Kate Atkinson Boehme’s “New Thought Healing Made Plain” (1918) explores the principles and practices of New Thought healing. The book asserts that thought is a powerful force that can influence physical and mental well-being. It examines the roles of the subconscious and superconscious minds in healing, emphasizing the individual’s connection to a Divine source of energy. Boehme outlines techniques for self-healing and healing others, including affirmations and visualizations. The book promotes the idea that individuals can tap into higher levels of energy to overcome limitations and achieve a “blessed life.” The publisher Global Grey offers this edition as a free ebook to support the continued exploration of New Thought principles.

Frequently Asked Questions About New Thought Healing

What is New Thought Healing?
New Thought Healing is based on the understanding that our thoughts have a profound impact on our physical and mental well-being. It emphasizes a “Clear Vision of the World,” seeking to understand the true nature of reality. It promotes the idea that worry, fear, and anxiety can negatively affect the body, while health-giving thoughts, rooted in truth, can bring about healing and vitality. It acknowledges the power of the mind and emphasizes our innate ability to connect to a Universal Energy source, which can heal ailments.
How does New Thought explain the connection between mind and body?
New Thought asserts that the physical body is, in essence, “mind substance solidified into material atoms and molecules”. Thought acts as a force that can directly influence and regulate the body’s tissues. By consistently holding specific thoughts in the conscious mind, they eventually permeate the subconscious, initiating activities that can better physical and mental states. This includes healing diseases, overcoming weaknesses, and cultivating inner and outer well-being.
What role does the “Subconscious Mind” play in New Thought Healing?
The Subconscious Mind is a powerful force that operates continuously, whether or not we are consciously aware of it. It is responsible for many of our automatic functions and can be programmed through conscious thought and suggestion. By repeatedly affirming positive and truthful statements, we can impress upon the Subconscious Mind, which then works to manifest those affirmations in our lives, affecting our health, success, and overall well-being.
What is the significance of “Thought-Forms” in New Thought Healing?
Mind is formative, consistently creating “Thought-Forms” that Spirit fills with life, shaping receptacles to embody truth and manifest desires. The quality of these Thought-Forms determines the extent to which Spirit, the essence of life, can flow through them. If thoughts align with what really is (REALITY), those good mental forms receive Spirit, influencing our outer and inner selves. Mental picturing is used to see what you wish to become, creating those forms for the Spirit to fill.
What is the “Superconscious Mind,” and how can we access it?
The Superconscious Mind is considered a vast storehouse of knowledge, energy, and potential, a connection to the Divine or Universal Intelligence. While its exact nature is difficult to define, it can be accessed through desire and intention. By focusing our thoughts and desires on what we want to achieve or experience, we open a channel for the Superconscious Mind to provide us with the necessary insights, inspiration, and energy.
How does New Thought address the concept of “Will”?
New Thought views individual will as an expression of the One Universal Will. It encourages aligning our personal will with this greater Will, recognizing that it is inherently good. Rather than suppressing the will, New Thought suggests directing it towards positive outcomes. The individual’s Will can unify, adjust, and regulate many conflicting elements into one harmonious, beautiful whole, obedient to a high, dominant idea. The act of directing our will towards a particular outcome, such as healing or achievement, taps into the Universal Energy to achieve the desired result.
How can affirmations be used for achievement and healing?
Affirmations are vigorous, positive, living words that can reprogram the Subconscious Mind to align with our desired outcomes. Repeatedly affirming positive statements, such as “I am rich, I am well, I am happy,” even in the face of contrary evidence, can eventually enable the Subconscious Mind to manifest those statements into reality. Affirmations are a way to replace negative thoughts with positive ones, creating a more favorable mental environment for healing and success.
What does New Thought say about overcoming setbacks or relapses in healing?
Setbacks and relapses are considered a natural part of the growth process, reflecting a rhythmic swing. Just as a plant experiences periods of upward growth, downward shrinkage, and stillness, our mental and spiritual progress also involves periods of advancement and regression. Recognizing this rhythmic pattern helps us to avoid discouragement during challenging times and to view them as opportunities for storing energy and preparing for renewed growth.

New Thought Healing Study Guide

Quiz

Answer each question in 2-3 sentences.

How does Boehme define “New Thought”?
What is the significance of the experiment at La Salpetriere in relation to the power of thought?
According to Boehme, how does persistent thinking affect the development or cure of a disease?
Explain the relationship between Will and Idea, as proposed by Schopenhauer, and how Boehme applies this concept to the individual.
How does Boehme describe the difference between hypnotic suggestion and auto-suggestion?
What is the role of the Subconscious Mind in achieving desired outcomes, according to Boehme?
Where do thoughts originate, according to the author, and how are they drawn to us?
How is the Vis Medicatrix Naturae defined, and how can it be intensified?
What is the relationship between Thought-Forms and Spirit?
Explain Boehme’s analogy between the sun and its ray, the ocean and its bay, and our relationship to God.

Quiz Answer Key

Boehme defines New Thought as a movement toward understanding things as they really are, evolving from false beliefs towards “Clear Vision of the World.” It involves recognizing the power of thought to influence the body and life circumstances.
The experiments at La Salpetriere demonstrate the power of thought and suggestion, even to the point of creating physical effects like blisters. This highlights the ability of the mind to influence the body’s functions and responses.
Boehme states that persistent thinking can manifest or worsen a disease, such as thinking one has cancer. Conversely, if one can strongly believe they are healthy, the disease can disappear, illustrating the power of thought to shape physical reality.
Schopenhauer defined Will as Eternal Energy and Idea as the form it takes. Boehme applies this to individuals, stating that Thought is the form that Will resolves into, and Thought is the Force with which we adjust and regulate our bodies.
In hypnotic suggestion, the conscious mind is made quiescent, allowing the Subconscious Mind to accept suggestions without doubt. Auto-suggestion requires overcoming doubt in the conscious mind to allow the Infinite Power to flow through.
Boehme says the Subconscious Mind continuously acts for our well-being or detriment. It moves to the measure of Conscious Thought. By consciously directing our thoughts, we control our destiny by influencing the Subconscious to actualize our desires.
Boehme claims thoughts ultimately originate from the Superconscious Mind. They are drawn to us by the nature of our desire and their kinship to other thoughts already present in our minds.
The Vis Medicatrix Naturae is the natural healing power within all organisms. Mental and spiritual reinforcement, particularly through affirmation or suggestion, intensifies it.
Thought-Forms are receptacles or mental pictures created by the mind. They are filled with life by the Spirit and are created by the formative power of the mind.
We are one with God, in the same way that a bay is one with the ocean, and a ray of light is one with the sun, because we flow forth from God, and are essentially part of the same Substance.

Essay Questions

Discuss the concept of “Thought-Forms” as presented by Boehme. How are they created, what role do they play in healing and achieving one’s goals, and how does the quality of these forms affect an individual’s life?
Explore Boehme’s views on the relationship between the Conscious, Subconscious, and Superconscious Minds. How do these different aspects of the mind interact, and how can an individual harness their power to improve their life?
Analyze Boehme’s discussion of the “One Will” and its connection to individual will. How does understanding this connection empower individuals, and what are the implications for personal responsibility and achieving desired outcomes?
Describe Boehme’s approach to healing, incorporating concepts such as the Vis Medicatrix Naturae, the power of suggestion (both hypnotic and auto-suggestion), and the role of affirmations. How can these techniques be used to address physical and mental ailments?
Evaluate Boehme’s claim that individuals can overcome limitations such as disease, poverty, and unhappiness by changing their thoughts. To what extent does she provide practical strategies for achieving this, and what are the potential challenges or criticisms of this approach?

Glossary of Key Terms

Aura: An emanation of thought surrounding an individual, either pleasing or unpleasing, that influences how others perceive them.
Auto-suggestion: The process of giving suggestions to oneself, particularly to the Subconscious Mind, to actualize desired outcomes.
Conscious Mind: The active, thinking part of the mind.
Kamic Plane: A plane of feeling, emotion, and desire on which Manas (the thinker) functions.
Manas: (From the Sanskrit) The “Thinker,” or true Ego, representing the thinking principle within a human being.
Manasic Plane: The plane of activity for the Ego, where thought and reasoning occur.
New Thought: A movement emphasizing the power of thought to influence reality and achieve desired outcomes.
Quickening: A process of mental and spiritual awakening, a preparation for a higher state of individualization.
Silence: A state of inner quiet and stillness, free from cares and anxieties, where one can connect with the Divine.
Spirit: The life force that is at the Centre of Being; it flows outward into externals (mind and body) and fills Thought-Forms with life.
Subconscious Mind: The part of the mind that operates continuously, even without conscious awareness, and is influenced by conscious thoughts and suggestions.
Superconscious Mind: The ultimate source of thought and divine wisdom, from which thoughts originate before entering the Conscious Mind.
Thought-Forms: Mental pictures or images created by the mind that act as receptacles for Spirit, influencing physical reality.
Vis Medicatrix Naturae: The inherent healing power within all living organisms that works to restore health and balance.
One Will: The universal, divine will that underlies all existence, of which individual will is an expression.