New Thought and Deity Worship
If “mind is god,” can you forge a relationship with disincarnate entities?
My earliest forays into New Thought, which began in earnest during my late-twenties, were grounded in the compelling if audacious notion that thoughts, when imbued with emotion, shape reality.
This idealist principle found its most eloquent expression in the work of mystic Neville Goddard (1905–1972), who posited that our assumptions, even those initially devoid of truth, out-picture into physicality. The mind-causation thesis straddles the realms of psychology and spirituality, offering a universally resonant yet radical perspective.
As I ventured deeper, however, I encountered shortcomings within New Thought, even for those who, like me, take seriously its gambit. I will explore these shortcomings on New Thought’s own terms before considering the question of deity veneration — and how it might unknot problems the seeker encounters.
Despite New Thought’s foresight — late-nineteenth-century acolytes adopted a psycho-spiritual and…
