Sympathizing with a person or group of people who are suffering is a good thing, especially when it is accompanied by a genuine desire to help and heal. On the other hand, being mentally drawn into the suffering of others—being mesmerized, or hypnotized, into believing in and fearing the supposed cause of their suffering—is not a good thing.
Log in to read this article
Not a subscriber to JSH-Online? Subscribe today and receive online access to The Christian Science Journal, Sentinel, and Herald including digital editions of the print periodicals, Web original articles, blogs, and podcasts, over 30,000 minutes of Sentinel Radio and audio chats, searchable archive going back to 1883! Learn More .