What is the Real World?

Our special theme says, “The real world is a symbol, like the rest of what perception offers. Yet it stands for what is opposite to what you made. Your world is seen through eyes of fear, and brings witnesses of terror to your mind.”

Yesterday, you made a list describing the world as you see it. Take a look at your list. Label each perception in the list as fear or peace, whichever feels most correct for the specific perception. When choosing between fear and peace, look at how you feel when you perceive the world in that way. Your mind might want to argue that a specific perception isn’t peace, but it also isn’t fear. Trust that any perception that isn’t peace is fear, even if it doesn’t seem that way to you.

Complete this step before continuing to read.

Notice how many of your perceptions are labeled as fear compared to the number of perceptions that are labeled as peace.

The labels help you understand why you see the world the way you do. If the majority of your perceptions are fear, you live in a fearful world. If some of your perceptions are fear and some are peace, you live in a somewhat stable world, but certain circumstances are fearful for you. If all of your perceptions are peace, you see the real world.

A happy outcome to all things is sure.

Today’s lesson says, “God’s promises make no exceptions. And He guarantees that only joy can be the final outcome found for everything. Yet it is up to us when this is reached; how long we let an alien will appear to be opposing His. And while we think this will is real, we will not find the end He has appointed as the outcome of all problems we perceive …”

Look at your list again. Ask spiritual intuition to select one fearful perception for you to work on. Sometimes the mind’s reaction to intuition’s choice is resistance. It might feel like, “I don’t want to work on that one. I’ll pick an easier one.” Those thoughts come from the “alien will” mentioned in today’s lesson. Ignore those thoughts, and choose to work on the one selected by spiritual intuition.

Today, whenever the selected perception arises, repeat today’s lesson to yourself. As you do, realize that a happy outcome is delayed when you cling to your conditioned way of thinking. Give willingness to see that your way of thinking is wrong. Tomorrow, after a day of giving willingness, we will look more deeply at our selected perceptions.

If you have 30 minutes for meditation, I recommend this meditation today:

Abandon Release Description B

What is the Real World?

Our new special theme begins by saying, “The real world is a symbol, like the rest of what perception offers.”

What is a symbol?

According to my dictionary, it is “a thing that represents or stands for something else, especially a material object representing something abstract.”

The world you see is a symbol. It is a thing that represents something abstract. It is a representation of what you believe is true. As NTI says, the world, as you see it, is a reflection of your mind.

Let’s begin our contemplation of the real world by looking at the world as we see and experience it right now.

How do you describe the world as you see and experience it?

Spend today with this question. Write down answers as they come to you. Tomorrow we will take the next step in this contemplation.

This is a day of stillness and of peace.

Today’s lesson speaks of the mind that sees the real world. A mind at peace experiences a holy world. It reminds me of a song by Peter Mayer, “Holy Now.”

The lesson confirms what we are contemplating today—the world we see is a reflection of our mind. When our mind is at peace, we offer “the same vision to the world.” However, if our mind is not at peace, that is the vision we offer to the world.

You’ve already been asked to describe the world as you see it today. When you do that, please describe the people in the world as you see them. Describe yourself as you see yourself. Describe your financial situation as you see it, your pets as you see them, etcetera. Really look around today, and describe what you see as you see it.

Each time you write down a description, follow it up by remembering today’s workbook lesson, “This is a day of stillness and peace.” Let today’s lesson remind you that a still mind sees the world through peace. Accept in your heart that if you see anything that is upsetting, stressful, fearful or agitating to you, it is because of something you believe in the mind. If you are upset in that moment, take a deep breath and repeat these lines from the prayer in today’s lesson:

Father, guide [me] along the quiet path that leads to You. Let my forgiveness be complete, and let the memory of You return to me.

If you have 30 minutes for meditation today, I recommend this meditation:

Loving Consciousness Description U

You might also enjoy listening to this song: Holy Now, by Peter Mayer

What is the Holy Spirit?

Spiritual intuition mediates between illusions and truth. It bridges the gap between reality and dreams by reinterpreting perception, so that even dreams point toward truth. Everything in time has a different purpose under the guidance of spiritual intuition than it does with the chattering thoughts of the ego.

The goal of spiritual intuition is awakening to truth. To meet this goal, spiritual intuition acts as the inner teacher for anyone who will listen. Sometimes subtle and sometimes bold, spiritual intuition will guide you using any means that you will pay attention to.

In reality, you are awake consciousness, which is the source of spiritual intuition. Therefore, when spiritual intuition has accomplished its goal, you will have awakened to your Self, which is beyond spiritual intuition. In this way, spiritual intuition is a bridge from what you think you are—your false self—to what you truly are.

Those who recognize the calling to awaken to the true Self realize that spiritual intuition is the means they must surrender to until the goal is accomplished. Those who remain interested in the ego thought system perceive spiritual intuition as a threat. Because they are afraid of it, they repress its guiding intuition. Those who are transitioning from interest in the world to the call to awaken must bring intuition out of repression by following it whenever they recognize its guidance.

Spiritual intuition reinterprets every tool the ego thought system uses for its purpose in order to awaken you to truth. Spiritual intuition uses doubt, desire, attention, thought and judgment as well as time, relationships, contrast, comparison, and even separation (solitude) for its purpose of bringing you back to your truth.

Spiritual intuition leads you to let go of dreams by letting go of the ego thought system, which is the creator and interpreter of dreams. It provides you with another choice, another way to be within dreams—a way that provides the security you think you need without teaching you that you are one who needs protection. In this way, spiritual intuition does not teach fear. It teaches unaffectedness, which is truth.

Accept spiritual intuition as your guide now. Realize that the ego thought system has nothing to offer you. It isn’t needed for anything. Spiritual intuition can and will guide you through every situation you face. It will not leave you comfortless. It will teach you about your truth.

My present happiness is all I see.

When we look at the world through the ego thought system, we see what isn’t there. Here is a story to illustrate that point:

Sally and Moose were high school sweethearts who married and had three children together. Sally was a homemaker. Moose was an athlete who was away from home much of the year.

Sally perceived herself as plain and boring. She knew Moose had many attractive female fans, many of whom had lives that she thought were much more exciting than hers.

Moose worried that Sally was unhappy, because he was away from home so much of the time. He saw himself as an absent husband and father, and he felt guilty for it. He longed to spend more time with his family, but he felt inadequate, like a big, dumb athlete. He didn’t think he had the intelligence to find another way to support his family.

One evening, while Moose was on the road, he and Sally talked on the phone. Moose commented about a friend of his, who had recently married a fan and was planning a honeymoon trip to Hawaii as soon as the current sport’s season ended.

Sally glanced at the family room where she was sitting. Toys were strewn about. It crossed her mind that Moose was envious of his friend, because she and Moose did not take exotic vacations together.

Sally became defensive. She said, “We have a pretty good life right here at home, but you wouldn’t know that, because you are never around.”

Her words cut through Moose like a knife. She had touched on what he feared the most, that he was an absent husband and father. Feeling guilty, he shot back, “I have to support you, you know. I’m not free to do whatever I want to do.”

Sally thought Moose saw her as a burden, something he wished he could be free of. Her voice was clearly agitated. “We don’t need you. Don’t you think we can get by without you? We do it all of the time!”

And the fight continued.

Sally felt unworthy of her famous husband. Moose felt unworthy of his loving wife. Neither saw the misperceptions caused by their thoughts. Six months later, Sally filed for divorce.

This story is fictional, but it is based on misunderstandings that I witness all of the time. These misunderstandings happen, because people see through the filter of their thoughts, and they are blind to what is really there.

Today we commit to slowing down. Whenever you notice that you want to react to something that someone else says or does, pause and look at your thoughts. What thoughts are coloring your perception? Why are you upset?

When you see without the distortion that is caused by the ego thought system, seeing is clear; you feel happiness and love, because happiness and love are what you are. If you are upset, it is a sure sign that ego thinking misleads your perception. Inquiry is needed.

If you have 30 minutes for meditation, I recommend this meditation today:

Abandon Release Description A