A Hypnotist usually asks the person he intends to hypnotize to fix his gaze on a certain object and to listen to the suggestions the hypnotist makes. In a somewhat similar manner, mortal mind tends to make us concentrate our attention on a certain discordant situation or bodily disease until we can think of nothing else. This is, of course, not the way to overcome it. Indeed, Mrs. Eddy tells us in Science and Health (p. 261): "Look away from the body into Truth and Love, the Principle of all happiness, harmony, and immortality. Hold thought steadfastly to the enduring, the good, and the true, and you will bring these into your experience proportionably to their occupancy of your thoughts."
Does this mean that Christian Science attaches little importance to the healing of the body? Certainly not. Anyone who at Wednesday testimony meetings in a Church of Christ, Scientist, has heard the many accounts of healing or has read them in the Christian Science periodical knows that healing of discord or disease forms an important part of the Christian Science religion. However, the primary aim of the Christian Scientist is spiritual regeneration, because healing is a natural result of this regeneration.
According to the mortal sense of being, the blood pressure of a person increases if he gets angry. He may take a drug to calm himself; but this does not do away with the cause of his anger, nor will it prevent him from getting angry again. Christian Science, however, helps him to overcome, and eventually to eliminate, the anger and its disturbing consequence. Thus healing in Christian Science occurs not by the treatment of symptoms but by the elimination of disturbing errors from thought. This Science deals wholly with the mental cause in destroying any kind of sickness or sin. Naturally this improves the individual's outlook and stature. Thus a healing in Science is a continuous process of spiritualization of thought. This is why it is possible to be grateful for our difficulties. We do well to remember the words (Acts 14:22), "We must through much tribulation enter into the kingdom of God."
