How did Mary Baker Eddy test her developing ideas about spiritual healing?

Mary Baker Eddy tested her developing ideas about spiritual healing primarily through personal experience and the practical application of her findings. Following a significant recovery from a severe injury in 1866—which she attributed to a moment of spiritual illumination while reading a New Testament account of Jesus’ healing—she claimed to have undergone further healing experiences that served to validate her conclusions.12

Beyond these personal instances, Eddy refined and demonstrated her theories through:

• Scriptural Study: She engaged in years of intense study of the Bible to reconcile her experiences with Christianity.12
• Teaching and Writing: In 1870, she taught her first class on Christian Science and published The Science of Man by Which the Sick Are Healed. She later authored and repeatedly revised Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures, which served as the definitive textbook for her practice.12
• Practical Application: She conducted healing work and trained students at the Massachusetts Metaphysical College, whose successful practice helped expand the movement and further demonstrate her teachings.1