50 pages • 1 hour read
Dr. Joseph MurphyThe Power Of Your Subconscious Mind
Nonfiction | Book | Adult | Published in 1963A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.
Introduction-Chapter 5Chapter Summaries & Analyses
Introduction Summary: “How This Book Can Work Miracles in Your Life”
In his Introduction, Murphy states that he has seen miracles happen to people all over the world and that readers will also experience miracles when they begin to use the power of their subconscious mind. He asks why some people are successful while others are miserable and asserts that the answer lies in the workings of the conscious and subconscious minds. His reason for writing this book is to explain the “great fundamental truths of your mind” in simple language and to help readers live the life that God intended for them (Introduction).
The author cites his own healing from cancer as an example of the power of the subconscious, which is in turn rooted in God. He recommends the use of “scientific prayer,” which he defines as directing the interaction of the conscious and subconscious minds for a specific purpose. He promises to teach the process to help readers solve problems in every part of their lives, including business and family relationships. Prayer is not just for emergencies but for daily life. As he states, “It is not the thing believed in that brings an answer to man’s prayer” (Introduction). Instead, the answer comes when the subconscious mind responds to a mental picture or thought. He attributes this law of belief to every religion in the world.
Chapter 1 Summary: “The Treasure House Within You”
Murphy describes the treasure within everyone that will help them live a joyful and abundant life. He says that there are two types of people: the person who is full of confidence and faith and the person who is full of fears and doubts. He offers the “master-secret of the ages” to readers who want to become the happier type of person and harness the “marvelous, miracle-working power found in your own subconscious mind” (1).
He says that people already possess this power but need to learn how to use it to bring more power, wealth, health, happiness, and joy into their lives. The subconscious offers wisdom, power, and a supply of everything needed in life, and it is everyone’s right to tap these riches. Furthermore, the subconscious has a “miraculous” healing power for both the mind and the heart.
Murphy points out that as a former chemist, he understands scientific principles and that they are no different from those that operate in the subconscious. He quotes from Mark 11:23 in the New Testament of the Bible to illustrate his words, saying that people who have no doubt and believe in what they say “shall have whatsoever [they] saith” (3). From this perspective, experience is actually a matter of the subconscious mind’s reactions to conscious thoughts. Thoughts are therefore causes, while conditions are effects. Thus, a belief in the eternal truths of life is the key to moving upward and “Godward.”
The mind has a dual nature, and each of its characteristics has different powers. The conscious mind is objective; it is experienced while awake, and these experiences are voluntary, whereas the subconscious mind is subjective, experienced during sleep, and involuntary. He compares the mind to a garden, asserting that people plant seeds—thoughts—in the subconscious mind based on habitual thought patterns. If the thoughts are of peace, happiness, right action, goodwill, and prosperity, then the result will be fruitful. Most people try to change their circumstances by working with their conditions, but the true cause of circumstances is one’s thoughts. Murphy compares the conscious mind to a ship captain who tells those under his command what to do, asserting that the subconscious takes the orders that the conscious mind gives.
Chapter 2 Summary: “How Your Own Mind Works”
Chapter 2 explains how the mind works. People think and make decisions and choices with their conscious mind. These decisions and thoughts sink down into the subconscious, the seat of emotions and creativity. The subconscious will execute a thought whether it is good or bad, which is why habitual thought should always be “harmonious and constructive” (12). The subconscious accomplishes this by associating the conscious thought with a person’s lifetime knowledge. Solutions to problems can come right away or materialize over a longer stretch of time.
Murphy clarifies the terms “objective” and “subjective” as they relate to the mind. The conscious mind is the objective one because it deals with external objects, with the five senses as the mediator between the mind and the environment. The conscious mind learns through observation, experience, and education. By contrast, the subconscious mind is subjective because it operates independently of the senses. Instead, it perceives through intuition, emotion, and memory. For this reason, it operates best when the mind is suspended in sleep or drowsiness. Knowing how the objective and subjective mind interact is the secret to the art of prayer.
The conscious mind makes suggestions to the subconscious. While one’s mind can reject a suggestion that doesn’t make sense, those that do get passed on to the subconscious must be carefully planned because the subconscious mind takes such suggestions literally. The process of autosuggestion, or suggesting something both definite and specific, can be used to banish fears in situations such as interviews and performances.
Murphy gives two examples of this phenomenon. In the first example, a singer with stage fright who meditates three times a day on thoughts of her talent and serenity subsequently delivers a remarkable audition. In the second example, a man with a short temper tells himself that he is becoming more cheerful and happier three or four times a day and is able to change his attitude.
The author cautions against “heterosuggestions”—suggestions taken from others, which can be used to control people in a destructive manner and lead them to form destructive behavior patterns. Parents, friends, relatives, teachers, and associates can all try to make suggestions that are designed to control a person and make the person act to their advantage. Murphy reminds readers that the suggestions of others have no power except that which the receiver allows, so it is important to actively choose life, love, health, and abundance.
Major premises determine the conclusions to which the subconscious mind reacts. Murphy defines a major premise as an assumption made by the conscious mind that then determines the subconscious mind’s conclusions. He gives as an example a man who believes that everything he touches turns to failure; this man must establish a new “major premise”: the idea that the intelligence of his subconscious is guiding him toward prosperity.
Murphy ultimately stresses that obstacles in the conscious mind deny the wisdom of the subconscious and lead to emotional blockage. Murphy suggests using an affirmation beginning with these words: “The infinite intelligence, which gave me this desire leads, guides, and reveals to me the perfect plan for the unfolding of my desire” (24).
Chapter 3 Summary: “The Miracle-Working Power of Your Subconscious”
Murphy describes the miracle-working power of the subconscious, which not only regulates the body’s functions but also answers all questions and problems. He recommends stating a wish to the subconscious prior to sleep in order to touch the power that “moves the world” (27). He compares the subconscious to a book of life in which one constantly writes as thoughts become experiences, and he attributes this truth to great thinkers such as Jesus, Buddha, and Lao Tzu.
Returning to the topic of how he healed his own cancer, Murphy states that a clergyman pointed out to him that the subconscious made his body and therefore has the power to heal it as well. Murphy’s healing prayer reiterated this idea, stressing his belief that his subconscious mind was healing him in the present. He closed the prayer with thanks.
He offers this recipe for healing: Keep the conscious mind “busy with the expectation of the best” and claim that the healing presence in your subconscious is flowing through you continually (33). An example drawn from life is Madame Bire, a blind Frenchwoman who visited Lourdes and subsequently regained her sight. Murphy attributes Madame Bire’s healing to her faith and relates it to the subconscious mind’s ability to heal. One of Murphy’s own followers practiced “scientific imagination,” picturing himself doing the things that he would do if he were healed of his paralysis; he subsequently walked again.
Chapter 4 Summary: “Mental Healings in Ancient Times”
In Chapter 4, Murphy looks at mental healings in ancient times, asserting that holy men and priests once had the God-given power to heal the sick; Murphy believes that they were giving suggestions to act on the patient’s subconscious, which was in fact the healing agent. He quotes Mark 11:23-24, which states, “What things soever he desire, when ye pray believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them” (39).
Murphy believes that the success of prayer happens when a person visualizes the desired object or outcome and stresses that faith is the key to this process. He observes that when Jesus spoke of faith, he was talking about embracing a complete reliance on the inner power of the subconscious. For instance, when Jesus healed blind men in Matthew 9:29, he said, “According to your faith be it unto you” (40). Murphy states that this “time-honored technique of healing” is found throughout the world (40). Jesus’ role in healing was his conviction of the healing power within the sick, which removed the negative destructive patterns that had blocked healing.
Murphy discusses several examples of miracles accomplished through belief in the subconscious. One example describes a woman who thanked the Buddha for restoring her singing voice. Another describes a man who gave his father a worthless splinter that he pretended was actually a piece of the cross on which Jesus was crucified, thereby healing his father’s tuberculosis. In both cases, it was the recipient’s imagination and expectation for healing that brought about the cure.
The author sets forth some basic truths about healing. First, people have two mental functions: the conscious and the subconscious mind. Second, the subconscious mind is constantly amenable to the power of suggestion, and finally, the subconscious mind has total control over all the “functions, conditions, and sensations” of the body (43). To illustrate, Murphy cites the case of a person in a hypnotic state who can produce allergy symptoms after being told that a hypothetical allergen is present. He attributes the healing success of osteopathy, chiropractic medicine, naturopathy, psychiatry, and all churches to the power of the subconscious mind.
Murphy discusses the work of various doctors in healing through suggestion. Hippolyte Bernheim, an early-20th-century French professor of medicine, named the subconscious mind as the factor in healing that resulted from a physician’s suggestion to a patient. For example, Bernheim cured a patient with paralysis of the tongue using a “new” instrument that was in fact a thermometer. Murphy therefore concludes that structural changes can result from oral suggestion.
Chapter 5 Summary: “Mental Healings in Modern Times”
In Chapter 5, Murphy turns to the topic of mental healing, which, just like physical healing, is rooted in the subconscious and requires a new mental attitude on the part of the patient. The role of the psychologist or psychiatrist is to remove the mental blocks in the patient to release the healing power. This power has many names: “Nature, Life, God, Creative Intelligence, and Subconscious Power” (49). As with physical healing, the mental healing comes after the patient makes the conscious choice to imagine the desired end and feel its reality.
The same life principle operates for all living things, from animals to the wind and the earth. The difference is that humans are consciously aware of the life principle and can direct it. All religions represent forms of belief—not belief in something but belief itself. He quotes Mark 9:23 as an example: “If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth” (50). Because it is belief itself that causes one’s experiences, Murphy reasons that all of a person’s actions and life events are “but the reflections and reactions to [one’s] own thought” (50).
Murphy describes prayer therapy, also called “scientific prayer,” which requires the conscious and subconscious minds to work together for a particular purpose. He posits that if a person chooses an idea or plan, conveys it to the subconscious mind by feeling that it is real, and remains faithful in this attitude, then the prayer will be answered. Faith healing or “blind faith” works in this way by moving the patient from a position of fear and worry to one of faith and expectancy. It is a subjective faith—that is, one that operates outside the conscious mind. Assuming a relaxed, drowsy state allows this process to happen.
Because there is only one creative mind, Murphy reasons that a person can pray for someone who is not physically present. In this case, the mental picture operates on the other person’s subconscious. The reason to make affirmative statements prior to sleep is because the kinetic action of the subconscious will continue during sleep. People should not talk about their ailments because doing so will block this kinetic action.
Introduction-Chapter 5 Analysis
Murphy establishes credibility in these opening chapters by stating that great people of all ages knew the secret to tapping into the power of the subconscious, and he provides concrete examples indicating that every major religion and philosophy embraces the idea that people’s thoughts and beliefs profoundly affect their lives. His multilayered approach allows him to present and reiterate clear arguments that support his broader premises, and this technique is important for two reasons.
First, Murphy’s examination of the Religious and Historical Perspectives on the Subconscious Mind is used to prove that the power to change one’s life lies within the individual and is rooted in the subconscious; however, this idea contradicts traditional 1960s-era beliefs about both human behavior and the subconscious mind. During this time, the conventional way of thinking about making life changes was to root them in conscious, rational decisions and actions, possibly aided by prayer for those who believe in a higher power. Furthermore, in the 1960s, psychological notions of the subconscious were heavily influenced by Freudian theory, which branded the subconscious or unconscious as a collection of a person’s most basic impulses and desires and focused on studies about conditioning and learning. Murphy instead proposes a process by which conscious thought communicates with the subconscious, which is where the healing and change take place.
Second, Murphy’s approach differs distinctly from that of his direct predecessor in the affirmative thinking field, Norman Vincent Peale—the author of the 1952 blockbuster The Power of Positive Thinking. Unlike Peale’s religious background, Murphy’s mindset was not traditionally Christian. His ordination and ministry in Divine Science instead belonged to the New Thought movement, which combined positive thinking with a belief in God as an infinite intelligence dwelling within everyone. His appeal is not only to Christians but also to all open-minded people willing to embrace a technique that could enhance their lives.
Murphy calls on techniques of persuasive speech in these chapters to convince readers that his central premise is true. He uses vivid language to promise those who use his technique a “glorious harvest” and a “fathomless sea of infinite riches” (5-6). His deliberate use of enticing language includes frequent metaphors as he compares the functions of the subconscious to the acts of planting a seed and captaining a ship. He also provides real-life examples ranging from the famous operatic tenor Enrico Caruso to everyday people who seek greater confidence or a more cheerful mind. Most notably, he also attributes his own healing from a malignancy of the skin to this approach and buttresses his personal experience with the work of numerous scientists, such as 19th-century Scottish surgeon Dr. James Esdaille, who performed major operations without anesthesia and using the power of suggestion. All these persuasive techniques support Murphy’s major theme.
Chapters 1-5 also introduce Murphy’s most basic techniques for Tapping the Subconscious to Achieve Personal Goals. This concept is the focus of Chapter 2, and Murphy employs the metaphor of the conscious mind “feeding” the correct information to the subconscious. In further support of this idea, Chapter 3 combines information about the technique with explanations and examples of how the subconscious mind influences behavior and outcomes. Once Murphy’s argument has gained momentum, he then uses Chapters 4 and 5 to show how and why The Psychology of Prayer, Belief, and Faith works to bring about actual physical and mental healing.
To this end, Murphy talks extensively about the functions and nuances of prayer and often quotes from the King James version of the Bible to support his ideas. Fundamentally, he believes that prayers are answered because the subconscious mind is the “principle,” which he defines as “the way a thing works” (79). In the case of the subconscious mind, the principle, or explanation for how prayer works, is belief. He believes that the person must also have faith—a form of belief that the author defines in two specific ways. First, he asserts that faith means “accepting as true what your reason and senses deny” even as it denotes “a knowledge of the working of your conscious and subconscious mind” (40, 57). Already a skilled lecturer, popular minister, and radio personality by the time he wrote The Power of Your Subconscious Mind, Murphy knew exactly how to lay the foundation for his ideas and then build on them with concrete and actionable advice.
