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Fear

In A Course in Miracles, fear is understood as a misperception or a mistake, not as a fact or truth. It is viewed as the result of erroneous belief in separation from God and from others. Fear, according to ACIM, arises from the belief in sin and guilt, which come from the idea that we have separated ourselves from God’s love and can, therefore, be punished for this imagined offense. This fear then perpetuates a cycle of attack, defense, and separation.

ACIM teaches that fear is not real because the separation from God, on which it is based, is not real. In fact, we are always united with God, who is only love and incapable of anger or punishment. The fear is part of the illusion or dream of the physical world we are experiencing, not part of the ultimate spiritual reality.

The way to overcome fear, as taught by the Course, is through the practice of forgiveness and the recognition of the oneness of all beings. This involves letting go of guilt, condemnation, and the idea of sin, and instead recognizing the inherent love and peace within ourselves and others. Through this shift in perception, we can remember our unity with God and thus dispel fear.

Here are a few of the lessons that deal with fear:

  1. Lesson 13: “A meaningless world engenders fear.”
  2. Lesson 14: “God did not create a meaningless world.”
  3. Lesson 48: “There is nothing to fear.”
  4. Lesson 67: “Love created me like itself.”
  5. Lesson 68: “Love holds no grievances.”
  6. Lesson 160: “I am at home. Fear is the stranger here.”
  7. Lesson 240: “Fear is not justified in any form.”
  8. Lesson 248: “Whatever suffers is not part of me.”
  9. Lesson 261: “God is my refuge and security.”
  10. Lesson 281: “I can be hurt by nothing but my thoughts.”
  11. Lesson 333: “Forgiveness ends the dream of conflict here.”

These are just a few examples. The underlying idea in these and many other lessons is the shift from fear to love, from illusion to truth. By recognizing our unity with God and each other, we can shift our perceptions and overcome fear. As with any spiritual text, it can be helpful to study ACIM as a whole, because all its parts are interconnected and build on each other.