Alumbrados – The Illuminated

The Scriptures are not all positive. Lately with the ‘love’ gospel, and ‘positive’ gospel being preached so widely, you could easily think God sees everything as positive. But no. There is a lake of fire, and there is eternal punishment and there IS sin which leads to hell. We really need to be aware of people who focus mainly on the positive things about God and hardly ever talk about the negative.

The purpose of this article is to see whether there is anything else, possibly occultic, which has this tendency. We see many Christian ministries following this path. Let me begin with a few quotes which have become popular among these circles:

There is a powerful and mysterious force in human nature…a kind of mental engineering….a powerful new-old idea….The concept is a form of mental activity called imaging….

It consists of vividly picturing, in your conscious mind, a desired goal or objective, and holding that image until it sinks into your unconscious mind, where it releases great untapped energies….

When the imaging concept is applied steadily and systematically, it solves problems, strengthens personalities, improves health, and greatly enhances the chances for success in any kind of endeavor.

The idea of imaging has been around for a long time and it has been implicit in all the speaking and writing I have done in the past.

There is a powerful and mysterious force in human nature…a kind of mental engineering….a powerful new-old idea….The concept is a form of mental activity called imaging….

It consists of vividly picturing, in your conscious mind, a desired goal or objective, and holding that image until it sinks into your unconscious mind, where it releases great untapped energies….

When the imaging concept is applied steadily and systematically, it solves problems, strengthens personalities, improves health, and greatly enhances the chances for success in any kind of endeavor.

The idea of imaging has been around for a long time and it has been implicit in all the speaking and writing I have done in the past. (Norman Vincent Peale, Positive Imaging, 1982, Introduction, page 1.)

“Anything the human mind can believe, the human mind can achieve” (Napoleon Hill, Grow Rich With Peace of Mind, 1967, page 176.)

This is a universal law….that we translate into physical reality the thoughts and attitudes we hold in our minds, no matter what they are. (Napolean Hill and W. Clement Stone, Success Through A Positive Mental Attitude, 1977, page 78.)

From these authors, it becomes apparent that growing rich is the ultimate goal and success. I often hear the guilt trip pulled on people who even question this. It goes something like “Well, I don’t want to be poor, do you want to be poor?” And the man’s wife who questioned this teaching looks at him, to see if he would want to be poor. The man never said he wanted to be poor. He just questioned the ultimate goal of the teaching.

So now let’s have some quotes from the other side:

…there is abundant evidence that in many forms of modern thought — especially the so-called “prosperity” psychology, “will-power building” metaphysics and systems of “high-pressure” salesmanship — black magic has merely passed through a metamorphosis, and although its name may be changed, its nature remains the same. (Manly P. Hall, Masonic, Hermetic, Qabbalistic and Rosicrucian Symbolical Philosophy, 1969, pages CI, CII.)

The techniques used by Western psychiatrists are, with few exceptions, on exactly the same scientific plane as the techniques used by witchdoctors. (E. Fuller Torrey, The Mind Games: Witchdoctors and Psychiatrists, 1972, page 8.)

A shaman is a man or woman who enters an altered state of consciousness — at will — to contact and utilize an ordinarily hidden reality in order to acquire knowledge, power and to help other persons… It is in the SSC (Shamanic State of Consciousness) that one “sees” shamanically. This may be called “visualizing,” “imaging,” or as expressed by Australian aborigines, using “the strong eye.” … As the distinguished Australian anthropologist A. P. Elkins observes, the vision of an aborigine shaman ‘is no mere hallucination, it is a mental formation visualized and externalized, which may even exist for a time independent of its creator…’ (Michael Harner, The Way of the Shaman, 1980, page 20 and 50.)

Let us see what some of the ministries which support this trend say:

A – In recent years I have made an in-depth study of the areas of motivation, sales techniques, etc. B – Waded through Zeigler, Schuller, Mandino, Peale, Ross, Nightingale, Linkletter, Maltz, and others. C – Realized that the principles that they are teaching are actually Bible principles. D – However, must issue a warning. They generally use these principles to equate success with financial prosperity. (Church of Christ lecture, date unknown)

I have been a student of PMA since 1966, having read well over a hundred books and magazines on the subject, while studying as many cassette tapes, and having held numerous seminars all over the North American Continent, teaching people its principles. PMA is not a passing hobby, I know it to be vital to the success of my business and is important to living a Christian life.

The expression “Positive Mental Attitude” is no where found in the gospel, but many of the principles that comprise the concept are found there. The expression itself consists of three main thoughts: (1) one must be a “believing” person; (2) the mental process as the key to behavior is a matter of choice; and (3) “attitude” is formulated in the mental process which determines one’s personality and approach to life. ….. THE SUBCONSCIOUS ..It forms the attitudes that find expression outwardly, and all below the awareness of the individual. (Dusty Owens, “Positive Mental Attitude And The Gospel,” Guardian of Truth magazine, Vol. XXVIII, No. 9, May 2, 1985, page 3 and 6.)

This “Sub-Conscious” is the UNKNOWN thing which is in charge. The “Auto-pilot” which shapes and controls our characters, AND surroundings. If we can get the “auto-pilot” properly programmed for success, we are told, then we will ultimately be successful. And how do we program the “auto-pilot”? through creative visualization, verbal and written affirmations, and an altered state of consciousness (which is really self-hypnosis).

Are all these ministries which take on this character really self-hypnosis schools? Let’s look at what other people say about these books:

There are certain “Laws of the Universe” which reflect the fact that “negativism repels and destroys,” while “positivism attracts and builds.” (Napoleon Hill, author of Think and Grow Rich)

Without question, this single book has had a greater influence on the lives, accomplishments and fortunes of more individuals than any other work of its kind.

All over the free world there are literally thousands of successful men in all lines of work who are where they are today because they once….bought a copy of Think and Grow Rich, and they’ll be quick to tell you so….

I’ve sat in richly-paneled, carpeted executive offices and listened to world-famous business leaders, some of them old enough to be my father, tell me that everything worked out fine after they had read Think and Grow Rich….

Why has this book out of all the thousands of self-help books remained the one towering giant?….When the last page of Think and Grow Rich was read, the hand which put the book down on the table was a different hand. The man who then stood and walked out into the world was a different, a changed man….The man was now the possessor of the unique, unseen talent for turning dreams into reality, thoughts into things….he who had been the passenger was now suddenly the captain. (Success Motivation Cassette Tapes (Waco, Texas) “Think and Grow Rich,” Side 1, in Dave Hunt and T. A. McMahon, The Seduction of Christianity, 1985, page 17.)

In recent years, a number of secular books have related success to the power of the mind….

Napolean Hill was one such secular writer….After 20 years of research he wrote an eight-volume omnibus called The Law of Success, parts of which are condensed in his best-selling book, Think and Grow Rich…. [He] probably did the most useful research in history…. (Stephen B. Douglass and Lee Roddy, Making the Most of Your Mind, 1983, pages 18-19.)

How did Napoleon Hill get his inspiration?

Now and again I have had evidence that unseen friends hover about me, unknowable to the ordinary senses. In my studies I discovered there is a group of strange beings who maintain a school of wisdom….

The School has Masters who can disembody themselves and travel instantly to any place they choose….to give knowledge directly, by voice….

Now I knew that one of these Masters had come across thousands of miles, through the night, into my study….

I shall not set down every word he said….much of what he said already has been presented to you in the chapters of this book and will follow in other chapters.

“You have earned the right to reveal a Supreme Secret to others,” said the vibrant voice. “You have been under the guidance of the Great School….Now you must give the world a blueprint….” (Napolean Hill, Grow Rich With Peace of Mind, 1967, pages 158-160.)

The “Supreme Secret” is “Anything the human mind can believe, the human mind can achieve.” this “secret of the ages” is also called “The Magic Power of Belief.” (Napolean Hill, Grow Rich With Peace of Mind, 1967, pages 176)

Tap into “the great universal storehouse of Infinite Intelligence, wherein is stored all knowledge and all facts, and which may be contacted through the subconscious….” (Napolean Hill and W. Clement Stone, page 72)

We now have to decide, are these occultic statements? Do they seem to be more like Christianity or other spirits? Don’t confuse the two. If something is spiritual and successful, does it necessarily come from Jesus? Some people would make it out to be. We really need to take a step back and think where we are going, and what we are following.

Napoleon Hill could be considered to be the grandfather of this movement. Let us look at some of the other books he wrote:

Napolean Hill Book Chronology

* 1919-1920 The Golden Rule Magazine Napoleon Hill edited and published
* 1928 Law of Success (Ralston Society, Publishers)
* 1930 The Magic Ladder to Success
* 1937 Think and Grow Rich
* 1939 How to Sell Your Way Through Life
* 1953 How to Raise Your Own Salary
* 1960 Success Through a Positive Mental Attitude
* 1970 You Can Work Your Own Miracles

Just looking at some of those titles ought to ring alarm bells. Some of them sound good, but don’t forget, “Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light” (2 Cor 11:14)