Why do we have a body? A newcomer to our group (and to Christian Science) put it this way: "So we can walk around and do things; we can eat a banana" (which he was doing).

Is that at variance with Jesus' demonstration of body (which we traced in our readings from the Bible)? He walked around, healed, preached, ate — and then gave us a metaphysical and visual "how-to" on a proper exit from dualism via crucifixion, resurrection and ascension. Could he have done any of it without a body?

"What does ascension look like?" asked one member. "I don't know now, but when and if I'm relieved of all mesmerism, then I will know," answered another.

The discussion became contentious with raised voices and elaborate gesticulations. (Yep — it's helpful to have a body for such activities). We hadn't had anything approaching this for a while and it may have jolted some members to see answers to our questions unfold through clashes of thought rather than in calm Apollonian grandeur.

The truth is that body is a tricky subject in Christian Science and its founder Mary Baker Eddy can be quoted as saying total opposites on the subject, depending on what level she's speaking from and what state of thought she's speaking to.

But as we argued, shouted, cajoled and quoted it became clear that Mrs. Eddy basically spoke out against regarding body as a mortal, material entity with autonomy beyond the reach of spiritual meaning.

Certainly today many see the physical body as the all-in-all of existence. Life is about genes, mind-control, environment — perhaps even astrology.

One member had two experiences during the week highlighting this situation. He tuned into Charlie Rose for a discussion of romance and sexuality to find it devoted entirely to medical data on hormones and erection stimulants ("I guess they're saving penis enlargement till next time.")

A few days later he was with a group of older women as they talked lovingly of their doctors and the drugs they're taking. He was mesmerized into seeing comfort, joy and well being if he'd just get involved with doctors and pills. It took him the better part of sleepless night to break the pull. A major factor in pushing through this illusion was to see himself and the ladies as fully supplied with good, whatever the "sacramental substance we're using."

Our readings include some wonderful insights from Mrs. Eddy's writings on body. She shifts our attention away from a mortal, material entity — introducing us to man as divine idea, the image of God. The body is treated metaphorically as "temple", "identity", "the type and representative of verities priceless, eternal, and just at hand" (see the Readings, Miscellaneous Writings, page 60) and even "the shrine of Love" (see the Readings, Science and Health, page 595).

One member asked us to look at this statement from Science and Health: "Sooner or later we shall learn that the fetters of man's finite capacity are forged by the illusion that he lives in body instead of in Soul, in matter instead of in Spirit." (pg. 223:3)

"That seems so far above where most of us — including myself — are living."

"Well, yes — but it does describe what's actually going on whether we know it consciously or not. The reality of being is always at work wearing down our defenses to living divinely."

Our chairperson jumped in with a quote from William Blake's Marriage of Heaven and Hell: "If the doors of perception were cleansed every thing would appear as it is, infinite. For man has closed himself up, till he sees all things thro' narrow chinks of his cavern."

Can we let Ego, God, lead our lives to ever larger views of ourselves and others? Do we cling through hysterical metaphysical crossfire to present cramped versions? "If I stay in alignment with Deity, my life should evolve in a holy and productive manner."

"You have to check your thoughts and beliefs constantly to discover dualistic destructive motives that'll result in sickness if not intercepted and eradicated with Truth."

That brought us to healing in Science. "You can't heal from within the problem. You have to gain a standpoint outside the problem and its so called material causes."

One member read us this from Miscellaneous Writings, page 352: "There is not sufficient spiritual power in the human thought to heal the sick or the sinful. Through the divine energies alone one must either get out of himself and into God so far that his consciousness is the reflection of the divine, or he must, through argument and the human consciousness of both evil and good, overcome evil."

Body in the age of the Internet and nanotechnology came up. "Isn't the Internet a way of seeing and demonstrating our body's infinite presence, as shown in both quantum physics and Christian Science?" "But so is space travel or any movement, really." "If we can go infinitely outward, why not infinitely inward too?" "How about this — reducing our bodies to nano-dimensions so we could inhabit the surface of an electron?" "Would our Soul, God, shrink as our bodies did?"

If we live as Soul, we should be able to manage (and even size) our bodies as useful tools to get things done and symbolize the presence of God on the spot (i.e., Immanuel).

A member asked, "What if my body were blown up — would I still exist?" Members said Yes. We felt there's an afterlife,where we continue our struggle for redemption. One said there's a hint of what happened in Jesus' resurrection in Mrs. Eddy's comments on a lobster: "The less mind there is manifested in matter the better. When the unthinking lobster loses its claw, the claw grows again. If the Science of Life were understood, it would be found that the senses of Mind are never lost and that matter has no sensation. Then the human limb would be replaced as readily as the lobster's claw,—not with an artificial limb, but with the genuine one." (Science and Health, pg. 489:1) Our member added, "If a lobster can re-grow a claw, why not a man his body?"

We had two singers attending. One member asked how they saw their bodies when performing. "Well, you need enough strength and endurance. You need voice training and technique — but then you need to transcend all that and let your performance be about loving your audience."

"I can't think about my voice's sound or my body's appearance. I have to convey the meaning of the words and the music. I'm telling a story."

"I love the audience's reactions. If they laugh I laugh — if they cry I cry. We get into a positive feedback loop."

"It all sounds like lovemaking to me."

"Yes — but it can and should be the same in anything — even if you're an accountant."

One of our singers pulled the topic Improvisation out of the air for next week. He recommended we study pages 88 and 89 of Science and Health where the following statement is made: "The influence or action of Soul confers a freedom, which explains the phenomena of improvisation and the fervor of untutored lips."