• in development/production, captured in 16:9, on Digibeta, DVCPro50, HD
• seeks co-production partner, pre-sale, and/or investors
• audience: Cultural Creatives, those interested in spiritual topics and/or ‘science and religion’

The Active Mind is a theatrical documentary capturing the relevance of thought energy and how it determines our lives.

Primarily looking at the legacy and influence of New Thought, a philosophy of life and happiness, The Active Mind explores how Quantum and Bio-Energy scientists are discovering evidence that supports the healing work of early metaphysicians of the 19th and 20th centuries.

The New Thought Movement’s story will be told through interviews, historical documents, re-enactments and drama examples that will take the viewer on a rhythmic journey through its history, metaphysical beliefs and influences.

New Thought is a spiritual/metaphysical healing movement that started in the 19th century with the healings and research by mesmerist P.P. Quimby, who was inspired from the work of 18th century Austrian physician, Anton Mesmer.

The basic fact that New Thought is not one specific faith but ideally stands for the collective of all religious traditions, on the basis of Quimby's teachings, characterizes the movement. The fundamental institution behind New Thought is the idea of metaphysical healing and the power of the mind over body in relation to the cure of ailments.

According to the Metaphysical Club of Boston, which was started in 1895 and was one of the first distinct New Thought organizations, the purpose of New Thought is "to promote interest in and the practice of a true philosophy of life and happiness; to show that through right thinking, one's loftiest ideals may be brought into present realization; and to advance intelligent and systematic treatment of disease by spiritual and mental methods."

New Thought has had direct influence through organizations like Alcohol Anonymous, Nightingale-Conant, Success Magazine, Optimist Club, DeVoss Publishers, just to name a few. Speakers Louise Hay – New Thought minister, author, and teacher who influenced AIDS treatments and alternative medicine -- and Wayne Dyer – ‘father of motivation’ and the self-empowerment field – have a firm foundation in New Thought philosophies. Men like Walt Disney, Conrad Hilton and Henry Ford were attracted to the ideas of New Thought and merged them into their own life viewpoint. The Rev. Norman Vincent Peale, Reform Church of America, openly borrowed from New Thought when he wrote The Power of Positive Thinking, among other works. Positive Thinking and metaphysical principles have found their way into the message of Rev. Joel Osteen, Lakewood Christian Church, Houston, TX., who has expanded his father’s evangelical ministry to fill the former Astro Dome and has sold millions of his book Your Best Life Now.

The Active Mind explores today’s research on topics like the Human Energy Field and Vibrations of Consciousness, Meditation and the Power of Prayer. With the strong support of the world renown UCLA psychologist and human energy field researcher, Dr. Valerie V. Hunt, the human energy field will be explained, not just as a field surrounding the body, but an dynamic entity that carries on transactions with the body and the fields of other humans, that is effected by thought and is the first response to healing and/or disease. There is no longer a doubt that there is a mind/body connection, nor that words and thoughts affect us at the cellular level.

Other researchers being cultivated for interviews:

• Bob Barth, former Director of the Office for Prayer Research, (Unity Institute), a monitoring and depository for research and studies relating to prayer and healing.
• Roger Nelson, PhD., Global Consciousness Project, Princeton University; this project centered around a random numbers generator is drawing a conclusion a global consciousness does exists.
• Journalist Lynn McTaggart, author of The Field, who has written and lectured on the human energy field in the UK and beyond. She is the organizer of “ICONS OF THE FIELD CONFERENCE” to be held in March 2006, London.
• Michael Beckwith, (RSI) minister and author, Ernest Holmes scholar
• David Friedman, composer and performer
• Richard Bach, author
• Della Reese, UFBL minister and actress/singer

List of Interview Subjects – ‘in-the-can’

Bruce H. Lipton, PhD is a former medical school professor and research scientist. His experiments shows that genes and DNA do not control our biology; that instead DNA is controlled by signals from outside the cell, including the energetic messages emanating from our positive and negative thoughts.
Marilyn Schlitz, VP IONS, researcher in prayer and healing; though a true controlled study of the effects of prayer is a challenge, studies are resulting in a connection between prayer and healing.
Leddy Hammock, Unity minister, author, and founder of Emma Curtis Hopkins Seminary, Clearwater, FL.
Gail M. Harley, author of “Emma Curtis Hopkins: Forgotten Founder of New Thought” (2002)
Dell deChant, philosophy professor South Florida University
Alan Anderson, Ph.D., retired professor, author “New Thought: A Practical American Spirituality” with
Deb Whitehouse, Ed.D, editor “New Thought” magazine
Choice Edwards, retired HUD executive, former mayoral candidate, spiritual teacher
C. Russell Brumfield, entrepreneur, founder of Wizard Studios, business coach and lecturer
C. Norman Shealy, M.D., Ph.D., neurologist, author and researcher in alternative medicine
Peter Osterlund, Communications Director & Historian, First Church of Christ, Scientist; representing Mary Baker Eddy
John Randolph Price with wife Jan, author “Super Beings”, founders of Planetary Commission starting the first World Healing Day

The New Thought Movement has not been captured in moving images; film or video. In 1963, the a Ford Foundation grant assisted in publishing "Spirits In Rebellion: The Rise and Development of New Thought", by Charles S. Braden, published by Southern Methodist University Press. This book has been the textbook for the Movement’s history, but doesn’t cover the developments since 1963. This film will fill this gap, providing a moving picture history of this rich American Metaphysical Healing Movement. Additionally, this film will serve to tie this history to the many popular forms of New Thought and the substantial influence this Movement has had, both directly and indirectly. The power of the optimist, the person who takes responsibility for his life through his thinking, is a timely message for audiences the world over in these endlessly changing fear centered and challenging times.

The Audience:
The Cultural Creatives (LOHAS) care deeply about ecology and saving the planet, about relationships, peace, social justice, and about self actualization, spirituality and self-expression. Surprisingly, they are both inner-directed and socially concerned; they're activists, volunteers and contributors to good causes more than other Americans. Cultural Creatives estimates are 50 million in North America, and 80 million in Europe.