Editorial March 29, 1969 Issue

Thought Controls Body

William Milford Correll

A fundamental concept in the healing practice of Christian Science is that thought controls body and that one is dealing primarily with mental conditions rather than physical. It is found that fear, false belief, mistaken concepts of God and man, and possibly sinful tendencies are at the root of the trouble. One can begin to see that more than material remedies is necessary and that there is a rationality to healing through prayer, through spiritual means. A change in consciousness is necessary for a change in experience. The healing action of this Science is the action of Truth destroying error, Love destroying hate, and the understanding of Life counteracting the fear of death.

Mary Baker Eddy says in Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures, "Mortal mind forms all conditions of the mortal body, and controls the stomach, bones, lungs, heart, blood, etc., as directly as the volition or will moves the hand."^{Science and Health, p. 220;} And Christ Jesus was saying the same thing in his statement, "No man can enter into a strong man's house, and spoil his goods, except he will first bind the strong man; and then he will spoil his house."^{Mark 3:27;} In another instance he said, "Not that which goeth into the mouth defileth a man; but that which cometh out of the mouth, this defileth a man."^{Matt. 15:11;}

The most effective healer that ever trod the globe taught us that we must purify our thought of evil and false belief in order to exercise the dominion that is essential to health and well-being. The strong man in Jesus' statement might well mean the human will, the false mortal self that is manifest in selfishness, envy, and hate. When we conquer those elements of thought through a spiritual understanding of the facts of divine Science, through purified living and consecrated prayer, we will gain increased control over the human body.

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