CHRISTIAN SCIENCE

Ellesmere Guardian, Volume LIX, Issue 88, 4 November 1938, Page 2

CHRISTIAN SCIENCE

LECTURE BY PROF. H. S. HERING

"SCIENTIFIC CHRISTIAN

HEALING"

A large and attentive audience listened to a lecture on "Scientific Christian Healing," by Professor Hermann S. Hering, of Boston, given in the Caledonian Hall, Christchurch, on Tuesday, under the auspices of First Church of Christ, Scientist, Christ-

church

Prof. Hering laid a foundation for his discussion of the healing as accomplished iby Jesus and his disciples, by first disposing of matter, stating that the belief in the reality of matter and in the supremacy of material law was the greatest hindrance in the way of understanding Christian healing. Because this healing was and is now affected through spiritual means, he said, it must be spiritually discerned.

"According to physical sciences," Prof. Hering said, "matter has been believed to be an indestructible stuff or substance, separate and apart from force or energy, but recent research and discovery by eminent physicists," he went on to explain, "have rendered this view untenable, for it has been found that the unit of matter, known as the atom, which heretofore has been supposed to be the smallest possible division of matter, is now affirmed to be itself composed of smaller units called electrons and protons. These units are infinitesimal centres of electrical energy, positive and negative charges of electricity, vibrating with great velocity, thus disclosing that the atom, the basis of physical substance, is in fact a manifestation of force; and that therefore, atomic aggregation, or what is called material structure and growth, is a form or manifestation of energy or force." Prof. Hering illustrated this iby explaining that any material object could be reduced by means of mechanical and chemical processes to its ultimate theoretical limits, first by destroying what seemed to be the object, then the residue called organised matter, until nothing remained but a form of energy, a theoretical manifestation of force in which every vestige of the characteristics of matter and of the object had disappeared. In this way, he explained, matter was seen to be the appearance, externalization or projection of force or energy.

"It is evident," the lecturer declared, "that we never see anything but light, a form of vibration, which is force; that what we feel or touch is a form of pressure, which is force; that what we hear is the vibration called sound, which is force; that what we smell and taste are forms of chemical energy or vibration, which is force. This shows that matter is a manifestation of force, and not what it has been supposed to Toe. It has been proved by materialistic philosophy and psychology that so-called material sight, hearing, touch, taste, and smell are themselves mental impressions super-induced by force or energy in some form. We are conscious of existence mentally," he said, "and the things we are conscious of are mental impressions objectified. Existence, together with all its activities, appearances, and phenomena is wholly mental. Jesus proved this to foe so when he walked on the water, stilled the tempest, fed the multitudes, healed the sick and raised the dead.

"Acceptance of the mental nature of existence as taught by Mrs Eddy is one of the first steps towards an understanding of Christian healing, for it can then be seen that whatever enters existence, enters it mentally, as a state of consciousness, and it can also be seen that all discordance conditions of whatever name or nature exist solely as phenomena and experiences of mortal consciousness and are therefore wholly mental and must be dealt with mentally.

"Since existence is consciousness," Prof. Hering said, "it has to do with the human mind—that mind of consciousness with which we are aware of our" existence. The human mind, although cognizing materiality, is capable of knowing the Truth, and it is through knowing the truth of any subject that error is recognised, corrected and destroyed. In fact we can