Unity Metaphysics 2 (Blue Book)
Lesson 05 Developing a Healthy Consciousness
TruthUnity Note: Ed Rabel's handwritten comments on this chapter lay out a process of healing: Belief, Faith, Love, Willingness and Forgiveness. They are important.
5A FAITH IN THE POSSIBILITY:
“The first move in all healing is a recognition on the part of the healer and on the part of the patient that God is present as an all-powerful mind, equal to the healing of every disease, no matter how bad it may appear. ‘With God all things are possible’” (Teach Us To Pray 177).
“The secret of healing lies in the lifting up the consciousness by faith into the realm of God perfection, thus clearing the way for God’s original perfect healing to be done in the body” (Connie Fillmore The Unity Guide to Healing 47).
Faith is our great affirmative power. In developing a healing consciousness, faith works by affirming the omnipresence of God and all divine ideas. The divine idea is always of a greater dimension than any existing thing. In the case of a healing need, the divine idea of life is greater and more powerful than anything on the level of the existing sickness. Through our faculty of faith we make contact with that greater dimension of power and cause the needed adjustment which manifests as healing.
5B RECEPTIVITY:
“The reason that prayers and treatments for health are not more successful is that the mind has not been put in a receptive state by affirmations of peace. The Mind of Spirit is harmonious and peaceful, and it must have a like manner of expression in man’s consciousness. When a body of water is choppy with fitful currents of air it cannot reflect objects clearly. Neither can man reflect the steady strong glow of Omnipotence when his mind is disturbed by anxious thoughts, fearful thoughts, or angry thoughts” (Jesus Christ Heals 176).
As we develop a healing consciousness, we must maintain a peaceful state of mind and become filled with confident expectations about the restoration of our wholeness and vitality.
5C FORGIVENESS:
“The mind of peace precedes bodily healing. Cast out enmity and anger and affirm the peace of Jesus Christ, your healing will be swift and (Jesus Christ Heals 21).
“The greatest prescription for a healthy and a full life is to forgive and forget, to cleanse our own mind the divine plan of God may be set free to carry on its perfect work of renewal and recreation” (Sue Sikking Beyond a Miracle 45)
“Regeneration begins its work in the conscious mind and completes it in the subconsciousness. The first step is cleansing or denial in which all error thoughts are renounced. This includes forgiveness for sins committed and a general clearing of the whole consciousness” (RW/Regeneration).
To experience the renewing and complete healing that we desire, we must release all unforgiving thoughts which we have held in consciousness. Forgiveness does not require us to declare that a particular event or circumstance was not painful or did actually occur. Forgiveness releases us from the mental and emotional bondage we are currently experiencing in reaction to the situation. Forgiveness enables us to let go of resentment that is adversely affecting our consciousness. A thorough inventory of our thoughts is necessary to enable a significant degree of cleansing to take place.
5D DENIAL AND AFFIRMATION:
“A good healing drill is to deny the mental cause first, then the physical appearance. The mental condition should first be healed. Then the secondary state, which it has produced in the body, must be wiped out and the perfect state affirmed” (Jesus Christ Heals 37).
“The consistent practice of affirmations steadies the mind so that the power of God can move through us to heal even deep-rooted mental and physical ailments” (Elizabeth Sand Turner Your Hope of Glory 145).
Releasing the thoughts which prevent our conscious alignment with the divine idea of life and affirming the thoughts which promote such an alignment are essential steps in the process of spiritual healing. This is a practice which requires patience and persistence.
5E MEDITATION:
“In true meditation one becomes joined with the giver, contact is made with the Source of all good, and such faith, harmony, and peace are established in mind that through it the body and affairs are opened to receive” (Frances Foulks Effectual Prayer 78).
“We can read about God, talk about God, but in order to feel our oneness with Him we have to meditate and pray in the silence We need to take time every day to be still, to let our mind and body relax, to lift our thoughts above the level of mundane things, to dwell for a little while in the ‘secret place of the Most High’” (Daily Word November 16 1965).
In developing a healing consciousness it is most important that we spend time in quiet meditation. Many would agree that there are any number of opportunities to encounter stressful situations in our daily living. However, as we continue to set aside periods of time each day for silent communion with Spirit we will find that we experience less stress and enjoy more health and peace of mind.
5F REALIZATION:
“The scientific metaphysician fixes his attention powerfully on the consummation of a certain idea until he has a realization, which means that the idea has nucleated a certain amount of thought substance. When this realization is had the metaphysician rests ‘from all his work.’ Through faith and work he has fulfilled the law of mind and he rests in the conviction that his ideal of health will appear in manifestation in due season” (Jesus Christ Heals 45).
“A spiritual realization is a realization of Truth. A spiritual realization of health is the result of holding in consciousness a statement of health until the logic of the mind is satisfied and man receives the assurance that the fulfillment in the physical must follow. In other words, by realizing a healing prayer man lays hold of the principle of health itself and the whole consciousness is illumined; he perceives principle working out his health problems for him” (Jesus Christ Heals 39)
In spiritual healing, our individual recognition of oneness with the divine idea of life is all important. This recognition, or realization, occurs when the divine idea becomes completely and undeniably real to us. Realization always precedes demonstration.
5G THANKSGIVING:
“Praising and giving thanks liberate the finer essence of soul and body when we center our attention upon Spirit” (Jesus Christ Heals 138)
“Praise and thanksgiving keep open the channels through which God’s good flows to us freely and bountifully” (Martha Smock Halfway Up the Mountain 184).
“We do not need to wait until we are healed to give thanks and rejoice in the healing life of God within us” (Martha Smock Halfway Up the Mountain 185).
Joyous thanksgiving and recognition of the Source of our healing accelerate the powerful work of divine life within us. To express an attitude of thanksgiving before the healing is demonstrated reflects our faith in the unfailing life of Spirit.
5H LOVE: THE HARMONIZER:
“Love is a harmonizing, constructive power. When it is made active in consciousness, it conserves substance and reconstructs, rebuilds, and restores man and his world” (Keep a True Lent 155).
“We may be successful without love. We might even be healthy without love for a time. But we cannot be whole without love and thus we cannot be happy or peaceful, or fulfilled” (Eric Butterworth Celebrate Yourself! 169).
“When spiritual love is quickened it becomes a healing, harmonizing force in the life of an individual” (Elizabeth Sand Turner Your Hope of Glory 82).
Love is the key to wholeness in mind and body. The all-important thing about love is that it harmonizes, blesses, and unifies. We would be wise to begin cultivating an awareness of Love in every an facet of our lives. A loving attitude causes harmony to become the dominant factor in mind and body, and maintenance of good health becomes a way of life.
SUMMARY STATEMENTS
THE FIRST STEP IN DEVELOPING A HEALING CONSCIOUSNESS IS HAVING FAITH IN THE OMNIPRESENCE OF GOD.
TO EXPERIENCE THE HEALING THAT WE DESIRE, WE MUST RELEASE ALL THOUGHTS OF UNFORGIVENESS. WE ACCOMPLISH THIS PROCESS BY USING THE TOOLS OF DENIAL AND AFFIRMATION.
THE PRACTICE OF SILENT MEDITATION RELEASES FEELINGS OF STRESS AND ALLOWS US TO ENJOY THE FULLNESS OF LIFE.
REALIZATION OCCURS WHEN WE KNOW THAT OUR HEALING HAS TAKEN PLACE EVEN THOUGH THE DEMONSTRATION HAS NOT YET OCCURRED.
PRAISE AND THANKSGIVING REFLECT OUR FAITH IN THE ACTIVITY OF THE UNFAILING LIFE OF SPIRIT.
LOVE IS THE HARMONIZING UNIFYING POWER THAT IS THE KEY TO WHOLENESS IN MIND AND BODY.
TOPICS FOR DISCUSSION
- What part does forgiveness play in the development of a healing consciousness?
- How does the power of love facilitate the healing process?
THOUGHTS FOR REFLECTION AND MEDITATION
your body responds to life-giving ideas;
your whole being takes on new life
as you imbue your consciousness
with the idea of life
eternal life,
ever-renewing life,
life that flows ceaselessly
from the one fountainhead,
God"
(Martha Smock Listen Beloved 21)
SUPPLEMENTARY READING
Fillmore, Charles, Jesus Christ Heals, chapters 3 and 9, “Realization Precedes Manifestation” and “Healing Through Praise and Thanksgiving.”
Fillmore, Myrtle, Myrtle Fillmore’s Healing Letters, chapter 10, “No Incurable Disease.”
Lynch, Richard, The Secret of Health, chapter 8, “According to Your Faith.”
Smock, Martha, Listen, Beloved, chapter 3, “Life-Giving Ideas.”
Transcribed by Bill Toon on April 5, 2019.
- Download a PDF copy of 05 Developing a Healthy Consciousness
- Download a video file of the comments in this lecture.
