Logo of Science of Mind

Science of Mind Logo
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Some Science of Mind organizations use this symbol to represent their faith. Is is a styled image based on a diagram Ernest Holmes included in his book The Science of Mind to help explain the basic principles of how the universe is united and how spirit, soul and body interact. You can view the diagram by clicking on "more images" under the main image here.

Body, Soul and Spirit:

Science of Mind recognizes the existence of spirit, soul and body. These terms can be difficult to use because they can mean different things in different religions. In Christianity, for example, spirit unites body and soul (which is why, for example, the Holy Spirit is illustrated as bringing Jesus's divine essence down to Mary who will give that soul physical body.).

Other people use "spirit" and "soul" synonymously as the metaphysical portion of our existence. Still others use "soul" to describe the eternal part of a living person's being but “spirit” to describe a ghost: a soul in the material realm without a body

In Science of Mind, however, "spirit" is the defining aspect of a person, while soul is a more transformative element and processes the will of spirit into physical form, which is body.

Structure:

The horizontal lines divide the circle – a common symbol of unity – into three parts. The top level is spirit, the middle is soul, and the bottom is body. This is also a common convention: the material form is at the bottom, since material is heavy, while that part that is most divine or most important is on top.

The V-shape represents the descent of spirit through the levels until it shapes the physical world.

Spirit:

Spirit is a universal concept in Science of Mind. The world is a part of God, with each person being a part of God and their spirit being a piece of the spirit of God. Since God can impose his will on the material world, it stands to reason that fragments of his will can do the same, albeit on a smaller scale.

This top realm is the realm of ideas and of the conscious mind, which is the only part of us that can make decisions on its own and possesses free will. It is the active force of creation and change and, thus, is considered masculine in nature as is common in many schools of thought.

Soul:

The soul is shaped by the spirit. It is the subconscious mind. It reflects the impressions of spirits without having any control over those impressions. Holmes described it as the Womb of Nature, as the realm of unformed matter and, thus, feminine in nature. While the spirit is active, the soul is passive, but it is still necessary. One cannot make pottery without clay, nor grow a seed into a tree without soil. The soul makes ideas manifest.

Body:

The lowest level is the material world. This is the realm of physical objects, effects, forms, results, space and time. It is ultimately shaped entirely by spirit. Holmes labels this area "particularization" because ideas are not merely manifested but manifested into particular incidences: not merely love but love between two specific people, for example.

Effect of Spirit on Body:

Science of Mind teaches the law of attraction: that positive thought attracts positive outcomes while negative thought attracts negative outcomes, This is because thoughts are a part of spirit, and spirit controls physical manifestations. Practices focus on being in the proper frame of mind to enact positive change while avoiding negativity.

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Beyer, Catherine. "Logo of Science of Mind." Learn Religions, Aug. 26, 2020, learnreligions.com/logo-of-science-of-mind-96014. Beyer, Catherine. (2020, August 26). Logo of Science of Mind. Retrieved from https://www.learnreligions.com/logo-of-science-of-mind-96014 Beyer, Catherine. "Logo of Science of Mind." Learn Religions. https://www.learnreligions.com/logo-of-science-of-mind-96014 (accessed March 19, 2024).