“The greater a [person’s] consciousness of this indwelling ‘I AM’ is, the more power [they] will have…. All great souls have known this…. not a limited sense of life, but a limitless one.”
~ Ernest Holmes - The Science of Mind Complete Edition
Have you ever been chit-chatting with friends and family, talking about your life, and had them ask, “What is Science of Mind?”
What I hear a lot is, “What do you do for work?”. To which I answer, “Oh, I am a Spiritual Director.” The next response is often, “Um, what is that?”
At this point, I typically launch into as broad and simple a description as possible of what I believe, in order to help people to understand what I teach. Below is a more detailed outline. My intent is to give you an opportunity to understand this teaching more deeply, so that you have more to pick and choose from as you share about SOM with your friends.
The Science of Mind is a book, written by metaphysical thought leader, Ernest Holmes. Holmes studied a great many of the world’s religions and mystical teachings, and was also highly influenced by the insights of more contemporary luminaries, such as Ralph Waldo Emerson, Thomas Troward, and Emma Curtis Hopkins. So, the ideas in Holmes’ book are not his alone. They are as universal and ancient as that of any philosophy, science or religion. I know a lot of people shy away from the word “religion”, but religion in its purest form is merely a dedicated exploration of Universal Principles, in an attempt to define the spiritual nature of the Universe and how we are connected to It. We likely all know, at least at a basic level, that we are made up of a BODY, MIND and SOUL. But, what is the SOUL? What does it want? How are we all connected? These are the questions of the heart, spurred on by an inner knowing that there is something bigger going on than what we may have generally been encouraged to notice in our everyday lives up to now. No person who follows the philosophies revealed in The Science of Mind will ever tell you what to think. Instead, they are more likely to teach, or simply to share, some Universal Principles of Life Itself. You may be invited to experiment with the teachings, but to only accept those which you feel ready to prove and experience in YOUR unique life.
The philosophies presented in the text of The Science of Mind bring the bigger ideas of Life together. It contains concepts that deal with such topics as:
Spirit
The Universe
Humanity
Infinite Human Possibility
We call these concepts, “Principles”, which means, basically, ‘ideas that have been proven flawless’. These Principles are Universal, working for everyone equally, no matter where you are from, what you look like, how you behave or what you believe…. just like the Principles of gravity, or electricity. We know that any one of us can hold up an item, let it go, and the laws of gravity will cause it to fall, according to specific Principles. We know that any person, big or small, if they stick a screw driver in an electric outlet, will experience the same electrifying results. The same is true of spiritual principles.
The number one Spiritual Principle of the practice of Science of Mind is:
‘There is, in the Universe, One Infinite Expression of Life, and It exists in this Present Moment, always. It is the One Infinite Energy of all that is. Because It is Infinite, this IS all there is.’ Each person on this planet is an expression of this Life Force. We are all connected… because we are all part of ‘It’. We are indivisible from the one, big, connected Unity of all Life, and we are each perfect in that (and as that), regardless of any perceived notions about separation or ‘imperfection’. We are all necessary, to complete the Wholeness of Nature. Without you or me there would be a void. Since the Universe does not accept a void, It is always filling in; creating something to fill any void. There was a void… and YOU were born! You have your own unique space to fill, and the Laws of Life support you in that.
My daughter-in-law has an amazing garden with giant-sized vegetables and fruit that surpass anything I grow… for no other reason than she understands the laws of gardening better than I do.
Consider paved roads and cement sidewalks… they are devoid of life… or so it seems. But, leave them alone and what happens? The rigid surfaces eventually bend and move with the Life that will not be supressed beneath them, until that Life Force finally cracks them open and plants begin to grow.
This all leads to the idea that the Source of All Life is not ‘out there’ somewhere…. No, It is right here. It is everywhere, including within YOU; right where you are, right now, and at all times.
All Principles of Life, from the farthest galaxy to the smallest cell in our bodies, flow from, and are encompassed within, ‘the One Primary Principle’. That is:
‘We live, and move, and have our being in a Universe governed by Love, and powered by [these] Laws’.
When we remember this, we are consciously empowered to manifest the experiences we desire, and we own that we are the masters of our own destinies. When we forget, we feel that we are at the whim of some life that is around us and outside of us, rather than within, and that we are bumping along, seemingly alone and powerless.
I want you to look down at your desk, or at the floor. Notice all the things that you notice. Compile a list in your mind. Now, look up (not way up, but just at about 45˚). Notice the difference a change in perspective makes. Remember, the Universe is expansive.
Here’s the thing: the more we study SOM Principles, the greater the understanding we cultivate of this Infinite Life in which we live, then the more we can daily reflect more light, more love, more joy and more fulfillment in every way. Keep studying, and keep deepening your understanding of a Power Greater Than You. You may not notice the daily changes in your life right away, but rest assured that the Principles are always at work….
What you focus on expands… always!
Love, Jill