How I Used Truth - Lesson 9 - Annotation 7
Explain the three realms in the universe (text, page 93) and show the relation of the "spoken word" to these three realms.
7. The three realms in the universe referred to in the text (How I Used Truth 93) are: the spiritual, the mental, and the physical. The spiritual realm is the Kingdom of God, Divine Mind. It is the realm of all divine ideas which are the spiritual patterns for the other two realms.
The mental realm is the soul or psychic plane. It is in this phase of man's nature that he thinks and feels the ideas received from the spiritual realm. This is where he makes choices and produces the mental forms of the ideas. These mental forms, which later become manifest forms, are as perfect or as limited as the individual's degree of development. The mental or soul realm is often termed the psychic realm. Those who do not understand the meaning of the word psychic have come to fear it. However, in Teach Us to Pray 47-48 and 52, we are told plainly what this psychic realm is, how we may overcome our fear of it, and how we may take control or have dominion of it: "The psychic or soul realm includes the sum total of consciousness, all that the individual has experienced. . . .
"We should not think of the psychic realm as evil or be afraid of it. Through Jesus Christ we possess mastery or dominion over all realms. Through our own Christ dominion we develop spiritual powers to handle the psychic realm to great advantage."
The third realm is the physical or material plane of manifest forms. These outer forms outpicture the perfect idea only as accurately as the soul is able to interpret them, according to its degree of understanding. In working with the idea of abundance, we must learn the nature of substance. Then we must let God guide us in learning how to bring it forth into the desired forms of good. Otherwise, we may produce a limited form of prosperity or seek to obtain abundance by wrong methods, and this brings no real satisfaction. Such gains must be held by force whereas those that are spiritually demonstrated gravitate to us naturally.
The text states on page 93 that "All created things have spirit, soul, and body." This shows the relationship of the three realms of the universe. Every form we see has back of it some idea belonging to the spiritual realm. For example, back of the fruit tree is the idea of food. Back of certain plants, with medicinal qualities, is the healing idea. Back of most flowers is the idea of beauty, so far as man is concerned; to the bee, flowers represent something quite different. To one industry, flowers would represent perfume to bring delight through the sense of smell.
The nature of the created thing, its place as a species of creation, may be thought of as comparable to the soul of man. The growing and reproductive powers of the tree or plant and the instincts of animal, bird, reptile, and insect belong to this "soul nature." Elements of the mineral kingdom have this same ability to accept or reject elements which do or do not belong to their own species. The visible expression or manifestation of the created thing is the body or form. Thus, for creation to be complete each species has "spirit, soul, and body." The nature of the formed thing may be termed its "soul" but is only subjective consciousness, seeking unconsciously but unfailingly to manifest the idea back of it; it is not self-consciousness as is the soul of man.
The "spoken word" is very closely related to each of the three realms as a connecting channel for ideas to come forth into visible form. Thinking is the handling of ideas, building them into related thoughts to form states of consciousness. Thinking can go on and on without direction, but the "spoken word," whether it is silent or audible, assembles into definite mental forms all the thoughts that have been built around an idea. The "spoken word" (which is the disciplined use of the thinking faculty) takes definite hold of the ideas of the spiritual realm. The formative work is done first in the mental realm, then the idea is projected into visibility. While thinking may be said to belong entirely to the invisible realm, the "spoken word," even though it may be a silent one, is acting closer to the visible or physical plane for the results of the "speaking" of Truth will be observable in body and affairs.
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Preceding Entry: What do we mean when we say that divine substance is "forever waiting . . . for man to form it" (text, page 93)?
Following Entry: Why is it vital for us to center our attention on God?
