As Though It Should Be Different

“Dreams are perceptual temper tantrums, in which you literally scream, "I want it thus!" And thus it seems to be. And yet the dream cannot escape its origin. Anger and fear pervade it, and in an instant the illusion of satisfaction is invaded by the illusion of terror. For the dream of your ability to control reality by substituting a world that you prefer is terrifying. Your attempts to blot out reality are very fearful, but this you are not willing to accept. And so you substitute the fantasy that reality is fearful, not what you would do to it. And thus is guilt made real.” (T-18.II.4)

A Course in Miracles likens the experience of the universe of form to a dream that is a temper tantrum against Reality (Truth/God). The dreamer is the “Son of God” (split-mind) and the self with which you identify is a figure in the dream, one of billions of projections of the Son of God. (To be clear: This dream is only a meaningless idea of the opposite-of-God that has no intention behind it. Only within the dream does the dream seem to have the intention to be in defiance of God).

There are many layers to the way ACIM addresses the idea of “dreams”. The section that includes the quote above begins with the dreams you have at night when you sleep. Then it segues into discussing the whole experience of form as a dream. In any case, any dream is an attempt to have another reality, whether that new reality is meant to replace the “reality” of the awake-dream or to replace Reality Itself with the awake-dream. And it is not the dream-to-replace-reality (the universe of form) or Reality that are frightening. Your resistance to them and your attempts to change them frighten you by increasing your guilt. Only if the world is real are you guilty. And you only try to change it because you think it’s real.

So in identification with the ego (personal thought system) you resist not only Reality but the reality (universe of form) that is meant to replace It. On a daily basis you struggle against the way things are in the world.  A lot of the sense of being a victim that one has in the world comes from an often unconscious belief that the world is supposed to be different from the way that it is. It is an unconscious belief not just that the world is perfectible, but that the perfect world is here and that somehow you are kept from reaching it.

For example, Georgette leaves job after job because in each job she finds that she is in conflict with someone. Well, yeah, the world is a place of conflict between personal identities (egos). She will be in conflict with everyone she knows sometimes. And she will be in conflict with someone in every situation. The process of growth into full adulthood is adjusting to this by taking responsibility for one’s own attitudes, beliefs and behaviors to mitigate conflicts. But Georgette’s attitude is that there is a job out there where she will get along with absolutely everybody all the time. This may not be a conscious attitude, but unconsciously she goes from job to job seeking for the perfect situation. And when she can’t find it she feels that she is being unfairly deprived.

The world is not a perfect place and it never will be. It is not meant to be. It is the idea of the opposite of Perfection (Truth). It is a place of lack and conflict and dysfunction. It is not perfectible because then it wouldn’t be what it is. If it was perfectible it would no longer be the opposite of Perfection.


This does not mean that you should never work to change things in the world for what you think would be the better. But it does mean that you have to accept that you will never change the world to be perfect. If you seek to improve (the world as well as the self with which you identify) rather than perfect, you take a lot of pressure off yourself. And you eliminate a sense of victimhood, too. The world is not perfect for anyone.

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Comments

hannah said…
big big hugs and love to you once again liz.

the synchronicity here on your blog is like the most beautiful dance. thanks for helping me to trust the Tango ;) seriously though, thanks for helping me to stop taking it all seriously!
will said…
I had to 'drop out' on what is going on in the world. Politics is the itch you can't quite scratch. You keep going back and going back. You get stirred up watching the news. You want to stop but the physical rush of anger that comes with politics and TV is like a drug. You want that fix. It's a special relationship. Misery loves company so when I said there's nothing I can do about any of it, I'm powerless, I got a lot of flak. My neighbor said "You can't do that!"
And he was very close to being right but not in the way he thought. It's an addiction. You just have to go cold turkey. Special relationships, politics, things like "being green' or women's rights or guns, you name it, are things that I just have to leave to others.
Anonymous said…
I am reminded of a quote from J. Krishnamurti . . .

"There is great happiness in not wanting, in not being something, in not going somewhere".

Deb

Annie said…
The article and above comments were a wonderful read this morning.

Thank you all.

Annie
Christine said…
Deb - yes!
will said…
This comment has been removed by the author.
Anonymous said…

"(To be clear: This dream is only a meaningless idea of the opposite-of-God that has no intention behind it. Only within the dream does the dream seem to have the intention to be in defiance of God)."
Could you explain this a bit more? For example, do we ever become cognizant that we are in defiance of God? And what would that feel like?
Anonymous said…
Will,

If you find enjoyment in movies, this site by David Hoffmeister may interest you. http://mwge.org/

Deb
will said…
I'll check it out Deb
will said…
Deb, I try to stay on track with what Liz is doing but sometimes get a little off course.
ACIM Mentor said…
Anonymous, you will have times, if you have not already, when you are in ego and want to reject God (or Holy Spirit or whatever you call It). This can show up as wanting to throw ACIM across the room, deciding to "divorce" the Holy Spirit, deciding all spirituality is hooey and giving it up for good, etc. (Of course you've come too far and this temper-tantrum passes).

However, I've never found "defiance" on a deeper level. On a deeper level I've seen how the universe of form is the opposite of God in every way. But it is just a meaningless idea without any intention behind it. It just is as God just is, but what it is, is impossible.
Anonymous said…
I too get off course which I've been calling it, lost in illusion but when that happens, I have presence of mind to ask, "what is it for" and then insight shines in . . . "oh, I see, I haven't learned that lesson yet".

For the past 3 years, learning and guidance came mostly in the form of special love and hate relationships, sleeping dreams and music, television and movies to some degree. This classroom is expansive but for me, it is changing. Special relationships are falling away, television at night and music has lessoned as did nightly dreaming. I am now being led to meditate more and as Liz has shared, these changes came about naturally.

Blessings, Deb
Christine said…
Yes - Deb, Ken Wapnick used to say that, ask, "What is it for?" And I think that doesn't mean specifically - but is it to strengthen My Awareness of Truth (etc.), or is it to block my Awareness of Truth?
Anonymous said…
I just came upon an old notebook and I opened it to this quote, "Does this impede or contribute to my goal of awakening from the ego's dream of separation?" Then I wrote . . .This question will shift focus from bodies of the world, the home of all special relationships, to it's Source and will surely take me home.

So many ways to say the same thing. Heck, when I use to be impatient on my path I would tell myself "wake up already".

Sweet Truth dear ones, Deb
jerryo said…

My ego ( what i see as the emotional defense grid )
really doesn't like the Course in Miracles



will said…
I was watching a speech on YouTube called “Achieving Your Potential” by Garry Kasparov. He is one of the greatest chess players of all time. He gave an example of a gifted physics student that opted to become a patent lawyer. He gained security and luxury but in doing that he gave up his dream of solving the mystery of the universe. Talk about a tap on the shoulder by the Holy Spirit! The HS was letting me know that is what I am doing. Einstein spent his life working on that along with thousands of other scientists since. The HS was getting through to me in terms that would have an impact on me. It might not mean a thing to others. I just thought that was so cool, “solving the mystery of the universe.”
Desert Dreams said…
Will, I know what you mean about getting those 'messages'. I think they are more common than we realize but we have to actually 'see' them (or hear them) when they come to us (from us).

And I feel I know what you mean about the 'solving of the universe', because my whole quandary started with not being able to perceive 'infinity'. I couldn't see how others could blithely go through life not wanting to solve this mystery! Whenever I tried to explain how this inability to perceive or conceive of 'infinity' confounded me, they would give me the weirdest look.... Like we're not suppose to care.

I always guessed that it would take a whole new and different 'reality' to be able to explain something that has no end... Because everything we know through our 'senses' is finite.

And so, the Course comes along and Non-Duality comes along and blows my mind. And of course I get freaked out and my ego wants to grab me by the throat and stop all this foolishness. Ha ha.

When I'm my bravest, I read 'Consciousness is All' by Dziuban but then I only want to dive back into the dream again for safety.

So it's an interesting ride.

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