The questions have many times been asked: What is spiritual thinking? how does it differ from mortal mind thinking? how may spiritual thinking be best promoted? and how may one eliminate the so-called mortal mind thoughts which seem so persistently to crowd human consciousness? These are, indeed, important questions, directly pertinent to one's spiritual growth. Yet Christian Science explicitly answers them all; and, in fact, gives definite and simple instructions as to how one may best progress in the process of transforming thought to conform with the true consciousness, which is spiritual. And, withal, the directions are so simple that a child may understand them. Spiritual thinking is the reflection of the one Mind, thinking the thoughts God gives, that is, of good; mortal mind thinking has to do only with the beliefs of the flesh, with all which arises from the lie which insists that life and intelligence inhere in matter. Christ Jesus discriminated perfectly between these conditions when he said to Nicodemus, "That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit."
The process of attaining to spiritual thinking is not different from the gaining of any mental condition desired. If, for example, one wishes to perfect himself in any branch of mathematics, he turns to the study of that subject, and thinks and dwells upon it constantly, or in the degree commensurate with the intensity of his desire to become proficient. Filling one's thought with a subject of a necessity excludes extraneous thinking, and he mentally dwells with his desire. Can one doubt the result of such effort?
The situation is not different in gaining spiritual understanding. The student who earnestly desires to progress rapidly turns his attention to the things of Spirit, that is, to thoughts of God and His perfect creation, including spiritual man. He dwells in the atmosphere of divine Mind, filling his consciousness, so far as possible, with the truth about all things; about the infinite universe in all its purity and beauty and goodness, wherein dwells no phase of evil, sin, and discord. This continually leads to the unfoldment of new ideas, and one's spiritual vision is enlarged in proportion to the intensity of his desire and the earnestness of his application.
