Association for Global New Thought

The term "New Thought" emerged in the United States during the mid-19th century, drawing upon earlier philosophical and religious movements. It signifies a re-evaluation of spiritual principles and their practical application in daily life, emphasizing positive thinking and the power of the mind.

The Association for Global New Thought (AGNT) is an organization of ministers, lay people, heads of other New Thought organizations, and people of all faiths dedicated to "conscious co-creation". Its New Thought member churches and centers number between 600 and 700, and include Unity churches, Religious Science, Divine Science centers, and nondenominational New Thought spiritual communities.

The Association for Global New Thought, though a modern construct, speaks to an enduring human impulse: the desire to understand and influence the fabric of reality through the power of consciousness. In its embrace of "conscious co-creation," it echoes the alchemical aspirations of Hermeticism, where the transformation of base matter mirrored the transmutation of the soul. Mircea Eliade, in his studies of shamanism and archaic religions, observed how many traditions posit a direct link between the inner landscape of the practitioner and the external world. The New Thought movement, in its various iterations, can be seen as a secularized, democratized form of this ancient understanding, stripping away the ritualistic apparatus but retaining the core belief in the mind's generative capacity.

This is not merely a philosophy of optimism; it is a sophisticated reinterpretation of causality. Where classical physics sought deterministic laws, New Thought, and by extension the AGNT, points to a subtler, more participatory universe. Carl Jung's concept of synchronicity, the meaningful coincidence of inner and outer events, offers a psychological lens through which to view this. The AGNT's focus on intention and belief as forces that shape experience aligns with the psychological reality that our perception and expectation can indeed influence outcomes, a phenomenon that can feel miraculous when consciously harnessed.

The lineage of this idea is vast. From the contemplative practices of Christian mystics like Meister Eckhart, who spoke of the soul's ability to become God, to the Buddhist emphasis on the mind as the source of suffering and liberation, the notion that our inner state is inextricably linked to our perceived reality is a recurring theme in the history of human thought. The AGNT, by offering a framework for individuals to actively engage in this process, democratizes what might have once been considered the domain of adepts. It suggests that the power to shape one's world, to "co-create," is not a gift bestowed by external forces, but an inherent capacity waiting to be recognized and cultivated. This offers a profound shift from passive reception to active participation in the unfolding of existence.

RELATED_TERMS: Law of Attraction, Manifestation, Positive Thinking, Spiritual Mind Treatment, Divine Science, Unity, Religious Science