Recently, I heard a woman recount an episode she had with aggressive mental suggestion.
She was driving down a narrow road with a sharp curve ahead. There was a steep bank to the right side.
A voice within commanded, “You might drive off the road into the ditch bank when you try to take that curve.”
The voice seemed so authoritative when it spoke.
She was alert and quickly caught what was happening. The voice was not hers. It was aggressive mental suggestion from outside her thinking imposing as her thought. To stay on the road safely, she knew she had to counteract the suggestion and replace it with the truth.
In defense, she commanded, “I will not drive off the road into the ditch bank. I will stay safely on the road and negotiate the curve just fine.”
She quickly found her peace and drove around the curve with no trouble.
She shared her story to illustrate how aggressive suggestion works. It comes in many different forms, often at unexpected times.
Perhaps you’re sitting comfortably at work and the voice says, “You could lose your job.” Or you’re thinking about your marriage, and the voice says, “Your wife doesn’t like you.” Or you’re balancing your checkbook and the voice says, “You’re gong to run out of money.”
Whatever form aggressive suggestion takes, never ignore it. Don’t be naïve about it. Catch it quickly, stomp it out with truth, replace it with the right idea and march happily on free of any bad effect.
Steer clear of mortal mind’s attempts to redirect your life activity away from boundless good and healthy living.
“Stand porter at the door of thought.
“Admitting only such conclusions as you wish realized in bodily results, you will control yourself harmoniously. When the condition is present which you say induces disease, whether it be air, exercise, heredity, contagion, or accident, then perform your office as porter and shut out these unhealthy thoughts and fears. Exclude from mortal mind the offending errors; then the body cannot suffer from them. The issues of pain or pleasure must come through mind, and like a watchman forsaking his post, we admit the intruding belief, forgetting that through divine help we can forbid this entrance.” Mary Baker Eddy
Thank you, Evan. This will be so helpful to many who are tempted to engage in activity which is self-destructive. God, Life, upholds His child, moment by moment. I like to remember that Mrs. Eddy states “… the inharmonious and self-destructive never touch the harmonious and self-existent.” Never touch! God has created his child to include a harmonious experience and to live gloriously. Thank you again for this clear and helpful post.
I find when reading the Lesson I have to be very very very alert to all the little “interruptions” such as “call Beth today,” “put the washing in the drier,” “remember to buy some bananas,” etc., etc., AND NOT RESPOND, insisting on my right to focus and consecrate my study.