Lesson 57 ~ Review I

I am not the victim of the world I see.   How can I be the victim of a world that can be completely undone if I choose?  My chains are loosened!  I can shake them off merely by my desire to do so!  The prison door is open and I can leave simply by walking out. Nothing holds me in this world of illusions.  It is only my wish ~ or desire ~ to stay that keeps me prisoner here.  I can give up my insane wishes and walk into the Sunlight at last.

I have invented the world I see.   I made up this prison myself.  All I need to do is recognize this and I am Free.  I have deluded myself into believing I am separated from God......in a body, in a world of illusions, and I was sorely mistaken.  I no longer want to believe this anymore.  The Son of God is Eternally Free, just as God created him, not the madness I would make of him.  I am not a prisoner in a world of death and destruction.  I am Safe in Heaven, dreaming of exile to a body in a world that does not exist.

There is another way of looking at the world.   I created this illusion to show me a world separated from God.  God will use what I created to Awaken me to Reality.  I see everything upside down and my thoughts here are the opposite of Truth.  That is what happens when I attempt to create something opposite Perfection.  I seemingly created the "physical world" to show me what separation from God would be like.  I created for myself a prison.  God will use my illusory creation to see me Free if I choose to let Him.  I can instead use the world as a place where the Son of God finds his Freedom.

I could see Peace instead of this.  When I choose to see the world as a place of freedom, I will see that it reflects the Laws of God instead of the insane rules I made up for it to obey.  I choose to see Peace, not war.  I choose to see that Peace also abides in the hearts of all who share this place with me.  Things are not happening to me, I am making it up!

My mind is part of God's.  I am very Holy.  As I share the Peace of the world with all who I encounter, I begin to understand that this Peace comes from deep within me.  I do not need to travel to "holy places" to find Peace, there is nothing outside me!   The Peace I find is within me.  It is my choice that the world instead take on the Light of forgiveness.  And this forgiveness will be reflected back to me.  In this Light, I will begin to see the Beauty that illusions hide.  I begin to understand the Holiness of all things, including myself and their Oneness with me.

Lesson 56 ~ Review I

Thoughts of separation keep me unaware of my Sonship and my Father.  How can I know who I am when I see myself as under constant attack from everyone and everything around me?  Pain, illness, loss, age and death seem to threaten me.  All my hopes, wishes and plans appear to be at the mercy of a world I cannot control.  Yet as God's Son, Perfect Security and Complete Joy are my Inheritance.  I tried to give my Inheritance away in exchange for an experience seemingly apart from God.  But God has kept my Inheritance Safe for me.

Above all else I want to See.  What I see reflects what I think I am.  The world I see proves the fearful nature of the self-image I have made.  I must let this imperfect image of myself go if I am to remember who I am.  Vision will be given me as illusions are replaced with Truth.   With this Vision, I will look on the world ~ and on myself ~ with Charity and Love.

Above all else I want to see differently.  The world I see holds my fearful self-image firmly in place.  While I see the world as I see it now, Truth cannot enter into my Awareness.  I will look past the world to the Truth which reflects God's Love.

God is in everything I see.  Behind every illusion I have made, Truth remains Unchanged and Its Light Undimmed.  Beyond all my insane wishes, is my True Will United with the Will of God.  I am a part of God.  I will look past all appearances in the world of illusion and recognize Truth.

God is in everything I see because God is in my mind.  In my own mind, behind all my insane thoughts of separation and attack, is the Knowledge that All is One Forever.  My Sonship does not change just because I have forgotten that I am the Son of God.  My Sonship is Secure in God.

Lesson 55 ~ Review I

I am determined to see things differently.  What I see now represents a world separated from God; a world of disease, disaster and death. This is not what God created for His Beloved Son.  The very fact that I see these things is proof that my mind embraces insanity.  I do not understand God and I do not understand His Son, my True Self.  What I see in the world of illusion tells me that I do not know who I am.  Yet I can choose to see witnesses to the Truth in me, rather than those which show me an illusion of myself.  I am determined now, to See Truth.

What I see witnesses to my desire for separation from God.  The world of illusion is hardly the representation of Loving Thoughts.  It is a picture of attack on everything by everything.  It is anything but a reflection of the Love of God and the Love of His Son. My own thoughts of separation from God created this dismal picture.  Yet my Loving Thoughts will save me from this perception of the world and give me the Peace God intended me to have.

I escape the world by giving up thoughts of separation.  In this thought lies my salvation. Without thoughts of separation and attack, I could not project a world of separation and attack. Forgiveness allows Love to return to my Awareness.  I will choose to see a world of Peace, Safety and Joy in place of what I look on now.

I do not perceive my own best interests.  How could I know my own best interests when I do not even know that I am God's Holy Son?  What I think are my best interests only bind me closer to the world of illusion. Today I choose Truth in order to find out what my best interests are, understanding that I cannot recognize them by myself.

I do not know what anything is for.  To ego, the purpose of everything is to witness to a world separated from God.  It is for this purpose that I attempt to use everyone and everything, to witness to the "reality" of this separation. God can use what I have made for another, Holy Purpose.  The purpose I give the world has led to a frightening conclusion.  I choose today, to let God show me Truth.

Lesson 54 ~ Review I

I have no neutral thoughts.  All thoughts have Power.  My thoughts will either keep me anchored in a world of illusions or they will lead me Home.  All thoughts have effects. The world I see arises from errors in my thinking. But I will see a world forgiven and beautiful as I let my errors be corrected.  My thoughts cannot be both True and false; they are True or they are false. What I see will provide evidence of a sane mind or an insane mind.

I see no neutral things.  What I "see" witnesses to what I think.  If I did not think, I would not exist.  Life is Thought.  The world I see is a representation of my own insane state of mind. My state of mind can change, and therefore the world I see can change as well.

I am not alone in experiencing the effects of my seeing.   I have no private thoughts.  I do not see a private world.  The mad idea of separation had to be shared before it could form the basis of the world I see. Yet that sharing was a sharing of nothing.   I can call upon my Real Thoughts, which share Everything with everyone.  My separation thoughts call to the separation thoughts of "others," just as my Real Thoughts Awaken the Real Thoughts in "others."  There are no "others," just the One Son seemingly separated into "many."

I am not alone in experiencing the effects of my thoughts.   I am alone in nothing.  Everything I think, say or do affects the entire world that seems to be outside myself.   The Son of God cannot think, speak or act without affecting the entire Sonship.  The Son of God can be alone in nothing.  It is therefore in my Power, to change every mind along with my own.  The Power of the Son is the Power of God.

I am determined to See.   There are no private thoughts.  All thought is shared.  I will see witnesses in "the world" to my changed thinking.  When Love replaces fear, laughter replaces tears and Abundance replaces loss in my mind, I will see evidence of it in the world I created.   Instead of a world of chaos, I will see a world healed.

Lesson 53 ~ Review I

My meaningless thoughts show me a meaningless world.   Since the thoughts of which I am aware mean nothing, the world that gives form to my thoughts has no meaning.  Insane thinking seemingly projects a world "outside" me.  I have Real Thoughts as well as insane thoughts, therefore I can see a forgiven and blessed world if I look to my Real Thoughts as a Guide for Vision.

I am upset because I see a meaningless world.  Insane thoughts are upsetting, yet at times I want this world to have meaning.  I want my job, my life, my marriage, my family and my friends to have meaning and value. Yet, nothing this world offers can bring lasting Happiness.  I will eventually switch jobs or retire.  My life will end in "death."  My marriage will end in death or divorce.  My children will grow up and move away, they may not even like me.  My friends will betray me, move away, or grow old and die.  There is nothing here of lasting value.  Nothing in the world of ego ends well.  Chaos rules the world.  The world represents chaotic thinking, and chaos has no laws.  I cannot have Peace in such a world.  I am grateful that this world is not Real, and that I do not need to see it at all unless I choose to "see" it.  Today, I refuse to value what is totally insane and has no meaning.

A meaningless world engenders fear.   This world is completely undependable.  There is nothing here I can trust.  Nothing in madness is dependable.  There is no Safety, there is no hope.  But the world is not Real.  I have given it the illusion of Reality and have suffered for my belief in it.  Today I choose to withdraw my belief in the world and place my trust in Reality. In making this choice, I escape all effects of the world of fear because I am acknowledging that it does not exist.

God did not create a meaningless world.    God did not create the world ~ I did ~ by my insane thoughts of "separation from" God.  Why should I continue to suffer from the effects of my insane thoughts when the Perfection of Heaven is my Reality?  All Power is in my choice.  I choose a world of illusion, or Reality.  Only one exists, the other is fantasy.

My thoughts are images I have made.  Whatever I "see" reflects my thoughts.  My thoughts tell me where I am and what I am. The fact that I see a world in which there is suffering, loss, and death shows me that I am seeing only the representation of insane thoughts.  I do not allow my Real Thoughts to cast their Beneficent Light on what I see. God's Way is Sure.  The fantasy I created cannot stand up against Heaven because it is not my will that it do so.  My will is God's Will, and I will place no other gods before Him.

Lesson 52 ~ Review I

Today I review these five ideas from previous lessons :

I am upset because I see what is not there.  Reality is never frightening and could never upset me.  Reality brings only Perfect Peace.  If I am upset, it is always because I have replaced Reality with illusions of fantasy.  Illusions are upsetting because they seem to show me a world apart from God; illusions are a "reality" that I have imagined to be True.  Nothing in God's Creation is affected in any way by this confusion of mine.  If I am upset, I am always upset by nothing.  In my Reality with God, there is absolutely nothing that could ever upset me. It is not "death" that will bring me relief from illusions, only my Awakening to Reality will bring me Happiness.

I see only the past.  As I look around at illusions, I naturally condemn everything I see.  How could I approve?  My illusions show me a world apart from God, and if God is Perfect, illusions witness to imperfection.  Everything I seem to "see" in the world shows me some form of illusion.  I hold these illusions against everyone and everything, making them my enemies.  When I have forgiven my "self," my "brothers," and remembered who I am (the Son of God!), I will bless everyone and everything I "see"......there will be no "past"......there will be no "enemies."  I will look with Love on all that that I failed to see before.

My mind is preoccupied with past thoughts.   I see only my own thoughts, and in the world of illusions my mind is preoccupied with past thoughts. Is there anything I see as it Truly is?  I look on the past to prevent the present from Awakening in my mind.  Let me understand that I am using "time" to block God from my "reality."  When I let go of the past, I give up nothing. When I let go of the past and the future, I exist in the now, which is the only place that even comes close to my Reality with God.

I see nothing as it is now.    If I see nothing as it is now, it can Truly be said that I see nothing.   The choice is not whether to see the past or the present, the choice is simply whether to See or not.  My choices have cost me Vision. I can now choose differently so that I may See.

My "thoughts" do not mean anything.   I have no private thoughts, yet it is only "private" thoughts of which I am aware.  What do these thoughts mean?  They mean nothing and do not exist. My mind is part of Creation and part of its Creator. Would I not rather join the Thinking of Heaven than hide Reality with my pitiful and meaningless "private" thoughts?

Lesson 51 ~ Review I

Begin the day by reading the following ideas.  Read and think about each one for two minutes or more.  The exercises should be done alone in a quiet place if possible at first; but eventually, I will require no special meditative setting in which to practice the lessons because I will learn to bring the quiet with me ~ into every situation ~ which will heal distress and turmoil.  This is not done by avoiding stress and turmoil, or seeking a haven of isolation, but by dealing with it straight on and learning to recognize illusion.

Though it seems impossible at this moment, I will learn that Peace is part of me. Peace is my normal State of Being.   Until then, my learning requires only that I embrace any situation that occurs.  I will learn that Peace is everywhere, as is God, as is Love, as is Joy.

The following ideas are previous lessons.  They are not necessarily in their original form, but use them as they are presented here.

Nothing I see means anything.  I see nothing with the body's eyes.  The body, or anything "outside" myself is only a projection of a thought of separation from God. Nothing exists outside myself, and "nothing" has no meaning. What I seem to see with the body's eyes has taken the place of Vision.  I must let it go so that I learn to See.

I have given what I see all the meaning it has.  The body's eyes show me a fantasy of separation from God.  It is only this that I see.  This is not Vision.  It is illusion.  Even the thoughts I think in the world of illusions are themselves illusions. My Real Thoughts are those I think with God, which as yet I do not recognize, but I will.

I do not understand anything I see.   How could I understand "nothing?" What I see is a projection of my own error of thought that I separated myself from God.  This is impossible.  I do not understand what I see because it is not understandable.  There is no sense in trying to understand it.   I can let it go and make room for what I can See, Understand and Love.  I can exchange Vision for what the body's eyes show me just by being willing to do so.  Is the choice for Vision not a better choice?

These thoughts do not mean anything.   The thoughts I seem to think in the world of illusion do not mean anything because I am trying to think "apart from" God. What I call my thoughts are not even my Real Thoughts.  My Real Thoughts are those I think with God.  I am not aware of Them because I have made other thoughts to take Their place. Today, I am willing to recognize that my thoughts do not mean anything and to let them go.  My thoughts in the world of illusion are meaningless.  But Life Itself lies in the Thoughts I think with God.

I am never upset for the reason I think.   I am never upset for the reason I think because I am constantly trying to justify my thoughts.  I am constantly trying to make them True.  Choosing over and again to seemingly be "apart from" God is frustrating, depressing, fearful and sad.  I expend great effort to do this.  I make all things my enemy so that anger is justified over Love, and attack is justified over Peace, defending a thought system that has kept me separated from my Identity as God's Son.......a thought system I no longer want.  I am willing now to let it go.

Lesson 50 ~ I am sustained by God's Love.

I am sustained by God's Love.

This is the answer to every problem that will confront me today, tomorrow and throughout time; "many" problems, one answer.  In the world of illusion I believe I am kept in existence by everything except God.  My faith has been placed in the most insignificant and insane symbols:  pills, money, clothing, influence, prestige, being liked, knowing the "right" people and an endless list of forms of nothingness that I equip with magical powers.

All these things are my replacements for the Love of God.  All these things keep me identified with a body. They are songs of praise to ego.  Stop putting my faith in what is worthless.  What is worthless and does not exist will do nothing for me.

Only the Love of God means anything.  It will protect me in all circumstances.  It will lift me out of every problem and raise me high above all the perceived dangers of the world, into a State of Perfect Peace and Safety.  It will transport me into a state of mind where nothing can threaten, disturb or intrude upon the Eternal Calm of the Son of God.

I will not put my faith in illusions. They will fail me. They have failed me over and over. I will put all my faith in the Love of God within me; Eternal, Changeless, and Forever Unfailing. This is the Answer to whatever confronts me today. Through God's Love, I can resolve all "difficulties" without any effort on my part, in Sure Confidence. Tell myself often today, for it is a declaration of release from hell. It is my acknowledgment of Truth.

For ten minutes, twice today, morning and evening, let today's idea sink deep into my consciousness. Repeat it. Think about it. Let related thoughts come to help me recognize its Truth.  Allow Peace to flow over me like a blanket of protection and assurance.  Let no foolish thought enter my mind to disturb the Holy Mind of the Son of God.  Such is the Kingdom of Heaven.  Such is the Resting Place where my Father has placed me Forever.

Lesson 49 ~ God's Voice speaks to me all through the day.

I can tune into God's Voice throughout the day without interrupting my regular routine in any way. There is a part of my mind which is in Constant Communication with God, whether I am aware of it or not. The other part of my mind functions in the "world" and obeys the world's laws, and it is this part that is constantly distracted, disorganized and highly uncertain.

The part of my mind that is listening to God is Calm, always at Rest and Wholly Certain; it is really the only part there is. The other part is a wild illusion; frantic and distraught, but without Reality of any kind.  I will try today, to go beyond it.  Today I will try to identify with the part of my mind where Stillness and Peace Reign Forever.  I will try to hear God's Voice call to me Lovingly, reminding me that my Creator has not forgotten His Son.

I will attempt four 5-minute practice periods today, and more if possible. I will actually try to hear God's Voice reminding me of Him and of my Self.  I will approach these Happiest and Holiest of Thoughts with confidence, knowing that in doing so, I am joining my will with the Will of God.  God wants me to hear His Voice.  He gave It to me to be heard.

Listen in deep silence.  Be very still and open my mind.  Go past all raucous shrieks and sick imaginings that cover my Real Thoughts and hide my Eternal link with God. Sink deep into the Peace that awaits me beyond the frantic, riotous thoughts, sights and sounds of the insane world.  It is not my Reality.  I am trying to reach my Real Home.  I am trying to reach the Place where I am Truly Welcome.  I am trying to reach God.

Repeat today's idea frequently.  Practice with my eyes open when necessary, but closed when possible. Repeat today's idea whenever I can. Close my eyes on the world and realize......I invite God's Voice to speak to me today.

"God's Voice speaks to me all through the day."

Lesson 48 ~ There is nothing to fear.

The idea for today simply states a fact.  Not a fact to those who think illusions are "reality;" illusions are not real.  In Truth there is nothing to fear and Truth is my Reality. It is very easy to recognize this, but very difficult if I want illusions to be true. Anything I desire in the world of illusions, keeps me anchored to illusions.  Offer Love and forgiveness to everyone and everything, but desire nothing. As a child of God I have Everything.  If I think I lack anything, it is because I have chosen illusions.

The presence of fear is a sure sign that I am trusting in my own strength.  Apart from God, strength does not exist, and I presently believe I am apart from God.  I created the world to show me an experience 'apart from God,' which would be an experience of everything opposite to God (if opposites were possible):  failure, helpless, darkness, lack, hatred, war and, peace which never lasts, love which changes day by day, happiness which can easily turn to sorrow.  The Awareness that there is nothing to fear shows me that somewhere in my mind (though not necessarily in a place I yet recognize) I have remembered God.  Let His Strength take the place of my weakness. The instant I am willing to do this, there is indeed nothing to fear.

Today's practice periods will be short, simple and frequent.  Just repeat today's idea as often as possible at any time and in any situation. It is strongly recommended that I take a minute whenever possible to close my eyes and repeat the idea slowly to myself several times. It is very important that I use the idea immediately if there is anything that disturbs my peace of mind.

"There is nothing to fear."

Lesson 47 ~ God is the Strength in which I trust.

If I continue to trust my own strength in this world of illusion, I have every reason to be anxious and fearful.  What have I been able to predict or control?  What in me can be counted on? What gives me the ability to be aware of all the facets of any problem and be able to resolve them in such a way that only good results?  What is there in me that recognizes the right solution to any problem and guarantees that it will be solved?

Of myself I can do none of these things.  To believe that I can is to put faith in an ego, in a body, in a world of illusion, and this will surely justify fear, anxiety, depression, anger and sorrow.  Who can put faith in weakness and feel safe?  Conversely, who can put faith in Strength.....and feel weak?

God is my Safety in every circumstance.  Truth speaks for Him in all situations and in every aspect of all situations, telling me exactly what to do when I call on His Strength and His Protection. There are no exceptions.

Today I will try to slip past all concerns related to my own sense of inadequacy.  Any situation that causes me concern is a good indication that I am feeling inadequate, for otherwise I would believe I could deal with the situation successfully.  It is not by trusting myself that I will gain confidence, but the Strength of God in me is successful in all things.

The recognition of my own frailty "apart from God" is necessary to correct all errors, but it is not sufficient in giving me the confidence I need ~ the confidence to which I am entitled as God's Son.  I must also have an Awareness that Confidence in my Real Strength (God) is fully justified in every respect and all circumstances.

Today I will try to reach into my mind to a place of Real Safety.  I will recognize that I have reached it when I feel a sense of deep Peace, however briefly.  I will let go all trivial things that churn and bubble on the surface of my mind.  I will reach  beyond them to the Kingdom of Heaven. There is a place in me where there is Perfect Peace. There is a place in me where nothing is impossible.  There is a place in me where the Strength of God is present.

Today I will try to reach past my weakness to the Source of Real Strength.  Four 5-minute practice periods are necessary, and longer and more frequent ones are urged. During the day, repeat the idea often and use it as my answer to any disturbance. Remember.....Peace is my right as God's Son. Give my trust to Him.

"God is the Strength in which I trust."

Lesson 46 ~ God is the Love in which I forgive.

It is not with my own goodness and love that I "forgive."  Ego, the part of me "separated" from God, is helpless and powerless. Ego can do nothing. All my Strength comes from being God's Son. Ego is completely consumed with the "separation" from God, for that is its function.  But the Son of God is within me as well, and this part of me has never forgotten its True Identity.  I am not divided into parts (ego vs. Son of God), though the Course speaks the language of division in order that I understand.

God does not forgive for He has never condemned. Forgiveness is the great need of the dream-world. Those who forgive are releasing themselves from illusions. Those who do not forgive are binding themselves to illusions. There is no one else "out there."  There is one Son. Therefore, if I condemn "others," I condemn only my Self.  If I forgive "others," I forgive my Self.

Though God does not forgive, per se, His Love is the basis of forgiveness for dreams. The dream-world is one of fear. God's World is one of Love.  Fear condemns, Love forgives. Forgiveness undoes what fear has produced, returning the mind to the Awareness of God. For this reason, forgiveness can truly be called salvation, for it is the means by which illusions disappear.  I forgive entirely, or not at all.

Today I attempt three 5-minute practice periods.  I will search my mind for those whom I have not forgiven.  If I am doing the exercises well, I should have little difficulty finding a number of people I have not forgiven.  It is a safe rule that anyone I do not like is a suitable subject.  I will also put myself in a position to forgive myself.   In addition to the three 5-minutes practice periods at any time during the day if and when I become aware of any kind of negative reaction to anyone (in my presence or not in my presence), tell them silently: God is the Love in which I forgive you, (_____). Though it feels very awkward to call them by name, it is important to do so.

"God is the Love in which I forgive you, (name).  God is the Love in which I forgive myself."

Lesson 45 ~ God's is the Mind with which I think.

Today's idea continues to lead me to Reality.  There is nowhere God is not.  I am surrounded by God. He is within me and all around me.  I am not in any way apart from Him. The thoughts I think in the dream-world are not even my Real Thoughts.  I am being introduced to my Real Thoughts.  The thoughts I think in the world resemble in no way my Real Thoughts, just as nothing I "see" bears any resemblance to what Vision will show me.

I think with the Mind of God.  I share my thoughts with Him, as He shares His with me. They are the same thoughts, because they are thought by the same Mind.  I am in the Mind of God and so are my thoughts.  I have never left the Mind of God.

Today I will attempt to reach my Real Thoughts.  I will try to go past all the unreal thoughts that hide Truth in my mind, and reach out to the Eternal.   I will look for the Real Thoughts in my mind, because that is where they are.  They are beyond the thoughts of the illusory world; those insane thoughts of right and wrong, up and down, left and right, good and bad....thoughts of judgment, hate, worry, sadness and anxiety.

Under all the senseless thoughts and mad ideas with which I have cluttered my mind are the Thoughts that I had with God in the beginning.  They are there in my mind now, completely untouched by madness and completely Unchanged.

I should approach today's lesson as I would an Altar in Heaven dedicated to the Father and Son.  For such is the place I am trying to reach.  I do not yet realize how high I am trying to go.  Yet even with the small understanding I have already gained, I should be able to remind myself that this is no idle game, but an exercise in Holiness and an attempt to reach the Kingdom of Heaven.

I will try to understand, as well, that only what God would have for me is what I truly want for myself.  I cannot fail in doing what God Wills for me.  I will succeed because it is the Will of God. Today I attempt to leave the unreal and seek only for the Real.  I will not let thoughts of the world hold me back.  I will not allow the beliefs of the world to tell me that what God would have me do is impossible.  Only what God Wills is possible. My mind is God's Mind and God's Mind is mine.  I am God's Son and He wants me to be Happy.

I will do three 5-minute practice periods today.  With eyes closed, repeat today's idea to myself. Think a few relevant thoughts of my own related to today's idea, followed by a repetition of today's idea.  I will go past all the unreal thoughts that hide Truth:

"God is the Mind with which I think.  My Real thoughts are in my mind, and today I would like to find them."

Lesson 44 ~ God is the Light in which I See

The world of illusions is only a dream in my mind, it is not Reality.  It is my own personal "hell;" an experience of being separated from God.  I create it anew over and over.  There is only NOW, and it is a dream of misery I present to myself in this moment of "now."  I have separated my dream into many parts, one of these parts is called the "past," another part is called the "future."  Past and future exist only in my dream, they are not Reality.  Another part of the dream is called "the world," yet another "the universe."  I have a "brother" over "here" and another "over there."

There is nothing outside myself, but my Powers of creation are such that I wholeheartedly believe in what I created, even dreams.  I can  understand this as well in the dream-world in the dreams I experience when I sleep at night; the sleeping-dream is my reality in the moment of sleep.

The story of the Prodigal Son can be understood as a simple version of the story of my creation of illusion.  I imagined an experience "apart from" God.  It is not possible to do this in Reality, but I am having a dream, or a thought, of the impossible. It is a thought I play over and over in my Awareness.  It seems very Real to me because I have Mighty creative powers.  But because it is an experience "apart from" God, it is not my Happy, Joyous, Loving, Eternal State of Awareness which is my Reality.  Since God is Light and Love, my "separation" experience in the dream is one of darkness and fear.  Light and darkness cannot coexist.  Only one will be in my Awareness at any given "time."

In order for me to See, I must recognize that Light is within me.  I do not see "outside" myself, and the equipment for Seeing is not outside me.  My "sight" in the world of illusions is not seeing at all. It is one illusion showing me other illusions.  Even if I was considered "blind" in the world of illusions, I would still be having an experience of separation; I would be having an illusory experience of being "blind" in a world of blindness (illusions).  True Vision has nothing to do with the body's eyes. Anything I see with eyeballs, feel with touch receptors, smell with my nose, taste with my tongue, or hear with my ears, is all illusion. There is nothing outside me. My Reality has nothing to do with anything I experience in a body.

What am I using to "see" when I dream at night?  My eyes are closed!  What am I using to "hear" in my dreams at night?  What am I using to feel?  Yet even in my nightly dreams I seem to be hearing and seeing and touching and feeling.

God is my Reality and His is the Light in which I See.  I have split my Awareness into individual experiences of sight, touch, taste, smell, hearing, etc.  Yet even in this world of illusions, I read of those who "hear" colors, or "feel" numbers when there is a glitch in the brain wiring.  But again there is nothing outside me.

Today, I attempt to reach God's Light, which makes Vision possible.  These exercises may be difficult for my undisciplined mind, yet they give me precisely what my untrained mind lacks.  This mind training must be accomplished if I am to See.  I work very, very hard to maintain the world of illusion, and to my illusory self, training my mind to learn of Reality may seem very difficult.  My ego may present strong resistance, but my mind is no longer wholly untrained.  While I practice these exercises, I leave illusions behind.  My ego (the part of me that believes I live in the world of illusions) may present strong resistance.  But my mind is no longer wholly undisciplined.  Heaven is my Guide.  God will take my small efforts and add them to the Strength of Reality, making great strides.   Reality is the most Easy and Natural State of Awareness.

Salvation is my release from hell.  Yet perceived by ego, salvation is a loss of identity and a descent into hell. My ego will resist.  If I can stand aside from ego even a little, I will have no difficulty in seeing that ego's opposition and fears are meaningless. Remind myself from time to time, that to reach Light is to escape from darkness. God is the Light in which I see and I am attempting to reach Him.  I am attempting something very Holy.  Salvation is my happiest accomplishment.  It is the only accomplishment in the world of illusions that has any meaning.

I should experience some sense of relaxation, possibly even a feeling that I am approaching Light. Light is Formless and Without Limit.  Think of this as I pass by thoughts of the world.  This world and all the thoughts I have about it have no power over me unless I give them power. My mind cannot be distracted unless distraction is what I choose.  Today I choose Reality.  I have not understood this before as a choice.

Three, 3-5 minutes practice periods today.  I can do more if I feel no sense of strain or anxiety. Repeat today's idea slowly.  Alternate with eyes open, then eyes closed.  Sink into my mind.  Let go of every kind of interference and intrusion.  God's Reality is the most Natural, Easy State.  Being of the "world" is very difficult for the Son of God and ego expends tremendous effort keeping me in the illusion.

"God is the Light in which I See."

Lesson 43 ~ God is my Source. I cannot See apart from Him.

"Perception" is the vision of the dream-world.  Knowledge is God's Realm.  I can think of the Truth of ACIM as the Great Mediator between perception and Knowledge. God is not divided, nor is His Son.  But I must learn of Heaven in the language of dreams in order to understand and remember Home.  If I were truly able to separate myself from God, perception and madness forever. Yet I can take heart and leap with Joy because I can never separate myself from my Source ~ EVER!   Only in dreams can it seem to be true.

There are many paths to God, ACIM will get me there faster.  ACIM is a Course in mind training. Heaven works with my mind where it thinks it is.  If I think I am in a world of illusion, then It will work with me there.  Truth's Help is Gentle and Soothing, and It's lessons are never forced.  Truth patiently awaits my acceptance.  It may take "thousands of lifetimes," but Truth will wait until I believe I am ready.  God is always there for me.  I make the choice to accept His Help.  He waits until I decide.

With the Help of Heaven and ACIM, my "perception" will become so changed and purified that it will lead to Knowledge.  Perception has no function in God, and does not exist.  Yet in salvation ~ which is the undoing of what never was ~ perception will take on a Mighty purpose.  Made by me to show me a world "apart from God," with Heaven perception will become the means for restoring Holiness to my Awareness. The only meaning perception has is the meaning God gives it. And God will use everything to bring me to Reality.  Healed "perception" becomes the means by which I (the Son of God) forgive my "brother" for what he did not do, and thus forgive myself.

I cannot "see" apart from God because I cannot be apart from God.  Whatever I do, I do in Him. Whatever I think, I think with the mind of God.  If I am seeing sadness and despair, or thinking thoughts that are anything but Love, I am indulging in a dream of madness.  It is not my Reality.

Three 5-minute practice periods are required today.  Repeat the idea for today with eyes open.  Then glance around and apply the idea to what I see.  Use four or five subjects.  For instance I can say, "God is my Source, I cannot see this desk apart from Him;" or, "God is my Source, I cannot see that picture apart from Him."  Do not purposefully include or exclude anything.  Let whatever relevant thoughts occur to me add to the idea in my own personal way.  Any thought related to today's idea is suitable.  If I am distracted, repeat only the thought for today.  This can be used when I am with someone else, stranger or friend; "God is the Source.  I cannot see you (stranger or friend) apart from Him."

"God is my Source.  I cannot See apart from Him."

Lesson 42 ~ God is my Strength. Vision is His gift.

This plan is guaranteed to work.  Failure is impossible.

The idea for today combines two very powerful thoughts, both of major importance.  It also presents a "cause and effect" relationship that explains why I cannot fail in my efforts to achieve the goals of the Course. The Cause is God, the Effect is Vision. It is the Will of God that I succeed. It is God's Strength, not my own, which gives me Power.  It is His Gift that offers Vision.  My efforts have only kept me further entangled in a world of illusions.

God is my Strength and what He gives to me, is Truly given.  This means I can receive His Gifts any time and anywhere, wherever I am, in whatever circumstances I find myself.  My passage through "time" and "space" is all happening in my mind.  It is a mad journey in my mind so, I cannot help but be in the right place at the right time. Such is the Strength of God. Such are His Gifts.

I will have two 3-5 minutes practice periods today.  Repeat the idea for today slowly with eyes open, looking around me.  Then close my eyes and repeat the idea again, slowly.  After this, try to think of nothing except thoughts that occur to me in relation to today's idea.  I may be astonished at the amount of Course-related understanding some of my thoughts contain.  If no thoughts come to mind or distraction occurs, open my eyes and repeat today's idea once more while looking slowly around.  I do not need to generate a lot of effort.  Step back and let the thoughts come.  If this is difficult for me, spend the practice period repeating today's idea to myself slowly.

Repetitions of the idea throughout the day are beneficial.  Think about the many times I check my cell phone for messages, or browse the internet; I can surely train my mind to repeat today's idea at least as many times.  The idea for today is a early step in training my mind and bringing my thoughts together, teaching me that I am studying a Unified Thought System in which everything I need is present, and there is nothing contradictory or unimportant.

The more I repeat today's idea during the day, the more often I will be reminding myself that the goal of the Course is important to me.  It is all about creating new habits of mind.

"God is my Strength.  Vision is His Gift;"   OR    "The Cause is God. The Effect is Vision."  Repeat today's idea in a way that is meaningful for me.

Lesson 41 ~ God is with me wherever I am.

Today's idea will eventually overcome ~ completely ~ the sense of loneliness and abandonment all the "separated ones" experience.  Depression is an inevitable consequence of separation.  As well as anxiety, worry, a deep sense of helplessness and loss, misery, suffering and an intense sense of fear.

The separated ones have invented many "cures" for what they believe to be the ills of the "world."  But the one thing they never question is the "reality" of the problem.  Yet the problem cannot be solved because the problem is not Real. The idea for today has the Power to end all this foolishness forever. And foolishness it is, despite the serious and tragic forms it may take.

Deep within me remains everything that is Perfect.  This Perfection will cure all sorrow, pain, fear and loss because it will heal the mind that thought these things were Real and suffered out of its loyalty to them.

I can never be deprived of my Perfect Holiness because Its Source goes with me wherever I go. I can never suffer because the Source of all Joy goes with me wherever I go. I can never be alone because the Source of Life Itself goes with me wherever I go. Nothing can destroy my Peace of mind because God goes with me wherever I go.

At this point, I may not wholeheartedly believe this.  How could I, when I have hidden Truth deep within me, under a heavy cloud of insane thoughts, dense and obscuring, yet representing all I "see"? Today, I will make my first real attempt to get past this dark and heavy cloud, and go through it to the Light beyond.

There is one long practice period today.  As soon as I wake up, if possible, sit quietly for 3 to 5 minutes with eyes closed.  Repeat today's idea very slowly, then make no effort to think of anything. Try to get a sense of turning inward, past all thoughts of the world.  Enter very deeply into my mind, keeping it clear of any distracting thoughts. Repeat the idea if I find it helpful, but most of all try to sink down and inward away from the world and all thoughts of the world.  I am trying to leave "appearances" and approach Reality.

It is quite possible to reach God.  It is very easy and Natural in fact, because being with God is my Reality.  I might even say that it is the only Natural thing in my present state.  The Way will open.  I am training my mind to return to Reality.  This exercise can bring very startling results even the first time it is attempted, and sooner or later it is always successful.  Any attempts will never fail completely and instant success is possible.

Use today's idea throughout the day, and often. Repeat it slowly, preferably with eyes closed. Think of what I am saying and what the words mean. Concentrate on the Holiness that they imply about me; on the unfailing Companionship that is mine; on the Complete Protection that surrounds me.

Indeed, I can afford to laugh at fear thoughts, remembering that I am God's Son and the world of illusion is not my Reality.

God is with me wherever I am. 

Lesson 40 ~ I am blessed as God's Son

Today I lay claim to some of the happy things I am entitled to, being God's Son. Frequent, short practice periods are required.  Once every ten minutes would be highly desirable.  I am urged to attempt this schedule and adhere to it whenever possible.  If I forget, just try again.  If there are long interruptions, try again.  Whenever I remember, try again.  This is a Course in mind training.  The thoughts I have allowed myself to dwell on keep me in "hell."  I am training my mind to think differently.

If I really want to, I can practice this under any circumstances, eyes open or eyes closed.  I can be creative, "I am blessed as God's Son.  I am happy, peaceful, loving and content;" "I am blessed as God's Son.  I am calm, quiet, assured and confident." Or just:

"I am blessed as God's Son."

Lesson 39 ~ My Holiness is my salvation.

The ideas used for the workbook lessons are very simple, very clear and totally unambiguous.  This Course does not require that I perform intellectual triumphs or grand feats of logic.  ACIM deals only in the very obvious, which has been overlooked in the clouds of complexity in which my ego-mind works.

Fear and guilt are the hell I have created in my dream of being apart from God.  If fear and guilt are "hell," then recognizing my Holiness as God's Son is "salvation."

"My" salvation, is the "world's" salvation, because the world is a thought in my mind. If I heal my mind, the "world" is healed; "my" salvation is crucial to the "world's" salvation.  Yet I cannot rely on my own efforts or trust my own judgment at this point. I created a world of dreams ~ a world of insanity ~ it is clearly before my "vision" and this is where I must begin.  I cannot deny my current "reality" and still make any meaningful strides.  I will rely on One Who Knows.

My Holiness is the answer to every question that has ever been asked, is being asked now or will be asked in the future.  I may lament, "why did my beloved have to die?" and the answer is, 'my beloved is not dead...everything "out there" is only in my mind, there is no death, I will Awaken to Reality. I am the Holy Son of God.'  I agonize, "why did I have to have such a horrible childhood?" and learn the answer is, my "childhood" does not exist. Nothing outside me exists.  I am Safe in Heaven, dreaming of exile to a world apart from God.  It is only a dream.  I am the Holy Son of God, Safe in Heaven with my Father.'

I never left Heaven.  I just mentally "checked out."

Four, 5-minute practice periods are urged for today.  If I want to do more, it is recommended that I increased the frequency rather than the time involved.  My mind must get into the habit of turning to God whenever there is a "situation," "person" or "thought" that disrupts my peace of mind.  Begin by repeating today's idea to myself. Then close my eyes and search for unloving thoughts in whatever form they appear: uneasiness, depression, anger, fear, worry, impatience, attack, insecurity, etc. Whatever form they take, they are the opposite of Love and therefore fearful. It is from this fantasy of fear that I need to be saved.

I look for specific situations, events or personalities that I associate with unloving/fearful thoughts.  It is imperative that I "see" these differently.  It is my blessing on them that will help me do this, saving me from fantasy and offering me Vision.

"My ___(unloving, fearful, anxious, angry, insecure, etc)___ thoughts about _____ are keeping me entrenched in a dream of hell.  Recognize that I am the Holy Son of God and I will Awaken from this dream. My Holiness is my salvation."

Lesson 38 ~ There is nothing my Holiness cannot do.

I have authority over the world I created because of what I am:  God's Son.  My Holiness reverses all laws of the world.  It overcomes every restriction of time, space, distance and limits of any kind.  I am at One with the Mind of my Creator.  The Father and I are One.

In recognizing or remembering my Holiness, the Power of God is made available, and there is nothing the Power of God cannot do.  This Holiness ~ MY Holiness ~ can remove all pain, end all sorrow and solve all problems.  It can do so for myself or anyone else "out there" because Mind is All There Is and there is nothing "outside" me.  Therefore the "world" does not exist. If I heal my mind the "world" is healed, because the "world" is a fantasy in my mind. I am Holy because everything God created is Holy and that can never change in any way, no matter what my dreams tell me.

In today's lesson, I will apply the Power of my Holiness to all problems, difficulties or suffering in any form.  The world seems very real to me and I will not deny it as my "reality" for now.  Denial would only enhance its power in my mind.  I will replace thoughts of the world with Thoughts of Truth as I am instructed to do.  Eventually the world will disappear.  There is no need to do battle or oppose the world in any way. The world will be gently forgotten.

Four five-minute practice periods are required today.  I can do as many or as few as I want.  I can take as long as I want to Awaken from the dream.  God will wait for me. But do I want to continue to suffer sadness, pain, grief, worry, anxiety?  There is no need to suffer from dreams.  Repeat today's idea first with eyes closed.  Then search my mind for any unhappiness or sense of loss, any worry, anxiety, despair or injustice, whether it concerns me or anyone else.  Identify the situation specifically and also the name of the person concerned, this will feel strange and uncomfortable calling the "problem" by name, but it is important to be specific.  For instance, "In this situation involving __(person, place or situation)___ there is nothing my Holiness cannot do."

"There is nothing my Holiness cannot do."

Lesson 37 ~ My Holiness blesses the world.

I created a fantasy-world to give me an experience of being "apart from" God; this is the world's function.  God can use whatever I created, whether in fantasy or Reality, for His Own Purposes.  His Purpose for me is to see the world through my Holiness, Awakening me to the Heaven that is my only Reality.

The world is a fantasy in my mind.  When my mind is healed, the world is healed. Currently, I see a world of "winners" and "losers," "sinners" and "saints."  Yet in my Reality with God everyone "wins" and no one loses; everyone is completely sinless; no one sacrifices anything, and everyone receives their full due.  Learning to see the world through my Holiness, the "world" and I are blessed together.

Any other way of seeing the world inevitably demands payment, or sacrifice, of someone or something;  this is what I call "seeing" in the eyes of the world; someone always has to "lose."  In the past, I had no idea why "life" has been such a struggle. THIS is why!

My Holiness blesses myself and all the "world."  When I see myself as Whole, I make no demands on anyone or anything.

My Holiness is the salvation of the "world."  The world is a fantasy in my mind.  When I heal my mind, I heal the "world."  Yet while the "world" and all "people" are real for me, there is no sense in denying its "reality."  I can merely quietly recognize that in my Holiness are all things blessed with me.  I teach the "world."  I do not preach to anyone or anything.  There is no need to evangelize or offer salvation, I need only BE salvation by acknowledging my Holiness and quietly extending Blessing to all I see.

Today's lesson asks four, 3-5 minute practice periods.  Begin by repeating today's idea to myself, followed by a minute or so of looking around me, applying today's idea to whatever I see.  Then close my eyes and apply the idea to anyone who comes to mind.  Alternate between looking around, then closing my eyes and thinking of those who come to mind or situations which have caused me discomfort or angst. Conclude by repeating today's idea.  Use the idea to silently apply it to anyone I meet, using his or her name as I do so.  If any problems come up throughout my day or anyone causes a negative reaction in me, offer the blessing of my Holiness immediately, so I get into the habit of keeping It in my Awareness.

"My Holiness blesses the world;" "My Holiness blesses this situation;" "My Holiness blesses this object;" "My Holiness blesses you."  Do not forget to use the name of the situation, the object or the person I am blessing.

Lesson 36 ~ My Holiness encompasses everything I see

I am Holy because my mind is joined with God's.  Because I am Holy, my Sight must be Holy as well.  "Sinless" means without sin.  I cannot be 'a little' sinless.  I am completely sinless or I am not.  My Holiness is related to God's Holiness and has nothing to do with my body, ego, the world, or anything I might "do" or "say."  I am Holy without effort on my part.  The Son of God is what and who I am.

I have forgotten who I am in creating my world of illusions, a world "apart from" God which exists only in dreams.  I created "separation" as my reality and in this I wholeheartedly believe.  What the Son of God creates he believes in, even if it is only a dream. Nothing outside me exists, though I obviously think it does.  That is the Power of Creation.  I am a very Powerful being because I am my Father's Son.  Though what I seemed to create is "apart from" God ~ an "opposite" to God so to speak.  It is not possible in Reality to be apart from God.  It is possible to indulge in a dream or a fantasy, yet it can never be called Real.

I am Holy because I am joined with God.  My Reality is with God.  God is within me and all around me.  There is nowhere God is not.  I do not experience Him while I am preoccupied with dreaming. ACIM, along with Heaven, is helping my mind to "wake up;" to recognize dreams vs. Reality.  I have taught myself to believe in dreams.  I am learning to question the reality of those dreams and remember my True State of Being.

It is suggested that I do four, 3-5 minute practice periods today.  Close my eyes and repeat today's idea slowly, several times.   Then open my eyes and look around, applying the idea casually to whatever I see.  Alternate with doing the exercise with eyes closed, then eyes open.  All applications should be done slowly and effortlessly. For example, "my Holiness encompasses that rug;" "my Holiness encompasses that wall;" "my Holiness encompasses these fingers."

"My Holiness encompasses everything I see."

What I see is only a reflection ~ a symbol ~ of what is in my mind.  I can indulge in fantasy, or I can indulge in Reality.  Do I want fear, sorrow, grief, angst, depression, worry and anxiety, or do I want Peace?  I can exchange "seeing" for Sight.  It is not a matter of destroying the "world" and putting Heaven in its place.  There is no "world." It is a matter of choosing Reality over dreams.  It is really a choice.  I am learning to choose differently.

Lesson 35 ~ My mind is part of God's. I am very Holy.

The idea for today presents a very different view of myself.  By establishing my Source, it establishes my Identity as Son of God and it describes who I must really be in Truth.  The emphasis today is on me, the perceiver, rather than on what I perceive.

I believe I am part of the world.  The "world" is where I think I am.  As ego I have surrounded myself with the environment I have chosen to show me a world apart from God, and I will protect this image of myself.  My image as a body ~ an "individual" ~ is part of this environment.  What I see while I believe I am in this world is seen through the eyes of the this illusory image.

Today's idea does not describe the way I see myself now, but it describes what Vision will show me.  It may be difficult for me to believe this of myself.  Yet the reason I think I am a "body" living in a "world" is because I do not believe I am the Holy Son of God.

Three, five-minute practice periods are asked of me today.  Repeat today's idea, then close my eyes and search my mind for the various descriptive terms that make up who I believe I am.  Include the good and the bad; the grandiose and depraved.  All of them are equally unreal because I do not look at myself through the eyes of Holiness. Think of any specific situation that occurs to me, identify how I would describe myself in that situation, and use this in applying today's idea.  There may be intervals in which I can think of nothing specific.  Do not strain, but merely relax and repeat today's idea slowly until something occurs.  Do not force thoughts, yet do not purposely leave anything out.

For instance, "I see myself as imposed on;" "I see myself as depressed;" "I see myself as failing;" "I see myself as helpless;" "I see myself as victorious;" "I see myself as a winner;" I see myself as honest."

"I see myself as ______.  But my mind is part of God's.  I am very Holy."

Lesson 34 ~ I could experience Peace instead of this.

Peace of mind is clearly an internal matter.  It begins with my own thoughts and only then can it extend outward.  It is from my Peace of mind that a Peaceful perception of the world arises.

The idea for today describes the conditions that exist in the other way of Seeing and experiencing.

Three deliberate, five minute practice periods are required for today, with eyes closed. It is my inner world to which today's idea appeals.  Search my mind for fear thoughts. Remember fear is the opposite of Love and encompasses all adverse emotions:  hate, anxiety, depression, worry, etc.  Any emotion that is not some form of Love, is fear. Note my fear thoughts casually.  Repeat today's idea slowly.  Watch each thought come forward in my mind and then let it go to be replaced by the next. If my mind is being uncooperative, continue to repeat the idea to myself in an unhurried manner, without applying it to anything in particular.  Just do not specifically exclude anything.

Also apply today's idea whenever I feel my Peace of mind threatened in any way to protect my mind from any intrusive ego/illusory thoughts.  Repeat the idea until I feel some sense of relief.

"I could experience Peace instead of this."

Lesson 33 ~ There is another way of looking at the world.

Today I will attempt to shift my perception of the world outside me and my thoughts about the world.

For five minutes morning and evening, in a detached way, look around casually at the world in my sights.  Then close my eyes and casually survey my inner thoughts. Alternate between my inner thoughts about the world and what I see in the world, but without an abrupt sense of shifting.  Repeat today's idea as often as I find comfortable.

Also apply today's idea the instant I am aware of distress, anxiety, sadness, etc.  It may be necessary to take a minute or so to sit quietly and repeat the idea to myself several times.  Closing my eyes will help.

"There is another way of looking at the world," or, "there is another way of looking at this."

I do my part and God will do His.

Lesson 32 ~ I have invented the world I see.

I continue to explore cause and effect.  I am the "cause,"  the world of illusion is the "effect."

I am not the victim of the world I see because I, myself, have created it.  If I have great faith, I can move mountains.  I can move them because I made them.  I made it all up. And I can give it up just as easily.

I will see the world of illusion, or I will not see the world of illusion.  It is my choice. While I want to see it, I will see it.  When I no longer want it, it will not be there for me to see.

The "outer" world is just a reflection of the insane dream of "separation from" God. Both are of my imagination.  My only Reality is with God, in a State of Eternal Joy, Peace, Love and Unity.

Morning and Evening today, for 3-5 minutes, look around at the world I see "outside" myself.  Then close my eyes and look around at my inner world.  My inner and "outer" world are the same, so treat them equally.  Repeat today's idea and watch the images my imagination presents to my Awareness. Practice in smaller increments off and on during the day, as often as possible.  Apply today's idea to any situation that may distress me.

"I have invented the world I see."

Lesson 31 ~ I am not the victim of the world I see.

I am not the "victim" of the world I see, because I CREATED THE WORLD.

This is the introduction to my declaration of release from illusions.  Use it in response to any form of temptation that may arise.  It is a declaration that I will not yield to dreams, putting myself in bondage.

Examine both my inner world and my outer world; let the thoughts that cross my mind come into my Awareness (I will escape from both together, for the inner is the cause of the outer).  Consider each one for a moment, then move on.  Watch them come and go as dispassionately as possible.  Do not dwell on any in particular.

For three to five minutes, morning and evening, practice this idea.  Also apply it throughout the day as needed.

"I am not the victim of the world I see."

Lesson 30 ~ God is in everything I see because God is in my mind

Todays idea is the springboard (catalyst) for Vision.  From this idea, my mind will open and I will see what I have never seen before.  And I will never again look upon the world in quite the same way.

I want to see Reality.  I want to return Home.  I want to Awaken from the dream.  I begin by not projecting fear "outside" me (as I have been doing),  but I will project thoughts of Peace and Love.  I will attempt to join with what I see, instead of trying to keep it apart and outside me.  That is the fundamental difference between Vision and sight with the body's eyes.

I cannot change the world, but I can change my thoughts about the world which, in turn, will show me a changed world.  If my thoughts change, I will see evidence of it in the world.

Apply this idea as often as possible throughout the day.  Whenever I have a moment, repeat it to myself slowly, looking around me, trying to realize that the idea applies to everything I see now, or could see if it were within the range of my human sight.

Real Vision is not limited to concepts such as "near" and "far," so in order to get used to this idea, I will try to think of things beyond my present location, as well as what I can actually see.

Real Vision is unlimited by space and distance, and it does not depend on the body's eyes at all.  The mind is Its only source of Vision.  It might help to practice with my eyes closed a couple of times, looking from within rather than without:

"God is in everything I see because God is in my mind."

Lesson 29 ~ God is in everything I see

Nothing is as it appears to me now.  I do not truly "see" anything Real.  True Sight has nothing to do with the body's eyes.  The body does not exist; "eyes" do not exist. What I am "seeing" is a projection of my mind.  I can learn to replace all that I seem to "see" with Vision.

Todays idea is the foundation for Vision.  Certainly God is not in a table as I now see it.  Yet my mind shares the purpose of Reality.  Can I change any object or person in the world?  That does not matter. There is no "world;"  it exists only as a projection of my thought.  But yes, the "world" will appear to change as my thoughts change.

For instance, say I am in a movie theater.  Can I stop the death of the hero by running down to the screen and catching the bullet before it hits him?  No.  I would have to go back to the movie set.  My mind is like the set of the movie.  The movie playing on the screen is my "life" in the world of illusion.  It is fruitless to try to change the world, or run down to the screen to save the hero.  I can only change my mind about the world, and this is similar to going back to the movie set (the source of the movie).  Does this mean I should not try to alleviate suffering and poverty?  If suffering and poverty presents itself in my "life," then it is real for me at that moment and I can act accordingly, and practice the forgiveness lesson it offers me.  But I must ask for God's help because I may be tempted to anger, a sense of injustice, judgment, sorrow or hopelessness and these thoughts will keep me anchored to illusions.  

Nothing is "separate."  There is nothing outside me.  That is why nothing I "see" means anything.  Yet God instructs me in these daily lessons to replace what I "see" with His Vision.  He instructs me to use my apparent "reality" for His Own Purposes in order that I may Truly See.

Today, I begin to learn to look on all things with love, appreciation and open-mindedness.  It is my thoughts I must change, not the world.  Nothing is as it appears to me now.  God's Holy Purpose stands beyond my my little range of experience. When Vision has shown me the Holiness that Lights the "world," I will comprehend todays idea perfectly.  And I will not understand how I could have ever found it difficult!

Six times today, for a couple minutes each, begin with repeating the idea to myself. Then apply it randomly to subjects around me, naming each one specifically. "God is in this coat hanger;" "God is in this lamp;" God is in that body;" "God is in that trash bin;" "God is in that doggy-doo;" "God is in that cat litter box;" and so on.  Do not avoid anything that seems unpleasant.  Remember, I created the world of illusions and assigned it "pleasant" or "unpleasant," "sinful" or "holy" aspects, so I should choose subjects randomly.

At least once or twice, I may experience a sense of restfulness as I do this exercise.

Lesson 28 ~ Above all else, I want to see differently

My salvation in a "table."

God works with me where I think I exist ~ in a world of illusions.  Intellectually I may be able to accept the idea that I live in a world of illusions.  But to really understand and experience this Truth, is something I am incapable of on my own.

ACIM is a Course in mind training.  Mind is all that exists.  My thoughts create a world of illusions, and while I seem to see tables, chairs and other things, God will work with me at that very basic level to bring me back to my Awareness of Reality.

If I were to deny that I see illusions and go about in the illusory world talking and behaving as if it were false, I would look foolish and that would not help me at all. While I seem to "see" illusions, they are real for me.  I can say to myself, "well addiction is an illusion, so I can drink all I want."   WRONG.  I do not know at all what I am doing here, so it is best not to waste my time playing games. Just do the exercises and let God do the rest.  I will know, without a doubt, when God is working in my life, for the evidence will be irrefutable.

Baby steps.  Remember baby steps.

I could, in fact, gain salvation from a "table," if I would withdraw all my ideas about "tables," and look on them with a completely open mind.  A "table" has something to show me.  Something beautiful, clean, of infinite value, full of happiness and hope. Hidden under all my ideas about the purpose of anything, is Real Purpose.

Today I make a series of definite commitments.  I do not need to worry about whether I will keep these commitments.  That does not matter.  If I am willing to make these commitments now ~ this moment ~ is all that matters.  ACIM is new to me.  God knows this and He is Gentle and Kind, and He takes me by the hand awaiting my small efforts.

I may wonder at the silliness and simplicity of these lessons:  "Above all else I want to see this table differently."  How will this help me?

I see "separate" things around me.  Everything I see seems to be outside and apart from me. This really means I am not "seeing" at all.  I either See or I "see" nothing at all.  When I have Seen ONE thing differently, I will See ALL things differently. So I start with tables.  Baby steps.

When I say, "Above all else I want to see this table differently," I am making a commitment to lay aside all my ideas about "tables" and opening my mind to Reality. A table can represent everything in a world of illusion, and once I see one thing differently, I will see all things differently.  The Light I come to see in any one thing, is the same Light in All Things.  There is ONE Light.  I learn to See It by starting at the beginning, with a table.

I could in fact, gain Vision from just a table if I would withdraw all my thoughts about "tables," and look upon them with a completely open mind.  In using the table as a subject for applying today's idea, I am really asking to See Reality.  I will be making the same request of each subject I use in my practice periods.

Six times today, for a couple minutes each, apply today's idea to whatever I see, "Above all else, I want to see this _____ differently."   I am not really asking to see tables differently, I am asking to understand the thought that created that table; the table being one of many objects that were seemingly created to prove to me that I am separated from God.  Remember, slow, gentle, no anxieties, no worries, no expectations, no judgments, no anticipation, etc., just do the exercises, and give the rest over to God.

Lesson 27 ~ Above all else I want to see.

Today's idea expresses something stronger than mere determination.  It gives Vision priority among my desires.  I may hesitate in practicing this idea because I am not sure that I really mean it.  That does not matter.  Todays exercise will bring the time when the idea will True for me, a little nearer.

No sacrifice is being asked of me in my return to Reality.  I may believe I am being asked to give up my lovely home and garden, my marriage, my friends, my beautiful grandchildren, my successful career.  Yet the "people" and "things" that seem to bring me Joy, are already a part of me and are with me in a way that is not possible in the world of illusions.  Any "good" I experience in the world of illusion will always come to an end; my spouse dies, my friends move across country, my grandchildren grow up and move away, and I will eventually retire from my job.  The problem with any joy, happiness, or love I find in the world of illusions, is that it eventually ends. My Reality, however, is Neverending and Perfect Joy, Happiness, and Love.  Reality is all the "good" multiplied by a million, with NONE of the bad. In addition, since there is nothing outside me and my Reality is within, the good that seems to be "outside" is only a symbol of a Greater Good inside.  Everything "outside" is a symbol of a thought in my mind.  A distorted thought at that, despite how wonderful it may appear.

The idea for today needs many repetitions for maximum benefit.  It should be used at least every half hour, more if possible.  If I am engaged in conversation, or otherwise occupied, I can still repeat one short idea to myself without disturbing anything or anyone.  I may miss several applications, perhaps a great number.  Do not be upset by this.  This is not a race, nor a contest. If only once today I feel that I was perfectly sincere with today's idea, I can be sure that I have saved myself many "years" of effort. Today, say to myself,  "Above all else, I want to See. Vision costs me nothing. It offers only Blessings."

My mind may not Awaken to any of the Course's ideas the first time I read them.  It may even take "years" to adjust my mind from illusions of the "world."  Yet, "time" exists only as a thought in my mind, and God can adjust "time" and "space."  I need not worry about how this will be accomplished; it will be accomplished.

Lesson 26 ~ My fear thoughts attack my Invulnerability.

The story of the prodigal son can be thought of as the story of the "creation" of the dream-world.  I mentally ran away to hide from my Father. Thought is the only Reality and there is nothing outside of It.

My Reality is Pure Love, Joy, Serenity, Wholeness. God is All of These and They can be summed up in one word:  Love. Yet I seemed to create the opposite, which is not hate but the absence of Love. The absence of Love, Joy, Serenity, Wholeness would be fear.  Take a being out of its environment and it becomes disoriented and fearful. That is my current "reality."  Yet no one has done this to me, I have done it to myself by my choice.  And I choose it over and over.

I see myself not as the Son of God, but as a body which can attack and be attacked, and can die. No longer am I Invulnerable, but as a body apart from God, I seemed to have created an alternate reality, projected it outside of myself and now see myself at the mercy of it.

I must learn how to think again, not apart from God (Love, Reality, etc), but with God.

I am the Son of God believing and putting all my faith in a world apart from God, making myself small and vulnerable.  Because I believe in this world, I can no longer believe in myself as the Invulnerable Son of God.  A false image of myself has come to take the place of what I really am. Everything and everyone I see, is the result of me creating this experience.  Nothing except my thoughts can make me think I am in a body in a world, apart from my Creator.  And nothing except my thoughts can bring me back to Reality.

If there is only One Son (and I am he) then anything thought I have which judges, condemns or attacks anyone or anything, is only hurting myself keeping me trapped in a insane thought-cycle that has created my current reality.  God works with me from inside this false reality, using what I created to separate myself from Him for His Own Purposes bringing me back to Him.  Not against my will, but with the part of me which remembers my desire for Happiness, Wholeness, Love and Peace.

Six practice periods today, for 1-2 minutes each, depending on how my mind tolerates the exercises (there should be no anxiety or strain), review the things in my current reality causing me concern.  The concern may take the form of depression, worry, anger, a sense of imposition, fear, foreboding or preoccupation.  Then think about every possible outcome.  If I am doing the exercises properly, I will have five or six distressing possibilities available for each situation, probably even more.  Start this way, "I am concerned about _____. I am afraid _____ will happen.  This thought is an attack upon myself and keeps me separated from Reality."

Lesson 25 ~ I do not understand what anything is for.

"Ego" is the "me" which has created a "reality" apart from God.  I perceive the world and everything in it as meaningful in terms of ego; in terms of proving to me that I am separated from God.  I am Safe in Heaven, dreaming of exile.  What I do not seem to understand at this time, is that everything ~ EVERYTHING ~ is in my own best interests!  I am the Son of God and Heaven is all around me but I do not see It, because I have chosen another "reality" for myself.  But I can remind myself who I am, Where I am and that I have nothing to fear.

"Ego" is not who I am, but I have taught myself a differently.  With Heaven guiding me Gently and Lovingly, I will Awaken to Reality. God will not say, "wake up fool, you are in Heaven! TaDa!".  He will not erase the dream I have so painstakingly created. This dream was my choice.  He never goes against my choice...my will.  Yet I remain in the dream I created....lamenting the world, wringing my hands at all its injustice, crying in grief for those who seem to "die," all the while safe in his arms.  Like a child fearing monsters under the bed and ghostly figures in the window at night, God knows my fears are unfounded. He knows the unreality  of the dream-world.  BUT I DO NOT, so God works with me mentally, in the place ~ the thought ~ that seems to be my reality.

In my insanity I think I am a body living in a universe of other bodies and things. This false identification makes me bound to misuse and misunderstand everything.  The goals I set in the dream-world have nothing to do with my own best interests because a body is not who I am.  "Bodies" and "the world" are not Real so any goals I set, "good" or "bad," are goals for nothingness.  Am I willing to recognize this?  I do not know what anything is for in this world.  Am I willing to admit this.  Yet, even in this world I recognize "purpose." I do not understand it, but I can recognize it. I believe a cell phone/computer is used for communicating.

The idea for today is a step in the direction of giving up the thought, that I know what is in my best interests....giving up the thought that I know anything Valuable at all.

Six times today, for a few minutes each time, repeat this idea to myself.  Glance around at the "world."  Whatever happens to catch my eye near or far, "important" or "unimportant," "human" or "nonhuman," let my eyes rest on chosen subjects and repeat today's idea.  Then move on to the next subject.  "I do not know what this chair is for;" "I do not know what this pen is for;" "I do not know what this hand is for."

The world and the bodies I think exist, do not exist at all.  I am going through "motions" and "actions" only in my mind ~ my thought~ and that thought seems to be projected outside me.  Truth asks me to question this "reality."

ACIM is a self-study Course.  No one forces me it upon me.  No one preaches to me. No one makes demands.  I can pick it up or put it down.  I can think about it, or go to a movie and forget about it altogether.  But IF I want Peace, Happiness, Joy, and Serenity, I might consider its ideas and suggestions.  I might practice the exercises.  I can be Happy, or I can be filled with guilt and sorrow.  It seems the choice is beyond me, imposed by forces outside of me.  What ACIM is telling me is that IT IS ALL IN MY MIND.  Heaven Awakens me slowly and Gently.

There are many roads that lead Home.  ACIM promises to get me there faster.

Lesson 24 ~ I do not perceive my own best interests.

What I do is determined by my perception of the situation.  My perception in the world of illusions, is insane.  In my insanity, I do not know my own best interests.  In NO situation do I realize the outcome that would make me Happy.  If I were Aware of Reality, my "best interests" would be the only goal in any situation.  The idea for today is a step toward opening my mind so learning can begin.

For a couple minutes search my mind, with eyes closed, for unresolved issues about which I am concerned.  A few situations, honestly and carefully considered will be more helpful than trying to examine a large number of them.  Think about the goal I want for each situation.  I will quickly realize that I have a number of goals in mind as part of the desired outcome and that my goals are on different levels often conflicting with each another.

Name each issue or situation, and then name as many goals as possible that I think would resolve the situation.  Try to uncover as many different kinds of outcomes that occur to me, even if they do not appear to be directly related to the situation.  Say to myself, "In the situation involving _____, I would like _____ to happen, and _____ to happen, and _____ to happen, etc."  Then after considering all the outcomes say, "I still do not perceive my own best interests in this situation."

If this exercise is done properly, I will quickly realize that I am making a large number of demands that have nothing to do with the situation.  I will also recognize that many of my goals are contradictory, that I have no unified outcome in mind and that I will experience disappointment in connection with some of my goals however the situation turns out.

Lesson 23 ~ I escape the "world" by giving up thoughts which are not Love.

The only way out of the world of illusions, is to give up all thought which is not Love. God's Way cannot fail.  Every thought I have makes up some segment of the world I see.  Nothing in the "world" needs to change, because the world was created by my thought.  Change my thoughts and I change the "world."

Every thought that is not Love is some form of fear:  anger, sadness, rage, annoyance, impatience, anxiety, boredom.  'Behind every small sigh is a world of rage.'  The cause of the world I see is my original thought of separation from God.  Yet, to Awaken, I must begin with small steps.  I believe I am in this world, so it would be foolish to pretend it does not exist for me.  Someday, this world will disappear, but right now it is central in my mind. God works Gently with my sick mind.  There is no point in lamenting the world.  There is no point in trying to change the world.  The world is incapable of change because it is merely an effect of my thought.  I am the cause of this world.  My thoughts created the world and my mind seemed to project it outside of me.  The "world" is an effect of my thought.  God's work with me starts at the cause ~ my thoughts.  When my thoughts change, the "world" will change.

The world I see is a fearful, angry, vengeful world.  It is a world created to show me my apparent separation from God.  Everything in it is a witness to ~ or symbol of ~ that separation.  Everything I seem to see or perceive in the world is a picture to me of my own thoughts. I call this "sight."  Yet, is 'fantasy' not a better word for such a process, and 'hallucination' a more appropriate term for the results?  I seem to "see" the world I have made, but I do not yet understand myself as the maker.

God's Vision holds a replacement for everything I think I see now.   Even in the dream-world, Loveliness can Light my images and transform them.

I am not trapped in the world because I can change its cause (my thought).  This change requires that first, cause must be identified (my thought of separation) and then let go, so God can replace it with Love.  In fact, what God Wills has already been accomplished. It is up to me when I am willing to Awaken to this Reality.

Five times today look around slowly and repeat today's idea.  Then close my eyes and devote a minute to searching my mind for as many fear thoughts that occur to me.  As each one crosses my mind, say:

"I escape the world I see by giving up this thought of fear (anger, sadness, grief, hate, annoyance, etc)."

Then dismiss the thought and go on.  Be sure to include both my thoughts of fear and those seemingly directed toward me.  They are one and the same.

Lesson 22 ~ Everything I see witnesses to my "separation" from God.

Any thought not Love, is fear or some form of fear (annoyance, attack, judgment, anger, grief, sadness, impatience, etc).  If I hold fearful thoughts in my mind, I will see a fearful world.  If I hold attack thoughts in my mind, I will see a world of attack.  If I hold sad thoughts in my mind, I will see a sad world.  If my thoughts are hopeless, I will see a hopeless world.  I project my thoughts outward, creating the world I see.  If I change my thoughts, I change the world.

If I project angry thoughts onto the world, I will see vengeance all around me.  My own counter-attack will then be perceived as self defense.  This thinking becomes a vicious circle, until I am willing to change how I think.  Otherwise, thoughts of attack and counter-attack will preoccupy my mind and fill my entire world.  Is there any peace of mind possible for me?

I want to escape these savage fantasies.  Is it not Joyous news to hear that the world's insanity is not Real?  Is it not a happy discovery to find that I can escape this madness?  I made the world and everyone in it and created all circumstances and situations.  Everything I hate and "love" about this world and those in it, I have created.  Yet I now learn that none of it exists because it is only fantasy.

Five times today, for a minute or so, look at the world around me. Let my eyes move slowly from one object to the next, from one body to another, saying to myself:  "I see nothing Real.  What I see I have created to separate myself from God. Is this really what I want to see?" This answer is obvious.

Lesson 21 ~ I am determined to See differently.

Specific, mind-searching periods are necessary.  I can apply this idea to specific situations as they arise.  Do five practice periods, a minute each.  Repeat the idea to myself.  Then close my eyes and search my mind for situations ~ past, present, anticipated ~ that arouse anger; from mild irritation to outright rage.  The degree of anger does not matter.  I will become increasingly aware that a slight twinge of annoyance is nothing but a veil drawn over intense fury.

Let even no "small" thought of anger escape me in the practice periods today. Remember, I do not easily recognize what arouses anger in me; and what I now think and believe about anything, means nothing.  My thinking is insane.

Say, "I am determined to See _____ (person, situation) differently."

Lesson 20 ~ I am determined to See.

I am determined to See.  So far, minimal effort has been required.  Yet the salvation of the "world" depends on the reversal of my thinking.  The "world" is only in my mind. When my mind is healed, the world is healed.  There is no need to get anyone else to change their ways.  There is no need to bring salvation to a brother.  If I heal MY mind, then all its thoughts (including the thought that created this world) will heal.  I need only work on MYSELF.   The "world" can only be "saved" if "I" am saved.  God has only One Son.  Even though there seems to be many "sons," there is One.....and I am he.

Now some effort will be introduced, but I must not misunderstand this required "effort" as an attempt to overwhelm me, or force me to do something against my own will.  I WANT salvation.  I WANT to be Happy.  I WANT Peace.  I have all This now but I am not Aware of It because my mind is totally undisciplined.  I do not even know how to distinguish between Joy and sorrow, pleasure and pain, Love and fear.  I am only beginning to learn to tell them apart.  And great, indeed, will be my reward.

My decision to See is all that Vision requires.  What I want is mine.  It is mine already, only I have not allowed this into my Awareness.

Today I will remind myself throughout the day that I WANT to See.  This idea also implies the recognition that I do not See now.  As I repeat the idea, I am also stating that I am determined to change my present state for a better one.......one I Truly want.

Twice an hour, perhaps every half hour, I will repeat today's idea slowly and positively. Do not be anxious or dismayed if I forget.  Just make a real effort to remember.  I can also use the idea on any situation, person or event that upsets me.  I can see differently........and I WILL.  What I desire Truly, I WILL See.

Lesson 19 ~ My thoughts affect the entire world.

My thoughts do not affect me alone.  Thoughts and the effects of my thoughts, are really simultaneous, for cause and effect are never separate, they only seem that way in the dream-world.

There is One Mind.  This is rarely a welcome idea at first, since it seems to carry an enormous sense of responsibility.  I may even regard this idea as an "invasion of privacy."  Yet it is a fact.  I may resist this idea, yet I will soon understand that it must be True if salvation is possible at all....and salvation IS possible because it is the Will of God.

With eyes closed, take a minute or so, four times today, searching my mind for the specific thoughts it contains.  Consider each one and name it in terms of the central person or theme it contains.  Hold each thought in my mind as I say, "This thought affects the entire world."

Lesson 18 ~ Every thought I have affects the world.

There is One mind.  Any thought I think will affect the entire "world" and all "other" minds.

Today's idea does not refer to what I "see," as much as how I see it.  My thoughts about what I "see" create my reality.

For a minute or so, four times today, look around me randomly, keeping my eyes on each subject long enough to say, "I created what I see and gave it all the meaning it has for me.  Every thought I have affects the world and all people in it, because there is only One of us."

Lesson 17 ~ Everything I see is a thought in my mind, creating a world apart from God.

Despite the temptation to believe otherwise, it is always thought that comes first. Everything I seemingly "see" was created by my mind.  It has meaning for me.  It holds me in the world of illusions and witnesses to a world apart from God, making it "real" for me.

Animate or inanimate, pleasant or unpleasant, make no distinctions. Regardless of what I may believe, nothing I see is Alive or Joyous.  I am unaware of any Thought that is True or any Thought that is Truly Happy.

Repeat today's idea three or four different times in the day for a minute or so, look around me and say or think:  "Everything I see is a thought in my mind, creating a world apart from God."

My thoughts are either Love Thoughts or fear thoughts.  There is no in-between.  My Love Thoughts are Thoughts with God and Heaven.  All other thoughts keep me imprisoned in a world apart from God.

Heaven is all around me, but I block it from my Awareness with every thought that is not Love.

Lesson 16 ~ My thoughts determine my reality

I think it is my actions which effect the world around me, but that is false.  The "world" and "bodies" are illusions.  The only Reality is thought.  Everything I seem to see is a result of my thoughts.  There is no exception to this fact.  Thoughts are never big or little, powerful or weak; they are merely True or false. Thoughts that are True manifest Truth, thoughts that are false manifest falseness.  The thoughts I think in the world of illusions are not even my True Thoughts.  Heaven will teach me to think again with God.

There are no "idle thoughts."  What gives rise to the perception of a whole universe can hardly be called "idle."  EVERY thought I have contributes to Truth or illusion.  It either extends Truth, or it multiplies illusions.  I can indeed multiply illusions in my mind.  That does not make them Real, but I can imagine them to be "real" for me. I can and AM dreaming of a whole separate "reality."

Recognize and remember........my thoughts are never idle.  My salvation from this dream requires that I recognize that EVERY thought brings me either Peace or war, Love or fear.  A neutral thought is impossible.

Four or five times today, with eyes closed, search my mind for thoughts.  Every thought that occurs to me is a suitable subject for applying today's idea.  Take each chosen thought, one at a time and tell myself, "This thought about _____ either extends Truth, or multiplies illusions.  There are no thoughts that do not affect my reality."   

These exercises should be effortless and without strain.

Lesson 15 ~ The world is an image I have made.

The world and the thoughts I think about the world are not Real.  The world is an image I have made.

This introductory idea to the process of "seeing" will not have much meaning for me yet.  Some of the thoughts I think seem to appear in "physical form," so I do not recognize them as nothing.  They seem very real for me. This is how "sight" was made. This is the function I have given to the body's eyes.  The "body's eyes" are nothing and do nothing. They cannot offer Vision.  They offer image-making, which takes the place of Vision.  They replace Vision with illusions.

For a minute or so, look around me.  Focus randomly on a subjects while I say, "the "world" is an image I have made; this _____ (table, chair, picture, pet, etc) is an image I have made."  Do this three or four times today.  My attempts should be effortless and calm.

(This lesson discusses unexpected "light episodes" that may occur.  I left this out because it appeals to ego. I should try to get away from ego. "Special-ness" hides Truth. Special "light episodes" would be the last thing I am looking for.  Keep only forgiveness, Peace, and Love foremost in my mind.)

Lesson 14 ~ God did not create this meaningless world.

A meaningless world is impossible.  What God did not create does not exist. Everything God did create, exists just as He created it ~ Loving, Joyful, Serene, Peaceful, Whole.  The world I see has nothing to do with Reality. The world I see is of my own making, and it DOES NOT EXIST.

Today's idea is another step in learning to let go of illusions. Illusions are the thoughts I have projected onto a world of dreams.  When I let go of dreams, I will see the Word of God in its place. These early steps ~ which can truly be called salvation ~ can be difficult and painful for me. Salvation is not needed in Reality, but it is needed to Awaken me from dreams.  In these lessons I will confront fear, but I will not be left there......I will go far beyond it to Perfect Safety and Perfect Peace.

At least three times today, with eyes closed, think of all the horrors in the world that cross my mind. Be specific, give each one a name....."cancer" as opposed to "illness," "Hurricane" as opposed to "natural disasters".  Include the things I am afraid will happen to me or my loved ones.  What God did not create can only be a fantasy in my mind, a mind seemingly apart from His.  Therefore it has no meaning.

Say, "God did not create that _____ (airplane crash, hurricane, bankruptcy, war, death, etc), so it is not Real. He did not create a meaningless world, and so the dream-world is not Real."