Ironically, physics, the king of sciences, the yardstick by which other sciences are measured, has now moved toward idealism with the discoveries of quantum physics. British scientist Sir James Jeans remarked that the universe looked like nothing so much as a giant thought. New Thought from its infancy has sought to bridge the gap between science and religion, and its branches have been given names such as Religious Science and Divine Science. Quimby studied mesmerism, or hypnotism, as did Freud, because it was the latest scientific wrinkle of the day. If this is a universe of thought, then changing one's thought changes the universe, at least a smidgin.
Current physics teaches that the act of observing changes what is observed.
At the heart of New Thought is a minimalist creed, a simple system of beliefs that make optimistic idealism credible. We affirm the freedom of each person in matters of belief. We affirm the Good to be supreme, universal and eternal. We affirm that the kingdom of God is within us, that we are one with the Father, that we should love one another and return good for evil. We affirm that our mental states are carried forward into manifestation and become our experience through the Creative Law of Cause and Effect.