The Faces of Fear

Art by Vladislav Yerko

"Within a system which denies the existence of basic human rights, fear tends to be the order of the day. Fear of imprisonment, fear of torture, fear of death, fear of losing friends, family, property or means of livelihood, fear of poverty, fear of isolation, fear of failure. A most insidious form of fear is that which masquerades as common sense or even wisdom, condemning as foolish, reckless, insignificant or futile the small, daily acts of courage which help to preserve man's self-respect and inherent human dignity. It is not easy for a people conditioned by fear under the iron rule of the principle that might is right to free themselves from the enervating miasma of fear. Yet even under the most crushing state machinery courage rises up again and again, for fear is not the natural state of civilized man.” 

— Aung San Suu Kyi, Freedom From Fear 

“Had Blondin believed it impossible to walk the rope over Niagara's abyss of waters, he could never have done it. His belief that he could do it gave his thought-forces, called muscles, their flexibility and power which the unscientific might attribute to a lubricating oil. His fear must have disappeared before his power of putting resolve into action could appear.”

—Mary Baker Eddy - Science & Health Page 199:25-31

“How safe the world will look to me when I can see it! It will not look anything like what I imagine I see now. Everyone and everything I see will lean toward me to bless me. I will recognize in everyone my dearest Friend. What could there be to fear in a world that I have forgiven, and that has forgiven me?” 

—A Course in Miracles W-60.3:2-6

Health — The Language Of My Discernment

Many people have a multitude of problematic happenings in their lives. My neighbor and good friend has been in the hospital four times in as many months, with alarming symptoms and no diagnosis. One friend is worried about her husband’s memory. Another had a quadruple heart bypass this morning. A dear sister/friend is diagnosed with shingles in her eyes. Someone has an adult son in rehab with serious mental problems. One of these people, a metaphysician, is feeling guilty because she can’t “do” something about the situation. This caused me to think about the impersonal nature of disease. We tend to want to blame ourselves when a malady occurs. What did I do wrong which caused this dis-ease? If we are truly One in Spirit, then perhaps we shouldn’t take all the blame for the mass hypnotism running rampant in our society. Everywhere, the media and individuals are telling us what’s wrong with us, or a news story is proclaiming disaster from something or another, or someone is predicting doom in some form. What are we to do? Just say no! There are many books and YouTube videos giving us tips on how to counteract negativity. Don’t be afraid to lift your thought in this way. Think I’ll lift up my friends in my thoughts right now!

“Because mortal mind seems to be conscious, the sick say: ‘How can my mind cause a disease I never thought of and knew nothing about, until it appeared on my body?’ The author has answered this question in her explanation of disease as originating in human belief before it is consciously apparent on the body, which is in fact the objective state of mortal mind, though it is called matter. This mortal blindness and its sharp consequences show our need of divine metaphysics. Through immortal Mind, or Truth, we can destroy all ills which proceed from mortal mind.”
—Mary Baker Eddy - Science & Health Page 374:6-16

“When the ego tempts you to sickness do not ask the Holy Spirit to heal the body, for this would merely be to accept the ego’s belief that the body is the proper aim of healing. Ask, rather, that the Holy Spirit teach you the right perception of the body, for perception alone can be distorted. Only perception can be sick, because only perception can be wrong.”
—A Course in Miracles T-8.IX.1:5-7

Seeing Through The Illusion

“Dancing With the Shadow Self”

Creation of Sandy Wythawai Starbird

Let’s say you wake up in the morning and are upset about something which was happening in your sleeping dream; it only takes a moment to shake off the feeling of fear or anxiety, as you affirm the illusory nature of what seemed so terribly real. In our waking dreams, we often experience upset in many forms, because we have accepted the illusion of separation from divine Love — and each other. Perhaps we’re feeling sad or depressed; maybe we’re unhappy or have a bit of ennui following us around. Whatever form it takes, it matters not if the upset is small or large, as it is all a mistaken interpretation of the reality of our being. It can be distressing to admit we have a choice in regard to these feelings, as we don’t want to think this is our own fault. And so I will strive to NOT apportion blame to others or to myself, but rather to release upsetting emotions the way I would evaporate a bad dream. I'm happy to admit I don't know why or how these feelings come to me, as I open my mind to All that Is and move into a new world created by Love.

“Mortal mind is constantly producing on mortal body the results of false opinions; and it will continue to do so, until mortal error is deprived of its imaginary powers by Truth, which sweeps away the gossamer web of mortal illusion.”
—Mary Baker Eddy - Science & Health Page 403:16-20

“It is not you who are so vulnerable and open to attack that just a word, a little whisper that you do not like, a circumstance that suits you not, or an event that you did not anticipate upsets your world, and hurls it into chaos. Truth is not frail. Illusions leave it perfectly unmoved and undisturbed. But specialness is not the truth in you. It can be thrown off balance by anything. What rests on nothing never can be stable. However large and overblown it seems to be, it still must rock and turn and whirl about with every breeze.”
—A Course in Miracles T-24.III.3:1-7

Never Upset For The Reason I Think

Sometimes I get emotionally overwrought and don't realize it's happening until I say or do something foolish. At times like these, I wish I could retreat to the top of a mountain -- or perhaps a cave -- and wait for calm to come again. But that's not the way life happens, is it? Actually, it is — if that place of calm you find is inside yourself. And that is, after all, the only place it truly can be. I could be by myself in outer space but still be fragile if my mind is spinning in circles of anxiety. So when I'm tempted to say someone else has upset me, that isn't even close to being true. Perhaps I've been tense about numerous circumstances and allow one little thing to tip the boat over. These times are when I return to Love, as I'm doing right now. I'm going to listen to calm instrumental music, close my eyes and forgive myself, loving the people and situations I could say are causing my unrest. "I love you. I'm sorry. Please forgive me. Thank you."

"I am never upset for the reason I think. This idea ...can be used with any person, situation or event you think is causing you pain. Apply it specifically to whatever you believe is the cause of your upset, using the description of the feeling in whatever term seems accurate to you. The upset may seem to be fear, worry, depression, anxiety, anger, hatred, jealousy or any number of forms, all of which will be perceived as different. This is not true." 

—A Course in Miracles W-pI.5.1.

Harmony is produced by its Principle, is controlled by it and abides with it. Divine Principle is the Life of man. Man's happiness is not, therefore, at the disposal of physical sense. Truth is not contaminated by error. Harmony in man is as beautiful as in music, and discord is unnatural, unreal."
—Mary Baker Eddy - Science & Health Page 304:17-22

No Loss When Properly Perceived

Chili Dog Dressed For Night On The Town 

The process of turning around all hurtful thoughts is a long and winding road! As a 12-year-old, the loss of my dog was devastating. I wouldn't allow myself to love another animal for more than ten years. After giving myself permission to love again, I have gradually brought my thoughts closer to understanding the Oneness of Love. When looking into the eyes of a beloved pet, I see those which I've loved in the past. I no longer live in fear of their death, because I know their essence lives on and will return to me in another form. All these experiences bring the realization of the Oneness of all being, and I relish each loss and gain in this embrace. Whatever the hurt or suffering seems to be, it can be perceived in another way. (“I can elect to change all thoughts that hurt.” ACIM) Love fills our being from its core to its edge. This unbroken reality allows me to feel a gentle Presence in every experience. And I am grateful.

“I can elect to change all thoughts that hurt. Loss is not loss when properly perceived. Pain is impossible. There is no grief with any cause at all. And suffering of any kind is nothing but a dream. This is the truth, at first to be but said and then repeated many times; and next to be accepted as but partly true, with many reservations. Then to be considered seriously more and more, and finally accepted as the truth. I can elect to change all thoughts that hurt. And I would go beyond these words today, and past all reservations, and arrive at full acceptance of the truth in them.”

—A Course in Miracles W-284.1:1–2

“The human mind will sometime rise above all material and physical sense, exchanging it for spiritual perception, and exchanging human concepts for the divine consciousness.”
—Mary Baker Eddy - Science & Health Page 531:11-13

Perception Deception

The Dress in Question

An interesting topic was addressed on the PBS show NOVA. It’s called Your Brain: Perception Deception — and can be found on youTube if anyone is interested in viewing it. One example, given in this program, is The Dress — the dress which to some seemed white and gold, while others saw a blue and black garment. Apparently, there were huge disagreements over what color this dress was. The end result of this discussion is that color occurs within the brain. The light that enters your eyes is not color; the brain interprets it. Light comes in different wave lengths, which change when they hit different surfaces. There is quite an in-depth discussion of the reasons for this, but this doesn’t hold much interest for me and I won’t bore you with my elementary interpretations. What I have gleaned from the explanation is that our perceptions are not only colored by past experiences and knowledge, but by environmental differences, too. This has strengthened my desire to hold no strong opinions which, after all, close my mind to other ideas — perhaps even the fact that the dress is blue and black!

“If I see nothing as it is now, it can truly be said that I see nothing. I can see only what is now. The choice is not whether to see the past or the present; the choice is merely whether to see or not. What I have chosen to see has cost me vision. Now I would choose again, that I may see.”
—A Course in Miracles W-52.4:2-6

“The Science of being unveils the errors of sense, and spiritual perception, aided by Science, reaches Truth.”
—Mary Baker Eddy - Science & Health Page 406:11-12

A Meaningful World

Image created by Laura Iverson

I had a sleeping dream of Utopia. There was no need to speak, as we knew each others' thoughts. We had no fear, as our thoughts were uncluttered and pure. Everywhere I looked there were happy people, busy at tasks which would benefit everyone. There was no need for television or radios, as we knew everything, and it was Good. At one point, I thought I was lost in the woods, but that was impossible because others sensed my confusion and were there immediately to lead me to a safe and beautiful home. While traveling on a road, suddenly the way was filled with huge boulders and ancient fallen trees. But to the left side there was a field filled with beautiful flowers, and a pathway leading to my destination. All needs were met before I knew of them, and there was the most wonderful sense of peace. I will hold to these beautiful feelings today, while seeing the meaningless basis of my thoughts and desires.

“Since the thoughts of which I am aware do not mean anything, the world that pictures them can have no meaning. What is producing this world is insane, and so is what it produces. Reality is not insane, and I have real thoughts as well as insane ones. I can therefore see a real world, if I look to my real thoughts as my guide for seeing.”
—A Course in Miracles W-53.1:2-5

“Sleep and apathy are phases of the dream that life, substance, and intelligence are material. The mortal night dream is sometimes nearer than are the thoughts of mortals when awake. The night-dream has less matter as its accompaniment. It throws off some material fetters. It falls short of the skies, but makes its mundane flights quite ethereal.”
—Mary Baker Eddy - Science & Health Page 249:24-30