The Power of Positive Thinking was a minister. He writes that Peale's books have no connection to Christianity and that they “influence, mislead and often disillusion sick, maladjusted, unhappy or ill-constructed people, obscuring for them the Christian realities. They offer easy comforts, easy solutions to problems and mysteries that sometimes perhaps, have no comforts or solutions at all, in glib, worldly terms. They offer a cheap 'happiness' in lieu of the joy Christianity can offer.” While contemporary theologians and mental health experts criticized Peale's teachings in "The Power of Positive Thinking," the general public praised the self-help book. The "Los Angeles Times" estimates that “legions
The Power of Positive Thinking psychic fragments, then ideas like 'mind-drainage' follow. So does the reliance on self-hypnosis, which is the cornerstone of Mr. Peale's philosophy.” Murphy concludes that Peale's techniques for positive thinking relate too closely to hypnosis and are inadequate for the readers’ needs of self-improvement. Albert Ellis, an influential psychologist of the 20th century and the founder of cognitive therapy, also criticized Peale's techniques for their similarities with hypnotism. He compared the techniques presented with those of the hypnotist Émile Coué and asserted that the repeated use of these hypnotic techniques could lead to significant mental health problems. Ellis stated that eventually