A Dictionary of New Thought Terms

as used by Ernest Holmes

A

Abiding Presence The Spirit of God, which permeates everything.

Absolute, the The God principle, the Supreme, the Unknowable, Unthinkable, Unmanifest --- yet manifest in all. The Unconditioned, yet in every condition. That which is back of all that is manifested, in all universes, known and unknown to man. That which is all Life, all Power. The Formless, which is all form. The Changeless, which includes all change. The Infinite Life Principle, omnipresent, omnipotent, omniscient. The Great Self-Existent Cause back of all that is.

In speaking of "treating in the Absolute," we mean dealing with the Law back of material form; working in the higher planes of thought for the control of conditions on the manifest side of life. "Working in the Absolute" means attuning oneself to the invisible; contemplating the qualities which we believe to be a part of God, such as Love, Harmony, Peace, Wisdom, Strength, etc., and then seeing oneself as partaking, and being a part, of that Infinite Perfection. (See also treating in the.)

Absolute and relative Refers to the Unconditioned Cause and any effect which It may project.

(See also relative.)

Absolute, treating in the See treating in the.

Absolute (the) --- understanding of the Absolute is our relative See understanding of.

Absolute (the), we cannot contract See we cannot contract.

abstract In the realm of the formless; apart from any particular object, as in the realm of ideation. The general, in contradistinction to the particular; as beauty, love, honesty, courage, etc. Abstract thought is in the higher ranges of thought, rather than in the concrete, as in particular objects.

abundance See "Whosoever hath."

abundance, identical with thought of Since thought produces fact, then fact must be like the thought which produces it. Hence a thought of impoverishment would create an impoverished condition, while the recognition of abundance would inevitably produce abundance.

acceptance See bowl of acceptance; intellectual acceptance; mind cannot; subjective acceptance; unbelief,• meditation without.

accidents, purposive See purposive.

accumulated consciousness The sum total of one's mental life.

accumulated consciousness of the race thought Sum total of all beliefs which the race has ever held, more or less operating through all of us, unconsciously.

"Acknowledge Him and He shall direct thy paths" Truth, known, automatically becomes demonstrated.

acknowledgment of good makes possible its manifestation Acknowledgment is recognition; and recognition, realized, becomes embodiment.

"Act as though I am and I will be" A mystical presentation of the Law of mental correspondents.

action, rest in The Laws of Mind work smoothly, harmoniously, and without effort. Spiritual Mind treatment should be spontaneous and not laborious.

action, the only ultimate See thought processes.

active ideas of truth A spiritual treatment is a definite statement, an active state of consciousness created for a definite purpose.

active right thinking Mental treatment is an active thing; it sets about to demonstrate or prove a certain point in Mind through the definite activity of consciousness. Treatment is always active; it is never day-dreaming.

Adam Undeveloped, or unenlightened man. The opposite of the Christ Principle, as "in Adam all sin, so in Christ all are made free from sin" (1 Cor. 15:22).

Adam as Christ The first Adam is of the earth; the second Adam is the Lord from heaven. Adam as Christ means lifting up the principle of Reality within us to a comprehension of its union with Spirit.

Adam consciousness Symbol of the intellect functioning from a material basis. The Life Principle viewed from its lowest angle. Separation, disunity, dissolution.

Adam is transformed into Christ That which seems human and disunited from the Divine automatically becomes transmuted into the Christ through spiritual recognition. It is written that the first Adam is of this earth, the second Adam is the Lord from heaven.

Adam-Kadmon In the Kabalah this term means the ONE (son) of the Divine Father. (AD, in Assyrian, means Father; in Aramaean AD means "One." AM or OM means the divine, or Deity.) Adam Kadmon has been referred to as the "Heavenly Man," symbolizing the entire humanity and beyond, the Universe itself in a single aspect. The vehicle of the Logos is manifestation.

adversary, the apparent Any belief in the reality of evil.

affirmation in mental treatment Affirming the Divine as the only Presence. That is, affirming the presence of whatever ought to be.

affirmation of truth Any statement which affirms the supremacy of good or which denies the reality of that which is contrary to good. (See also spiritual affirmations; transforming.)

affirmation, supreme See supreme affirmation. affirmations, subconscious denial of See subconscious denial.

affirmative factor The invisible Power that concentrates primordial substance into new forms. It is the principle of the unfoldment of life through the Intelligence that permeates all space, the very Nature of Being Itself as Subjective Intelligence. Cooperating with It, man may create his world of perfection.

Affirmative, the Great: I AM The Principle of Being that expresses Itself as form, on all planes and in varying vibratory force, up through all strata of life, from the rock to liberated man, and beyond. Man's use of the words "I AM" becomes in him the Great Affirmative.

age The measure of long periods of time, such as the Azoic Age (the beginning of life on the planet), the Pliocene Age, Stone Age, Iron Age, Golden Age, Age of Science, the Dark Ages, etc. In Hindu literature an age is called the Day and Night of Brahma. The Outbreathing of a universe is called a Manvantara, the Inbreathing a Pralaya, or Dissolution. In Truth there is no beginning or end, for there was never a commencement of life, in the Eternal, and there will never be an ending. An Age is man's measure of a period of experience.

agnosticism (agnostic) The doctrine that neither the nature nor the existence of God nor the ultimate character of the universe is knowable. Any doctrine which affirms that all knowledge is relative and uncertain.

"Agree with thine adversary quickly" We arrive at correct spiritual conclusions through agreeing with the Divine Presence in everything.

akasha Space, or ether, as a mind principle.

alchemy A medieval science, the object of which was to try to transmute base metals into gold. In the life of the metaphysician, the term alchemy is used in referring to the transmutation of the lower nature (that is, the qualities of ruthless selfishness, greed, cruelty, etc.) into the perfect spiritual Form, toward which man is evolving. The uncovering of the God-self, which already exists, potentially, in each one. This alchemy, or transmutation, is an actual chemical change in the cells of the body, through the use of mental law and high spiritual aspiration. Love is referred to as the Great Alchemist, since where Love is manifest, harmony and right action follow. The vibratory forces of the body are lifted and changed into higher and finer rates of vibration. This is the basis for the panacea of the Elixir of Life, which is eternal youth, so long sought for.

all is mental or spiritual Not only is the invisible Principle of Life a thing of mind and spirit, form also is mental and spiritual. It is Spirit caught in a temporary mold for a definite purpose.

all is Mind All creation is Mind in form and responsive to the Intelligence which creates it. This same Intelligence in us therefore responds to us. Immanuel Kant said that we are able to recognize an apparently external object by reason of the fact that it awakens an intuition within us.

"All rivers run into the sea . . . thither they return again" Refers to the unity of all life; we proceed from Spirit and return to It and are always in It.

"all things . . . ye shall ask . . . believing, ye shall receive" Refers to the immutable Law of Cause and Effect, which returns to us exactly what we set in motion in it.

all thought is creative It would be impossible to assume that one type of thought would be creative without assuming that all types must be.

Alpha and Omega This symbolizes all that God is --- Spirit, Matter. The first and the last, and all that lies between. The beginning and the end.

altar Symbolizes spiritual idealism upon which are sacrificed the lower forms of thought.

analogous Similar or bearing some similarity. The principle that like attracts like, in that we attract that to which our thought is attuned.

analogy That which resembles something else. An agreement between two things in some ways, but not identically. In metaphysical teaching, stories are told which bear a resemblance to the thing being illustrated, in order to clarify the thought on the subject at hand. The teachings of Jesus are filled with analogies.

analytical realization Realization arrived at by analysis, argument, process of thought, etc. (See also mental analysis.)

Ancient of Days God, Spirit, Reality; that which never changes.

ancient wisdom The continuous stream of Truth that has run through all the great spiritual and philosophic teachings from times of antiquity. The Wisdom of the Ages.

androgynous Having the characteristics of both sexes. The Father-Mother God Principle.

anemia, spiritual treatment for Recognition of the flow of Life, Love, Happiness, and Fulfillment.

angel Symbolizes spiritual influences; angel of the higher self; the Presence of God in man as Christ.

angels ascending and descending Intuition informing the intellect.

animal consciousness The feeling consciousness. Our communication with animals is through feeling. An animal will attack a person who fears it, because the feeling of fear is transferred to its consciousness, and it attacks in self-defense. It is the animal consciousness in man, the consciousness of the physical body itself, that is responsible for deep-seated fears, especially the fear of death. This consciousness is controlled through the mental faculties, through the reasoning mind --- the next step up in vibration.

Anointed, the Refers to the consciousness of the Indwelling Christ.

anointing with oil Becoming conscious of the Divine Presence.

anti-Christ Any attempt to use spiritual power for a destructive purpose.

apparent separation Any thought or appearance which causes us to believe that we are separated from the Divine Presence.

appearance Any objective manifestation which may or may not be considered true to the spiritual Reality. (See also 'fudge not according.")

approaching the Spirit See faith --- approaching.

archetypal man Spiritual man viewed generically, in whose image all men are formed. The universal man. The image and likeness of God.

archetype The ideal form, written about by Plato. The eternal, perfect concept of things, existing in the Mind of God, or Universal Mind, after which form is patterned. The perfect pattern of a thing in thought.

argument, correct Refers to the mental process of thought in spiritual treatment whereby one argues toward the realization of the supremacy of good, the unity of man with God, etc.

argument, false Arguing mentally from the standpoint that there is a dual universe, that there is something opposed to good, etc. (See also false argument.)

argument logically presented to Mind In treating through argument, one seeks to establish a certain position in his own thought. Hence, he goes through a logical argument within himself in order to establish such a position. The conclusion of his argument constitutes its power and guarantees its results.

argument of doubt Any mode of thought which denies us the privilege of accomplishing a healing or of making demonstrations for ourselves or others. This arises out of the race consciousness.

argument of error Subjective thought patterns of experience resisting any attempt to neutralize them.

arguments --- arranging them to meet the need Arranging thought in such a way as to repudiate certain beliefs or fundamental erroneous conclusions about the condition you wish to change.

arguments --- conform them to meet needs In mental treatment when one is using the argumentative method, his specific arguments meet --- that is, cover --- the case by recognizing what ought to be denied and what ought to be affirmed.

arguments --- conform them to the theory of perfection The entire body of a mental treatment must be built upon the supposition of Perfect God, Perfect Man, and Perfect Being.

ark Symbol of the Spiritual Principle which rises upon the sea of psychic confusion.

Ark of the Covenant The Principle of Unity within us; the Holy of Holies; the Secret Place of the Most High; the Sacred Name; the Scroll of Life; the realization that God and man are One.

arteries as a spiritual idea Represent a perfect, unobstructed, flexible medium for the flow of Spirit.

"As a man thinketh in his heart" Continual thinking, willing, knowing, or believing creates subjective thought patterns which, in their turn, attract or repel.

"As he thinketh in his heart so is he" As the inner state of consciousness is, so will the condition become.

"As thou host believed so be it done unto thee" This refers to cause and effect. Any belief in consciousness produces a condition exactly corresponding to such belief.

ascending and descending scale of consciousness The One Mind manifest in everything from the atom to the highest form of intelligence.

ascending arc of the circle A term used to symbolize the evolutionary Force, both personal and cosmic, by which the individual rises from gross materiality into the realm of pure Spirit. The resurrection principle. (See also descending arc of the circle.)

ascension from the valley of negation to the mountaintop of realization Represents the unfolding of consciousness as it leaves behind its limited patterns of thought and endeavors to sense its unity with the boundless whole.

ascetic One who devotes himself to a solitary and contemplative life; one who practices extreme rigor and self-denial.

asceticism Refers to the doctrine that the material or carnal world is evil or despicable, and that salvation is gained by mortification of the flesh.

"Ask in faith nothing wavering" True prayer is not a petition but a complete and unqualified acceptance.

asking according to His Will This means according to the nature of Reality.

assimilation and elimination Metaphysically interpreted, this means the circulation of Truth eliminating anything unlike Itself.

atomic intelligence The primary Intelligence inherent in the very substance of things; the Intelligence in the atom that keeps it revolving around its central unit of power. This Intelligence is characterized by responsiveness, which may be made use of in healing work. Every atom in every cell of the body has intelligence.

atonement The old Jewish doctrine of redemption through suffering or sacrifice to expiate for a sin. To make amends for an offense. We all atone for wrongdoing, in that the Law of Cause and Effect punishes us until we learn to stop making mistakes. Metaphysical students now realize that the only atonement --- that is, the real redemption --- is an At-One-Ment with Life Itself, God. Through unity the old accounts are settled and dissolved.

attachment To be bound by sense objects, so that it is painful to be without them.

attitude, mental This is determined by the trend of thought of the individual. One may have an optimistic or completely negative attitude in his approach to life, which makes for his success or failure. All man's experiences come out of his mental attitude.

automatic writings Written messages received when one is controlled by some psychic influence, which many believe may emanate from oneself, those around one, or discarnate spirits.

autosuggestion One's thoughts acting upon one's own mind.

Averages, Law of That Law through which the Great Cosmic Intelligence works in perpetuating races and types through evolution. Through this Law vast numbers of plants, animals, men, etc., are created, which allows for a margin for the destruction of great numbers through accident, etc., but ensures the survival of the type or race because of the vast numbers created. This Law keeps a normal proportion of the race. Through this Law the Universal Intelligence works for the advancement of the race, irrespective of wishes or individuals. If one's wishes are in line with the forward and upward evolutionary movement of the Divine Principle, all the power of the Principle carries him forward. If his desire is opposed to It, he collides with the Great Law and is hurt or destroyed by It. (See also Law of Averages.)

"Awake thou that sleepest . . . and Christ shall give thee light" This passage implies that the human consciousness is in a dream state from which Christ or Divine Son-ship must awaken it. Christ is light. We have the mind of Christ. The mind which Jesus used is Christ; this Mind is in all of us.