For years I had been believing without question that I was a mortal created in a material form and surrounded by other mortals, all with individual minds and bodies. Possibly you've believed the same about yourself.
We learn in Christian Science that these mortal, material forms are illusions—that we are not really mortals but are immortal expressions of Soul, of God's being. As we grow in our perception of Christian Science, we can expect to become more and more aware of this fact and think of ourselves more as spiritual reflections of Soul than as mortals. Eventually this realization will lead us to the point where the mortal concept completely vanishes from our thought and we see our identity wholly as the expression of Soul. When this happens, we will have reached what is called ascension.
Mrs. Eddy tells us, "The myriad forms of mortal thought, made manifest as matter, are not more distinct nor real to the material senses than are the Soul-created forms to spiritual sense, which cognizes Life as permanent." Science and Health, p. 306 To realize that we are purely spiritual, we need to cultivate spiritual sense through an understanding of the Soul, or Mind, that created us.
