Ernest Shurtleff Holmes 
The Science of Mind 

’The Science of Mind’ is the revolutionary religious proposal written by Ernest Shurtleff Holmes. Originally published in 1926, ’The Science of Mind’ posits that people can transform their lives by actively engaging their minds into religious activities. Holmes was the creator of the Religious Science spiritual movement, which was part of the larger New Thought movement. The group believed that science, philosophy, and religion could all be connected for the betterment of each individual. According to Holmes, God is a never-ending energy source, present in the whole universe. Through prayer, a person can reach God and heal spiritual, mental, and physical wounds. He believed that God’s action and will occurred in the present and that with each and every choice a person makes, they are creating the Eternal Now. This thought was revolutionary, especially to New Age philosophy. Holmes was arguing that the reality as we know it doesn’t exist; instead, people create their own individual realities. In layman’s terms, he believed that the universe is neutral, allowing each person to dictate positive and negative feelings in their life. Many consider this book more than a mere philosophy text, though. ’The Science of Mind’ has been used as an inspirational tool for people who feel lost spiritually. Though not his first work describing the Religious Science movement, Holmes’ ’The Science of Mind’ is often hailed as the text which best illustrates the philosophy’s beliefs.