The following came up while looking into “Soul and Body.” It is from pages 17 to 19 of the 1934 address, in Association Addresses by Bicknell Young. I felt it offered a useful explanation why Christian Science healing is different from New Age visualization and similar beliefs. That difference is why Christian Science works, and everything else does not.
A healing in Christian Science, whatever may be the nature of the case, is a divine event and resounds through the ages but if it were not also a human event it would have no practical value for us. We do not demonstrate health primarily but we demonstrate one Being, Mind and idea, Soul and body, wherein our wholeness is indigenous. But here arises the question, how far thought may be permitted to visualize the results of the treatment. Is it proper not only to declare the restorative healing action of omnipotence but mentally to behold and thereby to be sure of the improvement or healing?
In answering this question it is well to first observe that it would be obviously erroneous mentally to behold or to be conscious of no improvement or no result of the treatment. In Science & Health the definition of Mind says: “… Deity, which outlines but is not outlined.” (591:19).
When Jesus commanded Lazarus to come forth, he unquestionably exercised the prerogative of Mind in outlining the event. He knew that Lazarus would come forth, “… even the self-same Lazarus.” (Miscellany 218: 10-11).
Such a result could not appear if a mere personal sense of patient and practitioner obscured the Science of Mind, but if Mind and the immutability of the law of Mind constitutes the treatment then the result of the treatment is as much a part of the treatment as anything else in it, and in this way we may say it is legitimately outlined, — that is to say, the result of the treatment is actual, real and humanly evident, as it must be in order to accomplish what Science & Health calls “. . . the metaphysical healing of physical disease …” ( 150:13-14).
The attempt to outline the results of divine action is objectionable only because human thought however much improved, can only imagine what the divine effect might be; but when Mind is actually demonstrated, or speaking more accurately, actually demonstrates its own presence and power, then the healing may be mentally visible before it is humanly apparent, and because of the omnipotence of Mind, so demonstrated, the human evidence of healing becomes inevitable. “… ideas are perfectly real and tangible to spiritual consciousness …” (Science & Health 269:17-18).
Perception of Truth is a step in understanding. It should not be mistaken for understanding, neither should emotion be mistaken for inspiration. Perception leads to inspiration and the consequent realization of Truth, but inspiration is so sane and sure and secure when genuine that it is unafraid and is the dominion that is the real man.
Mind knows, sees, hears, feels, and is Its own perfection and this reality necessarily excludes the belief and the evidence of disease.