Light on Level Confusion
I appreciate the comments I received on my last post exploring the obscure subject of level confusion. It appears that many were not clear about its meaning, as was I before I carefully examined it.
Level confusion, according to the A Course in Miracles, occurs when one attempts to solve a problem at one level of thinking, consciousness or perception when the source of the problem is on another level. The Course tells us that we must go to where the source of the problem is to solve it. “Let me recognize the problem so it can be solved.” (from lesson 79) is good advice here. It could be reworded to “Let me recognize where (or which level) the problem is so it can be solved.”
A question some may have is this: On how many different levels can level confusion occur?
Obviously, any two levels of thinking in this world can produce confusion in understanding each other, but we are told there are two main levels that concern us which are the level of the ego and the Holy Spirit for “one level of the mind is not understandable to another. So it is with the ego and the Holy Spirit; with time and eternity.” T-5.III.6
The ego and the Holy Spirit operate on two levels of the mind in this world. One is called right-mindedness for “Right-mindedness listens to the Holy Spirit,” C-1.5 and the other wrong-mindedness for “Wrong-mindedness listens to the ego.” C-1.6 In addition, right-mindedness “is not the One-mindedness of the Christ Mind, Whose Will is One with God’s.” C-1.6
We thus have three levels here, right-mindedness, wrong mindedness and one mindedness.
The one-mindedness exists in heaven within the three levels of the Trinity: “The Son of God is part of the Holy Trinity, but the Trinity Itself is One. There is no confusion within Its Levels, because They are of one Mind and one Will.” T-3.II.5
Notice here we are given the key out of level confusion for there is no confusion when “They are of one Mind and one Will,” even if they are on different levels as is the Trinity.
Until heaven is attained, we have to work with the two main levels of right and wrong mindedness, the Holy Spirit and the ego. These are the source of much level confusion since “there is no communication between the ego and the Holy Spirit. The ego makes no sense, and the Holy Spirit does not attempt to understand anything that arises from it.” T-9.III.3
Thus, level confusion would occur if the ego thinks it is operating on the same level as the Holy Spirit and tries to do its job.
The question may now arise as to where specifically is the level confusion mentioned by the Course? It mentions levels over 100 times, confusion 89 times but only specifically deals with the term “level confusion” five times, and that near the beginning of the text. I think it is quite possible the term was dropped because Helen and Bill didn’t understand it, so in the rest of the text the idea was presented in more common language.
The main actual use of level confusion deals with healing and how we approach it for solving level confusion. This is considered a miracle by itself.
“Miracles rearrange perception and place all levels in true perspective. This is healing because sickness comes from confusing the levels.” T-1.I.23
What then are the levels in confusion that cause sickness? Chapter two, section four deals with this level confusion quite well in relation to healing. Let us take a look.
“A miracle, to attain its full efficacy, must be expressed in a language that the recipient can understand without fear. This does not necessarily mean that this is the highest level of communication of which he is capable. It does mean, however, that it is the highest level of communication of which he is capable now. The whole aim of the miracle is to raise the level of communication, not to lower it by increasing fear.” T-2.IV.5
It is talking about the miracle of healing here telling us that we need not be raised to the highest level to experience it, but it needs to work on a level where there is understanding that does not produce fear. Two levels are discussed here. The first is the level of the mind where fear can be transcended. The second is the level of the body which is the cause of fear according to the course. When you think of it almost every fear you have is somehow related to the body. If nothing could hurt or imprison your body what would there be to fear?
This fear enters in when we get sick and the Course tells us that our fear concerning the body causes us to seek to heal it on the wrong level. We are told that level confusion “introduces correction at the level of the error. It is essential to remember that only the mind can create, and that correction belongs at the thought level.” T-2.V.1
If the thought level is the correct level for healing then what is that wrong level that is motivated by fear?
The opposite of the “thought level” would be a level where no thought is involved.
And what would that be?
That would be the body itself. Now the physical world and the body were created by thought, but by itself the body does not think or create:
“Only the mind is capable of error. The body can act wrongly only when it is responding to misthought. The body cannot create, and the belief that it can, a fundamental error, produces all physical symptoms. Physical illness represents a belief in magic. The whole distortion that made magic rests on the belief that there is a creative ability in matter which the mind cannot control.” T-2.IV.2
This passage is packed full of enlightening, but controversial information. It tells us that the body can respond to thought but by itself “The body cannot create, and the belief that it can, a fundamental error.”
And why is it the body cannot create?
Because it cannot think
“The body thinks no thoughts. It has no power to learn, to pardon, nor enslave. It gives no orders that the mind need serve, nor sets conditions that it must obey. It holds in prison but the willing mind that would abide in it. It sickens at the bidding of the mind that would become its prisoner.” T-31.III.4
So, what are the two levels that produce level confusion concerning healing.
One level deals with the effect of thought on the body and the other level is on the idea that the body does not respond to thought but is a creative force of its own.
The body responds to our thoughts, but if you think the body can respond beyond the reach of thought then the Course says we believe in magic and that magic is standard medical protocol to heal the body.
“Magic is the mindless or the miscreative use of mind. Physical medications are forms of “spells,” but if you are afraid to use the mind to heal, you should not attempt to do so. The very fact that you are afraid makes your mind vulnerable to miscreation. T-2.V.2
Attempting to heal with standard medication is healing from the wrong level. The patient is attempting to heal from the supposed creative power of the body instead of the level of the mind.
In other words, when you take a medication you are completely overlooking the power of the mind to heal and expect the body to respond because of its own creative power, which the Course says it does not have.
The Course says this level confusion produces fear. How is that?
Let us say you go to the doctor who diagnoses you with a major problem and says you must take his prescription or you will get much worse and even risk death.
Let us also say that you are A Course in Miracles student and realize that the correction of thinking is what is needed to cure illness. Are you going to ignore the doctor and work on correcting your thinking or are you going to go with the medicine the Course calls a spell?
Most will depend on the spell.
Why?
Fear.
Where is the fear?
Even though the student is aware of the supreme power of the mind he is afraid that he cannot access this power to heal himself. He thus resorts to medications out of fear that leaning on the mind will not work.
Then the Course tells us that if we have this fear that it is best to go ahead and take the medications, for if we do not, fear may increase. The student may be afraid leaning on the mind may not work and, in addition, not taking the medication may make him worse. So, instead of increasing fear sometimes taking the medication is the best move for belief in it may reduce fear.
The lesson to be learned here is that all effects come from the mind. Medicine does not work because of any power that is in the body but because of our mass belief in it. The previous quote called orthodox medicine “spells.” And what is a spell but condensed thought on a certain effect to be produced. So according to the Course the placebo effect is much more far reaching than we suppose.
To summarize then the level confusion in chapter two deals with two levels where healing is believed to be achieved. The first is the level of the mind and the second is a belief in the creative powers of the body which do not even exist. In another words, one level involves a belief in the power of thought to heal, and the other relies on the body to respond to medication as if it has creative powers of its own – which it does not.
Disease we are told is caused by wrong thinking and must be solved at the thinking level, not at the body level.
There are many levels of thinking and belief beyond these two discussed. Is there also level confusion within them? The principle is the same no matter what two levels you are talking about. We’ll be looking at this in more detail later.
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