A Course in Miracles Text Made Simple

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Chapter 13: The Guiltless World

Section X: Release from Guilt

Read ACIM Chapter 13, Section X (pages 262-266)

How do hallucinations of separation arise?

With the false idea of separation from God’s oneness comes guilt. When we hold these false ideas of separation and guilt in our mind, we expect punishment, thus making guilt fearful. These ideas are at the core of the ego thought system from which hallucinations of separation arise.

In an attempt to protect ourselves from the fearful thoughts of guilt and punishment that come with belief in separation, we try to displace or project the source of guilt outside us. We try to see the source of guilt where it is not. We deny that the source of guilt is a false idea we are holding on to in our mind. We project the guilt onto our bodies and onto other individuals we believe are outside us.

This strategy seems to alleviate some of the fear, but it also hides the real source of guilt, still in our minds, from our awareness. As long as we are unaware of the real source of guilt, which comes from believing in the false idea of separation, we will not escape the guilt. If we were to recognize the falsity of separation — the real source of guilt — we would realize it is just an insane idea and easily let it go.

How does Jesus describe a real relationship?

When we use a relationship as a means for projecting our guilt, there is no recognition of unity and therefore no real relationship. “[The relationship] is not shared, and so it is not real.” (2:10) Where there is a belief in separation — a sense of being an individual — there cannot be a real relationship. Real relationships come with recognition of unity.

When we do not share a relationship, we are seeing the ‘other’ as different from us. We are not seeing the other as the Holy Spirit sees him. Rather we are seeing the guilt in our own minds projected onto him. When we project the guilt that lies in our minds onto our brother, the guilt still remains in our mind and actually maintains it rather than releasing us from it.

Why does the ego always seek to find guilt in our relationships?

This section helps us clearly see the ego’s strategy for avoiding guilt, and the Holy Spirit’s plan for complete release from guilt. Because guilt is the glue that holds the ego together, the ego does not really want full release from guilt. But because guilt and the fear that comes with it are intolerable if fully recognized, the ego seeks for ways to project the guilt and see it ‘somewhere else.’ This provides the means for the ego to maintain guilt while keeping the pain at a low enough level that we won’t seek a better way.

One of the principal places the ego tries to project or displace guilt is in relationships with others. The ego always sees relationships with others as a means of projecting guilt. This projection blinds us to the vision that would show us the truth in our brothers. Instead, what we perceive in others is really our own belief in guilt projected on to them. Thus we don’t really have a relationship with that brother. We are just maintaining a “relationship” with our own projected image.

How does the Holy Spirit’s use our relationships?

On the other hand, the Holy Spirit’s use for relationships with our brothers is to show us the purity of Love in them, which reminds us of the Love in ourselves. By using the relationship to show us the Love in our brothers and ourselves, the Holy Spirit teaches us of our unity. We learn that there is no difference between us. Ultimately we learn to love all equally. It is this unified Love given equally to all that is the holy relationship that the Holy Spirit brings us. “You cannot enter into real relationships with any of God’s Sons unless you love them all and equally. Love is not special.” (11:1-2)

As we learn about the true meaning of Love from the Holy Spirit, we will let go of the special love that the ego offers. We will learn to love truly and see that we all are equal in God’s Love. Our relationships thus become free of guilt, for all projections have been laid down and we see our brothers completely free of the past. Thus we will be able to say, “Behold the Son of God, and look upon his purity and be still. In quiet look upon his holiness, and offer thanks unto his Father that no guilt has ever touched him.” (11:10-11)

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