What is New Thought?

The New Thought movement is a spiritual and philosophical movement that originated in the United States during the mid-to-late 19th century. It began primarily through the teachings of Phineas Parkhurst Quimby, a philosopher and healer who emphasized the connection between the mind and physical health. The movement coalesced around the idea that our thoughts directly shape our material reality, wellness and life circumstances.

New Thought is generally considered a spiritual philosophy that is expressed through various religious denominations. While it operates as a loose network of ideas rather than a single, rigid church, it has birthed several organized religious organizations. The most prominent denominations under the New Thought umbrella include Unity (Unity Church), Religious Science (Science of Mind), and Divine Science.

While individual interpretations vary, New Thought is built upon several foundational principles:

* The Omnipresence of God: God is viewed not as a person in the sky, but as an infinite, supreme Intelligence, Power, and Goodness that dwells within everything and everyone.

* The Power of Mind over Matter: Human thoughts are creative forces; what we think internally manifests directly in our external health, wealth and relationships.

* Spiritual Healing: Because sickness begins in the mind as wrong thinking, physical healing can be achieved by correcting ones mental and spiritual alignment.

Though often confused due to their similar names and overlap in practices like manifestation, they have distinct origins and focuses:

* New Thought: Developed in the 19th century, heavily rooted in an idealistic, metaphysical interpretation of Christian scriptures, and focuses intensely on mental laws, prosperity and divine mind healing.

* New Age: Emerged later in the 1970s and 1980s, drawing heavily from Eastern mysticism (chakras, reincarnation), occultism, esoteric crystals, astrology, and indigenous shamanism.

In New Thought, Jesus is viewed as the 'Way-Shower' and Master Teacher, rather than a savior who died for human sins. New Thought theology differentiates between Jesus the historical man and the Christ, which they define as the divine spark, higher consciousness, or God-presence available within all human beings. Jesus is revered as the ultimate example of a person who fully realized and lived from this Christ consciousness.

Unlike traditional petitionary prayer, which asks a distant God for a favor or a change in circumstance, New Thought uses Affirmative Prayer (or Spiritual Mind Treatment). This is a scientific, five-step mental process that aligns the practitioner's mind with God. Instead of begging for healing or abundance, the person confidently declares that the desired good already exists in the divine mind and accepts it as their current physical reality.

New Thought completely rejects the concepts of original sin, a literal devil, and eternal damnation in hell. In this philosophy, 'sin' is simply an old archer's term meaning 'to miss the mark', interpreted as a mistake or ignorance of one's true divine nature. Evil and suffering are not created by a dark cosmic force, but are the natural, shadow results of human beings misusing their creative thoughts and feeling separated from God.

Generally, no. While early pioneers in the 19th century relied almost exclusively on mental healing, modern New Thought organizations embrace a holistic approach to health. They view doctors, medicine, and surgeries as extensions of divine intelligence working through human hands. Practitioners typically use spiritual healing and affirmative prayer to complement and accelerate medical treatments rather than completely replace them.