People, Ideas, and Movements That Shaped New Thought
Warren Felt Evans, a 19th-century Methodist minister turned mental healer, fused Quietist mysticism with the mind-cure teachings of Phineas Quimby, shaping the intellectual foundations of the New Thought movement. This article traces his journey from chronic illness to healing practice and his lasting influence on American metaphysical religion.
Emma Curtis Hopkins, called the ‘teacher of teachers,’ founded the College of Metaphysical Science in Chicago in the 1880s, where she trained and ordained hundreds of New Thought leaders, including the founders of Unity and Religious Science. This article explores the college’s origins, teachings, and lasting influence on the New Thought movement.
Mesmerism and hypnotism provided the foundational framework for early New Thought’s mental healing practices. This article traces how animal magnetism evolved into the movement’s core beliefs, from Phineas Quimby’s experiments to the institutionalization of New Thought.
This article traces how Ralph Waldo Emerson’s 1841 essay ‘The Over-Soul’ became a foundational source for the New Thought movement’s concept of divine immanence—the belief that God is present within every individual and accessible through mental and spiritual alignment. From Transcendentalist roots through the mind-cure era to institutional New Thought groups, the essay’s influence shaped a distinctly American metaphysical tradition.
Explore how mail-order courses made New Thought teachings accessible to millions, transforming metaphysical religion into a democratic, self-study movement in the early 20th century.
Founded in 1898 by Elizabeth Towne, The Nautilus became the most long-lived and influential periodical of the New Thought movement, shaping self-help culture for over five decades. This article explores its history, key figures, and enduring legacy.
A historical overview of how creative visualization emerged from the New Thought movement, tracing its roots in mental healing, key figures, and its evolution into a core practice.
Explore how the New Thought movement, from Phineas Quimby to Ernest Holmes, shaped the evolution of mind-body medicine, influencing modern psychoneuroimmunology and the wellness industry.
Thomas Troward’s Edinburgh Lectures introduced a systematic division of mind into subjective and objective aspects, arguing that the subjective mind, when impressed with a clear idea, activates the Universal Mind to externalize it. This model became a cornerstone of New Thought and directly influenced later teachings like Neville Goddard’s Law of Assumption.
Ursula Newell Gestefeld was a pioneering figure in the New Thought movement, bridging Christian Science and independent metaphysical teaching. This article explores her life, her rift with Mary Baker Eddy, her Science of Being system, and her lasting impact on American religious thought.