In my teens I learned to ride horseback. The horse was fitted with an English saddle, so when she trotted I had to post, or rise in the saddle in time with the horse’s gait. Although the instructor kept telling me to just let the horse do the work, to relax and feel the natural rhythm that came from the movement of the horse, I had trouble doing so. I pushed and struggled and heaved, but to no avail.

Then one night I dreamed that I was riding, and in my dream I could feel the effortless flow of the horse and me, moving in perfect unison. It was magnificent. The next day I was eager to try again, and I posted perfectly the first time. From then on, each ride was a joyous event instead of a frustrating struggle. This taught me the futility of pushing to achieve a goal.

Christian Science is sometimes thought to be a self-help cure brought about by the exercise of willpower, which is an action of the human mind. But this is far from the truth.