A friend told me a man claiming to be a representative for Microsoft called him and told him he had a virus on his computer that needed to be immediately addressed. While on the phone, my friend eventually allowed the caller to screen share on his computer, presumably to allow the “expert” to see where the virus problem was located. Soon, the caller took over the computer from his remote location and locked in a password control. My friend finally realized he was being hacked, ended the call, unplugged his computer and called his son for help to undo the mess. Fortunately, the hacker did not get into his finances, but he admitted, it was a “close call.” His hard drive is infected, and will be replaced.
While listening to the story, I could tell from the beginning where my friend was headed because I’ve read about hackers or scammers acting as representatives of trusted organizations, hoping to catch unsuspecting citizens off guard and dupe them of their money through taking control of their computers.
After hearing the above story, I thought about other ways people get duped, not from computer hackers, but from mental hackers.
For instance, what about persistent warnings in the media about catching the latest disease? Ads constantly promote cancer, warning people they’re going to get it. People start to hold images of cancer in their minds, they look in their bodies to find it, and then they do find it. It’s a classic mortal mind hack job.
The wise metaphysician stands vigorously alert to defend his mental and physical home from outside imposition.
And it’s not that hard to do!
Study, pray, and act on spiritual truth as a regular routine.
Don’t blandly accept whatever thoughts come knocking on your mental door. Question them. Are they coming from God, or from mortal mind? Are they legitimate? Should you believe them or cast them out?
If there is any suggestion of disease, lack, or trouble, be highly suspicious of the source. It’s likely a false representative claiming to be trustworthy.
Trust in God’s truth about you, and keep your health and substance intact.
“We should become more familiar with good than with evil, and guard against false beliefs as watchfully as we bar our doors against the approach of thieves and murderers.”
(Mary Baker Eddy, Science and Health, p. 234.)
Excellent defensive strategy! Error, in whatever form, comes to us for life and validity. “Stand porter at the door of thought”, Science and Health tells us, and refuse it entrance. No hacking into a protected consciousness.Amen! Happy Thanksgiving Evan and family!
Perfect! Just what I needed to be strongly and sweetly reminded of today! Thank you and Warm Holiday Wishes to you and your family!
Thanks for this memorable analogy of spammers and hackers. Helpful reminders to stay mentally alert. And ties in with this week’s Bible Lesson on ‘how not to be deceived’….
Take us the foxes, the little foxes, that spoil the vines: for our vines have tender grapes.
Song of Sol 2:15
Seeing that we have to attain to the ministry of right‐
eousness in all things, we must not overlook small things
in goodness or in badness, for “trifles make perfection,”
and “the little foxes . . . spoil the vines.” My 123:27
Oh! Those mental hackers. It’s easier to protect oneself from their scams but harder to get rid of the scam if one falls for it. Trust what I say for I have experienced this. I’m talking about illness and lose of temper. Vigilance must be practiced here. Very good advice Evan, I couldn’t have explained it better.
Dear Evan
Your Blog is a very simple analogy…one that anyone can relate to and put into practice immediately! Thank you, my friend!
Happy Thanksgiving to you and your wonderful family
Awesome analogy, and very timely!
I am reminded of a time when it kept occurring to me to order pizza on a Sunday afternoon. This is something, at the time, that was not common for us to consider doing at all. We rarely ate pizza, but the thought kept coming… “Wouldn’t it be nice to order pizza & sit by the TV…” (We also rarely watched TV!) The following day, I heard a statistic on the radio that more pizza’s are ordered on Super Bowl Sunday than any other time in the year. The day before had been Super Bowl Sunday… though my husband and I had not paid any attention to it, nor did we watch the game. Very important to consider … Is it “the human or divine Mind” influencing us.
Thanks, Evan!
Hmmm…now that is a very thought-provoking analogy. Were you thinking for yourself, or hearing a general popular belief that ordering pizza would be a good thing because that’s what thousands of people had just done? Very good. Thanks for sharing.
The other day I was watching a Thanksgiving Day special on the
Food Network. One of the hostesses cut her finger and went off camera for a short time. Since the show was live it was a little diversity from the norm which showed that even professionals can have accidents. The very next day I cut my finger while emptying the contents from a can. Immediately I thought back to the incident during the cooking show. I’ve been trying to see what had occurred in my thought as I feel it directly coincided with what my thought had subtly taken in very unsuspectingly. Evan could you please comment on what I might have done differently. This week’s lesson has made me more cautious about my thought. Should I have declared something about accident? This has been something that I know I need to understand more thoroughly. Thank you for all that you do. I am very grateful for your daily Blog.
When you saw the accident on TV, it would have been wise to reverse the suggestion of accident in your mind, and for all other people. Know that accidents are not possible under the wise and aware government of divine Mind, and then know that you, and all others, are under that government.
Good catch…
Thanks for the great analogy! I’ve had those callers call me twice, but the reps were so lame there was no way I’d believe they were really from Microsoft. I wish mortal mind was that obvious!
Thanks for these great ideas. Just to respond with some positive words about retailers, Patagonia, which sells outdoor gear, is having a party on Black Friday to “Celebrate What You Own” instead of purchasing more and more stuff. That is an innovative, responsible way to do business. Happy Thanksgiving to you and your family.
Evan , thank you so much for your answer. After my posting I reread your blog and thought about accidents are unknown in Divine Mind . I jotted down a few more Truths that you had already recommended earlier. I felt good that I had been able to make the connection as to what had happened and why. Hopefully I will be ready for the next “small step”. Thanks again.
Thanks, Evan, for your blog posts. I am new to them, but they seem extremely helpful. I don’t remember where I read it, (Sentinel or Journal) but I remember a quote that may be helpful here, “Animal magnetism is the dream of life in matter, not something that happens in the dream.” To me this means that we must deny the entire dream to see God’s allness – His perfect creation.