On sleeping, dreaming, observing, and awakening. Q #893: That we are asleep and dreaming makes sense to me. I understand that Im not alone in the creation of this dream and the real me is not what I think it is. I feel Im making real progress. Then theres the concept of being somewhere -- which I understand is an idea limited by the necessary use of language of time and space, caused by the belief in separation. And each lifetime is already over, so we are only reviewing. We are in fact not asleep, we are in a state outside of time. And were being enthralled by guilt? by addiction? by what? causing us to keep compulsively reviewing what has already finished. But why the compulsive rehashing? Is it like wanting to dive back into a dream when you begin to awaken in the morning? If we are the observer, the sleeper, the reviewer -- is there actually no self in the dream at all? So its not so much that we are all one here, but that our Self is one, and no one is here? Ive had a flash that this is true, but then I got scared or excited, and lost the thread. So is it that here there are just two patterns -- like energy patterns structuring thought, creating projections: the Holy Spirits and the egos? And that infusing those two movies with identity is the observer, sleeper, dreamer? And that by identifying with the thought system closest in vibration to the real one, we begin to resonate with the observer and remember that we actually arent in the dream? A: You are right -- there is no self in the dream, only projected images with which we each have chosen to identify. And the fragmented self or mind that has chosen to identify with only a certain image in the dream is simply an aspect of one self that we all share. However, that self we all share is not our true Self, but the illusory self of the split mind -- the observer youve referred to above. It is this self, outside the dream of time and space, that A Course in Miracles is asking us to recognize increasingly as our identity, through the practice of forgiveness. This self has the choice either to continue to identify with the false ego thought system of sin and guilt, or the Holy Spirits true thought system of forgiveness and peace -- the two energy patterns you refer to. The Holy Spirits thought system is still an illusion, because it is a correction for the egos lies and deception, but it is a reflection of the oneness of our true Self, which has been completely unaffected by the imaginings of the split mind. The reason for the “compulsive rehashing” from the perspective of the ego thought system is that identifying with the dream figure and relishing our various roles in the dream are what keep us unaware that we are the mind reviewing and not the figure acting in the dream. This confusion guarantees that the separation will not be healed, for we keep our focus on the projected dream, where no real change can be effected, rather than on the projecting part of the mind, where a different choice can be made. In other words, we want to remain identified with the ego and we want to maintain the separation (T.4.VI.4:2,3,4; T.13.III.2:5), and reviewing what is already over and past merely keeps the thought system underlying those dreams alive in our mind, with no apparent opportunity to make a different choice. We reinforce our identification with the observer role in the mind through the practice of forgiveness, which is simply the releasing of our judgments. Judgment keeps us rooted in the rehashing, believing that something of import and significance is happening here, with some outcomes to be preferred over others. So long as we value our judgments, we will value the dream, and we will not be open to the process of awakening. And while we fear awakening, our insights into the unreality of this world can be both exciting and frightening. facimoutreach.org/qa/questions/questions178.htm#Q893
Posted on: Mon, 14 Jul 2014 12:41:50 +0000
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