{"id":28245,"date":"2026-02-17T13:34:44","date_gmt":"2026-02-17T12:34:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/kennethsorensen.dk\/?p=28245"},"modified":"2026-03-10T18:57:05","modified_gmt":"2026-03-10T17:57:05","slug":"american-new-thought-assagioli-1907","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/kennethsorensen.dk\/en\/american-new-thought-assagioli-1907\/","title":{"rendered":"The American \u201cNew Thought\u201d"},"content":{"rendered":"\r\n

An Early Analysis of New Thought, Will, and Consciousness<\/span><\/span><\/h2>\r\n

\"The<\/a><\/p>\r\n

By Roberto Grego Assagioli<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span>
<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/strong> Doc. #23701 – Assagioli Archives – Florence <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span>
Originally published in Leonardo, Florence, Anno V, April-June 1907 <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span>
Original Title: <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span>ll \u201cNuovo pensiero\u201d americano<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/em>
Translated and Edited with Notes by Jan Kuniholm \u00a0 \u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\r\n

Editorial note:<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\r\n

This article was written by Roberto Assagioli in 1907 and published in the Florentine journal <\/span><\/span>Leonardo<\/span><\/span><\/em> . It represents one of Assagioli’s earliest systematic engagements with American New Thought, examining its psychological, practical, and mystical dimensions. Written prior to the formal articulation of psychosynthesis, the essay already anticipates several of its central themes, including the transformative power of the will, the role of concentration, the plasticity of consciousness, and the possibility of higher states of awareness. <\/span><\/span>

The abstract, subheading, and cross-sections in this online edition have been added by the editor, Kenneth S\u00f8rensen, to support readability and archival navigation. The original wording and structure of the text have not been altered.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\r\n

\r\n

Abstract<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/h3>\r\n

In this extensive 1907 essay, Roberto Assagioli presents a critical and sympathetic analysis of the American New Thought movement, situating it within the broader psychological and mystical currents of the early twentieth century. He examines New Thought’s practical orientation, its dynamic optimism, and its emphasis on inner transformation through the disciplined use of will, concentration, and mental imagery. Assagioli explores the psychological mechanisms underlying concentration, the role of fear, worry, and urgency as obstacles to inner development, and the ethical reorientation required for sustained growth. In its second part, the essay turns to the mystical dimension of New Thought, outlining higher and cosmic states of consciousness, the rejection of annihilation metaphysics, the “redemption of the body,” and the emergence of a new, active mysticism. The article stands as a foundational document for understanding Assagioli’s early synthesis of psychology, spirituality, and will.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\r\n

\r\n\r\n\r\n

The Emergence of New Thought in Modern America<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/h3>\r\n

This article will be strange news to many.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/em><\/p>\r\n

In Yankee America, which we usually consider the home of unbridled industrialism and rabid social climbing, which we usually mention only for its twenty-story skyscrapers, its trusts, and its Tammany Hall, <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span>[1]<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a> a vast intellectual movement has been growing for several years, devoted exclusively to the practical study of the most important problems of the spirit. This movement presents itself under the promising name of \u201cNew Thought.\u201d <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span>[2]<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/span><\/span><\/p>\r\n

New Thought as a Practical Spiritual Movement<\/span><\/span><\/h3>\r\n

The most salient general characteristic of New Thought is its complete disregard for any purely theoretical or methodological question. Having arisen in a country lacking a true philosophical tradition, it has not needed to clear the ground of old ruins, nor has it been forced to perform the thankless task of forcing the “walking corpses” to finally enter their graves. Thus, there is never any attempt at a broad refutation of intellectualism; it simply does not concern itself with it.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\r\n

Dynamic Optimism and Inner Transformation<\/span><\/span><\/h3>\r\n

The solid foundation of New Thought is a fundamental optimism. It maintains that life, even if we do not know its inner essence, has meaning and purpose; that this purpose is good and desirable, that it marks progress over previous stages; and that, even if we cannot know what the ultimate goal is, we are nonetheless able to know the path that leads to it, and we can judge at every step whether we are approaching or moving away from it. From what I have said, and even more from what I am about to say, it follows that this optimism is of a special nature, in the sense that it does not consist in a passive acceptance of the world as it is, but is instead essentially active.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\r\n

In fact, another fundamental characteristic of the “New Thought” is the conviction of the infinite transformability of the world according to certain spiritual laws; optimism consists precisely in this belief and in the acceptance of these laws, not in that of existing facts; it is dynamic, not static. But the transformation that one is capable of accomplishing must, according to “New Thought,” start from within, not from without. You can transform yourself indefinitely, and must learn to do so. This is truly the cornerstone of the new doctrine. It deals extensively with psychological issues, but not from a descriptive point of view, but always from a practical one. Indeed, in a certain sense, it denies the possibility of a \u201cscientific description\u201d of human nature. The psyche is not something fixed, precise, in which only new combinations of the same elements occur; it is not a stage on which the same actors always perform new plays; it is rather a rushing torrent that flows through the most diverse lands, receives numerous tributaries, leaves many useful channels, and rushes towards an unknown ocean.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\r\n

The Will as the Central Instrument of Transformation<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/h3>\r\n

But what is the instrument with which one can act on himself to transform himself? What are the methods to follow?<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\r\n

The wonderful instrument is the human will. The human will, according to New Thought, has powers hitherto unsuspected. We generally believe that our will has no power other than to make the body and mind perform certain external acts (eg, studying, traveling, speaking, etc.) that produce certain practical consequences that we desire (eg, degrees, education, conclusion of business deals, etc.). However, this is only the smallest part of the potentialities of our will. First of all, “New Thought” admits, demonstrates, and applies on a large scale the brilliant insight of William James (who splendidly represents the “official” philosophy in America) of the “will to believe,” which “New Thought” had arrived at independently and probably even earlier, especially in its practical psychological applications, without ever formulating it theoretically so clearly and precisely.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\r\n

But once the importance of the will is recognized, two problems arise. First of all: how can the will be developed? Then: once a sufficient degree of willpower has been achieved, how can it be used to transform ourselves? These two problems are closely connected. In fact, the same method that serves to develop the will is used by the will to carry out its action. And it is quite natural that this should be so, for what is the development of the will if not an activity of the will itself exercised upon itself, but otherwise similar to other activities?<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\r\n

Concentration and the Power of Mental Images<\/span><\/span><\/h3>\r\n

This common method is concentration.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\r\n

It is necessary to understand well the special meaning that “New Thought” attaches to this word, which is perhaps a little different, and certainly much fuller and more complex than is usually given to it. For American writers, concentration means “the act of fixing one’s attention on a single idea or ‘mental image’ and holding it there for a certain time without interruption.”<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\r\n

All the specific exercises that American writers recommend and claim to be highly effective are based on concentration. So what are the psychological reasons for its wonderful effects?<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\r\n

To discover them, let us examine the mechanism by which the will acts. The will is a force, it is energy that is released (for now, let us leave aside \u201chow\u201d and \u201cfrom what\u201d); but every force needs a point of application in order to manifest itself. For the will, this consists of a representation, a \u201cmental image.\u201d Without a representation, the effective expression of the will is impossible. Once this point has been clarified, we can easily understand the reasons for both the ordinary weakness of our will and its indefinite possibilities for development.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\r\n

In fact, it is evident (and confirmed by experience) that the longer the will is able to express itself on the same representation, the greater the force released for its implementation. Since images usually follow one another with great rapidity, appearing only for an instant in our attention, then fleeing away, pursued by the other innumerable drops of our “mental stream,” it is quite natural that very little force can “accumulate” in each of them. It is therefore very difficult for them to transform themselves into acts (whether external or internal). When, on the other hand, we manage to concentrate all our will for a long time on the same image or purpose, it acquires an incredible, tremendous power.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\r\n

However, an important condition is necessary for successful concentration: the “mental image” must be clear, precise, concrete, and vivid. Otherwise, it is unable to gather and retain the great amount of force we project onto it without dispersing it, and it is also much more difficult to keep it within the field of our attention.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\r\n

Psychological Obstacles to Concentration: Worry, Urge, and Fear<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/h3>\r\n

Despite appearances, forming a good mental image is difficult and requires patient practice. As for concentration, a few tests are enough to show us how little control we have over the constant flow of “our” thoughts. By repeating our attempts at concentration, we become aware of another important fact: that our failures are due not only to lack of practice, but also to the presence of certain mental conditions that directly oppose concentration. We must therefore identify what these are and focus our efforts on them first.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\r\n

First of all, it is clear that when there are very powerful images that insistently return to our attention, it is very difficult to hold another image in our mind. This happens whenever we are “worried” for any reason; since worry is almost always combined with a state of depression in which all our faculties are dulled and weakened (including the little willpower we possess, which is precisely what we are trying to develop). There is no need to insist further on the importance of getting rid of this state, whose truly destructive effect on our individuality is effectively expressed by the English word that designates it (\u201cworry\u201d = to tear apart).<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\r\n

Another state that makes concentration very difficult is the habit of haste. It makes us live in a constant state of vibration, of trepidation that makes us physically and mentally restless, accelerating the flow of mental images even more, and making it even more disordered and independent of our will; and for this reason it is in direct contrast to concentration.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\r\n

Finally, there is a third enemy, the most terrible of all, which, like worry, attacks both the mental mechanism of concentration and the will itself, but with much greater violence: it is fear. Even in small doses, it makes it very difficult to fix a representation and, as everyone knows, greatly depresses the will; in larger doses, it even annihilates it.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\r\n

American books constantly insist on the need to free oneself from these three main enemies before one can aspire to achieve the great results promised by concentration. To this end they propose many exercises which it is not necessary to reproduce in this informative article, but which essentially consist of:<\/span><\/span><\/p>\r\n

1. Some exercises <\/span><\/span>in the regular and methodical repetition of dynamogenic <\/span><\/span>[3]<\/span><\/span><\/a> phrases; in concentration on statements of power, courage, and energy; in the vibrant enunciation of faith in the infinite possibilities of one’s own will, etc.<\/span><\/span><\/em><\/span><\/span><\/p>\r\n

2. Others, more difficult and already requiring some practice, are exercises in forming a clear and vivid mental image of oneself stripped of the defect one is fighting against, and endowed with the opposite quality (the image must be as concrete and precise as possible; one must actually see oneself acting, speaking, etc. in the desired conditions).<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\r\n

The Will to Believe and the Will to Be<\/span><\/span><\/h3>\r\n

In these exercises, a general practical application of the will to believe is clearly noticeable; but there is more, there is a very important development of this theory which American writers, faithful to their attitude, never define theoretically, and which I would call the \u201cwill to believe and to be.\u201d In fact, in these exercises there is not only the application of the will to believe something as a means of achieving it, but there is undoubtedly the direct application of the principle of the will to be in different conditions: to possess qualities that we lack, as a means of truly being in the desired way. If we want to bring these two principles back to an even more general principle, we can say that they are based on the affirmation of the real influence, the effective practical action of mental images, of thoughts. This statement is often found in “New Thought.” Prentice Mulford in particular repeats it constantly and has given several of his writings the motto: \u201cThoughts are Things.\u201d In other writers, the admonition that “As a man thinks, so is he” is often repeated.[4]<\/a><\/span><\/span><\/p>\r\n

II.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\r\n

New Thought and the Transformation of Consciousness<\/h3>\r\n

Now that we have seen what psychological tools and methods can be used for our inner transformation, let us consider what individual development and perfection consist of according to “New Thought,” and what is the ultimate goal we must strive for. Here we come to the very important mystical side of \u201cNew Thought.\u201d<\/span><\/span><\/p>\r\n

The mystical side of New Thought also has particular characteristics that distinguish it from European and Eastern mysticism, and these differences will become clear in the brief explanation I will now give.<\/p>\r\n

The fundamental point on which the new mysticism is based is the belief that human beings, in addition to being able to develop the faculties that already exist within them, also have the ability to acquire, albeit gradually, completely new faculties, to become beings that are completely different from ordinary human beings.<\/p>\r\n

Let us take a closer look at the precise meaning of this extraordinary statement.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\r\n

Consciousness as Mutable, Expansive, and Transformable<\/h3>\r\n

The innermost and essential part of every individual is his consciousness. In fact, even power depends directly on consciousness. It is useless to have the potential capacity to perform certain actions if we do not know that we have it. Therefore, a transformation of consciousness corresponds to a transformation of our entire personality.
<\/span><\/span><\/p>\r\n

Let us therefore study consciousness.Psychology has now definitively demonstrated (and a little introspection is enough to notice this) that consciousness is not something fixed, rigid, immutable, but that it instead presents continuous oscillations which are often very broad, oscillations that are not only quantitative but also qualitative; not only in intensity but also in nature. By this I mean that in certain states, the consciousness of one single individual possesses properties that are completely lacking in his or her previous or subsequent states, even though this consciousness passes progressively and without interruption from one state to another. This is a fact, and one only needs to think of genius, poetic inspiration, etc., to be convinced of it. From a philosophical point of view, there is no separation or substantial difference between quantitative and qualitative differences, but the former, once a certain degree is reached, transforms into the latter.<\/p>\r\n

Having recognized the variability and flexibility of consciousness, we can see what causes such changes. These causes are of different kinds: there are physical causes, such as the state of rest or fatigue of the body, the action of nervous excitants, etc.; there are psychological causes, such as the action of certain feelings and passions, etc.; and finally, there are certainly unknown causes, of which we see only the effects, for example in the irregular and capricious appearance and disappearance of the “inspiration” that torments so many artists. These causes are largely independent of our will, at least directly, and can produce remarkable effects, but always within certain limits.<\/p>\r\n

The new mysticism, on the other hand, asserts that a powerful will, supported by an intense, incessant, and exclusive desire, is capable, through the skillful use of concentration, of directly leading our consciousness to states that are completely different and vastly superior to ordinary ones. It is not possible to give a precise and complete description of these states because these experiences are completely different from ordinary ones, so there are no words in any language to describe them. Therefore one can only speak of them metaphorically, and metaphors are only understood by those who already know the thing symbolized from direct personal experience.<\/p>\r\n

In any case, if it is not possible to give a scientific description of these states of consciousness, we can at least indicate some characteristics that distinguish them from ordinary states. From a practical or pragmatic point of view, this is what matters most, because it is sufficient to: 1) give us sufficient elements to choose, according to our aspirations, whether or not to follow the path that leads to those experiences; 2) to allow us to judge at any time, once we have chosen the path, whether and how much we are progressing.<\/p>\r\n

Higher and Cosmic States of Consciousness<\/h3>\r\n

The general characteristic of the new states of consciousness is that they are at the same time more vast, more intense, and higher than ordinary ones.Here, from the very first words, I am forced to use metaphorical language because, since consciousness is not extended in space, the terms high and vast naturally have no meaning if taken in their proper and literal sense; the same observation applies to everything that follows. However, I do not think anyone will find it difficult to understand what I mean by \u201cbroader consciousness.\u201d Everyone has experienced moments of intimate communion with nature while alone in a forest, in a spring meadow, in a field of crops, on the shore of a stormy sea or a clear lake. Try to remember those moments as clearly as possible; you will immediately realize that you had stepped outside the limits of your own personality and were truly living together with the plants, the earth, the water; that you were one with them; that the division between subject and object had disappeared. Some people, who are more sensitive by nature, will remember very well that in the woods they felt the life-giving sap circulating throughout their being, that on the shore of a mountain lake they felt within themselves the purity, clarity, and freshness of the water; their ordinary personality did not exist at that moment.

<\/span><\/span>This experience clearly shows that each of us can completely leave our ordinary consciousness without losing the consciousness of being, but rather having a consciousness of being in a broader way than usual. Similar states of consciousness can also be achieved without the objective presence of nature. Prolonged meditation on representations, on intense and vivid mental images, can lead to states of communion similar to those mentioned above.

Through these experiences, we come to recognize as a positive fact that there are many states of consciousness in which the restricted ordinary personality is completely ignored, and thus to separate the idea of \u200b\u200b”being” from that of “personal existence.”

But this is only an intermediate stage. By gradually broadening the field of experience, that is, by seeking to “be in communion” with ever larger parts of the world, one can reach states of cosmic consciousness. In these states, one experiences communion, no longer with a part of what is, but with all that lives; with the same principle, breath, or spirit of life that animates all things and all creatures. The notion of any limit or substantial difference is lost, and one has an actual awareness of the unity of the whole. Even the notion of time disappears, because time is measurable only insofar as changes occur in things or in ourselves; and since during those states of consciousness we feel no change, but only the presence of the immutable Spirit of the whole, time dissolves into actual Eternity.<\/p>\r\n

With regard to these higher states of consciousness, there is a very important fact to remember, which constitutes one of the main differences between the new American mysticism and those of the West and the East. <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\r\n

Unity Without Annihilation<\/h3>\r\n

During states of cosmic consciousness, the notion of one’s own limited, separate, and ordinary personality is lost, but the consciousness of living, the sense of one’s own identity, is not lost at all; on the contrary, one feels that one is living with and in universal Life and, at a higher level, that one is universal Life itself.<\/span><\/span>

<\/span><\/span> Therefore, the metaphorical expressions generally used by Western and Eastern mystics, such as, \u201csinking into God,\u201d \u201closing oneself in God or in the Spirit,\u201d \u201cnirvana,\u201d taken in the sense of annihilation, and the like, tend to mislead regarding the true nature of the states they seek to describe and are true only as indications of complete detachment from the ordinary personality, as images of conditions that are indescribable because they are completely beyond common experience. Moreover, it is quite natural that annihilation has been taken literally, because in our habitual consciousness we are so bound to the incessant duality of all manifestations, to what Easterners call \u201cpairs of opposites,\u201d such as Spirit and Matter, Pleasure and Pain, Good and Evil, etc., that the cessation of existence seems to us the only possible way to achieve unity.<\/span><\/span>

But the new way of intellectually representing the highest states of consciousness, or at least the insistence on dispelling what I would call “the misunderstanding of annihilation,” is not only of descriptive interest; it is full of practical consequences. From it arises a whole new attitude towards the world, matter, and the body.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\r\n

The Redemption of the Body and the World<\/span><\/span><\/h3>\r\n

First of all, there is what the new thinkers have called the \u201credemption of the body.\u201d The body is no longer considered an obstacle to the development of consciousness, the jailer of the soul; on the contrary, it is considered a necessary instrument in the work of developing the internal faculties. The obstacles that prevent us from continuously possessing spiritual consciousness are psychological rather than physical, and the physical obstacles will disappear by themselves when the psychological conditions that created them have been destroyed.<\/span><\/span>

<\/span><\/span> This attitude towards the world is clearly profoundly different from that of many earlier mystics. The world is no longer considered an evil, nor external life a sin. The new thinkers categorically deny the existence of evil and sin in an absolute sense; for them, there are only more or less advanced and developed stages of consciousness, and there is as much evil in the life of the most petty and narrow-minded person as in the block of marble from which the perfect statue will emerge, or in the egg from which the new being will develop. Relative evil consists only in that which delays the development of consciousness and the expression of true life; but what often seems to us to be evil, even if relative, is in reality only an inevitable stage of transition, just as during the development of the embryo organs are formed which are then reabsorbed before it reaches maturity.<\/span><\/span>

This is an active acceptance, which always makes us willingly embrace current conditions, however low and desperate they may seem, showing them to be necessary for the moment. But at the same time it reminds us that everyone has the power to transform them, and this forms the basis of that fundamental dynamic optimism which I mentioned at the beginning and which pervades every thought of the new thinkers. Such intelligent optimism does not, however, hide any of the terrible difficulties that must be overcome in order to reach the higher states of consciousness, but it gives the courage necessary to see them clearly, without illusions. Indeed, by constantly reminding us of the perfection that we can achieve, it keeps our countless and enormous current imperfections always present in our consciousness, preventing us from forgetting them in the tumultuous whirlwind of external sensations.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\r\n

Moral Renewal, Power, and the Expansion of Consciousness<\/span><\/span><\/h3>\r\n

When we then try to put into practice the suggestions that the new thinkers try to give us, as far as possible, about what we must do to accomplish this great regeneration of consciousness within ourselves, we immediately understand why we generally have no idea of \u200b\u200bour possibilities. This is the moment to mention another fact, namely that according to the new thinkers, the development of higher states of spiritual consciousness is followed by a corresponding general increase in power. <\/span><\/span>

<\/span><\/span>This is how they demonstrate the logic, indeed the intimate necessity, of this relationship: When communion becomes intimate, complete, and lasting, and not just brief flashes, we necessarily become participants of all the qualities of that with which we enter into communion, and therefore, by entering into communion with the same almighty Spirit of Life that animates the Universe, we will come into possession of ever greater parts of its infinite power. Among these new powers that are given to men to obtain, New Thought especially mentions:<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\r\n

1. The development of intuition (that is, the capacity for direct and certain knowledge of things without the need for experience through the senses and intellectual work);<\/span><\/span>

<\/span><\/span> 2. The acquisition of increasing control over the body, which can become, under the control of the will, a docile, powerful, and perfect instrument.<\/span><\/span><\/blockquote>\r\n


The possession of a powerful will, obtained by the methods mentioned above, which is already a condition far superior to the ordinary and one that is very long and difficult to achieve, is only the beginning of the arduous path they point out to us. We must recreate our entire individuality; it is not enough to momentarily abandon our narrow ordinary personality through an effort of will or special external conditions (as in the cases mentioned above of communion with nature), but a permanent transformation is necessary.<\/span><\/span>

<\/span><\/span> In addition to the psychological conditions that most directly hinder the development and action of the will (ie, worries, haste, and fear, as I have mentioned), we must also gradually eliminate from ourselves other states that disturb the balance, clarity, and breadth of consciousness, turning it outward and limiting it to a narrow circle of overpowering mental images. These states include all passions such as hatred, anger, personal ambition, jealousy, etc.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\r\n

Ethics, Passion, and the Expansion of Consciousness<\/h3>\r\n

But this annihilation of passions has a very different and broader meaning and purpose than that which traditional moralists usually attach to it, or which the ancient Stoics attached to it. The “New Thought” does not encourage the abolition of feeling, and therefore a state of cold insensitivity. Instead, it affirms that feeling is a great force; that, like any other force, it can be beneficial or harmful depending on how it is used; that feeling, if left as usual at the mercy of external influences, often exerts a destructive action on us; while if intelligently directed, they constitute an indispensable tool for reaching the highest states of consciousness.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\r\n

But the use we must make of them is completely different from the ordinary one. As Adela Curtis rightly says:<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\r\n

Our work consists in changing the ordinary association between emotion and personality into a spiritual association between emotion and Truth. We must withdraw our feelings from the poles of pleasure and displeasure between which they are now divided and merge them into a single aspiration concentrated on the Principle within us. <\/span><\/span>[5]<\/span><\/span><\/a><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/blockquote>\r\n

It is clear, therefore, that the annihilation of the passions that limit our consciousness and subjugate our will is not the ultimate goal, but only the necessary preparation for higher purposes. Along with this, there is positive work towards an indefinite expansion and intensification of our consciousness. And feeling plays a very important role in this. Here too, the method used is concentration, but a different kind of concentration, more complex than that described for the development of the will.<\/span><\/span>

<\/span><\/span> Here, will and feeling must be concentrated together until they constitute an aspiration of the whole unified being towards the Universal Spirit of Life; here there are no precise \u201cmental images\u201d on which to fix one’s attention; here, more than ever, methods and names are irrelevant; here the mind with its particular concepts and representations must be silent and withdrawn before the glorious presence of the Infinite.<\/span><\/span>

<\/p>\r\n

Toward the Second Birth and Enlightenment<\/h3>\r\n

In the deepest depths of the soul, far from every voice in the world, the indescribable event must take place, the “second birth,” the Enlightenment.

<\/span><\/span><\/p>\r\n

\r\n

NOTE. \u2014 In this writing, I have wanted and had to limit myself to touching briefly on the fundamental characteristics of New Thought. However, many of the numerous writers have given them important personal developments. These will be examined in detail in a small volume to be published shortly in the Cultura dello Spirito collection, of which this essay is the first part. The volume will also contain an extensive bibliography, from which I will limit myself here to reproducing the very little that has been published in Italy on the subject and a list of the most important works on New Thought held by the Biblioteca Filosofica in Florence.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\r\n<\/blockquote>\r\n

Italian writings on \u201cNew Thought\u201d<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/em><\/h3>\r\n

Amendola, Giovanni, \u201cPrentice Mulford\u201d in Nuova Parola, Vol. IX, 1906, p. 361<\/span><\/span><\/p>\r\n

Assagioli, Roberto G., \u201cL’arte della creazione\u201d in Leonardo, February 1906, p. 61<\/p>\r\n

Ferrando, Guido, \u201cEdward Carpenter\u201d in Nuova Parola, Vol. X, 1906, p. 306<\/p>\r\n

Eremita, Pietro, \u201cIl Vangelo della forza e della salute\u201d in Leonardo, April 1905, p. 69<\/p>\r\n

Prezzolini, Guiseppe, \u201cL’Arte di Persuadere, \u201cFlorence, Lumachi, 1906, p. 32 ff.<\/p>\r\n

In addition, a series of publications entitled VIGOR was published anonymously in Florence in 1904, consisting of three small volumes with the common title: The Science of Health and Wealth; it clearly derives from American New Thought.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\r\n

Bibliography of important works of the “New Thought” in the Philosophical Library of Florence:<\/span><\/span><\/p>\r\n

Braun, P. Power Through Self Culture<\/span><\/span><\/p>\r\n

Bucke, Dr. Richard Maurice, Cosmic Consciousness. Philadelphia, 1901.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\r\n

Carpenter, Edward, The Art of Creation. London, 1904.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\r\n

Colville, W.I., Fate Mastered. Destiny Fulfilled. London, 1903.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\r\n

Curtis, Adela, The New Mysticism. London, 1906.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\r\n

Dewey, I.H., The Way, the Truth, and the Life. New York, 1888.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\r\n

Dresser, Horatio W., In Search of a Soul. Boston, 1897.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\r\n

Dresser, Horatio W., The Power of Silence. Boston, 1897.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\r\n

Dresser, Horatio W., Methods and Problems of Spiritual Healing. New York, London, 1894.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\r\n

Dresser, Horatio W., Education and the Philosophical Ideal. New York, London, 1899.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\r\n

Dresser, Horatio W., The Greatest Truth. London, 1907.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\r\n

Drummond, H., Natural Law and the Spiritual World. New York, 1884.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\r\n

Drummond, H., The Ascent of Man. New York, 1894.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\r\n

Fletcher, H., Menticulture. Chicago and New York, 1897.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\r\n

Fletcher, H. The New Menticulture. New York, 1898.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\r\n

Gesterfeld, U.N., The Science of Larger Life. London, 1905.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\r\n

Haddock, Frank Channing, The King on His Throne, or Power of Will Through Direct Mental Culture. Lynn, Mass. 1900.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\r\n

Haddock, Frank Channing, The King’s Achievements or Power for Success Through Culture of Vibrant Magnetism. Lynn, Mass. 1903<\/span><\/span><\/p>\r\n

Ingalese, Richard, The History and Power of Mind. New York, 1903.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\r\n

Ingalese, Richard and Isabella, From Incarnation to Re-incarnation. New York, 1904.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\r\n

Mulford, Prentice, Your Forces and How to Use Them. White Cross Library; 6 vols. New York 1886-1892.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\r\n

Newcombe, Ch.B., All’s Right With the World. Boston, 1899.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\r\n

Newcombe, K.H., Helps to Right Living. Boston, 1899.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\r\n

Olston, Albert B., Mind Power. London, 1904.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\r\n

Patterson, C. Brodie, The Library of Health. New York, 1897-8.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\r\n

Patterson, C. Brodie, Dominion and Power. London, 1902.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\r\n

Patterson, C. Brodie, The Will to Be Well. London, 1903.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\r\n

Potter, La Forest, The Psychology of Health and Happiness. Boston, 1897.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\r\n

Ramanathan, P. The Culture of the Soul Among Western Nations. New York, 1906.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\r\n

Trine, Ralph Waldo, In Tune With the Infinite. London, 1902.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\r\n

Trine, Ralph Waldo, What All the World’s a-Seeking. London, 1905.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\r\n

Troward, T. The Edinburgh Lectures on Mental Science. London, 1904.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\r\n

Whiting, L., The World Beautiful. London, 1905.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\r\n

Wilmans, Helen, Limitless Man. London, 1902.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\r\n

Wilmans, Helen, The Conquest of Death. London, 1902.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\r\n

Wood, H., God’s Image in Man. Boston, 1892.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\r\n

The Harmonic Series, Chicago, 1897-1907. A series of three volumes, the first of which, Harmonics of Evolution, is written by Florence Huntley; the other two, The Great Psychological Crime and The Great Work, are published exclusively by her.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\r\n

For those wishing to know which readings are best to begin with, I would first recommend the beautiful chapter William James devoted to “New Thought” in his Varieties of Religious Experience; then the excellent essays by A. Curtis, which provide a clear and lively overview of \u201cNew Thought;\u201d the wonderful writings of Prentice Mulford; Carpenter’s The Art of Creation; books by Dresser, Trine, etc.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\r\n

\r\n

Notes:<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\r\n

[2]<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a> \u201cNew Thought\u201d was chosen in contrast to \u201cancient thought.\u201d In Varieties of Religious Experience (1902), William James described “various sects” which used different names but which had “agreements so profound that their differences may be neglected for my present purposes,” so he treated the movement “as if it were a simple thing.” Some of the key figures in the movement were William Walker Atkinson (aka Yogi Ramacharaka) (1862-1932), Ernest Holmes (1887-1960), Emma Curtis Hopkins (1849-1925), Horatio Dresser (1866-1954), Christian D. Larson (1874-1954), Thomas Troward (1847-1916), Napoleon Hill (1883-1970), Prentice Mulford (1834-1891) and Florence Scovel Shinn (1871-1940). Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803-1882) was not strictly speaking a New Thought author, but his essays and lectures on transcendentalism laid the groundwork for the movement. – Oath.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\r\n

[3]<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a> dynamogenesis: an increase in the mental or motor activity of an already functioning bodily system that accompanies any added sensory stimulation (Merriam-Webster). – Oath.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\r\n

[4]<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a> Proverbs 23:7 (King James Version) \u201cFor as he thinketh in his heart, so it is.\u201d<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\r\n

[5]<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a> The New Mysticism, London, 1906, p. 101. \u2014Author’s Note.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Abstract In this extensive 1907 essay, Roberto Assagioli presents a critical and sympathetic analysis of the American New Thought movement, situating it within the broader psychological and mystical currents of the early twentieth century. He examines New Thought’s practical orientation, its dynamic optimism, and its emphasis on inner transformation through the disciplined use of will, […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1003,"featured_media":28549,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_genesis_hide_title":false,"_genesis_hide_breadcrumbs":false,"_genesis_hide_singular_image":false,"_genesis_hide_footer_widgets":false,"_genesis_custom_body_class":"","_genesis_custom_post_class":"","_genesis_layout":"","footnotes":"","tve_updated_post":"","tve_custom_css":"","tve_user_custom_css":"","tve_globals":{},"tcb2_ready":0,"tcb_editor_enabled":0,"tve_landing_page":"","_tve_header":"","_tve_footer":""},"categories":[32],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-28245","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-psychosynthesis-philosophy","entry","override","gs-1","gs-odd","gs-even","gs-featured-content-entry"],"yoast_head":"\nThe 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[1]<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a> Tammany Hall, also known as the Society of Tammany, as a powerful New York City political organization connected to the Democratic Party form the late 18th to the mid 20th century. It was initially a social and patriotic organization but evolved into a political machine that dominated city politics by providing social services and patronage to immigrants in exchange for votes. While it played a significant role in the city’s development, it also became notorious for corruption and political bossism. – Oath.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\r\n