"Before we recite our mental ailments let's get clear about what divine Mind is."

"It's All-in all."

"Fine. Do we just say that or do we actually live it?"

"I'm sure we all try."

"What's your point?"

"I'll just speak for myself. I can rattle off scientific statements and never really understand or feel them — so, there's no healing or change in my experience."

"Well, that's a constant challenge. I'd like to put in a word for full mental activity — not just thinking. Lets' stay conscious of Jung's other mental functions: feeling, intuition and sensing — as well as thinking."

"Plus extroversion and introversion."

"Right! If so-called mortal mind can have these attributes then they're counterfeits of what divine Mind possesses. Mortal mind is always flipping around in beliefs of good and evil, indicating to me the infinity of God, good."

"So you just jump from the counterfeit to its real original? Mrs. Eddy asks at one point 'Are thoughts divine or human?' ( S&H 462: 23) Can't we also ask ' Are feelings, intuitions and senses divine or human?' ?"

"We definitely should. But the divine mental activity would have to be non-dualistic. Am I intuiting the divine nature of all? Am I feeling the security of the divine presence?"

"Is my divine Mind touching its finger to something?"

"That's a good way to put it. Be sure the something touched is also divine substance."

"I was joking of course."

"Why? Would you consign your finger and the thing it's touching to mortal mind? What does she say about states and stages of consciusess? Let me read it: 'The Revelator was on our plane of existence, while yet beholding what the eye cannot see, — that which is invisible to the uninspired thought. This testimony of Holy Writ sustains the fact in Science, that the heavens and earth to one human consciousness, that consciousness which God bestows, are spiritual, while to another, the unillumined human mind, the vision is material. This shows unmistakably that what the human mind terms matter and spirit indicates states and stages of consciousness.' (S&H 573: 3-12)"

"Can we get into some experiences?"

"Sure let's do it."

"I mentioned last time I was getting increasingly forgetful and was being evaluated every two weeks at the hospital. Well, my scores have gone up from the low 30's to the low 90's. The doctors are saying whatever I'm doing I should continue. I do crosswords and stuff like that but I think my interest in Christian Science is having an effect too."

"That's terrific news!"

"There've been healings recorded in our periodicals of people recovering from memory problems. I remember one Episcopalian woman who got rid of Alzheimere's through Christian Science treatment."

"I've recently run into two cases of Alzheimer's and just knew the only mind is divine Mind operating as us all. There was noticeable improvement in one person but I haven't heard about the other one."

"Did they ask for treatments?"

"No. They were just in my field of activity — one of them causing me possible financial problems, the other , someone causing a friend some stress. The way I look at it is I wasn't giving them formal treatments and anyway there's one Mind which is the Mind of everybody. So it's my sacred duty not to malpractice on that Mind by seeing it as capable of drifting off into mental illness.""That's interesting because I had to know the Truth about my ex-wife when she laid into me on the phone and became virtually insane with rage. It was very ugly and I had to talk to a practitioner to find stability for us both. The work was seeing our one Mind as Love. Things are back to normal now."

"I meant to tell you the piano thing worked out ok. She took it back and refunded my money."

"Tell the rest of us."

"A friend sold me her piano for $400. She said she'd bought it for a thousand — but I learned later it was for only $150. So I worked on it in Science and then asked for my money back. There wasn't any fight or anything — she gave me the $400 and I gave her the piano."

"Good work. I think we should discuss drugs."

"You mean recreational or remedial?"

"Aren't they both out in Christian Science?"

"I don't think necessarily. If someone has a claim like schizophrenia or depression — or if they're bi-polar — there are drug therapies."

"Mrs. Eddy says mental illness is simpler to heal than physical problems. Jesus heals a mental case in this week's Lesson I'll read it from Luke: 'And in the synagogue there was a man, which had a spirit of an unclean devil, and cried out with a loud voice, Saying, Let us alone; what have we to do with thee, thou Jesus of Nazareth? art thou come to destroy us? I know thee who thou art; the Holy One of God. And Jesus rebuked him, saying, Hold thy peace, and come out of him. And when the devil had thrown him in the midst, he came out of him, and hurt him not. And they were all amazed, and spake among themselves, saying, What a word is this! for with authority and power he commandeth the unclean spirits, and they come out.' (Luke 4: 33-36) "

"I took anti-depressants for a while but I didn't feel anything had changed, so I let go of them."

"When I left the hospital after my stroke they warned me I'd fall into a depression. They gave me a prescription. Well, it did hit but I worked in Christian Science and it lifted. Not only that, but I actually experienced joy."

"Let's work on the oil leak in the Gulf."

"Ok, what can you say about it?"

"A Course in Miracles says we have to look at any problem with love."

"Doesn't the Course also say we have to look through the picture?"

"If all is love, then you're seeing through it."

"Put that way, I'd have to agree."

"Let's get some Christian Science going here.. God created the universe and didn't create evil in it. Only good is able to happen."

"I remember when my apartment building was burning on the lower floors I called a practitioner and got ready to climb out on the fire escape. Suddenly the words 'flames of divine Love' came to me. The so-called material flames were counterfeits of the all-powerful flames of divine Love! I calmed down and soon the firemen were herding other people from the building into my apartment. I served tea and we all had a good visit. I'd use something like this for the blow-out in the Gulf."

"Were you referring to the quote from Science and Heath about the hecatombs of gushing theories?"

"Yes. Let me read it. 'The tender word and Christian encouragement of an invalid, pitiful patience with his fears and the removal of them, are better than hecatombs of gushing theories, stereotyped borrowed speeches, and the doling of arguments, which are but so many parodies on legitimate Christian Science, aflame with divine Love.' (S&H 367: 3-9)"

"What does that have to do with a building fire? She doesn't even mention the word 'flames'."

"You're right. I spring boarded off a material belief in flames into reality without stopping to verify how Mrs. Eddy doles her argument in the textbook. Maybe I'm on firmer footing in asking us to consider her definition of Oil in the Glossary. Here: 'OIL. Consecration; charity; gentleness; prayer; heavenly inspiration.' (S&H 592: 25-26) These are the divine/human qualities that actually exist and not the horrendous pictures that constantly seem to arrive."

"Notice the words 'gushing theories' in the other quote we looked at. The oil leak is nothing but 'gushing theories'.""Hi, come on in."

"Welcome back!"

"It was so funny running into you the other day. I'd been thinking about coming back to the group — and then I saw you."

"What's been happening?"

"Well finally I got a diagnosis. I'm bi-polar and I've been on a low dose of lithium for a few months."

"You're feeling better?"

"Yes, much better. And I've started writing a book about the abuse mental patients have to put up with."

"You tried a lot of things, I remember."

"Back when I was coming here..."

"What was it, five years ago?"

"At least. I was involved with a lot of Eastern approaches. None of them gave me any solid results, but now with lithium and a really great psychotherapist, I'm doing fine."

"I'm so happy to hear that!"

"I've also started a blog."

"Great. I can't wait to read it. Do you get responses?"

"Sure. There's a lot of suffering and maltreatment out there — but listen, I'd like to hear any Christian Science demonstrations anyone would like to share."

"Ok. I had one this week. On Monday I was sitting at my desk very frustrated because no one was replying to my many emails and phone calls about business proposals just hanging in midair. Fortunately I realized the only thing I could do in the circumstances was pray."

"Isn't it funny how we wait till everything else has failed before we go to prayer?"

"Yeah. So I started in — you know, God is all-powerful, all good, right here. As His reflection I include only good. I cannot be separated from Him and His perfection. At first I didn't believe any of it, but little by little it started making sense. The truths I was mouthing — suddenly I was believing them! I was even seeing the logic and getting an understanding."

"Fabulous!"

"It was amazing. Why had I denied myself this huge comfort and joy I was now feeling? Of course error tried to flood in but I just went right back to the Truth and persisted. The feelings of safety, well-being and joy were the demonstration but I can add that during the afternoon email responses and phone calls were arriving — some of them not even elicited."

"That was very clear — thank you."

"I had a demonstration today. There was a swollen place on my gums that made eating difficult, painful. I talked to a practitioner and we worked on it. After a couple of days It came to me to go to the dentist. I got an appointment but before I went there I worked with the practitioner to clarify my understanding of true substance, that my being was rooted and grounded in God, that the dental office was the structure of Truth and Love and that all the people — professionals and patients — were divine ideas. The visit went very well. That area needed cleaning out and there was no need for root canal work or other annoying procedures."

"Excellent! We need to end now. Are there any suggestions for a topic for July?"

"I was reading an article in the Economist about the seemingly insurmountable divisions in Iraq preventing the formation of a government. It got me thinking about how many horrendous divisions there are in the world today. Like in Afghanistan or Iran vs everyone else or in Korea or even in the Gulf with the oil vs life on the planet."

"Do you see a topic in there?"

"We need something that has a personal element too."

"Who doesn't have some personal divisions? Me and my body — me and my finances — me and my relationships — me...."

"Stop! Ok, ok. How about Oneness?"

"Sounds good to me. Do others agree? Ok, Oneness for the month of July."