Scientific Healing Affirmations: Theory and Practice of Concentration is a practical book by Paramahansa Yogananda, teaching concentration in service of healing.
The Practicality of Scientific Spirituality
One of the most valuable lessons the great guru Paramahansa Yogananda teaches is how to be practical. The spiritual life is grounded in intelligent practice, not merely ethereal beliefs and musings.
He explains that thoughts have power when deeply understood through words. In his book Scientific Healing Affirmations: Theory and Practice of Concentration, he writes, “Man’s word is Spirit in man. Spoken words are sounds occasioned by the vibrations of thought; thoughts are vibrations sent froth by the ego or by the soul.”
The ego is apt to send out vague and even false thoughts, but the soul always sets forth truth and power. It is through practice of deep concentration that we grow nearer our soul. When we speak from the ego, we’re speaking from shallowness, but when we speak from the soul we speak the heart of truth, as the great guru says, “Speech without soul force is like husks without corn.”
Theory and Practice Make Perfect
Scientific Healing Affirmations: Theory and Practice of Concentration is one of the most practical books authored by the great yogi. It is a short eighty pages, divided into two sections, Part I Theory of Healing and Part II Method of Practice.
In Part I Theory of Healing Yogananda explains why affirmations work in a subsection of that same title. He teaches how the mind is responsible for both illness and wellness. Also in this section he explains how life energy is the real cause that cures all diseases and how to stimulate that life energy to get it work. He points out that “Each thought of depression or happiness, irritability or calmness, cuts subtle grooves in the brain cells and strengthens the tendencies toward sickness or well-being.”
Part I Theory of Healing also illuminates ways to prevent physical, mental, and spiritual disease. He also evaluates the various methods of healing, demonstrates “God’s laws as applied to matter,” and tells us how to acquire power over the life energy, that force without which no illness can be cured.
In the last section of Part I Theory of Healing, the great guru elucidates the connection between consciousness and matter. He shows how a comparison of our experiences of dreams can help us understand the reality of the soul, that is, the differences between reality and cosmic illusion, or maya.
Part II Method of Practice offers the practice itself. We learn how to sit for practice and the “progressive stages of chanting.” We learn about the cosmic sound of “aum” and its importance. He explains the function of the three physiological centers that impact all spiritual practice in yoga.
The last subsection in Part II Method of Practice offers the affirmations themselves; for example, Affirmation for General Healing, Affirmation by Power of Thought, Affirmation for Material Success, Affirmations for Spiritual Success, and others.
Sample Affirmation
The following is an example of an affirmation for spiritual success:
One of my favorite affirmations is “My Heavenly Father is love, and I am made in His image. I am the sphere of love in which all planets, all stars, all beings, all creation are glimmering. I am the love that pervades the whole universe.” This affirmation helps one realize the concept of being related to everything in the cosmos: “I am the love in which all planets, all stars, all beings, all creation are glimmering.” It is through being one with this idea that one begins to understand how miracles work, how the avatars know our minds even when they are not on the earth.
These affirmations work, when we work them. Through our deep attention, affection, and determination, they explode from the soul like “vibration bombs” shattering the illness and instilling health in body and mind.
- Thou art Wisdom,
- And Thou dost know
- The cause and end of all things.
- I am Thy child;
- I want to know
- Life’s true mystery.
- Life’s true joyous duty.
- Thy wisdom in me shall show
- All things that Thou dost know,
- That Thou dost know.
One of my favorite affirmations is “My Heavenly Father is love, and I am made in His image. I am the sphere of love in which all planets, all stars, all beings, all creation are glimmering. I am the love that pervades the whole universe.” This affirmation helps one realize the concept of being related to everything in the cosmos: “I am the love in which all planets, all stars, all beings, all creation are glimmering.” It is through being one with this idea that one begins to understand how miracles work, how the avatars know our minds even when they are not on the earth.
These affirmations work, when we work them. Through our deep attention, affection, and determination, they explode from the soul like “vibration bombs” shattering the illness and instilling health in body and mind.
