April 11 ~ The Science of Mind in a Year

The Great Search ~ Ernest Holmes

"The world seeks a solution of its great riddle - the apparent separation between God and man; between life and what it does; between the invisible and the visible; between the Father and the Son - and until this riddle is solved, there can be no peace.

Peace is an inner calm, obtained through man's knowledge of what he believes and why.  Without knowledge, there is no lasting peace.  Nothing can bring peace but the revelation of the individual to himself, and a recognition of his direct relationship to the Universe.  He must know that he is an eternal being on the pathway of life, with certainty behind him, certainty before him, and certainty accompanying him all the way.

Peace is brought about through a conscious unity of the personal man with the inner principle of his life - that underlying current, flowing from a divine center, pressing ever outward into expression.  But this can never come by proxy.  We can hire others to work for you, to care for our physical needs, but no one can live for us.  This we must do for ourselves.

The Need of Spiritual Experience

We need spiritual experience, a first-hand knowledge of life and Reality.  There is no medium between God and man, nothing between life and living, between heaven and hell, but an idea.  But an idea has no real value until it becomes an experience.

In conversation, we assume great knowledge of religion and philosophy, but how much do we really experience?  We can know only that which we experience. All great religions have taught truth, but it means nothing to us unless it becomes our truth.

We need spiritual experience.  We shall never know peace until we embody it, we shall never know Truth until we become Truth, and we cannot know God unless we sense Him within our own being.  The Spirit is ever giving, but we must take.  What life does for us must be done through us.

Spiritual experience is deep, calm and self-assertive; it is the result of actually realizing that Presence which binds all together in one complete Whole.  This experience comes in the stillness of the Soul, when the outer voice is quiet, when the tempest of human strife is abated; it is a quickening of the inner man to an eternal reality.

Spiritual experience is a fact. Spirituality may be defined as an atmosphere of good, the realization of God.  It cannot - and does not - borrow its light from another, no matter how great or noble that other may be.  It springs from within, coming from that never-failing fountain of life, which quenches every thirst, whose Source is in eternity; the well-spring of self-existence.  It is a revelation of the self to the self, putting one back on the track of his own self-dependence on Spirit, his own at-one-ment with Reality.

The Cause of Human Troubles

The integrity of the universe cannot be questioned nor doubted.  The spirit must be, and is perfect.  That which is back of everything must be good, must be complete, must be love and harmony.  When we are out of harmony with some special good, it is because we are off the track along that particular line of the activity of Spirit.

But how are we to regain the lost Paradise?  Only through soul culture and by careful self-analysis.  What is my viewpoint of life?  This is a question each should ask himself.  What do I feel my relationship to the great Whole to be?  What do I believe about the Cause back of all? From whence come discouragement, fear, doubt and calamity?  They cannot proceed from the eternal Source - that perfect fount of life - the inexhaustible One. Therefore, they must come from my own consciousness. They cannot be born of the Truth.  The Truth is God, and God is free, happy , peaceful and ever poised in His own Being.  I must set myself right with the universe.  I must find the way back to the central fire, if I am to be warmed.  I must find the Source, if I am to be supplied.  I must be like God, if I wish to realize His Spirit in my life!

A change of consciousness does not come by simply willing or wishing.  It is not easy to hold the mental attention to an ideal, while the human experience is discordant, but - it is possible.  Knowing the Truth, is not a process of self-hypnosis, but one of a gradual unfoldment of the inner self."

February 4 ~ The Science of Mind in a Year

How Can Spirit Create? ~ Ernest Holmes, The Science of Mind

"No one has ever plumbed the depths of either the conscious or the subjective life.  In both directions we reach out to Infinity, and, since we cannot encompass Infinity, we shall always be expanding and always enlarging our capacity to know and to experience.  We do not need to ask why these things are so.  There can be no reason given as to why  the Truth is true.  How can Spirit of Itself create a new form?  I do not know.  As Newton said, the fact that we are able to announce the mystery is the mystery.  We do not say to the physicist who has studied and photographed the atom "WHY does it act as it does?"  He knows no more about the reason for its action than we do.  All that he knows is, that he has learned something of the way the laws of its nature operate.  We do not create laws and principles, but discover and make use of them.  Let us accept this position relative to the laws of Mind an Spirit and see what we can do with them, rather than how we may contradict their existence."

February 1 ~ The Science of Mind in a Year

GENERAL Summary ~ Ernest Holmes, The Science of Mind

"The Mind of man is some part of the Mind of God, therefore it contains within itself unlimited possibility of expansion and self-expression.

The conscious mind of man is self-knowing, self-assertive; it has volition, will, choice and may accept or reject. It is the only part of man's mind which can think independently of conditions.

The sub-conscious mind of man is simply the Law of Mind in action.  It is not a thing of itself but is the medium for all thought action.  It is the medium by which man may call into temporary being whatever he needs or enjoys on the pathway of his experience.

The Mind of God is Infinite.  The mind of man is some part of this Infinite, Creative Mind of God.  Therefore the mind of man is as infinite as is man's capacity to understand his true relationship to God or Spirit.  The mind of man is continuously unfolding into a greater recognition of its real plan in the creative order of the Universe.  It does not yet comprehend its own power or scope but it does know how, in some measure, to consciously co-operate with the Infinite.

Spirit is really the only Mind there is.  It is Eternal.  It never began nor will It ever cease to be.  It is complete and perfect, happy and whole, satisfied and at peace with Itself.  The Spirit is the only Conscious Intelligence in the Universe.  Therefore It is the only Directive Intelligence in the Universe.

Because the mind of man is the Mind of God in man, the mind of man is conscious and directive.  It is to man what God is to the Universe.

God is Spirit.  That is, without parts.  A Universal Unity and Wholeness.  God is Mind.  The self-knowing Mind of God is the Spirit of God and at the same time the Spirit of man.  Mind in its self-knowing state is Spirit.  The Mind of God and the Mind of man is the same Mind.  The conscious mind of man is part of the Self-Knowingness of the Mind of God.  The conscious mind of man is the Self-Knowingness of Spirit operating through the thought of man.  Hence its creativeness.

The conscious mind of man is that part of, or unity with, the Supreme Spirit which enables man to be an individual unit, separate in identity without becoming separated from, the Whole Spirit of God, the Whole Mind of God.  Without this conscious mind of man in an individualized state of God, or the Spirit, would have no independent offspring, therefore God would not be completely expressed.  The Eternal has placed Himself at the center of man's being in order that man may function individually.  The discovery of this, the greatest truth about man, is the greatest discovery of the ages.

It is this Divine Self-Knowingness in man which distinguishes him from all other creation.  It belongs to man alone.  It appears full-orbed in man alone.  Man alone is able to consciously work out his own destiny, to determine what manner of life he shall lead.  For it is written that God created him but little lower than the angels and crowned him with glory and honor."

January 28 ~ The Science of Mind in a Year

How to Use It - Conclusion ~ Ernest Holmes, The Science of Mind

"A treatment is a spiritual entity in the mental world and is equipped with power and volition - as much power and volition as there is faith in it, given to it by the mind of the one using it - and, operating through the Law, It knows exactly how to work and what methods to use and just how to use them.  We do not put the power into this word, but we do let the power of the Law flow through it, and the one who most completely believes in this power will produce the best results.  The is the Law of cause and effect, again. 

When one gives a treatment for right action, and does not believe that right action will be the result, he makes his own treatment negative.  Therefore, we should spend much time in convincing ourselves of the truth of our treatments.  Now this is not a power of will, but a power of choice.  We do not put the power into the treatment, and we will take out of the treatment ONLY AS MUCH AS WE BELIEVE IS IN IT!

If one doubts his ability to give an effective treatment, he should specifically treat himself to remove this doubt.  He should say something like this, but not necessarily these words:  "I am convinced that this word has power, and I firmly believe in it.  I trust it to produce the right results in my life, (or in the life of the one for whom I am using my word)."

We should work, not with anxiety but with expectancy; not by coercion but with conviction; not through compulsion but in a state of conscious recognition and receptivity.  We do not have to drive or push but we must accept and believe.  We should, then, leave everything to the Law, expecting a full and complete proof of our faith.  We shall not be disappointed nor chagrined, for the Law is our faithful servant.

One should treat any given proposition until he proves his Principle, no matter how long it takes.  We should treat until we get results - until there comes into our objective experience the actual outpouring of our subjective words.  When working for someone else, speak the name of this person - into Mind - then proceed with the treatment.  Should someone come to you with the question, "Am I too old to find my rightful place?", what are you as a practitioner to reply?  You explain that there is no recognition of age in the truth; that everyone has his place in Truth; that God does not withdraw Himself from us at a certain age, for God is Omnipresence.  In this Presence, every being is fully provided for at every age.

A practitioner consciously removes the apparent obstruction, and leaves the field open to a new influx of Spirit.  He resolves things into thoughts, dissolves the negative appearance in the condition, by recognizing only perfection.  THE PRACTITIONER MUST KNOW, AND MUST STATE, THAT THERE ARE NO OBSTACLES IN THE PATHWAY OF TRUTH.  He must know that his word, being the activity of the Truth, removes all obstructions from the pathway of his patient, or the one for whom he is working.

If the obstruction is the result of a "hang-over" of belief from past years, the practitioner must know that no past mistake can hinder or obstruct the flow of Divine Intelligence through God's idea - which is perfect man, manifesting the attributes of God in freedom, happiness, activity and power, and that this Truth is now made manifest in his life.

The patient should try to be receptive, not to the will of the practitioner, but to the purpose of the Universe.  That is, the patient should expect results and should be willing to give up anything and everything that would hinder the demonstration.  Perfect belief is the beginning and the end of all good mental work.

The mental attitude of the practitioner is one of denial toward every false condition that opposes the principle of Life as one of absolute perfection.  God's world is perfect, and this is the Principle we have to demonstrate.  Spiritual things must be spiritually discerned and when we are ready and willing spiritually to discern, we shall find a ready response from the Invisible into the visible.  Let us do our work conscientiously and thoroughly and leave the results to that Law which is perfect.

A new light is coming into the world.  We are on the borderland of a new experience.  The veil between Spirit and matter is very thin.  The invisible passes into visibility through our faith in it.  A new science, a new religion, and a new philosophy are rapidly being developed.  This is in line with the evolution of the great Presence and nothing can hinder its progress.  It is useless, as well as foolish, to make any attempts to cover this Principle, or to hold It as a vested right of any religion, sect or order.  The Truth will out; the Spirit will make Itself known.  Happy are we if we see these things which, from the foundation of the human race, have been longed for by all aspiring souls.

True thought deals directly with First Cause; and this Science is the study of First Cause, Spirit or the Truth, that Invisible Essence, that Ultimate Stuff and Intelligence from which everything comes - the Power back of creation - The Thing Itself."

January 23 ~ The Science of Mind in a Year

Turn Entirely from the Condition ~ Ernest Holmes, The Science of Mind

""Behold thou my face forevermore." "Look unto me and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth."  That is, look up and not down. The reason a man has difficulty in throwing off some weakness of character - while believing in Spirit implicitly and having faith that he is going to overcome his limitation - is because he has not induced the necessary images in mind. If he had, he would have overcome his trouble. Thinking of his weakness keeps the image of it before him.  We cannot be too insistent on this all-important point:  in treating, we must TURN ENTIRELY AWAY FROM THE CONDITION.  Disease and limitation are neither person, place, nor thing.  Turn entirely from the condition, or limited situation, to its opposite, to the realization of health, happiness and harmony.  Spiritual treatment starts with Perfect God, Perfect Man, and Perfect Being, which statement consciously removes any belief which denies such manifestation.

Look Only at What You Want

Never look at that which you do not wish to experience.  No matter what the false condition may be, it must be refuted.  The proper kind of a denial is based upon the recognition that, in reality, there is no limitation, for Mind can as easily make a planet as an acorn. The Infinite knows no difference between a million dollars and a penny.  It only knows that IT IS.

It is the consciousness back of the word that forms the word.  Consciousness means the inner embodiment of an idea through the recognition of Truth and a direct relationship to the Divine.  The greatest teacher who ever lived was the most spiritual man, for the more universal and comprehensive the thought, the more Godlike it must become.

A good treatment is always filled with the recognition of the Presence of God, or Good.  This automatically wipes out any picture of undesirable conditions, for the Spirit of God is a law of elimination and obliteration to everything unlike Itself!  Even in what we term spiritual things, we are still dealing with the law of cause and effect, for God is Law.  The more exalted, the more heavenly, the more boundless, the more Godlike or Christlike the thought it, the more power it will have.  This is why the greatest teacher became the Savior.  A spiritual genius would have to be a  Savior.

Never Limit Your View of Life

Never limit your view of life by any past experience.  The possibility of life is inherent within the capacity to imagine what life is, backed by the power to produce this imagery, or Divine Imagination.  It is not a question of failing or succeeding. It is simply a question of sticking to an idea until it becomes a tangible reality.  The illusion is in the way we look at things.  We have looked at poverty, degradation and misery until they have assumed gigantic proportions. Now we must look at harmony, happiness, plenty, prosperity, peace and right action, until they appear.

When we are making a demonstration, we pay no attention to what happens in the objective world.  We interpret causes by conditions, only as we realize that a condition must partake of the nature of its cause.  If there appears to be confusion in the condition, then there must have been confusion in the thought back of it.  We pay no attention to the right subjective recognition.  The way scientifically to work out a problem is daily in thought to conceive of it as already being an accomplished fact in experience.  We realize the desire is already embodied in the Absolute.  We are dealing with nothing less than the Absolute - with REALITY.

During the process, many things may happen that appear to be destructive.  We may pass through good fortune and bad, but if we can come to the point where we are not disturbed by "things" we can have found the secret.  If, as Jesus said, we "judge not according to appearance, but judge righteous judgment," remembering that "things which are seen are not made of things which do appear;" if, I repeat, we can judge in this manner, OUT OF ANY CHAOS WE CAN PRODUCE HARMONY."

January 22 ~ The Science of Mind in a Year

The Perfect Universe ~ Ernest Holmes, The Science of Mind

"We must seek to realize the spiritual Universe, regardless of any condition which appears, if we would embody the greatest good.  If the spiritual Universe were not perfect, It could not exist for a single moment. 

The Truth is Indivisible and Whole.  God is Complete and Perfect.  A Perfect Cause must produce a perfect effect.  Disregarding all evidence to the contrary, the student of Truth will maintain that he lives in a Perfect Universe and among people potentially perfect. He will regulate his thinking to meet this necessity and will refuse to believe in its opposite. At first he may be influenced by conditions, and he may appear to be weak, but as time goes on he will prove to himself that his position is a correct one, for that which appears imperfect will begin to slip from his experience.

To daily meditate on the Perfect Life, and to daily embody the Great Ideal, is a royal road to freedom, to that "peace which passeth understanding," and is happiness to the soul of man.  Let  us learn to see as God must, with a Perfect Vision.  Let us seek the good and the true and believe in them with our whole heart, even though every man we meet is filled with suffering, and limitation appears at all sides.  We cannot afford to believe in imperfection for a single second, to do so is to doubt God; it is to believe in a Power apart from God, to believe in another Creator.  Let us daily say to ourselves:  "Perfect God within me, Perfect Life within me, which is God, come forth into expression through me as that which I am; lead me ever into the paths of perfection and cause me to see only the Good."  By this practice, the soul will become illumined and will acquaint itself with God and be at peace.  "Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.""

January 21 ~ The Science of Mind in a Year

Causes and Conditions ~ Ernest Holmes, The Science of Mind

Mental Practice Deals Only with Thought

"The philosophy of spiritual mind healing is based upon the conception that we are living in a universe of Intelligence - spiritual Universe; that thought are things, that definite states of consciousness, as they become subjective, operate through a creative field and tend to reproduce themselves in form.

Therefore, it logically follows that this system of treatment is for the purpose of uncovering and neutralizing the wrong states of thought...of building in mind a concept of our spiritual birthright.  Thought which is built upon a realization of the divine Presence has the power to neutralize negative thought, to erase, it, just as light has the power to overcome darkness; not by combating darkness, but by being exactly what it is:  LIGHT.  "And the light shineth in the darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not."

Therefore, spiritual treatment does not concern itself with unpleasant conditions nor with imperfect manifestations, either in one's body or the body of one's affairs.  Treatment is for the purpose of inducing an interior awareness - an inner realization - in the mind of the practitioner, pertaining to the spiritual perfection of the person for whom he is working.

Changeless Reality

Spirit is Changeless Reality.  That which we call personality is the instrument through which Spirit operates, but Spirit can operate for the individual only by operating through him. Spirit is never bound by the form It takes, and is not affected by any apparent cause or condition, but is forever free.  Spirit not only fills all forms but surges around them and through them.  Ice is formed from water, all ice is some form of water.  Just so, god and man exist in an eternal state of Unity - the solid and the liquid are one substance.

We are dealing with an impersonal Principle.  It will operate for one just as quickly as for another, because It is Law.  Dare to speak, and to know that what you speak is the law unto the thing spoken regardless of what conditions exist.  One, alone, in consciousness with the Infinite, constitutes a complete majority.  Knowing this in your thought, work in perfect peace and calm.  ALWAYS EXPECT THE GOOD.  Have enthusiasm and, above all, have a consciousness of love - a radiant feeling flowing through your consciousness at all times.  Treat yourself until you have an inner sense of unity with all Good.

January 20 ~ The Science of Mind in a Year

No Mystery in Truth ~ Ernest Holmes, The Science of Mind

Faith in a certain specific statement has power consciously to oppose, neutralize, erase and obliterate the opposite mental attitude.  It is because of this fact that this study is a science that can definitely be used, and we must accept it as such.  The mystery with which most people surround the search for Truth, relative to this Principle, is not read out of It, but is read into It.

It stands to reason that if thought and faith, prayer, hope and appreciation are anything at all, they are definite; and if they are definite, they must be specific; if they are specific, then they unquestionably must accomplish their desire.

Hope a Subtle Illusion

Many people correctly begin their treatment in this manner:  "I know that the Principle of Intelligence within me will direct me, etc.," then they complete it with the thought:  "Well, I certainly hope it does."  This is entirely forgetting any definite statement, and is simply wondering if possibly some good will come along.  This is not a correct treatment, and is not the scientific use of this Principle.

Hope is good; it is better than despair, but it is a subtle illusion and is an unconscious compromise, and has no part in an effective mental treatment.  We should say to doubt:  "where did you come from, who is your father, etc....You have no place in my mind.  Get out!  I know that the faith within me now neutralizes ALL doubt."  This is the scientific use of a mental statement.  There must be no compromise with the consciousness.

We have discovered what the Principle is and How It Works, and now this is What It Does.  Specifically turn to that thought which tells us we do not know how to use It and repudiate the falsehood. The Principle that we have to demonstrate is perfect, and - in so far as we can compel the mind to perceive this perfection - so far it will automatically demonstrate.  Experience has proved this to be true.

We waste much time in arguing over things that cannot be answered.  When we have arrived at the ultimate, THAT IS THE ULTIMATE.  It is the way the Thing works.  Therefore, we have a right to say that there is a law involved, and that this Law executes the word.  We discover laws, find out how they work and then begin to use them.  Therefore, this question is answered, when we say it is the nature of thought and of the Creative Energy, and the nature of Being TO BE THIS WAY.  We would say that Law is an attribute of God.  God did not make Law; It co-exists with the Eternal. The Infinite Law and the Infinite Intelligence are but two sides of the Infinite Unity.  One balances the other and they are the great personal and impersonal principles in the universe.  Evolution is the out-working of the mechanical, and involution is the in-working of the conscious and the volitional.

No Limit to Thought

When we think, something happens to thought. The field through which thought operates is Infinite.  There is no reason to doubt it.  No matter how it is approached, to thought there can be no limit, so we will say that it is the nature of Being to react in this way.  Here and now, we are surrounded by, and immersed in, an Infinite Good. How much of this Infinite Good is ours?  ALL OF IT!  And how much of It may we have to use?  AS MUCH OF IT AS WE CAN EMBODY.

January 19 ~ The Science of Mind in a Year

The Principle Re-stated ~ Ernest Holmes, The Science of Mind

"Let us restate our Principle.  We are surrounded by an Infinite Possibility.  It is Goodness, Life, Law and Reason.  In expressing Itself through us, It becomes more fully conscious of Its own being.  Therefore, It wishes to express through us.  As It passes into our being, It automatically becomes the law of our lives.  It can pass into expression through us only as we consciously allow It to do so.  Therefore, we should have faith in It, and Its desires and Its ability to do for us all that we shall ever need to have done.  Since It must pass through our consciousness to operate for us, we must be conscious that It is doing so.

The one who wishes to demonstrate some particular good must become conscious of this particular good, if he wishes to experience it.  Therefore, he must make his mind receptive to it and he must do this consciously.  There is no hocus-pocus in a mental treatment.  It is always definite, conscious, concrete and explicit.  We are dealing with Intelligence, and should deal with It intelligently.

There is no occult trick in giving scientific treatments.  It is just the reverse. Simplicity should mark our every effort and positivity should accompany all statements that we make into the law of Good.

The Secret Already Known

A treatment is a statement in the Law, embodying the concrete idea of our desires and accompanied by an unqualified faith that the Law works for us, as we work with It.  Let us waste no further time looking for the secret of success or the key to happiness.  Already the door is open and whosoever will may enter.

Undoubtedly, each of us is now demonstrating his concept of life, but trained through is far more powerful than untrained, and the one who give conscious power to his thought should be more careful what he thinks than the one who does not.  The more power one gives to his thought - the more completely he believes that his thought has power - the more power will it have.

Treatment Active, Not Passive

A treatment is an active thing.  When one gives a treatment, he is not sitting around, hoping that something may happen.  He ids definitely, constructively, actively stating, sensing, knowing some specific good.  This is in accord with the Principle which we seek to demonstrate.   If we give treatments without a definite motive in mind, the most we can accomplish will be to promote a salutary atmosphere.  A passive meditation will never produce an active demonstration, any more than an artist can paint a picture by sitting down with his paints but never using them.

The mind must conceive before the Creative Energy can produce; we must supply the avenue through which It can work.  It is ready and willing.  It is Its nature to spring into being through our thought and action.

In an iron foundry, the pig iron is thrown into a great furnace and melted.  That which was solid becomes liquid, and is then poured into molds which are fashioned in different shapes.  The iron itself neither knows nor  cares what particular form it takes, it is formless, ready to take any form supplied.  If we did not place it in the property molds, the liquid would assume no particular form.

This is the way it is in dealing with the subtle energy of Spirit, but the molds are made in our own subjective minds, through conscious and specific thought, purpose and direction.  We should be very careful not to think that because we make the mold, we must create the substance.  It already exists; It is part of the Life in which we live, a part of the Universal Energy.  Definite molds or concepts decide the shape which is to be created from the general liquid.  This should prove to us that there is a specific technique in mental treatment which we should not overlook.  If we wish a certain good, we must instill into our own minds a realization of this specific good and then - as this idea is the mold we place in mind - it will be filled by the substance necessary for the complete manifestation of this good in our lives.

Therefore, if a man is seeking to demonstrate, he must tell himself that he has faith in his power, in his ability, in the Principle, and in the certainty of the demonstration for which he works.  Faith, being a mental attitude, is according to law; and even though one doubts, he can overcome his doubts and create the desired faith, definitely.  If this were not so, only those who by nature have faith in God could ever hope to understand the Principle of the Science of Mind and Spirit, which is subject to certain, definite, immutable and impersonal laws.  However, even though faith is a necessary attitude, it is something that can always be established by explaining the theory and proving the Principle."

January 15 ~ The Science of Mind in a Year

Where Do We Get Our Mental Impressions?  Ernest Holmes, The Science of Mind

"The paramount problem of philosophy now as in the past, is, how and from whence do we get our mental impressions?  Kant says:  We are able to perceive an object because it awakens an intuitive perception within us.  How could it awaken an intuitive perception within us, unless the medium which created the object already existed within us?  The intuitive perception was not the result of perceiving the object, but was itself the cause of the object perceived!  This is what Emerson would have us understand when he says "There is one mind common to all individual men."

That which is apparently outside can become known to the individual through intuition, because the perception and the perceiver must be in one and the same Mind.  No object can appear to exist in the objective world unless there is first a subjective world to perceive the object.  There is no object on the outside of Reality; but Reality must be an Infinite Perceiver or an Infinite Mind....One Mind common to all men.

The Bible says:  "In Him we live  and move and have our being."...."Him"...."It"....or "God."  Jesus said Reality is not in the mountain, nor afar off, but within us.  So without trying to define, without making any attempts to explain, we make the simple statement:  "Mind is."  Mind is, and Mind is both Universal and individual, i.e., It is not only Universal and abstract, It is also individual and concrete.  The Mind which is personified is the same Mind which is Universal.

This is the perception that Buddha, Jesus and other great spiritual leaders had.  They understood that the Universe has to be One in order to be at all.  Jesus saw it, when he said in substance:  If I cast out devils by Beelzebub, the prince of devils, that is a house divided against itself, which cannot stand; and he also said, "Who hath seen me hath seen the Father."  Jesus had arrived at a perception of Oneness.

Images of thought, although they appear to arise from without, actually arise from the objective side of that which is a part of a subjective within.  In order that Nature may be coherent and come into self-expression, there must be an objective, a manifest world; but that which is physically outside of us still exists in the same medium in which we have our being, and the intelligence by which we perceive it is the SAME INTELLIGENCE THAT CREATED IT.  Therefore, while it is objectively separate, it is subjectively unified.  Our images of thought arise from within a medium in which both the one who sees, and that which is seen, exist in a state of inner unity.  God exists in everything.  God exists in me, and because God exists in me, I am able to recognize other beings in whom God exists.  Spirit is the medium through which I am conscious of myself, of others, and of my environment.

Reading Thought

Recognizing that we are surrounded by a Universal Mind, it does not seem strange that certain people should  sense our thoughts even when we are not aware of the fact, because thought operates through a medium which is Universal....always present.

It is almost certain that between friends there is at all times a silent communication, a sort of unconscious mental conversation, going on.  When this arises to the surface of the conscious intelligence, it is called mental telepathy.  This communication with others is going on all the time, whether the conscious mind is aware of it or not.  These impressions are more or less vague and seldom come to the surface.  They are there, nevertheless, and are gradually building into our mentalities impressions and forms of thought that are unconsciously and silently perceived.

This all leads to the conclusion that what we call our subjective mind is really the use that we, as individuals, make of a Universal Subjectivity. Just as radio message are operative through a universal medium, so our thoughts are operative through a Universal Medium."

January 13 ~ The Science of Mind in a Year

MIND...The Greatest Discovery ~ Ernest Holmes, The Science of Mind

Nature Waits on Man's Self-Recognition

"Nothing is more apparent than that man, as he now appears, is the result of evolution.  But in order to evolve, he had to have a Principle from which to unfold.  Since man is intelligent, he must have evolved from an Intelligent Cause.

In studying the order of man's evolution, it seems certain that it was necessary - from the time that he was brought to a point of self-choice--that he be left alone to discover his true nature. If man is endowed with the attributes of self-choice and free will, he must be allowed to make this great discovery for himself.  Even God could not make a mechanical individual.  Consider any of Nature's forces, they must have existed always, but, so far as man is concerned, they exist to be used only after he has discovered them and learned how to make use of them.  Electricity was a reality in the universe when Moses led the children of Israel out of the land of Egypt, but neither Moses nor any of his followers knew anything about it.  This is true of all natural laws; they have always existed but only when understood may they be used.  In this way, Life waits upon man's discovery of natural laws, his discovery of  himself, and his discovery of his relationship to the great Whole.

The principle of any science is invisible, theoretical, as is our idea of Spirit. No one has seen God; no one has seen Life; what we have seen is the manifestation of Life.  No one has seen Intelligence; we experience It.  No one has ever seen Causation; we see what It does, we deal with Its effects.  We cannot see Beauty.  The artist feels beauty and depicts it as best he can, and the result of his effort is what we call the beautiful  The mathematician solves a problem, but the problem is not the Principle of Mathematics; the solution of the  problem is an effect or a result of the application of the principle.  We do not see Life, we experience living.  Causation is invisible.

The First Great Discovery

The first great discovery man  made was that he could think.  This was the day when he first said "I am."  This marked his first day of personal attainment.  From that day, man became individual and had to make all further progress himself.  from that day, there was no compulsory evolution; he had to work in conscious union with Life.

The basis from which man is evolving is Infinite.  Behind him is the Great Unknown but not the great unknowable.  As the result of the discovery that he could think, plan and execute, man has built up a great civilization; he has perceived that Nature works through him in order to work for him.  He has harnessed electricity, compelled steam to do his bidding, conquered the air, built cities, made the desert to bloom, and has thrown the lines of his commerce around the globe.  Indeed, he has seemed to possess the earth during this process, even though little attention has been given to that still, small voice which said:  "Man, know thyself." 

The Greatest Discovery of All Time...Mind

Man's first discovery of his ability to think was taken as a matter of fact.  He had always been able to think.  It was proof that he existed; it gave him the ability to know his needs and to supply them.  It appeared to be an automatic thing; it came with him and would doubtless die when he died.  The brain seemed to be the organ of thought, and of course, when death stilled the brain it would no longer operate.

However, a day came when some wise man claimed that it was not the brain that does the thinking, for if the brain could think it would keep on thinking when removed from the body; yet without a brain a man could not think which proved that something behind the brain used it as an instrument.  Man does think, so behind the brain there must be a thinker.  But where is the thinker?  We do not see him.  Have we a right to say there is a thinker, when we have never seen him?  Yes, for the proof of this reality is the evidence of his thought.  Back of the organism is the thinker and the doer - the Mind.  This was the greatest discovery of all time for it mean that  the body without the thinker could not function.  At first, man did not perceive this and thought only of his body as self-operating, but when he discovered this was not the case, he found that he could consciously think and decide, and that something happened to his thoughts after he thought them; they went somewhere and returned to him as  memory."

January 12 ~ The Science of Mind in a Year

Spirit Works for Us by Working Through Us ~ Ernest Holmes, The Science of Mind

"The Thing, then works for us by working through us and is us, always. It cannot work for us in any other way  It spreads Itself over the whole universe and shouts at us from every angle, but It can become power to us ONLY WHEN WE RECOGNIZE IT AS POWER.

We cannot recognize that It is, while we are believing that It is not.  Hence, it is written:  "they...entered not in because of unbelief."  (Heb. 4:6)  We may enter in because of our belief, but we cannot enter while there is unbelief.  Here we come to a house divided against itself.  If we say we can only experience a little good, then we shall experience but a little good.  But, if we say, with Emerson, "There is no great and no small to the soul that maketh all," then we may experience a greater good because we have conceived it.

Therefore, our belief sets the limit to our demonstration of a Principle which, of Itself, is without limit.  It is ready to fill everything, because It is Infinite.  So, it is not a question of Its willingness, nor of Its ability.  It is entirely a question of our own receptivity. 

How Much Can We Believe?

That we must go the way of the Law, is a fundamental tenet of this Science, because Nature obeys us as we first obey It, and our obedience to It is our acceptance of It.  How much can we believe?  AS MUCH AS WE CAN BELIEVE will be done unto us.

When the consciousness speaks, the law receives and executes. When a farmer plants a seed, he invokes the law.  That which follows is done by the mechanical side of Nature, which has no volition of Its own.  Involution is the cause and evolution is the effect.  When a practitioner thinks, or gives a treatment, or makes a prayer, he is dealing with involution - the first step of the creative order.  This is what the Bible calls the Word.  That which follow is evolution, or the unfoldment of the word, or concept, into objective existence.

We are thinking, willing, knowing, conscious centers of Life.  We are surrounded by, immersed in, and there is flowing through us, a creative Something....call It what you will.  The sum total of all our thought, will, purpose, and belief, creates a tendency in the Law that causes It to react to us according to the sum total of that belief.

Ignorance of the law excuses no one from its effects.  If then, certain specific ways of thought and belief have produced limitations, other beliefs will change them.  We must learn to believe.  The approach should be direct, and it should be specific.

Suppose one is laboring under the idea of limitation.  His whole thought is a picture of limitation.  Where is he placing himself in Mind?  Is he not, in substance, saying:  "I cannot have and enjoy good things"?  And he is demonstrating that he cannot have, or accomplish, good.  It may take time to reshape the basis of his thought; he must commence by saying, "I perceive that because I am what I am - because of this Infinite Thing that over-shadows eternity and finds Its abiding place in me, I know that good is now mine - all good."  There is no mental coercion in this.  We do not will things to be done; things are brought into being, not by will, but by the power of the self-assertive Truth.

How much can one demonstrate?  Just what one can believe.  How much can we see, how much can we accept, how much can we find in our consciousness that is no longer repudiated by our own denials?  Whatever that is, THAT MUCH WE CAN HAVE.

Good Only - Not Good and Evil

The gardener goes forth in faith to sow his seeds.   He has learned that as he sows, so shall he reap; that the law works for all alike.  We must accustom ourselves to the concept of the impersonalness of the law, the availability of the law, and the mechanical accuracy of the law.  If we can conceive only a little good, that is as much as we can experience.

We must instill into the mind the fundamental proposition that good is without bounds.  Only good and loving-kindness shall "follow me all the days of my life."  (Psalms 23)  We must get this concept, rather than continuing to think there is a power of evil as opposed to the power of Good.  We experience good and evil because we perceive a presence of duality rather than unity.

Then, knowing that The Thing can work for us only through us, let us begin to accept today more good than we experienced yesterday, and to know that we shall reap a harvest of fulfilled desires.  The time must come when we shall have left the apparent evil behind; when it shall be rolled up like a scroll and numbered with the things which were once thought to be.

Let us realize and work with this sound knowledge and perfect faith:  That as high as we shall make our mark in Mind and Spirit, so high shall be Its outward manifestation in our material world."

January 11 ~ The Science of Mind in a Year

The Way It Works by Ernest Holmes ~ The Science of Mind

The Science of Mind is not a special revelation of any individual; it is, rather, the culmination of all revelations. We take the good wherever we find it, making it our own in so far as we understand it.  The realization that Good is Universal, and that as much good as any individual is able to incorporate in his life is his to use, is what constitutes the Science of Mind and Spirit. 

We have discussed the nature of The Thing as being Universal Energy, Mind, Intelligence, Spirit - finding conscious and individualized centers of expression through us - and that man's intelligence is this Universal Mind, functioning at the level of man's concept of It.  This is the essence of the whole teaching.

Universal Mind, or Spirit, Is God

There is a Universal Mind, Spirit, Intelligence, that is the origin of everything:  It is First Cause.  It is God.  This Universal Life and Energy finds an outlet in and through all that is energized, and through everything that lives.  There is One Life back of everything that lives.  There is One Energy back of all that is energized.  This Energy is in everything.  There is One Spirit back of all expression.  That is the meaning of that mystical saying:  "In Him we live, and move, and have our being."  (Acts 17:28)

The life which we live is the Universal Life expressing through us, else how could we live.  Our thought and emotion is the use we make - consciously or unconsciously - of this original creative Thing that is the Cause of everything.  Therefore, we shall say that the mind, spirit and intelligence which we find in ourselves is as much of this original, creative God as we understand.  That this is not robbing God is a self-evident fact.  Since we are, then we are real and actual and have existence; and since we can reduce all that is to a fundamental unit, we find that we have this proposition:

There is Spirit - or this Invisible Cause - and nothing, out of which all things are to be made.  Now, Spirit plus nothing leaves Spirit only.  Hence there is One Original Cause and nothing, out of which we are made.  In other words, we are made from this Thing.  That is why we are called the "son of God." 

We now know that this is what we are - because we could not be anything else - but we do not know how much of this we are!  When we see It as It is, then, we shall see ourselves as we are.  We can only see It by looking at It through our own eyes.  Hence, we shall find a better God when we shall have arrived at a higher standard for man.  If God is to interpret Himself to man, He must interpret Himself through man.  And the Spirit can make no gift that we do not accept.

The Seed of Perfection is Hidden Within

This Original Life is Infinite.  It is good.  It is filled with peace.  It is the essence of purity.  It is the ultimate of intelligence.  It is power.  It is Law.  It is Life.  It is in us.  In that inner sanctuary of our own nature, hidden perhaps from objective gaze, "nestles the seed, perfection."

In our ignorance of the truth, we have misused the highest power we possess.  And so great is this power - so complete is our freedom in it, so absolute the domain of law through it - that the misuse of this power has brought upon us the very conditions from which we suffer.  We are bound because we are first free; the power which appears to bind us is the only power in the universe which can free us.  This is why Jesus summed up His whole philosophy in this simple statement:  "It is done unto you as you believe."  The great Teacher looked so deeply into Nature, that She revealed Her fundamental simplicity to him.  That "Believe" and that "as" symbolize heaven and hell.  And so we suffer, not because suffering is imposed upon us, but because we are ignorant of our true nature.

January 9 ~ Science of Mind in a Year

Describing the Infinite by Ernest Holmes ~ "The Science of Mind"

"Any account of Creation however brief implies, first of all, a Universal Intelligence which is omniscient, all-knowing.  We call this Intelligence God.  In philosophy, the word Reality is used. In science, the word Principle.  The Reality of philosophy, the Principle of science and the God of religion all have much the same meaning - the nature of the Universe in which we live.  We describe It as God, Spirit, Reality, Truth - Absolute Intelligence.

Absolute Intelligence

We believe in an Absolute Intelligence because such an intelligence is manifest throughout the universe in which we live.  Wherever we look we see It at work, whether it be the intelligence in the atom or the convolution of thought operating through the brain of a Socrates or an Einstein.  Consequently, we state our First Principle as an Absolute Intelligence.  It is impossible for thought - whether it be philosophic, scientific or religious (and these are the founts from which we gather knowledge) - to deny such Intelligence. 

We believe in an Absolute Intelligence and an Absolute Consciousness.  We are in the universe and we are conscious, so we have reason to believe that consciousness exists.

Creation means the giving of form to the Substance of Mind or Spirit.  Spirit being All and Only, there is nothing for It to change into but Itself.  Therefore, It is the Changeless, within which must take place all change or manifestation of Itself.  The Infinite of Itself is Formless but within It are contained all the forms which give expression to Its consciousness.  Spirit is the Limitless within which is all space.  Spirit is Timeless, within which is all time.  Creation and experience are eternally going on, but any particular experience is measured by time and has a beginning and an end.

In the beginning of any creative series there is Absolute Intelligence alone, pure Spirit, all-inclusive, everywhere, infinite.  This All-Spirit could not have the impulse to move unless It were conscious.  Therefore, "Spirit is the Power that knows Itself."  The account of Creation, which says "In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth," does not refer to a time when there was no creation, but rather to the process of an eternal creation, which is a continual manifestation of Spirit.  An eternal creation is proved by the fact that we must suppose Spirit to be Conscious Intelligence, and there can be no Conscious Intelligence unless It is conscious of something!  Spirit is conscious and must be conscious of something.  Therefore, It must always create. What a glorious concept is such an idea of an Eternal Creative Principle.  There is no stagnation in spirit, nor should there be any in our idea of spirituality.  To be spiritual is to create!  The Spirit is alive, conscious, aware and active.

A Deep Inquiry

If we were to examine the basic principles of the religions of the world, we would find a great similarity.  Each points to One central Life, from Whose Self-Existence all draw their livingness, and without which nothing could exist.  The Christian Religion gives more value to the individual life than do most others. That is why it has made such an appeal to the more vital races of the world.  In  many respects, the Christian Bible is the greatest book ever written, and does truly point a way to eternal values.  But it is only ONE explanation and cannot be considered the ONLY light on religion, for there are may others whose combined teachings weave the story of Truth into a complete and unified pattern.

The deep thinkers of antiquity, as well as the philosophers of all ages, have meditated long and earnestly upon the nature of the Divine Being.  Knowing that there could be but One Ultimate Reality back of all things, they have pondered deeply as to the nature of that Reality, and it is significant that most of the great thinkers have arrived at similar conclusions."

January 7 ~ Science of Mind in a Year

Limitless Power at Man's Disposal ~ Ernest Holmes, The Science of Mind

"Marvelous as the concept may be, it is non the less true that man has at his disposal - in what he calls his Subjective Mind - a power that seems to be Limitless.  THIS IS BECAUSE HE IS ONE WITH THE WHOLE ON THE SUBJECTIVE SIDE OF LIFE!  Man's thought, falling into his subjective mind, merges with the Universal Subjective Mind, and becomes the law of his life, through the one great law of all life.

There are not two subjective minds.  There is but one Subjective Mind, and what we call our subjective mind is really the use we are making of the One Law.  Each individual maintains his identity in Law, through his personal use of It. And each is drawing from Life what he thinks into It!

To learn how to think is to learn how to live, for our thoughts go into a medium that is Infinite in Its ability to do and to be.  Man, by thinking, can bring into his experience whatsoever he desires-if he thinks correctly, and becomes a living embodiment of his thoughts.  This is not done by holding thoughts but by knowing the Truth.

Within us, then, there is a creative field, which we call the subjective mind; around us there is a creative field which we call Subjective.  One is universal and the other is individual, but in reality they are one.  THERE IS ONE MENTAL LAW IN THE UNIVERSE, AND WHERE WE USE IT, IT BECOMES OUR LAW BECAUSE WE HAVE INDIVIDUALIZED IT.  It is impossible to plumb the depths of the individual mind, because the individual mind is really not individual but is individualized.  Behind the individual is the Universal, which has no limits.  In this concept alone lies the possibility of eternal and endless expansion.  Everyone is Universal on the subjective side of life, and individual only at the point of conscious perception.  The riddle is solved, and we all use the creative power of the Universal Mind every time we use our own mind.

All Thought is Creative

Since this is true, it follows that we cannot say that one thought is creative while another is not.  We must say that all thought is creative, according to the nature, impulse, emotion or conviction behind the thought.  Thought creates a mold in the Subjective, in which the idea is accepted and poured, and sets power in motion in accordance with the thought.  Ignorance of this excuses no one from its effects, for we are dealing with Law and not whimsical fancy.

The conscious mind is superior to the subjective and may consciously use it, Great as the subconscious is, its tendency is set in motion by the conscious thought, and in this possibility lies the path to freedom.  The Karmic Law is not kismet.  It is not fate but cause and effect. It is a taskmaster to the unwise; a servant to the wise.

The Road to Freedom is Not Mysterious

Experience has taught us that the subjective tendency of this intelligent Law of creative force may consciously be directed and definitely used.  This is the greatest discovery of all time. There is no mystery here, but a profound fact and a demonstrable one.  The road to freedom lies, not through mysteries or occult performances, but through the intelligent use of Nature's forces and laws.  the Law of Mind is a natural law in the spiritual world.

But what do we mean by the spiritual world?  We mean the world of conscious intelligence.  The Subjective is a world of Law and of mechanical order; in our lives, it is largely a reaction, an effect, a way.  IT IS NEVER A PERSON THOUGH IT OFTEN APPEARS TO ACT AS THOUGH IT WERE ONE.  Right here, many are completely misled, mistaking subjective impulses for actual personalities.  This, however, is a field of investigation not fully to be considered here.

The simplest way to state the proposition is to say that we have a conscious mind that operates within a subjective field, which is creative.  The conscious mind is Spirit, the subjective mind is Law.  One is a complement of the other and no real individuality could be expressed without a combination of both.

No man has ever plumbed the depths of either the conscious or the subjective life.  In both directions, we reach out to Infinity, and since we cannot encompass Infinity, we shall always be expanding and always enlarging our capacity to know and to experience.

We need not ask why these things are so.  There can be no reason given as to why the Truth is true.  We do not create laws and principles, but discover and make use of them.  Let us accept this position relative to the laws of Mind and Spirit, and see what we can do with them-rather than how we may contradict the inevitable.  Our mind and spirit is our echo of the "Eternal Thing" Itself, and the sooner we discover this fact, the sooner we shall be made free and happy.  The Universe is filled with Spirit and filled with Law.  One reacts to the other.  We are Spirit and we are Law.  The law of our life reacts to our spiritual or material concepts, and builds and re-builds according to our beliefs and faith.

Learning to Trust Will Make Us Happy

All men seek some relationship to the Universal Mind, the Over-Soul, or the Eternal Spirit, which we call God.  And Life reveals itself to whoever is receptive to it.  That we are living in a spiritual Universe, which includes the material or physical universe, has been a conclusion of the deepest thinkers of every age.  That this spiritual Universe must be one of pure Intelligence and perfect Life, dominated by Love, by Reason and by the power to create, seems an inevitable conclusion.

There is a Power in the Universe that honors our faith in It; there is a Law in the Universe which exacts the "utter-most farthing."  We all wish to feel that the power behind everything is good, as well as creative, an Eternal and Changeless Intelligence, in which man lives and moves and has his being.  Intuitively, we sense that every man, in his native state, is some part or manifestation of this Eternal Principle; and that the entire problem of limitation, evil, suffering, and uncertainty is not God-ordained, but is the result of ignorance.  It has been written that the Truth shall make us free, provided we know the Truth, and we note that the evolution of man's consciousness brings with it the acquisition of new powers and higher possibilities. 

We find ourselves torn by confusion, by conflict, by affirmation and denial, by emotion congested by fear, congealed by pride.  We are afraid of the Universe in which we live, suspicious of people around us, uncertain of the salvation of our own souls.  All these things negatively react and cause physical disorders.

Nature seems to await our comprehension of her and, since she is governed by immutable laws - the ignorance of which excuses no man from their effects - the bondage of humanity must be a result of our ignorance of the true nature of Reality.  The storehouse of Nature may be filled with good, but this good is locked to the ignorant.  The key to this door is held in the mind of Intelligence, working accordance with Universal Law. Through experience, man learns what is really good and satisfying, what is truly worthwhile.  As his intelligence increases, and his capacity to understand the subtle laws of Nature grows, he will gradually be set free.  As he learns the Truth, the Truth will automatically free him.

When we learn to trust the Universe, we shall be happy, prosperous and well.  We must learn to come under that Divine Government, and accept the fact that Nature's table is ever filled.  Never was there a Cosmic famine.  "The finite alone has wrought and suffered, the Infinite lies stretched in smiling repose."  God is always God.  No matter what our emotional storm, or what our objective situation, may be, there is always a something hidden in the inner being that has never been violated. We may stumble, butt always there is that Eternal Voice, forever whispering within our ear, that thing which causes the eternal quest, that thing which forever sings and sings.

Divine Nature Is in Every Man

This is The Thing Itself.  Briefly, let us recapitulate.  There is that within every individual which partakes of the nature of the Universal Wholeness and - in so far as it operates - is God.  That is the meaning of the word Emmanuel, the meaning of the word Christ.  There is that within us which partakes of the nature of the Divine Being, and since it partakes of the nature of the Divine Being, we are divine.  It reacts to us according to our belief in It; and it is an immutable Law, subject to the use of the least among us; no respecter of persons, It cannot be bound. Our Soul will never change or violate its own nature; all the denying of it will never change it; all the affirming of it will never make it any more than it is. But since it is what it is, and works in the way that it works, it appears to each through his belief.  It is done unto each of us as we believe.

We will say, then, that in spirit, man is One with God.  But what of the great Law of the Universe?  If we are really One with the Whole, we must be One with the Law of the Whole, as well as One with the Spirit of the Whole.

If we try to find something difficult to grasp, then we shall never grasp it, because we shall always think of it as being incomprehensible.  The mind which we discover within us is the Mind that governs everything.  This is The Thing Itself, and we should recognize its simplicity.