Watching Point 226

226 — WATCH lest you believe that the influx of Life to man can ever be lessened, or cut off. In fact man himself is the efflux of life. Mrs. Eddy once said, “I am the ceaseless intake of God’s eternal giving.”

A diver might find his imagination playing him a trick, suggesting that the supply of air coming down to him from his friends on the deck of the boat was lessening. He might believe that they were forgetting him, and ceasing to pump the air that he needed. He might even suffer as a result of this trick of his imagination. When reason corrects this mistaken belief, and subdues the rising tide of fear, he is freed from any bad physical effects; then, of course, he discovers that, while he was entertaining his little private nightmare, his friends were sending him all the fresh air needed.

Once an invalid who was left alone in her home fancied that she smelled escaping gas. She was helpless to do anything about shutting it off, but she did manage to telephone for help before she was overcome by the fumes. When the helpers arrived there was no gas leak to be discovered, and the lady soon recovered. Later she was able to laugh at the way her imagination had tricked her.

Once a child shut his eyes and tried to imagine that he was riding backwards, while traveling on a train. He found himself able to do this without difficulty, so that he soon found himself experiencing all the sensations of riding backwards. Yet to correct the false sensation, all he had to do was to open his eyes.

In line with this, Science declares that man never dies, never grows old, never has a lessening of life and vigor. Thus such things are no more than tricks of the imagination. Mrs. Eddy once said, “There is nothing gained by waiting for death, for it never comes. We must individually lift ourselves above the claims of the senses.”