Editorial March 2, 1940 Issue

The Remedy for Illusion

George Shaw Cook

"When the illusion of sickness or sin tempts you, cling steadfastly to God and His idea. Allow nothing but His likeness to abide in your thought," writes Mary Baker Eddy on page 495 of "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures;" and she continues, "Let neither fear nor doubt overshadow your clear sense and calm trust, that the recognition of life harmonious—as Life eternally is—can destroy any painful sense of, or belief in, that which Life is not."

Viewed from the standpoint of ordinary human experience, and judged according to the testimony of the material senses, sickness may appear to be far from illusory. Indeed, one uninstructed in Christian Science, if asked whether sickness is real, would be very likely to reply, "Indeed it is, and judging by my experience, I should say it is not only real, but very difficult to deal with." However, Christian Science helps one to see that if disease were real, in the absolute sense, it would be eternal and indestructible. And Mrs. Eddy says (ibid., p. 230), "If sickness is real, it belongs to immortality; if true, it is a part of Truth;" and she very pertinently asks the question, "Would you attempt with drugs, or without, to destroy a quality or condition of Truth?" Then she continues, "But if sickness and sin are illusions, the awakening from this mortal dream, or illusion, will bring us into health, holiness, and immortality."

From the foregoing it will be understood that while sickness may seem real to one who believes the testimony of the material sense, it nevertheless exists only as illusion to one who through spiritual sense has discerned that the only reality is divine Mind and its idea, expression, or manifestation. That which appears real, but which is in fact illusion, is temporal; but that which is actually real, because created by God, divine Mind, is eternal and indestructible. So-called mortal existence, with all that pertains thereto, including matter, sin, disease, and death, exists only as a mesmeric illusion of the carnal mind, of which the Apostle Paul wrote, in his epistle to the Romans, "The carnal mind is enmity against God."

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