As our group considered this quotation by Bach, most, but not all, agreed that there exists within the human mind the power to control physical states within the body. On rare occasions, this power can take the form of curing physical conditions that would otherwise be considered incurable. There is no known way of tapping into this power at will, yet there are many verifiable instances of its existence. Whatever it is, it can only be accessed by believing at the subconscious level, never by simply making a cognitive affirmation. If I say to myself, "I want to be cured of this cancer." it is not likely to happen. However, if I believe that the body has the capacity to heal itself spontaneously of this condition, it may come about.

There was general agreement, however, that our attitude towards an event has a profound effect on one's reaction to that event. If my husband/wife leaves me, I might be elated or depressed depending on my mindset at the time. In general, if we view life negatively, living will be a misery but if we are optimistic, living is more pleasurable.

At the discussion on August 1, we examined what it means to have an open mind. It was generally agreed that this entailed a willingness to examine one’s own set of beliefs about a particular topic. However, there are several impediments to doing this, such as ego, pride, fear of being seen as weak or vacillating or simply a lack of interest in examining others‘ viewpoints.

One does not have to change one’s belief in order to be considered as having an open mind. After considering a particular viewpoint and deciding to keep your original concept intact, you have at least been open-minded enough to consider the issue, so you cannot be faulted for not changing.

The discussion continued by examining what might be sufficient rationale for holding a belief. If one continues to hold a concept when there is objective evidence to the contrary, would that indicate a closed mind? Who or what is to be considered a legitimate authority in establishing objective evidence? Is faith alone sufficient to justify retaining a belief? On these points, there was not general agreement, nor is there likely to be at anytime in the foreseeable future.