Article May 22, 1943 Issue

Application in School

[Of Special Interest to Youth]

PERCIVAL ROBERTSON

The young student finds many opportunities to apply the teachings of Christian Science to the numerous problems that arise in connection with school or college work. One of these is learning to concentrate on one's studies. This expression, which is frequently heard among educators, is often misunderstood until its scientific meaning is grasped.

Concentration is commonly understood to mean the act of putting more of something into a given place or into a given interval, and so "concentration on studies" is sometimes thought to mean putting more thought on one's studying during a given interval. To some students this means simply working harder. While this idea may in some instances be humanly useful, when examined in the light of Christian Science its insufficiency is recognized. Thought is the evidence of Mind. Since there is in reality only one Mind, and that one is infinite and omnipresent, filling all there is forever, it becomes evident that neither Mind nor its manifestation has need of concentration.

What, then, may concentration on one's study mean? The practical scientist or technician recognizes a method of concentrating a solution other than by adding more of a given substance to it; it is done by removing the diluting material. Thus, a salt solution may be concentrated by the removal of the solvent, as by evaporation. This suggests the operation that may be needed to concentrate on study. Does the young student ever find in his work that there are stray thoughts which enter his thinking and tend to decrease the time or productive effort he puts on his study? In other words, do foreign thoughts dilute his effective thinking? Whence come such suggestions if there is only one Mind? They are the suggestions of the so-called mortal mind, which simulate the ideas of Mind. Mrs. Eddy recognized these suggestions and also their cure. In "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures" we read (p. 261), "Hold thought steadfastly to the enduring, the good, and the true, and you will bring these into your experience proportionably to their occupancy of your thoughts."

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