Emmet Fox was a Divine Science minister in New York City.  He was one of the most enlightened souls of the 20^th century.  Thousands flocked to his Sunday services and Wednesday evening classes in the Hotel Astor and Carnegie Hall.  He wrote numerous books which have been read by millions of people worldwide.  This article is from the book, The Science of Living – In class with Emmet Fox, compiled and edited by Revs. JoAnn and Cecil Corsiatto.  www.EmmetFox.net  This article is actually from one of Emmet Fox’s Wednesday evening classes.

In this teaching we use the word healing in a much more general sense than is usual.  We speak of healing business affairs, and apply the word also to such things as the settling of a quarrel, a lawsuit, and so on.  From what has been said about the subconscious mind you will now realize that what is commonly called the body is really only the most intimate part of your embodiment.

The Law of Attraction

Your psyche has certain qualities, faculties and beliefs, and that psyche has to be embodied.  The whole of your environment, your physical body, your home, your business pace, the people with whom you mix, those whom you dislike as well as those you like, are but the outer embodiment of your own mentality.  Most people have been in the habit of looking upon all these things as quite independent of themselves, but now understand that every condition in your life, good or bad, you have drawn to yourself by your own thinking.  The Law of Attraction which is another way of stating the law of Karma, has drawn these people to you; those friends, that employer, that husband or wife, that home, that trade or profession, and so on.

For the moment we will concern ourselves with the healing of the physical body. [Editor note:  Keep in mind that what is healing to your body is also true for every aspect of your life.]

The Unit System

The first point to know is that your body is quite constantly being renewed by nature.  This is made possible owing to the fact that our bodies are built on the unit principle, the principle upon which so many modern machines are built.  This means that it is an assemblage of separate parts.  If a certain part of a good typewriter, for instance, becomes damaged, it is a simple matter to remove it and replace it with a similar part, which is certain to fit exactly.  This is the unit system.  And nature has designed us in just the same way, and for just the same reason, that as soon as any part wears out it can be replaced, if only we will let it.  The separate units of which the body is built are called cells.

We are really composed of an enormous number of little separate cells, and these cells are being constantly renewed.  Some are renewed much more often than others, but it is estimated that the entire body is renewed about once every twelve months.  That is to say, it is literally true to affirm that no body in the world is much more than twelve months old.  This is quite apparent in the case of the hair and the nails, which grow visibly, and in the case of the outer skin, which rubs off, but is equally true about every part of the body.

What Nature Actually intends

The rate of change varies between one organ and another, the bones for instance, changing more slowly.  Again, some people renew everything more slowly than others.  About twelve months is a good average.  Nature actually intends a complete renewal every nine months which is the natural cycle, but owing to subconscious fear, race habit, and so on, it is somewhat slowed down in practice.

The student will naturally inquire why, if he gets a new body about every year, the new one is so like the old, and the answer is simple.

It used to be thought by many people that a new cell simply copied its predecessor, but this is incorrect.  If it were true there would be no healing at all, since, as the new cells grew, they would simply copy the old tissue.  What actually happens is this.

In your subconscious you have a pattern human body.  As the new cells arrive they must conform to this pattern, they do not copy each his predecessor, but conform to the pattern or model in the subconscious mind of the individual.

Now if you want to know what kind of subconscious model you possess, well, look in a mirror, or get a medical examination, because your present physical body is the perfect embodiment of your subconscious body-model or design.

Just as the building of a ship is the embodiment of certain drawings, specifications, and blue prints in the office of the Architect or Builder, so your body is the expression of your subconscious blue print.

Before a building is erected the architect prepares precise drawings of exactly what he wants produced.  These drawings are then handed over to the builder, and the builder embodies them in stone, brick, steel and so on.  Of course the architect does not put in the blue print anything which he has omitted to put in the drawings.

After the building is finished a complete set of drawings is always retained in the archives of the firm which built it, and should it be necessary to rebuild any part of the finished edifice, owing to wear and tear, or perhaps in consequence to a storm or accident, it can always be done quite easily by reference to the drawings.

Change Your Subconscious Model

Now this forms a perfect analogy with the human subject.  Your drawing or blue print is the subconscious body-model that you hold.  The application of the parable is very obvious.  If you are dissatisfied with the state of your body, that is to say if you are not in enjoyment of perfect health, the thing to do is to change your subconscious model.  Until you do so, the body cannot change.

The subconscious is your obedient servant who will not fail to build according to the drawing that you provide.  It will use no discretion in this mater, any more than a foreman builder would dare to depart from the blue print provided by the architect.  You are the architect of your own fortunes in this matter, as in all others.  It is for you to choose whether you will have health or ill health, beauty or ugliness, the joy of life or invalidism, in accordance with the kind of model that you present to your faithful master-builder.

The first step therefore in self-healing is to start to substitute a perfect model for the imperfect one.

Realize Pneuma

An excellent form of treatment is that already given.  If you can realize *Pneuma clearly enough it will heal anything.  Every time you get any realization of the Spiritual Plane, and especially the Pneuma, your whole psyche including your body-model improves automatically.

*See:  Pneuma at the end of this article.

In addition to this form, however, you must learn to “Speak the Word,” which is much quicker and better adapted for most ordinary purposes.  If for example you are feeling unwell, or you have cut yourself, or have an attack of indigestion, simply tell Psyche quietly to put it right.  Say, “Heal this” or “Put this right.”  It may be necessary, in the beginning to repeat the order a number of times, but later this will not be necessary.

In the same way you should train your psyche to get you up at whatever time in the morning that you order overnight, to remind you to do certain things at a later hour in the day, and so on.  You do not need any knowledge of physiology or therapeutics for this.  Simply say, “You know what needs to be done, do it.”

When treating yourself in this manner never speak in a singsong way as in so-called autosuggestion, but give your orders in a rational way as in addressing an intelligent servant.

“Thou shall decree a thing, and it shall be done unto you.”

Read up on the history of Jesus and the fig tree (Mark 11:22) and note the warning about the necessity of forgiving everyone before you employ the Power of the Word.  Otherwise the power is so great that it will injure yourself.

Before you go to sleep at night you can say, “I shall have a quiet refreshing sleep and wake at such an hour feeling well and happy.  I shall do my work well and quickly.”

If you find any difficulty in rising in the morning say, “I shall be up and dressing at such a time.”  Decree the thing you actually want.”

---

*Pneuma:  Pneuma is your Real or Divine Self, the Spirit.  The word Pneuma is the source of the familiar word pneumatic.  Conventional psychology and religion speak, as a rule, of the body and soul only, bur this is gross error and the reason why the world has not made much greater progress throughout the ages.  It is not until you get the three-fold division that you have the truth concerning man.

Pneuma is your Real Self, the real you.  The Ego.  Each of us has this Real Self behind the psyche.  It is the Divine part of us.  Call it your Higher Self, or your Real Self, or the Divine Spark, what you please, it is there, and it never gets ill, or tired or angry.  It is never born, it has existed from all eternity and it will never die.  It has never made any mistakes, and knows neither fear nor anxiety.  It is always in full communion with the Divine.  It is what makes us men and women and not animals.

Pneuma is what people really refer to when they speak of the Inner Light.  We, our real selves, are not evolved animals, and the Divine is always present within to heal us and teach us.  It is only when you come to Pneuma that you touch the Miracle.