It seems to me that the phenomenon of mind dominance of matter is poorly understood by some. Mind intervenes between matter and spirit. Being in the “center” of reality, mind has the ability to look both ways. Therefore, mind is the mechanism by which matter can be controlled and eventually dominated by spirit.
(1110.11) 101:5.8 3. The human mind, the mechanism for intercommunication and interassociation between spirit and matter, between the material and the spiritual.
Mind governed by personality has the opportunity to choose between allowing physical matter to have its way, or allowing spirit to dominate its relationship to physical matter. Mind cannot perform feats of magic in the realm of physical matter. It cannot operate outside the laws of physics, but it can modify physical reality, within those laws, for its own benefit.
111:6.5 When man wishes to modify physical reality, be it himself or his environment, he succeeds to the extent that he has discovered the ways and means of controlling matter and directing energy. Unaided mind is impotent to influence anything material save its own physical mechanism, with which it is inescapably linked. But through the intelligent use of the body mechanism, mind can create other mechanisms, even energy relationships and living relationships, by the utilization of which this mind can increasingly control and even dominate its physical level in the universe.
90:3.1 Modern man attacks his material problems directly; he recognizes that matter is responsive to the intelligent manipulation of mind.
Physical handicaps, which can also affect the brain, may cause delays but cannot affect spirit.
116:5.15 The spirit struggles of time and space have to do with the evolution of spirit dominance over matter by the mediation of (personal) mind; the physical (nonpersonal) evolution of the universes has to do with bringing cosmic energy into harmony with the equilibrium concepts of mind subject to the overcontrol of spirit.
65:8.5 In the cosmic evolutionary laboratories mind is always dominant over matter, and spirit is ever correlated with mind. Failure of these diverse endowments to synchronize and co-ordinate may cause time delays, but if the individual really knows God and desires to find him and become like him, then survival is assured regardless of the handicaps of time. Physical status may handicap mind, and mental perversity may delay spiritual attainment, but none of these obstacles can defeat the whole-souled choice of will.
If ever there was a greater example of mind dominance over the body it is Stephen Hawking. His body is essentially useless, but his mind is in control. I’m not sure if spirit has gained dominance in his mind, but there is certainly always hope. It is important in the growth of self-mastery to progress in both mind control over matter and spirit dominance of mind. One way to accomplish control over one’s mind is prayer. We are told that prayer cannot heal all diseases, but it can heal mental attitudes toward disease, which I’m sure is something that Stephen Hawking has accomplished on some level.
91:6.2 Prayer is not a technique for curing real and organic diseases, but it has contributed enormously to the enjoyment of abundant health and to the cure of numerous mental, emotional, and nervous ailments. And even in actual bacterial disease, prayer has many times added to the efficacy of other remedial procedures. Prayer has turned many an irritable and complaining invalid into a paragon of patience and made him an inspiration to all other human sufferers.
Prayer is a way to improve spirit dominance over mind, which gives it the power to dominate matter, more or less defying material gravity. A mind succumbing to the physical level of existence becomes more susceptible to material gravity and less susceptible to spiritual gravity. Only that which is responsive to spiritual gravity can survive, and prayer is one way to connect to spiritual gravity. Spirituality is measured inversely to physical gravity response.
(140.6) 12:8.10 1. Matter. Organized energy which is subject to linear gravity except as it is modified by motion and conditioned by mind.
(140.7) 12:8.11 2. Mind. Organized consciousness which is not wholly subject to material gravity, and which becomes truly liberated when modified by spirit.
(140.8) 12:8.12 3. Spirit. The highest personal reality. True spirit is not subject to physical gravity but eventually becomes the motivating influence of all evolving energy systems of
42:11.4 The higher mind levels of the universe — the spirit-mind levels — may also be nonspatial, but the levels of material mind, such as human mind, are responsive to the interactions of universe gravitation, losing this response only in proportion to spirit identification. Spirit-reality levels are recognized by their spirit content, and spirituality in time and space is measured inversely to the linear-gravity response.
1:3.7 Mortal mind subservient to matter is destined to become increasingly material and consequently to suffer eventual personality extinction; mind yielded to spirit is destined to become increasingly spiritual and ultimately to achieve oneness with the surviving and guiding divine spirit and in this way to attain survival and eternity of personality existence.
Mind universally dominates matter. A mind incapable of dominating matter is not a mind. There may be electrochemical brain activity, but without volition, without personality, without mind ministry, it is only an energy system destined to disintegrate according to the laws of physics. Dust to dust. Dust not subjected to the over control of living and personal mind is just dust.
42:10.1 This eternal cycle of energy, being circuited in the Father of universes, is absolute and, being absolute, is expansile in neither fact nor value; nevertheless the Primal Father is even now — as always — self-realizing of an ever-expanding arena of time-space, and of time-space-transcended, meanings, an arena of changing relationships wherein energy-matter is being progressively subjected to the overcontrol of living and divine spirit through the experiential striving of living and personal mind.
Earlier we were talking about the Greek influence on philosophy and religion. The Greeks considered the material creation to be a shadow of a more real and lasting spiritual substance. TUB tells us that this idea has significance, but it does not negate the reality of physical matter nor diminish its relevance. It simply puts physical reality in its proper place in terms of value. Clearly, spiritual reality has more value than material reality in terms of quality. Spirit substance is value and quality, which is why it lasts.
12:8.16 And so your Greek figure of speech — the material as the shadow of the more real spirit substance — does have a philosophic significance.
12:8.15 In cosmic evolution matter becomes a philosophic shadow cast by mind in the presence of spirit luminosity of divine enlightenment, but this does not invalidate the reality of matter-energy. Mind, matter, and spirit are equally real, but they are not of equal value to personality in the attainment of divinity. Consciousness of divinity is a progressive spiritual experience.
7:1.3 Spirit realities respond to the drawing power of the center of spiritual gravity in accordance with their qualitative value, their actual degree of spirit nature. Spirit substance (quality) is just as responsive to spirit gravity as the organized energy of physical matter (quantity) is responsive to physical gravity. Spiritual values and spirit forces are real. From the viewpoint of personality, spirit is the soul of creation; matter is the shadowy physical body.
And this is why it is so important to grow in self-control, mastery over one’s material self by doing God’s will (spiritual dominance). This is the transfer of dominance we are all working towards. It is the purpose of the psychic or cosmic circles and part of the evolution of Supremacy. It must be done. Physical handicaps may delay in terms of time, but the work still must be done. Fortunately, mind can defy time to a certain extent, and that is a blessing. It is also why Jesus refused to put limits on creative human imagination; he came to give the soul wings and freedom to fly untethered to its shadow.
12:5.5 Man’s mind is less time-bound than space-bound because of the inherent nature of mind. Even during the days of the earth life in the flesh, though man’s mind is rigidly space-bound, the creative human imagination is comparatively time free. But time itself is not genetically a quality of mind.
179:5.4 He did not wish to destroy the individual’s concept of divine communion by establishing a precise form; neither did he desire to limit the believer’s spiritual imagination by formally cramping it. He rather sought to set man’s reborn soul free upon the joyous wings of a new and living spiritual liberty.
