1.2 奇蹟動力的扭曲
你們倆（在奇蹟層次之上）無意識的扭曲，造成了嚴重的障礙，緊密的覆蓋著奇蹟動力，使它無法輕易到達意識層面。
性和奇蹟是不同形態的關係。任何人際關係的本質受限於你對它目標的定義，也就是你要這個關係的原因。關係是獲得結果的方式。
不加辨別的性衝動，類似於不加辨別的奇蹟動力，兩者的結果都是對身體形象的錯覺。
前者是不分青紅皂白的的企圖利用身體達成交流，這不僅涉及不正確的自我定位，
同時也是對他人的不尊重。
自製不是對這個問題的完整答复，雖然我毫無勸阻自製的意思。然而，必須了解的是，這隱藏的機制，必須連根拔除（你倆現在應該很清楚的了解，而不會被這句話嚇到）。
所有膚淺的根基都必須拔除，因為它的深度不足以承載你。
認為膚淺的根基可以加深，而成為支柱的幻覺，
是把已提到過兩次的為人準則顛倒過來，所得到的結論。
當這虛假的基礎結構被連根拔起（或放棄）時，真正的平衡會被誤認為是不穩定。
但實際上，沒有比本末倒置更不穩定的情況。
任何起於顛倒的幻覺，不可能有助於穩定性的增加。
設防的危險在於剛愎自用，而那些不得要領的人卻把剛愎當作穩定。
注：最終唯一的解答~（不，海倫，這與納粹用語無關。）你又被嚇著了。
逆轉或倒置思想更可怕的實例之一（歷史上充滿了這類可怕的例子）是納粹令人毛骨悚然的錯誤。我為此灑了不少淚，但這並不是我僅有的一次說，“天父，原諒他們吧，因為他們不知道自己在做什麼。”
源於逆向思維的所有行動，實際上就是那些不知道自己在幹什麼的人的行為表現。
珍狄克遜【譯者註：著名美國通靈者：1918-1997】強調“腳踏實地的觸及天堂”是對的，
雖然以你的理解方式，她過於實在。
但許多人正確地了解她的意思，因此她的陳述對那些人來說，是正確的奇蹟。
你和比爾，最好根據可靠性和真實性來了解這個概念。
僵硬的定位可以是極端可靠的，即使它是顛倒的。
實際上，愈是一致的顛倒，愈是可靠，因為一致性在數據上的可靠度，
遠高於不穩定的重測信度【譯者註：統計學術語】。
如果你願意，可以對照傑克的筆記，但我保證它是真實的。
統計上來說，折半信度是一種更強有力的研究方式，
原因是重測信度的技巧只測量相關程度，而完全沒考慮到指向的問題。
如果要求測量的準確，則必須假設一件事的兩半必須朝同一個方向進行。
折半信度的原則根據就這麼簡單，這是一個用來估計內在一致性的方式。
然而，要注意的是，兩種方法都忽略一個非常重要的因素。
內在一致性的標準著重在一次性測量，而忽略了時間。
重測信度的實驗方法根據時間的間隔，卻忽視了方向。
當然，兩種方法可以同時用來測量內在一致性與時間穩定性。
你記得傑克曾經告訴他班上的學生，愈是熟練的統計學者，
愈是專注在可靠性，而不是真實性。
他說，原因是可靠的儀器真的可以測量到一些東西。
他又說，然而，真實性仍然是最終目標，這目標能夠藉由可靠性達成。
我認為（這一段，我使用傑克的話，因為這一段話，對你和傑克都有特別的意義。）你對性和統計的混淆，是整個問題一個有趣的例子。
記得那夜，你在玫瑰花的芳香中，做著階乘積與協方差的複雜分析。
對別人來說，那是一個滑稽的故事，因為他們看到的是另一種層次的混淆，
而不是你替自己所營造的形象。你也許記得，你要的那個設計，傑克反對。
那個夜晚所以如此令人興奮的真正原因之一，是因為它代表了“智力的交戰”（順便一提，兩邊都是好手），雙方的每一句對話都異常清晰敏銳，但卻是針鋒相對。
由於性和侵略的混淆，自然地觸發了你倆的「性」趣。
（特別有趣的是，在你同意傑克的看法而結束爭鬥之後，他在你筆記的空白處寫下：“美德是勝利”。（海倫注：這可能與順從/征服、陰/陽角色相關。）
當時這評論，對你倆來說是滑稽，但你也許該考慮到它更真實的一面。
美德在於你們完全尊重對方的才智。你們分享了彼此的性吸引。
錯誤在於“勝利”一詞，這有“爭鬥”的涵義，因為你們倆並沒有尊重對方的一切。
一個人的價值不僅僅是才智和生殖器。你們所忽略的是靈魂。）
我聲明（在很長一段插話之後），如果思維（靈魂）與上主有正確的關係，
它不可能上下倒置。傑克和其它非常卓越的方法學家，摒棄了真實性而傾向於可靠性，
因為他們致力於方法，而忽略了最終目標。
你記得關於一位藝術家的故事，他窮其一生致力於發明更好的削鉛筆方法。
他沒有創造任何東西，但他擁有全鎮最尖的鉛筆（這種措詞是故意的）。
性經常被用來代表類似的錯誤。
敵意、勝利、復仇、自貶，和所有各類缺乏愛的表現，經常可以在伴隨而來的幻想中，
非常清楚的看到。如果因為這些幻想頻繁出現（或可靠地發生），而認定它的真實性，
那可是一個徹底錯誤的想法。記住，真實性含帶可靠性，但反之並不成立。
你可以是完全可靠，卻全然錯誤的。
「信度測驗」雖然可以衡量到某些東西，但除非你發現“某些東西”是什麼，
測驗又有什麼用途呢？如果真實性比可靠性更重要，而且必然含帶著可靠性，
為什麼不集中精力在真實性，而讓可靠性自然地發生？
智能也許是“向上移位”，但性卻是“向外移位”。
【譯者註：心理學上，移位代表將注意力轉移到較不讓人害怕或恐懼的人、事、物上。】人怎麼能藉由自己不實在的部份，去“接近”其他人呢？
“不實在”是指無法真實被看到或被察覺到的。
無法真實被察覺的，不可能是改善覺知的正確方法。
將奇蹟動力與性衝動混為一談，是感知扭曲的主要原因，
因為它引發而不是矯正基本的層次混淆。
而這混淆，是所有以世間手段尋求快樂者的基礎。
沙漠就是沙漠，它不會是其它東西。
你可以隨意在沙漠中做任何事，但你無法改變它是沙漠的事實。
它仍舊缺水，所以是個沙漠。（提到那個知更鳥的夢。當海倫在尋找這個夢時，她看到了另一個，訊息是將兩個都帶來。這是一個絕妙的例子，顯示海倫在二十五年裡練就了不凡的削鉛筆功。注意，根本內容並未改變，只是寫得更好。）
沙漠裡唯一可做的是：離開。
38. 奇蹟出於神奇的心境。
由天人合一，這心境擴展到所有的人，甚至奇蹟行者都不自覺。
奇蹟的客觀本質，是因為開悟就是合一，使所有創作物與創作主結合。
39. 奇蹟是內在對基督的感知和對祂救贖的接納。
思維因此而接受賜福，進而謙和對待內在的主人和外在的陌生人。
因為接納了陌生人，他也就成為你的兄弟。
不需要執行的奇蹟，沒有喪失它們的價值。
它們仍是你賜福的展現，但奇蹟的行動應該是基督控制的，因為祂全然了解整體計劃。
奇蹟思維的客觀本質，保證你的賜福，但唯有基督知道將恩賜送往何處。
40. 奇蹟從不失誤。
奇蹟觸動許多你甚至不認識的人，奇蹟有時在你無法察覺到的力量中，
產生意想不到的變化。這些你並不需要擔心。
奇蹟總是保佑你，這也不需要你擔心。
這與紀錄有關【譯者註：紀錄“ Record ”的R大寫，代表某種心智成長的成積單】。
紀錄完全沒有可靠性的問題，紀錄之所以完全真實，是由於它建立的方式，
它總是測量應該測量的。
我要總結關於性的指示，因為這是奇蹟行者必須了解的領域。
不適當的性衝動（或被誤導的奇蹟動力），如果表現出來，將導致罪惡感，
如果被否定、拒絕，就會帶來抑鬱。
我們以前說過，所有真正的樂趣來自於履行上主的意願。
不履行上主的意願，就會產生匱乏感。
因為不履行上主的意願，就是失去了自己。
性是物質創作的工具，使靈魂可以開始經驗的新章節，因而有機會改進他們的紀錄。
鉛筆，不是目的（參見前文），它是幫助藝術家創造的工具。
藝術家為靈魂佈置了新家，並引導靈魂替未來的成長做準備，
由此，他學會了父親的角色。整個過程，被設定為學習獲取賜福的經驗。
從性獲得的樂趣，之所以可靠，只因為它源於人們共同的錯誤。
察覺錯誤導致罪惡感，否認錯誤的結果是投射，更正錯誤帶來釋放。
性唯一的正確用途是生育，它並不能真正使人快樂。
“引導我們不陷於誘惑”意思是：“不要讓我們欺騙自己，
相信任何外在事物，能使我們與上主或兄弟們處於安寧的關係。"
“手淫”被稱為“罪”，因為它帶著類似的自欺；
那就是，沒有任何「關係」的樂趣能夠存在。
再說一遍前面的指示，將自己或別人視為“性物”，是奇怪的顛倒概念之縮影。
比爾非常正確地指出，它是不可苟同的；但這只是因為它不真實。
上下倒置的邏輯導致這種想法。
上主的孩子，不要忘了，你被創造是為了讓你能去創造真善美。
你很正確的告訴比爾，邀請我到任何出現誘惑的所在，我會改變境況，
使不適當的性吸引，成為客觀的奇蹟工作。
改變慾望的表達管道，是佛洛依德最大的貢獻，只是他沒有了解“管道”真正的意思。
上主的愛，暫時，還必須透過一個身體表達給另一個身體。
那是因為真正的視覺仍舊很模糊。
每個人都可由擴展覺知，而得真見，進而善用自己的身體。
真見是肉眼無法看到的。身體的最終目的，是讓自己成為不必要。
這個學習，是它被創造的唯一真正原因。
注：抄寫員在救贖計劃中有一個特殊角色，因為他們有能力體驗啟示，
並且將足夠的經驗寫出來，以做為奇蹟的基礎。
（這是關於內視的體驗，海倫事後寫道，“您告訴我該做的，我願意去做。”她不知道，“願意”被加進去了。她本來想寫：“我會去做”。這認知對海倫有很大的衝擊。）
這就是為什麼你體驗到，關於“我願意去做”純屬私人的啟示，而且寫了下來。
你所寫的，除了你自己之外，對奇蹟工作者可能很有用。
我們談過，祈禱是奇蹟的媒介。
奇蹟的祈禱文是如你所寫，也就是：“您告訴我該做的，我願意去做。”
這個祈禱文是離開沙漠的永恆之門。
* （次日更正，這不是一個完整的聲明，因為它不排除負面的思維。
關於奇蹟的部份，我們已經告訴你加上：“不做您不要我做的”。
區別在“奇蹟思維”是狀態，而“行奇蹟”是它的表現。）
前者需要你仔細的保護，因為那是奇蹟準備就緒的狀態。
這如同聖經多次提起的“隨時準備”以及其它相似的指令。
準備就緒，是指保持你感知的正確（或真實），
因此你總是準備就緒、願意、且有能力。這些是“聽、學、做”的要素，你必須是：
準備好去聽
願意去學
並且有能力去做。
只有最後一項不由你作主，因為奇蹟的運用必須是基督控制的。
但其它兩項，是志願性的奇蹟思維，這由你決定。
管道有“狹窄化”的涵意，雖然不是匱乏的意思。
真實與賜福的思維，是全部的承諾。只有「做」涉及管道，因為做需要細節。
如傑克所說，“可靠的儀器必須能測量到某些東西”，但這話也適用於管道
【譯者註：上天助人的管道】。他必須學會只做該做的。將祈禱文改成：
如果，上天差遣我去做，
只有那件事，我會去做。
注：海倫反對這種打油詩，認為是非常拙劣的詩歌。答复：但你很難忘記它。
啟示確實難以言說，因為這是難以形容的愛的經驗。
“敬畏”這個詞，應該專為啟示而保留，因為它的形容完美而正確。
它不適用於奇蹟，因為真正的敬畏心態是虔誠的。
它影射，一個低階層者站立在更高階層者之前。
這就是當靈魂站立在他的創作主之前的實際情形。
靈魂是完美的創作物，在完美的創作主面前，應該充滿敬畏與感動。
另一方面，奇蹟是同等級者之中，愛的表現。
同等級者彼此之間，不可能感到敬畏，因為敬畏總是暗示著不平等。
甚至對我，也不應該存有敬畏之心。
所以在那開始短短的內視中，我與你跪在一起，面對著光。
一個兄長有資格，因他廣泛的經驗而被尊敬，基於他深厚的智慧而被順從。
他也應該被愛，因為他是你的兄弟，並且因為他的虔誠而獲得你的虔誠態度。
是我的虔誠，讓我有資格接受你的虔誠態度。
你應該明白，我欣然地跪在你的聖壇前，雖然我也讓你跪在我的聖壇前。
我的一切，你都能達到。我所有的都來自上主。
我們之間主要區別在於，除了上主我一無所有；
這使我立於真理的神聖狀態，但對你來說這還只是個潛在能力。
“除非經由我，人無法到天父那兒”是聖經中最被誤解的記載之一。
這並不是說，我與你有所分離，或不同於你，雖然在時間內看似如此。
現在我們知道，時間不存在。
實際上，如果以垂直軸而不是以水平軸來看待，這一段記載是很貼切。
在垂直軸上，人立於我之下，而我立於上主之下。
在“上升”過程中，我是高一點。
因為沒有我，上主和人之間的距離之大，是人們無法貫穿的。
我成為這距離的橋樑，在人這邊我是兄長，在上主那邊我是兒子。
我對兄弟的摯愛，讓我承擔了聖子的責任。
我能完全的執行這個責任，因為我能完全的分享這個責任。
這似乎與其它記載互相矛盾：“我與天父同一”。它不矛盾。
尚有其它部份記載，承認天父是更加偉大的事實。
實際上，原始的記載是“同一本質”。
聖靈帶來啟示，不是奇蹟。
啟示由我間接地引發，因為我接近聖靈，也留心我的兄弟們對啟示的準備程度。
因而我能帶下來給他們的，比他們自己能拿到的更多。
珍狄克遜的描述，或許是對我身分更好的說明。
由於我的腳在地面，而手在天堂，我能給我在地球上的兄弟們，帶下來天堂的恩賜。
聖靈是靈性溝通的最高媒介。
奇蹟不涉及這類型的溝通，因為奇蹟是臨時的溝通方式。
當人能直接收受上主的啟示，回復到原有的溝通形式時，就不需要奇蹟了。
聖靈斡旋於高低各層次的溝通，保持並開放自上主而來的直接啟示渠道。
啟示不是互惠的。啟示永遠是從上主而來，因為上主和人不是相等的。
奇蹟是互惠的，因為奇蹟總是涉及平等。
在空間裡，所有人真正平等的聖子身分，似乎需要幾乎無止境的時間來達成。
然而我們都知道，時間只是被用來作為幫助學習的工具。
41. 奇蹟是學習工具，用來減少時間的需要。
奇蹟使感知突然從橫向轉移到立向，使施者與受者，跨越了原定的時間距離，
這是其它方法所無法達成的。
奇蹟有消除時間的特性，它消除了不必要的時間距離。
奇蹟發生時間的長短，與奇蹟效應所含蓋的時間，沒有任何關聯。
透過「施者與受者是完全平等和神聖」的訊息，奇蹟可以取代數千年的學習過程。
奇蹟不穩定，但完全一致。
也就是在時間與形式上，奇蹟的發生不可預測。
但奇蹟本身是完全一致的，因為它包涵的只有平等和價值的認知，所有角色都是平等的。這是建立真實性的前提。
我們談過，經由折疊的程序，奇蹟可以消除時間。
奇蹟在更大的時間序列之內，消除某些時間的間隔。
在時間裡，奇蹟的真實性可被預測，但並無邏輯。
奇蹟不依據時間的常規，樹立沒有規則的間隔時間。
唯有在這點上，它是不受時間影響的。
折疊時間，就是節省時間，如同日光節約時間一樣，光被重新分配。
奇蹟是人可以直接用來控制時間的唯一工具。
唯有啟示超越它，因為啟示與時間毫無關係。
奇蹟很像身體，奇蹟和身體都是學習的工具，目的在達到兩者都成多餘的狀態。
當靈魂終於回到最初的直接溝通狀態，身體或奇蹟將無用武之地。
還在身體裡時，人可以選擇無愛或奇蹟的創造管道。
他能創造空殼（參見前文），但他不能什麼都不創造。
他可以等待、耽擱、癱瘓自己，使自己的創造力降低到幾乎等於零，
甚而阻止進展或導致真正的退化。
但他無法去除自己的創造力。
他能摧毀溝通的媒介，但不能摧毀自己的潛力。
他的存在不是自己的決定。
只有他的創作，他可以決定。
奇蹟行者的基本決定，是不浪費時間做不必要的等待。
時間可以被浪費，但也能同時荒廢你。
因此，奇蹟行者欣然地接受奇蹟對時間的控制，
因為他知道，每一個時間的折疊，
是更進一步的邁向超越時間，這是聖子與天父的合一。
“同一本質”真正的意思是“同一思維或意願”。
當聖子和天父的意願一致，他們完善的和諧就是天堂。
旁白：告訴比爾，他一直給你所需要的勇氣，是很好的事，他也需要這付出。
你的不穩定，和他的懦弱，起因於過去不好的因緣選擇，
而你們現在的關係是未來的關鍵。你倆必須盡全力，恢復以前曾經有過的和諧關係。
你們都在改正以前的錯誤。這使你們能夠履行不尋常的角色~你們自己共同的救贖，
和我將託付給你們，越來越多其他孩子們的救贖。這絕不是隨便的選擇。
比爾應該知道，他的準備不僅是分享你學會善用某些特殊天分的成果。
他自己的角色，在他準備完成之後會知道，將是同樣的出人意料。
那時，他會需要你的幫助，如同你現在需要他的力量。
注意，你作抄寫員並不需要他的幫助，因為你自己努力培養了這能力，而終於讓我來安排使用。由給予你力量，他自己變得堅強。當他努力堅強起來時，將需要你以一種意想不到的方式來幫助他。這就是奇蹟互惠本質的另一個例子。
平等，並不代表現在是一樣的。
當每一個人都擁有一切，個體對整體的貢獻，將不再需要。
當救贖完成了，所有的聖子將分享所有的才能。
上主不偏袒。祂所有的孩子，都擁有祂完全的愛，
而祂所有的禮物，都是無條件的給與每一個人。
“除非你變成小孩子”意思是：
除非你充分地認知，你對上主的完全依賴，你無法知道，
在與天父的真實關係中，聖子的真正力量。
你和比爾確實擁有特殊的天分，是目前天意的加速計劃裡所需要的。
但注意「加速」與超越時間沒有關係。
當時間不存在，而天父所有的聖子們都回家了，就不再需要任何特別代理人。
但現在，不要低估特別代理人的力量，或低估對他們的大量需求。
我自己也不過是個特別代理人。
具有正確思維（應該特別注意這個詞）的人，不會尋求更多或更少的權力與責任。
那些被召喚來為我作見證的人，如同我一樣，正在為所有人作見證。
女祭司的任務，曾經一度是體驗啟示和行奇蹟。
目的是為那些還不能獲得直接啟示的人，帶來正確的生活重心。
被昇華的覺知是女祭司必要的特質。
（這是海倫第一次說，如果有任何註釋，她會感到很榮幸。）
（比爾和我都不很清楚，性衝動怎樣能直接被轉化成奇蹟動力。）
我昨天提起的幻想（參考海倫和比爾的討論），是你如何轉化的一個好例子。
（現在更改代名詞，不然會令人困惑。）
幻想是思維的扭曲，因為它總是涉及扭轉覺知進入虛幻。
幻想是內視的貶低。內視和啟示緊密相連。
幻想和投射緊密相關，因為兩者都試圖控制外在的現實，來滿足內在的假造需求。
“給別人自由也給自己自由”，是意味深長的勸告。
在任何情況下扭曲現實，你的覺知就帶有破壞性。
實相被篡位，結果必是獨裁。
我說過，現在你已恢復了在救贖計劃中的角色。
但你仍然必須運用你的自由意志，選擇將你的天賦，奉獻於更偉大的複原。
只要地球上仍有一個奴隸存在，解放就不是完全的。
聖子的完全復位，是奇蹟行者的唯一真正目標。
性幻想的定義是覺知的扭曲。
這是做假的聯想，並從中獲得樂趣的方法。
人能夠如此做，只因為他具有創造性。
雖然他能察覺假的聯想，但除了自己的感覺之外，他無法使這些聯想成真。
如前所述，人相信他所創造的。如果他創造一個奇蹟，他將會同樣堅定的相信這奇蹟。
他堅信的力量，將維持奇蹟接受者的信仰。
性幻想或其它幻想，都不是真實的。
當人能明顯體驗到實相所帶來的完美滿足，幻想就變成全然的多餘。
注意力的適當停放，使性衝動成為奇蹟動力。
認定另一個人是“繁衍後代”（Wolff說的離此意不太遠），
和共同建立一個充滿創造力家園的最佳伴侶~這不是幻想。
如果邀請我參與決定，這個決定將會是正確的。
如果你或雙方，體驗不適當的性衝動，必需明白這是出於恐懼的表現。
你們彼此的相愛不夠完整，所以會出現恐懼。
在這種情況下，否定恐懼的力量，立刻向我請求幫助，幫助你用愛來代替恐懼。
這會即刻將性衝動轉化成奇蹟動力，並讓我能安排奇蹟的展現。
然後，承認你倆創造力的真正價值，這是力量的歸位。
要明白，性幻想始終具破壞力（或損耗力）。
性幻想總是將對方置於不正確的創造角色，視對方為滿足自己尋樂的“物品”。
這失去人性的觀點，導致性變得耗力傷神。
佛洛依德對性的形容，純粹是負面的；
他把性當成是從不愉快中得到釋放的方法。
他也注意到，衝動所造成的緊張，從未完全被消除。
首先，他應該說的是，把奇蹟動力轉移成性衝動會使人衰弱，因為這涉及層次的混淆。
在這情況下，真正的釋放是不可能的。
該注意到，佛洛依德把性當成是放鬆的工具，他混淆了放鬆與安寧。
不適當的性，只能造成身體的入眠，放鬆由此而來。
而奇蹟供應能量。奇蹟只增強，從不消耗。
奇蹟導致安寧，恢復平穩（不是放鬆）。
它使施者與受者進入賜福的狀態，而恢復了奇蹟的思維（不是舒解緊張）。
緊張是未表達的奇蹟動力之累積，只有釋放被阻塞的奇蹟動力，緊張才能真正被消除。
將奇蹟動力轉為性慾，只會引起進一步的阻塞。
不要抱持這種幻覺，也不要鼓勵別人嘗試幻覺。
一個“物品”沒有能力釋放你，因為這個概念剝奪了你的創造力。
認知你自己和別人真正的創造力將帶來釋放，因為它帶來安寧。
上主的安寧，超越理解，守護你的心，從現在到永遠。
這裡只要增添兩個簡短的說明：
1) 先前你聽寫上嚴重的困擾，來自於遠古時期，你濫用自己的優異抄寫能力。
你將所抄寫的東西秘密收藏，好處未曾與大家分享，剝奪了它奇蹟的潛能，
變成私人財產。這很像性衝動和占有欲的混淆。
有些原始手稿仍然在寺廟裡。這就是為什麼你很害怕提到亞特蘭大
【譯者註：傳說沉沒於大西洋的島嶼】。比爾有他自己的原因。
2) 對Rosie要非常細心的保持你奇蹟思維的態度。
她曾經傷害過你倆，所以她現在是你們的僕人。
但她很有福氣，因為她視服務為喜悅的泉源。
讓她好好的照顧你的生活，就是幫助她矯正過去的錯誤。
（關於海倫的特別啟示~刪除１）
海倫關於過去記憶的問題。
答复：只要你永遠記得，你從未因為任何人做的任何事而受到傷害，就沒有危險。
記住，想要獲得安寧，唯有完全的寬恕。
你以前從未真正想要安寧，所以不需要知道如何獲得安寧。
這“需要才給”的原則，早由救贖計劃制定，
而且遠在CIA 【譯者註：美國中央情報局只有在需要的時候才會透露任何數據。】之前。
除非他想要，或相信他需要，沒有人會去獲取任何知識。
心理學家不必學習「需要的分類與等級」，但和所有的人一樣，他得了解自己的需要。
這會是唯一關於“匱乏”概念的筆記。
雖然上主的創造中，沒有這個概念，但它卻非常明顯的存在於人的創造中。
這是兩者根本的差別。
依定義，「需要」暗示匱乏。
這關係到意識、或潛意識（有時很幸運的是超意識）認為，
如果換一個情況，你會過得比現在好。
分離之前（分離是比墮落好的詞），沒有匱乏。
意思是，人根本沒有需求。如果他不剝奪自己，他根本不會體驗到匱乏。
分離之後，需求成為人類行動最強有力的動機。
所有行為，實際上皆源於需求的刺激，但行為本身並不是神性的特質。
身體是行為的途徑。（你可以問任何一個行動主義者，他是正確的。）
你告訴你的學生：如果不認為會有好處，沒人會願意站起來，走到另一個地方去。你說的非常真實。
相信會“更好”，是人的行為機制。
這就是聖經所說的“觀其舉止認識其人”。
人將自己的需求分「類別」與「等級」，並依此行動。
而這些等級，取決於他的自我覺知，也就是，他認為的匱乏。
因此他決定了自己所需要知道的。
與上主的分離，是唯一他真正需要改正的匱乏。
如果他沒有扭曲對真理的覺知，分離就不會發生，也就不會有匱乏感。
任何需求的分類概念都源於，他已經將自己分割成各種不同層次，
有著不同的需求，這是根本的錯誤。
如果他沒有與上主隔離，他是完整的個體，因此他的需求也相應地成為一個。
只有分離者，才會對此混淆。
自己內在的整合，不會（足以）改正匱乏的謬論，但將改正需求的謬論。
（謝謝你依照指示而寫。）一致的需求產生一致的行動，因為它去除矛盾。
需求的分類概念，來自於原始錯誤的延伸，
這個錯誤需要先被更正，層次的錯誤才有可能被修改。
一個分裂成不同層次的人無法有效地運作（或表現）。
但既然如此，就必須有從下往上的修正。
因為他現在是在空間中運作，“上”和“下”具有其意義。
當然，最終空間和時間一樣，都無意義。
這觀點實際上是對時空的信念。
物質世界之所以存在，是因為人能利用它來更正自己原本的懷疑，
也是這懷疑，使他置身於物質世界。
只要他明白自己無所需，這整個設置都是多餘的。
現階段來說，人並不能安全的控制自己對訊息的需求。
這由我來掌控會更好些。就是這樣。
（比爾提出，在目前的情況下，關於性的具體問題）
（海倫提出關於過去世的問題，前面已經回答了。）
我非常願意回答另一個問題，因為適用於目前的情況。
你和比爾兩人，不適當的選擇了自己現在的性伴侶，
你們將必須彌補這些關係中所缺乏的愛。
你們選擇了他們，正是因為他們不能滿足你們的幻想。
並不是因為你們想摒棄或戒除幻想，而是因為你們害怕這些幻想。
你們把伴侶當成避免恐懼的護身符，但你們倆仍繼續“四處找尋”沉溺於幻想的機會。
“完美伴侶”的夢想，是企圖找尋外在的整合，而保留內在的矛盾。
在這方面，比爾錯的比你少，主要是因為他更害怕。
他在神經質的絕望中，摒棄了希望（找到一個完美的伴侶）。
但你堅持這希望是正當的。因此，你倆都沒有正確的思維。
如前所述，本質上同性戀比異性戀更冒險（或容易發生錯誤），
但兩者都可能在同樣虛假的基礎上進行。
這虛假的基礎，可以從伴隨的幻想中明顯的看出。
同性戀總是帶著對自己或伴侶的錯誤覺知，通常是對兩者。
性交或任何其它性行為都不是幻術。
但是相信身體動作的價值，卻是對幻術的信念。
你們既沒有創造自己，也沒有控制你們的創作。
把自己的覺知分成不同的層次，你們為身體形象的扭曲開闢了道路。
愛的匱乏（或不完美的需求）所導致的選擇對象（不是物體），
在現存架構內可以被改正，但必須是為整體進步的更大利益。
這種情況之所以不可靠，主要是因為人們難以抗拒去滿足幻想。
目前，在這情形之下，竭盡你的所能，大概是最好的改正措施。
任何原因所形成的任何關係，都是你的責任。
如果轉移自己的需求，對方的需求也會有某些相應的轉移，這是有利的，
既使你的伴侶最初被你吸引，是因為你對他的不尊重。
與學習者的感知完全無關的教學方法，通常只會帶來混亂。
改變，取決於新舊之間某些可理解的共通點。
人無法控制恐懼的影響，因為他創造了恐懼，也相信他所創造的。
不是內容，但在態度上，人相似於他的創作主，祂對創作物有完美的信念，
因為祂創造了他們。
所有創作基於信念，對創作物的信念導致它的存在。
這也是為什麼一個人可以相信一些在別人看來不是真實的事。
因為他創造了它，所以對他來說是真實的。
所有的恐懼來自顛倒的覺知。真正有創意的人致力於改正這個錯誤。
神經質的人致力於妥協。精神病的人把自己的錯誤當真，而逃離實相。
因為他堅決的否定實相，很難通過一般的方式使他得到解脫。
42. 奇蹟不分別錯誤覺知的程度。
奇蹟是矯正覺知的工具，它的效力與錯誤的程度或方向無關。
奇蹟真正不歧視。
基督控制的奇蹟，選擇性只在於導向，導向那些能夠使用奇蹟的人。
因為他們會把奇蹟延續給別人，形成一條非常堅固的救贖鍊子。
基督控製完全不理會奇蹟的大小，因為大小的概念只存在於虛幻的世界。
奇蹟是用於恢復實相，如果奇蹟受限於虛幻的錯誤法則，便毫無效用。
只有人會犯那種錯誤。是他自己的錯誤信念，造成這“愚蠢到底”的例子。
在「否定」的真意可以被了解與放下之前，必須先了解，人的創作意誌之力量和效用。
否定不僅僅是反駁、對立。否定是正面的消除。
錯誤的創作根本不存在於真實創作的層次，雖然它的創作者信以為真。
43. 奇蹟將人的創作與高層次的創作相比較，
接受與實相一致的，而排除不和諧的假像。
所以奇蹟與真實性緊密相聯。
完全的真實性是正確而有益的，更好的說法是：
真實性之所以有益，是由於它的準確。
所有恐懼的觀點都是不真實的，因為它們不存在於更高的創作層次，因此根本不存在。
一個人對自己信念真實性的實際考驗，願意承受到什麼程度，
在那程度上，他的覺知才能被治愈（或改正）。
在以奇蹟辨別真實與虛假的過程上，比爾非常正確的形容：
如果完美的愛驅除恐懼，
但是如果恐懼存在，
那麼就沒有完美的愛。
但唯有完美的愛真正地存在。
所以，如果有恐懼，它創造的是不存在的狀態。
相信這個，你就是自由的。唯有上主能確立這解決辦法，因為這承諾是祂的禮物。
人必須隨時隨地投注意願，準備好願意信任一切真實的，必需先經過免除恐懼的兩個必要步驟。
用人類的話來說，否定恐懼，是堅強的防禦措施，因為它含蓋錯誤的兩個層面：
1 ）真理可能被否定，和
2 ）真理的缺乏可以產生影響力。
比爾比較容易體驗恐懼，對他來說，這牽涉到第二個錯誤。
但是，這些差別根本不影響奇蹟的力量，因為奇蹟關注的是真相和錯誤。
你偏向於奇蹟思維，卻由於更強，但分裂的認同，而不太能識別恐懼。
比爾則是較少奇蹟思維，但更能識別恐懼，因為他的認同比較正確而一致，但卻微弱。
你們在一起，能產生特別好的條件，而達成「一致的奇蹟思維」，也就是恐懼的廢除。
實際上，已經被證明過是有效的。
你對“擁有”的觀點需要澄清。
你對恐懼的否定（關於海倫的內視經驗）引起了一些錯誤，但並不太嚴重。
然而，如果發生頻繁，有時不重要的事，可能演變成重大事件。
因此，趁你現在還在安全範圍內的時候，我們最好把它剷除。
對擁有的恐懼，是反常的恐懼不可抗拒的吸引力。
（旁白：對，除了其它錯誤，這也適用於同性戀，主要恐懼於“擁有”或“進入”。
這是逆向決定的象徵性聲明：不進入、不擁有天國。
由於錯誤的迴避靈魂，轉而強調物質界，因為恐懼“擁有”或“進入”，
而避開物質的創作，以幻想的滿足來替代。）
真相乃是：在所有層次，上主的吸引力是不可抗拒的。
而接受這無可避免的真相，只是時間的問題。
但你應該考慮，你是否要等待，因為你現在就可以回來，只要你願意。
（對海倫的提示：你寫得很不帶勁，我們試試看。如果你想停止，我們立刻停止。）
擁有的概念遭受許多扭曲，下面我們列出一些：
1) 擁有只可能與身體有關。如果是這樣，性的概念很容易被污染。
擁有與被擁有者，很容易被視為男性和女性角色。
由於兩個角色都無法單獨得到滿足，並且都與恐懼相關，
這種想法，容易造成性心理的混淆。
2) 從類似的錯誤感知，擁有可能與事物相聯。
這基本上是第1項的轉移，通常歸因於，將擁有與人聯繫的潛在恐懼。
這是企圖保護人的手段，像以前提及，關於“保護名字”的迷信。
第1項和第2項可能變成難以抑制的，有下列幾個原因：
a. 企圖逃脫真正要擁有的動力，但這並不能滿足那動力。
b. 設定較容易達成的替代目標。
c. 這些扭曲看來比較無害，而且似乎可以減輕恐懼。
它們通常干擾良好人際關係的事實，在這個社會裡可能被解釋為，
因為對方（不是自己）缺乏老練。
也因此造成對解決方案錯誤的信心，這信心來自可靠性，而非真實性。
找到一個分享幻覺的同伴是很容易的。
如此，有一些關係實際上是根據（1）而建立，
其他的關係，主要是因為對（2）的共同興趣而聚在一起。
d. 兩者明顯的強調外在，似乎是安全的策略，
藉以逃避更基本的壓抑，但這逃避並不真實。
作為妥協方案，人際關係的幻覺，與愛的匱乏一起被保存。
這種精神上的雜耍，給當事人（或雜耍者）空虛的感覺。
這是很正常的，因為他的行動出於匱乏。
為了填滿空虛，他的行為變得更加迫切。
當這些方案被投注以極端的信念，第1項將導致性犯罪，而第2項則導致偷竊。
有竊盜癖的人是後者的一個好例子。
通常，結果是兩種類型的情感騷亂：
a) 傾向抱持物質是唯一真相的幻覺，這導致消沉。
b) 傾向以非物質的特性，投注於物質，這根本上是幻術，容易趨向憂慮。
c) 傾向躊躇於a和b之間，導致搖擺於消沉和憂慮之間。
結果都是替自己製造飢餓。
3) 另一種類型的扭曲在於，對“附靈”的恐懼或慾望。
“靈”一詞，在這裡被極度地貶低，這扭曲承認身體的不足，但投注於幻術並無用處。
這個扭曲接受第1或第2項不足的事實，但是，正因為它沒有嚴密地壓抑恐懼，很有可能導致更大的恐懼。
賦予靈以人的佔有欲，是比第1項或第2項含蓋更廣的錯誤，離“正確思維”更加遙遠。
搖擺於浮誇和恐懼之間，投射極可能發生。
在這種錯誤之下，畸形的“宗教”也很可能發生，
因為“心靈”的概念被引進了，雖然是荒謬的；
而第1和第2項並沒有這個概念。
由於大量投入於幻術，第3項特別容易與巫術相聯。
應該注意，第1項只關係到身體，第2項企圖聯繫事物和人的特質。
而第3項是更嚴重的層次混淆，因為它賦予靈邪惡的質量。
這說明了第3項擁護者的宗教狂熱，和對敵方的反感（或恐懼）。
兩種態度都源於同樣荒謬的信念。
這並不是聖經所說的“擁有聖靈”。
有趣的是，甚至那些理解的人，仍然無法適當地表達他們所理解的。
所謂“講各種語言”，原本是指示應該用對方的言語、或水平，進行溝通。
不是指，去講沒有人聽得懂的話。
當人們正確的了解和宇宙溝通的必要，卻以附身的謬論污染它時，
就發生了這不可思議的錯誤。
這錯誤的覺知所造成的恐懼，導致溝通處於矛盾的狀態，
消除恐懼的手段是使溝通的結果無法被理解。
也可以說，恐懼導致自私、或退化，因為難以理解的溝通，
不可能是聖子之間有價值的獻禮。
4) 知識也可能被誤解為擁有的方法。
知識的內涵不是物質的，而基本的錯誤在於思維和頭腦的混淆。
試圖將非物質的內涵，與物質的特性結合，可在“渴望知識”的成語裡看出。
（海倫，這不是聖經所說的“渴望”。使用這個詞，只出於人有限的理解力，還是丟了好。）
知識的誤用可能導致的錯誤有：
a. 認為知識將使人更具個人魅力。這是擁有的謬論。
b. 認為知識將使人無懈可擊。這是對自身弱點的潛在恐懼之防備。
c. 認為知識將使人有價值。這是可憐。
你和比爾都應該非常仔細地考慮第4項。
像所有這些謬論，它包含否定的機制，當恐懼增加時，
就搖擺著介入，暫時抵消錯誤，卻嚴重地削減效率。
如此，你宣稱你無法讀，比爾則聲言他無法講話。
注意，消沉是真正的危險，不管在任何情況下，上主的孩子都不應該減低效率。
消沉來自於奇怪的虛假解答：
上主的孩子是高效率的。
我不是高效率的。
所以，我不是上主的孩子。
這導致神經質的退縮，進而加深消沉。
T 1 B 37o. Both of you are involved with unconscious distortions (above the miracle level), which are producing a dense cover over miracle-impulses which makes it hard for them to reach consciousness. Sex & miracles are both WAYS OF RELATING. The nature of any interpersonal relationship is limited or defined by what you want it to DO which is WHY you want it in the first place. Relating is a way of achieving an outcome.
T 1 B 37p. Indiscriminate sexual impulses resemble indiscriminate miracle impulses in that both result in body image misperceptions. The first is an express-ion of an indiscriminate attempt to reach communion through the body. This involves not only the improper self identification, but also disrespect for the individuality of others. Self-control is NOT the whole answer to this problem, though I am by no means discouraging its use. It must be understood, however, that the underlying mechanism must be uprooted (a word you both should understand well enough by now not to regard it as frightening) . T(32) -32
T 1 B 37q. ALL shallow roots[71] have to be uprooted, because they are not deep enough to sustain you. The illusion that shallow roots can be deepened and thus made to hold is one of the corollaries on which the reversal of the Golden Rule,[72] referred to twice before, is balanced. As these false underpinnings are uprooted (or given up), equilibrium is experienced as unstable. But the fact is that NOTHING is less stable than an orientation which is upside down. Anything that holds it this way is hardly conducive to greater stability.
T 1 B 37r. The whole danger of defenses lies in their propensity to hold misperceptions rigidly in place. This is why rigidity is regarded AS stability by those who are off the mark.
T 1 B 37s. NOTE The only final solution - (no, Helen, this has nothing to do with the Nazi use of the term.) You just got frightened again. One of the more horrible examples of inverted or upside down thinking (and history is full of horrible examples of this) is the fact that the Nazis spelled their appalling error with capital letters. I shed many tears over this, but it is by no means the only time I said “Father, forgive them for they know not what they do.”
T 1 B 37t. All actions which stem from reverse thinking are literally the behavioral express-ions of those who know not what they do.[73] Actually, Jean Dixon was right in her emphasis on “Feet on the ground & fingertips in the Heaven,” though she was a bit too literal for your kind of understanding. Many people knew exactly what she meant, so her statement was the right miracle for them . T(33) -33
T 1 B 37u. For you and Bill, it would be better to consider the concept in terms of reliability & validity. A rigid orientation can be extremely reliable, even if it IS upside down. In fact, the more consistently upside down it is , the more reliable it is, because consistency always held up better mathematically than test-re-test comparisons, which were ALWAYS on shaky ground. You can check this against Jack's notes if you wish, but I assure you its true. Split-half reliability is statistically a MUCH stronger approach. The reason for this is that correlation which is the technique applied to test-re-test comparisons, measures only the EXTENT OF association, and does not consider the Direction at all.
T 1 B 37v. But two halves of the same thing MUST go in the same direction, if there is to be accuracy of measurement. This simple statement is really the principle on which split half reliability, a means of estimating INTERNAL consistency, rests.
T 1 B 37w. Note, however, that both approaches leave out a very important dimension. Internal consistency criteria disregard time, because the focus is on one-time measurements. Test-retest comparisons are BASED on time intervals, but they disregard direction.
T 1 B 37x. It is possible, of course, to use both, by establishing internal consistency AND stability over time. You will remember that Jack once told his class that the more sophisticated statisticians are concentrating more and more on reliability, rather than validity . The rationale for this, as he said, was that a reliable instrument DOES measure something. He also said, however, that validity is still the ultimate goal, which reliability can only serve . T(34) -34
T 1 B 37y. I submit (I'm using Jack's language in this section, because it always had a special meaning for you. So did Jack.) Your confusion of sex and statistics is an interesting example of this whole issue. Note that night you spent in the scent of roses doing a complex factorial analysis of covariance. It's a funny story to others, because they see a different kind of level confusion than the one you yourself were making. You might recall that YOU wanted that design, and Jack opposed it. One of the real reasons why that evening was so exhilarating was because it represented a “battle of intellects”, (both good ones, by the way), each communicating exceptionally clearly but on opposite sides. The sexual aspects were naturally touched off in both of you, because of the sex and aggression confusion.
T 1 B 37z. ( It is especially interesting that after the battle ended on a note of compromise[74] with your agreeing with Jack, he wrote in the margin of your notes “virtue is triumphant.” (Helen Schucman note re submission-dominance, feminine-masculine roles, entered into this.) While this (remark) was funny to both of you at the time, you might consider its truer side. The virtue lay in the complete respect each of you offered to the other's intellect. Your mutual sexual attraction was also shared. The error lay in the word “triumphant.” This had the “battle” connotation, because neither of you was respecting ALL of the other. There is a great deal more to a person than intellect & genitals. The omission was the Soul.) T(35) -35
T 1 B 37aa. I submit (after a long interruption) that if a mind (Soul) is in valid relationship with God, it CAN'T be upside down. Jack & the other very eminent methodologists have abandoned validity in favor of reliability because they have lost sight of the end and are concentrating on the means.
T 1 B 37ab. Remember the story about the artist who kept devoting himself to inventing better & better ways of sharpening pencils. He never created anything, but he had the sharpest pencil in town. (The language here is intentional. Sex is often utilized on behalf of very similar errors. Hostility, triumph, vengeance, self-debasement, and all sort of express-ions of the lack of love are often VERY clearly seen in the accompanying fantasies. But it is a PROFOUND error to imagine that, because these fantasies are so frequent (or occur so reliably), that this implies validity. Remember that while validity implies reliability the relationship is NOT reversible. You can be wholly reliable, and ENTIRELY wrong.
T 1 B 37ac. While a reliable test DOES measure something, what USE is the test unless you discover what the “something” is? And if validity is more important than reliability, and is also necessarily implied BY it, why not concentrate on VALIDITY and let reliability fall naturally into place.
T 1 B 37ad. Intellect may be a “displacement upward”, but sex can be a “displacement outward.” How can man “come close” to others through the parts of him which are really invisible? The word “invisible” means “ cannot be seen or perceived.” T(36) -36 What cannot be perceived is hardly the right means for improving perception.
T 1 B 37ae. The confusion of miracle impulse with sexual impulse is a major source of perceptual distortion, because it INDUCES rather than straightening out the basic level-confusion which underlies all those who seek happiness with the instruments of the world. A desert is a desert is a desert. You can do anything you want in it, but you CANNOT change it from what it IS. It still lacks water, which is why it IS a desert (Bring up that dream about the Bluebird. While Helen Schucman was looking for this dream, she came across another. The message was to bring both, as an excellent example of how extremely good Helen Schucman had become over the intervening 25 years at sharpening pencils. Note that the essential content hasn't changed; it's just better written.) The thing to do with a desert is to LEAVE.
T 1 B 38. Miracles arise from a miraculous state of mind. By being One, this state of mind goes out to ANYONE, even without the awareness of the miracle worker himself. The impersonal nature of miracles is because Atonement itself is one, uniting all creations with their Creator.
T 1 B 39a. The miracle is an express-ion of an inner awareness of Christ & acceptance of his Atonement. The mind is then in a state of Grace, and naturally becomes gracious, both to the Host within and the stranger without. By bringing in the stranger, he becomes your brother.[75] T(37) -37
T 1 B 39b. The miracles you are told NOT to perform have not lost their value. They are still express-ions of your own state of Grace, but the ACTION aspect of the miracle should be Christ-controlled, because of His complete Awareness of the Whole Plan. The impersonal nature of miracle-mindedness ensures YOUR own Grace, but only Christ is in a position to know where Grace can be BESTOWED.
T 1 B 40a. A miracle is never lost. It touches many people you may not even know, and sometimes produces undreamed of changes in forces of which you are not even aware. This is not your concern. It will also always bless YOU. This is not your concern, either. But it IS the concern of the Record. The Record is completely unconcerned with reliability, being perfectly valid because of the way it was set up. It ALWAYS measures what it was supposed to measure.
T 1 B 40b. I want to finish the instructions about sex, because this is an area the miracle worker MUST understand.
T 1 B 40c. Inappropriate sex drives (or misdirected miracle-impulses) result in guilt if expressed, and depression if denied. We said before that ALL real pleasure comes from doing God's will.[76] Whenever it is NOT done an experience of lack results. This is because NOT doing the will of God IS a lack of self.
T 1 B 40d. Sex was intended as an instrument for physical creation to enable Souls to embark on new chapters in their experience, and thus improve their record. The pencil was NOT an end in itself. (See earlier section.) It was an aid to the artist in his own creative endeavors. T(38) -38 As he made new homes for Souls and guided them through the period of their own developmental readiness, he learned the role of the father himself. The whole process was set up as a learning experience in gaining Grace.
T 1 B 40e. The pleasure which is derived from sex AS SUCH is reliable only because it stems from an error which men shared. AWARENESS of the error produces the guilt. DENIAL of the error results in projection. CORRECTION of the error brings release.
T 1 B 40f. The only VALID use of sex is procreation. It is NOT truly pleasurable in itself. “Lead us not into Temptation” means “Do not let us deceive ourselves into believing that we can relate in peace to God or our brothers with ANYTHING external.” T(39) -39
T 1 B 40g. The “sin of onan”[77] was called a “sin” because it involved a related type of self-delusion; namely, that pleasure WITHOUT relating can exist.
T 1 B 40h. To repeat an earlier instruction, the concept of either the self or another as a “sex-OBJECT” epitomizes this strange reversal. As Bill put it, and very correctly, too, it IS objectionable, but only because it is invalid. Upside down logic produces this kind of thinking.
T 1 B 40i. Child of God, you were created to create the good, the beautiful, and the holy. Do not lose sight of this. You were right in telling Bill to invite Me to enter anywhere temptation arises. I will change the situation from one of inappropriate sexual attraction to one of impersonal miracle-working. The concept of changing the channel for libidinal express-ion is Freud's greatest contribution, except that he did not understand what “channel” really means.
T 1 B 40j. The love of God, for a little while, must still be expressed through one body to another. That is because the real vision is still so dim. Everyone can use his body best by enlarging man's perception, so he can see the real VISION. THIS VISION is invisible to the physical eye. The ultimate purpose of the body is to render itself unnecessary. Learning to do this is the only real reason for its creation.
T 1 B 40k. NOTE Scribes have a particular role in the Plan of Atonement, because they have the ability to EXPERIENCE revelations themselves, and also to put into words enough of the experience to serve as a basis for miracles . T(40) - 40
T 1 B 40l. (This refers to experiences at the visionary level, after which Helen Schucman wrote “If you will tell me what to do, I will to do it.” She had not known that the word “to” was inserted, and had merely intended to write “I will do it.” This recognition had a terrific impact on Helen Schucman.)
T 1 B 40m. This is why you EXPERIENCED that revelation about “I will to do” VERY personally, but also WROTE IT: What you wrote CAN be useful to miracle workers other than yourself. We said before that prayer is the medium of miracles . The miracle prayer IS what you wrote, ie “If you will tell me what to do, I will to do it.” *
T 1 B 40n. This prayer is the door that leads out of the desert forever.
T 1 B 40o. *(Correction next day. This is not a complete statement, because it does not exclude the negative. We have already told you to add “and NOT to do what you would not have me do.” in connection with miracles. The distinction has also been made here between “miracle-mindedness” as a STATE, and “miracle-doing” as its express-ion.
T 1 B 40p. The former needs YOUR careful protection, because it is a state of miracle-READINESS. This is what the Bible means in the many references to “Hold yourself ready” and other similar injunctions.
T 1 B 40q. Readiness here means keep your perception right side up, (or valid), so you will ALWAYS be ready, willing, and able. These are the essentials for “listen, learn, and do.” You must be
READY to listen
WILLING to learn
and ABLE to do
T 1 B 40r. Only the last is involuntary, because it is the APPLICATION of miracles which must be Christ-controlled. But the other two, which are the voluntary aspects of miracle-mindedness, ARE up to you . T(41) - 41
T 1 B 40s. To channelize DOES have a “narrowing down” connotation, though NOT in the sense of lack. The underlying state of mind, or Grace is a total commitment. Only the DOING aspect involves the channel at all. This is because doing is always specific.
T 1 B 40t. As Jack said, “A reliable instrument must measure something,” but a channel is also valid. It must learn to do ONLY what it is supposed to do. Change the prayer to read:
If you will tell me what to do,
ONLY THAT I will to do.
T 1 B 40u. NOTE Helen Schucman objects to doggerel sound of this, and regards it as very inferior poetry. ANSWER : It's hard to forget, though.
T 1 B 40v. The Revelation is literally unspeakable, because it is an experience of unspeakable love. The word “Awe” should be reserved only for revelations, to which it is perfectly and correctly applicable. It is NOT appropriately applied to miracles, because a state of true awe is worshipful. It implies that one of a lesser order stands before the Greater One. This is the case only when a Soul stands before his Creator. Souls are perfect creations, and should be struck with awe in the presence of the Creator of Perfection.
T 1 B 40w. The miracle, on the other hand, is a sign of love among equals. Equals cannot be in awe of each other, because awe ALWAYS implies inequality. Awe is not properly experienced even to me. That is why in that short introductory vision, I knelt beside you, FACING the light.
T 1 B 40x. An Elder Brother is entitled to respect for his greater experience, and a reasonable amount of obedience for his greater wisdom. He is also entitled to love, because he is a brother, and also to devotion, if he is devoted . It is only my own devotion that entitles me to yours. But you will notice that I have knelt at your altar as readily as I would ever have you kneel at mine . T(42) -42
T 1 B 40y. There is nothing about me that you cannot attain.[78] I have nothing that does not come from God. The main difference between us as yet is that I have NOTHING ELSE. This leaves me in a state of true holiness, which is only a POTENTIAL in you.
T 1 B 40z. “No man cometh to the Father but by me”[79] is among the most misunderstood statements in the Bible. It DOES NOT mean that I am in any way separate (or different) from you, EXCEPT IN TIME. Now, we know that time does not exist. Actually, the statement is much more meaningful if it is considered on a vertical rather than a horizontal axis. Regarded along the vertical, man stands below me, and I stand below God. In the process of “rising up”, I AM higher. This is because without me the distance between God and man is too great for man to encompass. I bridge the distance as an Elder Brother[80] to man, on the one hand, and a Son of God on the other. My devotion to my brothers has placed me in charge of the Sonship, which I can render complete only to the extent I can SHARE it.
T 1 B 40aa. This appears to contradict another statement: “I and my Father are one.”[81] It doesn't. There are still separate parts in the statement, in recognition of the fact that the Father is GREATER. Actually, the original statement was “are of one KIND.”
T 1 B 40ab. The Holy Spirit is the Bringer of Revelations, not miracles. Revelations are INDIRECTLY inspired by me, because I am close to the Holy Spirit, and alert to revelation-readiness in my brothers. T(43) -43 I can thus BRING DOWN to them more than they can DRAW down to themselves. Jean Dixon's description is perhaps a better statement of my position. Because my feet are on the ground and my hands are in heaven, I can bring down the glories of Heaven to my brothers on earth.
T 1 B 40ac. The Holy Spirit is the Highest Communication Medium. Miracles do not involve this type of communication, because they are TEMPORARY communicative devices. When man can return to his original form of communication with God by direct REVELATION, the need for miracles is over. The Holy Spirit mediates higher to lower order communication, keeping the direct channel from God to man open for revelation. Revelation is NOT reciprocal. It is always FROM God TO man. This is because God and man are NOT equal. The miracle is reciprocal because it ALWAYS involves equality.
T 1 B 40ad. In the longitudinal (or horizontal) plane, the true equality of all men in the Sonship appears to involve almost endless time. But we know that time is only an artifact introduced as a learning aid.
T 1 B 41a. The miracle is a learning device which lessens the need for time. The sudden shift[82] from horizontal to vertical perception which the miracle entails introduces an interval from which the doer and the receiver both emerge much farther along in time than they would otherwise have been.
T 1 B 41b. A miracle has thus the unique property of abolishing time by rendering the space of time it occupies unnecessary. There is NO relation between the time a miracle TAKES and the time it COVERS. It substitutes FOR learning that might have taken thousands of years. It does this by the underlying recognition of perfect equality and holiness between doer and receiver on which the miracle rests. T(44) -44 It is unstable, but perfectly consistent, ie, it does not occur predictably across time, and it rarely occurs in comparable forms. But within ITSELF it is perfectly consistent. Since it contains NOTHING BUT an acknowledgment of equality and worth, all parts ARE equal. This establishes the prerequisite for validity.
T 1 B 41c. We said before that the miracle abolishes time. It does this by a process of COLLAPSING it. It thus abolishes certain INTERVALS within it. It does this, however, WITHIN the larger temporal sequence.
T 1 B 41d. The validity of the miracle, then, is PREDICTIVE, not logical, within the temporal schema. It establishes an out-of-pattern time interval, which is NOT under the usual laws of time. Only in this sense is it timeless. By collapsing time, it literally saves time, much the way “daylight saving time” does. It rearranges the distribution of light.
T 1 B 41e. The miracle is the only device which man has at his immediate disposal for controlling time. Only the Revelation TRANSCENDS it, having nothing to do with time at all. The miracle is much like the body, in that both are learning aids which aim at facilitating a state in which they are unnecessary. When the Soul is finally in the original state of direct communication, neither the body nor the miracle serves any purpose.
T 1 B 41f. While he is IN the body, however, man can choose between loveless and miraculous channels of creativity. He can create an empty shell (see previous reference), but he DOES NOT create nothing at all. He can wait, delay, paralyze himself, reduce his creativity almost to nothing, and even introduce a real developmental arrest or regression. But he CANNOT abolish his creativity. He CAN destroy his medium of communication, but NOT his potential. T(45) -45
T 1 B 41g. He was NOT created by his own free will. Only what HE creates is his to decide. The basic decision of the miracle-minded is NOT to wait on time any longer than is necessary. Time can waste, as well as be wasted. The miracle-worker, therefore, accepts the time-control factor of the miracle gladly, because he knows that every collapse of time brings all men closer to the ultimate RELEASE from time, in which the Son and the Father ARE one .
T 1 B 41h. The real meaning of “are of one kind” is “of one mind or will.” When the will of the Sonship and the Father are one, their perfect accord IS Heaven. T(46) -46
T 1 B 41i. ASIDE Tell Bill he is right in providing you with the consistent strength you need to get, and he needs to offer. Your instability and his weakness have resulted from bad karmic choices, and your relationship NOW is crucial for the future. You must both exert every effort to restore it to what it once was. Both of you are correcting where you have failed before. This has already enabled you to fulfill a very unexpected role in your own joint salvation, and the salvation of many other children I will entrust increasingly to you. These are by no means chosen at random. Bill should know that his preparation is not only in terms of sharing in the results of your better application of some rather unusual talents. His own role, which he will understand after his preparation is complete , will be equally surprising. He will need your help then,as you need his strength now.
T 1 B 41j. Note that you DO NOT need his help as a scribe, because you developed this ability by your own efforts, and finally placed them at MY disposal. By lending you his strength, he strengthens himself. When he gains this through his own efforts, he will need your help in a very unexpected way. But this is just another example of the reciprocal nature of miracles.
T 1 B 41k. Equality does not imply homogeneity NOW. When EVERYONE has EVERYTHING, individual contributions to the Sonship will no longer be necessary. When the Atonement has been completed, ALL talents will be shared by ALL of the Sons of God. God is NOT partial. All of His children have His total love, and all of his gifts are given freely to everyone alike.
T 1 B 41l. “Except you become as little children”[83] means unless you fully recognize your complete dependence on God, you cannot know the real power of the Son in his true relationship with the Father . T(47) -47
T 1 B 41m. You and Bill DO have special talents which are needed for the Celestial speedup at this time. But note that the term speed-up is not one which relates to the TRANSCENDING of time.
T 1 B 41n. When time is abolished, and all of the Sons of God have come home, no special agents will be necessary. But do not underestimate the power of special agents now, or the great need there is for them. I do not claim to be more than that myself. No one in his Right Mind, (a term which should be specially noted) ever wants either more or less than that. Those who are called on to witness for me NOW are witnessing for all men, as I am.
T 1 B 41o. The role of the Priestess was once to experience Revelations and to work miracles. The purpose was to bring those not yet available for direct Revelations into proper focus for them. Heightened perception was always the essential Priestess attribute.
T 1 B 41p. ( This is the first time that Helen Schucman ever said that she would be honored if there were any notes.)
T 1 B 41q. ( Neither Bill nor I is really clear about how sexual-impulses can be directly translated into miracle-impulses.) The fantasies that I mentioned yesterday (refers to discussion Helen Schucman & Bill had) provide an excellent example of how you switch. (Now switch the pronoun references, or it will be too confusing.)
T 1 B 41r. Fantasies are distorted forms of thinking, because they always involve twisting perception into unreality. Fantasy is a debased form of vision. Visions and Revelations are closely related. Fantasies & projection are more closely associated, because both attempt to control external reality according to false internal needs. “Live and let live” happens to be a very meaningful injunction. Twist reality in any way, and you are perceiving destructively. Reality was lost through usurpation, which in turn produced tyranny. I told you you were now restored to your former role in the Plan of Atonement. But you must still choose freely to devote your heritage to the greater Restoration. As long as a single slave remains to walk the earth, your release is not complete. Complete restoration of the Sonship is the only true goal of the miracle-minded. T(48) -48
T 1 B 41s. Sexual fantasies are distortions of perception by definition. They are a means of making false associations, and obtaining pleasure from them. Man can do this only because he IS creative. But although he can perceive false associations, he can never make them real except to himself. As was said before, man believes in what he creates. If he creates a miracle, he will be equally strong in his belief in that. The strength of his conviction will then sustain the belief of the miracle receiver .
T 1 B 41t. NO fantasies, sexual or otherwise, are true. Fantasies become totally unnecessary as the Wholly satisfying nature of reality becomes apparent. The sex impulse IS a miracle impulse when it is in proper focus. One individual sees in another the right partner for “procreating the stock” (Wolff was not too far off here), and also for their joint establishment of a creative home. This does not involve fantasy at all. If I am asked to participate in the decision, the decision will be a Right one, too.
T 1 B 41u. In a situation where you or another person, or both, experience inappropriate sex impulses, KNOW FIRST that this is an express-ion of fear. Your love toward each other is NOT perfect, and this is why the fear arose . Turn immediately to me by denying the power of the fear, and ask me to help you to replace it with love.[84] This shifts the sexual impulse immediately to the miracle-impulse, and places it at MY disposal.
T 1 B 41v. Then acknowledge the true creative worth of both yourself AND the other one. This places strength where it belongs. Note that sexual fantasies are ALWAYS destructive (or depleting), in that they perceive another in an inappropriate creative role. Both people are perceived essentially as “objects” fulfilling THEIR OWN pleasure drives. This dehumanized view is the source of the DEPLETING use of sex. Freud's description is purely NEGATIVE, ie, as a release from the UNPLEASANT. He also observed that the tension from id impulses never completely abates . T(49) -49
T 1 B 41w. What he should have said is that the shift from miracle-impulses to sexual impulses was debilitating in the first place, because of the level-confusion involved. This set up a state in which real release was impossible. Note also that Freud's notion of sex was as a device for inducing RELAXATION, which he confused with PEACE.
T 1 B 41x. Inappropriate sex relaxes only in the sense that it may induce physical sleep. The miracle, on the other hand, is an ENERGIZER. It always strengthens, and never depletes. It DOES induce peace, and by establishing tranquility (not relaxation) it enables both giver and receiver to enter into a state of Grace. Here his miracle-mindedness, (not release from tension) is restored.
T 1 B 41y. Tension is the result of a building-up of unexpressed miracle-impulses. This can be truly abated only by releasing the miracle-drive, which has been blocked. Converting it to sexual libido merely produces further blocking. Never foster this illusion in yourself, or encourage it in others. An “object” is incapable of release, because it is a concept which is deprived of creative power. The recognition of the real creative power in yourself AND others brings release because it brings peace.
T 1 B 41z. The peace of God which passeth understanding CAN keep your hearts now and forever.[85]
T 1 B 41aa. There are only two short additions needed here:
1. Your earlier acute problem in writing things down came from a MUCH earlier misuse of very great scribal abilities. These were turned to secret rather than shared advantage, depriving it (?) of its miraculous potential, and diverting it into possession. This is much like the confusion of sex impulses with possession-impulses. Some of the original material is still in the Temple. This is why you became so afraid about Atlantis. Bill has his own reasons . T(50) -50
T 1 B 41ab. 2. Retain your miracle-minded attitude toward Rosie VERY carefully. She once hurt both of you, which is why she is now your servant. But she is blessed in that she sees service as a source of joy. Help her straighten out her past errors by contributing to your welfare now.
T 1 B 41ac. ( special Revelation re Helen Schucman – OMISSION 1 . [86] )
T 1 B 41ad. Helen Schucman question re: past memories. ANSWER : As long as you remember ALWAYS that you never suffered anything because of anything that anyone ELSE did, this is not dangerous.
T 1 B 41ae. Remember that you who want peace can find it only by complete forgiveness. You never really WANTED peace before, so there was no point in knowing how to get it. This is an example of the “need to know” principle , which was established by the Plan of Atonement long before CIA.
T 1 B 41af. No kind of knowledge is acquired by anyone unless he wants it, or believes in some way he NEEDS it. A psychologist does NOT need a lesson on the hierarchy of needs as such, but like everyone else, he DOES need to understand his own.
T 1 B 41ag. This particular set of notes will be the only one which deals with the concept of “lack”, because while the concept does not exist in the Creation of God, it is VERY apparent in the creations of man. It is, in fact, the essential difference.
T 1 B 41ah. A need implies lack, by definition. It involves the recognition, conscious or unconscious, (and at times, fortunately, superconscious) that you would be better off in a state which is somehow different from the one you are in .
T 1 B 41ai. Until the Separation, which is a better term than the Fall,[87] nothing was lacking. This meant that man had no needs at all. If he had not deprived himself, he would never have experienced them . T(51) -51
T 1 B 41aj. After the Separation, needs became the most powerful source of motivation for human action. All behavior is essentially motivated by needs, but behavior itself is not a Divine attribute. The body is the mechanism for behavior. (Ask any behaviorist , and he's RIGHT, too.)
T 1 B 41ak. You tell your own classes that nobody would bother even to get up and go from one place to another if he did not think he would somehow be better off. This is very true.
T 1 B 41al. Believing that he COULD be “better off” is the reason why man has the mechanism for behavior at his disposal. This is why the Bible says “By their DEEDS ye shall know them.” [88]
T 1 B 41am. A man acts according to the particular hierarchy of needs he establishes for himself. His hierarchy, in turn, depends on his perception of what he IS, ie, what he LACKS. This establishes his own rules for what he needs to know.
T 1 B 41an. Separation from God is the only lack he really needs to correct. But his Separation would never have occurred if he had not distorted his perception of truth, and thus perceived himself as lacking.
T 1 B 41ao. The concept of ANY sort of need HIERARCHY arose because, having made this fundamental error, he had already fragmented himself into levels with DIFFERENT needs. As he integrates, HE becomes one, and his ONE need becomes one accordingly. Only the fragmented can be confused about this.
T 1 B 41ap. Internal integration within the self will not (suffice to?) correct the lack fallacy, but it WILL correct the NEED fallacy. (Thank you for writing this as given.) Unified need produces unified action, because it produces lack of ambivalence.
T 1 B 41aq. The concept of need hierarchy, a corollary to the original error, requires correction at its OWN level, before the error of levels itself can be corrected. Man cannot operate (or behave) effectively while he operates at split levels. But as long as he does so, he must introduce correction from the bottom UP . T(52) -52
T 1 B 41ar. This is because he now operates in space, where “up” and “down” are meaningful terms. Ultimately, of course, space is as meaningless as time. The concept is really one of space-time BELIEF. The physical world exists only because man can use it to correct his UNBELIEF, which placed him in it originally. As long as man KNEW he did not need anything, the whole device was unnecessary.
T 1 B 41as. The need to know is not safely under man's control at this time. It is MUCH better off under mine. Let's just leave it at that.
T 1 B 41at. ( Specific question raised by WT re sex under existing conditions) (Helen Schucman raised previous question about the past, which has just been answered.)
T 1 B 41au. The other question, however, I am more than willing to answer, because it is appropriate for NOW. You and Bill both chose your present sex partners shamefully, and would have to atone for the lack of love which was involved in any case.
T 1 B 41av. You selected them precisely BECAUSE they were NOT suited to gratify your fantasies. This was not because you wanted to abandon or give up the fantasies, but because you were AFRAID of them. You saw in your partners a means of protecting against the fear, but both of you continued to “look around” for chances to indulge the fantasies.
T 1 B 41aw. The dream of the “perfect partner” is an attempt to find EXTERNAL integration, while retaining conflicting needs in the self.
T 1 B 41ax. Bill was somewhat less guilty of this than you, but largely because he was more afraid. He had abandoned the hope (of finding a perfect partner) in a neurotic sense of despair of finding it. You, on the other hand, insisted that the hope was justified. Neither of you, therefore, was in your Right Mind.
T 1 B 41ay. As was said before, homosexuality is INHERENTLY more risky (or error prone) than heterosexuality, but both can be undertaken on an equally false basis. The falseness of the basis is clear in the accompanying fantasies. Homosexuality ALWAYS involves misperception of the self OR the partner, and generally both. T(53) -53
T 1 B 41az. Penetration DOES NOT involve magic, nor DOES ANY form of sexual behavior. It IS a magic belief to engage in ANY form of body image activity at all. You neither created yourselves, nor controlled your creation. By introducing levels into your own perception, you opened the way for body-image distortions.
T 1 B 41ba. The lack of love (or faulty need-orientation) which led to your particular person (not OBJECT) choices CAN BE corrected within the existent framework, and would HAVE to be in the larger interest of overall progress. The situation is questionable largely because of its inherent vulnerability to fantasy-gratification. Doing the best you can WITHIN this limitation is probably the best corrective measure at present. Any relationship you have undertaken for whatever reasons becomes a responsibility.
T 1 B 41bb. If you shift your own needs, some amount of corresponding shift in the need-orientation of the other person MUST result, This will be beneficial, even if the partner was originally attracted to you BECAUSE of your disrespect. Teaching devices which are totally alien to a learner's perceptual system are usually merely disruptive. Transfer depends on SOME common elements in the new situation which are understandable in terms of the old.
T 1 B 41bc. Man can never control the effects of fear himself, because he has CREATED fear and believes in what he creates. In attitude, then, though not in content, he resembles his own Creator, who has perfect faith in His Creations because he Created them. All creation rests on belief, and the belief in the creation produces its existence. This is why it is possible for a man to believe what is not true for anyone else. It is true for him because it is made BY him.
T 1 B 41bd. Every aspect of fear proceeds from upside down perception. The TRULY creative devote their efforts to correcting this. The neurotic devotes his to compromise. The psychotic tries to escape by establishing the truth of his own errors. It is most difficult to free him by ordinary means, only because he is more stable in his denial of truth . T(54) -54
T 1 B 42a. The miracle makes no distinction among degrees of misperception. It is a device for perception-correction which is effective quite apart from either the degree or the direction of the error. This is its TRUE indiscriminateness.
T 1 B 42b. Christ-controlled miracles are selective only in that they are directed toward those who can use them for THEMSELVES. Since this makes it inevitable that they will extend them to others, a very strong chain of Atonement is welded. But Christ -control takes no account at all of the MAGNITUDE of the miracle itself, because the concept of size exists only in a plane that is itself unreal. Since the miracle aims at RESTORING reality, it would hardly be useful if it were bound by the laws of the same error it aims to correct. Only man makes that kind of error. It is an example of the “foolish consistency” his own false beliefs have engendered.
T 1 B 42c. Both the power and the strength of man's creative will must be understood, before the real meaning of denial can be appreciated and abolished. Denial is NOT mere negation. It is a positive miscreation. While the miscreation is NECESSARILY believed in by its own creator, it does not exist at all at the level of true Creation.
T 1 B 43a. The miracle compares the creations of man with the higher level of creation, accepting what is in ACCORD as true, and rejecting the DISCORDANT as false. This is why it is so closely associated with validity. Real validity is both true AND useful, or better, it is useful BECAUSE it is true.
T 1 B 43b. All aspects of fear are untrue, because they DO NOT exist at the higher creative levels, and therefore do not exist at all. To whatever extent a man is willing to submit his beliefs to the real test of validity, to that extent are his perceptions healed (or corrected.) T(55) -55
T 1 B 43c. In sorting out the false from the true, the miracle proceeds much along the lines suggested very correctly by Bill, ie:
If perfect love casts out fear ,[89]
And if fear exists,
Then there is NOT perfect love.
But
Only perfect love really exists.
T 1 B 43d. Therefore, if there is fear, it creates a state which does not exist. Believe THIS and you WILL be free. Only God can establish this solution, for THIS faith IS His gift.[90]
T 1 C. Distortions of Miracle Impulses (*N 211 5:60)
T 1 C 1. Man must contribute to his readiness here as elsewhere. The readiness for faith, as for everything else that is true, entails the two steps necessary for the release from fear.
T 1 C 2. Denial of fear, in human terms, is a strong defense because it entails two levels of error:
1. That truth CAN be denied and
2. That absence of truth can be effective.
T 1 C 3. EXPERIENCING fear, which is more characteristic of Bill, involves only the second error. However, these differences do not affect the power of the miracle at all, since only truth and error are its concern.
T 1 C 4. YOU are both more miracle-minded, and less able to recognize fear because of your stronger, but split, identification. Bill, also characteristically, is less miracle-minded, but better able to recognize fear, because his identification is more consistently right but weaker.
T 1 C 5. Together, the conditions needed for consistent miracle-mindedness, the state in which fear has been abolished, can be particularly well worked out. In fact, it WAS already well worked out before . T(56) -56
T 1 C 6. Your idea about the real meaning of “possession” should be clarified. Your own denial of fear (this refers to a visionary experience of Helen Schucman) introduced some error variance, but not really a significant amount. However, there is always a chance that as the size of the sample increases, what was non-significant before may ATTAIN significance, so we had better get this out of the way now while you are still within the safety margin.
T 1 C 7. Fear of possession is a perverted express-ion of the fear of the irresistible attraction. (Aside. Yes, this DOES apply to homosexuality, among other errors, where the whole concept of possessing, or “entering” is a key fear. It is a symbolic statement of an inverted decision NOT to enter into, or possess, the Kingdom. In physical terms, which it emphasizes because of the inherent error of Soul avoidance, REAL physical creation is avoided, and fantasy gratification is substituted .)
T 1 C 8. The truth is still that the attraction of God is irresistible at ALL levels, and the acceptance of this totally unavoidable truth is only a matter of time. But you should consider whether you WANT to wait, because you CAN return now , if you choose. (Note to Helen Schucman: You are writing this with improper motivation, but we will try anyway. If you are to stop, do so immediately.)
T 1 C 9. Possession is a concept which has been subject to numerous distortions, some of which we will list below: T(57) -57
1. It (possession) can be associated with the body only. If this occurs, sex is particularly likely to be contaminated. Possession versus being possessed is apt to be seen as the male and female role. Since neither will be conceived of as satisfying alone, and both will be associated with fear, this interpretation is particularly vulnerable to psychosexual confusion.
2. From a rather similar misperceptual reference point, possession can also be associated with things. This is essentially a shift from 1), and is usually due to an underlying fear of associating possession with people. In this sense, it is an attempt to PROTECT people, like the superstition about “protecting the name”, we mentioned before.
T 1 C 10. Both 1) and 2) are likely to become compulsive for several reasons, including:
a. They represent an attempt to escape from the real possession-drive, which cannot be satisfied this way.
b. They set up substitute goals, which are usually reasonably easy to attain.
c. They APPEAR to be relatively harmless, and thus SEEM to allay fear. The fact that they usually interfere with good interpersonal relationships can be interpreted, in this culture, as a lack of sophistication on the part of the OTHER (not the self) , and this induces a false feeling of confidence in the solution, based on reliability NOT validity. It is also fairly easy to find a partner who SHARES the illusion. Thus, we have any number of relationships which are actually ESTABLISHED on the basis T( 58) -58 of 1) , and others which HOLD TOGETHER primarily because of the joint interests in 2) .
d. The manifestly EXTERNAL emphasis which both entail seems to be a safety device, and thus permits a false escape from much more basic inhibitions. As a compromise solution, the ILLUSION of interpersonal relating is preserved, along with the retention of the lack of love component. This kind of psychic juggling leaves the person (or juggler?) with a feeling of emptiness, which in fact is perfectly justified, because he IS acting from scarcity. He then becomes more and more driven in his behavior, to fill the emptiness .
T 1 C 11. When these solutions have been invested with extreme belief, 1) leads to sex crimes, and 2) to stealing. The kleptomaniac is a good example of the latter.
T 1 C 12. Generally, two types of emotional disturbances result:
a. The tendency to maintain the illusion that only the physical is real. This produces depression.
b. The tendency to invest the physical with non-physical properties. This is essentially magic, and tends more toward anxiety-proneness.
c. The tendency to vacillate from one to the other, which produces a corresponding vacillation between depression AND anxiety.
T 1 C 13. Both result in self imposed starvation.[91]
T 1 C 14. 3. Another type of distortion is seen in the fear of or desire for “spirit” possession. The term “spirit” is profoundly debased in this context, but it DOES entail a recognition that T(59) -59 the body is not enough, and investing it with magic will not work. This recognition ACCEPTS the fact that neither 1) nor 2) is sufficient, but, precisely BECAUSE it does not limit fear so narrowly, it is more likely to produce greater fear in its own right.
T 1 C 15. Endowing the Spirit with human possessiveness is a more INCLUSIVE error than 1) or 2) , and a step somewhat further away from the “Right Mind.” Projection is also more likely to occur, with vacillations between grandiosity and fear . “Religion” in a distorted sense, is also more likely to occur in this kind of error, because the idea of a “spirit” is introduced, though fallaciously, while it is excluded from 1) and 2).
T 1 C 16. Witchcraft is thus particularly apt to be associated with 3), because of the much greater investment in magic.
T 1 C 17. It should be noted that 1) involves only the body, and 2) involves an attempt to associate things with human attributes. Three, on the other hand, is a more serious level confusion, because it endows the Spirit with EVIL attributes. This accounts both for the religious zeal of its proponents, and the aversion (or fear) of its opponents. Both attitudes stem from the same false belief.
T 1 C 18. This is NOT what the Bible means by “possessed of the Holy Spirit.” It is interesting to note that even those who DID understand that could nevertheless EXPRESS their understanding inappropriately. The concept of “speaking T(60) - 60 in many tongues” was originally an injunction to communicate to everyone in his own language, or his own level. It hardly meant to speak in a way that NOBODY can understand. This strange error occurs when people DO understand the need for Universal communication, but have contaminated it with possession fallacies. The fear engendered by this misperception leads to a conflicted state in which communication IS attempted, but the fear is allayed by making the communication incomprehensible.
T 1 C 19. It could also be said that the fear induced selfishness, or regression, because incomprehensible communication is hardly a worthy offering from one Son of God to another.
T 1 C 20. 4. Knowledge can also be misinterpreted as a means of possession. Here, the content is not physical, and the underlying fallacy is more likely to be the confusion of mind and brain. The attempt to unite non-physical content with physical attributes is illustrated by statements like “the thirst for knowledge.” (No Helen, this is NOT what the “thirst” in the Bible means. The term was used only because of man's limited comprehension, and is probably better dropped.)
T 1 C 21. The fallacious use of knowledge can result in several errors, including:
a. The idea that knowledge will make the individual more attractive to others. This is a possession-fallacy.
b. The idea that knowledge will make the individual invulnerable. This is the reaction formation against the underlying fear of vulnerability. T(61) -61
c. The idea that knowledge will make the individual worthy. This is largely pathetic.
T 1 C 22. Both you and Bill should consider type 4) VERY carefully. Like all these fallacies, it contains a denial mechanism, which swings into operation as the fear increases, thus canceling out the error temporarily, but seriously impairing efficiency.
T 1 C 23. Thus, you claim you can't read, and Bill claims that he can't speak. Note that depression is a real risk here, for a Child of God should never REDUCE his efficiency in ANY way. The depression comes from a peculiar pseudo-solution which reads:
A Child of God is efficient.
I am not efficient.
Therefore, I am not a Child of God.
T 1 C 24. This leads to neurotic resignation, and this is a state which merely INCREASES the depression.
T 1 C 25. The[92] corresponding denial mechanism for 1) is the sense of PHYSICAL inability, or IMPOTENCE. The denial mechanism for 2) is often bankruptcy. Collectors of things often drive themselves well beyond their financial means, in an attempt to force discontinuance. If this idea of cessation cannot be tolerated, a strange compromise involving BOTH insatiable possessiveness and insatiable throwing-away (bankruptcy) may result. An example is the inveterate or compulsive gambler, particularly the horse-racing addict. Here, the conflicted drive is displaced both from people AND things, and is invested in animals. The implied DEROGATION of people is the cause of the underlying EXTREME superstition of the horse racing addict. T(62) -62
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