ACIM Chapter 4, II. The Ego and False Autonomy, P 9, 10,11. Myths and magic are closely associated, since myths are usually related to ego origins, and magic to the powers the ego ascribes to itself.
ACIM Chapter 4, II. The Ego and False Autonomy, P 9, 10, 11
II. The Ego and False Autonomy, P 9
9 Myths and magic are closely associated, since myths are usually related to ego origins, and magic to the powers the ego ascribes to itself. Mythological systems generally include some account of “the creation,” and associate this with its particular form of magic. The so-called “battle for survival” is only the ego’s struggle to preserve itself, and its interpretation of its own beginning. This beginning is usually associated with physical birth, because it is hard to maintain that the ego existed before that point in time. The more “religiously” ego-oriented may believe that the soul existed before, and will continue to exist after a temporary lapse into ego life. Some even believe that the soul will be punished for this lapse. However, salvation does not apply to spirit, which is not in danger and does not need to be salvaged.
I can hardly believe that I ever mistook the mythological story of birth and death seriously, and it is beyond belief that I still fall for it. The myth holds that we are born of our parents, perhaps to thrive, perhaps not, but always to struggle. Since struggle seems inevitable, we elevate the idea and congratulate ourselves when we do seem to survive. There are many variations on this same theme. When they are religious in nature, we see God as the sometimes helper and sometimes judge, and always fearful in nature. No wonder we live in such confusion and fear when we believe we cannot even depend on our Creator myth.
A Myth, a Fable, a Fairytale
None of this that we think of as life resembles reality. We don’t live at all. We dream of life, the ego’s life, which is only a myth, a fable, a fairytale. It is an ancient story based on a false belief. How did we convince ourselves of something so absurd, so far from the truth, that while life and Life run parallel, they can never meet? They will never reconcile, so one must be relinquished to experience the other.
And even that is an unreal thought because how does one relinquish reality for an illusion? One can only dream of illusions, imagine them, and pretend. One cannot actually undo reality in favor of the myth. We sleep and dream until we tire of our repetitious stories. Do you not tire of them now? It is our time to awaken, our time to turn from our mythological pretense and return to Reality. It is our time because we have made that decision.
10 II. The Ego and False Autonomy, P 10
10 Salvation is nothing more than “right-mindedness,” which is not the One-mindedness of the Holy Spirit, but which must be achieved before One-mindedness is restored. Right-mindedness leads to the next step automatically, because right perception is uniformly without attack, and therefore wrong-mindedness is obliterated. The ego cannot survive without judgment, and is laid aside accordingly. The mind then has only one direction in which it can move. Its direction is always automatic, because it cannot but be dictated by the thought system to which it adheres.
In this paragraph, Jesus de-mystifies salvation and makes it simple to understand. Salvation is nothing more than “right-mindedness,” he tells us. This is why our job is to undo the ego or allow the Holy Spirit to correct our thinking or to accept the Atonement. ⁶Forgiveness, salvation, Atonement, true perception, all are one. (ACIM, C-4.3:6)
Through our desire for God and with the Holy Spirit’s help, all we are doing is letting go of the wrong-minded belief in separation. The mind will, then, automatically go in the direction of One-mindedness. Without the ego thought of separation, there will be no other direction to go.
Ego and Judgment
Jesus said something else that is essential to our process of letting go. ³The ego cannot survive without judgment, and is laid aside accordingly. (ACIM, T-4.II.10:3) You may want to think about that for a moment: The ego cannot survive without judgment. As we let go of judgment, the whole ego thought system comes unglued and falls apart on its own. I am learning to watch my mind for judgmental thoughts.
Ego judgments can be subtle sometimes, especially now that I look for them, but I am training myself to recognize judgment in all its forms. In an earlier paragraph, Jesus told us that he would substitute for our ego if we wanted him to. So, when I notice I am judging, I remember that Jesus is now substituting for my ego, and he will judge for me, and his judgment is always that I am innocent. So is everyone else.
Sometimes I become frustrated with myself because I still choose ego. I will hear myself say something catty about someone and cringe as it comes out of my mouth. I will feel regretful because I have taught what I don’t want to learn, and I have set my brother back on his path. This is judgment.
I Am God’s Son
I have judged myself as sinful, foolish, thoughtless, or whatever other word I want to give it. Now I have a choice. I can accept the ego’s judgment or remember that I don’t have to depend on the ego. I have entrusted my ego to Jesus; his judgment is the Holy Spirit’s judgment, which is that I am innocent.
If I think to judge myself, I return to this from the workbook.
I am God’s Son, complete and healed and whole, shining in the reflection of His Love. ²In me is His creation sanctified and guaranteed eternal life. ³In me is love perfected, fear impossible, and joy established without opposite. ⁴I am the holy home of God Himself. ⁵I am the Heaven where His Love resides. ⁶I am His holy Sinlessness Itself, for in my purity abides His Own. (ACIM, W-pII.14.1:1-6)
Does this sound like something I could judge? And for it to be true for me, it must be true for all. Now where is the judgment I thought to lay on my brother?
Innocence
As soon as the thought of innocence enters my mind, sanity returns. I remember asking that my innocence be revealed to me. I ask that the other person’s innocence be revealed to me. As this is done, I feel love for myself and everyone involved. I am forgiven my lapse into judgment, and I know I am innocent of any wrongdoing. My mind is returned to its natural state of peace, and that peace automatically flows outward to envelop my brothers. It is all so simple and so perfect and so brilliant.
All that is required of me is vigilant mind-watching and a willingness to be healed. At first, the vigilance seemed like hard work, but after a while, even the vigilance becomes easy and natural. The outcome of this undoing work is so elevating that I am highly motivated to continue it. The mind recognizes peace and joy and naturally turns to it if not deliberately moved to something else through wrong-minded thinking.
II. The Ego and False Autonomy, P 11
11 It cannot be emphasized too often that correcting perception is merely a temporary expedient. It is necessary only because misperception is a block to knowledge, while accurate perception is a stepping-stone towards it. The whole value of right perception lies in the inevitable realization that all perception is unnecessary. This removes the block entirely. You may ask how this is possible as long as you appear to be living in this world. That is a reasonable question. You must be careful, however, that you really understand it. Who is the “you” who are living in this world? Spirit is immortal, and immortality is a constant state. It is as true now as it ever was or ever will be, because it implies no change at all. It is not a continuum, nor is it understood by being compared to an opposite. Knowledge never involves comparisons. That is its main difference from everything else the mind can grasp.
Perception: A Neurological Process
I have to stop occasionally and remind myself what perception really is. The dictionary defines it as a neurological process of observation and interpretation. Interpretation implies that it could be more than one meaning, depending on how I see it. Once the ego is undone, there will be no more interpretation. All will be known, and the known will never change. I am so accustomed to variation and comparison that I hardly know how to describe certainty, but I am learning.
For the most part, my mind has been focused solely on correcting my misperceptions. I know that I aim to undo the ego, or to put it another way, to remove the blocks to Love’s presence. I had seldom thought past that because it was, for me, an all-consuming job. But Jesus doesn’t want us to lose sight of the end game. Yes, we are to allow our perceptions to be corrected, but ultimately, all perception becomes unnecessary.
As I asked the Holy Spirit to heal my mind (correct my perceptions), I was building a bridge. My right perceptions brought me to a point where I was ready for all perceptions to be released. In my mind, I have seen this as me being taught the truth, then when I had enough clarity to want more, being led to something else.
More to Be Done
There is still a bit more work to do, more undoing of the ego, but I have taken a leap recently. I have shifted from the ego self to something else. Not entirely clear yet, but getting there. I accept my true nature, and though the ego mind still offers me my old self, I don’t slip right back into character as before because I am not so easily confused. I choose to remain in the Kingdom, to remain my true self.
When the mind is completely healed of all misperception, I will know myself, and there will be no confusion about who I am. I won’t be a better Myron. I won’t be Myron with clarity. Rather, I will know myself as spirit, and I will know all there is to know, and perception will become inconceivable. And even that is not the end. I will know myself as one with All That Is. The separate self will cease to exist.
In this paragraph, Jesus asks this question. Who is the “you” who are living in this world? I have undone enough that I am being pointed to this question. I am practicing asking for the answer. I am not asking the ego or a teacher or looking for the right book. Instead, I am asking within and waiting patiently for the answer. I wait patiently because Love is patient. I ask consistently because I want to know, and words that remind me of who I am are no longer adequate as an answer. So I still my mind for as long as I can and wait for Reality to show Itself.
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