BASCOM'S SCIENCE OF MIND AND ERNEST HOLMES RELIGIOUS SCIENCE

Ernest Holmes' 1927 edition of Science of Mind was the second version of Science of Mind to be produced. The first edition of Science of Mind was published in 1881 by metaphysical philosopher John Bascom.

Bascom's ideas have become mainstream within the New Thought movement, yet until relatively recently few New Thought writers knew about Bascom's works. This is most likely due to the fact that so many old New Thought institutions focus so intensely upon their founders writings even though those very progenitors pushed hard against the tendency of folks to create Cults of Personality.

WHAT DOES BASCOM BRING TO THE TABLE?

Bascom was a key influence in the early New Thought movement whose works: Natural Theology and New Theology are some of the best vehicles to illuminate his insights. Bascom was an internationally known figure in his day hailed by many as a prophet of peace and true prosperity. Why? Perhaps because Bascom taught that true Personal Spiritual Evolution calls us forth to demonstrate our personal progress through contributing to the creation of a more compassionate world. Bascom emphasized compassionate wisdom and the importance of spiritually evolved people to work together creating better conditions and increasing opportunities for our children.

Within this early Ernest Holmes version of Science of Mind are important keys to understanding Holmes' overall work. It is a wonderful work which is pure Ernest Holmes.

This 1927 version is more popular than Maude Allison Lathem's later 1938 revision. Yet we must not lose sight of the fact that Lathem was essential to the evolving vision of the Holmes brothers. Maude felt strongly that it was time to emphasize the mystic devoid of the psychic. Removing the psychic components from Holmes version of Science of Mind partially restored Bascom's rational approach to metaphysics and served as a better vehicle for the propagation of the Religious Science form of the Science of Mind branch of New Thought to those who fear the psychic as "witchcraft".

With this new electronic edition, we link to the works that influenced Holmes. Holmes wrote more than once that he did not create anything new. Ernest Holmes and his college educated brother Fenwicke were quite famous for reminding people that New Thought, in particular Religious Science is and will always be "open at the top." Flexibility is an essential component of all forms of New Thought. This is why the first word is "New".

The reader should take note of the fact that some people want a fixed and finished system of thought that will not evolve or change. This is not an uncommon desire. It is one of the reason that some beliefs persist within the collective consciousness which old New Thought teachers liked to call "race consciousness." The terms stems from the belief that there are common notions or ideas collectively carried within a pan-human psyche. Maeterlink called this the collective or universal soul.