Mesmerism and Mortal Mind

By H J B Corderoy

Brisbane, Australia

To beguile, mesmerise and hypnotize are all words describing the attempt by one human mind to exert influence over another. Sometimes we might think of hypnotism as beneficial or at best an entertainment. Often it is used with an evil intent. To use a more modern concept, we could call the seeming effect a conspiracy; a conspiracy of mortal mind to usurp the power of the only true God.

In Christian Science, this concept of animal magnetism is seen to be the vehicle of mortal mind by which it facilitates and propagates sin, disease and death. The concept appeared​ when mankind claimed to be as gods and turned away from the one true God, the one divine Mind. Mankind determined that  it was the supreme intelligence. This situation, where there are many conflicting human minds all claiming to be godlike, all with different and competing views, has given rise to the chaos we see in the world today. But, as Christians, we know that there is only one true God and that Jesus Christ has revealed to us that we are His spiritual children.

“For though there be that are called gods, whether in heaven or in earth, (as there be gods many, and Lords many) But to us there is but one God, the Father, of whom are all things, and we in him; and one Lord Jesus Christ, by whom are all things, and we by him.” (I Cor. 8:5-6)

In their attempt to be as gods, human minds have sort out many inventions and continually try to impose their will either consciously or unconsciously on others. As a result of this process of mesmerisation the woes of this world have been spread from one mortal mind to another. This process continues apace today with new diseases being 'discovered’ and talked about daily. Those mortal minds who do not guard against such thoughts will find themselves involuntarily victims of these false beliefs.

Many people today would protest that some of the inventions of mankind are good. Indeed they are, in a temporal sense. It is not the inventions we guard against but the belief behind them. The belief that because man can invent these things he must be the creator of everything; that he must be God; that there is no spiritual man or eternal life. Of course we don't consciously think of ourselves as being god, but this is the effect of not acknowledging the absolute power of God and the existence of his kingdom. This is how mortal mind would hold us in subjugation.

The allegory of the temptation of mankind by the serpent in Genesis describes how mortal mind lays claim to possession of this alleged power today. When we talk about mortal mind we are really describing the aggregated effect of all the self-centered human minds in the world. Whether it was Adam or Eve who first succumbed to the temptation to taste the fruit of the tree of knowledge is of no importance in metaphysical science. The singling out of Eve as the temptress of Adam is an anachronism of the time which has been perpetuated by mortal mind to this day.  This conspiracy of mortal mind against women serves the purposes of mortal mind to divide and conquer mankind.  There is no classification of ideas (children of God) in divine Mind as either male or female (Gal. 3:28, Gen. 1:27). Just as God is neither male nor female, we, being created in his image and likeness, are not male or female. This is an entirely human concept (S&H 516:30-31). A concept first laid down in the second chapter of genesis by the Jewish tribal god Jehovah and renounced by Jesus in Matt 22:30 when he said “For in the resurrection they neither marry, nor are given in marriage, but are as the angels in heaven”.  That is, in our eternal life as the spiritual ideas or children of God there is no such classification of male or female.

Before we continue we ought to address a few other often overlooked forms of mesmerism put about by mortal mind. We are often critical of the behaviour or actions of others towards us and think badly of them.  The Bible tells us that we must turn the other cheek.  But this does not mean that we should do nothing about it. We must see this behaviour of others for what it is; a provocation by mortal mind aimed at getting us to respond and in so doing to acknowledge its claim to power. We must denounce mortal mind for what it is: an imagining of mankind that “exalteth itself against the knowledge of God”. (II Cor. 10:5)

We often judge others for their sexuality, race, shape, colour or some other difference from what we consider to be the norm.  When we do this we are involuntarily and unconsciously recognising that mortal mind is as real and as powerful as God.  It is a subtle form of mesmerism by mortal mind aimed at keeping us under its control by compromising us and pulling us down to its level. Think only goodly thoughts of those you come into contact with and see them as God's perfect child if you would deny the power of mortal mind.

Let us look more closely at how this mesmerism by mortal mind came about.

Gen 2:17. “But of the tree of knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.”

Was this the all-loving Father-Mother-God (divine Mind) threatening his errant child or was it the Jewish tribal god, Jehovah talking?  Would any loving parent do this to their children. Or was it mortal mind, portrayed as the man-like Jehovah, setting up a  human justification for what has happen to mankind since the garden of Eden? Was it mortal mind putting the blame on someone else?  God does not tempt nor threaten his ideas; his children. James 1:13 “ …God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man.”  He does not need to threaten his children because the man of God's making is of one mind with Him.  Eve was not to blame for the seeming fall from grace of mankind. God knows only good ('God is of purer eyes than to behold evil', Habakkuk 1:13) Temptation and blame, good and bad, are concepts and practices of mortal minds. The idea that God warned man about good and bad is all part of the deception, the lie, the humanisation of God, that seduced mankind into thinking that God was not all powerful.

Gen 3:4 & 5. “And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die: For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be a gods, knowing good and evil.”

Now we see the true intent of mortal mind. Like the modern day hypnotist, it says ‘look me in the eye and give me control of your mind and you will experience all the pleasures of the world in return’. In today's world mortal mind more commonly uses the threat of disease rather than a promise of riches and power to hold us in subjugation.  The concept of disease was created by mortal mind itself when it claimed to be as powerful as God. Mortal mind is in a cycle of self-deception,  it is the lie and the father of it (John 8:44). In our fear, we seek out temporary medical solutions instead of addressing the cause by denying the power of mortal mind and accepting only God as all-powerful.

So when mortal mind first suggests to you that you have a disease deny the suggestion immediately and say,’get thee behind me Satan’. Recognise that it is an attempt by mortal mind to get you to admit that it has power over you and to thereby involuntarily deny the absolute power of God.

Gen 3:13 “…...The serpent beguiled me  . ..and I did eat….”

Everything was perfect in God's creation until mankind was beguiled by mortal mind into thinking that he could be as powerful and as knowledgeable as God.  From then on there were many gods all competing with each other for supremacy and giving rise to the chaos, sin, disease and death that we see around us today.

The serpent (mortal mind) promised only good times. It did not mention the bad things that would accompany the attempted usurping of God's power. It told a lie and beguiled mankind with the promise of power. We are still in that hypnotic dream today, believing everything that happens to us is for real. If we snap out of that dream we will see it for what it is.

In Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures (S&H) 103:21-23, Mrs Eddy says:  “As named in Christian Science, animal magnetism or hypnotism is the specific term for error, or mortal mind. It is the false belief that mind is in matter, and is both evil and good; that evil is as real as good and more powerful. This belief has not one quality of Truth. It is either ignorant or malicious.”

Matt 4:10  “the devil saith unto him, All these things will I give thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship me.”

The Bible tells us that Jesus was taken up into a high place and offered all the world by mortal mind (Satan). Jesus saw this attempt by mortal mind to seduce him for what it was and rejected it out of hand. Likewise, we must be careful not to be seduced by the pleasures of this world by placing them before God in importance in our lives.

Matt 16:22-24  “..... Jesus said unto Peter, Get thee behind me Satan: thou art an offence unto me: for thou savourest not the things that be of God, but those that be of men.”

When Jesus told his disciples of what lay ahead of him, Peter, out of love for him, suggested that he, Jesus, had the power to avoid his human enemies. Again, Jesus saw this for what it was and rejected the suggestion. It was another attempt by the mortal minds around him to mesmerise him and convince him that there was path or power other than God's. The things that be of this life might give momentary relief or pleasure but we are seeking the more permanent glory of eternal life.

Peter had only the best of intentions from a human point of view for suggesting this course of action. But this is typical of the subtle forms of mesmerisation that we face today. It appears to be good or the right thing to do to talk about this disease or that illness that so-and-so has. But by doing so we are propagating that very thing in our own and other’s minds. It is this involuntary mesmerism due to ignorance of the Truth which we must guard against every day.

Gal 3:1 “O Foolish Galatians, who hath bewitched you, that ye should not obey the truth, before whose eyes Jesus Christ hath been evidently set forth, crucified among you?”

How can we fall for the tired old lie of mortal mind when we have the Truth before us in the form of the teachings, the demonstrations and the resurrection of Jesus Christ?

Gal 3:3  “Are ye so foolish? Having begun in the spirit, are ye now made perfect by the flesh?”

Are you so foolish that you choose mortal mind over divine Mind; the imperfect material body over the original creation of the spiritual man; and then think that this will make you perfect? You are deceiving yourselves.

Gal 3:5 “He therefore that ministereth unto you the Spirit, and worketh  miracles among you , doeth he it by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith?”

Jesus demonstrated the power of divine Mind and showed that the laws dreamed up by mortal mind are of no account and in reality, powerless. How can you deny this evidence of the truth? Faced with these proofs of God's power, whom should you put your faith in, God or man; divine Mind or mortal mind?

Gal 3:9 “So they which be of the faith are blessed with faithful Abraham.”

Blessed are they who accept divine Mind as the only power in their lives.

Gal 3:10 “For as many as are under the law are under the curse.”

 Those that remain mesmerised by the seeming power of mortal mind will experience the chaos and woes of the world.

Gal 3:26 “For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus.”

Paul, in his usual forthrightness and perspicacity, sets out for the Galatians and for us today,  how we should be thinking to counteract this conspiracy of mortal mind which would enslave us. He reminds us that we were created as spiritual ideas of God but have now foolishly believed the promises of mortal mind and that we can be as gods ourselves ‘made perfect by the flesh’. Are you ‘so foolish’ that you cannot see that, by its every origin, the flesh will never make you perfect.

Jesus, by his teachings and demonstrations, proved that if we are governed by the law of divine Mind we will be perfect.  Whereas, if we live under the laws that mankind has created and  propagates through its wish to be god-like, we will be cursed with sin, disease and death. We will be far from being ‘made perfect by the flesh’. Perfection only comes through day-by-day spiritualisation of thought; through prayer.

S&H 402:30-33 “The involuntary pleasure or pain of the person under hypnotic control is proved to be a belief without a real cause.”

This pain or pleasure disappears when the hypnotic trance is broken. If we break this trance and ’awake’ from the ‘Adam dream’ of mind in matter we will be seen to be whole and eternal.

S&H 403:1-2 “So the sick through their beliefs have induced their own diseased condition.”

Mortal mind has beguiled us involuntarily and often unconsciously into believing we are sick. We consequently express the expected symptoms in our bodies. The spiritual man in harmony with God is never sick! He can't be mesmerised by the erroneous thoughts of the mortal minds around him.

II Cor 11:3  “But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ.”

Paul repeats his warning that we should not let mortal mind hypnotise us so that we believe in it’s power rather than the simple Truth taught and practiced by Jesus: namely, that there is only one all-powerful, all-knowing, and all-loving God. This is the key to eternal life, glorious in its simplicity.

Rom 7:23 “But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind  and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin.”

Paul again warns us to be vigilant in this war against mortal mind and it's hypnotic and captivating influence. To succumb to its suggestions results in sin, sickness and death being manifested on the material man. We need to be vigilant that we do not accept these suggestions ourselves and that we do not unwittingly transfer them to those around us.

S&H 403:14-20  “You command the situation if you understand that mortal existence is a state of self-deception and not the truth of being. Mortal mind is constantly producing on the mortal body the results of false opinions; and it will continue to do so, until the mortal error is deprived of its imaginary powers by Truth, which sweeps away the gossamer web of mortal illusion.”

Eph 5:14  “....Awake thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give thee light.”

Awake from the hypnotic dream of mortal mind and it's worldly false and beguiling promises, arise from those who are dead to the Christ.  Sweep away the cobwebs of the dream that ends in death and let the light of truth into your life.

Isaiah 8:12  “Say ye not, a confederacy (conspiracy), to all whom these people shall say, a conspiracy; neither fear ye their fear, nor be afraid.”

Mortal mind's hold over us is an hypnotic conspiracy about our health, our state of mind, our social interactions and the existence of one all-powerful God. These false ideas multiply and spread from one mortal mind to the next. Each one reinforcing the hypnotic state that holds us in the power of mortal mind. We must not be afraid to break this hypnotic state of mind and ‘awake’ to the glorious possibilities of divine Mind.

I Cor 2:2 “ For I am determined not to know any thing among you, save Jesus Christ, and him crucified.”

We must make a determined effort to deny the power of mortal mind and to acknowledge only the truth as taught and demonstrated by Jesus Christ.

Finally, let us return to Paul's eloquent summary of the Truth:

I Cor 8: 5 & 6 “For though there be that are called gods, whether in heaven or in earth, (as there be gods many, and lords many,) But to us there is but one God, the Father, of whom are all things, and we in him; and one Lord Jesus Christ, by whom are all things, and we by him.”

The first sentence sums up what is wrong with the world today and the second is the solution, the 'simplicity that is in Christ’: One God, one Father and one Christ by which we are one in God. All things are made by God and we exist in him.  Jesus Christ is the example of the perfect child of God. We, by the Christ, may regain eternal life in God, divine Mind.  It is so breathtakingly simple!   No scholastic arguments or learned tomes required.

Amen.