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SearchWho chose this dream? And why?
Question:
How is it that we can KNOW the experiences we seem to be enduring are nothing but bad dreams, but still feel incredible anguish and heartache all the same? Lots of drama in my life right now with divorce, new city, new job, ailing father, siblings who are no longer speaking to each other, financial concerns, and in the midst of emotional meltdowns, I will find myself reminding myself that none of it is real; that I have participated in its creation FOR SOME REASON. I will find myself so depressed that the feelings of NOT wanting to play anymore, to pick up my marbles and "go" home, is completely all-consuming. Then comes the obligatory beating myself up for getting so upset over "nothing." It's such a vicious cycle. I have felt AWAKE and tell myself during those times that I am going to somehow hold onto that experience… but the bad dreams always return. What is the secret to spending more time in Love and Truth and less time on ELM Street?
Here is my main question. Needing to be quiet and feel peace and balance, I returned to my ACIM book this morning. In Chapter Six it says "You have chosen a sleep in which you have had bad dreams" My question is: WHO chose this sleep? And WHY? WHO would choose to live in nightmares? I find this confusing.
Answer:
It is the mind which believes in and identifies with the ego that seems to have chosen the sleep of forgetfulness. The energy of the Christ Mind, given to a false belief, made an illusion of a "big bang," an illusion of a time-space dream, in which God/Love/Oneness/Eternity were entirely forgotten. Nothing changes in Eternal Reality, the Kingdom of Heaven. Yet the Kingdom of Heaven has been entirely forgotten by the mind that believes it is IN time-space.
"Bad dreams" and "good dreams" are dreams of judgment, and the mind engaged in judgment "knows" nothing. The aim of ACIM or any path to the experience of Truth is forgiveness or the relinquishment of judgment. Judgment is not an attribute God gave to the Christ Mind in Creation. Emptying the mind of judgment, which is the Holy Spirit's task, requires willingness to question every scrap of belief in the ego and every shred of allegiance to it. The ego was made by belief and is dispelled as faith in it is withdrawn. Nothing can be kept hidden from the Light of the Holy Spirit. When wholeness of awareness is attained (complete forgiveness or Atonement), duality has vanished and it is apparent that there is nothing to judge BETWEEN. Everything that has been learned (the attempt to ADD something to the Kingdom of Heaven Which is already forever perfect) must be UNLEARNED. Once again, the mind engaged in judgment knows nothing, for judgment is the denial of Knowledge or Knowing God.
As for the question "why?" I will say the following. The first question that ever seemed to be asked was asked by the ego: "What am I?" Christ is One with God in Eternal Certainty and Absolute Constancy and has NO question. There is no reason for an impossible question and there is no explanation for an impossible situation (ie., the time-space cosmos). Yet Atonement is an Experience that ends all doubting and questions, for Atonement is the Experience that the separation never happened. One can only experience the Holy Instant by wholly DESIRING It, not by "preparing" for It as if It is in the future. This is another way of saying "Love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and soul, and might, and love thy neighbor as thyself."
So always remember that there is nothing that can be known or understood or figured out about the world of time-space. And open the mind to be Guided and shown what, if anything, should be said or done. The Holy Spirit will direct you very specifically if you are willing to listen. That is the key. Prayer is quiet receptive listening to the Voice for God and allowing the altar of mind to be cleared of all time thoughts. We rest in God's Peace as One Self.
Love & Joy,
David