Ask: Can you discuss the use of words that evoke entities in ACIM?

 …One thing that I stumble on in the Course is the use of proper nouns in the Course (like the holy spirit or ego). They evoke in me concepts of an entity which are separate from the one existence, that is indescribable, but is referred to as God in the Course…I would like to read your explanation that dispels the concepts of these terms without proper nouns. –FD

 

Proper nouns are names that are capitalized, usually for a person, a place, an organization, etc. In A Course in Miracles, Christ, Holy Spirit, Son of God and other words are capitalized to indicate it is speaking of God or something to do with God. Therefore, ego is never capitalized (unless it is the first word in a sentence, of course), as it represents the idea of not-God.

The words A Course in Miracles uses to discuss your experience of God in consciousness, as well as parts of your mind, are for you in your experience of consciousness, and are not from God’s perspective. In God there is only God, so of course God does not have parts or need labels. Nor is God concerned with the idea of not-God (ego), which is impossible given God’s All-encompassing nature.

In consciousness, you cannot experience God as God is because consciousness is limited. But you can experience God’s extension into consciousness and have a consciousness, or awareness, of God. That would be the way to understand God in consciousness without using proper nouns or other labels. But those labels are there for a purpose, so that you do not confuse your limited experience of God in consciousness with God as God is. What you are aware of God in consciousness is called Christ and Christ’s extension into consciousness is called the Holy Spirit or just Spirit. Again, these are helpful from your perspective in consciousness and are not meant to imply God has “parts.”

While ego is separate from God (and therefore from you), Spirit is God’s extension and your True Self in consciousness. That words like ego and Spirit evoke in your mind entities has to do with the connotation your mind gives them. They are simply labels given to either your experience of not-God (ego) or of God (Spirit) in consciousness.


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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…
T-31 is about concepts.
11:11 AM
will said…
"Pre-enlightenment," the atonement process (the world, our selves) appears as "ego."
1:23 PM
will said…
If you are looking for it, you cannot see the atonement pre-enlightenment. You can only take comfort in watching (as Jesus would say) the horror of the ego illusion.
1:53 PM
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