Article 11: Seeing Is Not Believing

By Sheri Baker

Like many of us, I grew up with the idea that “seeing is believing.” If I can see it with my own two eyes, I can believe it’s really there, correct? Turns out the truth in this often quoted statement probably ranks right up there with other popular idioms, such as “the grass is always greener,” and “the customer is always right.”

As A Course in Miracles (ACIM) student, I’ve had to reexamine quite a few of my beliefs, including the fact that our physical reality isn’t really a fact at all. For the record, ACIM is not the only authoritative source to weigh in on this controversial subject. Scientists agree, though some rather reluctantly, that solid objects are mostly empty space. The hesitancy to believe in the unreality of reality is understandable according to Danish physicist Niels Bohr who said, “If quantum mechanics hasn’t profoundly shocked you, you haven’t understood it yet.”

“Everything we call real,” Bohr noted, “is made of things that cannot be regarded as real.” And Albert Einstein, perhaps the most well-known physicist, said, “Reality is merely an illusion, albeit a very persistent one.”

The Course, which is based on universal spiritual themes, echoes these scientific thinkers: “The world you see has nothing to do with reality. It is of your own making, and it does not exist.” (Workbook Lesson 14)

So how can we ever take a reality check if we don’t understand the reality we’re checking? Our biggest stumbling block, of course, is that the world presents a rather convincing case for being real. After all, we can see, hear, touch, taste, and smell it. But could it be that our five senses are merely deceiving us?

According to ACIM teachings, the world is simply a projection of the mind, representing our thoughts. It says we are living a collective dream, and the activities we believe we’re so involved in during our waking hours are about as real as the dreams we experience when we’re asleep.

“There is no world! This is the central thought the course attempts to teach. Not everyone is ready to accept it, and each one must go as far as he can let himself be led along the road to truth.” (Workbook Lesson 132)

For many, embracing the idea that the world is merely a dream is not only difficult to grasp, but not very helpful even if we do accept it. Dream or not, our problems feel darn real.

For others, like myself, accepting this truth can be life-altering in a very positive way. If all my problems are simply a product of my own delusional thinking, then I have no reason to be fearful of God, and am much more likely to turn to Him for the help I need in order to see my problems from a Higher, more comforting place. It’s also very encouraging to know that if I have the power to make the problems, I also have the power to unmake them.

Theoretically, it should be easy to wake up from the dream since nothing blocks the door to our exit. Well, nothing except incredible resistance to the idea. We’re very attached to our so-called lives, misery and all. But this is where I find perhaps the most benefit from being a student of the Course. Rather than just acknowledge our earthly pain and then passively submit to its inevitability, ACIM tells us we have an important role in undoing the thoughts that keep us from the joy of knowing who we truly are.

If you’ve accepted this role, no doubt you’ve discovered that the business of “thought undoing” can take some doing. How fortunate we are, however, to have the gift of Optimal EFT to help us systematically navigate our way through all the thinking that keeps us mired in pain. By enlisting the unconditional love of The Unseen Therapist as our Guide, we can undo the thoughts that keep us from experiencing miracles of love and healing more quickly, easily, and efficiently than ever before.

Accepting the fact that seeing is not believing may be a very useful step in our climb up the stairway to these miracles.

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