ACIM, Free Will, and Predetermination

As I have stated often lately, I have come to see that consciousness is the Atonement, or the moment of the idea of God’s opposite (not-God) arising and simultaneously being undone by God’s All-encompassing nature, unfolding as time. Consciousness/time does not bring about the Atonement, but rather expresses it. Everything in consciousness/time leads to the inevitable outcome of the undoing of the impossible idea of not-God. Therefore, everything in consciousness/time is predetermined. We are only watching the Atonement unfold, not just in the world, but through the thoughts, feelings, and actions of the personal experience passing through our minds.

This led me to wonder why A Course in Miracles teaches that we have free will and are responsible for our own experiences, at minimum choosing to which teacher in our minds (ego or Spirit) we choose to listen at any given moment. Of course, it says itself in several ways, most notably “the script is written”, that consciousness is over. Over the years I noted this contradiction, but I could not understand predetermination, did not see or feel it, so I sided with free will.

 In fact, my shift to Spirit-consciousness over the past few years was a journey through a kind of membrane between ego and Spirit, and a large part of it was coming to take full responsibility for ego (see A Memoir of Christ: A Student of A Course in Miracles Awakens here). However, it was as I came out the other end of this process that I saw fully that consciousness is an expression and everything occurring in it is predetermined.

So, what has come to me in answer to why the Course puts so much emphasis on free will, choice, and responsibility is that it was not showing me what is so, but what I believed was so in ego-consciousness. The Course took me to the deepest level of the belief that free will, and therefore guilt, was real, and out the other side where I see that guilt is impossible because nothing real is occurring. Consciousness is simply a false idea passing by.

As I could not accept this until I saw it for myself, I realize as I teach it now that some will see it, some will see it later, and others will never see it. You should go with what you can see, what you experience, and what makes sense to you. Whatever your experience, it is an expression of the Atonement, and it is perfect. 

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If you have a question the answer to which you feel may be helpful to others, send it to Liz@acimmentor.com and I will answer it in this newsletter/blog.

Comments

will said…
Tolle has an interesting video on YouTube called "Where is the consciousness"?
12:37 PM
will said…
Wapnick comments: Vol. 7 Journey Through the Workbook; Lesson 253

"This is a reference to the statement from The Responsibility for Sight":

I AM responsible for what I see.
I choose the feelings I experience,
and I decide upon the goal I would achieve.
And everything that seems to happen to me I ask for, and receive as I have asked
(T-21.II.2:3-5).

"This needs to be understood on two levels:
(1) Metaphysically, everything in my life is my dream, for my mind has chosen all: genes, parents, body-gender, height, weight, skin color, etc.
(2) Experientially, I have chosen my reaction to what goes on here - a level much easier to relate to. If I am upset it is because I have chosen to be upset; not because of something you did."

Free will in the dream.
3:40 PM
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