In his Epistle to the Romans, Paul describes a common human phenomenon, "The good that I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do." ^{Rom. 7:19;} The basic erroneous belief involved in this phenomenon is known as animal magnetism. It is the belief that there is intelligence in matter and that evil is as real and more powerful than good. It would also claim that the material body can act independently of the thought and intention of the individual. Christian Science uncovers the erroneous nature of this belief and counteracts such false influence with the great truth that God, Spirit, divine Mind, is the only source of intelligence and hence the only source of control.

This Science challenges the belief that man's nature is material and that he is a mixture of good and evil. It adheres strictly to the Biblical fact that the real man is made in the likeness of God, Spirit, and therefore is spiritual and Godlike. This Science challenges the assumption that mind is in matter, and explains that material sense is an educated belief—false thought made manifest. Jesus demonstrated the Christ as the power of God that heals both sickness and sin. He denounced these errors as the effects of evil and fearful thinking. Mrs. Eddy says in Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures, "The Son of the Virgin-mother unfolded the remedy for Adam, or error; and the Apostle Paul explains this warfare between the idea of divine power, which Jesus presented, and mythological material intelligence called energy and opposed to Spirit."^{Science and Health, p.534;}

One of the first steps in realizing a proper sense of control in human experience is to learn through this Science that material sensation is mortal mind, not matter. Once we understand this, we can proceed to silence material sense testimony by disputing this so-called mind as an impostor, a belief of intelligence where there is none. Christ Jesus called it a "liar, and the father of it."^{John 8:44;} Mortal mind is just another name for false material thinking. Then we can see that it is through an understanding of God as divine Mind, the one governing intelligence, and of man as God's spiritual idea, the reflection of this one Mind, that the human consciousness is renovated and the human experience brought under divine control. It is the recognition of the Christ, man's spiritual, eternal nature as God's child, that brings about the permanent change of thought and life that frees the body from suffering.

It is important to understand that the human body is the expression of human consciousness and that it does nothing of itself. Mrs. Eddy states, "My discovery, that erring, mortal, misnamed mind produces all the organism and action of the mortal body, set my thoughts to work in new channels, and led up to my demonstration of the proposition that Mind is All and matter is naught as the leading factor in Mind-science."^{Science and Health, pp. 108, 109;}

To nullify the influence of animal magnetism, we must consistently dispute the belief of mind in matter. We must deny the claims of heredity, of animal instincts, and of pain or pleasure in matter. The carnal, or mortal, mind has tried to lay down certain laws according to the false sense of mind in matter. Paul again refers to this antagonism between the spiritual and the material. He says, "I delight in the law of God after the inward man: but I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members."^{Rom. 7:22, 23;}

But there is no such thing as involuntary action. Divine Mind is the only source of law and is the only creative power. Therefore man is not a creature of animal instincts; he is the harmonious expression of divine intelligence. To prove this, we must cultivate the spiritual senses that are natural to man as God's child. This is done through consecrated study and prayer, through assimilating spiritual understanding. We must give time to shutting out the false testimony of the material senses. We must feel the presence of Spirit, divine Mind, and spiritualize our motives and desires. In this way we are learning of the nature of man as God made him; we are educating ourselves spiritually and learning to lean upon the divine forces that sustain man.

Christ is the activity of divine Principle in human consciousness and is able to counteract the false influence of mythological material intelligence, or mortal mind. The Christ, the true idea of God, uncovers the illusion of material sense and destroys the foundations of sin. One should never say, "I can't help doing what I do." He can prayerfully reject the testimony of material sense and affirm the fact of one Mind, or God, until the false sense is silenced and the true sense of Mind is realized and demonstrated as the only Mind, or intelligence.

The Christ is always available to break the mesmerism of helplessness. In speaking of overcoming the passions of mortal sense, Mrs. Eddy says, "Here Christian Science is the sovereign panacea, giving strength to the weakness of mortal mind, —strength from the immortal and omnipotent Mind,—and lifting humanity above itself into purer desires, even into spiritual power and good-will to man." ^{Science and Health, p. 407.}

William Milford Correll