Fri, 3 July 2009  How your Fear Projector worksPerception is a mirror, not a fact. Comments[11] |
Thank you so much for the time, effort, and expense you put into your enlightening podcasts. One question; instead of using the example of being cut off in traffic, how would the "mirror" concept be applied in cases of rape, murder, or to those who were in Nazi concentration camps? I so appreciate your patience with one who is still on the bottom rung of the ladder.
Another awesome question from D. Glass!
1. The very first lines of the Text of ACIM– the first principle of miracles - is that there is no order of difficulty in miracles. One is not harder of bigger than another. In a dream, is cancer worse than sniffles? This is helpful in the background of this discussion. Remember that the aim of the course is to help you perceive reality. A concentration camp is an extreme example, as is a Crucifixion, and can be used to demonstrate that anger is never justified and that love is always possible. That one illusion is NOT more powerful than another. Jesus reminds us that we act as if we are being crucified, even when cut-off in traffic! And we do not need to take "the last needless journey."
2. Also hold in your mind the Course Principle that the world is a fact, the world and all events are wholly neutral. It has no meaning in itself. We endow it with love or fear and therefor chose to suffer or love.
3. Finally, in my opinion, it is generally not helpful to hypothesize, and not helpful to do this type of analysis on other people. It is meant to be done on yourself. To me the answer to every hypothetical is “I do not know. If I were in that situation I would try to be present and call on the Holy Spirit to help me perceive it correctly. As such I do not know what I would do or say.” The answer to every question about another person is similar: “I do not know.”
However, in the case of Nazi concentration camps I am aware of a survivor’s own account. Viktor Frankl’s book Man’s Search for Meaning, may provide some insight.
Situation 1
1) You are in a concentration camp, in constant fear for your life.
2) You don’t want the fear- denial.
3) You project it out -you begin to make a case against to the guards, “Germans,” Hitler, many targets.
4) You see it “out there.”
5) You become enraged, hopeless, a zombie, many stages, all described in his book.
6) You feel more fear; you project out more anger.
Situation 2
What Frankl learned:
No projection. Responsibility, I believe he calls it in some places. The quote:
"Everything can be taken from a man but [except]...the last of the human freedoms - to choose one's attitude in any given set of circumstances, to choose one's own way." p.104
That “last of human freedoms” is the freedom to choose whether you look through fear (Red Donut) or Holy Spirit (love). In the episode you cite, uncannily, I mention that the course called it the last freedom we possess in this life as Frankl is quoted above. Frankl learned this and taught this. He suffered, yes, but not needlessly. He did not become a robot of fear; he did not succumb to the automatic catch 22, even under the most intense challenge. He, like Jesus on the cross, chose love over fear even in the direst situation. (See the mind-blowing passage in The Course in the text, The Message of the Crucifixion.)
Here is another quote I fond helpful. Stephen Covey found it (no attribution) and used it in the preface to “Prisoners to our thoughts,” a book about Frankl. He was struck at how closely it resembled Frankl’s teaching:
“Between stimulus and response, there is a space. In that space, lies our freedom and our power to chose our response. In our response, lies our growth and our happiness.”
This space can be called Love's presence. This space is the end of mindless projection. In this space, you have a choice, a freedom, that no circumstance, person or thing can take from you.
Love or donut!
1. The very first lines of the Text of ACIM– the first principle of miracles - is that there is no order of difficulty in miracles. One is not harder of bigger than another. In a dream, is cancer worse than sniffles? This is helpful in the background of this discussion. Remember that the aim of the course is to help you perceive reality. A concentration camp is an extreme example, as is a Crucifixion, and can be used to demonstrate that anger is never justified and that love is always possible. That one illusion is NOT more powerful than another. Jesus reminds us that we act as if we are being crucified, even when cut-off in traffic! And we do not need to take "the last needless journey."
2. Also hold in your mind the Course Principle that the world is a fact, the world and all events are wholly neutral. It has no meaning in itself. We endow it with love or fear and therefor chose to suffer or love.
3. Finally, in my opinion, it is generally not helpful to hypothesize, and not helpful to do this type of analysis on other people. It is meant to be done on yourself. To me the answer to every hypothetical is “I do not know. If I were in that situation I would try to be present and call on the Holy Spirit to help me perceive it correctly. As such I do not know what I would do or say.” The answer to every question about another person is similar: “I do not know.”
However, in the case of Nazi concentration camps I am aware of a survivor’s own account. Viktor Frankl’s book Man’s Search for Meaning, may provide some insight.
Situation 1
1) You are in a concentration camp, in constant fear for your life.
2) You don’t want the fear- denial.
3) You project it out -you begin to make a case against to the guards, “Germans,” Hitler, many targets.
4) You see it “out there.”
5) You become enraged, hopeless, a zombie, many stages, all described in his book.
6) You feel more fear; you project out more anger.
Situation 2
What Frankl learned:
No projection. Responsibility, I believe he calls it in some places. The quote:
"Everything can be taken from a man but [except]...the last of the human freedoms - to choose one's attitude in any given set of circumstances, to choose one's own way." p.104
That “last of human freedoms” is the freedom to choose whether you look through fear (Red Donut) or Holy Spirit (love). In the episode you cite, uncannily, I mention that the course called it the last freedom we possess in this life as Frankl is quoted above. Frankl learned this and taught this. He suffered, yes, but not needlessly. He did not become a robot of fear; he did not succumb to the automatic catch 22, even under the most intense challenge. He, like Jesus on the cross, chose love over fear even in the direst situation. (See the mind-blowing passage in The Course in the text, The Message of the Crucifixion.)
Here is another quote I fond helpful. Stephen Covey found it (no attribution) and used it in the preface to “Prisoners to our thoughts,” a book about Frankl. He was struck at how closely it resembled Frankl’s teaching:
“Between stimulus and response, there is a space. In that space, lies our freedom and our power to chose our response. In our response, lies our growth and our happiness.”
This space can be called Love's presence. This space is the end of mindless projection. In this space, you have a choice, a freedom, that no circumstance, person or thing can take from you.
Love or donut!
posted by: Philip on Tue, 7/7 10:07 AM EDT
Thanks for these podcasts/videos. I have just discovered you on itunes which is great for taking on 'walks'. You must be a funny guy because I often find myself smiling :).
#&HOWEVER#& in the beginning of this podcast you 'slurred' (I exaggerate!!) over which acimlesson you were referencing!! **HOWEVER** I love the little movies they are very cute and profound.
#&HOWEVER#& in the beginning of this podcast you 'slurred' (I exaggerate!!) over which acimlesson you were referencing!! **HOWEVER** I love the little movies they are very cute and profound.
posted by: masil on Mon, 7/13 09:20 PM EDT
In that moment of choice, in the donut hole, where you do not know the answer to help yourself, which is the greatest place to remain in for spiritual growth, and your committed to A Course in Miracles, deeply, then ask Jesus for help. If you do not think he will answer go to my blog. He answered me and is there to help anyone who is ready to be guided to grow spiritually.For the past 25 years I have gone through extraordinary spiritual growth just because of him. So I am passing the word on simply to be helpful to my brothers and sisters because so many Course students do not know he there for them.
posted by: miracleminded on Sat, 7/18 10:26 AM EDT
Thank you, again, for the time you have put into this explanation and wonderful example of Viktor Frankl. Although holocaust books leave me feeling very down, perhaps it would shed light on how Viktor could look at Hitler (or his assistants) and "Ask instead, 'Would I accuse myself of doing this?" (W.pl.134.9) If I could understand this Course statement, it would eliminate much grief and years of time.
I just finished listening to the audio book,"Man's Search for Meaning" by Viktor E. Frankl. Never would I have imagined a book recounting the holocaust as be uplifting. Now, a favorite on my iPod, it will be among my frequently-used reference books when a hard-copy can be found. Thank you for being one of the "means" as we all "try to pass the clouds."
today or tomorrow!
posted by: removebarriers on Thu, 10/8 05:45 AM EDT
This video would have been so much better if A-Man wasn't the cameraman.
There I go projecting again!
I've been studying the Course for years and only recently was led to see what others say about it. I'm thrilled to have found you, and know exactly what you mean when you smile.
There I go projecting again!
I've been studying the Course for years and only recently was led to see what others say about it. I'm thrilled to have found you, and know exactly what you mean when you smile.
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