Article April 2, 2001 Issue

6 stages in the search for truth

By Elise Moore

The yearning for something higher and holier resonates in the human heart. And so a search for spirituality begins. Yet the search is often for a type of "Northwest Passage," a shortcut that will make life easier. People read books. Listen to talks. Test the methods. Does it work? Do we feel more inspired, uplifted, confident, satisfied? Are we more successful, healthier, happier? If so, we stick with the system that works for us. If not, we keep looking.

Mary Baker Eddy, who founded the Sentinel in 1898, discovered that the path to spirituality began when she challenged materialism—the "theory that physical matter . . . is the only reality and that everything in the universe, including thought, feeling, mind, and will, can be explained in terms of physical laws" (American Heritage Dictionary). We might not believe that everything is matter, but we tend to believe almost exclusively what we see, hear, taste, touch, and smell. These indications of materialism have to be challenged in order to make room for us to see spiritual concepts.

Just admitting that the five physical senses aren't always accurate is helpful. Like when puddles of "water" appear on dry, hot pavement in the summer. Or when the sun appears to slide under the horizon when actually the earth is turning. Or when a child announces he or she will never learn the multiplication tables and wants to stop using flash cards every evening. There are lots of times when we don't readily believe our eyes and ears.

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