Many people have found themselves at home alone for weeks because of the stay at home orders in force in many countries around the world. What can one do to prevent feelings of loneliness and isolation during these times?
I’m reminded of a story I read several decades ago about a student of Christian Science who was captured during a war and locked up in isolation for weeks and months on end. Some of you may know the book I’m talking about, which I don’t have at hand, nor do I remember the title to. The isolation, neglect and loneliness he faced felt brutal.
In his prayers for sanity, he inscribed the initials CT in the wall of his isolation cell. They were an abbreviation for Control Thought. He understood that his captors may have captured his body and put it into a cell, but they could not capture his thought and lock it down into despair and hopelessness. Through his faith and understanding of God’s power and presence with him in that dark forgotten room, he kept his sanity and health, and eventually was released and able to share an inspiring story with others of hope and healing.
We are never alone! God is with us.
God is an ever-inspired Mind that is filled with unending inspiration to hear, act on and enjoy.
We may not have people around us to socialize with like we’re accustomed to, but we have an active Mind of God to engage with and stay inspired by. We can practice “CT,” and prevent thought from going into a negative spiral. We can companion with this ever-inspired Mind to go new mental places and make expansive discoveries of Truth that perhaps we’ve never had time to do in the past. We can make good use of our time with God!
Just like God talked directly to Moses and Abraham and Jesus and Mary Baker Eddy, and millions of other listeners throughout time and history, God is speaking directly to each of us wherever we are. We are never alone. God is always with us.
Enjoy your time with God! You are in good company.
Thanks for this blog, dear Evan. I believe the book you are referring to is “The Ultimate Freedom” by John H. Wyndham. On page 17 of his book he writes: “With a rusty nail, I scratched the letters “C.T.” on the wall of my cell as a constant reminder to control thought.” Wonderful, healing reminder!
Thank you Evan and thank you Gloria for reminding us all the name of this book which I read many years ago.
My love and gratitude to you both,
Angie xx oo
As always, thank you, Evan, for yet another timely wealth of inspiration. The book you are referring to is titled The Ultimate Freedom by John H. Wyndham. A dear church friend gifted me a copy a few years ago. Truly amazing demonstrations!
Thank you so much for this Evan. It was a real heads up for me. I definitely need to control thought to navigate through the disturbance and chaos of the mental atmosphere presented daily. Divine Love is omnipotent.
Thank you Evan and everyone for your comments. Here’s a link to a Sentinel article by John Wyndham that describes how he overcame some aspects of his imprisonment.
https://sentinel.christianscience.com/shared/view/86xf0ax9gk?s
Thank you . Very good article.
Thank you I just read this inspiring article
Thank you, Brian!
My favorite part of the book is in the Preface.
His daughter told of how when speaking of his
wartime experience he always started with,
“When I was a guest of the Japanese.”
He was in solitary confinement, abused, hungry,
and more. But his take away was staying with God.
CT Control thought.
Another interesting part of the book tells about,
“At the end of the war my name would disappear
from list of prisoners being transported and I was
sent back to the barracks..
it was not until the end of the war when I met the
man who worked on the translation of Science and Health that the mystery was explained. He was a member of the Secret Police and became a student of the book and he kept me safe. “
John had hidden Science and Health when he
knew he was going to be captured.
Thank you Brian for that article written by John H Wyndham. Very helpful.
An absolutely spectacular inspired blog, Evan. Thank you ever so much. I have been working on just this thing — controlling thought, although in another type of situation. I found this from Mrs. Eddy in Prose Works, on page 126, which helped me get to sleep one night:
“Who hath not learned that when alone he has his own thoughts to guard, and when struggling with mankind his temper, and in society his tongue? We also have gained higher heights; have learned that trials lift us to that dignity of Soul which sustains us, and finally conquers them; and that the ordeal refines while it chastens.”
Thank you all for you comments and sharing. And thank you Brian for posting the article. With Christ there can be no lack or deficiency, Could our cosmos lack for substance? it is man who lacks through error of thought not realizing his sufficiency in Soul.
Great reminder, Evan!
And if anyone would like to get the book, it’s available on Amazon. His daughter, Auriel Wyndham Livezey, is still publishing it. It’s been taken into penal institutions and other places where it’s done a lot of good. So his experience and words continue to bless.
Thank you Jan for sharing this information. So nice to see the on going blessing of this experience of John Wyndham still helping others! I intend to get this book and share it with some friends who are dealing with this situation.
Thank you Evan for sharing ideas on handling this social isolation and perhaps we could say this mental isolation too. The anger that can build up needs to be ameliorated and peace restored! Love this blog and all who share on it!
Controlling thought whether I am alone or surrounded by people is the key to my peace of mind. When applied, it works!
Divine Mind as my companion is a completely new thought for me and a tremendous delight!
Thank you, Evan.
Much gratitude to all commentators! Love how one person shares a thought and other good thoughts are shared by others as a result of all the love and sharing that just continues on and on with this blog! And Evan, always appreciate your wonderful topics and the quick takeaways that I receive that last throughout my day such as today, “CT” – control thought!! Still appreciating “mental distancing” from the other day while thinking about social distancing. Appreciate you all and know what a huge difference you make in the lives of others. This is how we heal the world, by coming together with LOVE.
Thanks Evan very helpful article
C .T. Control thought & express Love.
Love, Love, Love :that says it all!
Thank you all for your care…
With gratitude to Evan for another powerful post, Ms Onyuru and Lorna for the author’s name and book title, Brian for the CSS article link and M for the additional ideas from the book…all very much appreciated.
I too, thank Evan and everyone’s contribution to this blog, the daily food for thought is fantastic.
I am reminded of Mrs. Eddy’s, “Would existence without personal friends be to you a blank? Then the time will come when you will be solitary, left without sympathy; but this seeming vacuum is already filled with divine Love” (S&H 266: 6-10). I have turned to this many times when family and long time friends have passed on from this world and the feeling of missing them seems strong.
Newer posts…gratitude to Bob Minnocci for the excellent MBE quote reminder and to all blog contributors as well!
Thank you for the reminder Evan about that inspiring book!
grateful,
Sheree
Grateful for the reminder Evan about that inspiring book!
Blessings,
Sheree
What a Blessing, witnessing Divine Mind is Action!!
“In atmosphere of Love divine,
We live, and move, and breathe…
For God, immortal Principle,
Is with us everywhere;
He holds us perfect in His love,
And we His image bear.” (Hymn 144)
-how Grateful I am for a first thought in the morning, often a perfect hymn such as this one this morning, typically when going to sleep feeling God’s presence.
-thanks to this perfect blog this morning, I feel Lifted above recent suggested mental miasma pull to fret over world belief of fear, since realizing so clearly now that there’s NO bondage to fear, when instead staying in love with Love, always all that’s really all around us all.
Thank you to all for this Love-inspired blog, helping us sing and dance with Angels throughout the day.
Thanks for the reminder of this great and powerful book Evan. I have distributed a good number of copies in my prison work, but is is important for anyone to read about the power of Mind in any circumstance. Wyndham was beaten and starved as well as psychologically tortured and isolated. What spiritual power he demonstrated!
Yes, such a beautiful book, Gloria! A friend had class with him. We can now claim America’s freedom from injustice, neglect, mass incarceration, racism since we are ALL God’s beautiful, unique and precious children of God. Love and spiritual understanding of the events taking place will transform our world.
I love the picture of the African-American woman enjoying reading a book while sitting outside.
Opening Miscellaneous Writings by Mary B. Eddy, before the preface, are these words:
Pray thee, take care, that tak’st my book in hand,
To read it well; that is, to understand.
Ben Johnson: Epigram I
When I would know thee…my thought looks
Upon thy well made choice of friends and books;
Then do I love thee, and behold thy ends
In making thy friends books, and thy books friends.
Ben Johnson: Epigram 86
I am grateful to know about the book, The Ultimate Freedom, by John H. Wyndham and how he proved “God is our Life”, and not take anxious thought for his life. An awe-inspiring demonstration.
I was invited to attend a regional youth meeting in N.Y., in which a mother was taking her daughter and she’d make all the plans and provide transportation. I really didn’t know much of anything about Christian Science, but was interested. When I awakened in the dorm, there was a young woman studying. I asked her what she was reading. She explained about the Bible Lesson from the Bible and from Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures by Mary B. Eddy. My first thought was Oh No! If this religion requires reading, I will never make it. I didn’t have books growing up and my reading skills…well, it’s a wonder I graduated from high school. But at that weekend meeting, I heard so many kids my age talk about the one thing I needed most: Father-Mother-God.
That was the start; and, where I bought my first copy of a paperback Science and Health.
That meeting was in August.
That summer, I had hitch-hiked across country, mainly “searching”. I encountered many dangers while unprepared for my first time ever in the (wild) West, especially CA. After being kidnapped by 5 guys over-dosing on heroin; and, spared each encounter, I knew in my heart, there were angels protecting me. And I knew there was someone praying for me. That was the turning point.
Thank you for this blog, Evan, where I am learning so much!
A helpful reference. Many of my friends having served in Vietnam. I didn’t know of this tremendous demonstration, but shall share it. One special friend works with Veterans, himself a war veteran.,
Thank You All.
Thank you, Evan, for the dedication to your blog…such a source of joy and guidance!
I had not heard of Wyndham’s book but following your posting I found it on Amazon and downloaded a digital version. Thank you for guiding me to this inspiring read!
I read your blog this morning followed by Gloria’s identification of John Wyndham and the book title. Two hours later, I came across a copy of this book on a table at my home. I am looking forward to reading it tonight.
I’m just blown away! Just this morning the title of that book came to me and I pulled it off my book shelf and began reading it after decades of owning it unread. I’ve been reading until I decided to get up and do something else for a while, so I came over to look at my e-mails and read today’s SpiritView. The book is excellent. As are your daily blogs Evan, and the community of readers and their helpful comments and links to articles and so on. Thank you all!
I’d like to give a heads up to a subtle error I allowed in my thinking over the years. I was believing that I have a separate mortal body and mind and the separate mortal mind was controlling thought and knowing Truth that healed the separate body. Now I’m awakening to the Truth of my oneness with Divine Mind and there is no separate mortal body to worry about. — which turns out to be a wonderful way to CT control thought!
Thank you Evan. I have this amazing book. A true Scientist and Christian Science saved him,
At the beginning of ‘lockdown’ , I prayed with many many others to know that God’s activity can never cease. I’ve found many ways to communicate with others, telephone, Facebook, zoom, shopping, walking my dog. I’m blessed that my life has been full of beautiful activity. New avenues to serve have opened up also during this time. It has been very productive period in many ways. Our oneness and unity cannot be broken.
It’s been a time when the world needs Christian Science the most and I am sure we have lived up to the challenge even though there may be dark periods, the light never goes out.
Thank you I just read the inspiring article mentioned and will definitely buy the book. At present in South Africa we are going through a lot of turmoil, murdering and injustice initiated by the ANC government in power here, so the ideas brought out in the book mentioned will help us to guard our thinking and not give in to fearful thinking.
Thank you for initiating this conversation Evan. Your posts keep us on our toes so to speak.