Article May 8, 1920 Issue

In a recent issue of The Citizen you published a short report...

V. M. B. Stievenard—Letchworth, England

The Citizen

In a recent issue of The Citizen you published a short report of a lecture on hypnotism, in which the lecturer alludes to Christian Science, saying that "it advocates the power of suggestion and the strengthening of the will." This shows a misapprehension of the subject.

In the textbook of Christian Science, "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures" by Mary Baker Eddy, the Discoverer and Founder of Christian Science, there is a chapter entitled "Animal Magnetism Unmasked," which shows how diametrically opposed are mesmerism, hypnotism, or suggestion of any kind to the teachings of Christian Science. Again, on page 484 of the same book, is the question, "Does Christian Science, or metaphysical healing, include medication, material hygiene, mesmerism, hypnotism, theosophy, or spiritualism?" And the answer is clearly given: "Not one of them is included in it. In divine Science, the supposed laws of matter yield to the law of Mind." The truth is that hypnotism or mesmerism working by suggestion are based entirely on the supposed laws, often proved erroneous, of what is called the human mind; whereas Christian Science has for the basis of its activity the understanding of the law of the divine Mind,—the law of God, which includes right reasoning and reveals the facts of being.

The student of a demonstrable science, for example, mathematics, does not need mesmerism or suggestion to work out his problem, but he does need to reason correctly on a given right basis; neither does his work strengthen his will, but it does add strength to his mind and character. And so, the student of Christian Science, working on the right basis of the allness of God, and reasoning correctly, fulfills the beneficial purpose of Truth, and his mind grows strong, not because of suggestion, but because he knows the truth and is understanding the eternal law of God. He thus proves the allness of good and the nothingness of evil.

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