In this installment of “Inner Vision and Synchronicity:  Dream Work as Taught by Charles Fillmore and Carl Jung, ” we’ll examine key teachings of Charles Fillmore that became the foundation of the Unity Movement.

Unity Village, MO

Charles Fillmore Fundamental Teachings

A key to understanding the theology of Charles Fillmore is found in the name he gave the nonprofit church organization he founded in 1903: Unity Society of Practical Christianity, with the emphasis on the word “practical” (Vahle, 2002, p. 145).  A consistent theme throughout his teaching was that religion, if it is to be helpful to its adherents, must be of practical value in helping the individual to live a healthy and abundant life in the here and now.  Prayer and meditation, along with other spiritual practices, had practical and immediate benefits to the individual who engaged them on a regular basis; including, but not limited to peace of mind, harmonious relationship, health and healing and demonstration of prosperity.

According to biographer Neal Vahle, Fillmore’s “primary interest as a person and as a spiritual teacher was in manifesting the indwelling presence, the Christ Consciousness, and helping others to do the same” (Vahle, 2002, p. 46).  To this end, he intuited that there were twelve spiritual centers within the body, which, when quickened or energized would allow the individual to release negative beliefs and behaviors that hampered the unfoldment of the indwelling Christ.  Moreover, he taught that the activation of the twelve powers (faith, strength, wisdom, love, power, imagination, understanding, will, zeal, order, elimination, life) could lead to the overcoming of physical death, a process he termed “regeneration;” however, Fillmore did not demonstrate the overcoming of physical death and died from kidney failure (Vahle, 2002, p. 63).

As regards the central figure of Christianity, Jesus Christ, Fillmore “considered Jesus to be human at birth rather than divine as taught by traditional Christianity.  Jesus transformed himself and realized the indwelling presence…by developing and implementing in his life all twelve faculties of mind” (Vahle, 2002, p. 67).  The activation of the twelve faculties, Fillmore taught, was symbolized by the calling of the twelve disciples.  From this perspective Jesus was, to Fillmore, a model to be followed, rather than a deity to be worshiped.

The study of Christian metaphysics is another hallmark of Fillmore’s theology.  He defined metaphysics as “the systematic study of the science of Being; that which transcends the physical.  By pure metaphysics is meant a clear understanding of the realm of ideas and their legitimate expression” (Fillmore, 1959, p. 132).  “Being” was a term used by Fillmore to connote God, yet it’s definition, with an emphasis on archetypical ideas, is of note in light of the discussion of Jung that follows, for Fillmore referred to Being as “God; the Mind of the universe composed of archetype ideas: life, love, wisdom, substance, Truth, power, peace, and so forth.  Being is omnipresent, omnipotent, omniscient; it is the fullness of God, the All-Good” (Fillmore, 1959, p. 22).  Thus when Fillmore addressed spiritual laws and principles, he was engaging in what he considered to be Christian metaphysics.

Within the study of his Christian metaphysics, one encounters the terms “personality” and “individuality” with some frequency, and Fillmore’s usage of these terms shows some semblance to Jung’s usage of the terms “persona” and “individuation” as noted below.  Fillmore said that personality was:

The sum total of characteristics that man has personalized

as distinct of himself, independent of others or of divine

principle.  The word personality as used by metaphysicians

is contrasted with the word individuality.  Individuality is

the real; personality is the unreal, the mortal, the part of

us that is governed by the selfish motives of the natural

man (Fillmore, 1959, p. 148).

Fillmore wrote and lectured extensively about many spiritual and religious topics, but the aforementioned concepts of practical Christianity, the indwelling presence, the twelve powers, and metaphysics are standout ideas associated with him and his theology.

In the next post, we’ll look at some of fundamental teachings of Carl Jung.  Stay tuned!