Mrs. C. L. Baum
Studies in Divine Science
The Colorado College of Divine Science
Denver, Colo., 4th ed., 1924.

The need of a clear perception of reality is felt nowhere more strongly than in beginning the study of Divine Science. Many of us have been instructed since childhood in beliefs which we now find it necessary to dismiss, and there may be a slight tendency to confusion in thought. Wherefore, it becomes necessary to outline clearly just what it is that we need to realize, and then to indicate various means and aids to realization.

To realize is to make tangible, to bring into existence and possession. Keeping this point in mind, let us see what it is that we desire to realize. It should be our endeavor to make the Omnipresence of God a tangible reality. We should seek to realize the Father's Presence in the following forms: first, as Life - the only and eternal Life everywhere; second, as Love - perfect Love which is the only law of the universe; third, as Substance - living Spirit, Substance expressed in infinite variety of forms; and fourth, as Health - abounding Health. The Father's Presence comprises all that an individual soul wants or could possibly desire, and with the realization of that presence comes peace, trust and confidence, and a letting go of all doubt, fear, worry and anxiety. We are constantly expressing that which we realize. All of the Life and Health we are expressing is the Life and Health of God. All that we are, is really this great Infinite Presence in expression. We must necessarily know these things because we are expressing them in some degree all the time. But the fuller the realization, the higher the degree of expression; and since expression of the attributes of God is our goal, we must earnestly seek realization.

Since Omnipresence is the reality of the universe, the appearances of death and disease that surround us are not reality; but back of them is the reality which can be made so true to the soul that there can never be any doubt of it. Back of all the changing appearance is the unseen Presence, continually moving upon, in and through the external. The reality of you and of me is this Presence, which is Love, Life, Spirit, Substance and Health. This is what we are to realize.

Decision is an important factor in realization. We can never realize in its fullness that which we doubt or deny, or that concerning which we have the slightest indecision. Hence the first aid to realization is to decide that God IS, and to believe and affirm this truth constantly. Realization is faith made manifest, and in the degree that we lay hold on truth and make it our own, we realize in concrete form the invisible truth in which we place our faith. To waver is to cast the first shadow on realization, while to believe firmly is to take the first step in realization.

Now, faith is a positive attribute that we are constantly exhibiting in one way or another. We may have faith in good or faith in evil, but faith we surely have. Remembering that we experience that in which we have faith, we see how necessary it becomes to exercise faith in the right direction. "Fear and worry are faith in evil. Courage is faith in good." Constantly affirm faith in Life, Love, Spirit and Health if you would realize these attributes of God and of your true self.

Whatever we dwell upon in thought becomes a reality to us. That which we dwell upon most and strongest is soonest realized. We are in a continuous growth of realization, getting tangible results of our thoughts. If we are dwelling much on health, harmony, peace and happiness, we shall find that these will become such a reality to us that they will exclude sin, sickness and evil from our thought. This should always be our attitude. "I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing; therefore choose life, that both thou and thy seed may live." (Deut. 30:19.) We need to inquire diligently into our own mental attitude and see what we are dwelling on most, and choose life that we may live. If we hold strongly to the idea of the power of Omnipresence and our unity with it, we must ultimately realize truth and forget the shadows of unreality. This applies to our attitude toward others as well as to ourselves. We should always see only the good in others, and purify our own conscious thought so that our very presence will be a blessing. Remember that the sun goes on its way expressing nothing but its own perfect light; it knows no darkness, neither can anything else know darkness in its presence.

Another strong aid to realization is what is called the Silence. This, as the name indicates, is a silent period of meditation and concentration for the purpose of coming face to face with the invisible Presence; that in this inner stillness we may be able to feel and know this Presence with us always. No one can get the consciousness of this presence for us and we cannot get it without effort. It is by thus training the thought to concentration, that we come to know the reality of the universe in which we as Spirit Substance, live, move and have our being. It is in the silence that we realize that we are one with the Reality that lies back of all external form.

The silence is a period of withdrawal from the external and of concentration on the inner truth. It is well to observe it at a certain time each day, and if possible, at a certain place. Since God is a silent, invisible Presence, we do not seek to realize Him in the noise and confusion of the outer world, but rather in the quiet and stillness back of the external. Yet when we know how to turn to this inner Presence, we can be in the midst of noise and clamor and still come into touch with Omnipresence.

Take some simple statement into the silence and concentrate your thought upon it. Sometimes just one statement will bring you into a full realization of the Truth. "Thou art the only Presence." "I am filled with the peace of the one Presence." "My eye is single to truth, therefore my whole body is full of light." These and many others are good statements for silent concentration, and will bring us into a realization of truth.

The law of divine action is, that we manifest externally whatever we dwell upon in thought. Let us then practice for realization. We are to endeavor to realize that we are spirit and immortal, therefore we are one with the eternal Reality which fills heaven and earth with its Presence and power. We shall realize it if we let our thought dwell in faith on spiritual things. Let us think on the statements that follow this lesson, and dwell on these until they mean a great deal to us. Let us practice also the right use of the expression "I am." We are continually affirming in our conversation that "I am" thus and so. We must be careful to make only positive affirmations, such as "I am well," "I am strong," "I am happy," "I am life," "I am spirit," and avoid such very common erroneous statements as "I am weak," "I am afraid," "I am sick." Whatever God is, we are. It is therefore untrue to affirm of our real selves those things that we would not and could not affirm in God. The Divine in us is now possessed of all perfect attributes, which we are to realize and express.

I am calm, strong and serene.
I am joyous, fearless and free.
All that I am is eternal in God.
The Lord my God in the midst of me is mighty.
Life, full and free, is flowing through me now.
My body is the temple of the living God.
It is filled with grace and truth.
Its substance is Spirit - eternal and changeless.
I rest in this Truth and it makes me free.

Let us labor then for an inward stillness,
An inward stillness and an inward healing;
That perfect silence where the lips and heart
Are still, and we no longer entertain
Our own imperfect thoughts and vain opinions,
But God alone speaks in us, and we wait
In singleness of heart, that we may know
His will and, in the silence of our spirits,
That we may do His will, and do that only.

- Longfellow.