[Translation from French, March 2013 issue] PSYCHOLOGIE REUSSIR is always on the lookout for any innovative idea to help you succeed in your personal and professional life. When we met Michelle Nanouche, an American living in France, and she shared with us her belief that a systematic form of prayer is a route to personal and professional success, our Cartesian skepticism bristled. Then we listened. We liked. We let you judge.

The editorial staff of PSYCHOLOGIE REUSSIR, always desiring to make known ideas that correspond with our editorial line, have opened these columns to a Christian Science practitioner. It is well in evidence that the ideas developed in this interview belong to their author and they should be considered by our readers from an informative angle. The report of Parliamentary Investigation n°1687 of 1999 and n°3507 of 2006 entitled "Cults and money" and "[Report on] the influence of cult movements and the consequences of their practice on the physical and mental health of minors" include no unfavorable commentary on Christian Science. In Belgium, a Parliamentary report dating from 1997 studies the dangerous cultish behavior associated with minor religious movements. Christian Science was not examined and does not appear in the synoptic table of the 189 spiritual movements studied for the report. Like all spiritual movements that relate to the health sector, Christian Science has its fierce detractors and its most convinced supporters.  Our readers will form their own ideas... However, we have found it interesting to bring to your knowledge certain aspects and results of this alternative teaching.

PR: Michelle, in December, Réussir (n°1, p. 27, since renamed Psychologie Réussir) published a study from Dr Herbert Benson from Harvard Medical School evidencing the positive impact of meditation and prayer on health and well-being. Can you tell us a bit about your own practice of meditation or prayer and its impact on your life?

PR: Do you see yourself as a priest or some type of spiritual guru?

MICHELLE: I am definitely not a priest or a guru. I am not particularly special. Well, that’s not true!  We are all pretty special in our own unique way.  But, I mean to say, I am no go-between between anyone and God.  I am simply a professional devoted to helping others make progress and find success and better health through developing a prayer practice that works.

My work takes many forms. I have an office, of course, in Paris, where I consult with clients. But I also do telephone consultation when necessary. And I write regularly for Christian Science magazines and for my blog called Spirituality and the Search for God: A blog on healing prayer (www.michellenanouchecsb.com/my-blog.html en anglais, et www.michellenanouche.com/mon-blog.html en français). Private work with clients is billable time.  But the articles, website and blog give people free access to loads of content to help them find their own way to solutions through prayer. I am also currently on an international lecture board and give lectures throughout Europe and the United States; and I have even been to French-speaking Africa. And if that isn’t enough work, I am an authorized teacher of Christian Science, which means I offer a course once a year to prepare others who want to practice prayer professionally.

PR: So are you saying that you do not claim to have a supernatural gift but that the people coming to consult with you could actually practice these principles for themselves?  

MICHELLE: Exactly.

PR: Can you tell us a bit about what Christian Science is?

MICHELLE: Sure. Christian Science, simply stated, involves the scientific practice of the method of prayer brought out in the Bible - and practiced by patriarchs, prophets, Christ Jesus, apostles and many people today - that results in healing. Healing is a technical term in Christian Science that encompasses a lot – security, progress, safety, restoration to good health, mental and physical balance, better morals, elimination of stress, happiness – pretty much everything we are all generally looking for in life.

PR: How come most people have never heard of it? Is this a secret teaching and is it very expensive?

MICHELLE: I scratch my head over that question myself. How is it that something so helpful seems to be overlooked or pushed aside by the average thinker? Part of it, I suppose, is lack of exposure. There are very few public practitioners in France, and those of us that do practice are kept quite busy. It’s certainly no secret.  Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures by Mary Baker Eddy, the Founder of Christian Science, is the complete exposition of Christian Science. The book has been available since 1875 in English, and it was translated into French in the early 1900s. Everything one needs to know to practice it is all there for the price of a book (14 euro on amazon.fr). But I wonder if some of the lack of attention can be attributed to the general noise of materialism in our culture that tends to lure people away from spiritual and moral development. I can’t say for sure.  But it is here and being practiced. And one can certainly do it himself.  Or, if having someone accompany you would be helpful as you explore the system, practitioners, like me, are available to help on an as-called basis for much less of a fee than other types of professional counselors.

PR: Let's say that I'm a businessman coming to see you with a work problem, maybe a relationship issue with my boss. How would you help me?  Or I could be an entrepreneur dealing with financial challenges, how would you help?

MICHELLE: Well, first off, there’s no pat response or prescribed way of addressing such situations.  Each case is as unique as the one bringing it to me. I would be interested in getting to know the client – a bit about his or her experience and interest in spirituality. This doesn’t necessarily involve any deep analysis. One doesn’t need to be particularly religious to benefit from these ideas. But as a practitioner, it helps me to know a bit of their background and interests in spirituality so that I can begin to use a vocabulary that makes sense to the person. A lot of God-talk to an atheist, for example, could shut down good communication between us. I would adjust my vocabulary and introduce other terms for God – such as universal Principle, or Love – to convey the sense necessary to help the client shift from focusing on his problem, to working out from the solution. My role as a practitioner is to pray, pure and simple. And my clients are open to that. But as far as incorporating Christian Science in his own life, that is up to the client.

I should probably point out that prayer in Christian Science doesn’t involve wishful pleading for personal outcomes. The problem with such prayers isn’t in the desired outcome, which may be a good one. It’s in the misconception of God as some man on a celestial throne saying yes to one and no to another. That flawed sense of a partial, changeable god, absent from his creation, and dispensing help on a whim, is what renders such prayers ineffective. Prayer in Christian Science requires a better, more accurate understanding of an unchanging Principle of good that is always present with right answers. Like the principle of math is always available to one who simply affirms and applies that principle to their equations. Math isn’t a problem to one who knows the principle. Life’s questions aren’t problems when one knows more of the divine Principle of life.

I will tell you about one case. It involved someone who felt blocked in his work. He was convinced that if he were the one making the decisions, instead of his supervisors, things would go so much better for all. Something needed to change because his attitude at work was deteriorating.  The practitioner’s role, when invited to help in such a case, is to pray for the client and to encourage him to open his eyes to unexpected good ideas that are at hand to lead him out of the frustration and confusion. The practitioner doesn’t offer human advice or influence the actions of the client. He or she simply prays and encourages the client to understand why he can expect an answer. And that’s what I did.

So, one day the man found himself once again ruminating over work. Then he had a complete redirection of his thought: “So what? Maybe you would be a better supervisor, but maybe that's not the point! Perhaps you've had the opportunity to fine-tune your leadership skills, but now it's their turn." I didn’t say this to him. He thought these unexpected and original thoughts himself. He knew he had his answer. This was an opportunity to learn to be a supportive and more effective team player. He stopped feeling victimized by his circumstances at work and put his effort into being more supportive of his superiors. He stopped criticizing, and the depressing thoughts he had about work dissipated. What's more, his bosses’ quality of work improved.  A fine working relationship developed that lasted for many years.

PR: Do you have to be a spiritual person in order to benefit from prayer?

MICHELLE: Spiritual isn’t just another term for religious. Spirituality is essence. It is the essence of who we are. One might think he isn’t spiritual, but that is often just a vocabulary problem, or the result of bad past experience with the term. Spirituality isn’t a lifestyle choice. It is the essence of who we are. We are not so materially-dimensional as we might think. We might define ourselves, for example as loving, joyful, orderly, practical – the list of good qualities is infinite. That is the essence of who we are, and good qualities indicate our spirituality. So no, you don’t have to consider yourself spiritual. But from my perspective as a practitioner, I need to be able to discern your spirituality, to see you as you really are, in order to be any help to you.

PR: You said earlier that anyone can practice these principles. What would be your starter ideas or practices in order to achieve success in life?

MICHELLE: I would suggest two, right off the bat: honesty and gratitude. Make a practice of being truthful and upright in your thought and actions, and increase your awareness and appreciation for the good in your life. I am not just pulling those two ideas out of a hat.

Science and Health points out, “Honesty is spiritual power. Dishonesty is human weakness which forfeits divine help.” The word divine here includes the definition of “very good”. Dishonesty puts one on the constant treadmill of fear and avoidance. Who needs that stress?

I once had a client who came to me terrified because he had neglected to do his accounting for taxes. He had a habit of pulling numbers out of the air and not being able to substantiate his income. I prayed for him. And I assured him that, in fact, he was a good and honest man. I never told him what to do. I just reminded him of his true essence. He decided to hire an accountant, and for the first time he gave a full and accurate accounting of his work. He felt so good about himself afterward that he changed his ways entirely and began handling his books properly and paying his taxes correctly.

On gratitude, Science and Health asks, “Are we grateful for the good already received? Then we shall avail ourselves of the blessings we have and thus be fitted to receive more.”  When I first started out in my practice as an auto-entrepreneur, I had a miniscule income. I wasn’t always sure where the rent would come from. But I knew I shouldn’t measure my success by such a limited material standard. I focused rather on my increasing income of good ideas – of love, and grace, and joy, and gratitude. And I knew I could spend that freely. As I was grateful for what I had, opportunities to experience more grace and to express more gratitude began to appear. I did everything with joy and gratitude. Even paying my bills. I considered every check I wrote and every bill I paid to be a symbol of gratitude for the service performed. I was grateful for my family, friends, neighbors, community.  It was fun to see where I could give, how I could serve others, and to watch for the signs of grace that would flow. And it always did. My life was being fitted to receive more and more good. The evidence of grace was steady and marvelous. It took the form of increased inspiration, increased time with my family, increased opportunities to help my church and community, increased effectiveness at work and, in the end, also a marked increase in income.

So I would say, start there – with honesty and gratitude. To build a successful life you need to be your authentic self. And when you are, you will find the joys increase and the burdens lessen.

PR: Thank you, Michelle.

Copies of Psychologie Réussir are available on newsstands throughout France after March 1, 2014. The photos above are blog illustrations only and do not appear in the original print version.

Even a rat can be seen in a spiritual light. Not just cute animated Disney rats, like Remy of Ratatouille fame, but real rats are intelligent, dexterous, and purposeful. The rat of God’s creating isn’t destructive or dangerous. Rats manifest the Life that is God.

Life is being. It is that which continually unfolds, expressing spontaneity, activity, continuity, and the unlimited supply of good. Life is God – the eternal I am that can’t be extinguished. Life operates in complete wholeness and harmony. Life is Mind, infinite intelligence, not molecule. Life is imperishable Spirit, not matter. Life is joy, vigor, animation, purpose, and endless variety. Life is fun. And Life is expressed throughout creation.

The divine idea of a rat expresses only the positive qualities of the Life that is God.  My current favorite example of this is seen in the HeroRats that are being specially trained by a Belgian NGO to sweep prior warzones in Mozambique. Their sharp sense of smell allows them to sniff out the location of buried landmines faster and safer than humans, dogs, or machinery can do. These rats are life-savers.

Here's a YouTube video that gives you a glimpse into their lives. You may never look at a rat the same way again.

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I don't think my home was ever as beautiful. Peace had descended. All was calm. Everyone in the house was tucked in bed. With fragrant candles burning and a warm fire crackling, I cuddled up in an armchair in front of our Christmas tree and drank in the scene.

I was grateful for the peace and calm, but I wasn't feeling comfortable or settled. Far from it. I had been asked to pray for a sick child who had been diagnosed with a serious spinal infection. I had been searching all evening, but I hadn't yet felt that sweet assurance that comes when one knows that all is well.

Christmas and all its preparations had always meant a great deal to me.  I loved to recreate a storybook Christmas full of magic and sweetness and delight of sight and sound. But as I prayed, I could feel something shifting. My priorities were changing. Alone in front of the tree, the material trappings of the holiday began to recede from focus as I considered the deeper meaning of Christmas, remembering something that Christian Science discoverer Mary Baker Eddy had once written about its true significance.

While surrounded by all the material beauty one could ask for, I realized there was only one thing that could justly and properly commemorate this Christmas - for this child to be quickly and completely healed. I was willing to let go of a material sense of Christmas to make room for the healing Christ.

I wasn't bargaining with God. I was yielding to something most essential to Christian healing - an unselfed love that is willing to sacrifice the material and temporary, to make room for what is real and spiritual and permanent.

Now my prayer became very focused. I saw divine Love as the creator of this child and that Love didn't - wouldn't, couldn't - add a destructible material element to His perfect creation. My prayer went beyond words to actually feeling the presence of this all-powerful Love surrounding me in my living room.  It wasn't in the things around me; but this holy presence, completely spiritual, assured me that all was well.

The child was healed. He went from a state of complete paralysis that evening to climbing a ladder to help his father put up Christmas lights the next.

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Have you ever wished that you could erase what you wrote, delete what you said, undo what you did, or wash away what happened to you? Do you tend to go over aggravating events and wrongs in your thought, letting your yesterdays haunt your todays?

In many cases, a do-over is completely within the realm of possibility. You can bake another cake and remember to put the baking powder in this time. You can erase an unkind text message before you click the send button. But in other cases - past hurts, for example - the memories can seem indelible, unforgettable, trapped in time. What to do?

It helps to know that we have complete control over what we think. We choose to live in the past or in the present. The divine Mind that creates us, gives us dominion over evil in the past and mastery of good in the present. Mind is conscious of what is - always of what is. In the eternal now of Mind, no one is stuck. Thoughts from Mind of what is good and pure and true are available to refresh, update and renew us at every moment.

That's not to say that there is no value to considering the past. Ruminating over yesterday serves no positive purpose; but examining yesterday in the light of one's present spiritual perspective can be instructive, alterative, and even regenerating.

In its spiritual sense, revision involves looking at the past through the spiritual lens of ones present understanding of God and His creation, bringing the view of the past up-to-date with what we know now. This update may not change the past, but it certainly will change the present. With it we can effectively begin to expunge the material (limited, false, restrictive, incorrect, unjust) record until we blot out completely what does not serve good in our present. We can drop pain, fear, doubt, insecurity. We can forgive the misunderstanding and grow forward.

The legal definition of expunge is "to destroy; blot out; obliterate; erase; efface designedly; strike out wholly. The act of physically destroying information—including criminal records—in files, computers, or other depositories." (West's Encyclopedia of American Law, edition 2). Human memory is another depository to be wiped clean by the spiritual process of revision and expunging.

A period of my life was so clouded by emotional pain that I avoided looking at any photos from that time. That's not to say that I didn't revisit it in other ways. I was a ruminator. Most any slight or hurt would trigger a bad trip down memory lane. At the same time, I was spending a lot of time in prayer and study of Scripture for my general spiritual growth. And I was learning and growing and changing.  I was sure of it - so sure, in fact, that at 3am one night, some months into my study, I awakened with the thought that everything that the divine Mind is revealing to me now of the omnipresence of good, the power of Love, and the purity and goodness of Mind's creation, was as true in my past as it is right now.

I was impelled to hop right out of bed and go to my photo albums. As I looked through them, I started to cry, but not tears of sadness or pain. Of pure joy. I could see nothing but genuine happiness in the photos. It was so healing. That was the end of the ruminating thoughts. My past was redeemed from that miserable pain.

We can exchange a limited material sense of yesterday for a clearer sense of the spiritual facts today - the very truth which existed then and there, even if it seemed hidden from view. Spiritual revision doesn't involve ignoring bad acts. It wrests control from the "bad," thereby expunging it from our record, and it gives full power to the present good.

We can leave behind the incidents and events that misrepresent us and bind us to pain. Man, as the reflection of the divine Mind that is Spirit, is spiritual. Our spirituality includes dominion over evil and the pure mastery of all that is good.

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Guess who may be coming to town? Me! 

With three important subjects prepared for this Spring, I am eager to get back to the US to give some lectures. Will I see you? Do you know of someone who would like to attend? The lectures are all locally sponsored, free of charge, and no invitation is necessary for entry. I will be looking for you and your friends in the crowd.

At the bottom of this post you will find the dates, times and locations of each public event in March. Here is a synopsis of my three titles.

Finding God, finding health - This one hour lecture introduces Christian Science to general audiences. It explains the living God as active, present and accessible. No one is, or can be, cut off from or left out of the divine presence. The unique revelation of God’s full nature, as explained by Christian Science, unlocks the potential in us to not just survive, but to thrive. This lecture presents facts of the life of Mary Baker Eddy that bring out her role as a Christian healer from her youth, up to, and after her discovery of the explanation in Christian Science of how such healing happens. It responds to common questions about Christian Science and its practice:

• How does an understanding of God result in healing?
  
• Does one have to be a "believer" to be healed through prayer?
  
• Why would one chose prayer as a viable form of health care?
  
• Is a system of healing prayer researched and developed in the late 1800's relevant today?
  
• Where do Jesus and Christianity fit into the discussion of finding God and finding health?
• Is there a moral element to effective spiritual healing through prayer?

Unending life within your reach -This one hour lecture introduces a Christian Science perspective of life before birth, the human experience and immortality, to general audiences. It explains the nature of God as divine Life, the source of all being, and how it is possible for us to live without fear of deterioration, aging, disease and death. This lecture presents the life of Mrs. Eddy in the context of the religious and scientific questioning of her time on the subject of life and the afterlife. It addresses common questions about Christian Science and its contemporary practice:

• Who is Mary Baker Eddy?
  
• Who is Christ Jesus, and what do his crucifixion, resurrection and ascension teach us about life and immortality?
• What present proof is there of eternal life?
• Is death an inevitable  stepping stone to eternal life?
  
• Is Christian Science treatment effective in cases of grave illness?
• Can you show how physical healing happens in Christian Science?
• Can the deteriorating effects of aging be reversed?
• Is it ever too late to treat a case effectively through prayer in Christian Science?

Angry no more - From hurt to health through forgiveness.This one hour lecture introduces Christian Science and healing through prayer for emotional, mental and physical issues stemming from unhealed anger. For those who have felt victimized by their circumstances, trailed by a sad past, or who are marked by abuse, this lecture offers insights that neutralize perpetual reaction to pain and anger. The spiritual reasoning through prayer, taught in Christian Science unlocks ones potential for peace, forgiveness, restoration and progress. This lecture presents the life of Mrs. Eddy in the context of the spiritual insight and healing that led to her becoming a world-renowned American religious reformer. It addresses common questions about Christian Science and its practice:

• How does Christian Science deal with sin?
• Is there any act so heinous that one cannot forgive?
• Is Christian Science teaching on sin and forgiveness Bible-based?
• Is Christian Science Christian?
• Are Old Testament scriptures helpful in practicing mercy and forgiveness?
  
• Is Christian Science treatment effective in healing emotional, mental and behavioral difficulties stemming from abuse?

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There is a divine Principle in which we can have total confidence. It's an infallible, absolute, invariable, concrete and substantial Principle that provides security in life. In Christian Science, divine Principle is another way of describing God - not a man on a throne, a superhuman god - but that which is the cause and source of all that is true and good. If it doesn't meet the criteria of being true AND good, it doesn't correspond with the order of Principle.

The divine Principle of life is powerful, strong, illuminating, liberating. Principle is real. It is a present help in any situation. Principle is just, impartial, available, universal, unconfined and glorious. Divine Principle is the fundamental basis of everything, the origin and ultimate of all that is real.

Principle is stable, positive, precise and demonstrable. It commands obedience, integrity, health and harmony. Why? Because divine Principle reproduces its own characteristics. The divine Principle is perfectly reflected in its own creation.

True law (that which under-girds human justice and is unassailable by variable opinions) is an attribute of this Principle. That is, the law that counts, the law that protects and enforces good is sourced in Principle. Two verses from the Bible shed light on this Principle:

The divine Principle of life is Love, universal and divine Love. If you feel the term Principle seems distant or cold, think of divine Love and you will have a good idea of it. One of my favorite things to think about is that Principle without Love would be like steel - cold, hard and unyielding. And Love without Principle would be like jam - lacking structure, stability or form. But Principle IS Love - perfectly balanced in strength and tenderness, in power and affection, in authority and support. Christian Science discoverer Mary Baker Eddy uses imagery that I think describes so well the tenderness of divine Principle, when she writes of the ocean, "able to carry navies, yet yielding to the touch of a finger." (The First Church of Christ, Scientist and Miscellany, 121)

With an understanding of God as divine Principle comes a sense of the omnipotence, omniscience and omnipresence of the law of good. And with it we can begin to drop the sense of limitation in God or in his creation - the spiritual man and the spiritual universe.

Divine Principle is expressed through its own laws, in its own kingdom - the kingdom of all that is real and permanent - the realm of Spirit. The concept of another realm or another control - ie matter or material law - is an illusion that a better understanding of the divine Principle erases. Christ Jesus walked on water in direct violation of material law, but in obedience to the spiritual law of Love. This gave him complete mastery over the wind and waves. Moses divided the Red Sea in disobedience to the laws of physics that would render the act impossible. But his obedience to Principle and His unswerving commitment to follow Love's leading out of Egyptian bondage opened the way to demonstrating the higher spiritual law that was in place and accessible to him.

Matter and material law are not a real substance to be controlled, improved, healed, by turning to divine Principle in prayer. Prayer that reveals that there is only one true Principle or law, one true substance of life - Spirit - adjusts our reality view. Spirit is expressed in the spirituality that breaks the illusion of matter and its so-called laws, restrictions and problems.

Miracles aren't really exceptional. What many term a miracle is the natural activity of the divine Principle that is understood to be God in Christian Science.

In the beginning of my public practice I had a case that resulted in a resuscitation of life from death. As it turned out, it wasn't more or less difficult a case than any other. I was on my knees hand-washing the kitchen floor when the call came explaining that a person had died. I was asked to pray by the nurse in attendance. I did. I knelt back down and continued washing the tile as I prayed.

My prayer was a gentle, yet firm, affirmation that the divine Life that is God is manifest normally and continually - that is, that neither God nor his creation can be interrupted in being. The normal activity of man, under the perpetual control of the Principle of life, only includes the expression of the Life that is God, not death.

I was aware of the ease with which I returned to washing my floor after the call. I hadn't been shocked by the news. I then realized that this man, too, could continue with his day without being shocked by the belief that life could suddenly end, when it couldn't. Life really is eternal.

My words, here, seem somewhat feeble to explain the deep significance of what I saw of spiritual reality in that prayer. My prayer wasn't difficult or complicated. It was completely logical and natural.  I wasn't a bit afraid. I didn't feel I was engaged in a great battle with death. My prayer was a simple witness to the divine Principle of life that holds all creation in Life, God, without rupture, without interruption.

The patient revived. Ten or so minutes after his sudden decease, he sat up - and not in a state of recovery, but in a better state of health than before he passed. And he continued on in good health.

                        This kind of things happens more often than we may realize.

To go deeper as you consider Principle, remember that:

• Since God, the divine Principle, is Love, the law of God blesses, supports and orders life.
  
• Since God, the divine Principle, is Life, the law of God cannot be interrupted, is continual, is eternal.
  
• Since God, the divine Principle, is Mind, the law of God is intelligent, logical, always conscious.
  
• Since God, the divine Principle, is Spirit, the law of God is spiritual, unlimited, true substance.
• Since God, the divine Principle, is Soul, the law of God is harmonious, beautiful, well-doing. 
• Since God, the divine Principle, is Truth, the law of God is accessible, complete and upholds endless being.