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This Thing Called You
A classic guide written by the founder of the United Church of Religious Science explores the principles of spiritual psychology and shows readers how to use them to attain health and love. Reprint.
160 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1956
296 people are currently reading
939 people want to read
About the author
Ernest Shurtleff Holmes
262 books204 followersErnest Shurtleff Holmes was an American New Thought writer, teacher, and leader. He was the founder of a Spiritual movement known as Religious Science, part of the greater New Thought movement, whose spiritual philosophy is known as "The Science of Mind." He was the author of The Science of Mind and numerous other metaphysical books, and the founder of Science of Mind magazine, in continuous publication since 1927. His books remain in print, and the principles he taught as "Science of Mind" have inspired and influenced many generations of metaphysical students and teachers. Holmes had previously studied another New Thought teaching, Divine Science, and was an ordained Divine Science Minister. His influence beyond New Thought can be seen in the self-help movement.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 48 reviews
February 28, 2008
He spoke the truth BEFORE "The Secret" hit the shelves!!
July 9, 2012
Ernest Holmes and Science of Mind has been a strong influence in my life. To this day, I subscribe to the magazine.
December 16, 2014
I've read this book many times, and each time, get even more out of it than the last time. I recommend this book to newcomers to New Thoughts and seasoned students. It is that good.
November 27, 2014
changed my life ... but you need to be ready for it.
read it with an open mind. read it as if what he's saying is true. you can always disagree after you're done. it'll change your life!
i love you!!
read it with an open mind. read it as if what he's saying is true. you can always disagree after you're done. it'll change your life!
i love you!!
May 25, 2011
This is a must read for anyone who wants to change their thinking. Read it in first person and you have one huge affirmative prayer! I have read it over and over and every time I've learned something new.
May 20, 2014
An introduction to the "Science of Mind," Don't confuse with with "New Age" stuff. This is about the power for good in the universe that is available to all of us and a way to try it out for yourself.
October 15, 2008
my absolute, all time favorite book by Ernest Holmes. Of all his books this one spoke to me the most, it reads like one long prayer. love it love it love it!
August 26, 2018
my 2nd reading of this book which I bought in 1995 and first read. Good recap of the Sience of Mind with afirmmations and meditations.
January 15, 2021
Listened to this on audio as an assignment for Project Me by planner perfect. It's only 3 hours long. It has a lot of positive quotes and certainly makes you think. This book will change your life.
June 13, 2008
Ernest Holmes wrote about the "Science of Mind" years before the Law of Attraction was hijacked by the get rich quick crowd. Yes, it's true, you CAN change your life by changing your thoughts -- and this generous, beautifully written work has the spiritual depth lacking in contemporary books like "The Secret." It's simple, elegant and outstanding, full of wonderful insights and suggested affirmations. Buy it and underline it like a textbook.
December 31, 2018
Like finding something precious you thought you had lost forever...
...or finally remembering in exquisite detail the elusive dream whose wispy fragments somehow made you happy, reading “This Thing Called You” will resonate deep within you and remind you of who you really are. (And who you really are is really wonderful.)
...or finally remembering in exquisite detail the elusive dream whose wispy fragments somehow made you happy, reading “This Thing Called You” will resonate deep within you and remind you of who you really are. (And who you really are is really wonderful.)
January 24, 2009
This is my favorite of all the books by Ernest Holmes that I have read (and that's most of them). Easy to read, inspiring, and it can be opened at random and read for spiritual nourishment and uplift.
February 16, 2011
I love this book about this thing called you !! I have read the affirmations over and over again. This book is a part of my daily reading. It is great for getting your mind in a state of gratitude. Highly reccommended
September 9, 2016
Written in 1948, the contents of this book is still relevant today. Holmes' teachings on the power of thought, spiritual universe, faith, laws of attraction are truly inspirational. What i especially like are the many mantras related to the various topics that can be found throughout the book.
May 1, 2009
I read this book over and over, it changes as I change, there is always something new to discover in this book.
June 14, 2020
This is my favorite spiritual guide which has pulled me through many dark moments. I will start reading all over again.
January 16, 2021
End of Week 42: Book📘 42 Completed😊: This Thing Called You – Earnest Holmes #myread4change #read2lead #read4life #books
We all seek joy of living, long to be needed, loved and included in great scheme of life. It is this urge that motivates our decisions and actions.
Ernest Holmes in This thing called you claims that we have all the power within us, which we seek outside in God, Higher spirit. It is about accepting that power and having complete FAITH in it, rather than searching outside.
Ernest Holmes defines God, Spirit, as our complete self, our infinite self and it is up to us whether we see ourselves as limited version of self or infinite self with enormous possibility.
Few 🔑 Points –
• The Law of faith- The law of faith operates with integrity on the definite idea thought, expectancy or acceptance implanted in it.
As an individual we don’t have to focus on law, we have to focus on our thoughts and ideas. The law is working at its place, whether we choose to benefit from it or suffer by ignoring it.
• The power within you – The greatest adventure of your life lies in your conscious use of this power. You need not believe in any particular religious system to discover the wellspring of life. You find it at the center of your own being, in the quiet of the evening, in the stillness of the night, at the dawn of the new day, and in the midst of activity.
Few 📌 Quotes –
• The barriers between you and your greater good are not barriers in themselves. They are things of thought.
• When the time comes that nothing goes forth from you other than that which you would be glad to have return, then you will have reached your heaven.
• Every man is a doorway, through which the infinite passes into the finite, through which God becomes man, through which the Universal becomes individual.
For Full Book Summary visit my website - https://myreadforchange.com/this-thin...
We all seek joy of living, long to be needed, loved and included in great scheme of life. It is this urge that motivates our decisions and actions.
Ernest Holmes in This thing called you claims that we have all the power within us, which we seek outside in God, Higher spirit. It is about accepting that power and having complete FAITH in it, rather than searching outside.
Ernest Holmes defines God, Spirit, as our complete self, our infinite self and it is up to us whether we see ourselves as limited version of self or infinite self with enormous possibility.
Few 🔑 Points –
• The Law of faith- The law of faith operates with integrity on the definite idea thought, expectancy or acceptance implanted in it.
As an individual we don’t have to focus on law, we have to focus on our thoughts and ideas. The law is working at its place, whether we choose to benefit from it or suffer by ignoring it.
• The power within you – The greatest adventure of your life lies in your conscious use of this power. You need not believe in any particular religious system to discover the wellspring of life. You find it at the center of your own being, in the quiet of the evening, in the stillness of the night, at the dawn of the new day, and in the midst of activity.
Few 📌 Quotes –
• The barriers between you and your greater good are not barriers in themselves. They are things of thought.
• When the time comes that nothing goes forth from you other than that which you would be glad to have return, then you will have reached your heaven.
• Every man is a doorway, through which the infinite passes into the finite, through which God becomes man, through which the Universal becomes individual.
For Full Book Summary visit my website - https://myreadforchange.com/this-thin...
October 31, 2025
This book has no comprehensive organisation. Every chapter seems to echo the same thing over & over again, dressed up in different words. I did note some good passages, but also noted a few things I have proven to be false in my own life. Far too much of the text is taken up by long-winded affirmations, let’s be honest nobody is using these. Especially not this one:
“Through the quiet contemplation of the omni-action of Spirit, I learn to look quietly and calmly upon every false condition, seeing through it to the other side of the invisible Reality which molds conditions and recreates all of my affairs after a more nearly Divine pattern.”
Like that’s a whole paragraph. Not a simple repeatable affirmation. As for the other passages I disagreed with:
“It is certain that you will have to love your fellow man if you wish to be happy. Your union with God implies your union with everything that lives. Do not be afraid of this. Do not shun the thought of it. Divine union means union with everything. This does not mean that you love those who are closest to you any less, you merely love all humanity more.”—“Say to yourself: “What would it be like if these few whom I love so much were multiplied so that finally everyone I meet should arouse in me the same deep affection?” Dare to lose your small affection and you will find it increased and multiplied a million times through greater union.”
This is not true. You do not have to love or accept anything & anyone you don’t want to. I have no desire to multiply or extend my love for humanity past a few select humans, because that would make me, as an individual, deeply unhappy & uncomfortable. Nor do you have to be a positive or a “good” person for these laws to work for you.
“Through the quiet contemplation of the omni-action of Spirit, I learn to look quietly and calmly upon every false condition, seeing through it to the other side of the invisible Reality which molds conditions and recreates all of my affairs after a more nearly Divine pattern.”
Like that’s a whole paragraph. Not a simple repeatable affirmation. As for the other passages I disagreed with:
“It is certain that you will have to love your fellow man if you wish to be happy. Your union with God implies your union with everything that lives. Do not be afraid of this. Do not shun the thought of it. Divine union means union with everything. This does not mean that you love those who are closest to you any less, you merely love all humanity more.”—“Say to yourself: “What would it be like if these few whom I love so much were multiplied so that finally everyone I meet should arouse in me the same deep affection?” Dare to lose your small affection and you will find it increased and multiplied a million times through greater union.”
This is not true. You do not have to love or accept anything & anyone you don’t want to. I have no desire to multiply or extend my love for humanity past a few select humans, because that would make me, as an individual, deeply unhappy & uncomfortable. Nor do you have to be a positive or a “good” person for these laws to work for you.
August 7, 2020
This was not a good book. I am giving it two stars because it was better than the massive 600+ page book by the same author called The Science of Mind. Both books were written in the early 1900's. He says he combines both Eastern and Western philosophy into a cohesive system but completely fails to do so. In fact, his belief structure seems to be the founding core of the Word of Faith movement that we have today. At one point in this book he even uses the phrase "word of faith." The teachings of people like Copeland, Hagin, Hin, Meyer, etc., are almost all found in these two books. It is not Christian. It's not even cohesive Eastern thought. While he is monist, he denies the implications and teachings of those traditions, and abuses Western Scriptures in the process. I am glad I read these two books to understand the history of the movement more, but as far as practical or valuable takeaways it is almost entirely devoid.
April 24, 2021
Wonderful philosophy that can help one live in alignment with Spirit by recognizing the Divinity within. Not as detailed as the humongous "Science of Mind" textbook, but still conveys many of the ideas in a more concise and easier-to-read format.
PRO TIP:
I re-read this for a class that I took over zoom with my church (lasvegascsl.org). Our fabulous teacher Kitty suggested we read it out loud to ourselves and to substitute "I" and "me" wherever Ernest Holmes used "you" so that we are affirming it in first person mode. This was a game changer because it really resonated and allowed me to feel it on a more personal level.
I would like to see a new / updated, gender-neutral edition, but in the meantime, reading it in this more inclusive manner was even more effective and enjoyable than how it was originally written. Give it a try - Change your thinking, change your life!
PRO TIP:
I re-read this for a class that I took over zoom with my church (lasvegascsl.org). Our fabulous teacher Kitty suggested we read it out loud to ourselves and to substitute "I" and "me" wherever Ernest Holmes used "you" so that we are affirming it in first person mode. This was a game changer because it really resonated and allowed me to feel it on a more personal level.
I would like to see a new / updated, gender-neutral edition, but in the meantime, reading it in this more inclusive manner was even more effective and enjoyable than how it was originally written. Give it a try - Change your thinking, change your life!
June 26, 2019
I did not finish. Got 88% thru (according to Kindle). This book is like a positive affirmation checklist. If you a spiritual, there are a lot of positive nuggets that you can take for a test drive or incorporate into your prayer practice. I did not have an expectation of this book. I HOPED not to be bored and bored I was not.
April 4, 2018
Awesome
This book will open and enlighten you to Science of Mind way of prayer and life. Excellent read! Open it up and change your thoughts!!
This book will open and enlighten you to Science of Mind way of prayer and life. Excellent read! Open it up and change your thoughts!!
July 9, 2018
Concise
Written in his holographic style. Much shorter than Science of Mind. A good choice for those interested. Had a profound influence on many currently teaching.
Written in his holographic style. Much shorter than Science of Mind. A good choice for those interested. Had a profound influence on many currently teaching.
August 30, 2018
God-awful audiobook narrator.
June 25, 2019
An excellent reminder of the power of the mind to achieve spiritual enlightenment through recognizing that we are all one, all that ever has and all that ever will be.
June 30, 2019
Inspirational!!!
November 30, 2019
Emotionalistic drivel, not a rational thought in this book.
January 10, 2020
Yes, yes! This book will be reread and referenced for years to come.
August 21, 2020
Very good SOM primer
November 17, 2020
The book lays out how your belief and faith in yourself is the key.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 48 reviews