The Power of Your Subconscious Mind was published in 1963, became an immediate best-seller, and sold millions of copies. Its author Joseph Murphy was a chemist, an ordained minister and author of at least 47 books, according to Wikipedia. Later in life he also earned a Ph.D. in psychology and had a daily radio program. At one point he was known worldwide.
“The Master Secret of the Ages” is what Murphy called “the marvelous, miracle-working power found in your own subconscious mind” (pg. 12). “Within your subconscious depths lie infinite wisdom, infinite power, and infinite supply of all that is necessary, which is waiting for development and expression.”
Murphy believed that the subconscious mind has much more than the knowledge which a person acquires in their life experience. “The infinite intelligence within your subconscious mind can reveal to you everything you need to know at every moment of time and point of space provided you are open minded and receptive. You can receive new thoughts and ideas enabling you to bring forth new inventions, make new discoveries, or write books and plays” (12).
This belief is a form of mysticism which was shared by others in what is known as the New Thought Movement.
Indeed, Murphy says, “Your subconscious mind is principle and works according to the law of belief. You must know what belief is, why it works, and how it works. Your Bible says in a simple, clear and beautiful way: ‘Whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he saith. MARK 11:23’” (13-14).
He encourages readers to “Cease believing in the false beliefs, opinions, superstitions, and fears of mankind. Begin to believe in the eternal verities and truths of life, which never change. Then, you will move onward, upward, and Godward” (14).
The Subconscious Mind and the Conscious Mind
The mind has a dual nature, Murphy writes, the conscious and the subconscious. The subconscious is like a garden, and our conscious thoughts are like seeds. “You are a gardener, and you are planting seeds (thoughts) in your subconscious mind all day long, based on your habitual thinking…. Begin now to sow thoughts of peace, happiness, right action, good will, and prosperity.” He warns that the subconscious “garden” will make all kinds of seeds (thoughts) grow, both good and bad. “For this reason, it is essential that you take charge of your thoughts so as to bring forth only desirable conditions” (14). “… When the thoughts deposited in your subconscious mind are constructive, harmonious, and peaceful, the magic working power of your subconscious will respond and bring about harmonious conditions, agreeable surroundings, and the best of everything…. In other words, you will actually be consciously cooperating with the infinite power and omnipotent law, which governs all things” (14-15).
Everything you encounter in the external world “has been created by you in the inner world of you mind consciously or unconsciously” (15). “To remove discord, confusion, lack, and limitation, you must remove the cause, and the cause is the way you are using your conscious mind” which in turn drives both the subconscious mind and external expression or experiences.
“Your subconscious mind is the builder of your body and can heal you. Lull yourself to sleep every night with the idea of perfect health, and your subconscious, being your faithful servant, will obey you” (17).
“The main point to remember,” Murphy says, “is once the subconscious mind accepts an idea, it begins to execute it” (19). So you need to be very aware of your thoughts and dwell on positive things, not negative things, to enjoy a better life.
“Your conscious mind is the reasoning mind. It is that phase of mind, which chooses. For example, you choose your books, your home, and your partner in life…. Your subconscious mind accepts what is impressed upon it or what you consciously believe. It does not reason things out like your conscious mind…. Your subconscious mind is like the soil, which accepts any kind of seed, good or bad” (19).
Similarities with Hypnotism
Working with the subconscious mind is very much hypnotism, Murphy writes. A skilled hypnotist can “suggest to one of his subjects that he is Napoleon Bonaparte, or even a cat or a dog, (and) he will act out the part with reasonable accuracy. He believes himself to be whatever the (hypnotist) tells him” (20).
The hypnotist is communicating directly with the subject’s subconscious mind and can demonstrating the amazing powers a person has under hypnosis. These powers are also available to us when we use our conscious minds to communicate with the subconscious. This works best when we are in a relaxed, drowsy state, near sleep but not asleep.
Murphy believed that the subconscious mind “has the capacity of clairvoyance and clairaudience” (the ability to see and hear things without using your senses). “Your {subconscious) mind can leave your body, travel to distant lands, and bring back information oftentimes of the most exact and truthful character. Through your subconscious mind you can read the thoughts of others, read the contents of sealed envelopes and closed safes” (21).
Thoughts like these no doubt enthralled some readers in the 1960s but would be difficult for current audiences to accept. Similar claims are made by the Sylva Mind Control Method, but the average person is not likely to achieve this kind of extra-sensory perception.
However, it is considered true today that “If you have conveyed erroneous concepts to your subconscious mind, the sure method of overcoming them is by the repetition of constructive, harmonious thoughts frequently repeated which your subconscious mind accepts, thus forming new and healthy habits of thought and life” (21).
So if you become aware of some negative thought, fear or anxiety in your mind, you can overcome it by frequently repeating positive thoughts to yourself. For example, you can overcome feelings or thoughts of anxiety or panic by repeating to yourself over and over, “I am calm and in control” or similar positive thoughts. The change won’t occur overnight, but it will occur in time with patience and belief.
The power of your subconscious mind is strengthened by vividly imagining positive outcomes and the good feelings they bring. Murphy writes, “Imagine the happy ending or solution to your problem, feel the thrill of accomplishment, and what you imagine and feel will be accepted by your subconscious mind and bring it to pass” (33).
Mental Healings in Ancient Times
Murphy believes all of the healings by Jesus and his disciples, as reported in the Bible, were actually subconsciously enabled.
“The prime condition, which Jesus insisted upon, was faith. Over and over again you read in the Bible, ‘According to your faith is it done unto you’” (35).
“A classical instance of Bible technique is recorded in Matthew 9:28-30. ‘And when he was come into the house, the blind men came to him: and Jesus saith unto them, Believe ye that I am able to do this? They said unto him, Yea, Lord. Then touched he their eyes, saying, according to your faith, be it done unto you. And their eyes were opened; and Jesus straitly charged them, saying, see that no man know it.’
“In the words ‘according to your faith be it unto you,’ you can see that Jesus was actually appealing to the cooperation of the subconscious mind of the blind men. Their faith was their great expectancy, their inner feeling, their inner conviction that something miraculous would happen, and that their prayer would be answered, and it was. This is the time-honored technique of healing, utilized alike by all healing groups throughout the world regardless of religious affiliation….
“When the sick came to Jesus to be healed, they were healed by their faith together with his faith and understanding of the healing power of the subconscious mind” (35).
Later he says, “There is only one process of healing and that is faith. There is only one healing power, namely, your subconscious mind…. Look upon faith as a thought in your mind, and that will suffice” (39-40).
Mental Healings in Modern Times
“No physician, surgeon, or mental science practitioner claims, ‘he healed the patient.’ The one healing power is called by many names – Nature, Life, God, Creative Intelligence, and Subconscious Power,” Murphy writes. “You do not have to belong to some particular church in order to use and participate in this healing process. Your subconscious will heal the burn or cut on your hand even though you profess to be an atheist or agnostic” (41).
The person who wants to boost his healing “stills his mind, relaxes, lets go, and thinks of the infinite healing presence within him…. Then he quietly and knowingly turns over his request or desire to his subconscious mind, realizing that the intelligence of his mind will answer him according to his specific needs.
“The most wonderful thing to know is this: Imagine the end desired and feel its reality; then the infinite life principle will respond to your conscious choice and your conscious request. This is the meaning of believe you have received, and you shall receive” (41).
Murphy advocates what he calls “prayer therapy.” “In prayer therapy you consciously choose a certain idea, mental picture, or plan which you desire to experience. You realize your capacity to convey this idea or mental image to your subconscious mind by feeling the reality of the state assumed. As you remain faithful in your mental attitude, your prayer will be answered. Prayer therapy is a definite mental action for a definite specific purpose” (42).
“It is foolish to believe in sickness and something to hurt or to harm you. Believe in perfect health, prosperity, peace, wealth and divine guidance” (45).
One of Murphy’s most famous statements is this: “Fill your mind with the great truths of life and walk forward in the light of love” (45).
“The easiest and most obvious way to formulate an idea is to visualize it, to see it in your mind’s eye as vividly as if it were alive,” Murphy says. “You can see with the naked eye only what already exists in the external world; in a similar way, that which you can visualize in your mind’s eye already exists in the invisible realms of your mind. Any picture which you have in your mind is the substance of things hoped for and the evidence of things not seen (Paul’s definition of faith). What you form in your imagination is as real as any part of your body. The idea and the thought are real and will one day appear in your objective world if you are faithful to your mental image” (49).
Beyond just imagining a still picture, Murphy says you can often get better results by imagining a movie of a series of events which represent your desired outcome.
Using the Subconscious Mind to Create Wealth
“Wealth is simply a subconscious conviction on the part of the individual,” Murphy claims. “You will not become a millionaire by saying, ‘I am a millionaire, I am a millionaire.’ You will grow into a wealth consciousness by building into your mentality the idea of wealth and abundance” (64).
He recommends that you “Repeat for about five minutes to yourself three or four times a day, ‘Wealth – Success.’ These words have tremendous power. They represent the inner power of the subconscious mind” (64). He adds, “The feeling of wealth produces wealth; keep this in mind at all times.”
But he warns that “There is one emotion, which is the cause of the lack of wealth in the lives of many. Most people learn this the hard way. It is envy…. To entertain envious thoughts is devastating because it places you in a very negative position; therefore, wealth flows from you instead of to you” (66).
Your Subconscious Mind as a Partner in Success
“Success means successful living,” Murphy says. “A long period of peace, joy, and happiness on this plane may be termed success. The eternal experience of these qualities is the everlasting life spoken of by Jesus” (73).
Murphy outlines three steps to success:
- “Find out the thing you love to do, then do it. Success is loving your work.” It is also important to “keep up with the times, attend conventions, and continue studying the mind and its workings” (73).
- “Specialize in some particular branch of work and know more about it than anyone else.” The young aspiring person should “become ardently interested in his work and should desire to serve the world. He that is greatest among you, let him become your servant” (Jesus’ words).
- You must be sure that the thing you want to do does not redound to your success only. Your desire must not be selfish; it must benefit humanity “ (73).
Scientists Use the Subconscious Mind
Murphy recounts how many famous scientists and inventors learned to use the power of the subconscious mind for their discoveries. One example was Nikola Tesla.
“Nikola Tesla was a brilliant electrical scientist, who brought forth the most amazing innovations. When an idea for a new invention came into his mind, he would build it up in his imagination, knowing that his subconscious mind would reconstruct and reveal to his conscious mind all the parts needed for its manufacture in concrete form. Through quietly contemplating every possible improvement, he spent no time in correcting defects, and was able to give the technicians the perfect product of his mind.
“He said, ‘Invariably, my device works as I imagined it should. In twenty years there has not been a single exception.’”
This is a true story. Contemporary readers know about the Tesla electric vehicle manufacturer run by Elon Musk in honor of Nikola Tesla. In the late 1800s Tesla invented wireless communication. He dazzled people with a wireless-controlled boat and pursued his ideas for wireless lighting and worldwide wireless electric power distribution that are being revisited today as a way to rid the world of billions of miles of wire.
“When you have what you term ‘a difficult decision’ to make, or when you fail to see the solution to your problem, begin at once to think constructively about it,” Murphy advises. “If you are fearful and worried, you are not really thinking. True thinking is free from fear.”
He recommends thinking calmly about the problem before bedtime. “Think how happy you would be about the perfect solution…. Let your mind play with this good in a relaxed way; then drop off to sleep. When you awaken, and you do not have the answer, get busy with something else. Probably, when you are preoccupied with something else, the answer will come into your mind like toast pops out of a toaster” (83).
Other Uses of the Subconscious Mind’s Power
Murphy also writes about using the subconscious mind and:
- The wonders of sleep
- Dealing with marital problems
- Increasing your happiness
- Enjoying harmonious human relations
- Forgiveness as “love in action”
- Removing mental blocks
- Removing fear
- Staying young in the spirit forever
In Summary …
The Power of Your Subconscious Mind is a very uplifting book to read. Many of the techniques he prescribes work just as effectively today as they did in the mid-20th Century. Because everyone has a subconscious mind, it will be to your advantage to understand its power and how you can use it.
The repetitions in the book can be viewed positively as important reminders to help you learn the most valuable content. While Murphy quotes the Bible often, his beliefs are not the same as traditional Christianity. In later life, turned off by mainstream religion, he founded his own church, which was slow to start but became a huge success due to his positive messages and personal spirit.
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