Last week, I met with a group of folks to discuss what Ernest Holmes meant by being ‘Open at the Top.’ To put this in context, here is one of Holmes’ quotes about the subject:
It is up to us to find the place in between which gives freedom without giving the freedom to destroy the freedom which makes the freedom possible!… we have to keep our minds open at the top for a new influx of wisdom, and we have to set up a sign which says “stop, look and listen; does this that I believe measure up to Truth?… For there are certain inevitabilities that the ages have declared to be true.
~ Seminar Lectures 105-106
Following are some of the thoughts that we shared:
- Freedom and curiosity
- Teachable
- Receiving new truths and information
- Creating great thinkers
- Open-mindedness
Being ‘Open at the Top’ is one of the philosophies that drew me to New Thought and Centers for Spiritual Living in particular.
I spent the first part of my life believing that God’s authority came from the Priest, the Pope, or the Bible. However, in most cases, any of these sources are limited in what they believe and how they share this belief.
Most religious organizations group their beliefs into a set of statements. There is a finality to those statements, just like the Bible, which is basically the same always. No new books are written or added.
Honestly, I am tired of the rules and the narrow-mindedness that this type of thinking creates. Just as we learn new things every day through science, I believe we experience new revelations every day through Spirit.
Ernest Holmes never said everything was revealed to him, and there was no more! And Jesus never said anything resembling that, either!
When we are Open at the Top, we can recognize and accept new thoughts, revelations, and teachings. We can also decide whether this thought or teaching works for us. And this is good!
Of all the thoughts shared concerning Open at the Top, my favorite is by ChatGPT.
Open at the Top” is a phrase often associated with Ernest Holmes, the founder of Religious Science, a spiritual philosophy that is part of the New Thought movement. Holmes’ teachings emphasize the idea that one’s mind should be open to new ideas and possibilities, reflecting an openness to growth, change, and spiritual evolution. Ernest Holmes’ philosophy centers on the belief in the creative power of thought and the idea that individuals can shape their own experiences through their thoughts, beliefs, and attitudes. This concept of being “open at the top” encourages continual learning, self-improvement, and receptivity to higher wisdom and understanding.
~ From ChatGPT
It is my prayer and desire to always stay Open at the Top.
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