What Is Science of Mind? A Plain-English Guide to the Philosophy Behind Centers for Spiritual Living
Science of Mind is a spiritual philosophy built on one idea: there is a single Divine Intelligence (call it God, Spirit, or Universal Mind) present in and through everything, and that includes you. Ernest Holmes set it down in 1926. The teaching holds that the way we habitually think shapes the life we experience, and that practices such as meditation and affirmative prayer can bring our thinking into line with spiritual Truth, so that life gets calmer and more open. It is what Centers for Spiritual Living teach around the world, including the Center for Spiritual Living San Jose on Clark Street.
Maybe you heard the phrase from a friend. Maybe it turned up in a book, or in a late-night search for a spiritual community that would let you keep your questions. Either way, this guide takes the questions people ask us most often and answers them in plain English.
What does Science of Mind teach?
Strip it down and Science of Mind rests on a handful of principles:
- There is One Power. A single creative Intelligence expresses through all of life. Holmes did not picture a distant, judging deity. He pictured a Spirit that is always present, as near as your own breath.
- You are an expression of the Divine. Every person is an individual outlet of that one Life. Your worth was never something you had to earn; it came with you.
- Thought is creative. “Change your thinking, change your life” is the teaching’s best-known summary. The beliefs we hold most deeply tend to shape the life we end up living.
- The Universe responds to belief. Holmes described a universal Law of Mind that receives our settled convictions and returns them as experience. It does this impersonally and reliably, the way soil grows whatever seed gets planted in it.
- Life is eternal. Death is understood as a transition rather than an ending, which is why memorials in this tradition are held as celebrations of a life.
Is Science of Mind a religion?
It works more like a philosophy and a way of living than a religion in the usual sense. There is no creed to sign, no punishing God, and no claim to be the only road. Centers for Spiritual Living describe the teaching as “open at the top,” meaning it honors the wisdom in all of the world’s spiritual traditions and stays open to whatever is still to be understood. Plenty of people practice Science of Mind right alongside the faith they were raised in. Others arrive with no religious background at all and find that fine too. If you think of yourself as spiritual but not religious, you will notice that the vocabulary here is loose on purpose. God, Spirit, Higher Power, Universal Presence, Divine Intelligence: all of these get used, often within the same talk, and nobody corrects you.
Is Science of Mind Christian?
No, it is not a Christian denomination. It does hold Jesus in high regard as a great teacher and quotes him often, together with the wisdom of other traditions, philosophers, and scientists. Holmes read the scriptures of the world and came away convinced that a “golden thread” of truth runs through all of them: God is love, Spirit is present everywhere, and faith is creative. On a given Sunday at our Center you will find Christians, Buddhists, Jews, Muslims, Hindus, agnostics, and people who would rather not pick a label sitting in the same rows.
Where did Science of Mind come from?
Ernest Holmes (1887-1960) published The Science of Mind in 1926. In it he drew together the New Thought movement of the 19th century, thinkers such as Ralph Waldo Emerson, Emma Curtis Hopkins, and Thomas Troward, with the world’s older wisdom traditions. The organization his students built grew into today’s Centers for Spiritual Living (opens in new tab), with hundreds of communities around the world. For more on the man himself, read our guide Who Was Ernest Holmes?, and for the movement’s roots see New Thought vs. New Age: What’s the Difference?
How do you practice Science of Mind?
Holmes wanted a teaching that could be used, not just believed, so the practices are simple and meant for ordinary weeks. The core ones:
- Meditation. Quiet time with the Presence within, which is a different aim than stress relief, though stress relief tends to come along with it. New to it? Start with our beginner’s guide to meditation.
- Affirmative prayer. Also called Spiritual Mind Treatment, this is a five-step form of prayer that states spiritual Truth instead of pleading for help. The steps are laid out in What Is Affirmative Prayer?
- Study. Classes, books, and discussion that train the mind back toward its native peace. Our current classes and events are listed here.
- Community and service. Practicing the principles among people who will stick with you while you learn them.
What happens at a Science of Mind service?
A Sunday gathering at a Center for Spiritual Living usually runs like this: live music from the band, a period of meditation, a talk that takes one spiritual principle and applies it to everyday life, and then coffee and conversation afterward. There is no ritual to learn first. Nothing to join before you are ready. The Center for Spiritual Living San Jose meets every Sunday at 10:30, in person at 1195 Clark Street and by livestream. Details are on our Sunday Services page, and if you like to know the shape of a thing before you walk into it, read what to expect at your first service.
Why do people call it a “science”?
Holmes chose the word on purpose. He taught that spiritual principles, like physical ones, are dependable: the Law of Mind responds to conviction the way gravity responds to mass, consistently and for everyone. So the teaching asks for experiment rather than blind faith. Practice the principles, watch your own life, and keep whatever proves true. “Principle is not bound by precedent,” Holmes wrote. In other words, your past does not get the final vote on your future.
Is Science of Mind the same as Scientology?
No. Science of Mind has no connection to Scientology at all. It is a New Thought spiritual philosophy founded by Ernest Holmes in 1926, practiced at Centers for Spiritual Living, and centered on meditation, affirmative prayer, and the creative power of thought.
Do I have to give up my current religion to practice Science of Mind?
No. Science of Mind honors all spiritual paths, and many people practice it alongside the tradition they grew up in. There is no required creed and no claim to exclusivity.
What book should I start with?
The Science of Mind by Ernest Holmes is the foundational text. Many newcomers also enjoy This Thing Called You and Creative Mind and Success, two shorter works by Holmes.
Where can I experience Science of Mind in San Jose?
The Center for Spiritual Living San Jose holds Sunday services in person and by livestream, along with classes, groups, and events through the week. Visitors are welcome, whatever their background.
Reading about Science of Mind only gets you so far; it was written to be tried. Sundays at 10:30 at 1195 Clark Street, or online, are a good place to start.
