ACIM Daily Lesson 313 Now let a new perception come to me. 1. Father, there is a vision which beholds all things as sinless, so that fear has gone, and where it was is love invited in.

Lesson 313

Now let a new perception come to me.

1. Father, there is a vision which beholds all things as sinless, so that fear has gone, and where it was is love invited in. ²And love will come wherever it is asked. ³This vision is Your gift. ⁴The eyes of Christ look on a world forgiven. ⁵In His sight are all its sins forgiven, for He sees no sin in anything He looks upon. ⁶Now let His true perception come to me, that I may waken from the dream of sin and look within upon my sinlessness, which You have kept completely undefiled upon the altar to Your holy Son, the Self with which I would identify.

2. Let us today behold each other in the sight of Christ. ²How beautiful we are! ³How holy and how loving! ⁴Brother, come and join with me today. ⁵We save the world when we have joined. ⁶For in our vision it becomes as holy as the light in us.

I have pain in my foot this morning as often happens.

As I read this lesson, I enveloped my foot in love. I looked with the eyes of Christ at it as forgiven. In His eyes, all is forgiven; He sees no sin in anything he looks upon. And, after all, what could pain be except a mistaken expression of sin? I ask for true perception that I might look upon my sinlessness. My sinlessness is what is true about me, so it is there for me to see instead of this symbol of the belief in sin. I make my choice this morning, and I believe in my choice. I believe in miracles.

We, the Sons of God, are beautiful and very holy. May we always remember that this is the truth of us regardless of the illusions all around. Because I believe in miracles, I extend them at every opportunity. I look at apparent tragedy, and I see the miracle. I look at sin and see sinlessness. And if I fail to remember my purpose, I forgive the failure. On that clean slate, I begin again to remember the truth. Join me in this joyful purpose, for it is yours as well. We are here to save the world. And as we join, our vision becomes as holy as the light in us.

Regina’s Tips

Imagine that you are born with poor eyesight. Your eyesight is so poor that you often mistake one thing for another because you cannot see well. One day you realize that the cause of your confusion is poor eyesight, and so you get glasses, which corrects your eyesight. Now you can see clearly. As a result, your confusion also disappears. This is like awakening from ego-consciousness to Christ-consciousness. What both forms of consciousness have in common is a type of seeing. With ego-consciousness, there is poor eyesight, which leads to confusion. With Christ-consciousness, there is clear eyesight and clarity. Using this symbol, the final awakening is like having no eyes at all.

In the previous paragraph, “eyes” are a symbol for the sense of self. The poor eyesight is like the wrong sense of self, the idea that you are a person in a world. That leads to a lot of confusion about everything. The corrected eyesight is like the divine sense of self, knowing one’s self as consciousness. There is great clarity and right-mindedness with everything. But the final awakening is no sense of self. It is like no eyes in the previous analogy. There is nothing to see, because there is no sense of self (no eyes) to see it.

This is what the mind cannot imagine. The sense of self cannot imagine the final awakening. That is why the final awakening is fearful to our current sense of self. That is also why there is an intermediate stage between ego and truth, the stage of Christ-consciousness.

My Thoughts

I enjoy Regina’s analogies. She is really good at simplifying ideas. I also like that she explained why the final awakening can be scary. It isn’t actually frightening; just so impossible to imagine that our current sense of self doesn’t know what to do with it, and so fears it. I can understand that, and it helps any unease I might have to understand where the fear comes from. Human beings don’t like change at all, even change that promises to be good. So, naturally, the idea of change that is not relatable will feel upsetting, but that doesn’t mean it is a bad thing.

Regina

The plan for awakening from ego-consciousness to Christ-consciousness, which is a transformation of the sense of self, is gentle. Instead of having the sense of self ripped away from us, which would also end everything we know and believe to be true, there is a gentle transformation to a state of ‘no fear’ first. This state of ‘no fear’ or Christ-consciousness is our current goal. Although it is helpful to know that it is not the end of the path, we do not need to think about the final awakening yet. In fact, we can’t think about it. It is beyond the capability of our imagination. So, we will take one step at a time as we travel from fear and judgment to love and acceptance. That is the journey we are on now.

My Thoughts

I don’t have to think about the final awakening. It wouldn’t do me any good anyway since it is beyond my capability to do so. I just need to keep taking the next step toward love. This is why I am letting a new perception of some body issues come to me now. It is a step out of fear and into love. In addition to what I already know about perception and how to change my mind, I am using Regina’s process.

1. Look when judgment happens.
2. Notice the perception of separation that is caused by judgment.
3. Remember your desire to see without separation.
4. Let go of your judgment simply because it conflicts with what you truly want.

I had an opportunity to do this today.

When I went for my check-up, my doctor wanted me to get some tests done at the hospital. As soon as I went into the hospital, I began to feel vulnerable. It was weird because the tests were no big deal and probably will not lead anywhere. But as I mentioned, I am letting a new perception of some body issues come to me now. The way they come is to notice the old perceptions so that they can be corrected.

So old perceptions that must still have some place in my mind began to rise in my awareness. As sometimes happens in cases like this, I was confused about why these feelings were occurring. I didn’t put it together as an answer to my prayer for further healing. But I knew what to do, so this morning, I talked to Jesus about it.

I looked at the judgment in my mind.

Because of my confusion, the whole mess of thoughts was a tangle in my mind, and my ego kept making a big deal of it. So, I got out my Jesus Diary and wrote it all out. This way, the ego cannot hijack my intention. I wrote down each thought that came into my mind, and then I described each feeling that followed. I was radically honest and held nothing back.

I noticed the perception of separation that is caused by judgment.

I had gone from being perfectly peaceful and looking forward to a pleasant day after the office visit. I was seeing a new doctor and wondered what he would be like. When he walked in, he seemed very young, and so the judgments began. I was no longer in perfect peace because I had placed a small gap between us. The gap grew with each judgment, and separation does not bring me peace, nor does it lead to awakening.

I remembered my desire to see without separation.

This is why I chose not to give into ego thinking and feelings of vulnerability. I could see the ego bringing out the big guns questioning everything I know to be true. But I have a strong desire for a mind that is clear of separation thinking.

I let go of my judgment simply because it conflicts with what I truly want.

After I had written out all my crazy thoughts and let myself feel the emotions they caused, I waited for my healing. I knew it would come because it always does and because it is promised to me. And yes, I went from anxious and frustrated to peaceful and happy in just moments.

Past Entries

I add these past entries because, in each one, I am learning something new to me. I suspect that most of us go through the same process even when the form of the problem is different. That is why I share them; maybe they will be helpful to someone else, even if it is just to reassure them that there is nothing wrong with them. Our experiences of this process of awakening are normal and expected.

When I did this lesson in 2007, I was on the edge of a major shift in my thinking. I sensed it was a giant step in the direction of awakening, and I noticed a lot of fear and resistance. I was afraid of the fear and resistance because I was afraid it meant I might not defeat it. I understood that only I could keep myself away from God, and I thought the presence of the resistance in my mind meant that I was in danger of keeping myself forever separate. It was very scary. I talked to the Holy Spirit about this.

Me: I do want to reject ego thoughts, but I want to look at them with You first, Holy Spirit. I want to be sure my rejection is the result of Your correction and not the result of denial on my part. I give my awareness to this process today. I cannot go backward, and I cannot stay where I am. I am clear on that. Forward is the only direction remaining. Holy Spirit, do you have any suggestions for me?

Holy Spirit: I understand your fear and your resistance.

It was hard for you to even ask that question. But that you did ask shows that you are determined to stay with Me. I thank you for your determination. Allow your determination to be held loosely in your mind. I am not suggesting it is unimportant, but that it should not become the stubborn will of the ego. This is not something you can make happen on that level. Simply know that you will for the truth and allow that to be your determination.

Your prayer this morning was for the courage to go the edge of the abyss and look into it. I will be there with you when you do because that is your will also. Allow this to unfold in perfect timing, and it will be easy and less frightening for you. You do not have to brace yourself and hold your breath, my friend. You have much enlightened help, and I am with you always because I am in your mind. There truly is nothing to fear. In the end, you will look into the abyss and see that what you feared is nothing, for it has no meaning other than the meaning you give it.

Me: Holy Spirit, I am afraid to let go of my determination because I am afraid I will lose this opportunity to move forward. I am afraid that if I don’t hold onto it, I will forget to do it. I am also afraid I will not have the courage to return to it. I know I resist because there is a veil of confusion around it. I am not even clear on what I am resisting.

Holy Spirit: Holy child, you will not lose your way now because it is no longer your will to be lost.

You hear the voice of the ego warning you of your weakness. The ego will always speak thus, but in every instance, you are free to see that it is a lie. It is not the Voice for God that would tell you to be careful or you will lose your only chance at salvation. It is not the Voice for God that would tell you that you are in danger of not succeeding. Allow that false voice to move past you rather than absorbing it into your consciousness. Do not resist it, and do not accept it. Just look at it. I will look with you.

Me: I look forward to my new perception.

2015

Jesus says that we can ask for vision, and in asking, we can see what we all are rather than what we made to take its place. Right now, where I am, I am asking to see this. When I notice that I am judging, I ask Holy Spirit how He sees this person or this situation. But what I am moving toward is being able to see nothing else. Cate Grieves has a video on her Facebook timeline in which she says that on awakening, she began to see God in everything.

The reason this is possible for us all is that God really is there, even now, while we pretend He is not. We are able to maintain this pretense through judgment. Where we insist on seeing guilt, we will not see God because there is no guilt in God. This is why I dedicate my time to allowing my mind to be healed of the idea of guilt. I want to see God, and since God is there, I cannot fail. I will make that choice over and over until I have convinced myself I can always see God no matter what the apparent circumstances and that I want to see God regardless of appearances and regardless of ego objections.

2016

Let us today behold each other in the sight of Christ. How beautiful we are! How holy and how loving! Brother, come and join with me today. We save the world when we have joined. For in our vision it becomes as holy as the light in us.

This prayer is what I was drawn to this morning. How beautiful we are! How holy and how loving! When we join, when we accept our unity, this is what we are. I can’t help but realize that when I separate myself from someone else, I don’t feel beautiful and loving. I don’t recognize my holiness. I feel like the ego’s interpretation of me.

Here is something that happened one day. I was talking to a co-worker who was being insulting. She has no idea that her words and behavior are seen this way, but to everyone else, it is obvious. I looked over at another coworker, and obviously, he was in total agreement with me.

Here is what I felt. At first, I felt justified in my judgment, and that was supported by the other person who was there. Later he told me about his own experience with this person, and this added weight to my judgment. But then I felt something else. I felt a loss of peace. I felt regretful for my choice to look at her with the ego instead of the Holy Spirit.

But, jeez, I was so right about her.

And for a while, I argued for my right to judge her. Quickly though, my justifications seemed less important as I felt the darkness and the heaviness of ego in my mind. I saw what had happened, and I experienced the effects, and I didn’t like them.

It is so strange to me that even now, I feel a reluctance to accept this coworker, to feel myself move toward union with her. It is like her abrasive personality is contagious or something, and I don’t want to catch it. But I think it is really that I am still clinging to the ego belief in self-determination. I get to decide who is worthy to join with me, even as I realize that I cannot be whole without her.

Holy Spirit, please heal me of my insanity. I want to know myself as beautiful, holy, and loving, and so I want to know her as beautiful, holy, and loving. I want to behold her in the sight of Christ, and I don’t know how to do that, but I know I want it. I know that you can answer my true desire. Thank you.

Contemplation 2025

To enjoy the Pathways of Light Insights on ACIM Lesson 313 click here.

If you found this content helpful, please share on social media so more people can read and learn.