The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1915-04-18

to others. His own success in heal
ing proves that he fully understood
a healing art which has no recourse
to material means.
THE scripture of both the Old and
New Testaments recounts many in
stances of the healing of physical
disease by the prophets, by Christ
Jesus, by His disciples, and by some
Of His followers who were not His
personal students.
"rhese cases show Enthusiastically
that Christian healing was effected
by spiritual and not material means
they teach that we should look not
to matter but to divine mind for the
true healing power, the power which
was utilized by Christ Jesus and His
disciples.
Mental Causation.
"One of the most puzzling ques-
tions to the lay thinker respecting
spiritual healing is this. How can
mere mental effort bring about
physical change; how can it restore
health and harmony?
This difficulty is largely due to
the failure to understand the nature
of mind and the relationship between
the inner world of thought and the
outer world of phenomena. Let us
consider this question briefly, first
from human or material standpoint.
then from the Christian Science
standpoint
All are familiar with the effect
of fear, grief, and anger upon bodily
conditions. Tears flow, the circulation
of the blood is altered, as shown by
pallor; the secretions are affected, as
shown by cold perspiration, etc.
These effects prove that physical
changes follow mental disturbances.
Again, we are all familiar with
the fact that diseases and distress
fear and worry cease and the har-
monious effects of peace, happiness,
and satisfaction prevail.
Take rubber ball, grasp it tightly
in the hand. thereby destroying it's
normal outline; then remove the
pressure of the fingers, and when the
strain is gone, the ball resumes its
natural shape. In a similar way, men
tai disturbances clamp the body, put
it under a Strain. distort it; but
when these disturbances are removed
the body becomes normal, natural.
This effect of thought on the body
is readily admitted even by pro-
nounced materialists. Cheerfulness,
the habit of looking on the bright
side of things, is generally acknow-
ledged to be an aid in preserving
and restoring health. Yet he who
believes in material causation will
say: 81 cannot admit that malg-
nant and organic diseases may be
caused or cured by thought. Possibly
my headache will disappear when
stop worrying or being angry, but
how can / get rid of a tumor or
bright's disease by simply thinking
about it?'
This expresses the attitude of NOR
fol thnnuht in 70
questions it is well to bear in mind
that the marvellous healing recorded
in the bible, much of which is en-
tirely above and beyond any pos
sible achievement of medical or sur
gical practice. was actually accom-
plished through mental or spiritual
activity alone, and that Christian
Science has in the same way healed
every known disease. Admitting
these facts we are better prepared to
discuss the manner in which this
healing is accomplished.
an the first place. it is necessary
for us to consider what existence is,
and the relation between mind and
body
"All will admit that to exist means
to be conscious. Then individual eX-
istence is individual consciousness.
and since consciousness is mental. ex-
istence is mental. From this ii
follows that the character of exist
ence depends upon the character of
consciousness. II is also evident that
hereditary tendency and educated bias
largely determine the character OF
consciousness. and since our mental
makeup and perceptive faculties vary
greatly, it is manifest that no two
people can have the same conscious