What
is Science of Mind?
Where did this philosophy come from?
Who was Ernest Holmes?
What is Religious Science?
What does Religious Science believe?
What is Spiritual Mind Treatment?
Dr. Holmes, author of Science of Mind text in 1926 and founder of Religious Science is often quoted as saying:
"There is a Power in the universe greater than you are, and you can use it."
This idea underlies all of the philosophy of Science of Mind. Science of Mind is the philosophy first formulated by Dr. Ernest Holmes who wrote:
Science of Mind bears the same relation to religion that natural science bears to the laws of nature. It is a science of mental and spiritual phenomena, and as such it appeals to adherents of all religious beliefs, as well as to those who have no particular religious conviction; it appeals to all students of life .
Where did this philosophy come from?
Science of Mind has its roots in the writings of several scientists and philosophers. These include Ralph Waldo Emerson, Judge Thomas Troward, Emma Curtis Hopkins, and many others. These people were at the core of the philosophy of New Thought, and form the basis for many churches including Unity, Divine Science, the Church of Religious Science , and others.
Who was Ernest Holmes?
Ernest Holmes, founder of the Science of Mind, was born and raised in Maine and acquired his basic education there. He once said: "I quit school when I was about 15 and didn't go back except to study public speaking." From 1908 to 1910 he attended the Leland Powers School of Expression in Boston .
The rest of his prodigious learning came from an insatiable search for what would be most meaningful for any person to know. He spent a lifetime synthesizing his discoveries. The result was the philosophy of "Science of Mind," and the Church of Religious Science .
What is Religious Science?
Ernest Holmes began his formal work speaking in Los Angeles from a philosophical and spiritual perspective. As thousands of people flocked to hear him speak, they wanted to learn more and classes were begun. Practitioners were trained to assist people by what Ernest called "Spiritual Mind Treatment". Out of this grew, the concept of Religious Science and an organization founded by Dr. Ernest Holmes, the formal "Church" that teaches Science of Mind philosophy. Founder's Church in Los Angeles was built and dedicated just before Dr. Holmes passed in 1960.
There are actually three different approaches to the study of Science of Mind: United Church of Religious Science (UCRS) Religious Science International (RSI), and independent churches. The philosophy taught by these organizations is identical, although there are some differences in emphasis, certification & breadth.
What We Believe
We believe in God, the Living Spirit Almighty; one, indestructible, absolute and self-existent Cause. This One manifests itself in and through all creation but is not absorbed by its creation. The manifest universe is the body of God; it is the logical and necessary outcome of the infinite self-knowingness of God.
We believe in the incarnation of the Spirit in everyone and that all people are incarnations of the One Spirit.
We believe in the eternality, the immortality, and the continuity of the individual soul, forever and ever expanding.
We believe that Heaven is within us and that we experience it to the degree that we become conscious of it.
We believe the ultimate goal of life to be a complete emancipation from all discord of every nature, and that this goal is sure to be attained by all.
We believe in the unity of all life, and that the highest God and the innermost God is one God.
We believe that God is personal to all who feel this Indwelling Presence.
We believe in the direct revelation of Truth through the intuitive and spiritual nature of the individual, and that any person may become a revealer of Truth who lives in close contact with the indwelling God.
We believe that the Universal Spirit, which is God, operates through a Universal Mind, which is the Law of God; and that we are surrounded by this Creative Mind which receives the direct impress of our thought and acts upon it.
We believe in the healing of the sick through the power of this Mind.
We believe in the control of conditions through the power of this Mind.
We believe in the eternal Goodness, the eternal Loving-kindness, and the eternal Givingness of Life to all.
We believe in our own soul, our own spirit, and our own destiny; for we understand that the life of all is God.
What is Spiritual Mind Treatment?
Spiritual Mind Treatment is a form of affirmative prayer. It is designed to help harness the Power of the Universe which we call God, to create good in our lives. Rather than supplicating a God outside of ourselves to give us those things we wish, Spiritual Mind Treatment focuses on our personal power to accept the good in our lives, knowing that what we want already exists.
Spiritual Mind Treatment includes five steps:
-
Recognition:
We state our recognition that God is all that exists, and is the creative cause of everything in the universe. -
Unification:
We state our unity with all that is. We declare our alignment with God, the Unifying Principles, Infinite Source & Supply, Universal Mind. -
Realization:
We speak for that which we desire in our lives, realizing our Oneness with all in this abundant Universe. These desires are limitless: peace, joy, prosperity, health, relationships, career, wealth. -
Thanksgiving:
We declare our knowing that good is already present and our gratitude for both the knowing and the outpicturing of our desires in the highest and best ways for all concerned. -
Release:
We release ourselves and our desires to the highest and best for all, knowing that it is done as declared and affirm this by saying " And so it is."
But, don't worry if you miss one! God really doesn't care about form!!!