Editorial January 7, 1928 Issue

Mental Anatomy

Albert F. Gilmore

An emphatic statement of the necessity for Christian Scientists to change from a material to a spiritual basis of thought is found in the exposition on anatomy which appears on page 462 of "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures" by Mary Baker Eddy. Anatomy, which usually pertains only to the beliefs of a material body, is here placed in the category of spiritual truth, in these words: "Anatomy, when conceived of spiritually, is mental self-knowledge, and consists in the dissection of thoughts to discover their quality, quantity, and origin." And Mrs. Eddy follows a little later with this conclusive statement: "This branch of study is indispensable to the excision of error."

In this statement our Leader lifts the subject of anatomy entirely out of the realm of matter into the mental realm, the category of thought. It no longer deals with the structure of a material body, but primarily with thoughts, with divine ideas, the emanations from divine Mind. When man is understood to be spiritual, a compound idea, wholly devoid of materiality, then is gained a correct understanding of what anatomy is—that it deals with divine ideas, with perfect man, not with matter; and this understanding, rightly applied to the beliefs of mortal mind, so called, will uncover the errors of belief which need correction. Mental anatomy, thus regarded, becomes of great value to the student of Christian Science, for by it he determines the quality of his thought, and through the application of spiritual truth is enabled to eliminate the false.

Of how great use this understanding may be Mrs. Eddy also states on the page from which quotation was previously made. "The Christian Scientist," she says, "through understanding mental anatomy, discerns and deals with the real cause of disease." And she contrasts this scientific method with the means adopted by the physician who, because he believes matter to be real, deals with results rather than with causes. Can one doubt the greater efficacy of the scientific method? But to insure satisfactory results the rules of Christian Science must be strictly obeyed; otherwise, error may seem to delay or defeat one's right purpose.

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