ACCORDING to Christian Science, man's identity is spiritual. Man is the reflection of Mind and can no more conform to a so-called mentality other than that of the divine than can a reflection in a mirror conform to an object not in front of the mirror. Through earnest, prayerful study the Christian Scientist becomes so strong in his adherence to Principle, God, that the argument of conforming to mortal modes of thought can neither allure, obsess, nor mesmerize him.
Gradually, and with peace, the thought of the student emerges through spiritual transformation into the understanding which enables him to distinguish real, spiritual individuality from either the uniform or the variable presentments of mortal personalities. Then he is obeying Paul's admonition (Rom. 12:2), "Be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God."
A group of psychologists made a study of human behavior as it pertains to conformity. Several volunteers were so placed in separate booths that they were unable to see one another. Each one was told to answer questions by pushing buttons that would light up answers in view of all the other volunteers. However, the answers each one saw on the screen were not actually those of the other participants, but only such answers as the psychologists wished each one to see and believe the others had given. Usually these answers were the opposite of those that the individual knew through reason to be correct and sometimes even obvious.
