New Thought is a philosophical and practical healing paradigm that had its birth in America, specifically in New England, in the early 19th century. Phineas Parkhurst Quimby, a clockmaker, mesmerist and healer is, I believe, rightfully credited as the inadvertent founder of this movement.
Though locally famous throughout Maine for his miraculous healings, it was Mary Baker Eddy, one of Quimby’s patients, who founded Christian Science subsequent to his death, bringing his healing principles to worldwide attention. It should be noted that she took credit for his unique approach though largely misunderstood it and misrepresented it.
The essential principle that Quimby discovered and practiced was that one’s mental beliefs are fundamental to the state of one’s body. That is, you become what you believe you are. Changing a belief had the potential to effect a cure.
Quimby found organized religion largely abhorrent. However, he greatly appreciated Christ’s emphasis upon the state of one’s beliefs as the essential ingredient to one’s healing. Quimby used the term Christian Science frequently to define the exercise of a technology of unfettered consciousness, which emphasizes truth over illusion.
Great emphasis has been placed upon the power of positive thinking as an outgrowth of the New Thought movement, as evidenced in the 21st century by the 2006 bestseller, The Secret, by Rhonda Byrne. The tools of the Law of Attraction and the Power of Manifestation have woven their way into modern culture as a result of the popularity of this book.
One major criticism of New Thought is the notion that one can skip over trauma processing, or shadow integration, and achieve fulfillment and wholeness through positive intention alone.
By definition, trauma and shadow represent unprocessed lived experiences and complexes that create major divisions and sub-personalities within the psyche that defy wholeness. At best, these components are included in wholeness as triggers or in illegitimate suffering, as Jung defined neurosis, where necessary suffering is traded for a less painful obsession.
For the past few years I have highlighted the power of the subconscious mind to create desired change in one’s life. I was led to this emphasis through a variety of synchronistic phenomena and personal experiences that helped me to understand that we are in the midst of a major paradigm shift as a human race that explains the rock bottom Kali Yuga of our time. Kali Yuga is a spiritual season, of Hindu origin, which depicts humanity at its basest state of existence, much as we experience today. It’s the precursor to new life.
What is highlighted in our world now is the power of belief, right or wrong, and the warring competition to dominate the world’s belief system. This proves Quimby right. What we believe we become.
More fundamentally is the challenge to the belief systems that have governed health and healing. People are being empowered to discover their own latent healing powers. Certainly it is timely to wake up to the power of autosuggestion and the ability to have influence through the subconscious mind, especially in a time where many feel so outwardly powerless.
I have discovered that suggestions impressed upon the subconscious mind are indeed realized. However, the path to their manifestation cannot be controlled. Often the subconscious manifests challenges that appear diametrically opposed to the impressed suggestion.
However, it often becomes evident that solving the issue presented is prerequisite to fulfillment of a suggestion. Hence, if a trauma or complex must be encountered before a suggestion can manifest it comes forth to be processed.
I always suggest that intentions impressed upon the subconscious be for the greater good of self and other. This insures that the path to fulfillment includes and does not skip over needed integration of shadow.
Sometimes people present suggestions for selfish motives and the subconscious dutifully fulfills these requests. However, the karma or effect of those manifestations will inevitably ultimately be encountered. There’s no escaping, only postponing encounter with shadow.
The deeper we explore the shadow we may discover a black hole of trauma from past lives. If we take into consideration the 4th dimension of our being, our soul body, we are 3-dimensionally working with issues from prior lives at the behest of our soul.
From even more higher dimensions we are carrying the evolution of everything from the beginning. Trauma processing is processing and growing into coherence with our greater oneness.
Trauma, from this perspective, is necessary and normal and will likely always be present when we confront the unknown. To be able to be existentially fulfilled in the now of life while simultaneously carrying trauma to be processed is probably the true nature of all human life.
Of course, we could say there is trauma that’s come due and must be dealt with now if we are to proceed toward fulfillment, but it’s not necessary to push beyond what’s come due. The greater challenge that’s come due might be to dive deeper into life now with support from the subconscious manifesting the way.
The self-empowerment of New Thought and the processing of trauma from whatever source are complementary practices for greater individuation in this life and beyond.
Be so empowered,
Chuck
NOTE: I have started a new blog: Chuck’s Conversations with AI. Find it under the Blogs tab in the top navigation bar. Postings will be random.
