The Center for Spiritual Living, Bakersfield is an affiliate of The United Centers for Spiritual Living, formerly known as United Church of Religious Science. The Religious Science organization is founded upon and teaches the philosophy known as Science of Mind developed by Ernest Holmes.

"The Science of Mind is the study of Life and the nature of the laws of thought; the conception that we live in a spiritual Universe; that God is in, through, around, and for us." ~Dr. Ernest Holmes

In Holmes' words taken from Science of Mind - 1926 (The Original):

The Truth has been known in every age by a few; but the great mass of people has never even dreamed that we live in a mental and spiritual world. Today, however, there is a great inquiry into the deeper mean­ing of life because the race has reached a state of unfoldment where a broader scope is possible....

To suppose that the Creative Intelligence of the world would create man in bondage and leave him bound would be to dis­honor that Creative Power which we call God. On the other hand, to suppose that God could make man as an individual, without leaving him to discover himself, would be to suppose an impossibility. Individuality must be spontaneous and can never be automatic. The seed of freedom must be hid within the shell of the human. But, like the Prodigal of old, man must make the great discovery for himself. Although the journey may at times seem hard and the burden too great to bear, man still feels within a subtle sense, a mystical presence, a divine Reality. Thus, the inherent nature of himself is forever seek­ing to express itself in terms of freedom. We will do well to listen to this inner voice, for it tells us of a life wonderful in its scope, of a love beyond our fondest dreams, of a freedom which the soul craves.

But the great love of the Universe must be one with the great law of Its own Being, and we must approach love through the law.

This, then, is the teaching-Love and Law. As the love of God is perfect, so the law of God is also perfect. We must understand both. "Who hath ears to hear, let him hear."

Dr. Ernest Holmes January 21, 1887 - April 7, 1960

Dr. Ernest Holmes's work in the Science of Mind is recognized today as one of the leading viewpoints in modern metaphysics and New Thought.

Dr. Holmes developed a universal philosophy and tools for spiritual living that profoundly resonate to this day. His work provides us with a personal spiritual path, an understanding of our relationship with the Universe, and a connected and joyful approach to daily living.

Dr. Holmes wrote his seminal book The Science of Mind in 1926 and revised the text in 1938 to create an edition that has since been published in several languages. Dr. Holmes is also the author of numerous other books on metaphysics and originated the international Science of Mind magazine, which has been in continuous publication since 1927.

Born in Maine, Holmes was largely self-taught, seeking out the writings of Ralph Waldo Emerson, Christian D. Larson, Thomas Troward, and Phineas Quimby. Holmes moved to Southern California in 1914. He founded the Institute of Religious Science, which became United Church of Religious Science in 1953, and is now United Centers for Spiritual Living. Holmes inspired the "positive thinking" of Norman Vincent Peale, Peggy Lee, Cary Grant, Cecil B. DeMille and countless others without ever intending to create a religion or a following of masses of people.

Ernest Holmes made his transition to another reality in 1960.