April 27 ~ The Science of Mind in a Year

Different Methods of Treatment ~ Ernest Holmes

"Although several methods of treatment are used, there are but two distinct methods; one is called the argumentative and the other realization.

The argumentative method is just what the word implies, though the argument is never with another person - it is a process of mental reasoning in which the practitioner argues to himself about his patient.  He is presenting a logical argument to Universal Mind, or Principle, and if it carries with it complete evidence in favor of his patient, the patient should be healed.

The realization method is one whereby the practitioner realizes within himself - without the necessity of step by step building up a conclusion - the perfect state of his patient. It is purely a spiritual and meditative process of contemplating the perfect man, and if the practitioner arrives at a perfect embodiment of the idea, without confusion or doubt, it will at once produce a healing.  Treatment is for the purpose of inducing an inner realization of perfection in the mentality of the practitioner, which inner realization, acting through Mind, operates through the patient.

Another illustration:  Let us suppose that Mary is sick and John is the practitioner.  She comes to him, saying:  "I am sick"  He understands the power of Mind; she does not understand it.  He does not try to hold a thought over her or for her, nor suggest one to her.  He speaks her name and makes his declarations about this name.  He contradicts what appears to be wrong and declares the truth about her.  What happens?  His word, operative through Universal Mind, sets a law in motion, on the subjective side of life, which objectifies through her body as healing.

Mary thinks a miracle has been performed.  No miracle has been enacted. John has used a law, which all men may use if they will.  If Mary had been perfectly well, and her need had been for a position, the treatment would be of like nature; John would have declared into Mind what should be done for Mary.  There is only One Law; Mary could set It in operation for herself if she understood Its nature; sooner or later she must come to understand and make conscious use of this Law.

Between "John" and "Mary" there is One Universal Medium, which is also in John and in Mary.  It is not only between them but in them and around them.  As John, right where he is, knows the Truth, since there is only One, he is at the same time knowing the Truth right where Mary is, because his word is operative through a field which is not divided, but a complete Unit or Whole.  As he knows within himself, he is knowing within the same Mind which operates through the person whom he mentions in his treatment, no matter where that person may be.  There is no absent treatment, as opposed to a present treatment.  When you know in one place, you know everywhere.  When you give a treatment, you never send out a thought, or hold a thought, or make a suggestion.  A treatment is a conscious movement of thought, and the work begins and ends in the thought of the one giving the treatment.  The practitioner must do the work within himself.  He must know the Truth within himself, and as he does this the Law unfolds; a thing which is known by any part of Universal Mind is known by every part of It, for It is an undivided Whole.

If one were treating "Henry Black," who is in another city, he would say:  "I am treating Henry Black of such and such a place."  Then he would forget all about Henry Black as a personality and give the treatment.  It is not necessary to specify the trouble.  Occasionally, there might be reason to mention a thing, in denying its existence, but this is not the best method.  Of course, there are certain thoughts back of certain things, and a knowledge of the disease might better enable some practitioners to know what thought to deny.

Another illustration of the difference between the argumentative method of treatment and the realization method, will be found in the following:

Mary Jones come to John Smith and says, "I have tuberculosis."  In answer to this, he states:  "the word I now speak is for Mary Jones.  She is a perfect and complete manifestation of Pure Spirit, and Pure Spirit cannot be diseased, consequently, she is not diseased."  This is an argument in the mind of "John Smith" trying to bring out the evidence in favor of "Mary Jones'" perfection; it is an argument which produces certain conclusions in his mind, and as a result it sets a certain law in motion for Mary Jones.  As John does this, day after day, he gradually becomes convinced of her spiritual perfection.  This is the argumentative method of treating.  All argumentative statements merely conduct the mind of the practitioner to a place where he believes what he is saying!

In using the method of realization, "John Smith" would say:  "The word that I now speak is for Mary Jones."  Then he would begin to realize the Perfect Presence, the ONLY Perfect Presence.  "God is all there is; there is nothing else.  God is in Mary Jones, she is now a perfect being, she is now a spiritual being."

It makes no difference, however, which method one uses as each produces the same results.  One method is a logical argument in the mind of the practitioner, by which he convinces himself of the Truth of Being; the other is the instant cutting through of all appearances to the Reality back of all things.  Undoubtedly, when we can pursue only the way of pure realization, we will have attained the ideal method.

But since we do not at all times realize man's perfection, we go through this process called "treating" to find it out.  Do not be afraid of this scientific approach; do not be afraid to set down on one side all of the negative appearances, admitting them as a condition; and on the other side bringing all the arguments, one at a time, which offset these apparent conditions, and finally realization will come.

This argumentative method of treatment is a series of affirmations and denials, for the purpose of building up in the mind of the practitioner a state of realization and acceptance.  The power is in the realization, but there is also power in the argument.  The one giving the treatment believes that there is a Power and a Presence that responds to his thought.   No matter what all the world believes, no matter what anyone says, he must believe that this Power does respond to his word.  As Jesus said, "Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away."  This is conviction, and if a practitioner does not have such conviction he must acquire it.  After much experience, he will learn how best to build up a faith in the Power of Spirit.  We are to approach this Presence simply, directly and easily, for It is within us.  We can never get outside ourselves; we shall always be interior in our comprehension, we are here and It also is here.

In giving spiritual treatments we find that the more completely the mind turns away from lack, the more completely the thought stops trying to figure out how the demonstration can be made, the more completely it refrains from will power, and, strange as it may seem, the less it tries to concentrate, THE MORE POWER IT HAS.  Treatment has nothing to do with any effort which attempts to concentrate the Energy of God.  The Energy of God is already concentrated everywhere.  The gardener does not will potatoes and cabbages into being, but he has a willingness to comply with the law of nature, and provides the conditions which make it possible for this law to produce them."

April 8 ~ The Science of Mind in a Year

FAITH ~ Ernest Holmes

The Mental Approach

"The Universe is a Spiritual System. Its laws are those of intelligence.  We approach it through the mind, which enables us to know, will, and act.  Prayer, faith and belief are closely related mental attitudes.

Prayer is a mental approach to Reality.  It is not the symbol but the idea symbolized that makes prayer effective.  Some prayers are more effective than others. Some only help us to endure, while others transcend conditions, and demonstrate an invisible law which has power over the visible.  In so far as our prayer is affirmative, it is creative of the desired results.

Always a Power

Faith has been recognized as a power throughout the ages - whether it be faith in God, faith in one's fellowmen, in oneself, or in what one is doing.  The idea that faith has only to do with our religious experience is a mistake.  Faith is a faculty of the mind that always finds its highest expression in the religious attitude, but always the man who has faith in his own ability accomplishes far more than the one who has no confidence in himself.  Those who have great faith, have great power.

Why is it that one man's prayers are answered, while another's remain unanswered?  It cannot be that God desires more good for one person than another.  It must be that all persons, in their approach to Reality receive results - not because of what they believe in, but because of their belief.  Faith is an affirmative mental approach to Reality."

April 6 ~ The Science of Mind in a Year

Prayer is Essential to Happiness ~ Ernest Holmes

"Prayer is not an act of overcoming God's reluctance, but should be an active acceptance of His highest willingness.  Through prayer we recognize a spiritual law, that has always existed, and put ourselves in alignment with it.  The law of electricity might have been used by Moses had he understood this law.  Emerson said:  "Is not prayer a study of truth, a sally of the Soul into the unfound Infinite?"

Prayer is constructive, because it enables us to establish closer contact with the Fountain of Wisdom, and we are less likely to be influenced by appearances around us - to judge "according to appearance."  Righteous prayer sets the "law of the Spirit of Life" in motion for us.

Prayer is essential, not to the salvation of the soul, for the soul is never lost; but to the conscious well-being of the soul that does not understand itself.  There is a vitality in our communion with the Infinite, which is productive of the highest good.  As fire warms the body, as food strengthens us, as sunshine raises our spirits, so there is a subtle transfusion of some invisible force in such communion, weaving itself into the very warp and woof of our own mentalities.  This conscious commingling of our thought with Spirit is essential to the well-being of every part of us.

Prayer has stimulated countless millions of people to higher thoughts and nobler deeds.  That which tends to connect our minds with the Universal Mind lets in a flood of Its consciousness.  If we think of God as a Heavenly Dictator - something apart from that which lives and moves and has Its being where we are - then we are certain to believe ourselves disconnected from this Infinite Presence; and the inevitable consequence of such thinking would be a terrible fear that we should never be able to make contact with Him!  But if we know God as an Indwelling Presence, our prayer is naturally addressed to this Presence in us. We long for, and need, a conscious union with the Infinite.  This is as necessary to the nature and intellect of man, as food is to the well-being of his physical body."

April 2 ~ The Science of Mind in a Year

Laws Governing Prayer ~ Ernest Holmes

"Most men who believe in God believe in prayer; but our idea of prayer changes as our idea of God changes; and it is natural for each to feel that his way of praying is the correct way.  But we should bear in mind that the prayers which are effective - no matter whose prayers they may be - are effective because they embody certain universal principles which, when understood, can be consciously used.

IF GOD EVER ANSWERED PRAYER, HE ALWAYS ANSWERS PRAYER, since He is "the same yesterday, today and forever."  If there seems to be any failure, it is in man's ignorance of misunderstanding of the Will and Nature of God.

We are told that "God is Spirit, and they that worship Him must worship Him in spirit and in truth."  The immediate availability of the Divine Spirit is "neither in the mountain nor at the temple; neither Lo, here, nor lo there, for behold the Kingdom of God is within."

This is a true perception of spiritual power.  The power is no longer I, but "the Father who dwelleth in me."  Could we conceive of Spirit as being incarnate in us - while at the same time being ever more than that which is incarnated - would we not expand spiritually and intellectually?  Would not our prayers be answered before they were uttered?  "The Kingdom of God is within you."  When we become conscious of our Oneness with Universal Good, beliefs in evil, sin, sickness, limitation, and death tend to disappear.  We shall no longer "ask amiss," supplicating as though God were not willing, begging as though He were withholding.

"If ye abide in me and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will and it shall be done unto you."  This gives great light on an important law governing the answering of prayer.  Abiding in Him, means having no consciousness separate from His consciousness - nothing in our thought which denies the power and presence of Spirit.  Yes, we can readily see why prayers are answered when we are abiding in Him.

Again we read, "Whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do."  This sounds simple at first, but it is another profound statement like unto the first; its significance lies in the phrase:  "in my name."  In His name, means like His Nature.  If our thought is as unsullied as the Mind of God, if we are recognizing our Oneness with God, we cannot pray for other than the good of all men.  In such prayer we should not dwell upon evil or adversity.  The secret of spiritual power lies in a consciousness of one's union with the Whole, and of the availability of Good.  God is accessible to all people.

God manifests Himself through all individuals.  No two people are alike; each has a unique place in the universe of Mind; each lives in Mind; each contacts It through his own mentality, in an individual way, drawing from It a unique expression of Its Divine Nature.  If one makes himself receptive to the idea of love, he becomes lovable. To the degree that he embodies love, he is love; so people who love are loved.  Whoever becomes receptive to the idea of peace, poise and calm - whoever embodies these divine realities -finds them flowing through him and he becomes peaceful, poised and calm.

There is a place in us which lies open to the Infinite; but when the Spirit brings Its gift,by pouring Itself through us, It can give to us only what we take.  This taking is mental.  If we persist in saying that Life will not give us that which is good ("God will not answer my prayer.") It cannot, for Life must reveal Itself to us through our intelligence.  The pent-up energy of life, and the possibility of further human evolution, work through man's imagination and will.  The time is now; the place is where we are, and it is done unto us as we believe."