Law of Attraction History – New Thought and The Secret (Part 2)
The New Thought Movement has a number of characteristics in common with today’s Law of Attraction movement. First, virtually all the New Thought movements believe in the ideology of “mind over matter” – or that we create our reality with our thoughts. Negative influences and limitations in our lives are caused by negative and limiting beliefs, so if you were to change your beliefs, you’d change your reality.
A common application of this belief system was in health and illness. The movement thought that if you were ill, it was because you held negative or limiting beliefs. If you could change those beliefs, you could cure yourself. (see Thoughts Are Things by Ernest Holmes for an example)
Eventually, the New Thought Movement applied this ideology to virtually all aspects of life including relationships, money, spirituality, and work. Prominent New Thought teacher, Emma Curtis Hopkins (who was excommunicated by Mary Baker Eddy’s Christian Science movement before branching out on her own) even thought death was a limiting belief that might be overcome.
The movement is also known for its focus on positive affirmations. Believers would craft their own affirmations to get what they desired. For instance, if they were ill, they’d chant over and over “I am healthy.” This was thought to work because at their core, each person contains an element of the divine spark (or God) within them. When we recite affirmations, we are evoking the divine power within us to heal ourselves.
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