We read in Science and Health by Mrs. Eddy (p. 369), "The prophylactic and therapeutic (that is, the preventive and curative) arts belong emphatically to Christian Science, as would be readily seen, if psychology, or the Science of Spirit, God, was understood." This use of the word "psychology" certainly challenges thought, because psychology is usually considered as having to do only with the human mind.

In most of its early manifestations, however, psychology was a branch of metaphysics dealing with the concept of the soul, and, of course, it is in its metaphysical sense that Mrs. Eddy uses this word. In his third letter, which was addressed to Gaius, John recognized the relationship of well-being to Soul when he wrote (verse 2), "Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth."

One dictionary definition of "psychology" (in its usual sense) is "systematic knowledge and investigation of the phenomena of consciousness and behavior." To understand properly these phenomena, we must make a distinction between the Mind which is God and the so-called mortal or carnal mind. And it is this distinction in Christian Science that enables us to do two things: to bring our lives into accord with the divine Mind and to find freedom from a fictitious mortal mind.

Take, for example, such a phenomenon as the diseased, disordered, or discordant behavior of mind or body. It cannot be attributed to the divine Mind, God, but belongs to the negation of this Mind, the so-called mortal or carnal mind. Such unnatural behavior is, then, obviously contrary to the divine order. It does not have a real source and so must be unreal, untrue. In other words, it must be error.

The Apostle Paul gives us an incisive analysis of such a phenomenon. He attributed the unnatural sinful condition of doing what he would not, or not doing what he would, to the carnal mind, referring to this in terms of "another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind" (Rom. 7:23). But when he identified himself with Spirit, rather than with the flesh, that is, when he turned from error to Truth, he declared, "The law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death."

To him, walking "after the flesh" was carnal-mindedness, while walking "after the Spirit" was spiritual-mindedness. "To be carnally minded is death," he said, "but to be spiritually minded is life and peace." We develop the art of prevention, as well as that of healing, as we clearly distinguish the difference between walking "after the flesh" and "after the Spirit."

Keeping well involves an understanding of health, the understanding that health is spiritual in nature, that God, Spirit, is its source. Preventing disease requires a recognition of disease as material-mindedness, not as a physical condition. Health is positive; it is good; it is real. That is why we desire it. Disease is negative; it is evil; it is unreal. That is why we seek either to avoid it or to overcome it, as the case may demand.

We are in error when we accord any reality whatever to disease, for from this point of view it would be natural for us to be partly well and partly sick, and this seems to be the lot of anyone who is unacquainted with basic spiritual facts.

The more we succeed in identifying ourselves with Spirit, the more we have of good, of reality. Likewise, the more we separate ourselves from a material sense of existence, the less we have to contend with evil, with unreality.

Jesus rebuked those who accused him of casting out devils by Beelzebub, the prince of the devils, in other words, of casting out evil with evil, when he asked (Mark 3:23), "How can Satan cast out Satan?" Then he stated, "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."

Explaining this, Mrs. Eddy writes (Science and Health, pp. 399, 400), "In other words: How can I heal the body, without beginning with so-called mortal mind, which directly controls the body?" Later she adds: "Mortal mind is 'the strong man,' which must be held in subjection before its influence upon health and morals can be removed. This error conquered, we can despoil 'the strong man' of his goods,— namely, of sin and disease."

If we would become proficient in the preventive and curative arts, we must learn to discriminate between psychology, so called, and "the Science of Spirit, God"; between the carnal mind, which is enmity against God, and the divine Mind, which is the source of all action and is the healer of sin and disease. Then we must learn to bind with Truth the strong man, the mortal or carnal mind.

"If action proceeds from the divine Mind, action is harmonious," our Leader writes (ibid., p. 239). "If it comes from erring mortal mind, it is discordant and ends in sin, sickness, death."

The rule in Christian Science, then, is to acknowledge that the divine Mind, which is God, is the only real Mind and is the source of our health as well as our morals. Refusing to accord reality to any other mind, we become superior to both disease and sin—in fact, Truth makes us superior to them.

Ralph E. Wagers