A Course in Miracles Text Made Simple

To gain the most from A Course in Miracles Text Made Simple, we recommend that
you read the corresponding chapter and section in the Text of the Second or
Third Edition of A Course in Miracles published by the Foundation for Inner Peace.

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Chapter 2: The Separation and the Atonement

Section VII: Cause and Effect

Read ACIM Chapter 2, Section VII (pages 31-33)

What is the true cause of our experience?

In this section it is emphasized that our thoughts are the cause of our experience. If our thoughts are inducing fear, we need mind training in order to avoid miscreation, which is choosing to believe that we are separate from Love, our Source. In the previous section we learned that fear arises from lack of Love and that the the only remedy is perfect Love.

Miscreating — believing in lack of Love — causes conflict, pain and fear. Our experience of pain and fear is caused by our own thoughts, trying to think lovelessly, unlike God. We are free to choose whatever we want to think, but we are not free to choose the effects of our thoughts. There is always a thought that is the cause behind every effect. Whatever thoughts we choose will have inevitable effects. If we want to change the effect, we must change the cause, which is our thoughts.

Why does Jesus say it is inappropriate to pray to have our fear taken away?

It is inappropriate to pray to have our fear taken away because fear is an effect, and the answer to this prayer would require tampering with the basic law of cause and effect. In this section Jesus says, “If I intervened between your thoughts and their results, I would be tampering with the basic law of cause and effect; the most fundamental law there is. I would hardly help you if I depreciated the power of your own thinking. This would be in direct opposition to the purpose of this course. It is much more helpful to remind you that you do not guard your thoughts carefully enough.” (1:4-7) It is appropriate to ask for help with changing the loveless thoughts that are the cause of fear. The Holy Spirit, or Jesus as His manifestation, offers us the mind training that will lead us to miracle-minded thinking, which is the change of mind that releases fear. But we must be willing to accept this training.

How does the Holy Spirit help us recognize the true source of our fear?

The training begins with teaching us how to recognize our loveless thoughts, not deny that they are there. Once we recognize the lack of love in our thinking, it is important not to dwell or ruminate on it, for this just reinforces the error. We do not solve the problem by worrying or analyzing and dissecting it. We need to take the next step of bringing these loveless thoughts of separation to the Holy Spirit with an open mind to receive His correction. Handing our thoughts over to the Holy Spirit for correction means we are recognizing that the true source of our fear lies with our loveless thoughts. As we are willing to hand these thoughts over, we are choosing the real solution to every problem.

We may have thoughts that cause fear, but what we fear is really nothing. Because we believe in the body and what the body’s eyes show us, it doesn’t seem like we are fearing nothing. The body and the entire world of form are the effect of believing in the illusion of separation and are thus themselves illusions. By definition an illusion is nothing.

When take our loveless thoughts to the Holy Spirit with an open mind, He gives us a new perception, a different way of seeing the situation. He helps us think outside the ego box of belief that separation is real. He helps us see that our fear was based on the mistaken idea that anyone is different from God’s Love. As we are willing to accept the Holy Spirit’s correction, He will always bring us to see the Love in everyone and recognize our wholeness and unity with God’s one Son.

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