Series 2 - Lesson 5 - Annotation 1
Explain why man should be in conscious control of all his thoughts.
1. Man should be in conscious control of all his thoughts because what he has in his experiences depends upon this control. Man thinks, also his thoughts have, as the lesson brings out, "secondary power of thinking." The predominant thought becomes a nucleus around which other thoughts of like nature revolve, and the final thought pattern continues to work in the subconscious phase of mind. If we have our conscious thinking under control and are inspired and governed by the higher Power within us, then the "secondary thinking" (the activity of our subconscious phase of mind) will be governed by the conscious phase of mind inspired by the Superconscious or Christ Mind. The result will be good in all areas of our life.
Thought can reproduce itself along the general line with which the chief thought has identified itself. Consciously or unconsciously this thought goes on reproducing in its own image and affecting the general body of thought on all subjects.
Thought can be positive or negative, constructive or destructive. The first thought is conscious, but then it may become unconscious and influence action and bring about unforeseen results. One hears a person say in apology, "I never thought for a moment"; "I did it without thinking." This is not strictly true because the action of the subconscious phase of mind is spontaneous; what a person means by such statements is that he acted without conscious thought. The subconscious thought, or feeling, is reactive; sometime, somewhere, a conscious action of the mind took place In order to set the "mental equivalent" in the subconscious.
If we do not take control of our thinking (conscious phase of mind) and our feeling (subconscious phase of mind), we are actually giving the control of our formative power of thought to something less than that which we are — a son of God! The mind (conscious and subconscious) is our instrument of expression — not our master. It is necessary to keep our thought power strictly under control in order that the ensuing subconscious thought or mental habit may be established In an upward or positive direction.
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Preceding Entry: What is meant by the statement, "I will put my law in their inward parts, and in their heart will I write it" (Jer. 31:33)?
Following Entry: Explain in detail the process of denial and affirmation.
