A Universal Consciousness
Ernest Holmes

All religious faiths...believe in and worship One God. All commune with the same Divine Spirit.

All are conscious that Divine help is ever present; that there is no place where God is not; and that there is no separation between Divine Spirit, those we love, and the cause of freedom; but each must arrive at faith in the Invisible through spiritual conviction.

We believe that through united effort, a spiritual power can be released which will aid in the achievement of freedom and security for all, and will form a new pattern of thought in the minds of all right-thinking people—the vision of a world which shall exist in permanent peace: peace with justice, freedom with tolerance, individual and collective liberty, and protection for all.

Excerpted from “A Universal Consciousness,” by Ernest Holmes, Science of Mind, February 1948.

Freedom to Choose—The Healing Power of the Indwelling Presence

Drs. Bonnie and David Paul, featured in “Escape from the Inner Prison,” April 2013 Science of Mind, have created an amazing program to help prisoners develop positive self-esteem and experience the healing power of the “Indwelling Presence,” even in the most challenging circumstances.

Readers can view a film that chronicles the University of Santa Monica (USM) Prison Project, which has been ongoing at the Valley State Prison for Women in Chowchilla, California, since 2004. The film highlights the sometimes heartbreaking yet ultimately uplifting experiences of the prisoners who benefit from this soul-centered educational process delivered within the prison environment. www.freedomtochoose.net/Film.htm

Science of Mind Supports Prison Ministries

For many years, Science of Mind magazine has been involved in supporting prison ministries all over the country. We recently received a letter from Aikya Param, who directs the Freedom Ministry at the Oakland Center for Spiritual Living. This community has an annual drive to raise money to provide subscriptions to Science of Mind magazine for those involved in their prison ministry. Param says, “We send a year of Science of Mind magazine to prison inmates. This year, the program will support over one hundred inmates in this way. We surveyed the inmates to find out how they felt about the magazine. Here are some replies that I thought you would enjoy.”

Click here to read letters from inmates who benefit from the Oakland Center’s prison ministry.

Click here to learn more about the Oakland Center for Spiritual Living’s Freedom Ministry.

Ram Dass—Fierce Grace and Love

What was the inspiration for this month’s theme? In June 2001, Still Here, by Ram Dass, was released. The book chronicled Dass’s personal journey in dealing with the issues of aging and the challenges of a stroke. Those who were inspired by the earlier work of this spiritual seeker, whose guidance in finding inner peace helped to shift consciousness, were now inspired to confront the issues of aging and mortality with a greater understanding of faith and courage.  Ram Dass believed that it was “fierce grace” that allowed him to deal with the experience of the stroke and “hone and strengthen his faith.” 

Click here to hear Ram Dass discuss his journey through a stroke and beyond.