Michelle Boccanfuso Nanouche, CSB Christian Science Practitioner & Teacher
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2/14/2012

I know what you are thinking

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We were in the car, my 12 year old and I. She had just finished telling me that I didn't control her life and she could do whatever she wanted when I wasn't watching. I replied, "Don't forget, Betsy, your mom knows what you are thinking when you are thinking it."

She replied, "Nunh unhh." That's kid code for "No, you can't." So I said, "Right now, you are thinking, 'My mom is the worst mom in the whole world.'"

Her jaw dropped and then she slunk down in her seat. It was all I could do to keep a straight face.

Actually, I didn't read her mind. I simply stated the obvious. But what if our thoughts could be seen and felt by those around us.  Would we feel the need to clean up our act?


Whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed
adultery with her already in his heart. - Christ Jesus

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Years ago, I heard Garrison Keillor - an American author, storyteller and humorist, - musing over whether immoral thoughts can be felt by those whom we may not even know. He suggested the possibility of some connection between his occasional lustful thoughts about his secretary and some of the world's unexplained tragedies. Could one adulterous thought be the remote cause of a scoop of chocolate ice cream suddenly slipping off its cone and tumbling down the front of a little girl's white Sunday dress?        

When faced with opposition and resistance to his proposal to heal a case of palsy, the Bible tells us that "Jesus knowing their thoughts said, Why think ye evil in your hearts?" (Matthew 9:1-7) He gave them some better thoughts to consider and then he healed the man, showing that when undermining negative thoughts are exposed and dealt with, the real work of healing can proceed without disruption.

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This subject of the impact of thought on experience - even on the experience of others - is one that many spiritual thinkers, including Mary Baker Eddy, have given a lot of consideration. Eddy wrote, "Jesus declared that to look with desire on forbidden objects was to break a moral precept. He laid great stress on the action of the human mind, unseen to the senses." (Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures, p.234)

Further along, she explained, "Mortal thought transmits its own images, and forms its offspring after human illusions...Sensualism evolves bad physical and moral conditions." (ibid. p.259-260) That is a pretty good explanation for the tragedies that pop up around us without any seeming explanation. But it also raises the question of what one can do to guard thought and defend oneself - not only from the effects of random negativity, but from unwittingly transmitting these thoughts out into the world.


The world we have created is a product of our thinking;
it cannot be changed without changing our thinking. - Albert Einstein

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Eddy wrote, "Selfishness and sensualism are educated in mortal mind by the thoughts ever recurring to one's self, by conversation about the body, and by the expectation of perpetual pleasure or pain from it; and this education is at the expense of spiritual growth. If we array thought in mortal vestures, it must lose its immortal nature.

"If we look to the body for pleasure, we find pain; for Life, we find death; for Truth, we find error; for Spirit, we find its opposite, matter. Now reverse this action. Look away from the body into Truth and Love, the Principle of all happiness, harmony, and immortality. Hold thought steadfastly to the enduring, the good, and the true, and you will bring these into your experience proportionably to their occupancy of your thoughts." (ibid. 260)

And not only will your own experience be benefited, but you will be doing others a service. Science and Health explains, "Evil thoughts, lusts, and malicious purposes cannot go forth, like wandering pollen, from one human mind to another, finding unsuspected lodgement, if virtue and truth build a strong defense." (ibid. p.234)

Paul considered this mental clean-up an essential part of the public ministry of Christianity. He wrote in his second letter to the Corinthians, "We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ." (10:5 NIV)

Like it or not, the world does read our thought. Lets consider it a public service to give it our highest and best.

No problem can withstand the assault of sustained thinking. - Voltaire


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Amy Duncan
2/14/2012 06:01:18 am

This blog post is a perfect exposition of the true meaning of "Love thy neighbor." Love what Garrison Keillor said...thoughts like this help me to make my prayers more universal. Excellent Valentine's Day post!

Michelle Nanouche link
2/14/2012 06:05:12 am

Thank you for that, Amy. As I was writing it I was wondering what it has to do with Valentine's Day. Then I realized that in truly cleaning up our thoughts we are making everyone our Valentine. So grateful for you and for all the readers of this blog. Happy Valentine's Day!

Kathleen
2/14/2012 06:24:27 am

I have come to a better awareness of how much others' good thoughts are caring for me, perhaps thoughts of people I don't even know. And how much I can support others -- even the world -- with my prayerful thoughts. It truly is empowering to know that our good thoughts cause good. As God is the source of all goodness, we are merely being transparencies of His love.
Thank you, Michelle, for another inspiring article. Starting my day with you is like visiting a good friend.

Michelle Nanouche link
2/14/2012 07:16:50 am

Well put, Kathleen. Thanks!

Kim
2/14/2012 08:04:28 am

Michelle - thanks for this! I love how MBE says in S&H 392:24 "Stand porter at the door of thought." As you have reminded us, this is so very important since not only does thought preceed action, it can disturb our rhythm and harmonious progress.

Michelle Nanouche link
2/14/2012 09:50:17 am

Helpful, Kim! Thank you!

Joan
2/14/2012 05:19:20 pm

What a great thought for Valentine's day. I'm in the middle of I humongous project, not getting much done because I'm not feeling well. I've been praying all day trying to keep symptoms at bay. your post reminded me to pray "bigger" and purer !

Michelle Nanouche link
2/15/2012 12:57:42 am

Oh, Joan! That is great. I hope things are rolling along successfully on that project, and that you are feeling your peppy, healthy self.

Anonymous
2/15/2012 12:48:45 pm

This is an interesting post! A couple days ago I had some lustful thoughts about the 24 year old new co-worker (she's very cute). BONK! Were did that come from? I'm a married man, and she's half my age. (Disclaimer: I was by no means chaste before marriage. And these thoughts were more on the line of "Man, if I were younger and single again...") I found it was helpful to get back to "square one" -- focusing on God and Her creation, and living as the pure expression of Soul, although this wasn't an intellectual exercise. This also isn't always easy to do, given the carnal mind's opposition to spirituality. I can't say I've "conquered" these tempting thoughts and have prevented them from entering, but I'm getting better at detecting them and routing them out, even if it's after the fact. "Error found out is 2/3 destroyed," right?

Another thing I liked about this post is the connection between a "relatively" (I mean as opposed to the obvious desire to destroy something) benign thought and the effect it has on our world. I've been thinking for a while about the connection between greedy, wasteful, selfish thoughts and climate change. Is the world heating up because our greed and uncaring is leading to a hotter atmosphere of thought due to our hot-heads, which is reflected in a warmer climate? Interesting to think about.

Michelle Nanouche link
2/16/2012 06:36:18 am

I was hoping to see this discussion take off in the comments section. And thank you for your honesty. Your experience resonates with all of us. Thanks for writing in, Anon! Food for thought for another post. If you or any other readers have more thoughts on this subject, we would love to all think deeply.

Anonymous
2/16/2012 09:18:41 am

There's the "relativism" argument I used to agree with that lustful (or destructive, or hateful, or...) thoughts are a normal part of being human -- it's what you do about them that's important. Wrong! As your post points out, our thoughts can and do make a difference positively or negatively.

Some people may ask if this applies to thoughts about one's spouse. My take on it is if we are "thinking in the absolute but living in the relative", keeping our thoughts pure and right about whatever human activity we're involved with is what matters. So in this sense "lustful" would apply to any thought that deviates from an attitude of unselfish giving.

Michelle Nanouche link
2/17/2012 05:33:44 am

Great definition of lust, Anon. I love where you are taking the discussion.


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    Michelle Nanouche, Christian Science teacher, spirituality, healing, prayer

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    I have practiced Christian Science professionally in
    some form since 1979.
    But my journey with
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