Turning away from theology and its frequent concomitant, materia medica, years of faithful adherence to which have brought no practical benefit, many an honest seeker finds a stumblingblock in a misapprehension of the radical denials and affirmations necessary to mental work in Christian Science. "I cannot say my rheumatism is any better when it is not; much less that I have not any such thing when I know I have," declared one dear lady, who added, "Every time I make such statements my heart condemns me because I am telling an untruth."
It will be readily admitted that no good can come from doing violence to one's sense of truth, but it should never be forgotten that the first essential to effective scientific mental work is the ability to distinguish between man in the image and likeness of God and the poor mortal counterfeit. For the true man, no good is too great to claim, in all humility and with the realization that this good is reflected from his Maker, to whom all glory should be given; whereas, every claim of the mortal counterfeit is to be steadfastly and consistently denied. On page 242 of Miscellany we find this invaluable instruction from our Leader: "Christian Science is absolute; it is neither behind the point of perfection nor advancing towards it; it is at this point and must be practised therefrom."
In the attainment of this understanding, the illustration of dreamer and dream, used so frequently in our textbook, "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures," is very helpful, referring as it does to an experience which is universal. A study of the citations on this subject, listed in the concordance to Science and Health and available for use at any Christian Science reading room, will elucidate the point. Every one knows how unmistakably real to his dreamsense of identity both that identity and the events of the dream are. He may dream that he is crippled with rheumatism and in great pain, yet this sense leaves him immediately upon his awaking. He then realizes that he has the authority of truth to repudiate the whole experience; to say that it never happened; indeed, was not happening even while he was accepting it as the fact.
