Article October 30, 2006 Issue

A MATTER OF EVIDENCE

BY LYNN JACKSON

The sun doesn't touch the earth at its horizon. Two parallel roads don't really converge into one. What appears as an oasis in the desert is actually a mirage.

These are all familiar examples of the evidence we see with our eyes that we know are only illusions. Mary Baker Eddy, who discovered Christian Science, explained it like this: "The optical focus is another proof of the illusion of material sense. On the eye's retina, sky and tree-tops apparently join hands, clouds and ocean meet and mingle. The barometer,—that little prophet of storm and sunshine, denying the testimony of the senses,—points to fair weather in the midst of murky clouds and drenching rain. Experience is full of instances of similar illusions, which every thinker can recall for himself" (Science and Health, p. 122).

Is it possible, then, to be fooled by something we might consider to be more substantial—like our own physical body? Does matter, or the body, ever fool us? Is it, too, subject to illusions? Through my own study and practice of Christian Science, I've learned that the physical body, itself, is indeed very much illusory. However, through spiritual understanding, we can discover how the material senses are not trustworthy. We can find the strength to confront material disturbance through prayer, and see that transformation and healing are inevitable. As we embrace spiritual truth in thought, our experience changes for the better.