Over the years, the word “illusion” has taken on an almost benign connotation. Think about that for a moment.

Folks watch stage magicians perform their oftentimes remarkable illusions. We regularly see the mirage of water appearing on the roadways on a hot day. And we live in a period when nearly every movie or TV program uses CGI (computer-generated imagery) or green screen effects to create the illusion of the actors or personalities being in an environment that is entirely without reality. In fact, every time you look at the weatherperson on TV you’re witnessing and partaking of this technology.

To be sure, it can often be quite realistic and fool the casual observer causing them to suspend their disbelief and accept the unreal for the real. It can be very entertaining, cost-effective, and even a very useful tool in communicating ideas.

So—what’s the problem?

Well, in Christianly-scientific metaphysical terms, “illusion” is anything but benign. It is the deception of error—the vehicle that is designed to deceive us. It leads humanity into false conclusions about existence—about who we are and who God is. Illusions that attempt to reverse the reality of being by claiming that matter is real and that Spirit—God—is the ephemeral, the illusion, the insubstantial.

It is nothing short of insidious!

And just as the magician achieves his or her “success” by distracting us into believing the deception, so too does error attempt to deflect our thought from that which is real—that which is of God—and have us focus on the illusion: the claims of mortality, of life and intelligence in matter. Of a finite existence. Of separation from our Creator.

And each of these lies would have us believe the blasphemy—and let’s call the lie what it is!—that God is not omnipotent, omnipresent, omniscient, and omni-active, and that man is not His perfect idea. The perfect idea that is whole and complete at every moment!

But unlike the performance of the illusionist, the effects of believing these illusions—the deceptions of material sense—are disastrous to our health, well-being, and harmony.

So, when you’re next reading any of the 103 occurrences of the word “illusion” or its variants in Science and Health, be alert to not gloss over it and instead strive to recognize the true meaning of the word—a word that is devoid of benevolence or goodness.

And here’s one such instance that you might want to ponder and take to heart (Science and Health, p. 214):

We bow down to matter, and entertain finite thoughts of God like the pagan idolater. Mortals are inclined to fear and to obey what they consider a material body more than they do a spiritual God. All material knowledge, like the original “tree of knowledge,” multiplies their pains, for mortal illusions would rob God, slay man, and meanwhile would spread their table with cannibal tidbits and give thanks.

Nope—nothing benign or entertaining there!

Mary Baker Eddy wrote:

We must give up the spectral at all points. (Science and Health, p. 353)

Now, much of the world believes in ghosts, apparitions, otherworldly beings, spirit-guides, loved-ones who have passed on overseeing our day-to-day activities, ethereal guardians, channeling, past hauntings, etc. And, make no mistake, these are indeed wrongful thought-influences that we need to be alert to and metaphysically handle accordingly.

But is this statement from Science and Health applicable to just these beliefs? Or does it go a lot further?

What about catastrophic events, the belief of traumatic situations, past illnesses, emotional disturbances, abusive relationships, lack, or anything inharmonious—not of God—that would try to continue to enslave and limit us by haunting our thoughts? By evoking images or feelings of anxiety, depression, or manifesting itself in present sickness?

And what about the beliefs of heredity, genetics, and DNA that would claim we are programmed by the past—either by our immediate forebears or the extensive lineage of distant ancestral populations—to have certain proclivities, good or bad, based on material circumstances?

The good news is that we don’t need to be mesmerized by or experience any of these claims. Why? Because they are not of God—of omnipresent, omniscient, omnipotent, and omni-active all good! They are nothing more that the lies of material sense, of mortal mind—lies without authority, presence, intelligence, or any real activity.

And it is God—and God alone—that maintains and sustains us as His beloved creations—healthy, holy, and harmonious at all times, contrary to all of the suggestions of the carnal mind and so-called human knowledge!

God’s love for us is so complete that its very presence obliterates anything unlike itself! We need to recognize this absolute and indisputable fact, and strive to both live our lives and align our thinking accordingly. How? By turning away from the falsities of mortality and instead listening to and obeying the constant testimony of Spirit—of God.

In her Pulpit and Press (p. 3), Mrs. Eddy stated:

Know, then, that you possess sovereign power to think and act rightly, and that nothing can dispossess you of this heritage and trespass on Love. If you maintain this position, who or what can cause you to sin or suffer? Our surety is in our confidence that we are indeed dwellers in Truth and Love, man’s eternal mansion.

And in that mansion there are no hauntings!

I’ve been noticing among some Christian Scientists a type of confusion about their role in achieving healing through Christian Science.

Some think that all they need to do is to humanly declare a spiritual truth—perhaps over and over—and whatever ailment or inharmonious situation they’re dealing with will be healed. While others look to the human personality of the practitioner rather than to God. And then there are those that, in lieu of changing their thinking and lives, mistakenly look upon Christian Science treatment as if it were a medical model of taking a drug or undergoing a procedure.

Often, however, these folks find that they are not receiving the healing they desire and are left feeling hopeless, frustrated, or discouraged.

Yet they continue in the same unthinking, unproductive, and unspiritual vein.

What would cause them to do this?

Plainly put: the “mist” of Genesis II, alias the carnal mind—mortal mind, error, evil, animal magnetism.

It would attempt to mystify and cloud their thoughts in order to keep them in the dream—in the belief—of life and mind in matter. That would keep them enslaved to the delusion that there is another power, presence, intelligence, existence, and activity other than God.

All too often, though, these same individuals are reluctant to accept the spiritual fact—the spiritual demand—that they are required to spiritualize their thinking and behavior. That they must be willing to put off the old man and put on the new as the Apostle Paul proclaimed. That they need to repent and reform!

Mary Baker Eddy wrote:

We must receive the divine Principle in the understanding, and live it in daily life; and unless we so do, we can no more demonstrate Science, than we can teach and illustrate geometry by calling a curve a straight line or a straight line a sphere. (Science and Health, p. 283)

“Live it in daily life…”

That “live” is an active, constant requirement for each of us to be letting go of the false beliefs of matter that we have entertained and instead be grasping hold of a deeper sense of Spirit—of God—and of our indestructible relationship to Him. A deeper sense that heals not only ourselves, but also others

And what about the mist and confusion?

Gone!

My latest JSH-Online audio podcast “What Christian Science is and what it isn’t” has just been posted at the Putting it on record section of The Christian Science Journal. Rita Polatin interviewed me about the importance of striving for a clearer understanding of Christian Science in order to successfully heal not only ourselves but others, as well as the need to be alert to systems of mortal thought that would adversely affect that very demonstration.

You can hear it at: http://journal.christianscience.com/audio/putting-it-on-record/what-christian-science-is-and-what-it-isn-t

Enjoy!

My good friend, Phil Davis, C.S.B., recently posted two items on his blog site: “Kick the bucket list!” and “…And then there are ice buckets!” I highly recommend clicking on the highlighted titles and reading them!

Well, there’s another type of bucket list that recently came to my attention. One that’s perhaps is even subtler and yet one that’s at least equally dangerous.

What is it?

“What goals of spiritual progress do I need to make before I pass on?

Now, you may be thinking “What’s wrong with that? It’s good to make spiritual progress? After all, Mrs. Eddy stated that ‘Earth’s preparatory school must be improved to the utmost.’ (Science and Health, p. 486)”

Actually, everything’s wrong with that kind of thinking!

First of all, it’s not the same thing that Mrs. Eddy was talking about in the above quote—about the need to continually be improving our thoughts and actions to be more God-like.

No, instead it’s a subtle whisper of the serpent—of error—donning the trappings of a desire for spiritual progress, but which in reality is having us agree to be thinking about death as a goalpost rather than persistently and vigorously resisting death/mortality in any of its myriad guises!

Remember, the Apostle Paul referred to “death” as “the last enemy” to be destroyed (I Corinthians 15:26). Does that in any way sound like we should be accepting it as normal or inevitable or something to be spiritually planned for?

Now, let me be direct here: by thinking about a checklist of spiritually progressive tasks we must accomplish before we pass on, we are in fact agreeing to death! We are agreeing to the belief that we are mortal beings rather than the immortal ideas of God.

And, make no mistake; by doing so, we are bringing the woes of material sense—of sin, sickness, and death—upon us.

Clearly, this is not a good thing!

And it certainly isn’t spiritual progress!

Science and Health (p. 318) states:

The material senses originate and support all that is material, untrue, selfish, or debased. They would put soul into soil, life into limbo, and doom all things to decay. We must silence this lie of material sense with the truth of spiritual sense. We must cause the error to cease that brought the belief of sin and death and would efface the pure sense of omnipotence.

So, let’s get about doing what we must and need to be doing: silencing the lie that material sense—that error—is seeking to overwhelm us as well as humanity with: the lie of death.

Let’s make sure that the only bucket we want to partake of is the one that our Master spoke of to the woman of Samaria. The bucket that contains the living waters of life eternal—of the truths of Christian Science—right now!

This phrase is a portion of Caleb’s declaration to Joshua about his strength in his 85^th year.  The full text from the King James Bible reads:

As yet I am as strong this day as I was in the day that Moses sent me: as my strength was then, even so is my strength now, for war, both to go out, and to come in. (Josh. 14:11)

I’ve often thought of Caleb as a wonderful example of how to defeat the belief of aging and as a useful metaphysical concept to practically demonstrate this in our own experiences.  And I’ve used it successfully on many occasions.

But recently, I began to realize that the final portion—“even so is my strength now, for war, both to go out, and to come in”—is something that we can think of in terms of our willingness and God-given ability to go out and to come in from battle as we seek to heal the public and not just ourselves.

You might well be scratching your head and asking “What’s the connection?”

Let me explain.

Many of the folks that I speak with in my work are often afraid of actually doing what a Christian Scientist is supposed to do—namely heal the sick and reform the sinner.

Why?

Because they doubt their ability and understanding.  Or they wonder what others will think of them if they offer prayerful help.  Or particularly if they don’t succeed.

Frequently, they’re concerned about what will happen to them in terms of mental malpractice against their efforts—in other words, what the reaction of the carnal mind would be, how it might harm them physically, socially, employment-wise, and so on.

But each of these concerns are fears—are impositions—suggested to the individual’s consciousness by mortal mind, by evil, as if it were their own thinking, conclusions, and observations.

“To what end?” you might ask.

To keep the Christian Scientist from fulfilling his or her God-given mission in helping to destroy the carnal mind’s enslavement of humanity!

Caleb’s affirmation—backed by his reliance on God and his experience from having done so in the midst of the possibility of violent danger to himself as well as condemnation from his fellow Israelites—indicates clearly to me that we can go out to war and expect to come in from it without scars, without trauma, without harm to ourselves or our loved ones.

How so?

Because it is none other than Almighty God who impels us to do so.  It is God, and none else, who guides and protects us as we go forth to accomplish all that He wishes us to do.

And with that recognition and consequent action—with that spiritual understanding and obedience to our Maker—we bless our fellow beings and are simultaneously blessed!

Both to go out and to come in!

The print version/reduction of the Sentinel Live Audio Chat “Persistence in healing” that I did with Rita Polatin back in May is now available at JSH-Online in the Christian Science Sentinel, August 4, 2014 edition.  An audio track is also included.  To access the article click on the following link: http://sentinel.christianscience.com/issues/2014/8/116-31/persistence-in-healing

Enjoy!

While on my way to meet my wife for lunch the other day, I took the subway in Boston—something that I hadn’t done for quite awhile.  What struck me was the significant number of young men and women passengers in their 20’s and 30’s that had large areas of their bodies tattooed.

And then I wondered: “What about the rest of us—are we tattooed?”

“Huh?” you may be asking yourself.  “What’s he talking about?  I’ve never done anything even remotely like that to my body!”

That may be true outwardly, but what about allowing errors in thinking, the belief of diseases, sickness, sin, death, grief, trauma, impoverishment, failed or difficult relationships, lack of education, mortal limitations of any kind—“all the ills that the flesh is heir to”—to be “tattooed” on your experience?

Tattoos that seem indelible.  Tattoos that continue to graphically attempt to portray the false image of identity—an identity that is wholly or even partially material and mortal.  An identity that is completely untrue about each and every one of us as the reflection of Almighty God—the only true identity that we really have!

And we need to honestly ask ourselves if we’re in any way clinging to those tattered mental tattoos—graphics that appear manifested in the real estate of our lives.  Are we perhaps perceiving them as a badge of nobility, of courage, of wistful nostalgia, or as something to be fascinated by, and so forth?

Let’s realize that we have the power and authority, bestowed on us by God, to utterly and completely remove any and all vestiges of those false pictures of ourselves and thereby experience more and more of our true identity—an identity that is completely spiritual!

How?

By vigorously and whole-heartedly turning to God to learn the spiritual lessons that will eradicate whatever those past or present lies about us, our neighbor, and God may be.  In other words, by doing what Mary Baker stated in Science and Health, p.390:

Rise in the conscious strength of the spirit of Truth to overthrow the plea of mortal mind, alias matter, arrayed against the supremacy of Spirit. Blot out the images of mortal thought and its beliefs in sickness and sin. Then, when thou art delivered to the judgment of Truth, Christ, the judge will say, “Thou art whole!”

And that wholeness as the perfect image and likeness of God should be the only image we want displayed!

When folks are working on a healing for a long time, they might think about past healings they’ve had in Christian Science as a way of being grateful, of reassuring themselves of the power of God, and of bolstering their courage to continue the fight against the error that has engulfed their thinking.  No problem there unless they’re relying on the past rather than looking forward to what they need to understand now.

At such times, however, error may suggest “Yes, that really was a remarkable healing you had, but…” and then go on to remind the individual:

1. how long the current problem has been going on;
2. how hard they’ve been working on it; and
3. how often they’ve prayed, etc. and yet without any apparent results!

If any of this sounds familiar, you need to be alert to this undermining and harmful methodology of the carnal mind—of evil.

Why?

Because if we’re not awake to how error operates, we’re very likely to be taken in by its lies, and delay the healing we deserve.

So let’s examine this two-fold “Yes, but” tactic closely!

The “but” part of the suggestion is really nothing other than a disagreement designed to engender a sense of futility and hopelessness in the individual—a “what’s the point” mentality to entice them to abandon their reliance on Christian Science and choose material means and methods instead or to resign themselves to their “fate.”  Obviously, not good!

However, it’s the first part—the “Yes” section—that is perhaps the more subtle aspect of the serpent’s suggestion—the one we really need to be awake to!

Evil may appear to acknowledge previous healings, but it can never do so because it’s against its very “nature” to agree with anything that’s true!  It’s a deceitful trap laid to draw us into accepting the “but”—the disagreement portion—by seeking to mesmerize us into believing that mortal mind’s conclusion is perfectly “reasonable.”  It would suggest—as our own observation—that we’ve given it our best shot, that the current situation’s just too tough, and now we need to rationally look elsewhere—to material means and methods.

This lie would have us turn from our one and only Creator—in whom we live and move and have our being.  In whom is our only real source of health, holiness, and harmony.  In whom alone is our salvation!

To be sure, this is the individual’s personal choice, but shouldn’t we be awake to the falsity of this utterly wrong-headed premise, conclusion, and influence?

Shouldn’t we be asking ourselves if we really have “given it our best shot”?  Have we deeply examined our thoughts and perceptions to see what is of God and what is of the carnal mind?  Are we truly willing to let go of cherished concepts that may be holding us back—concepts that even at one time may have appeared to be comforting but which are not truly of the Comforter?

Mary Baker Eddy included in a letter to a Branch Church the following (Miscellaneous Writings, p. 154):

Pray without ceasing. Watch diligently; never desert the post of spiritual observation and self-examination. Strive for self-abnegation, justice, meekness, mercy, purity, love. Let your light reflect Light. Have no ambition, affection, nor aim apart from holiness. Forget not for a moment, that God is All-in-all — therefore, that in reality there is but one cause and effect.

In light of these admonitions, can we honestly say we’ve done our best?

There is no room for “yes, buts” here!

There was a book in the 1970’s that became very popular—Jonathan Livingston Seagull. It was pleasant and it was even hailed in some quarters as being profound.

Was it?  Though “pleasant” and “profound” both begin with the letter “p”, that’s where the similarity ends.

What’s the point of my bringing this up then?

Well, I’ve been witnessing a disturbing phenomenon in which more and more of my fellow Christian Scientists are falling into the trap of reducing the ideas in Science and Health to a “Jonathan Livingston Seagull” mentality of nice, pleasant, comfortable, cozy, and interesting intellectual, quasi-spiritual concepts—concepts that would attempt to emasculate truth by reducing it to mere human platitudes. That would attempt to destroy the potency of Almighty God.

The content of Science and Health—the most profound and powerful book ever written and which unlocks the doors to the spiritual healing power of the Bible—is not talking about niceties or pleasant or pretty sounding ideas. Far from it!  It’s about the very Word of God that created the universe and each and everyone one of us to possess and reflect that infinite power—the power to be healed and to heal others!

We’re talking about the Science of being. The Science of Christ. The one and only means of salvation for mankind from the destruction of error—from the carnal mind’s aggressive espousal of gods many, and of mind, life, intelligence, and Spirit being in matter!  In other words, the whole lie of the Adam dream promoted in Genesis II that has brought about all the sufferings of humanity.

What did Mary Baker Eddy have to say about such conscious or unconscious attempts at diminishing the healing power of the ideas in the textbook of Christian Science?

Neither emasculation, illusion, nor insubordination exists in divine Science. (Science and Health, p. 271)

Not human platitudes, but divine beatitudes, reflect the spiritual light and might which heal the sick. (SH, p. 446)

So before joining the flock with what might appear to some at first blush to be harmless mannerisms and phrasings of speech, take a moment and ask yourself if you really want to participate in mortal mind’s campaign of dissipation.  Or if you instead will stand watch and defeat such travesties by understanding the tactics of error.

As Mrs. Eddy wrote:

A knowledge of error and of its operations must precede that understanding of Truth which destroys error, until the entire mortal, material error finally disappears, and the eternal verity, man created by and of Spirit, is understood and recognized as the true likeness of his Maker. (SH, p. 252)