Science of Spiritual Reality with Mitchell K. Jones

“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.—That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed…” — Thomas Jefferson, Declaration of Independence, 1776 “Assoc...

The column below comes from one of the most fascinating—and often overlooked—figures in early New Thought: Josephine Conger , a writer, editor, and socialist organizer who helped bridge metaphysical religion and radical politics at the turn of the twentieth century. As historian Gary Ward Materra argues in Women in Early New Thought: Lives and Theology in Transition , women were among early New Th...

At the dawn of the twentieth century, a unique American radicalism emerged at the intersection of the emancipatory ideals of 1776, the social Gospel of Christianity, and the spiritual‑practical optimism of New Thought. Few figures embodied this synthesis more vividly than Eugene V. Debs . Debs was a railroad union organizer, Socialist Party leader, and five‑time presidential candidate, who became...

We’ve all heard by now that this is the time of monsters. The story about the government deporting a father while his daughter was deployed to kill people for that very government should remind us all that empires crumble, and this is how. There is a recurring rule in history. When an empire begins to decay, whether by malice or negligence, it ceases to care for the very people who sustain its pow...

Celebrate America's 250th anniversary with this special Fourth of July edition of The Science of Spiritual Reality. Featuring archival educational films, rare Bicentennial-era footage from 1976, vintage public access television surprises, and a discussion of Milton Howard's patriotic essay This 4th of July, this episode explores the spiritual, political, and cultural currents that have shaped the...

Introduction: Passion, Providence, and the Architecture of Feeling In the early nineteenth century, amid the upheavals of industrialization and revolution, Charles Fourier proposed a startling premise. The disorder of society did not arise from flawed human nature but from a misalignment between human passions and the structures meant to contain them. Where others preached restraint, Fourier preac...

Does nonduality mean the material world is an illusion? In this lecture, I argue no—offering a powerful alternative to the A Course in Miracles framing by exploring the dialectic between internal and external, spirit and matter. Responding to Superhumanities, this talk draws on Hegelian philosophy and enchanted materialism to show how consciousness and material reality are dynamically intertwined—...

The Architecture of Harmony: Fourierism, Spiritual Reform, and the Dream of a New Society “ Where there is no vision, the people perish ” (Proverbs 29:18). Antebellum America answered that warning with plans, measurements, and walls meant to carry a new spirit. In the decades before the Civil War, the United States became a proving ground for social and spiritual experiment. Markets expanded, citi...

Dive into the strange visionary universe of Philip K. Dick through the lens of Gnosticism, metaphysics, and dystopian science fiction. In The Gnosis of Philip K. Dick: The Mystic Pessimism of Dystopian Science Fiction, I explore how Dick’s novels and ideas wrestle with false realities, hostile powers, and the longing for spiritual awakening. From the demiurge and Yaldabaoth to modern notions of si...

Explore liminal spaces, haunted malls, and the metaphysics of consciousness as a threshold between worlds. Featuring Aldous Huxley on perception, Ken Russell’s Altered States, Ed Rabel at Unity Village, therapist Deborah Baker with Elaine Smitha, plus Weird Studies live. From dead malls and hauntology to Swedenborg, Hegel, and enchanted materialism—ending with a Good News segment and guided metaph...

In September 1908, Wallace D. Wattles published Part 3 of “The Law of Opulence” in The Nautilus (Vol. X, No. 11). Editor Elizabeth Towne ran the essay alongside poetry, metaphysical teachings, and spiritual instruction that defined the growing New Thought movement in the early twentieth century. In this section—“Abundance”—Wattles builds his argument on a declaration from Jesus Christ: “I come tha...

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In August 1908, Wallace D. Wattles published the second installment of “The Law of Opulence” in The Nautilus (Vol. X, No. 10), one of the most widely read journals of the early New Thought movement. Edited by Elizabeth Towne, The Nautilus carried essays on prosperity, mental science, and the creative power of thought to a growing national audience interested in spiritual approaches to success, abu...

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit mitchellkjones.substack.com/subscribe

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit mitchellkjones.substack.com/subscribe

The North Bloomfield Phalanx explained. Why did this ambitious 1844 Fourierist community collapse in scandal? In this video, I investigate the site of the lost utopia to uncover the truth. Using historic newspaper clippings, maps, and on-location footage, we break down the controversial history of Edwin A. Stillman, the legal battles, and the accusations that left members "stripped of everything."...

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit mitchellkjones.substack.com/subscribe

How did positive thinking shape modern American politics? This video explores the powerful—and controversial—legacy of Norman Vincent Peale, author of The Power of Positive Thinking, and his profound influence on Donald Trump. From the Great Depression to the White House, Peale’s message fused faith, self-confidence, and national destiny into what some call a “success gospel.”Drawing on history, p...

Wallace D. Wattles (1860–1911) was an American thinker and writer at the intersection of early 20th-century progressive politics and metaphysical philosophy. A member of the Socialist Party, Wattles sought to reconcile the ideals of economic justice with spiritual principles, emphasizing the potential for human beings to create abundance without exploiting others. His writings reflect both a keen...

Affirmative Prayer: What It Is and How to Use It by Mitchell K. Jones explores prayer as conscious union with God through the inner chamber and the silence. This sermon is complemented by archival clips from Ed Rabel’s Teach Us How to Pray (Unity Village, c. 1989), May Rowland’s I Feel the Presence of God, and Martha Giudici’s The World of Meditation, offering practical guidance in affirmative pra...

Published in 1910, Ralph Waldo Trine’s The Land of Living Men captures a moment when personal spiritual growth and social responsibility were inseparably intertwined. Trine had first explored some of these ideas three years earlier in In the Fire of the Heart, but as he noted in the foreword, “the whole of the matter has, however, been much altered and amplified, and the present volume is essentia...

The Socialist Origins of Manifesting: Ralph Waldo Trine’s Forgotten MessageRalph Waldo Trine was one of the most influential voices in the early New Thought movement—and yet today, he’s often reduced to a footnote in the history of “positive thinking.”In this video, we recover the full depth of Trine’s philosophy. Drawing from In Tune with the Infinite and The Land of Living Men, along with histor...

In December 1937, as Europe drifted toward catastrophe, Charles Fillmore published a striking essay in Unity Magazine. He asked a question most religious leaders avoided: Can Christ prevent war? The signs of crisis surrounded him. Fascist regimes tightened their grip across Europe. The Great Depression still scarred the global economy. Dictators promised national rebirth through discipline, violen...

How did spiritual belief fuel radical reform in 19th-century America? This episode explores abolitionist music by the Hutchinson Family Singers, the visionary philosophy of Andrew Jackson Davis, the prophetic faith of Sojourner Truth, and the rise of Spiritualism through the Fox Sisters. From Fourierism and utopian communities to mesmerism, séances, and social justice, we trace how spiritual autho...

Why does Joe Pera’s quiet comedy feel so necessary right now? This video explores how his work challenges modern distraction culture, irony, and performative masculinity through patience, sincerity, and attention. By slowing down, Joe Pera reconnects us to meaning, community, and the sacred ordinary—showing that gentleness isn’t weakness, but a courageous response to a noisy world.#JoePera #Gentle...