that definition. Drawn from an infusion of Eastern Spirituality (brought by that time largely via Ralph Waldo Emerson via Thomas Carlyle[2]), Christian mysticism, and the newly emerging Western Psychology, American New Thought saw a God within rather than without (a principle of oneness) and a psychological process of developing a beneficial relationship with that God.

New Thought philosophy and theology was based on a panentheistic view of reality. Pantheism says that God is in everything. Panentheism says that God exists in everything and that everything exists in God.

God in all things and all things in God.

All of me is God, but I am not all of God.

The “operating systems” for this new definition and theological approach were evolution and the concept of cause and effect as the underlying system of how the laws of the universe, visible and invisible, operate.

“Since the only life you can have is the life of the Spirit within you, you need but permit Its radiance to flow through your thought into self-expression. You are surrounded by a dynamic force, a great surge of living power. You are immersed in and saturated with the vital essence of Life. Its presence permeates everything, binding all together in one complete whole.”
~ Ernest Holmes (underlining added)

The philosophical view New Thought took of God (Spirit, The Creative Intelligence of the Universe, the Absolute, Life, etc. etc.), as being infinite and knowable from within (to a degree) was not a new idea in the world of religion. This view predominated in Eastern religion for millennia and was sporadically present in Western religion, particularly in the Christian contemplative traditions and in the Jewish Kabbalah. But, for the most part, Western religion believe Creator and creation are separate, and saw the Creator as approachable externally, usually through an intermediary such as a priest or a saint.

The idea of a deity accessible at will from within each person, one without a personality and operating as universal law, was very new to most people. That the deity was accessible by means of our mind – thoughts, emotions, beliefs – and was responsive to our mind, was revolutionary. Essentially, this philosophy extends to a belief in an evolving God, one who is not omniscient, but whose creation contains intelligence to create via evolution to a point of conscious awareness. As humans, we can create our experiences by the use of our minds.

“When we commune with Spirit within and ask for new ideas, they are always forthcoming …”
~ Charles Fillmore

Theologically, the viewpoint of a deity responsive to our thoughts in a Universe of cause and effect was effective in facilitating physical healings, which were of prime importance at the time. It also led some to a belief in unlimited human power using this connection to the divine. For reasons we will explore in future posts, this proved not only inaccurate, but harmful in some cases.

“There is a Power in the universe that is greater than we are, and we can use It.”
~ Ernest Holmes

New Thought philosophy and theology are based on an understanding of the human mind and the universe (reality) based on the knowledge of the Founders in their time. In the ensuing years, we have come to know much more about our psychology, how our brain and neurological systems function, and about our social ways of being. We also know much more about the universe and its reality, particulary through quantum physics, as we shall see. Perhaps it is time for our views of Spirit, ourselves, and reality to reflect this additional knowledge.

PERSONAL STATEMENT OF BELIEF

Each of us, as students of New Thought principles, regardless of denomination or affiliation, should develop a personal statement of belief. This statement should contain a concise statement of God or Spirit as I understand it, and a statement of my relationship to the divine. Here is my current one – it changes over time.

There is one Spirit, everywhere present, containing everything, lacking nothing, creating out of Itself and becoming what It creates. Spirit has provided everything I will or could ever require to live a life of purpose, joy, and fulfillment. I am one with Spirit from the depth of my soul to the expression of my daily thoughts and actions. I keep this in mind whatever I encounter on my journey.

As always, there is more to say about this topic. Perhaps you can begin some discussions in your spiritual community or privately. In future posts on this topic, we will expand on this statement and explore what I consider an imperative need to update our theology to reflect what humanity has learned about our human possibilities and the expansion of our scientific knowledge during the past century.

Your comments are welcomed, as always.

Copyright 2025 – Jim Lockard

[1]Thomas Troward was in England, but his transcribed lectures in mental science had a great effect on Ernest Holmes, the founder of Religious Science.

[2] Carlyle is credited as being the first to respond to Charles Wilkins’ translation of the Bhagavad Gita into English. Coleridge passed the translation on to Ralph waldo Emerson. LINK: https://dryogeshsharma.wordpress.com/2017/03/08/bhagavad-gita-and-impact-on-western-mind/ 

IS THERE A NEW THOUGHT PROPHECY FOR TODAY?

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“Our time calls us to be prophetic rather than religious, psychological rather than theological. Psychology has a prophetic aspect insofar as it reaches further into the soul and knows its condition, especially in times of transition.”
~ David Tacey, Jungian Author

I believe that it is important to remember that in the early days of the New Thought Movement, our philosophy (Oneness, One Mind) and theologies (various applications of mental science) were in tune with the latest scientific understandings of the day and with the emerging discoveries of the new field of western psychology.

Because of this, New Thought principles were considered revolutionary within the sphere of religion and spirituality. Moving from the dogmatic approaches based on very old texts subject to the interpretation of a priestly class and some sovereign rulers, to a more liberated use of self-image psychology, which included visualization (prayer-treatment) which is the process of building belief by thought and feeling. Prayer was no longer to an external deity in whom all power resided, but was rather to treat oneself to change belief so that the divine power could flow in a more beneficial way.

The inclusion of state-of-the-art psychological principles and a shift of the locus of control of the individual from outside to within were prophetic notions for the time. They still are for some; however, New Thought theology has not kept up with the progress of science and psychology during the past century. The essence of this dynamic is captured by Diana Butler Bass in the following quote.

“Religious faiths struggle between the pastoral and the prophetic, comfort and agitation. In a very real way, institutions are inherently pastoral—they seek to maintain those things that give comfort by baptizing shared values and virtues of a community. They reinforce the way things are (or were) through appeals to divine or supernatural order. They are always slow to change. Institutions resist prophets. Prophets question. They push for things to be different. They push people to behave better toward one another. They want change.”
~ Diana Butler Bass

As a student of New Thought history, I have often pondered the trajectory of the movement. It began as a branch of a then-popular spiritual healing of physical ailments movement in the late 19th Century. It evolved into a more psychologically-driven movement of broader mental healing (relationships, finances and more in addition to physical) featuring an expanded use of psychological principles in the early decades of the 20th Century. Then it focused more on structured classes, including efforts to attain accreditation from accepted educational institutions. Since the 1990’s, the dynamic has been to have continue to have communities, to allow other types of ministries than spiritual community, and to have the size of spiritual communities trend smaller and to have credentialling standards become less rigorous.

In Spiral Dynamics terms, the movement has gone from being centered at BLUE-Orange to ORANGE-Blue to Orange, to ORANGE-Green to Green. As we have evolved, the theology has shifted from the absolute approach of Blue (you are your consciousness) to the self-help approach of Orange (I should have good and can have anything I accept for myself) to the non-judgmentalism of Green (who am I to judge you or to tell you about your consciousness?). While these categories generalize, I believe they get at the essence of how the theology has evolved along with the culture of the movement.

The inherent conflict between the prophetic and the pastoral always arises as faith traditions age. The old joke is that after the founder dies, the theology begins to suffer from “truth decay.” This is the inevitable result of having others interpret the theology and the reality of changing times and cultural evolution. Theology which doesn’t evolve becomes stale and irrelevant.

“Being a prophet demands two seemingly opposites: radical traditionalism and shocking iconoclasm at the same time. If people see just one of those first, they’ll presume you’re only that. ‘Oh, he’s just a pious little Christian boy’ or ‘She’s an angry woman!’ They cannot imagine that those two can really coexist, tame, and educate one another. Holding the tension of opposites is the necessary education of the prophet, and the Church has given little energy to it. Frankly, it takes non-dual thinking to pull this off, and we have pretty much trained people in the simplistic choosing of one idealized alternative while denigrating the other.”
~ Richard Rohr

The growing complexity of our cultures necessitates a new look at our theological principles and how they are shared. The purpose is to ensure that they incorporate what we have learned in the past century about human psychology and related science. It is time to listen to the prophets in the movement; yes, we do have prophetic voices, not only about the need for greater involvement in the world around us, but also the need to uplevel our theology to meet the needs of the present.

As uncomfortable as that may be for some, it is essential for New Thought to return to being a wayshower in the spiritual world if we are to be a relevant source of spiritual nourishment for greater numbers.

In future posts, I will explore some of the ways that New Thought theology can be updated to reflect a more current worldview and to prepare for an even more uncertain future.

“A true prophet always starts as a heretic.”
~ Bishop Yvette Flunder

As always, your comments are welcomed.

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