Terror—either as apparent cause or effect—can be lessened. It can be controlled and eliminated because terror is simply stress manufactured, magnified, and spread by mortal thought. That mortal thought is essentially unreal is provable.
Terror can be the outcome of some so-called natural disaster or of a major accident. Or it can be used as an instrument of policy by those who would intimidate a government, for example, into taking a certain course of action. We can play a part in diminishing onslaughts of error. In fact, each time we deal with our own anxieties on a spiritually scientific basis— that is, by realizing man's actual unity with God—we are blunting the edge of terror. Centuries ago the Psalmist outlined the results of accepting one's unity with God: "Thou shalt not be afraid for the terror by night; nor for the arrow that flieth by day."Ps. 91:5;
Christian Science does not simplistically claim that all the dark corners of mortal thought will at once yield to spiritual light—permanently and for all humanity—as soon as we realize some general truths about the real nature of God and man and our oneness with God. There is some solid work to be done. Mary Baker Eddy makes this clear: "It is scientific to abide in conscious harmony, in health-giving, deathless Truth and Love. To do this, mortals must first open their eyes to all the illusive forms, methods, and subtlety of error, in order that the illusion, error, may be destroyed; if this is not done, mortals will become the victims of error."Retrospection and Introspection, p. 64;
