"Be still, and know that I am God" ~ II

Spiritual Healing
Quimby's intuitive method differed from the affirmative method now employed by those who use suggestion as the chief agency in healing.
The first dependence was put upon intuitive impressions gained by sitting silently by the sick, and rendering the mind (the spiritual senses) inwardly open to discern the inner conditions and causes.

The process included

(1) discernment of the real interior inner mental state or attitude, for example, rebellion, complaint, fear, nervous excitement, bitterness;

(2) knowledge of the opinion or belief concerning the ailment, the name attached to it, the physician's diagnosis or the patient's misinterpretation;

and

(3) insight into the actual condition of the organism in contrast with the fancied condition or the patient's belief.

Thus suppressed grief might be a cause, worry over the notion that one had committed the unpardonable sin, domestic unhappiness, worry over financial and other affairs; while the supposed cause might be some physical symptom of slight moment. The actual cause discerned, one could proceed to "the wisdom of the situation," the truth which would set the patient free. The "silent treatment" took its two-fold clue in this way:

from the need of the patient

and

from the Divine truth,

and varied with the case, the need, the special occasion. The process was realization. The healer's thought was instrumental to the therapeutic power of the Spirit. The emphasis was on the spiritual truth of the patient's being.

Since the early days, the tendency has been

to substitute specific affirmations for each case

, and

to deny the reality of any besetting conditions.

This change came about partly because in the diffusion of the silent method among many types of healers

there were few who had either the intuition or the healing power of the pioneers.

Then, too, some people took the work up whose interests might briefly be described

as mental rather than spiritual.

But if we are interested to attain the spiritual level we will naturally advance from merely mental methods as soon as we can, opening the spirit that it may grow in intuition.

The affirmations or suggestions do not always "take."

There are more difficult cases which do not work out in that way. There is often need of deep discernment into causes.One should start always with the thought of God, make vivid the idea of the Divine presence by selecting some sentence from the Bible, such as, "Be still, and know that I am God," which aids the process of detaching one's consciousness from the outer world and renews the realizational activity. Some prefer always to begin with the same sentence, since it has hallowed associations and readily admits one into the heart of the realization. Think of the Presence in the sense of vivifying power or energy, as quickening, life-giving. Consider what that Presence must be in itself, undisturbed at heart, in perfect peace, in ineffable composure, all- comprehending wisdom, all-sustaining love. Make such affirmations as best bring this realization before you.

Then see the Spirit as going forth from its centre (which is everywhere, its circumference nowhere) in power-conveying activity or vibration, going forth into action to touch the hearts or spirits of men, imbuing them with love, guiding their minds with wisdom.

Having dwelt on the God-ward side for a time, turn to the human and see the spirit or soul in its integrity in the presence of this divinely perfect peace and composure, able to receive love and wisdom according to need.

Then put the two together:

"Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on Thee, because he trusteth in Thee."

"In Him we live, and move, and have our being"

in the sense that we participate in this vivifying, power-bringing Presence. The inward stillness or realization invites the presence. We speak as it were to ourselves as if for God when we say,

"Be still and know that I am God."

We catch for the moment the Divine point of view, seeing our own restlessness and lack of faith. We project our consciousness as if looking down from a heavenly height and stilling the tempest, bidding everything in our nature fall into line. Then it dawns upon us with clarifying consciousness that unless we always dwelt in the ineffable Presence, unless we always lived, moved, and had our being in God in reality (whatever the appearance), we never could exist for a moment, we never would continue to be. Our first step in realization, therefore, simply brings into consciousness that which all the way along is the supreme truth of life.

Excerpt from
SPIRITUAL HEALTH AND HEALING
By

HORATIO W. DRESSER. Ph.D.
1922