Article July 14, 1906 Issue

Effecting a Change of Thought

SAMUEL GREENWOOD.

A Friend recently remarked to the writer that despite her earnest effort and desire she had been unable to bring her thought into accord with Christian Science. This failure to think differently was evidently because the basic concept of being, mentally held, had not changed, and hence thought continued its accustomed course. The desire for freedom from the ills of the flesh is a prayer that is too often debarred from fulfilment, because both secular and religious education turn thought away from its present possibility; and until this barrier is removed the heart's desire droops in despair, or flutters its wings helplessly against the bars of matter. It is indeed difficult to turn thought into a new channel without first closing up the old, for men instinctively think as they believe. The change from wrong to right thinking involves the abandonment of erroneous beliefs and ideals, and the gaining of a right apprehension of the spiritual truths of being; and as this is accomplished, the corresponding change of thought becomes spontaneous.

Mortals would gladly think that man is spiritual and harmonious, as Christian Science teaches, did their educated standard of judgment permit them to do so. In so far, however, as they believe matter to be the basis of being, their thought is necessarily controlled by the nature of its evidence in determining human conditions. When matter seems to present a healthy appearance and action, health is believed to be the fact; if opposite conditions appear, the opposite conclusion, disease, is accepted. Through Christian Science we learn that it is "mortal mind" which regards matter as the fountain of life, the mainspring of human action, the guardian of man's destiny and the source of his woe. Resting upon this material belief, and accepting its conditions as inevitable, human thought adjusts itself thereto, responds to this material rule, and eventually succumbs to the fear of its supposed power.

It should be apparent that to change this mental state and avoid its consequences, a different basis than belief in matter must be found to support one's concept of being. While human belief endows matter with divine qualities and attributes, human thought will continue in subjection to it, and the wretched conditions of mortals prevail. But matter, having of itself no assertive mind or consciousness, and maintaining only a fictitious sense of existence in opposition to God, is compelled to yield up its dominion as human thought denies and dethrones it and recognizes divine Mind as supreme.

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