Christian Science is bringing mankind a wholly new concept of the nature of mind. This concept admittedly is revolutionary because it radically differs from the conventional sense that sees mind as an aspect of organic life. It opposes the generally accepted belief that the ability to think has evolved slowly from inert matter through aeons of time and is now seen in various stages of development in the gradations of animal life.

To the five material senses, a brain-centered mind seems to be an unquestioned fact. The evidence appears to be overwhelming. How, then, can Christian Science have the temerity to deny this established hypothesis and throw down the gauntlet to all forms of human learning that are based on this premise?

It took tremendous courage for Mrs. Eddy to face world thought with this new concept. In the textbook, Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures, she made this unequivocal statement: "The basic error is mortal mind." ^{Science and Health, p. 405;} This fact, and the truth that real Mind is God, infinite Spirit, came to her through revelation. She then proceeded to prove the scientific practicality of this God-sent conviction by healing many cases of seemingly incurable disease. She writes, "My conclusions were reached by allowing the evidence of this revelation to multiply with mathematical certainty and the lesser demonstration to prove the greater, as the product of three multiplied by three, equalling nine, proves conclusively that three times three duodecillions must be nine duodecillions,—not a fraction more, not a unit less." ^{p. 108;}

As the deeper ramifications of this great discovery unfolded to her thought, Mrs. Eddy learned that because God, Mind, is the infinite, indivisible consciousness of all men everywhere, that which seems to be a personal matter-oriented mind must be a hypnotic illusion. Under Mind's guidance she named it animal magnetism, or mortal mind, and likened it to the false consciousness that seems to impart intelligence and animation to figures in a dream. This erroneous conception of mind she found to be the cause of all disease. It is inherently discordant because it willfully asserts itself to be a separate, self-contained entity independent of spiritual origin or influence. Those who accept it as their mind shut themselves off, in belief, from the natural, health-producing harmony of the one real Ego, or Mind.

This completely new view of conscious being may seem at first difficult to accept or understand, but persistent, thoughtful study and application of Christian Science enables one to gain glimpses of a substantive reality beyond material sense testimony. One begins to understand, too, that what seems to be the mortal body is really the substratum of mortal mind. It is a limited, mortally mental sense of man's real spiritual identity, and because of its mental nature it is responsive to states of thought. Obviously, then, when disease appears, the trouble is not physical but mortally mental—"the basic error is mortal mind." The dissonance of mortal thinking—fear, anger, lust, dishonesty, willfulness—is producing a picture of discord.

Conversely, if one entertains the thoughts of God, the impartations of the Mind that is Love—tenderness, strength, purity, integrity, justice—he will experience the healing harmony of Mind's presence, because this Mind is inseparable from its attributes and qualities. What a joy to know that every loving, pure thought that wells up in consciousness is evidence of one's inseparable unity with the eternal I am! And the more consistently one entertains and expresses these aspects of the divine nature, the more vivid and substantial becomes this healing sense of oneness, or unity, with God. Christ Jesus evidently knew this, for he said, "He that sent me is with me: ... for I do always those things that please him." ^{John 8:29;} Jesus was well aware that every facet of human discord is based on the dark, fear-infested thoughts emanating from a personal sense of mind. He likened this false mind to a strong man whom we must learn to master. He said, "No man can enter into a strong man's house, and spoil his goods, except he will first bind the strong man." ^{Mark 3:27;} Commenting on this, Mrs. Eddy writes: "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." ^{Science and Health, p. 400.}

It is evident, then, that we win our freedom from material limitations in the precise degree that we break the bonds imposed by a false sense of mind. We must cease imagining ourselves to be brain-controlled mortals striving to reach out or up to the one divine Mind as something separate or apart from ourselves. The fact is that God is all-presence at this very moment. Right now we are spiritual identities, ideas, living in the allness of divine consciousness. The All-Mind literally constitutes the individuality of man; and in the degree that we claim this truth to be our present experience, and deny the suggestions of a personal mind, we realize our birthright of dominion.

Alan A. Aylwin