The Alchemy of Praise
In 1906 there was an article published by Mrs. A.A. Pearson from Unity who discovered the power of praise through the crucible of pain. After exhausting all faith in doctors - who, despite their best efforts, could offer no relief - she turned to a healer, clinging to the possibility of hope as a drowning man grasps at a straw. Like Nicodemus in the night, she marveled as pain vanished at the healer’s spoken word. Yet, beyond the physical relief, she found something greater: a transformation of the mind and spirit. She felt herself being reborn, as if stepping from the shadows into a world illuminated by truth.
But the journey of awakening is rarely linear. Standing tall in her newfound strength, she was yet to learn a deeper lesson hidden in an old proverb: “He that thinketh he standeth, let him take heed lest he fall.” Just as suddenly as relief had come, the pain returned - this time more relentless, more insistent. Doubt crept in. Those around her echoed Job’s comforters, whispering skepticism: “I told you so. It’s all just hypnotism.” She found herself caught between two worlds - unable to go back, yet unable to move forward.
She did what she could. She affirmed. She denied. She read every book she could find. Yet the pain persisted, stubborn as ever. Until one moment, one revelation changed everything.
Lying on her couch, gripping the noon-hour affirmation with all the strength she had left, she shifted her perspective. The thought arose, unexpected yet undeniable: This pain is good. Without it, she would never have sought truth. Without it, she would never have discovered the power of Spirit. Gratitude welled up within her, not for the suffering itself, but for what it had led her to. From the depths of her being, a song of praise escaped her lips. She was no longer fighting the pain - she was alchemizing it. And in that moment, she transcended suffering. When she returned to herself, the pain was gone. It never returned.
Rumi once wrote, “Your depression is connected to insolence and your refusal to praise.” Science now affirms what mystics have long known - gratitude and praise are not merely poetic sentiments but powerful biochemical catalysts. Neuroscientific studies show that gratitude activates the brain’s reward system, increasing dopamine and serotonin levels, the very neurotransmitters that promote healing and well-being. Praise shifts our inner frequency, much like sound waves attuning an instrument, bringing harmony where discord once reigned.
Mrs. Pearson’s experience speaks to an eternal truth: Praise is not merely a reaction to good circumstances; it is the alchemy that transforms suffering into wisdom, despair into renewal. It is the hidden key that turns affliction into awakening.
Perhaps the lesson for all of us is this - when tIn 1906 there was an article published by Mrs. A.A. Pearson from Unity who discovered the power of praise through the crucible of pain. After exhausting all faith in doctors - who, despite their best efforts, could offer no relief - she turned to a healer, clinging to the possibility of hope as a drowning man grasps at a straw. Like Nicodemus in the night, she marveled as pain vanished at the healer’s spoken word. Yet, beyond the physical relief, she found something greater: a transformation of the mind and spirit. She felt herself being reborn, as if stepping from the shadows into a world illuminated by truth.
But the journey of awakening is rarely linear. Standing tall in her newfound strength, she was yet to learn a deeper lesson hidden in an old proverb: “He that thinketh he standeth, let him take heed lest he fall.” Just as suddenly as relief had come, the pain returned - this time more relentless, more insistent. Doubt crept in. Those around her echoed Job’s comforters, whispering skepticism: “I told you so. It’s all just hypnotism.” She found herself caught between two worlds - unable to go back, yet unable to move forward.
She did what she could. She affirmed. She denied. She read every book she could find. Yet the pain persisted, stubborn as ever. Until one moment, one revelation changed everything.
Lying on her couch, gripping the noon-hour affirmation with all the strength she had left, she shifted her perspective. The thought arose, unexpected yet undeniable: This pain is good. Without it, she would never have sought truth. Without it, she would never have discovered the power of Spirit. Gratitude welled up within her, not for the suffering itself, but for what it had led her to. From the depths of her being, a song of praise escaped her lips. She was no longer fighting the pain - she was alchemizing it. And in that moment, she transcended suffering. When she returned to herself, the pain was gone. It never returned.
Rumi once wrote, “Your depression is connected to insolence and your refusal to praise.” Science now affirms what mystics have long known - gratitude and praise are not merely poetic sentiments but powerful biochemical catalysts. Neuroscientific studies show that gratitude activates the brain’s reward system, increasing dopamine and serotonin levels, the very neurotransmitters that promote healing and well-being. Praise shifts our inner frequency, much like sound waves attuning an instrument, bringing harmony where discord once reigned.
Mrs. Pearson’s experience speaks to an eternal truth: Praise is not merely a reaction to good circumstances; it is the alchemy that transforms suffering into wisdom, despair into renewal. It is the hidden key that turns affliction into awakening.
Perhaps the lesson for all of us is this - when trials press in, when the old wounds resurface and nothing else is working, instead of resistance, try praise. Not as denial, but as transformation. Praise as an act of faith. Praise as a declaration of Truth. Praise as Prayer. Praise as the fire that refines the soul, turning base suffering into spiritual gold.
Blessings
Rachel x
AA Pearson's story first published in UNITY Magazine by Unity TRACT SOCIETY. Unity Building, 913-915 Tracy Avenue,Kansas City, Mo. in 1906.