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The Power of Your Subconscious Mind by Joseph Murphy Review: A Foundational Self-Help Classic Worth Revisiting
First published in 1963, Joseph Murphy's The Power of Your Subconscious Mind has sold millions of copies and remained an enduring cornerstone of the personal development genre, presenting the argument that the subconscious mind is a creative, neutral force shaped entirely by the conscious thoughts and beliefs fed into it — and that deliberately changing those inputs can produce dramatic improvements across health, finances, and relationships.
LuvemBooks Verdict
Best for
Readers open to New Thought philosophy who want an accessible, motivationally driven introduction to the idea that deliberate mental habits — consciously directing belief and feeling — can reshape outcomes across health, finances, and relationships.
Worth it if
You're drawn to the lineage of classics like Think and Grow Rich and want to read the foundational text that helped establish the vocabulary of subconscious programming that later self-help writers built upon.
Skip if
You approach personal development from a strictly empirical or secular standpoint — Murphy's methodology is rooted in New Thought philosophy and prayer, and the anecdotal case studies are not independently verifiable, making it a poor fit for readers seeking neuroscience-grounded or peer-reviewed frameworks.
What readers & critics say
Butler-Bowdon.com notes the book is "simply written and tries to be free of culture or religion" while acknowledging it is "slightly repetitive," observing that this repetition itself mirrors the book's core idea of subconscious programming. ThecivilEngineer18.com calls it "among the most significant self-help books ever produced," praising Murphy's strong case for harnessing the subconscious to attain success, happiness, and health.
Sources: butler-bowdon.com, thecivilengineer18.com4.7from 7,277 Amazon ratings— reader ratings, not a LuvemBooks score
Look inside the book
Preview the actual pages, via Google BooksIn This Review
- What Works & What Doesn't
- What the Book Actually Is and Argues
- The Author and the Book's Place in the Genre
- Structural Strengths and Design Intent
- Genuine Limitations and Who May Be Frustrated
- Who This Book Is For Today
What Works & What Doesn't
What Works
- An internationally bestselling foundational text in the personal development genre, influential since 1963
- Built around a clear, consistently argued central thesis — that conscious thoughts and beliefs shape subconscious outcomes — applied across health, finances, and relationships
- Structured to move from theory to practical techniques and real-world anecdotes, making the framework accessible to general readers
- Pairs well with Murphy's companion work How to Attract Money, extending the book's core argument into a specific life domain
What Doesn't
- Rooted in New Thought philosophy and prayer-based methodology, which may not resonate with secular or empirically minded readers
- Written in 1963, and some language, cultural framing, and anecdotal case studies reflect that era rather than contemporary standards of evidence
A self-help classic that has influenced millions of readers since its 1963 debut, this book remains a touchstone of the mind-dynamics subgenre more than six decades on.
What the Book Actually Is and Argues
The Power of Your Subconscious Mind by Joseph Murphy front cover
The Power of Your Subconscious Mind is a self-help guide built around a single, sustained argument: the subconscious mind is a creative and neutral power that executes the commands given to it by the conscious mind through belief and feeling. Murphy frames the subconscious as a "treasure" existing within every person — a source of wisdom, power, and healing — and asserts that thoughts are causes while conditions are effects. From this premise, he constructs a practical program. The book contains explanations of how the conscious and subconscious minds interact, numerous real-life anecdotes drawn from Murphy's own ministerial work, and techniques designed to help readers redirect their thought patterns toward health, wealth, stronger relationships, and the overcoming of fear. Some editions also pair the main text with Murphy's companion work How to Attract Money, extending the financial dimension of his framework.
The Author and the Book's Place in the Genre
Joseph Murphy (1898–1981) was an Irish-born New Thought minister and writer who resettled in America and became a widely admired speaker, lecturing across both American coasts and in Europe, Asia, and South Africa. His body of work spans numerous books and pamphlets on the auto-suggestive and metaphysical faculties of the human mind. The Power of Your Subconscious Mind, however, is the title that secured his legacy — an international bestseller since its first appearance that Penguin Random House lists alongside enduring titles such as Think and Grow Rich, situating Murphy firmly within the canon of classic American self-help. As a foundational text in the personal development genre, it helped establish the vocabulary of subconscious programming that later writers would build upon extensively.
Structural Strengths and Design Intent
The book is structured to move readers from foundational theory to application. Murphy opens with an introduction in which he asserts that readers who engage with the material will access what he calls "miracle-working power," setting an aspirational tone from the first page. The subsequent chapters are organized to address distinct life domains — health, money, relationships, fear — allowing readers to navigate toward the areas most relevant to their circumstances. The techniques Murphy outlines are written in practical, accessible language, drawing on real-world case studies to ground what could otherwise remain abstract metaphysical claims. This architecture — theory, illustration, technique — is designed to make the core concepts actionable rather than merely philosophical.
Genuine Limitations and Who May Be Frustrated
Readers approaching the text from a strictly empirical or secular standpoint will encounter friction. Murphy's framework is rooted in New Thought philosophy and draws freely on prayer and spiritual conviction as mechanisms for engaging the subconscious, which some readers find inseparable from the methodology and others find peripheral to it. Additionally, the book was written in 1963, and some aspects of its language, cultural references, and framing reflect that era rather than contemporary sensibilities. Some readers note that the anecdotal case studies, while illustrative, are not independently verifiable, which can undercut the persuasive force of the argument for skeptically minded audiences. Those seeking a neuroscience-grounded or peer-reviewed account of the subconscious will need to look elsewhere.
Who This Book Is For Today
More than sixty years after its original publication, The Power of Your Subconscious Mind retains the readership it has built across generations. It is best suited to readers who are open to the New Thought tradition and looking for an accessible, motivationally driven entry point into the idea that deliberate mental habits can reshape outcomes in everyday life. Readers who already engage with contemporary self-help — and particularly those drawn to titles like Think and Grow Rich — will recognize the intellectual lineage and find Murphy's foundational articulation of these ideas rewarding. Those returning to it after earlier reads will find the core principles as plainly stated as ever, in a text that has clearly earned its status as one of the most widely read inspirational guides of the twentieth century.
Frequently Asked Questions
is The Power of Your Subconscious Mind by Joseph Murphy worth reading
It depends on your mindset going in — the review describes it as best suited to readers open to the New Thought tradition who want an accessible, motivationally driven entry point into the idea that deliberate mental habits can reshape outcomes. If you're already drawn to titles like Think and Grow Rich, you'll likely find Murphy's foundational articulation of these ideas rewarding. Skeptics looking for neuroscience-grounded or peer-reviewed explanations of the subconscious, however, will need to look elsewhere.
what is The Power of Your Subconscious Mind by Joseph Murphy actually about
At its core, the book argues that the subconscious mind is a creative and neutral power that executes the commands given to it by the conscious mind through belief and feeling — Murphy frames it as a 'treasure' within every person and a source of wisdom, power, and healing. He builds a practical program around this idea, covering techniques to redirect thought patterns toward health, wealth, stronger relationships, and the overcoming of fear. Some editions also pair the main text with Murphy's companion work How to Attract Money, extending the financial dimension of his framework.
does The Power of Your Subconscious Mind by Joseph Murphy actually work
The review is candid that the anecdotal case studies Murphy uses — drawn from his own ministerial work — are not independently verifiable, which can undercut the argument's persuasive force for skeptically minded readers. The techniques are written in practical, accessible language and are designed to be actionable, but the methodology is rooted in New Thought philosophy and draws freely on prayer and spiritual conviction, which some readers find inseparable from the system. Whether it 'works' will largely depend on your openness to that philosophical tradition.
is The Power of Your Subconscious Mind by Joseph Murphy too religious or spiritual for non-religious readers
This is a real tension the review flags: Murphy's framework draws freely on prayer and spiritual conviction as mechanisms for engaging the subconscious, and some readers find that inseparable from the methodology while others find it peripheral to it. The book is rooted in the New Thought philosophy Murphy practiced as a minister, so purely secular readers will encounter friction. Those willing to mentally set aside the spiritual framing and focus on the practical techniques tend to get more out of it.
is The Power of Your Subconscious Mind by Joseph Murphy similar to Think and Grow Rich
Yes — Penguin Random House actually lists The Power of Your Subconscious Mind alongside Think and Grow Rich, and the review situates Murphy firmly within the same canon of classic American self-help. Readers already familiar with Think and Grow Rich will recognize the intellectual lineage, since Murphy helped establish the vocabulary of subconscious programming that later writers in that tradition built upon extensively. If you loved one, the review suggests you'll find the other rewarding.
is The Power of Your Subconscious Mind by Joseph Murphy outdated
Written in 1963, the book does show its age in places — the review notes that some aspects of its language, cultural references, and framing reflect that era rather than contemporary sensibilities. That said, the review also emphasizes that more than sixty years after publication it retains the broad readership it has built across generations, and the core principles are described as 'as plainly stated as ever.' The dated elements are real but haven't stopped it from remaining one of the most widely read inspirational guides of the twentieth century.
who should read The Power of Your Subconscious Mind by Joseph Murphy
The review says it's best suited to adults who are open to the New Thought tradition and looking for an accessible, motivationally driven entry point into the idea that deliberate mental habits can reshape outcomes in everyday life. It's particularly well-matched to readers already engaged with contemporary self-help — especially those drawn to titles like Think and Grow Rich — who want to read the foundational text that influenced so much of the genre. It's not the right fit for readers seeking empirically verified, neuroscience-grounded accounts of how the subconscious works.
Sources & Further Reading
The key facts and claims in this review are grounded in the retrieved, verified sources listed below.
- Cited in this review
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- Further reading
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Joseph Murphy, Wikipedia
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thecivilengineer18.com
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