Chapter VII - Physiology
Death and the body
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is put off only as the mortal, erring mind yields to God,
is put off only as the mortal, erring mind yields to God,
immortal Mind, and man is found in His image.
Embryonic sinful thoughts
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What is termed disease does not exist. It is neither
What is termed disease does not exist. It is neither
mind nor matter. The belief of sin, which has grown
terrible in strength and influence, is an uncon-
scious error in the beginning, – an embryonic
thought without motive; but afterwards it
governs the so-called man. Passion, depraved appetites,
dishonesty, envy, hatred, revenge ripen into action, only to
pass from shame and woe to their final punishment.
Disease a dream
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Mortal existence is a dream of pain and pleasure in
Mortal existence is a dream of pain and pleasure in
matter, a dream of sin, sickness, and death; and it is like
the dream we have in sleep, in which every one
recognizes his condition to be wholly a state of
mind. In both the waking, and the sleeping dream, the
dreamer thinks that his body is material and the suffering
is in that body.
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The smile of the sleeper indicates the sensation pro-
The smile of the sleeper indicates the sensation pro-
duced physically by the pleasure of a dream. In the
same way pain and pleasure, sickness and care, are
traced upon mortals by unmistakable signs.
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Sickness is a growth of error, springing from mortal
Sickness is a growth of error, springing from mortal
ignorance or fear. Error rehearses error. What causes
disease cannot cure it. The soil of disease is mortal
mind, and you have an abundant or scanty crop of disease,
according to the seedlings of fear. Sin and the fear of
disease must be uprooted and cast out.
Sense yields to understanding
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When darkness comes over the earth, the physical
When darkness comes over the earth, the physical
senses have no immediate evidence of a sun.
The human eye knows not where the orb of
day is, nor if it exists. Astronomy gives the
desired information regarding the sun. The human or
189:1
material senses yield to the authority of this science, and
material senses yield to the authority of this science, and
they are willing to leave with astronomy the explanation of
the sun's influence over the earth. If the eyes see no sun
for a week, we still believe that there is solar light and
heat. Science (in this instance named natural) raises
the human thought above the cruder theories of the
human mind, and casts out a fear.
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In like manner mortals should no more deny the power
In like manner mortals should no more deny the power
of Christian Science to establish harmony and to explain
the effect of mortal mind on the body, though the cause
be unseen, than they should deny the existence of the sun-
light when the orb of day disappears, or doubt that the sun
will reappear. The sins of others should not make good
men suffer.
Ascending the scale
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We call the body material; but it is as truly mortal
We call the body material; but it is as truly mortal
mind, according to its degree, as is the material brain
which is supposed to furnish the evidence
of all mortal thought or things. The human
mortal mind, by an inevitable perversion, makes all
things start from the lowest instead of from the highest
mortal thought. The reverse is the case with all the
formations of the immortal divine Mind. They proceed
from the divine source; and so, in tracing them, we con-
stantly ascend in infinite being.
Human reproduction
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From mortal mind comes the reproduction of the
From mortal mind comes the reproduction of the
species, – first the belief of inanimate, and then of ani-
mate matter. According to mortal thought,
the development of embryonic mortal mind
commences in the lower, basal portion of the brain, and
goes on in an ascending scale by evolution, keeping always
in the direct line of matter, for matter is the subjective
condition of mortal mind.