Projection Makes Perception, Vision Creates Reality
This is a quote from A Course In Miracles, Chapter 21 - Introduction.
Projection makes perception. The world you see is what you gave it, nothing more than that. But though it is no more than that, it is not less. Therefore, to you it is important. It is the witness to your state of mind, the outside picture of an inward condition. As a man thinketh, so does he perceive. Therefore, seek not to change the world, but choose to change your mind about the world. Perception is a result and not a cause. And that is why order of difficulty in miracles is meaningless. Everything looked upon with vision is healed and holy. Nothing perceived without it means anything. And where there is no meaning, there is chaos.
Damnation is your judgment on yourself, and this you will project upon the world. See it as damned, and all you see is what you did to hurt the Son of God. If you behold disaster and catastrophe, you tried to crucify him. If you see holiness and hope, you joined the Will of God to set him free. There is no choice that lies between these two decisions. And you will see the witness to the choice you made, and learn from this to recognize which one you chose.
I like this quote for a couple reasons. First, it really lays it on the line regarding the reality we see. Everything we perceive outside of ourselves is a mirror to our inner state of being. Secondly, everything we choose to project outside ourselves is a choice that can be changed.
Now, keeping this in mind - take a minute to just look around you. What do you see in the world you’ve created? Conflict or Love? Blame or forgiveness? Abundance or lack? Joy or suffering? How much joy & abundance have you created for yourself?
If every instance of suffering we observe outside ourselves is in fact an image of our inner state of suffering - WOW, it appears I still have much work to do!!
My first question then is how do I get rid of it and project a state of peace and joy instead? How can I control my thoughts, take dominion over them and release myself from this world of poverty, hunger, sorrow, and suffering? I want to live in a world of fullness, abundance, joy, and love - so what are the steps necessary to get from where I am now to where I desire to be?
According to the text in the next section of this chapter, it is VISION. Vision is our salvation. When we reject our bodily perceptions and turn within the mind to Vision, we stop the cycle of projection and begin to create from our desires.
This is no easy step, it requires control of our thoughts. To see a situation bodily with physical sight is usually persuasive enough to be considered “Truth” and accepted as fact. When we begin to understand the process of Intentional Manifestation we see there is another way. We realize that what we see with our eyes is the past thoughts of the mind, it isn’t happening NOW, it is a past thought made manifest - so the ONLY way to change it is to think different thoughts NOW. If you see a overdrawn bank account now, know it’s cause is a past thought of LACK. Now think abundance. In this moment you have all the power in the universe to change anything and everything in your life. You hold that power in your thoughts.
Vision is the opposite of Sight. While sight relies on your eyes to perceive the past thoughts you’ve manifested, Vision is the process of perceiving what you desire NOW (which will play out as a future manifestation outside yourself). This is you intentionally imagining or envisioning your future as you desire it NOW.
Our thoughts are images, and when held within the mind with belief - they become our reality.
Everyday, decide to EnVision the person you wish to be, the world you want to live in, and the experiences you wish to have and then make it so.