A Step to Real Vision
I appreciate the response received on my post titled “Seeing the Real World.”
It seems that some have difficulty in accepting this text written as follows:
“You will begin to understand it when you have seen little edges of light around the same familiar objects which you see now. That is the beginning of real vision. You can be certain that real vision will come quickly when this has occurred.” W-pI.15.2
It seems that even Ken Wapnick had a problem with it as published in the FIP edition, so I will quote him and respond.
“This passage has been troubling to many students. It seems to suggest that a mark of spiritual progress is seeing edges of light around objects, such as auras. If this were the literal meaning, it would go against everything else the Course teaches. Jesus, as we know, stresses that all perception is unreal. In the text he says that however holy visions may be, they do not last because they are based on perception (T-3.III.4:6).”
First let me address the point he makes that “all perception is unreal.” Because of this he seems to think that we should discount any perception of the light around the edges of physical objects as progress toward “real vision” as the passage states.
The Course clearly states that we have four major steps to wakening and the first three all involve perception of some kind. Concerning the third step which is seeing the real world it says:
“The real world is the second part of the hallucination time and death are real, and have existence that can be perceived.” T-26.V.12
“The real world can actually be perceived. All that is necessary is a willingness to perceive nothing else…Perceiving only the real world will lead you to the real Heaven, because it will make you capable of understanding it.” T-11.VII.2
We are told that perception no longer exists in heaven, but before we go there we must first see the real world. Then, after arriving securely in the real world “your Father will lean down to you and take the last step for you, by raising you unto Himself.” T-11.VIII.15
Finally, after this you will no longer need perception, but it exists and is necessary in both this and the real world. Of note is one of the main purposes of the Course itself is “the acquisition of true perception.” W-in.2-6
Indeed, true perception is a positive achievement:
“When the Holy Spirit has at last led you to Christ at the altar to His Father, perception fuses into knowledge because perception has become so holy that its transfer to holiness is merely its natural extension.” T-12.VI.6.
Perception then is obviously used on the road to true vision, so the fact that light can be perceived around the edges of forms can indeed be “the beginning of real vision,” just as the text plainly states. Even the passage referenced by Ken states that “True vision is the natural perception of spiritual sight.” T-3.III.4
Ken says that perceiving this light as the beginning of real vision goes against everything the Course teaches, but to the contrary it is in perfect harmony with everything the Course teaches, for until we go beyond time, space, form, and even the real world, we will use perception and much of that perceived will be light and what the light reveals.
Next Ken says that “Light is a symbol; it is not a perceptual thing.”
He seems to be again referencing that same passage which also states that “Spiritual sight is symbolic, and therefore not a device for knowing. It is, however, a means of right perception, which brings it into the proper domain of the miracle.” T-3.III.4
The passage he references says that spiritual sight is “a means of right perception” which definitely puts light in the realm of perception contrary to what he says.
We are also told that “words are but symbols of symbols.” M-21.1 yet we also perceive them and God “gives to the words they (teachers) use the power of His Spirit, raising them from meaningless symbols to the call of Heaven itself. M:21.5
This idea would also apply to light when we realize that “All things are seen in light, and in the light their purpose is transformed and understood.” M-28.4.
Ken seems to think that because the true source of light and reality comes from within that it would be a contradiction to attribute seeing anything without as a step toward true vision.
What he overlooks is that all perception seems to reveal the vision of light and form that appear to be outside of ourselves, but we do not go beyond this completely until we go beyond the real world to heaven itself. There is a right and wrong perception and right perception is what is stressed:
“Right perception is necessary before God can communicate directly to His altars, which He established in His Sons.” T-3.III.5-6
Even right perception has the appearance of seeing that which is outside of ourselves. In this world we can understand in theory that all vision and perception originates from within, but in practice the eyes of even the most advanced students see images that appear to be outside of themselves.
So yes, at first when you see the “edges of light around the same familiar objects which you see now” you will use perception and the light will appear to be outside of yourself. So why then does it tell us that when this happens “You can be certain that real vision will come quickly”?
The Course teaches that real vision “does not depend on the body’s eyes at all. The mind is its only source.” W-pI.30.5
Seeing the edges of light then is not yet real vision, but it is indeed a step.
The reason it is a step is that to see this light is one has to look beyond regular vision with the physical eyes and negate regular vision to a degree.
These edges of light are presently seen by millions of people on the planet and they all see the same thing when they look.
The interesting thing is that you do not have to be enlightened or spiritually advanced to see this light just as one does not have to be spiritually advanced to take A Course in Miracles.
But there is one thing you have to do and that is to look. If you do not look you will not see.
Remember “To forgive is to overlook.” T-9.IV.1
To see these and other higher lights one must overlook the regular vision of this world and look to see what lies beyond it.
Seeing these edges of light can be had by all, for I have given seminars where I have taught the audience to see the edges and every single person in the group was successful.
But if you do not look you will not see. The problem is that many are not aware that they need to look beyond the physical to see what lies there, but when one does “You can be certain that real vision will come quickly when this has occurred.” W-pI.15.2
To search the website, containing millions of words, replace the word “search” with the word or phrase you want to find and place the entire line in the Google search box.
“Search” site:freeread.com
Check out JJ’s Facebook Group HERE
Join A Course in Miracles Discussion Group on X (Twitter) HERE
Access other articles associated with ACIM HERE
Check out JJ’s books on Amazon HERE
Easy Access to All the Writings
For Free Book go HERE and other books HERE