The Magic of the Mind

by Ernest Holmes and Willis Kinnear

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The Magic of the Mind written by Ernest Holmes and Willis Kinnear Complied and edited by Willis Kinnear First Printing -- 1960 Copyright @ 1960 by Willis Kinnear

CONTENTS
Introduction Thought in Action You Can't Avoid Thinking Why You Must Think Thought Is A Limitless Force Unlimit Yourself How To Use Thought The Power of Mind The Art of Thinking Believe In Your Ideas Learn To Help Yourself The Dynamics of Thought Thoughts Are Things What You Want, You Have The Source of Health How To Improve Your Affairs People Can Be Fun Practical Suggestions Using The Science of Mind The Magic of The Mind Appendix page 3 page 4 page 5 page 7 page 10 page 12 page 15 page 17 page 20 page 22 page 24 page 26 page 29 page 31 page 32 page 35 page 38 page 41 page 43 page 46 page 48

Introduction
The world is a thing of wonder and we should be filled with a greater sense of what is wonderful. But it so happens that in many respects we are still in a primitive stage of development so that instead of a feeling of reverence and appreciation for the world about us we inadequately interpret it in terms of the miraculous, the magical, and the mysterious. We feel ourselves surrounded by events and happenings which appear to have no apparent cause and we have devised many odd and peculiar ways of relating ourselves to them. We may laugh at the efforts of primitive peoples to deal with their world through strange rites, formulas, and symbols, but at the same time overlook our own foibles. All too often we are prone to forget that we are living in a universe that is a thing of law and order and we ascribe the cause of certain events to the workings of magic or miracles. Such an attitude is merely an attempt to explain in some way the operations of laws and forces which we have not yet come fully to understand. In this respect what may be entirely reasonable and commonplace to one person may be incomprehensible and mysterious to another. For the most part we are still toying with ideas as to what the mind is and how it works. Many of the things that we encounter in our experience we attribute to the magical workings of the mind, without realizing that anything that does work must of necessity function logically and be governed by laws that operate intelligently. Man's distinguishing quality in an orderly universe is his ability to think. It naturally follows that his use of thought must conform to the action of law, and that anything that results from his use of thought must be a result of the action of law. If we have considered that the mind has any magical or miraculous qualities we have not yet recognized that there is no such thing as the erratic action of mysterious powers or forces. Actually there could only be associated with the action of the mind certain laws which always work, laws which we can come to understand and use in a specific and definite manner, even though now we may be but dimly aware of them. Whatever power thought may have, whatever seeming magic may emanate from the mind, whatever effectiveness thought in the form of affirmative prayer can have, there can only be one intelligent explanation: nothing that occurs in this universe of ours is beyond the control of the laws which govern it, and the action of our mind is no exception. There always lies ahead of us the possibility that we can come to discover the nature of the laws of mind. When rightly understood we can use them in a constructive and beneficial manner bringing new and marvelous things into our experience. Then we will have a feeling of humility and a sense of wonder for the universe which God has created.

Thought in Action
Undoubtedly there are a great many people who presume to think yet do not believe in any form of prayer. Many things may contribute to such disbelief but of one thing we may be sure: They have denied the effectiveness of prayer without going to the trouble to discover its effectiveness. It would seem impossible for any person to deny the testimony of the ages and also to ignore the many verified records of present-day experiences. The person who says that prayer is of no value either refutes the glorious experiences of the human race or else is too lazy or ignorant to examine the facts. Some people appear to lead a very prayerful life without anything tangible ever resulting from it. On the other hand, there are those who seldom indulge in prayer but who have remarkable results. What has happened? The only possible explanation is that there is a radical difference in what they conceive as the foundation for their prayers. We also encounter individuals who have never prayed in their lives, have no use for prayer and consider it something for children. Yet, when they find themselves in a dire emergency something in them cries out for expression and they pray pray in a manner that is effective. A great many people limit their thinking, and prayer activity, to just certain things. They probably have their own particular reasons for doing so, but all the evidence that is available points to the fact that prayer can be and is effective in every aspect of life. If we consider that prayer is a form of thought, then is it not logical to assume that whatever we can entertain in our thought in some form of prayer is effective in our life? From this point of view it would seem that since we can think we can learn to pray in a constructive manner. Whether we consider ourself a firm believer in prayer or a complete skeptic, thought as prayer does loom as a very large factor in our life. This is something that cannot be avoided; neither can responsibility be shunned for the nature and the content of the prayer. Consciously or unconsciously everyone determines for himself just what his pattern of thinking is and shall be, and it is out of this determination that he decrees whether his experiences shall be for his benefit or detriment. Nothing is more important for every aspect of our living than that we learn how to so direct, control, and utilize our thinking that it may become more productive of the life we desire. To put this in different words, we owe it to ourself to learn how to pray effectively. Prayer is and always has been a creative endeavor. And just like any other creative activity there is spontaneity, a skill and art relative to it which is intensely personal. Although there are no specific formulas or set routines that will show one how to pray, there are basic ideas, fundamental concepts, which each must examine and digest. Out of them the individual can create for himself a logical and reasonable foundation for constructive creative thinking. Such a foundation should of necessity be intellectually sound and emotionally satisfying. What may previously have been a random endeavor can develop into a decisive and constructive pattern of thinking which makes for effective prayer. Everything that we do we should do with the utmost of our ability, but the problem is that we seldom recognize how much ability we have. We have resources that exceed our
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imagination; they are available for our use and we should seek to discover and use them. The goal of constructive thinking, of entering into prayer activity, is for the purpose of providing a better way of living than we are now enjoying. Before we dismiss or discard prayer as an effective factor in life we should ask ourself such questions as: "What am I praying? How am I praying? What is the manner of my thinking?" "Do I have an affirmative or negative approach to life?" It is on the answers that we are able to give to such questions that we build the life we are to live tomorrow, that we determine what the results of our thoughts in action shall be.

You Cant Avoid Thinking

If there is one thing that uniquely sets man apart from all the rest of life on this planet it is his ability to think, to be creative, and to use his imagination. This very distinguishing feature enables him in one way or another to determine the nature of the life that he lives. Archeological and anthropological investigations of the early evidences of man reveal that these qualities have been and still are in a continual state of progress and development. Although we may feel that we are in very advanced stages of human development it is entirely possible that the man of a thousand years in the future will be as far ahead of us as we are of the man of ten thousand years in the past. But in what respect are we evaluating such progress? Certainly not in terms of physical development, for indications are that only minor changes have occurred in man's physical makeup during the past thousands of years. The changes that have occurred and undoubtedly will occur are in relationship to his ability to use and direct his thought! In the fairly recent past, as well as in times of great antiquity, man was confronted with a continual physical battle to wrest food and shelter from his environment. Today, however, with the increase of his knowledge this struggle for existence has resolved itself into a mental rather than a physical endeavor. Our whole mode of living appears to be developing more and more into a process of thinking, overshadowing instinctive physical action. Some of the earliest signs of thought and imagination on the part of man are to be found in symbolic artifacts and paintings which appear to indicate that it is innate for man to think in terms of what he would like his experience to be. Broadly speaking, it would appear that ever since man has realized and developed his power to think he has undertaken what might be called prayer! Prayer, as that particular form of thought through which he seeks to achieve a better way of life, would seem to be a universal activity through all stages of man's development.
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If any man's prayer through the long history of the race has ever been effective, then thought in the form of prayer would appear to be independent of the nature of his religious convictions, although such may and can be influential factors. Prayer as a form of thought, stripped of all embellishments, still remains in and of itself a potent and creative factor in the life of the individual. If this were not so it would be impossible for any man's prayer ever to have had an answer. It is a well-known fact that today peoples of all cultures and religious beliefs do pray and do experience tangible results from the ideas encompassed in their prayers. This is not to say that any individual's religious belief or conviction does not in some way enhance the effectiveness of the prayer, but rather that there must of necessity be something universal involved in prayer that is over, above, and beyond the limitations and restrictions of any particular religious concept. Prayer has always been intimately related to and part of religious activity. But if we are to get to the heart of the nature of prayer, we will have to look beyond the explanation or basis provided for prayer supplied by a particular body of religious conviction. The main idea that we have to proceed with is that prayer is purely and simply a process of thought that takes place in our own mind. It cannot be other than an act or way of thinking. With this in mind we find that we are confronted with the fact that a certain form of thought is prayer, and as such may be instrumental in producing certain results in our experience. There are many elaborate religious explanations as to why thought as prayer works. Some are very involved, others very simple. Some are founded on superstition, mystery, ritual, and ordeal, while others declare that only a select few may pray effectively. However, for the most part, the basic and fundamental fact is ignored, namely, that prayer is a directed form of thought. Every man is capable of thought. As a result, should he not be able to so formulate his thoughts that they may become effective as prayers? It would appear that he should be able to do this, but it is entirely possible that he has been so accustomed to thinking in a manner that might be other than effective when it came to prayer that he is at a complete loss. What we desire to find out is what thought is and why in the form of prayer it may be a constructive, creative factor in our life. In attempting to do this the accusation may be made that just another narrow limited explanation is being given. However, the discerning person will soon discover that prayer is much more than he ever expected it to be, and that in order to make it a useful and practical activity on the part of the individual the knowledge and wisdom of science, philosophy, and pure religion have been drawn upon. We do not know all the answers yet, but with all that we do know today a reasonable, logical, and, above all, a workable procedure for the effective action of thought is available to every person. And because every person thinks, he can pray properly, and he can partake of the results of his prayers.
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Why You Must Think

In proceeding on the basis that prayer is a form of thought we are then confronted with determining what thought is. And this inquiry can only be answered by first establishing a foundation which involves a consideration of the nature of the universe in which we live. This of course is a question which has occupied the attention of the best and wisest thinkers of all time, and regardless of to what extent we may feel we have adequately answered it; there will always remain that unknown area of the Infinite which will forever be beyond man's knowledge and comprehension. Nevertheless, enough facts have been ascertained through scientific investigation, religious revelation and intuition, and philosophical reasoning, which harmoniously weave themselves together, so that there emerges an intellectually sound and emotionally satisfying concept. This concept represents the highest level of man's thought, and that it is valid is attested to by the fact that it is practical in his experience. But it must be remembered that any concept that man may now have is always subject to increased refinement and revision as his knowledge and wisdom increase. Today we are confronted with the fact that we are living in a spiritual universe. What do we mean by "spiritual" universe? As a starting point we mean that that which is seen comes from that which is not seen. The tangible proceeds from and out of the intangible. The source and maintenance of the physical universe resides in that which is nonphysical. Today, one idea is basic to most religious convictions: There is a supreme Power which is the Creator and Source of all that is. This Power has been designated by many names, among them God, Spirit, infinite Intelligence, Divine Mind, Reality, and of course all the other names used to identify It in the great non-Christian religions of the world. The great mystics who have left their indelible mark on the direction of man's thinking have often, outside the framework of religious restrictions, intuitively sensed, inwardly known, that everything is part of a great Whole; that there is a great Unity which encompasses all that is. That their testimony is valid is indicated by the fact that regardless of place or time in history, the intuition always has been the same. There has been no conflict in what they have declared to be the nature of the universe. For the most part the religious and intuitive concepts of the universe have come to us from out of the past but we are often prone to discount as meaningless that which does not have its origin today. However, we find that science is confirming ancient intuition and basic religious concepts. This does not mean that every scientist and every branch of science agrees, but for the most part the evidence of science itself and the words of many of the great men of science do uphold and reemphasize man's innate convictions, although the manner in which they are expressed is often in words devoid of what might be termed religious terminology. But regardless of the words used, the meaning is the same.
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We find that what in times past was considered as solid matter has now been resolved into something which does not have shape or form. The solid object was discovered to be made up of molecules. The molecules were then found to be composed of atoms, which in turn were resolved into neutrons, protons, and numerous other subatomic particles. But these too lost their identity and all that the investigators had left was pure energy, a nebulous, intangible force. Another avenue of scientific investigation has disclosed the fact that the universe is not a haphazard conglomeration of particles of energy in concrete form. Instead, everything acts in accord with law, behaving in an orderly manner, and for every effect there is a cause. A third and somewhat startling development in recent years is the conviction on the part of science that atoms themselves do not of their own accord arrange themselves together in such a manner that a living thing results. There is now the idea that something used the atoms to form them into a thing that has life. This something has been designated as purpose, design, intelligence, form, pattern, the dynamic quality, and many other terms. The important thing to notice is that all the terms used denote an intangible quality, a thing of intelligence, an idea, a thought. From this viewpoint it now appears that an idea or thought must of necessity precede the appearance of anything of a tangible nature. Inasmuch as the universe is a unity, all such ideas or expressions of intelligence must have a single source. Because of certain restrictions on the part of some religions many scientists have been reluctant to designate this source as God; instead they use such terms as infinite Thinker, ultimate Reality, Mind of the Universe, and Creative Mind. So from a scientific point of view we find three fundamental facts: intelligence, energy, and law. Further, they are not in conflict but work as a unity, and are both the substance and reason for everything that is. We find religion similarly designating these three aspects of God, only in different terminology. In the beginning is God (Intelligence), then there is the Word of God which becomes both the Law unto and the Substance (Energy in form) of that toward which It is directed. From the beginning all creation is an activity of God becoming that which He creates. Sketchy as it is, this gives us some idea of the universe in which we live, both from a religious and scientific foundation. But we still have to find our place in the picture. Our physical place we can deduce, but what about that which we really area conscious entity possessed of a mind and capable of thought? In the physical universe much appears to act in an intelligent manner in accord with law, but possessing no volition of its own. In man alone rests the ability to choose, to think creatively, to imagine, to produce that which has not been produced before. There is nothing in the physical universe out of which such a thing as mind could be made. Rather, the only source of our mind appears to be
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the Intelligence, the One Mind which is back of, and in, and through all things. The source of the human mind could only be from something of similar nature to it. This leads us to the point where we cannot avoid recognizing our mind as an aspect, an individualization of the One Mind. This of course is no different from saying that in every respect man is made in the image and likeness of God. We now come to a point that a great many people have overlooked. If there is one great creative Intelligence responsible for the universe in which we live, and if our mind has its source in this Intelligence, then is not our mind also creative? If we deny that our mind is creative, then would we not also be denying creative power on the part of the thought of God, or of an infinite Intelligence which science says is responsible for the universe? There is no reason not to believe that God's thought is creative, and it naturally follows that our thought must of necessity be creative. Creative not on a cosmic scale but at least creative in relation to our own life and experience. We find that we are possessed of an ability which but few have recognized, and still fewer have been able to utilize and direct. But this in no way minimizes the creativity that our thought has. Rather, it points out the fact that largely we are as a babe in the woods with infinite resources residing at the center of our being, but as yet not recognizing them nor availing ourselves of them. The great and only awakening that can ever come to man is when he becomes aware of the fact that that which enables him to think, to be conscious, to be creative, is the Mind of God active within him. This of course brings to mind the statement: "I can of mine own self do nothing ... but the Father that dwelleth in me, he doeth the works." As to what prayer is, and why it is effective in our experience, we find that as a form of thought it cannot help but be creative. Every thought we have must of necessity be creative in some degree, if any thought is. Through the way we think we are creating our experience for ourself all the time, but usually the creativity of thought is only channeled to our benefit when we frame it in the form of prayer. The problem that confronts us, then, is not only what is the nature of the thoughts we use in prayer, but also what is the pattern of our thinking the rest of the time; it is always producing something for us. In considering the fact that thought is creative of what we encounter in our experience, we must remember that such creativity does not lie in the power of our thought itself. Rather, our thought, being an activity of the One Mind within us, provides a pathway for the flow of the ceaseless creative action of Law bringing into our experience a tangible manifestation of our thought.

Thought Is a Limitless Force

Every living thing might be said to have a pattern which is responsible for its existence, a pattern which unfolds with definite purpose and form and which indicates intelligence at work. This is obvious when we consider a seed. How does any seed know how to develop into a plant or flower, or what kind of a plant or flower to be? It is of course true that science has discovered elements within the seed that determine certain characteristics which will evidence themselves. But at the same time can it be said that within the molecular structure of the cells of a seed there resides the knowledge and wisdom for it to become what it is to become? Science says no, that the intelligence and purpose evidenced in the activity of growth is a pattern or form that physical elements conform to. The tangible is guided and directed by the intangible. No group of cells of any kind can hold a convention and decide to be an oak tree, a rosebush, or an orchid. Neither can any particular group of cells of a human embryo decide to become a liver, a heart, an eye, or a muscle. Something permeates a group of cells directing them, creating a mold for them to conform to. Such directional qualities, forms, and purposes are evidence of intelligence at work, ideas of infinite Intelligence-God lawfully manifesting themselves in and as substance. In the One Mind there resides the idea for every created thing and in turn It becomes physically manifested as that thing. Thought becomes thing! The fact that we are an expression of an idea in the Mind of God, and that there is a pattern for our existence, does not mean that it is intended that we should all be alike. In the limitless capacity of an infinite Intelligence there would be a general idea, but innumerable expressions of it. Life in Its expression is never monotonous. There can be a unity of all things without there being a static uniformity. Just as God thinks and creates, so we think and create. But God's activity is infinite while our activity is limited and restricted by the fact that although we are a part of God we can never encompass the whole of the nature and action of God, and also by our inability to fully recognize and use the creative power of our thought. On the other hand, there is nothing to prevent us from more and mare utilizing the infinite potential of the nature of God in us. In considering how the action of our mind may work in our life we have but to remember the manner in which infinite Mind works-God creates by thought. The ideas that we entertain and maintain in our mind arc the causes of that which corresponds to them in our experience. There is nothing we have to do about it, nothing we can do about it. It is inherent in the nature of Mind, and our mind, that the thoughts entertained are naturally and automatically manifested as tangible fact and actual experience. There is no limit to this action of the Law of Mind.

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The prime prerequisite of everything in the Universe is thought or idea. One scientist has said that the Universe appears to be a great thought. There is no evidence to deny it, and everything seems to confirm it. This brings us to the immediate and personal problem of how prayer can work in our life. For the most part we think in a very erratic manner. In fact, the things we most consistently think about seem to be those which we do not like and we find ourself saying with Job: "... the thing which I greatly feared has come upon me. What greater evidence could we possibly discover in our own experience relative to the creative power of our thought than the appearance of the many undesirable things on which we have let our thought dwell? It may be that most of the time we let our thinking wander in an uncontrolled manner so that it is preoccupied with what we do not want, or that the only time we concern ourself with what we do want is when we direct our thought in prayer. In either case our thought is creative; in one instance creative of things that are undesirable, in the other productive of the better things in life. However, it cannot be said that all prayer is necessarily productive of the desired result. In fact, many prayers are not effective at all. Considering the creative nature of God and the way in which His creations are sustained and maintained, it is most obvious that in the Mind of God there is consistency. But can we say as much for our thoughts? Are they consistent in any degree? What do we do in our prayers? Do we spend five minutes affirming an idea and the rest of the day denying it? We cannot avoid the dictum: It is done unto us as we believe. This does not mean as we believe for a specific five minutes, but rather what we consistently believe all the time. Prayer is a definite creative thing, but it must he supported by a continuing belief and conviction so the creative force which flows through our thought is uninterrupted in the accomplishing of its mission. Otherwise we immediately cancel it out and in its place unknowingly start another causative course of action which is productive of results opposite to those desired. The effect of positive affirmative prayer is ours to experience only as we maintain a continual affirmative frame of mind all the time. This does not mean that we must indulge in prayer all the time, but instead that we should always affirm that what we have prayed for is now being accomplished. Our pattern of thought should never vary from the knowledge that the thought or idea we have established in prayer is completely fulfilled in every respect. This is one of the great secrets of prayer, if there be any secrets. The creative action through a specific prayer may be experienced only to the extent that we are able to stop denying its action after the prayer has been made. We must learn to be consistent. Of course there are those prayers which have had instantaneous responses. In such cases the prayer carried with it such a belief and a conviction that it wiped out every question of doubt, everything that might tend to deny it. But for the:
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most part we have to conscientiously work at keeping our thought creative in a beneficial way in order that our prayers may be effective. This process of working at having our thought be productive of those good things in life we most desire rests in re-educating and retraining ourself in what we think and the way we think. A new adventure in living awaits any person who comes to discover how thought and prayer work. And when we discover this we are only revealing to ourself what we actually are, a creation of God, the infinite Mind which is active and creative as, in, and through what we are.

Unlimit Yourself
What can we pray for? Whatever we want to pray for! Strange as it may seem, among those who fervently believe in prayer as a creative factor in their lives there is a wide difference of opinion as to just what prayer may accomplish, and what may and may not be prayed for. If we would ever put any limitation on what prayer can do we would in effect be limiting the action of God through us. Simply stated, prayer is nothing other than the affirmation and acceptance in our experience of the perfection, the good, the harmony and the abundance which have to exist in the Creator of all that is. We will find that for those who say they can pray for only certain things and that prayer can be effective only in limited areas, their prayers can and will be effective only in the manner they designate, never more. Actually, such people are taking it upon themselves to determine what the infinite Power of the Universe may and may not accomplish. Man may be ignorant in many respects but never so much so as when he declares that he shall experience only so much good in his life and no more. It is most important that we place no limitations on our prayers. Whatever is good, whatever may provide a fuller enjoyment of living that neither harms nor deprives another, these are the things which we should seek to experience through prayer. All the good there is is available to us because we are centered in God. If God were other than good He would be against Himself, which would be an impossibility. If God is infinite, then there are no limitations in God. We need to enlarge our concept of God, and as we do this we need also to enlarge our concept of ourself. We must never forget that God is what we really are; there is nothing else for us to be part of. Keeping this in mind, why should we limit what good may occur in our experience? For a fuller enjoyment of living we should have and experience all that is needed for the highest possible expression of the Life that is within us. Our life is an expression, an activity of God, and God never deprives Himself. If we feel that God does, then the God of our belief is not the real God. In this connection we should be thankful for the fact that the God so often believed in is not the real God, for
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when we look at the many conflicting, restricting, limiting ideas there are about the infinite creative Power of the Universe we realize that if such a God existed He could not have been the author of our orderly universe. Fundamentally there is nothing that prayer cannot do, provided the prayer is consistent with the nature of God. Evidence points to the fact that it has accomplished every good thing that man has been able to let his thought dwell upon. Some may feel that they do not know enough to pray for this or that, that they do not know how a certain thing should be accomplished, this is only natural. But it should not interfere with praying for that thing, because in infinite Mind alone rests the knowledge of the ways and means for doing everything that needs to be done. So what do we do? We let God do it, the Mind that knows how to do it. A small cut the doctor can bandage, but as for the actual healing he can do nothing. Infinite Life knows how to renew the cells, knit them together, rebuild blood vessels and nerves. But, and this is an important point, through prayer we may assist, promote, and speed up the healing action. As we align our thinking with the creative action of infinite Intelligence, as we knowingly accept and permit Its increased action through the cut, this is what occurs. We are not responsible for creating that action, but we are responsible for knowing and permitting such action to take place in us. The limitless capabilities of the infinite Mind stand ever ready to How into and through the pattern we establish for their action in our own mind. For this reason we should never hesitate or feel at a loss to pray for whatever we feel is for our greater good. Regardless of what it is in our experience that needs to be bettered, there is in the Mind of God all the knowledge, wisdom, and ability to do what needs to be done and we can avail ourself of them. We do not need to be specific in the details as to the how and the way, but we must be definite and concrete in our mental acceptance of the results we expect to experience. We have been burdened too long with the idea that we arc born to suffer, that we lack because a whimsical God gives to some and not to others, that we all have a cross to bear, and that life is meant to be a journey of deprivation from birth to the grave with a blissful experience awaiting us hereafter. Such ideas could only have had their origin in the depraved minds of those who could not find their place in life or else used such ideas to keep the masses of people in subservience. Today we need to wake up. If God created man in His own image then we must come to know ourself as free, healthy, happy, and prosperous. Otherwise we wind up with a God of our own distorted convictions who is indeed a limited and pitiful thing. Instead of creating a God out of our misdirected thinking we need to let ourself be continually created out of God. God made man; man did not make God. We need to unlimit our thinking and use it in a constructive, creative manner. We should think and pray in ways that can be productive of a fuller, richer experience of living, rather than confining ourself to a meager portion of all that life has to offer.

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What would we like to pray for? Big or little, seemingly easy or difficult of fulfillment, it does not matter. Prayer may and can be effective in any and every aspect of our affairs, relationships, and states of health. Everyone of these spheres of experience is under our conscious direction. The immutable action of Law responds in accordance with the direction we give our thought. When things seem adverse it is not because God has so willed it, rather it is because we have willed it. We have used the creative power of our thought in a chaotic manner. Prayer is for the purpose of changing our thinking so we can get rid of what we do not like and have more of the good we do like. We do not have to tolerate a thorn in our finger, nor deprive ourself of food when standing before a table of plenty. It is a case of knowing what we want, when we want it, and of doing something about it. We may do something about it any time we desire through the medium of prayer. Prayer is primarily for the purpose of changing ourself, changing our own way of thinking so that the immutable action and creativity of Law may How through us into a new and better expression in our experience. We cannot limit the action of Law, but we can always direct Its action in our experience by what we think. We must come to the point where we can open our thinking to the greater possibilities that are available to us. We must also unlimit our ideas as to what prayer can do. We cannot possess the world in the palm of our hand. Yet there is always within our reach and experience a greater degree of wholeness-health, wealth, and happy relationships-than we have yet had. It stands to reason that as we learn to become more God-like in our thoughts and feelings we may come to experience more of that which is the nature of God. If there be such a thing as salvation it is a case of being saved from our own misconceptions. One of the hardest things we have to do is to be continually receptive to the Divine influx in and through us. When we are receptive we find that there is nothing that we would hesitate to pray for, there is no good that we could ever desire to deprive ourself of, and there is nothing which God could deny us. Again it must he mentioned that prayer must always be consistent with the highest concepts we can entertain as to the nature of God. Whatever is right in God can be right in our own life through the constructive use we make of our thoughts and prayers. Whatever good there is, whatever joy, happiness, health, and abundance we may think of, these are ours to have, to hold, and to enjoy. Mostly we do not think big enough; we pray in too petty a manner, we are afraid to experience more of what God has to offer. Why are some people happy, others not? some people healthy, others sick? some people blessed with abundance, others in poverty? The one and only answer appears to be the way they have been channeling the lawful creative action of God in and through them and their affairs by the nature of their thoughts and prayers.
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When we properly direct our thinking there is nothing it can contain that lies beyond the creative ability of the Infinite to fulfill. Prayer can be the answer to every problem! We have been told that we have been created in God's image and likeness but the only proof that we shall ever have of this is through the use we make of our thought. When we realize that we do have the right to think in a creative way after the manner of God, when we develop our ability to become the channel for the flow of God's creativity, when we recognize that immutable Law establishes for us experiences corresponding to the content of our thought, then we will come to know ourself for what we really are-a Son of the Most High. The proof rests not in religious or philosophical abstractions, but only in experience. To know is to do, and to do is to know. In this way, through prayer, we may at once learn to determine our own destiny, and that destiny can embody a heaven on earth right now through the wondrous instrument of our mind.

How to Use Thought

Although the idea may meet with some opposition, in all likelihood our new prayer endeavors should be divorced from all previous religious connotations. A new start should be made. Old ideas very possibly may place too many restrictions and obstacles on what we want to undertake- the effective use of prayer for the betterment of our life. In order to avoid some of the old limiting concepts we may have about prayer, it might be a good idea to use from time to time the expression "spiritual mind treatment" to designate the formulation of our thought as a channel for the flow of Divine Creativity. It is the application of a principle of Mind, Spirit, Intelligence, to the problems of everyday life; the definite movement of thought for a specific purpose, identified with the person, condition, or situation which we desire to change for the better. We make a fresh start through the conviction that infinite Mind-God-works not outside Itself, but within Itself, creating out of Itself, through Its action as Law, all that has substance, quality, and form in accord with the perfect ideas that It maintains. We will achieve the sanest moment of our life when we are able to reach the conclusion that since God is infinite and universal everything must be within God and God is within everything. God is right where we are. We cannot think without thinking with and in the Mind of God. God is personal to us because we are a creation and expression of God, and we can never be separated from Him. Inasmuch as God is what we are, we are consequently subject to the action of God as Law. Just as God's thoughts become manifest in accord with the Law of His nature, so our thoughts, being an activity of the individualization of the Mind of God within us, must of necessity be creative in a like manner in our personal life.
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We recognize a spiritual Principle, which we call the Law of Mind, that automatically acts upon and responds to us according to what we really think, and not necessarily as we think we think. There is a vast difference! We are burdened by the habitual thought patterns of generations past, from primeval times down to the present day. Each individual works out his own pattern of thinking, but he is under the influence of all that man has thought in the past. Much that occurs in man's thinking is more to his detriment than to his benefit; so we find that, for the most part, he has been working against his own greater good. Man's thought is never exempt from the action of the Law of Mind, for law of any kind is universal and its action is never suspended. So we find that, whether we like it or not, our thoughts are always creative. With this in mind, it is imperative that we become aware of the harmony within the Mind of God and then establish a similar pattern of harmony in our own thought. When we can establish a harmonious way of thinking that embodies the Perfection that is the nature of God, then it would follow that every discord in our experience would be dissolved as a result of the Law of Mind flowing into new creative action through the new; pattern of thought we have provided. When we realize this we will discover a way to a new-found freedom which we may have hoped for but did not dream possible. In this new freedom we can come to be that better person which something within us is always impelling us to be. No matter what our life may have been yesterday, what our past mistakes may have been they could only have been the consequences of our thought as the cause and the action of Law producing the result. There is nothing that says we cannot change the way we think; this we may do at any time, and through the action of the Law of Mind create for ourself a new experience today. This does not mean that we in any way change or violate the laws of the Universe, but that we reverse our use of them. We may discover new laws that we have not known about, or find a new way of using the laws we do know about; but it is an inescapable fact that we can never avoid the action of law in any aspect of our experience for we are part of and not separate from the Universe. Thoughts are like seeds. We plant them in our mind and they develop into a likeness of that which is imbedded within them. If we find that we have inadvertently planted weeds, these we may uproot and in their place plant anew those thought-seeds which are more like that which we desire. We can plant thoughts in our mind which more nearly reflect what we consider to be in keeping with the nature of God. In this respect each man has a personal freedom to use the one great Law of all being the Law of God. The infinite Presence, the source of all warmth, color, and beauty, manifests in us as an irresistible desire to express, to create, to press forward to ever greater accomplishment, impelling us to more fully express the life, love, truth, and beauty which It knows Itself to be. It can give us knowledge and wisdom and guidance when we turn to It and accept them.
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However, most of us do not know this, or do not believe it. And those who do believe it too often do not act on their belief correctly and become too easily discouraged. We must learn to grow into a greater concept of who and what we are and to have patience as we grow. We can come to live with a larger awareness and faith in the Presence and the Law of God. When we are able to achieve a greater vision of the nature of God we will begin to realize what it is we must do in regard to the way we think, the way we pray, in order to experience a better way of life. It is most obvious that the thought of infinite Mind, the thought of God, is never indefinite. The thought in the Mind of God is never creative through a Law that works just sometimes. God's thought could never contradict itself. A carrot seed never develops into a radish, a baby pig never becomes a dog. Every expression of life is consistent and adheres to the spiritual pattern that is back of it. Our experience is consistent with the pattern of thought that we maintain relative to that experience. But when it comes to desiring a better experience how definite, how consistent are we in maintaining the pattern of the new experience we desire? Most of us find it difficult to sustain an idea for even a few seconds. This is particularly true when the idea relates to something we desire for our greater good. But we do not find it so difficult to brood in fear, anxiety, and worry about things which are undesirable in our experience. A way to have our spiritual mind treatments be more effective, to have our thoughts be more creative of whatever good we may desire, appears to rest in the degree to which we are able to be definite and consistent about believing in that good and to cease contradicting ourself. Once we are able to attain any degree of accepting and establishing in our thought, of affirmatively stating in our prayers without any reservation whatsoever, that a greater experience of the perfection and harmonious action of God is ours, by right of His Life within us, then we shall be on the pathway to experiencing it. No person has ever achieved anything worthwhile in life unless he has been able to focus his attention on a desired goal and follow through to its achievement. This also is true of spiritual mind treatment. It can be effective only when we have a singleness of intent to experience its results and an acceptance of the Divine Perfection that exists for all things, which we never refute.

The Power of Mind

We need to realize that our thoughts and ideas are the molds or channels through which Divine Creativity may flow. Although it is our privilege to make the mold, we have no responsibility for the action that results. For this reason we find that concentration and will power are not creative factors. Instead, they are but the means by which we may give definiteness to our thoughts. The only value concentration and will power have is to keep our thinking
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directed toward our goal and bring into sharp focus the ideas we have about the specific good we desire. These abilities are not and cannot be the cause of the action that results from spiritual mind treatment, although they do enable us definitely to establish a new pattern of thinking. The action that results from spiritual mind treatment finds its source in the very nature of the Universe. All that we need to do is to establish in our own mind the pattern of ideas by which and through which Its action will take place. It is much like holding an object in front of a mirror and having its image reflected back to us. We have nothing to do with the reflection of the image, this is automatic and in accord with certain definite laws. But if we wish to have a mirror reflect an image there is the obligation on our part to first hold up an object for the mirror to reflect. So it is in our use of the Law of Mind. We do not have to force It, cause It to work, beg or cajole It. It exists and acts upon every thought we think, we can never avoid using It. It always works for us and never fails to give back to us as our experience an exact copy of the thought pattern we maintain for Its action. No doubt there are many times when we wish that the Law of Mind did not work so perfectly or infallibly. For without question there are many, many things that we let our thought dwell upon which we wish could not become part of our experience. At this point we suddenly become aware of the fact that it is done unto us as we believe. This means not what we say we believe for five minutes, but that which we are inwardly convinced of all the time. Here we discover the importance of clearly defining what it is we actually believe. What is the nature and content of the pattern of thought which we present to the Law for action? It would be impossible for us unreservedly to believe one thing and have something completely unlike it happen to us. When this seems to occur we need never question the action of the Law of Mind; but, rather, re-examine what it is we are really believing, for it is in this area where things may be said to have gone wrong. We may try to kid ourself about what we believe, but our experience will prove that we can never violate the functioning of the Law. There are many individual laws in the universe which are included in the great Law of God. Some we have known about for centuries, others more recently, and no doubt countless more still remain for us to discover. But no law can ever be properly utilized by man until he becomes aware of it and finds out how it works. We have to come to believe that a law exists before we can advantageously prove its existence in our experience. Ignorance in regard to the existence of a law docs not in any way excuse us from its action in our life, and such a lack of knowledge all too often brings disaster down upon us. The same situation applies to what we term the Law of Mind. We have to become convinced that It does exist and that we can consciously make better use of It. We have to know that through Its action our prayers are rendered effective, that our thoughts do become creative of our experience. If we acknowledge that God exists, that the Universe is a reality, and that there is One Source of mind, law,
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and substance, then it should not be a difficult matter to convince ourself that there is a Law of Mind through which manifestation takes place, and that each person uses It at the level of his understanding. When a person is willing to suspend disbelief and say, "I am willing to believe," he can easily prove for himself beyond all question of doubt that it is done unto him as he believes. Each person must do this for himself, for no one else can think for him. Regardless of whether a big or little thing is to be accomplished makes no difference, it is the same Law, the same action that takes place. It is always to be remembered that there is nothing big or little to the creative action of Mind which creates all things. Although there is nothing big or little to the action of the Law we can never expect the action that takes place as a result of our prayer to be more or less than the actual content of the prayer. The result of any cause is an effect, which is directly related to it. There is nothing added and nothing lost. One is the equivalent of the other. An experience can only be and must be equivalent to the thought which is its cause. In the beginning was God and God's Word, through which and by means of which all things were made. There is no reason to think that God's action ceases where we begin, or that the word we speak could be other than creative. What we are is part of God and the creativity that resides within God must of necessity reside in that portion of Him which we are. When we say that prayer has power it has power only because we have recognized ourself as what we really are, and in and through the recognition of our unity with God we know that the words we speak are the reaffirming of Divine ideas through us and cannot fail to be fulfilled. There is an infinite Intelligence which ever seeks fuller expression through our life and experience. As we align ourself with It through affirmative prayer or spiritual mind treatment we may come to enjoy a fuller portion of the Perfection and Good that is Its nature. When we acknowledge in spiritual mind treatment that such Good does exist, and that it is our experience now, the words or ideas we use become the mold for the tangible manifestation of that Good. When we think otherwise we are but placing obstacles in our path, depriving ourself of the flow of Good into our life, and, through the action of the Law of Mind, creating more of what we do not want. There is only one supreme Law in the universe, but It is always in us and about us and is always willing, ready, and able to accomplish that toward which Its action is directed by our prayer. It is done unto us as we believe. So when we come to believe that God's nature is in us; when we know that God can only be Good and Perfect; when we accept this Goodness and Perfection as our experience through the word we speak, then we shall find ourself on the pathway to a fuller expression of the Divine creation that we are.

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The Art of Thinking

Although prayer may be considered as a certain process of thought, thought in and of itself does not necessarily make for effective prayer. There must also be inherent in the prayer a specific emotional quality which may be termed feeling or conviction. An idea or concept is a rather cold, lifeless thing possessing no warmth or vitality. We must not let our statements in prayer be like the output of a mechanical brain for they would have little effectiveness in changing our experience. Important as thought is, it is only when it is instilled with an emotional quality that it literally becomes alive. On the other hand, emotions without the control of our reasoning faculties are dangerous and have a tendency to run rampant in a wild and destructive manner. They always need to be kept under intelligent direction. Belief would seem to be a key word in describing prayer. For when we truly believe a thing such conviction permits of no contradiction either emotionally or intellectually. It is an expression of our entire being-we know it and feel it. When we come to prayer or spiritual mind treatment we cannot think one way and feel another. Neither can we feel in a certain way and have our mind deny it. We are a unity and cannot hope to experience beneficial results from our prayers if, mentally and emotionally, we are a house divided against itself. We have to add up the plus and minus qualities of our thoughts and emotions to discover our mental tendency. If we are honest with ourself we will find that all too often it appears far less affirmative than we may at first have thought it to be. We can fool ourself about what we say we believe, but never about the results which occur from the Universe pouring Its action through our thoughts. We should always endeavor to have the content of our spiritual mind treatment be a simple, direct, and sincere statement of the good we desire, eliminating all negative elements from it. Since the Law functions in a specific and concise manner, we should always make our statements in prayer plain and clear as well as positive and affirmative. Also there is no need that our prayers be elaborate orations or wordy incantations. This could establish a tendency to become lost in our own words and the specific result we are seeking would turn out to be a hazy, nebulous thing that we would neither recognize nor desire. Definite results can only come as a natural consequence of a definite cause. There is an invisible but adequate cause for every condition and situation in our life. These causes are patterns of thought and emotion which we establish and maintain for ourself. All too often such patterns are not all that they should be and as a result we have encountered undesirable experiences. It is through spiritual mind treatment, the establishing of new patterns, that we seek to find a better life. But in seeking this better life we must be just as specific about the good
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things we desire as we have been in the past about the negative things we have brought into our experience. What really counts is the way we actually think and feel. Belief that is makebelieve is without value. God did not create nor does He maintain the universe through an indeterminate process of maybes, perhaps-es, and hope-sos. Neither can we establish a better experience of living if we are wishy-washy in our thoughts and prayers. Clarity of thought and healthiness of emotion are most essential for effective prayer. Confusion and cloudiness of meaning and disturbed and erratic emotions are what we have to eliminate. In spite of the fact that these things may seem to be difficult to master, there is a calm center within us which we may discover and in which and out of which we may create a prayer that shall accomplish that toward which it is directed. We have the greatest tool there is, our mind and its process of thought. Man has created many tangible tools with which he has mastered his physical world, but he still needs to learn that thought is a tool and he may consciously use it in any manner he sees fit: constructively or destructively. Intelligence is the very foundation of all that is, yet we are so careless, so inconsiderate of the way we use it that we bemoan what happens. Beneficial effects can only be ours when we learn to think with wisdom and with emotional stability. Actually it might be said that thinking is an art as well as a science. It requires skill and knowledge for the right use of ideas. Since thought builds our experience according to its content, a consistent endeavor to think in a definite, constructive manner cannot but help us to create and maintain an attitude that will be productive in a salutary way. To do this we will find that we have to convert much of our thinking from what it has been in the past. How will we know if we have been able to do this? Very easily; tangible evidence of it will unfold daily in our experience. Then we will know that we are on the right track and be able to follow that pathway into a future which will bring a richer life. The process of establishing new foundations for our thinking and prayer takes patience, careful evaluations, and consistent effort. The important thing is not to become discouraged or impatient. Very often it is found that we have to reeducate ourself to get rid of superstitions, morbid ideas, and feelings of hopelessness. We have to open up our mind and emotions to a greater acceptance of the Intelligence and Joy and Harmony that surround us and in which we are immersed. They are all there in the very nature of Life Itself but we must recognize them and know that they are ours to experience for the accepting of them in thought and prayer. When we are able to establish new patterns of thinking and feeling, a new quality of living will emerge. What a wonderful thing it is to contemplate the marvelous new world of experience that awaits us once we learn to use the tools that we already have at our command. We do not have to go outside ourself for we have
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within our mind all the possibilities and potentialities that we could ever dream of. We need to use that which we already have, but have not fully known about.

Believe In Your Ideas

There are several things about the use of spiritual mind treatment which we may or may not have realized. In the first place, it is not a supplication or beseeching of a reluctant God to give up something. Instead, it is a communion of the individual with the universal Presence. Spiritual mind treatment is a process of aligning ourself with the nature of Reality so that Divine ideas of good may flow more fully into our life creating a greater experience of harmonious living. Infinite Mind is both personal and impersonal to us. Personal in that It is what we are, our mind is an individualization of It. Impersonal because Its action as Law is automatic and It acts in accord with the direction our thought gives It. Although the impersonal Law of God is intelligent in Its action It never has any volition of Its own. It can never of Its own accord change Its course of action, neither can It work one time and not another. For example, the law of gravitation does not care what it attracts, it acts impersonally on everything. It will maintain us in whatever position we desire to place ourself which is consistent with its nature, whether we desire to sit, stand, or lie down. It does not care what use we make of it. Although electrical energy has always existed it is only lately that we have been able to avail ourself of its potential. We had to learn about it before we could use it for our benefit. Now we are able to establish channels for its constructive flow into our experience, even though we may sometimes make mistakes and reap disaster. But, used rightly or wrongly, electrical energy still behaves in a lawful manner. In whatever way we may have been wrongly using the Law of Mind in the past, we can know that right now we can start to use It in a manner that is for our greater good and It will always respond to our new use of It. Prayer has the power to change things for us because the ideas it contains provide the channel for the flow of infinite Intelligence, which already existed before the prayer was made. The power that is evidenced through prayer is an infinite Power which is available to us in terms of the channel or instrument we have established for Its flow. There may be a wonderful spring on the hillside, but the water we need in the house will not be available to us until we provide the pipes for its flow into our experience. We have to take the initiative; have to take the personal responsibility and action to avail ourself of the good we desire. The good is always available but we have to do something about the experiencing of it.

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There must be within our prayer a complete mental acceptance of the experience desired as being real and tangible in order for there to be a definite and specific mold for the action of the Law. Unless this is done we find ourself remaining in a state of wishful thinking out of which dynamic results cannot occur. Although it is impossible for us to rob any thought of its creativity, we must realize that it is within our right and it is our privilege to redirect our thinking so that it continually is to our benefit. For this reason the answer to any prayer resides in the prayer itself. Spiritual mind treatment provides the means for universal Creativity to manifest in new and different ways in our experience, transmuting and changing the negative situations which may exist there. Our part is in the formulation of our thought; the actual doing resides in the nature of the action of the One Law to which nothing is impossible. The point of accepting in prayer the answer we desire cannot be over-stressed. This is of key importance. It would be impossible for even God to give us something that we refuse to accept. Prayer is a matter of completely accepting that which is stated in it as being so. We establish the idea, and then maintain it by unqualified acceptance that it is now our experience. Although we may not immediately see the tangible evidence of what we desire, it can only become tangible as we open the channel for its entry. When we do not completely accept the answer we desire we inhibit its fulfillment. We must learn not to cancel out our spiritual mind treatments. We often make our treatment then unconsciously refute it. We may accept in treatment what we desire, but ten minutes after a treatment we may discover that we are repudiating our own words. A treatment, although of a specified period of time, may be a time in which we so direct our thinking, so completely accept our good that it will sustain and carry us over long periods until we feel the need to literally recharge ourself by affirming again what we believe in. Many feel that prayer is a matter of asking for things, so much so that we have developed a "gimme" complex. We overlook the fact that we can ask indefinitely and never get what we ask for. A man can die of thirst with a glass of water in front of him. The water will do him no good until he reaches out-does something about it-and accepts it. We can pray constantly, asking, asking, and asking, without avail. But when we accept in prayer that which we desire, accept the answer as being our experience right now, then infinite possibilities can become present realities. We have to know what we want and then declare it to be so. When we thus decree a thing it is done unto us. Prayer does put us in conscious contact with the Infinite. The faith and conviction in the prayer provides a specific channel through which the Law not only may, but must flow. When we have prayed aright and then definitely accepted our prayer,
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there is nothing that can prevent it from becoming manifest. The only proviso in this respect is that the prayer must be consistent with the nature of God, and that it neither hurts nor deprives anyone. In saying that the answer to prayer is in the prayer, we discover this is the only logical way that prayer could be effective. If we desire to move from one chair to another we first have the idea, the motions we go through are automatic, and we find that we are now in another chair. We do not stop, turn around, and go back, we do not when halfway there decide we do not want to be in the other chair. We express our desire; we experience the movement, and enjoy the results. Spiritual mind treatment is the same. We express the desire, the action that flows through it is automatic, the results can be ours when we accept them.

Learn to Help Yourself

In prayer we may find that the greatest obstacle to its complete fulfillment is ourself. We seem to be our own worst enemy without realizing it. We should take to heart the words of Emerson when he said that we need to get our bloated nothingness out of the way of the Divine circuits. All too often we block or prevent ourself from experiencing the very thing we most desire. As we have found out, we do not live in a reluctant Universe but one that is able and willing to give us all. However, there seems to be a perverse streak running through us which makes us think and act in ways that are contrary to our greater good. For the most part we are too concerned or involved with appearances of things and situations. Our thoughts dwell on what we do not want to such a degree that we fail to even begin to get a clear vision of what it is that we desire to take place. If a light bulb burns out we would not weep and wail over the fact there is no light, but instead we would replace the old bulb with a new one. This illustration holds good for every negative situation we may encounter. We do not concentrate our attention on the undesirable, instead, in our thoughts we establish clearly and plainly a new concept of the way things should be. The only way appearances change is to change our thought pattern that is producing them. Prayer may become increasingly effective as we learn to withdraw our focus of attention from appearances and center it on creating new mental causes-new patterns of thought-which will be productive of new appearances. For the knowledge and wisdom to establish new and proper patterns of thinking we need to let ourself be guided by the highest recognition we can attain of the nature of the Intelligence that resides at the center of our being. Many have referred to the relationship of mental cause and material effect as mind being matter in solution and matter being mind in form. Regardless of how we care to explain the relationship, when we are able to firmly create a certain
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pattern of thought it becomes a definite mental entity and as such manifests in our experience in a manner that reflects completely the content of the pattern. The idea comes first, manifestation follows. So when we are disturbed by the appearance of things we need to redirect our attention to building up as definitely and perfectly as possible the mental picture of what it is we desire to have replace the present external effect. The new cause we thus establish cannot fail to transmute the present condition so that it conforms with the new cause we have instigated. When things are wrong we do not deny they are wrong, for if we did we would be refuting the testimony of our senses and our intelligence. But we can say that what is wrong need not continue to be so, for there is nothing in the Universe that says things cannot change for the better. We need to recognize problems but we do not need to continually wrestle with them. Instead we should let the problem go and accept the solution to it. The solution to every problem that concerns us rests not in maneuvering outward effects but in changing our inner mental concepts. Everything proceeds from an inner realm of cause to an outward realm of effect. We are completely at liberty to think in any way we please, so we are always free to let our thoughts and desires be the channel for a new influx of Divine Intelligence bringing into our experience the solution of every problem. There seems to be a tendency for us to live in a lopsided world, for we forget that there are two aspects to every thing cause and effect. We seem primarily concerned with effects; our thoughts are filled with concern about them. When appearances around us happen to be of a negative nature we find that often we let our thoughts dwell so long on the undesirable appearance that our thinking becomes negative and thus we inadvertently maintain the very thing we want to get rid of. In spite of how bad appearances may be we can "enter the closet" of our own mind and there discover a place undisturbed by the turmoil about us, and in surety and conviction declare the better thing that we desire. There is a great sense of relief and release when we know that the Divine at the center of our being can do anything, will always respond to us, and never reject us. Most of our great emotional problems, which reflect throughout our experience, may be classified as one of the following types: fear, hate, anxiety, and guilt. If we are ever able to free ourself of any of these we will find a new life of freedom. Such intense and destructive emotions color our every thought and misdirect our every action. We all have our own particular peeves, dislikes, strains, and selfcondemnations; but sometimes they are so intense that we find we are able to do little else than roll in the mire of our own negative emotions. When we are so bogged down it is a difficult task to develop the courage we need to withdraw from the midst of our confusion and retreat to the peace and security of the solitude within where we can drink deep of the joy, harmony, and peace that are of God and are within us if we but desire to partake of them. When we are
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able to know ourself as being in partnership with the Infinite, and are not afraid to acknowledge this partnership, we will always be able to rise above external things, rise above our human self, and experience more fully the Divine creation which we are. The spiritual Universe already exists; we have to do nothing about It. Instead, we have to do something about ourself so that we may more fully experience It. There is no separation between us and God. There is no journey to be made, no sacrifice to be offered, no intermediary to go through, for we can never experience nor recognize God, that Presence and Power greater than we are, outside the realm of our own mind. In all of our prayers we should remember that we are not combating anything; instead there should only be a willingness to let something good take its place in our life. There is no law of evil to battle, no law of discord that needs to be overcome; there is nothing that decrees that sickness is necessary, or that there need be lack in an abundant universe. We may often feel that such things do exist, but this could only be because we have shut our eyes to the real nature of things and of God. When we endeavor to use prayer to bring into our life a fuller experience of what we believe life must be, we must always keep our thoughts spiritually clear and think not in terms of limited human experience but rather in terms of a Universe that is unobstructed in Its action. Prayer is not a pretty platitude, but a dynamic recognition and acceptance of this action in our life. The use of spiritual mind treatment is the greatest adventure that we can undertake, for in it we are making the greatest use of the highest expression Life has given of Itself to us-our mind. Through the directed use of our thought for our greater good we are laying hold of those Divine ideas which are of the very essence and action of infinite Mind.

The Dynamics of Thought

Thought does things! For this reason a spiritual mind treatment must possess a dynamic quality if it is to be productive of the results desired. When we say that a prayer or treatment is made in the quiet and stillness of our mind it does not mean that it is anemic, without life or vitality. Instead, when we pray effectively we are literally speaking from the highest reaches of our consciousness, affirming and declaring what we believe to be the truth about ourself in terms of our awareness and understanding of the nature of God. We do not have to convince God of anything, but we have to convince ourself of the immutable action of God in our life. In prayer we may logically reason with ourself about some of the beliefs we have held, doing away with some we have found not to be adequate or consistent. At the same time we add new strength to those we inwardly know reflect the nature
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of the Divine. We have to fervently believe what we say we believe. We must affirm with all the sincere intellectual and emotional conviction we can summon that the ideas we incorporate in the words of our treatment or prayer are concepts which engage a Power that can manifest their content and meaning, thus changing our experience. Such prayers that we make should be our prayers. Rote repetition of the words of another would seem to be without value unless we are able to mentally and emotionally instill them with a meaning that is of particular significance to us. Our every prayer must come from the depths of our being, for only then can we pour into it the dynamic quality it needs to be effective. Very often we find ourself engaging in prayer in a very casual manner when in fact it is the most important activity we could ever undertake. We need to take a lesson from our everyday living. When we undertake a project we give to it everything we have to make it a success. Mentally, physically, and emotionally we give all we have to accomplish the result we desire and nothing seems to be able to deter or distract us from our efforts. We need to just as wholeheartedly pour ourself into our prayers. We should enter into prayer with complete confidence that it will be productive of the desired results, and we should bring to the endeavor all the knowledge and emotional fire we have. Spiritual mind treatment must contain the utmost of our reason and wisdom, supported by the ultimate of our emotions. Made in this fashion they have a vibrant quality, they are imbued with a creativity that literally brings an immediate response. A dynamic spiritual mind treatment possesses two very definite things. First, it identifies the individual with that which created him-God. Without this conscious awareness of who and what we are we will find that our prayers are but idle words and will not accomplish what we expect them to. It is only out of this identification of ourself with the Power greater than we are that we can hope to avail ourself of Its intelligence and action. Second, dynamic prayer possesses a clear and specific affirmation of the good we desire as being ours right now. "What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them." There is always an exact and mathematical response to prayer, so the words of the prayer, the meaning it contains, must be just as definite as we want the answer to be. The answer to any prayer is always tailored to exactly match the pattern we have created in it. There is no variation. It will very definitely add to the dynamic quality of our prayers if we know that in and through them we are making possible the creation of a new thing. Just as any artist gets a soul-satisfying thrill from the completion of a new expression of himself in his work so we should secure a similar joy and uplift from prayer, for we have created a new experience as a result of having made it. Sometimes we find it necessary to pray more than once in regard to a specific thing that we desire to come to pass. But whether the prayer is made once, or
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many times, when it is effective there will come a complete release from any desire to pray about the matter again, for there is something inside of us that knows when a thing is done. When this point is reached there is often a surge of emotion and feeling that floods our whole being and we experience a peace and contentment that we never know at any other time. Another way in which we may consider the dynamic quality of prayer is to think of each prayer we make about a problem as a small weight which we add to the good side of the balance that determines our experience. The bad side is already weighted down heavily or else we would not have a problem that needs correcting. Every affirmative prayer we make regarding the problem tends to equalize the balance, then the time will come when it will tip to the good side and we will have canceled out the negative things we have added to the balance through years of wrong thinking. It is much like adding clear water to a glass of inky water; even though clear water be added drop by drop, in time we will have only clear water left. Not that prayer may not be instantaneously effective, it often is; but seldom are we able to so clarify our thoughts and smooth out our emotions that our prayers immediately possess the dynamic quality necessary for fulfillment in the way we wish. Properly made, spiritual mind treatments have the quality of conversion. They convert one thing into another. Through such treatments we convert ourself from one way of thinking to another, from dwelling on illness to accepting health, from concentrating on lack to affirming abundance. Once we have learned to convert our thinking in this way we will discover that we have also automatically converted our outward experience. The dynamic quality of sincere prayer, over and above causing a specific answer to appear in our life, will also do something wonderful to us. Deep inside we sense that something has happened to us, something has revitalized us, and we feel an increased flow of life and enjoy a greater sense of well-being. This inward something that happens to us as a result of prayer animates our every act and endeavor. Through spiritual mind treatment, for whatever purpose, we do consciously contact that Power greater than we are, and once we make this contact we cannot avoid Its influx into us. We find that we have literally touched the hand of God; whereas before we may have unknowingly been depriving ourself of the great flow of Life through us, we now feel Its surge and power in a way that amazes us. The dynamic quality of true prayer manifests both in the answer to the prayer and in our own increased experience of That which is and does all things.

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Thoughts Are Things

Today, science confirms what religion has long believed: what we see comes out of what we do not see. Back of everything there must of necessity be a spiritual pattern, a prototype of things that have substance, shape, and form. Just as the seed must contain within itself the essence of the tree that it is to become, so every idea, every spiritual concept, contains within it the essence of that which it is to manifest. Thought, being the activity of what we have termed mind or consciousness, may rightfully be said to belong to the realm of things spiritual out of which tangible things emanate. When we are able in spiritual mind treatment to establish an idea that is well defined, clear, and complete, then we have created a spiritual source of causation which will of necessity, through Law, become tangible. Actually, the mental idea we create is a very real thing in the unseen world. As far as our experience of that idea in form is concerned, it does not matter whether it is good or bad for us because the process of the unseen becoming the seen is automatic and according to Law, a Law which does not care what It does, but only knows to act on the pattern given It. The office of prayer would appear to be that of establishing ideas which are for our benefit, to counteract those not-so-good ideas which may have been wandering through our mind at other times. Fundamentally, when we create and seek to establish an idea in spiritual mind treatment we are doing something just as specific as though we were building a house. Once the house is properly constructed it stands alone for an indefinite period of time. So it is with our treatments, properly done they become spiritual entities of lasting quality. Piece by piece we build up the concept of what it is we desire to experience. However, the prerogative is always ours to change or revise that which we have established. Wherever there may have been weaknesses in our construction of the treatment that tend to let the concept collapse, then we have to start to construct a new concept, a new treatment. Proceeding on this idea of the nature of what spiritual mind treatment is we find that the idea in a treatment, the mental concept, becomes an entity in the spiritual world. Once we establish such an entity it will remain as a source of causation of those things which do appear and we have no further obligation to do anything about it. It sustains itself; it is a permanent channel for the action of infinite Creativity. Once we feel that we have been successful in creating an effective prayer we should be cautious that we do not nibble away at its foundation with ideas that would tend to set the whole thing toppling. This we may consciously or unconsciously do by admitting to doubts, fears, and unbelief regarding its effectiveness. What we mostly seem to do with our prayers is to change the ideas
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they contain before they even have a chance to completely jell, then we wonder why they don't work. To exhibit little faith in prayer is sort of ridiculous considering the great faith we muster in so many things ordinarily unrelated to prayer. In our daily living we carry with us a faith that, when examined, is amazing. We have no doubts about the sun coming up, the lights going on, the water coming out of the faucet, or being able to walk from one place to another. All these things we accept and know will occur and can be done. But when it comes to our prayers are we equally convinced that they will be effective? Perhaps this is because we have yet to use prayer often enough and consistently enough to be thoroughly familiar with it rather than letting it be a sometime thing. In this respect we must come to have not only faith in God, but also to have the faith of God. It would be inconceivable for God not to have faith in Himself or in the effectiveness of His Word to fulfill that for which It was intended. We must have faith in the fact that there is a God, a supreme Intelligence in the universe that always responds to us. This is basic. But for the most part we have overlooked the necessity of developing a faith that corresponds to the faith of God. The effectiveness of a prayer seems to rest in our ability to know it is going to be effective. We need to have the same faith in our word that God has in His Word. When we are able in some degree to have the faith of God in our prayers, then there occurs the process of their becoming tangible in a logical and orderly manner in accordance with spiritual Law. Measured from our human point of view there is a time element involved in everything that we do or that we observe being done. It takes time for the baby to grow into an adult, it takes time for a wound to heal, or for the seed to mature into the plant. One step always proceeds from another. When we are sure that our prayer is right, then there follows a natural process of time in its becoming manifest. However, there is always the possibility that the time involved may be greatly compressed, depending upon our ability to know that it is fulfilled right now. Instantaneous physical healings attest to this compression of the time process. The laws of nature cannot be violated in any respect, through prayer or any other means. Even God cannot violate His own nature, and neither should we ever think that we can. But there does always exist the possibility of an immediate response to our prayer through eliminating our human concept of the length of time necessary for certain things to be accomplished. In God there is no time, only the ever-present now, and when we state in our prayer that it is going to take time before things will occur, that the process is slow, we are only delaying our experience of the answer. We do not bypass time, eliminate it, or deny it; rather, time is a relative thing and it may move fast or slow. Days can seem like weeks, and minutes like hours. In prayer we should forget any element of time and definitely affirm that now the
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thing is done. This may not always condense our experience of the time factor, but it can eliminate unnecessary delays. Our spiritual mind treatments, established as spiritual entities, sustain themselves just as God's concept of what a rose must be is always existent. The effectiveness of this spiritual entity we have created is of indefinite duration; its content never changes unless we undertake to change it. It is a firmly created channel for the flow of Divine Good.

What You Want, You Have

Everyone has a desire to feel important, to be an individual, to accomplish things and be creative. It appears that these desires and urges spring from an impulsion of the Life within us to express Itself. We strive in many ways to give these feelings outlet, but often are thwarted in our efforts through a sense of lack of ability and power to do anything tangible about them. When we feel this way about ourself we have failed to realize that prayer lays hold of the greatest Power in the universe-the only Power there is. We find that where we may have been looking outside ourself for power and strength to do and accomplish, that which we have been looking for we have been looking with. The very process of thought we have been using to hunt for something outside ourself is the thing that we are searching for. In thought alone, God's or ours, is the key to the ultimate creative Power. We have failed to discover this, or if we have discovered it we have failed to use it consistently in a manner that is of benefit to us. It is indeed strange to consider man bemoaning his possible lack of ability and creativeness, through which he could enjoy a richer life, when that process by which he deplores his present state is the same process which can enable him to rise above it to ever-increasing heights of self-expression and fulfillment of the Divine creative urge within him. It would almost appear that we prefer to wallow in self-pity and self-depreciation rather than become what something inside us tells us we should become. Within every man is an intuitive sensing of the greater person he should be and must become if he is to fulfill the purpose for which he was created. There seems to be a Divine discontent within each of us which never leaves us alone, which ever insists that we continually strive on toward ever greater and greater goals. However, when in our striving we always seem to be frustrated, then it is time to wake up to the fact that we have within us access to a Power greater than we are, and that we can use It. Through prayer, spiritual mind treatment, we can recast our lives. It is the one means we have by which and through which we can bring our dreams to fruition.
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The potential of the mustard seed is seemingly without limit. How much greater the potential residing within us! We possess not only life but also mind and consciousness. Our ability to think, to possess the creativity of thought of the Mind of God, appears to be the greatest givingness of God to His creation. When we find that we resent our present situation we either have not learned about our relationship to God, or we have failed to use our limitless potential. There is only One Power in the universe, and we can use It, direct It, channel It in any way we see fit in direct proportion to the degree that we recognize It. To think, to pray, means that we reach out and touch the center of the Universe and open up our mind so that a flood of the infinite creative Energy that is God pours in and through our thought. We may want to live a good and creative life, but we already have the ability without knowing it; it is just that we have not used it. We would be strong, healthy, and creative; we already are if we would but let ourself be so. We have to discover that the inner nature of our own being is God individualized as us. When we are able to do this we readily know that there are no limitations in our life other than the ones we have placed there. To cooperate with God in the creative process is our great and endless endeavor, and until we are able consciously and specifically to do so we will find that a belabored and frustrating life lies ahead of us. Instead of deploring our fumbling ways and inadequate situations, we need to see ourself as we really are and discover the infinite potential for successful, beneficial, and creative action which is available through spiritual mind treatment. The all-inclusive, all-powerful factor in our life is the mind that is within us-the Mind of God. Our great responsibility to ourself and to our Maker is to use it in the manner in which it was intended to be used, to be creative of our greater good and in the greater expression of the ideas which flow to us from the Divine Mind. If we would become that greater person we desire to be, the only way for us to do so is to think and pray in a manner which calls upon and brings forth in our experience the action of God.

The Source of Health

How is the state of our health? Is it better or worse? Is what we are doing of benefit or detriment to it? We are acutely conscious of every little twinge, minor ache or pain which we magnify to tremendous proportions. We may not be all hypochondriac but we let nothing about our body go unnoticed, unless it is the fact that it might be functioning properly! Before we can even consider what might be the relationship between spiritual mind treatment and our health, we first have to determine what health is, what is its source and availability.
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It can be said that health constitutes the normal natural functioning of the body. What is the body? It is a group of living cells held together with a common purpose and interdependent on each other. The body starts as a union of two cells which multiply and divide countless times into many radically different types of cells, but all necessary to the purpose and the goal toward which they are growing. Outside of the fact that certain sensible rules must be observed in regard to the food that is put into the body, what can any individual do regarding how the cells grow, how they replace and repair themselves, how the food is assimilated to become tissue and bone? We can do nothing about it, yet there is Something that does! This Something we casually refer to as Life without bothering to know what we mean by Life. Life would seem to be that factor which, with purpose and definite design, is able to assemble unrelated physical elements into an entity, and, regardless of how minute a start it may have, proceeds to attain a maturity of development of the idea involved. Then Life continues to sustain and maintain Its creation in a manner that adheres to what appears to be a preconceived pattern or concept. Life docs not create randomly; instead there is a fundamental pattern or design for each and every living thing. A great unity exists, but not a uniformity; everything does have its own unique individuality. Life would have to be consistent and perfect in Its activity or there would be complete chaos; what we know as our physical body would rapidly disintegrate without It for there is nothing else that could possibly hold all the molecules together in cells, or the cells in a cooperative whole as the body. Life is the great Organizer, the great constructive Force, the only thing that creates and builds something vital out of the inanimate materials of the physical world. It stands to reason that inasmuch as Life is not a casual action, nor is It a onetime thing, the way in which It manifests is in accord with a very definite pattern. A heart is a heart, and an eye an eye, and no place but in the Mind of God could such things, or similar things, ever have their origin. Within infinite Mind there of necessity must be the idea, the fundamental pattern according to which Law creates the physical counterpart of the idea. We discover that there is nothing constructive we can do about the action of Life in us nor the idea It represents in the Mind of God. We cannot add to Life, neither can we influence God. But it does so happen that we can interfere considerably with the way we let Life manifest in us! We cannot create Life but we can inhibit It in no uncertain way. There are those who let Life flow through them fully and freely; then there are those of the other extreme who have stopped Its flow completely and death resulted. Somewhere in between is where most of us fit. From time to time we have our ups and downs in the experiencing of health. We seem to have a
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continual chase after the health we fear we have lost, only we have not lost it, we just have not let it fully express in us. What can the doctor do about our health? In some ways a great deal when we have failed to do anything about it ourself. But when we get down to fundamental facts, what can he do other than through some mechanical means, drugs, or surgery, remove inhibiting obstacles so that Life can take over and do the repairing needed, do the healing necessary and once again reestablish Itself in a normal manner? We appear to have a built-in Physician that can do the only perfect and complete job of healing if we would only let Him. We may be greatly concerned about gaining health, but we also need to become aware of the things that we do which deprive us of it. Whether we know it or not, our thoughts and emotions seem able to affect and influence every cell and function of our physical organism. The muscles of the heart can slow down or speed up their action according to whether our thoughts are filled with depression or fear. The digestive system will work normally or become upset in direct relationship to whether our emotional state is in balance or disturbed. It also has been definitely shown that just as devastating organic or structural difficulties may have been brought about by the content of thought and emotion, so may the reverse take place and there be a complete replacement of damaged parts and the restoration of healthful functioning. This does not mean that our thoughts re-create the cells in our body, but that through thought we may more fully accept the action of Life which is always whole, complete, and perfect. Whereas we may previously have denied ourself of Its full vitality, we may at any time change our mind and decide to accept It and come to be really alive. Several things loom large which may be accomplished through spiritual mind treatment in regard to our health. We can easily discover that treatment is a very vital factor in removing or neutralizing those negative ideas we have established in our mind relative to the state of our health. The person who thinks that he is always going to be sickly has little if any chance to be other than that until he changes his pattern of thinking. Probably one of the easiest ways to change a pattern of thinking in this respect is not to wage war against the negative ideas we may have but to turn mentally from them and start to build new concepts about our health which will supersede the old ones. We must try to eliminate the old concepts, but this cannot be done if these are all we think about. What we are seeking is health, and this would appear to start with the conviction that health is natural, that there is nothing which bars us from it except our lack of acceptance of it. God can only do for us what He does through us. We have to provide a mental pattern or channel which corresponds to health, and then health will Bow through it into our experience.
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Disease appears to be largely a matter of our own decision. Not that we consciously create disease in our body, but we are able to so condition the body that it easily becomes a host to every conceivable type of infection. When we do find ourself suffering an illness medical science may do much to counteract it, but we also know that spiritual mind treatment can stimulate the body's defensive and regenerative action. It also has been determined that a medication that has a definite and positive effectiveness often will not work unless we decide that it is going to work! We seem to be able to determine the response of the body to what is done for it by the way we think. When it comes to our health we are the arbiters of our fate. What is it we want to be-healthy or sick? Do we want to live a full and rich life? Or do we want to retire from living and crawl into a miserable shell of disease and avoid the responsibilities and obligations of being an expression of God and permitting His creativity to Bow through us into expression in our world? In this respect we have to make up our mind. If it is health we desire, then all the health there is, the perfect pattern for every cell, organ, and function of our body, does exist and if we persistently accept these patterns as being manifested in our body there is nothing that can inhibit them. When we get rid of all our misconceived ideas of illness and disease, when we eliminate all ideas of the necessity of anything being wrong with us, then the Power which creates and sustains all of life, will once again begin to Bow through our whole being with a strength and vital purpose which cannot be resisted by the undesirable condition that now exists. Nor can the elements which make up the cells of the body refuse to be reassembled in accord with the perfect pattern of Life once we let go of our negative ideas which disrupted them. To be alive, to enjoy living, to experience health with all of its vitality and joys, starts within each one of us. To the degree we can visualize ourself as healthy, to the extent we know that God as Life is perfect, whole, and complete; to the extent that we can mentally accept the Perfection of the One Life as our life, then to that extent will we be able to enjoy and experience what previously we may have been lacking health.

How to Improve Your Affairs

Many people feel that it is only natural that prayer could have some bearing on their health, but that it could not possibly be effective in regard to their other experiences in the world. Similarly, some people can understand how prayer might affect a business situation but not correct a health problem. Just as we have learned that health can be affected, so can our every experience. If we in any way feel that spiritual mind treatment does not apply to our ambitions, activities, services we desire to render others, or achievement of worthwhile goals, then we have forgotten the fact that we arc living in a universe of law and order and that there is no avenue of experience exempt from the
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impact of our thinking. Everything is subject to the law of cause and effect, even though we might not clearly understand how it works in certain situations. When considering our activities in daily living the primary object for most of us is to secure from our efforts sufficient funds by which we may provide ourselves with the necessities of life and the comforts we feel we need. There are some who might resent the idea that prayer could in any way be related to securing money. They say that money is the root of all evil. But they overlook the fact that in all probability it is not the money, but the way man may sometimes use it that might be termed evil. Actually, money is nothing more or less than tangible evidence of the service we may have rendered to another or to society. In a world whose medium of exchange is money it is natural for us to receive money in return for a specific commodity or service we may be able to offer. In our use of money we should realize that we are entitled to that for which we have rendered a comparable value in service in one way or another. There are several ways in which prayer may enter the picture. Through prayer we can know and determine that we are fully and completely compensated for that which we have to give and are giving. On the other hand, if we are doing the best we can at the level at which we work and yet feel the necessity to contribute more so that we may receive more, then prayer can and will open up for us the knowledge of new ways and means whereby we may greatly improve our status. This does not mean that the additional remuneration will come without our doing any more than we are doing, but that we can be guided through the wisdom of infinite Mind within us to further develop our skills and abilities so that they will be of greater value in the market place. If men who are operating a business, or if a board of directors that is responsible for the activities of a corporation, will take a good look at themselves they will find that the degree of success the business is enjoying is in direct proportion to the ideas of success they have relative to that business as well as the adherence to those ideas by their employees. Success breeds success because the person who knows success cannot imagine being anything but a success. He does not interrupt the flow of success with ideas of failure. On the other hand, a man who is experiencing failure in his business activities can stop the downward trend whenever he can summon sufficient understanding to mentally see and embody success. Of course the proviso in this respect, as far as the use of spiritual mind treatment is concerned, is that it can only be effective when it relates to an activity that does not violate the natural harmony and goodness of the Universe, and when one does not attempt to secure what he considers his good at the expense or deprivation of another. Out of the limitless abundance of the Universe there is sufficient to fulfill the needs of everyone and even more. The abundance we desire to experience is determined in our thought and becomes ours to the degree we rightly accept it as being our experience. There must ever be the reaching out to mentally accept what we know is ours by right of our endeavors--not by conquest. The gift of
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abundance has already been made, but it is up to us to do something about accepting it and using it in a rightful manner. When we say there must be the mental acceptance of our abundance, more is involved than we might at first think. Not only must there be the mental acceptance of the flow of abundance into our life, but there must also be the necessary activity on our part, both mentally and physically, in order to bring that flow about. Just thinking will not fill our bank account, this is obvious. But proper thinking can and will direct us into channels of activity whereby that bank account may be enhanced. Life is a matter of action and we must be an active participant, not a bystander waiting for things to be done to us. If we just sit and wait we will progress very little. "But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves." In almost every phase of our endeavors in the world - in our business affairs, our rendering of services, our artistic work - we find we are searching for new ideas, better ways of doing things, discovering new relationships in the world--between men and between things. Whether we be doctor, lawyer, scientist, inventor, artist, author, actor, musician, or fit into any other classification, we will find that all that we can do, all the progress that we can make depends upon the ideas we may be able to summon up out of our mind and rightly apply to the endeavor confronting us. Spiritual mind treatment can make a singular contribution in the realm of securing new ideas. What we term new ideas some may refer to as inspiration, or intuition. Regardless of what it may be called, there is the sudden appearance in the mind of something that was not there before, something that sprang out of the apparent nowhere, having no logical process of thought leading up to it. A new idea has been born! When it comes to securing new ideas, we start with the fundamental premise that there is One Mind in the universe and all men are better or worse reflectors of It. There is One Mind and the whole of It is ever accessible to any part, although the part can never encompass the whole. Man's mind is the Mind of God in man, and with this knowledge firmly embedded in our thinking we can readily see that potentially we have available to us all that ever has been known, all that is now known, all that ever will be known. The influx of infinite Knowledge and Wisdom depends upon our acceptance of it, the opening up of our thinking so that it may become an inlet for us to the flow of the creative activity of, God. God is infinite Intelligence, and as much of that Intelligence is available to us as we are willing to permit ourself to accept. Some great creative geniuses have said that they could not stand such tremendous illumination for more than a very brief period of time, it was more than they could take. But that is not our worry now, we are interested in even a little increase in the inflow of ideas. The gate for that inflow may be consciously opened and kept open through the avenue of spiritual mind treatment, that treatment which recognizes the Source of ideas and permits and accepts them in our own thought and experience.
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Surprisingly enough, only a very small percentage of people ever find what they consider to be their proper place in life. There seems to be a general feeling among them that other pastures are always greener and they are definitely out of place where they are. Time and time again spiritual mind treatment has been used to correct such situations-treatment based on the concept that everything in God's world is in its right place at the right time, and that there is no reason why any individual should consider it necessary to remain a misfit. Here again we are confronted with the fact that prayer does not offer us a way to get something for nothing. But if we conscientiously apply to our task what skills and knowledge we have, and then find we have more ability than that position calls for, we may through the means of prayer accept Divine guidance to the proper place for the full utilization of our abilities, or affirm that those who can make better use of what we have to offer will seek us out. It is a matter of knowing and affirming in our treatment that there is right action, at the right time, in the right place, in the right way for all concerned, and also that we arc rightly remunerated for our efforts. Many very interesting and wonderful things have resulted from such prayers; but over and above the prayers we must learn not to keep the bushel over the Light that seeks to shine forth from within us. Prayer has been used for successful endeavor in creating great works of art and composing symphonies, in the solving of mathematical problems, the discovery of laws of nature, the increased awareness of spiritual truths, and even in things seemingly as lowly as the baking of a cake or the scrubbing of a floor. All these activities relate to the life we are living and nothing in our life or the life of another can ever be apart from the action of the One Life. In every way we should always bring the best and the greatest that we have within us to bear upon what we are doing. That best and greatest is heightened through spiritual mind treatment for the furtherance of the Life that seeks to more fully express Itself through what we are and do.

People Can Be Fun

Unless we withdraw from society and live like a hermit, we find that being part of an active world is largely a matter of being in contact with other people; people who, like us, have their problems, idiosyncrasies, likes and dislikes, and ambitions. Regardless of how much we may or may not like those about us, we arc confronted with the necessity of either establishing proper relationships or of becoming the victim of frustration, aggravation, and conflict. People are to be enjoyed, not resented. For the most part, when we find it difficult to get along with other people, we arc likely to place the blame for the disharmony on them-overlooking what it is about us that might be the causative factor. We can usually find that difficulty in getting along with others stems from the fact that we have yet to learn to get along with ourself!
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Before we can ever hope to have our contacts with other humans be all that we would like them to be, we have to clean up our own household of irritating patterns of thinking and unstable emotions. In other words, we must live harmoniously with ourself. We must learn to like ourself, and this does not mean to become egotistical; in fact, just the opposite is necessary. We can only be to others what we first are to ourself, and what we are to ourself depends upon what we think we are. H we feel that we are an isolated bit of life struggling against insurmountable odds, having to wrest from the world and other people whatever it is we might desire, then we will find our way lonely, strewn with strife, and our efforts blocked at every point. The initial step in getting along with other people would seem to start with the conviction that we are all creations of God, individualizations of the One Mind. We are part of a great Unity which encompasses everything, consequently we find that an interrelationship does exist between the parts. Just as we are closely related to God, so we are to the next person; in reality, there is no separation between the Whole and any of Its parts. Living is a matter of expressing the Spirit of God which is at the center of our being; and if harmony reigns supreme in God, then harmony should be paramount in all of our relationships. When we start to feel a sense of God within us we seem to lose all our selfcenteredness, our pettiness and selfishness. With an increased awareness of God we sense the Givingness of God, the Love of God in man as man. We can come to so recognize the Love of God expressing in and through all things that we find that the only logical and harmonious way of living is to similarly love both ourself and our neighbor. Self-depreciation is a trait that a great many of us have. We feel that we are not worthy in any respect. But when we realize that we are God-created, the tendency to devaluate ourself is lessened. It would be impossible to believe in a God of harmony and love whose Life we share and then refuse to acknowledge harmony and love as the rightful pattern of our experience. Self-depreciation is not overcome by developing a sense of egotism or self-importance. The value we must place on and in ourself must rise from an awareness of ourself as being important to God for His expression. Wherever there is an action there is a reaction, and the sphere of human relationships is not exempt. Reactions from expressions of love or hate can be just as powerful as when physical forces are directed in a specific way. We have failed to realize that the way we think, feel, and act toward others governs the results we experience. We set Law in motion; chance is not involved. Our expression of love can only bring a reaction to us corresponding to the way we have first acted. Similarly, hate can only result in a return of hate. In all human relationships Law does reign supreme and we experience consequences that perfectly mirror the cause we have established.
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We may feel that it is only our acts and expressed emotions which are causative factors of our experiences. But this is not the case. What we think and inwardly feel are far more potent. The inner pattern of our thinking cannot help but be the most significant force in determining our relationships with others. It is in our own thought that love and harmony or hate and discord have their beginnings. If we can reach the point where, regardless of what appearances may be or what discord may seem to exist, we can mentally accept the fact that harmony is fundamental to the Universe and therefore basic to our very existence, then we can see that harmony should be the rightful state of affairs. Once we have mentally accepted harmony as the rightful state of our relationships, and maintain that mental concept, then we have established that concept as a cause which must have a corresponding result; we have made our prayer that will be fulfilled. Love or good will, which underlies harmony and right action between people, should have no bounds. In the home, in business, in casual encounters, love is the one thing that can establish a rapport of mutual endeavor which will wipe out all that is unlike it. Marriage difficulties, problems with children, interfamily disagreements, squabbles with neighbors, conference table conflicts, and international strife have but one possible solution - love. There must be a recognition of the interdependence of all people for mutual benefit. There must first be a giving of love before there can ever be a return of it. But the giving must not be on a trading basis; rather, a giving that asks of no return. An unusual thing about love is that it knows no bounds or limits; it is an outflow from us of the ultimate that we have to offer. We cannot really express love for selfish ends, for then we would be appearing to act one way while thinking another; and it is in what we think and believe that we have the foundation for our relationships. So when we say we like others, when we express friendship, when our acts appear to be motivated by love, yet we seem to experience none of these, we find that the trouble is within ourself, not outside; we do not believe the way we act. We first have to become what we would have others become toward us. In thought and act we alone are capable of creating the pattern of what our relationships with others are to become. Spiritual mind treatment is the starting point where we establish our goal of harmonious living. Leaving aside all appearances of bitterness, jealousies, hates, and conflicts, we enter the inner solitude of our thought and there, recognizing that the nature of God is love and harmony, affirm and declare that as a Son of God this too is our experience in life. As we express God in and through what we are and do, we can only think and act in away that is loving and harmonious and as a result that is all that can possibly return to us. We know that the pattern of love and harmony we thus create in our mind is empowered to transform and re-create every relationship to conform to it.

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Practical Suggestions
No one can tell another how to give a spiritual mind treatment, where he should be at the time, or what position he should be in. We always need to remember that a prayer includes a clear and directed pattern of thought, and we can think in a creative manner at any time, in any place, or in any position we desire. However, most people have found it advantageous to set aside a particular time and place where they may be free of outside distractions, and to mentally turn from the world of appearance and focus their complete attention on the treatment. At the same time they find that they like to be in a comfortable position and relaxed rather than having physical strain or discomfort disturb their attention. A regular place and time and position for prayer are helpful, but they are not requisites. A person on a busy street corner can have a prayer be as effective as anyone else in any other place, but such a person would have the ability, in spite of surrounding conditions, to focus his thoughts in a very definite manner. Indicative of this are the incidents of those who have been caught in the midst of the turmoil and confusion of accident or disaster and have summoned the whole force of their being into one tremendous burst of prayer. They uttered a cry which was heard at the heart of the Universe and which brought forth an immediate response. In the process of everyday living we seem to need to retreat into the closet of our mind and shut the door behind us, and there in the solitude of our own thought, step by step, idea by idea, diligently construct our spiritual mind treatment. Through this communion with God we establish a new spiritual entity which becomes a guiding and controlling factor in our experience. In going into the closet of our mind we literally leave behind us the world of experience and appearances and enter into God's world of ideas and creativity. There we do not dwell on things as they are, but on things as they should be. We paint a new picture concerning ourself and what we would experience, one that expresses our Divine potentiality, and the picture we do paint is projected for us into our everyday living, replacing everything unlike it. In entering our period of spiritual mind treatment there should always be a feeling that it is to be a joyful experience, not something that has to be done, not something that we reluctantly undertake. Prayer is a great privilege which we avail ourself of too seldom except in dire distress. We should be aware of the fact that when we enter into prayer we are literally communing with the infinite Wisdom which knows what to do, and using a Law which knows how to accomplish it. We continually create our experiences by what we think, but in prayer we are doing something specific about realigning our thought with the Divine Presence whose purpose for us is only a greater experience of Its good. A very important element in spiritual mind treatment is the confidence we have in its effectiveness, and the confidence we have in ourself to treat properly. Unless we are sure that we have the right and the ability to pray, we will encounter
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difficulties. We are much as a little child learning to walk; it takes time and effort before it learns to stand, maintain its balance, place one foot in front of the other, and move from one place to another. For most people the advent into the world of prayer is just such an experience. If after a few attempts there are no results, they give up and say there is nothing to it or that if God wanted things changed He would change them, forgetting everything has already been given us but we have to do the accepting. We need to learn to grow mentally, to spread our mental wings in confidence, knowing that the mind can soar to new heights. We need to let the mind that is in us increasingly manifest its ability to create good, for it is the Mind of God. It has been demonstrated for us time and time again throughout history that the mind of man can call upon the resources of the Universe through prayer, and we need to have confidence that we can do likewise. The meaning of the word expectation has a great bearing on the effectiveness of spiritual mind treatment. If we do not expect a treatment to be effective it is impossible for it to be so. What we expect to happen as the result of treatment is what does happen. It does not matter what we hope the result will be, what we wish might happen, it is what we expect to happen that counts. Not only in the treatment, but before going into the closet of our mind to pray, we need to have expectations-big ones, not little ones. If we pray about a condition that irritates us we should not expect that there will be a little improvement; there should be the full expectation that the irritation will be removed completely. Our prayers too often reflect the idea that we are afraid the Power greater than we are is unable to cope with a large prayer-idea which incorporates all that is necessary to provide us with a better life. If we know God to be the supreme Intelligence and Power in the universe, then there is no reason for us not to expect Him to be able to act upon and fulfill His thoughts which flow through our mind as our thoughts. If we do not have this honest expectancy then we are wasting our time. Many people do appear to waste their time in prayer. They look about and see that others receive answers to prayer and wonder what is wrong with them that God sees fit to disregard and ignore them. The trouble is not with God but with the person. And the trouble, mainly, is that the person does not expect the results to occur. This ability to expect a complete fulfillment of our prayer often has to be developed gradually. We are afraid to expect big things, we do not think that big things can happen to us for we are just poor little human beings and not nearly as godly or saintly as others we know. We overlook the fact that there is just as much God in us as in any other human being that ever lived. The fact is that we have not taken the trouble to discover God in us as others have. There will never be more or less of God as what we are than there is right now, but we can come to a greater awareness of the Spirit that is within us. And it is through such an increased awareness of what we are that we are led to expect that anything and everything good that we affirm in prayer is ours. Logically thought through, we find that when we are alone with ourself in thought we have the greatest companionship that exists; we encounter in the depth and stillness of our mind the only God we shall ever know and the Reality of our own
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being. It is only by discovering the essence of our being within our thought that we can climb the heights to that great plateau where we can reside in continual company with the God that is always with us. Our personal prayer is a solitary venture. But through the simple means of thought, and thought alone, we can so consciously unite with the One Presence and Power, the One God that the very creativity of the Universe is brought to bear upon the .least as well as the greatest idea we have incorporated m our prayer.

Using the Science of Mind

Constructive thinking demands that there be a logical, consistent direction of thought and that there be a certain sequence of ideas which leads to a satisfactory conclusion. In order that the conclusion may be sound there must also be a sound premise from which the process starts. There is every reason to believe that a prayer, a spiritual mind treatment, must be similarly constructed or else we have nothing but a jumble of ideas, irrational associations and unsatisfactory or irrelevant conclusions. If our spiritual mind treatment is to stand as a creative entity it has to have some semblance of form, structure, and content which enables it to hold together. There very definitely is a scientific approach to the use of our thought in a constructive manner -- a science of mind which lays hold of the action of fundamental Law. The use of this Law can be taught and learned, and everyone can demonstrate it for himself in his own experience. In thinking of spiritual mind treatment as a science it becomes obvious that not only do we have to realize that a Law of Mind does exist but also that we have to use It rightly to have right results in our experience. It is not possible to construct a definite formula for spiritual mind treatment which would be of value to one and all because in attempting to do so there would be lost the strength and vitality which spring from a free and spontaneous treatment. Rather than any formula it is much better to develop a technique to include those factors which should always be present in a treatment without specifying the exact form of the factors. Effective prayers, when analyzed, do incorporate several separate and distinct parts. If we turn to the example given us by Jesus, whose effective prayers still remain the goal we should all seek to attain, we find that spoken or implied are very definite elements which he used. Others have successfully used them ever since and modern science is now verifying them as necessary for the constructive use of our thought. We find that Jesus was definite about the fact that there is a God, a supreme creative Power. He identified God as being within, not separate from man. He also stated that the Father within "doeth the works," not he, himself. For Jesus, prayer

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was a definite command relative to a situation, not something idly hoped for. Then there was his statement that it is done unto us as we believe. From personal experience, and from other sources of knowledge, we can find verification of the fact that these certain elements are necessary to effective prayer, and, although they may be stated in different words, the meaning remains the same. We may desire that our spiritual mind treatments contain many parts, or few, but generally it appears that there are four significant elements of creative treatment into which all others may be grouped. These we may designate as recognition, identification, declaration, and acceptance. The first step of recognition is the realization that there is a Power greater than we are --God, infinite Intelligence, Divine Mind -- in, through, and back of this world in which we live. As the sole creative Cause of the universe, in God resides all mind, power, substance, and law. God must be recognized as the infinite Creator as well as being all that He has created. There is One God, One Life, One Mind, One Intelligence, One Infinite Thinker, and they are all one and the same thing. There is nothing opposed to God. There is nothing opposed to His Good. God is ever present, ever active, constantly creative in maintaining and sustaining His ideas in tangible form through this action as Law. The next step involves the process of identification. This means that we must recognize the fact that we are part of God and not separate from Him. He is what we are and we become what He is to the degree we are able to understand our Unity with Him. There is One Life that Life is God, and that Life is what we are. It is through this process of identification that we can come to know that our treatments are creative. When we know that there is One Mind and that Mind is our mind, then we know that when we pray it is the One Mind within us which is making the prayer. We can never become separated from God, although in our thinking we may construct barriers which deprive us of this Good. When we can reach the point where we know and feel our Oneness with God and that our treatment is God declaring Himself anew in our experience through the individualization of His Mind in us, then we are able to have complete confidence in the creativeness of the treatment we give. The first two steps of recognition and identification prepare the way for our fundamental reason for a spiritual mind treatment -- the declaration itself, the voicing in thought of what it is that we desire to have take place in some aspect of our life. It is here that we find we must be very careful to be definite, clear, and specific. It is at this point that we create the mold, the pattern, the channel for the flow of the creative forces of the Universe. Whatever power there may be in prayer, whatever effectiveness it may have, results from the emphatic nature of our declaration. Here we discover is no place for any questioning, doubting, hazy ideas, or hesitancy. In the declaration we carefully construct in words, silent or audible, we visualize in the mind's eye, we feel with every last ounce of our emotions the complete concept of whatever good it is we desire to have come to pass. It is through our declaration that we establish our prayer -- idea as an entity
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in the spiritual realm of causation which will of necessity become manifest through the action of the Law. Our great responsibility in making our declaration is that it contain only what we want and no fears or apprehensions about what we do not want. We must be very positive and affirmative in our statement and be sure that it is beneficial and good. The idea that the declaration contains accomplishes that to which it is directed, for it is a right use of the Mind of God within us. The fourth and concluding step in a spiritual mind treatment is our complete and wholehearted acceptance of it as being accomplished. The result of the treatment depends entirely upon the fact that it can become part of our experience only as we believe that it will. We can pray and pray, specifically declare the good we desire time and time again but until we are able to accept that good as being ours it will forever be a nebulous dream. When we accept the answer to our prayer we also have to accept it as being ours right now, not at some future time. A spiritual mind treatment may require a period of time before becoming a tangible reality, but that process starts when the treatment has been established as a spiritual reality. We cannot have what we will not take, neither can we experience the results of treatment unless we are willing to completely and immediately accept the answer even though it has not yet become visible in our experience. In our acceptance, we affirm the conclusions we have logically and emotionally arrived at. Actually, a spiritual mind treatment is a complete unity, a single body of thought which embodies all of these factors and is directed toward a single goal. It may be long or short, elaborate or simple, but it must be dynamic, vibrant, full of life and meaning and offend neither the intellect nor the emotions. It has to be a living expression of the entire person into which has been poured all the faith, conviction, and belief that it is possible to summon up out of the depths of our being. But what about the desired results? About this we cannot fool ourself -- they are either there or they are not. We have no need to blind ourself as to the outcome. There has to be some specific and tangible evidence of the desired results of our prayers or else we have not prayed aright. Health must have improved, our affairs must have prospered and our relationships must have become more harmonious or else we have failed and we start over again. Prayer does work, and it is up to each of us to discover and prove to ourself in our life and experience that it does work in the right way for us. And in saying that we have received positive results from spiritual mind treatment we need not only rely on our own judgment but on that of others as well. We do not want to live in a fictitious world of wishful thinking. As for our health, the doctor can easily corroborate the fact that we are better; the improvement in our affairs can be attested to by others; and our improved relationships can be verified by the way others react to us. It may take some time before we have mastered the art and science of creative prayer but it can be done and step by step we can improve on the way we think and have our treatments be ever more productive.
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There is nothing unique or unusual about the four factors which have been designated as important in the construction of a spiritual mind treatment. The same elements will be found to be essential to prayer in many religions and philosophies, sometimes simply stated, other times buried beneath an amazing mass of ritual and verbiage. But they are part and parcel of the ever-developing mind and consciousness of man, wherever he may be and whatever culture he may be part of. They appear to be a universal expression of the mind of man which is becoming increasingly aware of its nature and its Source.

The Magic of the Mind

The action of the mind and the results that follow are wondrous to behold. The amazing thing is that we have for so long relegated the workings of the mind to the realm of the mysterious. We have felt that our lives have been playthings in the hands of both good and bad powers which intervene in our experience. Now that we have come to the full realization of the action of the mind we find that there is nothing magical or illogical about it, but we are aware of a new responsibility. We all desire to have marvelous things occur to us, but the cold fact of the matter is that such things may only happen as a result of what we do to ourself, not what something else does to us. We cannot, like a fairy godmother, wave a wand and have what we desire appear. Instead, we have to create a thought, a thought which is more powerful than any wand or any magic of mythology's magicians. Just as our world of today would be an impossible world of mystery and magic to a person of a century ago, so we today can be the forerunners of the world of a hundred years from now which most people of today would consider filled with impossibilities. We need not be bound by the ignorance and superstition of others, nor by what they think or feel. We each have our own life to live, and, as that life is without end, the progress we make along this eternal pathway is up to us. We may decide now to live a life fully aware of the nature and power of the mind, or ignore the possibility and struggle along bound by our own chains of negative thinking. We have discovered many things that can help us along the pathway that we have decided to follow the creative use of our thought for the betterment of the life we are living. Regardless of the various ideas that people may have about prayer, we have found that prayer is but a form of thought, and that by nature thought forms a mold or channel for the creative forces of the Universe. Regardless of the religious or philosophical clothing with which we may adorn the idea, thought in and of itself forms the pattern of our experience. Not only have we found that thought as prayer or spiritual mind treatment is effective in our life, but we have also found that it is the sum total of our thinking which needs to be directed and controlled. We must learn to be consistent with ourself. If any thought is creative all thoughts are creative.
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Inasmuch as we cannot stop thinking, being creative, we need to discover and go along with the nature of that which enables us to think-our mind has only one source and that source is the Mind of God. Until we recognize this we find that life is an uphill struggle, but when we are aware of it then all the good desires of our heart are filled through a downhill flow of the Infinite in and through us. Life is not an endless joy ride filled with contented blissfulness. In fact, this would not be living, for life demands expression. There is within us an irresistible urge to become ever more of that which we are, and this compulsion will never leave us. We may ignore it only to create turmoil within ourself, but once we cooperate with it we are filled with a vibrant sense of satisfactory living. We may start out slowly to use the so-called magic of our mind, slightly hopeful yet apprehensive of what might result. But this should all clear up for us easily when we fully realize that the action of our mind and the things that can proceed from this action have only one possible basis: the mind that we use is the Mind of God in us. And we violate nothing but instead affirm our belief in God when we use our mind in a constructive manner. If we want to use the power of our mind we must come to the realization that it is a spiritual Power, for we are living in a spiritual Universe and at the center of everything is God, ever present, ever active. We may develop an increased awareness of the ever-present God only as we free ourself of fear, negation, doubt, and anxiety. It is only as we leave these things outside our periods of prayer that we are able to discover the real nature of our being. Prayer, spiritual mind treatment, is not just for the purpose of making things happen. Actually it is not for this purpose at all. Rather, it is for the purpose of doing something so that things cannot help happening. It is only when we arrive at this point that we know we are not engaged in wishful thinking. We do not hold a thought; instead we loose it for Divine Action upon it. We do not try to influence anything; we reveal to ourself what we really are. We are immersed in a Divine Presence which inspires us, which Rows into us and through us, when we open our consciousness to It. A spiritual mind treatment is a realization which acquaints the mind with the truth about God. As we harmonize our thought with That which is Beauty, Truth, Goodness, and Love; God then the word we speak in prayer shall establish new relationships and conditions in our life, for everything in the objective world is subject to the realm of the Spirit. The objective world is real enough, but there is a Power which transcends it and with which we may consciously align ourself. In It resides an adequate cause for everything and we are at liberty to establish in It, through prayer, whatever constructive idea we may desire to become manifest in our experience. Therefore we find that those thoughts which are affirmative, which declare and accept our good, are like the creative thoughts of God which cannot conceive of anything other than His own nature-Good. The creativeness which resides in thought or prayer is but a calling forth of the creativeness of the Infinite. It is not within our ability or power to create anything,
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instead we but avail ourself of the limitless potential of infinite Mind in which alone resides the source of everything that is or is to be. Some may term magical or miraculous the changes that occur as a result of prayer or treatment, but inasmuch as we know God could not violate His own nature and disrupt His universe of law and order, we find that we are but using laws which transcend appearances, laws which we have newly come to know about. Spiritual mind treatment is not a matter of coercing God to suddenly do something for us, but rather of our permitting more of God's Good to be loosed into our experience. In our use of spiritual mind treatment we are always entering into the greater possibilities and potentialities that Life holds for us. The vision that we should ever hold before us is that the eternal Reality-a warm and colorful infinite Presenceresponds to us through an immutable Law of Cause and Effect which brings to each the experience of good he desires. And it is in this awareness that we continually know that everything our thought dwells upon is healed, every person we think of is made glad, and every situation is rightly revitalized. Our childhood dreams of a world of magic, in which everything could be made right, can become a present reality. As we mature in the knowledge of the nature and action of Spirit we learn to direct our thinking so that we may become cocreators with It of our new world of experience, filled with joy, happiness, health, abundance, and, above all, imbued with a boundless sense of love for man and God.

Appendix
Although we have discovered that there is no formula for effective spiritual mind treatment, some may be interested in the manner in which treatments may be expressed. For this reason, on the following pages are to be found the essence of some treatments which may serve as guides. The examples are not necessarily rightly framed for everyone, but they do nevertheless provide a basis on which each may proceed to build his own treatment. Let us see if we cannot take our word of faith and go into the secret place of the Most High within us, and let the whole harmony of our lives Bow from that perfect Spirit which is at the center of everything. I am One with the infinite and perfect Spirit, the Giver of all good and perfect gifts. I open my mind and my heart, and, indeed, my body, to the infinite of this Divine Presence. I know that this living Presence is in every cell of my body and every function of my being. I accept It as my health of body, here and now. I accept It as that which looses from me all that is unlike the perfect expression of Life. There is no doubt or fear in my mind that rejects in any way all that God is, right here and right now. My conscious acceptance of the fullness of the Presence of God flows out in joy and love to bless those whom I would help, those with whom I would share this inner joy. And I decree that the loved one I now bring into the scope of my
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thought is blessed and healed through the Presence of Good which is within. The radiance of Joy in my own heart brings happiness into the lives of all those about me. The Abundance which prospers me supplies everyone around me with the good things of life. The Light which warms the center of my own being so shines forth that all may and guidance and warmth and comfort in Its rays. This is the Light that lighteth every man that cometh into the world. This is the Fount from which spring the living waters. I drink, and shall not thirst again. And even as I drink I hand the chalice of my faith to all. Realizing that we are in the midst of an ever-present Good, and believing that there is a Law that brings everything of Its nature into our lives, we should learn to think and act as though every wrong condition of yesterday were converted into something new and better today. I believe that all the mistakes I have ever made are swallowed up in a Love, in a Peace, and in a Life greater than I am. Therefore I surrender all past mistakes into the keeping of this ever-present and perfect Life. I affirm that Love is guiding me into a real and deep cooperation with Life and into a sincere affection for everyone. Today is a fresh beginning, a new start, a joyous adventure on the pathway of eternal progress. Today is bright with hope and happy with fulfillment. Therefore I affirm that this is the day that God has made, that it is good, and that I find fulfillment in it. The Law of Mind responding to this word of good makes everything in my life simple, effective, and whole. The action of Wisdom through me arranges every circumstance so that success and happiness will come from it. I express the Spirit within so that only love and confidence go out to everyone I meet, blessing everything I touch, and bringing peace and comfort and joy to my world. In every thought, in every deed, in every act, I am sustained by an infinite Power and guided gently to an increasing good, for myself and for others. When we give a spiritual mind treatment we are affirming the Presence of God in, around, and through us. It is this closeness of the Divine Presence that gives us the feeling of peace that is accompanied by a consciousness of power. And it is because we do believe that we can have this feeling, this inner conviction, this sense of certainty which all spiritual teachers have told us is necessary to effective living. I know that there is a Power greater than I am. I know that there is a Love that casts out all fear. I know that there is a faith which overcomes all obstructions. I now enter into this Love. I now use this faith and know a great peace of mind, a deep sense of belonging, a complete realization that God is right where I am. I believe that the Spirit within me, which is God, makes perfect and peaceful the way before me. I enter into conscious union with everything that lives. I commune with the Spirit in all people and in all things. I feel an intimate relationship to the Presence and the Prayer which control everything. I put my whole trust in God. I know that the Spirit gently leads me, wisely counsels me. I know that the Love which envelops everything flows through me to everyone, and with It there goes a confidence, a sense of joy and of peace, as well as a buoyant enthusiasm and zest for life. There comes back to me today everything that makes life worthwhile, everything that flows from the inner realm of fathomless Peace-the indwelling Presence of God.
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Spiritual mind healing has long since passed the experimental stage. We now know that we cannot tell where the body begins and the mind leaves off, and many of us believe that the actions, organs, and functions of the physical body really are activities of infinite Intelligence within us. To come to realize, then, that there is One Body, which is the Body of God, and which at the same time is our own body, is to accept a greater influx of the One Life. We should daily affirm: There is One Life, that Life is God that Life is my life now. Every organ, action, and function of my physical body is in harmony with the Divine Life. There is perfect circulation, perfect assimilation, and perfect elimination. If there is anything in me that does not belong, it is removed. If there is anything that my physical being needs that it does not appear to have, it is supplied. My body is daily renewed after that image of perfection of it which is held in the Mind of God. "Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which art in heaven is perfect." I affirm, then, that my body is the Body of God; it is a body of right ideas all working in harmony with each other. The Life of the Spirit does circulate through it, the Law of the Spirit does govern it, the Love of the Spirit does sustain it. Therefore I sleep in peace and wake in joy and live in the continual acceptance that life is good. My whole experience is of God. My whole life is God in action, for I am One with All-Life and All-Power. To be effective, prayer must be affirmative; but it is not enough merely to affirm the Presence or God. We must add to this realization the thought that Divine Intelligence is acting in and through us now. Prayer is not a wishful or wistful wishing, nor is it an escape from objective reality. To become lost in our prayers might give us an unconscious desire to escape the activities of life. Therefore we affirm that Divine Intelligence not only knows what to do, but also impels us to act on Its knowing. I hand my life and affairs over to Divine Intelligence, to the Power that knows how to do everything. I do this in the complete conviction that I receive only good into my experience. I know there is nothing in me that can doubt either the Divine Goodness or the operation of Its Law in my affairs. I believe that everything necessary to the fulfillment of every good desire is now in full operation, that all the circumstances in my life are tending to bring it about. If there is anything I ought to do about this I accept the action, and know that I receive guidance and am impelled to act intelligently. Therefore I have a complete sense of ease and assurance. I look forward joyfully as I anticipate the good which is to come into my life. I believe that all who are now praying with me will receive the answer to their desires from the same Source. My faith goes out to them even as their faith reaches back to me. For I believe that out of the great Good in which we all live there will surely come to each one of us an answer to his particular need.

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