Emerging From the Unreal

        One day while sitting in a friend's office in downtown Boston and talking about this and that, this man who also was a Christian Science practitioner, said the most arresting thing.  As he gazed out of the window, he remarked, "How few people out there have even begun to wake up from this mortal dream of life in matter."

        I've thought much about this through the years, and realize more than ever its critical need for all of us.  And one of the beauties of Christian Science (and there are many), is that through the spiritual understanding it gives we can't help but emerge from what is actually unreal.

        The teachings of Christian Science stand on the eternal reality of life in and of God alone--in divine, infinite Spirit--as demonstrated by Christ Jesus.  The Master taught that God is Spirit.  Therefore Christian Science draws the logical conclusion that the offspring of God, Spirit--in other words, man--is entirely spiritual; he always has been and ever will  be.

        The Science of Christianity elaborates on man's true, spiritual nature.  It helps us understand that belief in life in matter is an error, a mistake, ignorance of what God made and sees as real and present.  This so-called existence has its being in the darkness and restrictions of mortal thought, in a supposed material consciousness apart from the one, infinite, divine Mind.

        Mary Baker Eddy points out in Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures: "Mortal existence is a dream of pain and pleasure in matter, a dream of sin, sickness, and death; and it is like the dream we have in sleep, in which every one recognizes his condition to be wholly a state of mind.  In both the waking and the sleeping dream, the dreamer thinks that his body is material and the suffering is in that body."

        Let's consider some of the reasons what waking up to life in Sprit does for us.  So many blessings to select from!  There is the increased joy and vitality one experiences.  Better health, increased harmony in day-to-day relationships, and a greater sense of God's constant provision are also benefits of emerging from the unreal.  Whatever form of discord may confront us is an erroneous belief which stems from ignorance of our inseparable relation to God, divine Love.  And it is corrected by spiritually realizing the truth of God and man.

        Inharmony is never more than an illusion of physical sense, a lie about God's perfect creation.  It is somewhat like the bad dream one has at night--frightening, yet not real.  And what comfort and freedom we feel when we wake up and see that there is nothing there at all.

        When we know the truth of God and of ourselves as His reflection, we understand the falsity of mortal beliefs and fears.  And this understanding increases our dominion over them.  Christian Mind-healing involves an awaking from a material and false sense of being to the spiritual and true sense.

        In Psalms we find this petition to God:  "Open thou mine eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of thy law."  The teachings of divine Science show us how to witness the fulfillment of this petition.  Here is just one of the many clear explanations to be found in Science and Health:  "For right reasoning there should be but one fact before the thought, namely, spiritual existence.  In reality there is no other existence, since Life cannot be united to its unlikeness, mortality.

        "Being is holiness, harmony, immortality.  It is already proved that a knowledge of this, even in small degree, will uplift the physical and moral standard of mortals, will increase longevity, will purify and elevate character.  Thus progress will finally destroy all error, and bring immortality to light."

        The night dream vanishes when we wake up from it--not by doing anything to it.  In a similar way we emerge from the unreal through the exercise of spiritual thinking, not by trying to rearrange or change the illusion.  So-called material life is mental and just as much an illusion as the night dream.  The need is always for more spiritual enlightenment.  As material beliefs are replaced by spiritual understanding, existence is perceived as God created it.

        There is one more reason why we should want to emerge from the unreal of material thinking.  Science and Health points out:  "Entirely separate from the belief and dream of material living, is the Life divine, revealing spiritual understanding and the consciousness of man's dominion over the whole earth."