Followingcloseuponthis，thereisalongseriesofanticipations，namely，thatweshallsuffercertainchildren’sdiseases，diseasesofmiddlelife，andofoldage；thethoughtthatweshallgrowold，loseourfaculties，andagainbecomechildlike；whilecrowningallisthefearofdeath。Thenthereisalonglineofparticulartearsandtrouble-bearingexpectations，such，forexample，asideasassociatedwithcertainarticlesoffood，thedreadoftheeastwind，theterrorsofhotweather，theachesandpainsassociatedwithcoldweather，thefearofcatchingcoldifonesitsinadraught，thecomingofhay-feveruponthe14thofAugustinthemiddleoftheday，andsoonthroughalonglistoffears，dreads，worriments，anxieties，anticipations，expectations，pessimisms，morbidities，andthewholeghostlytrainoffatefulshapeswhichourfellow-men，andespeciallyphysicians，arereadytohelpusconjureup，anarrayworthytorankwithBradley’s’unearthlyballetofbloodlesscategories。’
“Yetthisisnotall。Thisvastarrayisswelledbyinnumerablevolunteersfromdailylife——thefearofaccident，thepossibilityofcalamity，thelossofproperty，thechanceofrobbery，offire，ortheoutbreakofwar。Anditisnotdeemedsufficienttofearforourselves。Whenafriendistakenill，wemustforthwithfeartheworstandapprehenddeath。Ifonemeetswithsorrow……sympathymeanstoenterintoandincreasethesuffering。”[48]
[48]H。W。Dresser：VoicesofFreedom，NewYork，1899，p。38。
“Man。”toquoteanotherwriter，“oftenhasfearstampeduponhimbeforehisentranceintotheouterworld；heisrearedinfear；
allhislifeispassedinbondagetofearofdiseaseanddeath，andthushiswholementalitybecomescramped，limited，anddepressed，andhisbodyfollowsitsshrunkenpatternandspecification……Thinkofthemillionsofsensitiveandresponsivesoulsamongourancestorswhohavebeenunderthedominionofsuchaperpetualnightmare！Isitnotsurprisingthathealthexistsatall？Nothingbuttheboundlessdivinelove？
exuberance，andvitality，constantlypouredin，eventhoughunconsciouslytous，couldinsomedegreeneutralizesuchanoceanofmorbidity。”[49]
[49]HenryWood：IdealSuggestionthroughMentalPhotography。
Boston，1899，p。54。
Althoughthedisciplesofthemind-cureoftenuseChristianterminology，oneseesfromsuchquotationshowwidelytheirnotionofthefallofmandivergesfromthatofordinaryChristians。[50]
[50]WhetheritdifferssomuchfromChrist’sownnotionisfortheexegetiststodecide。AccordingtoHarnack，Jesusfeltaboutevilanddiseasemuchasourmind-curersdo。“WhatistheanswerwhichJesussendstoJohntheBaptist？”asksHarnack，andsaysitisthis：“’Theblindsee，andthelamewalk，thelepersarecleansed，andthedeafhear，thedeadriseup，andthegospelispreachedtothepoor。’Thatisthe’comingofthekingdom，’orratherinthesesavingworksthekingdomisalreadythere。Bytheovercomingandremovalofmisery，ofneed，ofsickness，bytheseactualeffectsJohnistoseethatthenewtimehasarrived。Thecastingoutofdevilsisonlyapartofthisworkofredemption，butJesuspointstothatasthesenseandsealofhismission。Thustothewretched，sick，andpoordidheaddresshimself，butnotasamoralist，andwithoutatraceofsentimentalism。Henevermakesgroupsanddepartmentsoftheills，heneverspendstimeinaskingwhetherthesickone’deserves’tobecured；anditneveroccurstohimtosympathizewiththepainorthedeath。Henowheresaysthatsicknessisabeneficentinfliction，andthatevilhasahealthyuse。No，hecallssicknesssicknessandhealthhealth。Allevil，allwretchedness，isforhimsomethingdreadful；itisofthegreatkingdomofSatan；buthefeelsthepowerofthesaviourwithinhim。Heknowsthatadvanceispossibleonlywhenweaknessisovercome，whensicknessismadewell。”DasWesendesChristenthums，1900，p。39。
Theirnotionofman’shighernatureishardlylessdivergent，beingdecidedlypantheistic。Thespiritualinmanappearsinthemind-curephilosophyaspartlyconscious，butchieflysubconscious；andthroughthesubconsciouspartofitwearealreadyonewiththeDivinewithoutanymiracleofgrace，orabruptcreationofanewinnerman。Asthisviewisvariouslyexpressedbydifferentwriters，wefindinittracesofChristianmysticism，oftranscendentalidealism，ofvedantism，andofthemodernpsychologyofthesubliminalself。Aquotationortwowillputusatthecentralpointofview：——
“Thegreatcentralfactoftheuniverseisthatspiritofinfinitelifeandpowerthatisbackofall，thatmanifestsitselfinandthroughall。ThisspiritofinfinitelifeandpowerthatisbackofalliswhatIcallGod。Icarenotwhattermyoumayuse，beitKindlyLight，Providence，theOver-Soul，Omnipotence，orwhatevertermmaybemostconvenient，solongasweareagreedinregardtothegreatcentralfactitself。Godthenfillstheuniversealone，sothatallisfromHimandinHim，andthereisnothingthatisoutside。Heisthelifeofourlifeourverylifeitself。WearepartakersofthelifeofGod；
andthoughwedifferfromHiminthatweareindividualizedspirits，whileHeistheInfiniteSpirit，includingus，aswellasallelsebeside，yetinessencethelifeofGodandthelifeofmanareidenticallythesame，andsoareone。Theydiffernotinessenceorquality；theydifferindegree。
“ThegreatcentralfactinhumanlifeisthecomingintoaconsciousvitalrealizationofouronenesswiththisInfiniteLifeandtheopeningofourselvesfullytothisdivineinflow。
InjustthedegreethatwecomeintoaconsciousrealizationofouronenesswiththeInfiniteLife，andopenourselvestothisdivineinflow，doweactualizeinourselvesthequalitiesandpowersoftheInfiniteLife，dowemakeourselveschannelsthroughwhichtheInfiniteIntelligenceandPowercanwork。InjustthedegreeinwhichyourealizeyouronenesswiththeInfiniteSpirit，youwillexchangedis-easeforease，inharmonyforharmony，sufferingandpainforaboundinghealthandstrength。Torecognizeourowndivinity，andourintimaterelationtotheUniversal，istoattachthebeltsofourmachinerytothepowerhouseoftheUniverse。Oneneedremaininhellnolongerthanonechoosesto；wecanrisetoanyheavenweourselveschoose；andwhenwechoosesotorise，allthehigherpowersoftheUniversecombinetohelpusheavenward。”[51]
[51]R。W。Trine：InTunewiththeInfinite，26ththousand，N。Y。
1899。Ihavestrungscatteredpassagestogether。
Letmenowpassfromtheseabstracterstatementstosomemoreconcreteaccountsofexperiencewiththemind-curereligion。I
havemanyanswersfromcorrespondents——theonlydifficultyistochoose。ThefirsttwowhomIshallquotearemypersonalfriends。Oneofthem，awoman，writingasfollows，expresseswellthefeelingofcontinuitywiththeInfinitePower，bywhichallmind-curedisciplesareinspired。
“Thefirstunderlyingcauseofallsickness，weakness，ordepressionisthehumansenseofseparatenessfromthatDivineEnergywhichwecallGod。Thesoulwhichcanfeelandaffirminserenebutjubilantconfidence，asdidtheNazarene：’IandmyFatherareone，’hasnofurtherneedofhealer，orofhealing。
Thisisthewholetruthinanutshell，andotherfoundationforwholenesscannomanlaythanthisfactofimpregnabledivineunion。Diseasecannolongerattackonewhosefeetareplantedonthisrock，whofeelshourly，momently，theinfluxoftheDeificBreath。IfonewithOmnipotence，howcanwearinessentertheconsciousness，howillnessassailthatindomitablespark？
“Thispossibilityofannullingforeverthelawoffatiguehasbeenabundantlyproveninmyowncase；formyearlierlifebearsarecordofmany，manyyearsofbedriddeninvalidism，withspineandlowerlimbsparalyzed。Mythoughtswerenomoreimpurethantheyareto-day，althoughmybeliefinthenecessityofillnesswasdenseandunenlightened；butsincemyresurrectionintheflesh，Ihaveworkedasahealerunceasinglyforfourteenyearswithoutavacation，andcantruthfullyassertthatIhaveneverknownamomentoffatigueorpain，althoughcomingintouchconstantlywithexcessiveweakness，illness，anddiseaseofallkinds。ForhowcanaconsciouspartofDeitybesick？——since’Greaterishethatiswithusthanallthatcanstriveagainstus。’“
Mysecondcorrespondent，alsoawoman，sendsmethefollowingstatement：——
“Lifeseemeddifficulttomeatonetime。Iwasalwaysbreakingdown，andhadseveralattacksofwhatiscallednervousprostration，withterribleinsomnia，beingonthevergeofinsanity；besideshavingmanyothertroubles，especiallyofthedigestiveorgans。Ihadbeensentawayfromhomeinchargeofdoctors，hadtakenallthenarcotics，stoppedallwork，beenfedup，andinfactknewallthedoctorswithinreach。ButIneverrecoveredpermanentlytillthisNewThoughttookpossessionofme。
“Ithinkthattheonethingwhichimpressedmemostwaslearningthefactthatwemustbeinabsolutelyconstantrelationormentaltouch(thiswordistomeveryexpressive)withthatessenceoflifewhichpermeatesallandwhichwecallGod。ThisisalmostunrecognizableunlessweliveitintoourselvesACTUALLY，thatis，byaconstantturningtotheveryinnermost，deepestconsciousnessofourrealselvesorofGodinus，forilluminationfromwithin，justasweturntothesunforlight，warmth，andinvigorationwithout。Whenyoudothisconsciously，realizingthattoturninwardtothelightwithinyouistoliveinthepresenceofGodoryourdivineself，yousoondiscovertheunrealityoftheobjectstowhichyouhavehithertobeenturningandwhichhaveengrossedyouwithout。
“IhavecometodisregardthemeaningofthisattitudeforbodilyhealthASSUCH，becausethatcomesofitself，asanincidentalresult，andcannotbefoundbyanyspecialmentalactordesiretohaveit，beyondthatgeneralattitudeofmindIhavereferredtoabove。Thatwhichweusuallymaketheobjectoflife，thoseouterthingsweareallsowildlyseeking，whichwesooftenliveanddiefor，butwhichthendonotgiveuspeaceandhappiness，theyshouldallcomeofthemselvesasaccessory，andasthemereoutcomeornaturalresultofafarhigherlifesunkdeepinthebosomofthespirit。ThislifeistherealseekingofthekingdomofGod，thedesireforhissupremacyinourhearts，sothatallelsecomesasthatwhichshallbe’addeduntoyou’——asquiteincidentalandasasurprisetous，perhaps；andyetitistheproofoftherealityoftheperfectpoiseintheverycentreofourbeing。
“WhenIsaythatwecommonlymaketheobjectofourlifethatwhichweshouldnotworkforprimarily，Imeanmanythingswhichtheworldconsiderspraiseworthyandexcellent，suchassuccessinbusiness，fameasauthororartist，physicianorlawyer，orrenowninphilanthropicundertakings。Suchthingsshouldberesults，notobjects。Iwouldalsoincludepleasuresofmanykindswhichseemharmlessandgoodatthetime，andarepursuedbecausemanyacceptthem——Imeanconventionalities，sociabilities，andfashionsintheirvariousdevelopment，thesebeingmostlyapprovedbythemasses，althoughtheymaybeunreal，andevenunhealthysuperfluities。”
Hereisanothercase，moreconcrete，alsothatofawoman。Ireadyouthesecaseswithoutcomment——theyexpresssomanyvarietiesofthestateofmindwearestudying。
“Ihadbeenasuffererfrommychildhoodtillmyfortiethyear。
[Detailsofill-healtharegivenwhichIomit。]IhadbeeninVermontseveralmonthshopingforgoodfromthechangeofair，butsteadilygrowingweaker，whenonedayduringthelatterpartofOctober，whilerestingintheafternoon，Isuddenlyheardasitwerethesewords：’Youwillbehealedanddoaworkyouneverdreamedof。’ThesewordswereimpresseduponmymindwithsuchpowerIsaidatoncethatonlyGodcouldhaveputthemthere。I
believedtheminspiteofmyselfandofmysufferingandweakness，whichcontinueduntilChristmas，whenIreturnedtoBoston。Withintwodaysayoungfriendofferedtotakemetoamentalhealer(thiswasJanuary7，1881)。Thehealersaid：
’ThereisnothingbutMind；weareexpressionsoftheOneMind；
bodyisonlyamortalbelief；asamanthinkethsoishe。’I
couldnotacceptallshesaid，butItranslatedallthatwasthereforMEinthisway：’ThereisnothingbutGod；IamcreatedbyHim，andamabsolutelydependentuponHim；mindisgivenmetouse；andbyjustsomuchofitasIwillputuponthethoughtofrightactioninbodyIshallbeliftedoutofbondagetomyignoranceandfearandpastexperience。’ThatdayI
commencedaccordinglytotakealittleofeveryfoodprovidedforthefamily，constantlysayingtomyself：’ThePowerthatcreatedthestomachmusttakecareofwhatIhaveeaten。’ByholdingthesesuggestionsthroughtheeveningIwenttobedandfellasleep，saying：’Iamsoul，spirit，justonewithGod’sThoughtofme，’andsleptallnightwithoutwaking，forthefirsttimeinseveralyears[thedistress-turnshadusuallyrecurredabouttwoo’clockinthenight]。Ifeltthenextdaylikeanescapedprisoner，andbelievedIhadfoundthesecretthatwouldintimegivemeperfecthealth。WithintendaysIwasabletoeatanythingprovidedforothers，andaftertwoweeksIbegantohavemyownpositivementalsuggestionsofTruth，whichweretomelikestepping-stones。Iwillnoteafewofthem，theycameabouttwoweeksapart。
“1st。IamSoul，thereforeitiswellwithme。
