Christian Science treatment is safe and powerful because it is based on the Science of being—the truth that God, Love, is omnipotent, omnipresent, and omniscient and that God and His creation are all that exist. There is no other creator or creation. This knowledge, utilized, heals mankind.
In establishing the difference between Christian Science and other mental methods of healing, one must first make clear the distinction between the human mind and the divine Mind. The human mind often includes many false beliefs—beliefs in materialism and mortal thought processes which include aggressive will power. Many people believe that the human mind is the only mind. One's defense against evil lies in his understanding that the only real Mind is God.
Mind unfolds restful, harmonious, effortless activity without strain, without willfulness, human suggestion, or any influence apart from Love. Mind, God, is Spirit. Mind includes all the infinite qualities of Spirit, such as peace, joy, intelligence, love, harmony, and so forth. These qualities are active forces, and man's reflection or expression of them reveals the nature of his individuality.
The healing method of Christian Science is the very opposite of hypnotic processes. This Science is based on the understanding of God, divine Mind, and of God's power and control of His idea, man. Who objects to being controlled by infinite Love? Christian Science treatment includes the recognition of man as reflecting the substance of Love, as living in it and being controlled by it.
Contrasting this type of treatment with hypnotism, Mary Baker Eddy says (Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures, p. 375): "The Christian Scientist demonstrates that divine Mind heals, while the hypnotist dispossesses the patient of his individuality in order to control him. No person is benefited by yielding his mentality to any mental despotism or malpractice. All unscientific mental practice is erroneous and powerless, and should be understood and so rendered fruitless. The genuine Christian Scientist is adding to his patient's mental and moral power, and is increasing his patient's spirituality while restoring him physically through divine Love."
In learning the method of healing in Christian Science, we find that it is the Lamb that slays the wolf. This indicates the power of innocence, a quality of Love, to annihilate lust and hypocrisy; and this is a perfect example of the power of the gentle qualities of Love to resolve into nothingness all that is unlike God.
In the fourth chapter of Luke it is related that after Jesus began his mission he returned to "Nazareth, where he had been brought up." In the synagogue he read from the book of Esaias, or Isaiah, and "found the place where it was written, The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised, to preach the acceptable year of the Lord."
When the Master said, "This day is this scripture fulfilled in your ears," his listeners wondered at his words and said, "Is not this Joseph's son?" When he rebuked their doubt, they became angry with him and "rose up, and thrust him out of the city, and led him unto the brow of the hill whereon their city was built, that they might cast him down headlong." What then occurred is the thing in which we are immediately interested. The account continues, "But he passing through the midst of them went his way."
At first it might appear that Jesus had performed a feat of mass mesmerism, whereby he closed the eyes of his persecutors to his presence. But Jesus did not employ such means. On the contrary, what protected him was his understanding that hatred could not see or have any contact with him, for he was Love's manifestation. Can hate see love? Jesus' spiritual understanding freed him from the entire problem, and he went his way. He exercised true mental power.
Through Christian Science, spiritual understanding and power are available to all. It is right for everyone to desire and have spiritual power, for it is a God-given endowment.
Note what Mrs. Eddy says on this point (Science and Health, pp. 461, 462): "Systematic teaching and the student's spiritual growth and experience in practice are requisite for a thorough comprehension of Christian Science. Some individuals assimilate truth more readily than others, but any student, who adheres to the divine rules of Christian Science and imbibes the spirit of Christ, can demonstrate Christian Science, cast out error, heal the sick, and add continually to his store of spiritual understanding, potency, enlightenment, and success."
Healing based on spiritual understanding is not only safe, but satisfying, and such healing strengthens the thought of practitioner and patient. Christian Science treatment beholds the power of Love, breathing through all thought and consciousness, declaring in fact (Matt. 6:13), "Thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever."
