Joseph Murphy: A Short Biography

Best known for his classic book, The Power of Your Subconscious Mind, Joseph Murphy is a prolific Irish-born author and later, New Thought minister.

Murphy’s writings are what we can best describe as those of a metaphysical writer, specialising in going deep into the human psyche through the usage of words to come out with new ways of explaining the human condition.

Murphy appears at his best when he combines his life experiences with social commentary to spur readers on to change their mindsets and, following that, their lives.

This short article will examine Murphy’s life, upbringing, career, writing style, influences, and more. Let’s begin.

Early Life:

Joseph Denis Murphy was born on the 20th of May, 1898, to Irish parents in Ireland. Religion had a deep influence on Murphy during the early stages of his life, as he was raised a devout Catholic and joined the Jesuits during his school years.

Later, Murphy studied and prepared for the priesthood, which ended with him becoming a Jesuit seminarian. However, as Joseph reached adulthood, he felt stifled by the religious doctrine of the church.

Wanting to pursue his passions elsewhere, he decided to leave County Cork, Ireland, and left for America in 1922.

Joseph continued his studies and became a pharmacist, though the British term for the occupation back then was simply "chemist."

Murphy’s travels took him to India, where religion once again found its way into his life. He acquainted himself with the Indian sages and later formed a new church back in America.

This back and forth in swinging between various religious mindsets built up Murphy’s interest in mysticism and matters of the soul.

Perhaps that’s why we find such a huge focus on the unconscious in his writings.

Writing Career:

There’s still a lot of debate about when Murphy actually began focusing full-time on writing. It doesn’t help that he was a very private person throughout his life.

However, it’s safe to say that Murphy began to dedicate a lot of time to authorship after the publication of his first book in 1945, This Is It: The Art of Metaphysical Demonstration.

Some of Murphy’s other, less-known publications include:

• St. John Speaks.
• Love is Freedom.
• The Twelve Powers Mystically Explained.

These writings discuss ideas that are now part of affirmative-thinking philosophy, and all of them are sprinkled throughout his other well-known books.

Murphy’s best-selling titles are:

• The Power of Your Subconscious Mind (1963).
• How to Attract Money (1955).
• Believe in Yourself (1955).
• The Miracles of Your Mind (1952).

These books were all about refining Murphy’s methodology for giving the mind the focus it deserves. Needless to say, the themes resonated with audiences worldwide, which catapulted Murphy’s rise to fame as an author.

Philosophy, Themes, and Influences:

Covering every single idea that Murphy discussed would be impossible. Therefore, we will settle for a bird’s-eye view of his most important themes.

I. Mind Over Matter:

This one is found throughout “The Power of the Subconscious Mind.” It’s basically about imagining what you want to be, or what your ideal life should be like, and giving yourself ample time until your subconscious mind understands it.

In other words, it’s training yourself to turn your thoughts into reality through repetitive thought patterns that emphasise positivity and strength of will.

II. Visualisation Is Key:

All of his books emphasise this idea. If you don’t visualise what you want, you’ll have a hard time maintaining discipline and consistency.

When Murphy discusses visualisation, it’s always in the context of having a very clear idea of where you want to be in life.

III. Money Is All About Abundance:

In “How to Attract Money,” Joseph Murphy shocked the world by suggesting that money can become real when you think about it right.

This idea was controversial at the time because no one understood what he meant. Later, it became clear that Murphy was talking about “abundance,” a state of mind where money becomes the solution rather than the problem.

Murphy asks readers to embrace their need for money. He says that it’s a fundamental right for all humans to want more of it, and the best way to achieve that is by accepting this fact.

When that happens, you don’t feel shame, guilt, or suffocation when pursuing your basic rights. Therefore, earning more money becomes easier because you begin to see all the ways that can help you do that more clearly.

If the opposite happens, you fall into “scarcity,” a state of mind where you feel like there’s less of everything and no money for you because you don’t deserve it.

Murphy calls on his readers to fight scarcity and embrace abundance.

IV. The Belief in Infinity:

We are all small creatures living in a void of endless possibilities. This idea means always focusing on being humble. The world is vast, and it doesn’t revolve around a single individual.

This sense of humility, if developed, will push individuals to never settle for anything but the best. It destroys complacency and keeps individuals at peace with their inner souls.

Infinity is when someone finally understands that their time in life is brief. There’s infinite power in realising that your time on Earth is limited, and this can be the impetus that pushes you on to greater heights.

Death:

Joseph Murphy passed away at the age of 85 on December 16, 1981. He died in Laguna Hills, California.

His wife, Dr. Jean Murphy, continued in his stead as a Divine Science master, a position Murphy occupied towards the end of his life.

Joseph Murphy was buried in Calvary Cemetery.

Criticism:

As with other authors focused on providing content centering on self-help themes, Joseph Murphy caught a lot of flak for his writings.

A lot of people think he sold his ideas in an overly hyped and exaggerated manner, promising the world to individuals who needed much more than just words to become better.

Indeed, a strong case can be made that Murphy’s emphasis on the mind was at the expense of other equally important factors that contributed to someone’s success.

These included social factors such as class mobility, the environment, and literacy levels. Also, Murphy espouses that there is a certain order to how things happen in life.

This is a very controversial idea, though, as luck and randomness frequently enter the equation.

Murphy’s content was also considered escapist fiction by a subset of readers. Again, this is because misguided readers might spend a lot of time thinking and reading and little time actually taking action.

At any rate, Joseph Murphy changed the lives of a lot of people, so it’s up for debate whether his writings did more harm than good or not.

In Conclusion:

Joseph Murphy was a tremendous author with great ideas. He was born Irish, revelled in matters of the mind, tried to find a balance between his spiritual yearning and worldly desires, and did his best to communicate these ideas to readers around the world.

To say that his influence was immense would be an understatement. Joseph Murphy is considered a pioneer in his field. He inspired and continues to inspire both future generations of readers and authors alike.