View source for Clarification of Terms - Mind - Spirit

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<center>'''MIND -- SPIRIT'''</center>


'''1'''. The term [[mind]] is used to represent the activating agent of [[spirit]], supplying its [[creative]] [[energy]]. When the term is capitalized it refers to [[God]] or [[Christ]] (i.e., the [[Mind of God]] or the Mind of Christ). Spirit is the Thought of God which He created like Himself. The unified spirit is God's one Son, or Christ.

'''2'''. In [[this world]], because the mind is split, the Sons of God appear to be [[separate]]. Nor do their minds seem to be joined. In this [[illusory]] state, the concept of an "[[individual]] mind" seems to be meaningful. It is therefore described in [[ACIM|the course]] as if it has two parts; [[spirit]] and [[ego]].

'''3'''. Spirit is the part that is still in contact with God through the [[Holy Spirit]], Who abides in this part but sees the other part as well. The term "[[soul]]" is not used except in direct biblical [[quotations]] because of its highly [[controversial]] nature. It would, however, be an equivalent of "spirit," with the understanding that, being of God, it is [[eternal]] and was never born.

'''4'''. The other part of [[the mind]] is entirely illusory and makes only [[illusions]]. Spirit retains the [[potential]] for creating, but its Will, which is God's, seems to be [[imprisoned]] while the mind is not unified. [[Creation]] continues unabated because that is the [[Will of God]]. This Will is always unified and therefore has no [[meaning]] in this world. It has no opposite and no [[degrees]].

'''5'''. [[The mind]] can be right or wrong, depending on the [[voice]] to which it [[listens]]. [[Right-mindedness]] listens to the [[Holy Spirit]], [[forgives]] the world, and through [[Christ]]'s [[vision]] sees the real world in its place. This is the final vision, the last [[perception]], the condition in which God takes the final [[step]] Himself. Here [[time]] and [[illusions]] end together.

'''6'''. Wrong-mindedness listens to the [[ego]] and makes [[illusions]]; perceiving [[sin]] and justifying [[anger]], and seeing [[guilt]], [[disease]] and [[death]] as real. Both this world and the real world are illusions because [[right-mindedness]] merely overlooks, or [[forgives]], what never happened. Therefore it is not the One-mindedness of the Christ Mind, Whose Will is One with God's.

'''7'''. In this world the only remaining [[freedom]] is the freedom of [[choice]]; always between two choices or two voices. Will is not involved in [[perception]] at any level, and has nothing to do with choice. [[Consciousness]] is the [[receptive]] [[mechanism]], receiving messages from above or below; from the [[Holy Spirit]] or the [[ego]]. Consciousness has levels and awareness can shift quite dramatically, but it cannot [[transcend]] the perceptual realm. At its highest it becomes aware of the real world, and can be [[trained]] to do so increasingly. Yet the very [[fact]] that it has levels and can be trained demonstrates that it cannot reach [[knowledge]]. 


[[Category: Clarification of Terms]]
[[Category: Mind]]
[[Category: Spirit]]