Day 55

102:1-104:2

Today's two pages covers a lot of ground. I had to read it twice and I might have another go at it. Here are some words that I don't automatically think of as meaning the same thing but clearly Mary Baker Eddy means they are, or at least very related:

magnetism
hypnotism
mutual influence
attraction
mesmerism

The first sentence I underlined is:

There is but one real attraction, that of Spirit.

Attraction is an idea so widely used in popular culture. When I think about it, it means starting new friendships or relationships to me -- what keeps people together. So to put it in the above context, I think back to the chapter on Marriage, and how I need to make sure that those relationships are superseded by God and not the other way around. I know MBE is taking a stronger, harsher view of animal magnetism than that -- after the last chapter on One God, I get that -- just putting it in perspective for myself.

The next sentence I stayed with was:

The planets have no more power over man than over his Maker, since God governs the universe; but man, reflecting God's power, has dominion over all the earth and its hosts.

I mentally changed the word planets to flowers because my body wants to believe in allergies. Allergies seem like the ultimate hypnotic dream to me. The boogy man in the closet I can't see.

The next one:

The destruction of the claims of mortal mind through Science, by which man can escape from sin and mortality, blesses the whole human family.

The whole human family is something I need to focus on. Not me, or we, but all. This was a nice way for MBE to say it.

She defines animal magnetism or hypnotism:

As named in Christian Science, animal magnetism or hypnotism is the specific term for error, or mortal mind. It is the false belief that mind is in matter, and is both evil and good; that evil is as real as good and more powerful.

Sometimes, I wish the Glossary or the Index did a better job of tracking definitions like this. But I just make notes on the back pages of what is defined where. Much easier with tags in an online blog. Yeah!

The last one:

In Christian Science, man can do no harm, for scientific thoughts are true thoughts, passing from God to man.

Goal for today: realize and understand true thoughts from God -- God's dominion, not flowers dominion.