Article November 14, 1925 Issue

Spiritualizing Thought

EMMA EASTON NEWMAN

In a letter to The Christian Science Board of Directors, March 3, 1903 (see Sentinel of August 29, 1914), in answer to a question regarding the singing of her hymns in church services, Mrs. Eddy replied: "It would be a good thing to have one of my hymns sung about every Sunday. It would spiritualize the thought of your audience, and this is more needed in the church than aught else can be." The rereading of this has caused at least one student to think deeply on the question of spiritualization of thought, both as to what it is and as to how it may be accomplished. Thinking is such a continuing thing. Other things may be begun or stopped; but the process of thought goes on incessantly, and the nature of our thinking, whether material or spiritual, determines the outward manifestations of our lives. Sickness or health, unhappiness or happiness, failure or success, are only outward manifestations of the material or spiritual nature of our thinking. How vital, then, to know the correct basis from which to think, and how to arrive at this basis!

Material thoughts come from the belief that matter is real and causative. Spiritual thoughts come from the opposite basis, that of understanding that Spirit is God, therefore that Spirit is All, excluding matter, and leaving Spirit as the only real basis from which we may think correctly. Many references may be found in the Concordance to the textbook of Christian Science, "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures" by Mary Baker Eddy, under the words "base" and "basis," making this point very clear.

On page 162 of Science and Health our Leader says, "Christian Science acts as an alterative, neutralizing error with Truth;" so it would appear that in order to obtain this change of base from matter to Spirit, it is necessary that the truth should be introduced into human consciousness as a chemist might introduce substances of a purifying nature into a stagnant pool, in order that the impurities might be neutralized, leaving the water pure. Mrs. Eddy says (ibid., p. 422), "As when an acid and alkali meet and bring out a third quality, so mental and moral chemistry changes the material base of thought, giving more spirituality to consciousness and causing it to depend less on material evidence."

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