What Spiritual Sight Sees

           Sometimes I am asked, “What do you see with spiritual Sight?” In A Course in Miracles, spiritual Sight is called right or true perception, the perception of the Holy Spirit, or the real world.

Some seem to expect to see a different material world or to only see loving actions between bodies in the material world. But spiritual Sight does not involve the body’s eyes or the material world. It is a perception (consciousness) of the mind. Spirit sees Spirit, which can also be called Its Self, Love, or Unity (Oneness).

The reason this is hard to understand until you have the experience is because ego obscures the perception of the mind by projecting its perceptions onto material forms seen by the body’s eyes. Spirit extends Spirit. And ego also extends itself but denies it is seeing itself. (Projection = extension + denial)

Another way to put this is Spirit’s Seeing is only content—the content of the mind, which in Spirit’s case is only Spirit. Ego’s seeing is also its content, but it projects this onto material forms to obscure the awareness that what you see is a perception in your own mind.

Spirit says, “I am at peace because I am peace.” Ego says, “I am upset because…” Fill in the blank—you saw something you didn’t like, someone said or did something you didn’t like, something’s not going your way, etc. But, in fact, you are upset because you are in ego-consciousness. Upset is the content of ego-consciousness but it projects this away, so it seems a world outside of you has caused your upset.

In fact, it is not until you experience spiritual Sight that you can understand how ego works, because Spirit does not hide how the mind works and ego does. So, once you see with Spirit, you understand how ego works, too. The covers are off. Ego cannot escape the Law of Mind (God) that Mind only knows Its Self (in God there is only God). So, it must deny it.

A follow-up question is often, “How can you be in the world with spiritual Sight?” Spirit registers appearances in the world, it simply is not focused on content that gives it meaning, makes it real, as ego is. This is why we say Spirit sees beyond appearances or overlooks appearances. Material forms are not relevant to spiritual Sight, whereas for ego, they are crucial to disguise that its content is coming from your mind.

In fact, your mind is quite often on something that does not involve what the body’s eyes see:

 

You are doing the dishes, but your mind is chewing on a problem at work. You are hardly aware that you are doing the dishes and are surprised when you see you are done.

 

You drive to your local supermarket while your mind furiously replays an argument you just had with your teenager. You are half-way through the store when you have to stop and tune in to remember what you came to pick up. You hardly remember driving to the store.

 

You are pulling weeds while your mind is processing an interesting documentary you just watched, so you don’t find it a chore.

 

A friend is telling you, for the one millionth time, what is wrong with her husband. You “tune out” as you mull over options for dinner.

 

There is a difference, though, between these experiences and spiritual Sight. In these experiences, your mind is not present to what is appearing, and its thoughts are “somewhere else.” Spirit’s Seeing is present to Its Self, which is closer than the material world, which Spirit experiences as merely appearing before It. For Spirit, Its Content is all and appearances just happen to be there.

 

>>>> 

If you have a question the answer to which you feel may be helpful to others, send it to Liz@acimmentor.com and indicate that you want it answered in this 

Comments

Anonymous said…
Street drugs (marijuana) imitate this experience. But of course it is different.
6:26 AM
ACIM Mentor said…
This comment has been removed by the author.
8:20 AM
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