2016-05-12

Detoxification is a cleansing process that occurs naturally in the environment and in our bodies. Science has taught us that the rain washes pollution out of the air, and the liver metabolizes and/or secretes potentially harmful biochemical products produced by the body. However, divine Science teaches us that toxins are not only in the air we breathe and in the food we eat, but also in the mental environment that surrounds us. Mental toxins are thoughts of destruction and division; whereas mental nutrients are thoughts of life and unity. Consequently, the same function of detoxification working in nature goes on mentally also.

Every day we take in the mental environment of thankful, tired, offended, mean, lazy, motivated thoughts, and because there is in operation the spiritual function of mental detoxification, the harmful thoughts generally get rejected and the useful thoughts get put into practice. However, the cleansing process needs ready attention or it can easily be overloaded. When too many thoughts are barraging the mind, especially deceptive thoughts, we can think thoughts that aren’t ours or become confused. To help remedy the loaded mental environment, a respectful attention is given to mental detoxification, however, an effective detox resembles nature.

For example, nature’s cleansing process involves lightning bolts that produce ions and rains that help bring those ions closer to earth. The ions are attracted to atmospheric contaminants and are either grounded or oxidized.

In other words, lightning and rain do not hide from the contaminants. They do not make a huge effort to analyze the environment’s contaminates and then figure out how to get rid of them. Lightning and rain just do their thing.

An effective mental detox is the activity of life-affirming thoughts, of wellbeing, humor, pluck, honesty, gratitude, courage, aplomb, intellect, rhythm, and other spiritual attitudes which have the innate power to ground or transform harmful thoughts.

To streamline the natural mental detox function—instead of buck it by absorbing useless thoughts—people work, meditate, play piano, or read inspiring literature in order to fill the air with life-affirming spiritual thoughts. Amazingly, the technique of spirituality in action is also able to filter out downbeat thoughts and actually increase our mental insight. We can detect, and not react to, the “poker face,” appearing agreeable, but thinking harmfully.

A spiritual mental detox is empowered by divine Spirit, a dynamic, interminable, natural presence that cleanses by means of expressing itself. We don’t have to kick start divine Spirit, or even launch the cleansing process, but we can relate to, and feel conscious of, the presence of divine Spirit and its thoughts of unstoppable cleansing.

Read Cheryl's blog Everyday Spirituality

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