Unity and New Thought
by Mark Pope
In my experience, the teachings of the Unity Movement in particular, and New Thought in general, have been significant, valuable and ongoing. I intend here to give a brief history of these organizations as they evolved in the Western world. I also want to offer a perspective on how the essence of these teachings has been, is now, and may continue to be helpful to the awakening underway today on earth.
Although there are many possible starting places from which to date these teachings, I will begin in Europe with Franz Anton Mesmer, an individual who rose to some prominence as a healer. Mesmer was a German physician with an interest in astronomy, who theorized that there was a natural energetic transference that occurred between all animate and inanimate objects that he called magnétisme animal. The evolution of Mesmer's ideas and practices led to the development of hypnosis in 1842. Mesmer's name is the root of the English verb "mesmerize."
In 1838, Phineas Parkhurst Quimby (considered the father of New Thought) of New Hampshire began studying Mesmerism after attending a lecture on the topic and soon began further experimentation with the help of Lucius Burkmar, who could fall into a trance and diagnose illnesses. Quimby saw the effect of the mind over the body when medicines prescribed by Burkmar, with no physical value, cured patients of diseases.
From the conclusions of these studies, Phineas Quimby developed theories of mentally aided healing and opened an office in Portland, Maine in 1859. Among the students and patients who joined his studies and helped him to commit his teachings to writing were Warren Felt Evans, Annetta Seabury Dresser and Julius Dresser, the founders of New Thought as a named movement, and Mary Baker Eddy, the founder of the Christian Science movement.
While Phineas P. Quimby is sometimes described as the founder of New Thought, he died in 1866, and New Thought did not formally organize until Emma Curtis Hopkins brought together and focused the national movement in 1886-88 with the base in Chicago. Emma Curtis Hopkins is often referred to as the "Teacher of Teachers" or "The Mother of New Thought." Those who studied with Hopkins include Charles and Myrtle Fillmore, founders of Unity; Earnest Holmes, founder of Religious Science; and Malinda Cramer and Nona Brooks, founders of Divine Science.
The essence of the teachings of Emma Curtis Hopkins and the Truth to which she was pointing, which gave rise to Unity, Religious Science and many other New Thought organizations can be summed up as follows:
“Return unto me and I will return unto thee.”
In her penultimate work, High Mysticism, Emma makes it abundantly clear that the Truth she is expressing can only be found by returning to the
still, silent Source of Being...which is always, already here and now.
From High Mysticism:
“The sacred books of all ages mention three Sciences: Material, Mental and Mystical... Material Science declares laws that are sure: ...hydrogen and oxygen... clashing together fall into thirst quenching water... The Sacred Books proclaim a Mental Science to which the world can subscribe, as, 'all that we are is made up of our thought.' Mystical Science announces the miracle of Predicateless Being, setting the ways of matter at naught and nullifying the thoughts of the mind: 'Take no thought,' for 'in such a moment as ye think not'... Therefore vision often Godward and live anew.”
This return of attention to Source on the part of Charles and Myrtle Fillmore, as they learned this practice from Emma Curtis Hopkins, gave rise to the building of Unity Village, headquarters for Unity and a worldwide movement. As Charles and Myrtle studied with Emma Curtis Hopkins and practiced sitting in the stillness or silence, new ideas began to emerge, directly from this still, silent Source. They called them Divine Ideas, as these new ideas came with great power and were characterized by a sense of conviction that they would manifest. And they did.
Divine ideas began to clothe themselves in all manner of new forms. Individuals were healed, inspired and began to recognize guidance from within themselves. Old worn out superstitious ideas of religion dropped away as these individuals began to experience the transcendental nature of ever-present invisible Being directly from within themselves.
When I began my studies at the Unity School of Christianity in the 1970s at Unity Village, I discovered a small chapel on the grounds called the Peace Chapel. In it were comfortable chairs facing the wall at the front of the chapel. On the wall were painted these words...
In my experience, the teachings of the Unity Movement in particular, and New Thought in general, have been significant, valuable and ongoing. I intend here to give a brief history of these organizations as they evolved in the Western world. I also want to offer a perspective on how the essence of these teachings has been, is now, and may continue to be helpful to the awakening underway today on earth.
Although there are many possible starting places from which to date these teachings, I will begin in Europe with Franz Anton Mesmer, an individual who rose to some prominence as a healer. Mesmer was a German physician with an interest in astronomy, who theorized that there was a natural energetic transference that occurred between all animate and inanimate objects that he called magnétisme animal. The evolution of Mesmer's ideas and practices led to the development of hypnosis in 1842. Mesmer's name is the root of the English verb "mesmerize."
In 1838, Phineas Parkhurst Quimby (considered the father of New Thought) of New Hampshire began studying Mesmerism after attending a lecture on the topic and soon began further experimentation with the help of Lucius Burkmar, who could fall into a trance and diagnose illnesses. Quimby saw the effect of the mind over the body when medicines prescribed by Burkmar, with no physical value, cured patients of diseases.
From the conclusions of these studies, Phineas Quimby developed theories of mentally aided healing and opened an office in Portland, Maine in 1859. Among the students and patients who joined his studies and helped him to commit his teachings to writing were Warren Felt Evans, Annetta Seabury Dresser and Julius Dresser, the founders of New Thought as a named movement, and Mary Baker Eddy, the founder of the Christian Science movement.
While Phineas P. Quimby is sometimes described as the founder of New Thought, he died in 1866, and New Thought did not formally organize until Emma Curtis Hopkins brought together and focused the national movement in 1886-88 with the base in Chicago. Emma Curtis Hopkins is often referred to as the "Teacher of Teachers" or "The Mother of New Thought." Those who studied with Hopkins include Charles and Myrtle Fillmore, founders of Unity; Earnest Holmes, founder of Religious Science; and Malinda Cramer and Nona Brooks, founders of Divine Science.
The essence of the teachings of Emma Curtis Hopkins and the Truth to which she was pointing, which gave rise to Unity, Religious Science and many other New Thought organizations can be summed up as follows:
“Return unto me and I will return unto thee.”
In her penultimate work, High Mysticism, Emma makes it abundantly clear that the Truth she is expressing can only be found by returning to the
still, silent Source of Being...which is always, already here and now.
From High Mysticism:
“The sacred books of all ages mention three Sciences: Material, Mental and Mystical... Material Science declares laws that are sure: ...hydrogen and oxygen... clashing together fall into thirst quenching water... The Sacred Books proclaim a Mental Science to which the world can subscribe, as, 'all that we are is made up of our thought.' Mystical Science announces the miracle of Predicateless Being, setting the ways of matter at naught and nullifying the thoughts of the mind: 'Take no thought,' for 'in such a moment as ye think not'... Therefore vision often Godward and live anew.”
This return of attention to Source on the part of Charles and Myrtle Fillmore, as they learned this practice from Emma Curtis Hopkins, gave rise to the building of Unity Village, headquarters for Unity and a worldwide movement. As Charles and Myrtle studied with Emma Curtis Hopkins and practiced sitting in the stillness or silence, new ideas began to emerge, directly from this still, silent Source. They called them Divine Ideas, as these new ideas came with great power and were characterized by a sense of conviction that they would manifest. And they did.
Divine ideas began to clothe themselves in all manner of new forms. Individuals were healed, inspired and began to recognize guidance from within themselves. Old worn out superstitious ideas of religion dropped away as these individuals began to experience the transcendental nature of ever-present invisible Being directly from within themselves.
When I began my studies at the Unity School of Christianity in the 1970s at Unity Village, I discovered a small chapel on the grounds called the Peace Chapel. In it were comfortable chairs facing the wall at the front of the chapel. On the wall were painted these words...
...in gold letters over a blue sky with a few clouds. In this room, where I sat for many hours, I repeatedly felt this Power that emerges from beyond all words. Miracles and wonders emerged from this practice for thousands of individuals over the years as they followed this simple principle, “Return unto Me and I will return unto thee...” or
These essential teachings or pointers are suggesting that the individual return attention to the Source of Being. These teachings are also a promise. “I will return unto thee” is a promise that peace, a sense of plenty, joy and divine ideas will emerge directly from within. This is true abundance...an abundance that is felt now, and can only be felt now, and which carries with it the power and the grace of manifestation.
This simple pointer is the essence of what is valuable and may still be found in these movements called Unity and New Thought. New thoughts, in order to be what is really meant by the term, must arise from No Thought and unity is beneath and behind all movement. The value of the movement must arise from that which is Immovable, Unshakable and Ever-present. The words have essential value only as they point to that which is beyond all words.
