New Thought Movement
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The New Thought Movement is a religious philosophy that stresses the idea that God, or the Infinite Intelligence, transcends reality, is everywhere in reality and that each human being possesses divine nature and that sickness originates in the mind, and thus "right thinking" can promote healing. The New Thought Movement is a loosely-aligned network of religious denominations and organizations with similar beliefs regarding metaphysics and positive thinking.
New Thought Movement and Religion
The origins of New Thought can be traced to Phineas Parkhurst Quimby (1802-1866), whose religious teaching held that when a mind was open to God, illness could be overcome. Within the New Thought Movement are three major religious denominations:
- Religious Science
- The Unity Church
- Church of Divine Science
According to the The Association for Global New Thought, Religious Science organizations teach, for example, that the practice of Spiritual Mind Treatment can lead to a more fulfilling life. Like other New Thought disciples, followers hold the notion of the Law of Attraction, in which people and thoughts are comprised of pure energy, and like energy attracts its own kind. There are, of course, no scientific supports for these beliefs.
The New Thought Movement holds regular annual conferences and publishes numerous works. Seicho-no-le, based in Japan, is the world's largest New Thought organization, reaching over 1.6 million followers, morphing elements of Christianity, Buddhism and Shinto.