A COURSE IN MIRACLES

T-1.VII Distortions of Miracle Impulses

1. Your distorted perceptions produce a dense cover over miracle impulses, making it hard for them to reach your own awareness. ²The confusion of miracle impulses with physical impulses is a major perceptual distortion. ³Physical impulses are misdirected miracle impulses. ⁴All real pleasure comes from doing God’s Will. ⁵This is because not doing it is a denial of Self. ⁶Denial of Self results in illusions, while correction of the error brings release from it. ⁷Do not deceive yourself into believing that you can relate in peace to God or to your brothers with anything external.

Expanded
Your distorted perceptions produce a dense cover over miracle impulses, making it hard for them [miracle impulses] to reach your own awareness. ²The confusion of miracle impulses with physical impulses is a major perceptual distortion. ³Physical impulses are misdirected miracle impulses. ⁴All real pleasure comes from doing God’s Will. ⁵This [all real pleasure comes from doing God’s Will] is because not doing it [God’s-Will] is a denial of Self. ⁶Denial of Self results in illusions, while correction of the error brings release from it [error]. ⁷Do not deceive yourself into believing that you can relate in peace to God or to your brothers with anything external.
Substituted
Your distorted perceptions produce a dense cover over miracle impulses, making it hard for miracle impulses to reach your own awareness. ²The confusion of miracle impulses with physical impulses is a major perceptual distortion. ³Physical impulses are misdirected miracle impulses. ⁴All real pleasure comes from doing God’s Will. ⁵All real pleasure comes from doing God’s Will because not doing God’s-Will is a denial of Self. ⁶Denial of Self results in illusions, while correction of the error brings release from error. ⁷Do not deceive yourself into believing that you can relate in peace to God or to your brothers with anything external.
Simplified
Peace can only be found in doing God’s Will. Illusions come from denying your true self.

2. Child of God, you were created to create the good, the beautiful, and the holy. ²Do not forget this. ³The Love of God, for a little while, must still be expressed through one body to another, because vision is still so dim. ⁴You can use your body best to help you enlarge your perception so you can achieve real vision, of which the physical eye is incapable. ⁵Learning to do this is the body’s only true usefulness.

Expanded
Child of God, you were created to create the good, the beautiful, and the holy. ²Do not forget this [you were created to create the good, the beautiful and the holy]. ³The Love of God, for a little while, must still be expressed through one body to another [body], because vision is still so dim. ⁴You can use your body best to help you enlarge your perception so you can achieve real vision — of which [real vision] the physical eye is incapable. ⁵Learning to do this [enlarge your perception] is the body’s only true usefulness.
Substituted
Child of God, you were created to create the good, the beautiful and the holy. ²Do not forget you were created to create the good, the beautiful and the holy. ³The Love of God, for a little while, must still be expressed through one body to another body, because vision is still so dim. ⁴You can use your body best to help you enlarge your perception so you can achieve real vision — the physical eye is incapable of real vision. ⁵Learning to enlarge your perception is the body’s only true usefulness.
Simplified
Learn to use the body to enlarge your perception. Then you can ceate the good, the beautiful and the holy.

3. Fantasy is a distorted form of vision. ²Fantasies of any kind are distortions, because they always involve twisting perception into unreality. ³Actions that stem from distortions are literally the reactions of those who know not what they do. ⁴Fantasy is an attempt to control reality according to false needs. ⁵Twist reality in any way and you are perceiving destructively. ⁶Fantasies are a means of making false associations and attempting to obtain pleasure from them. ⁷But although you can perceive false associations, you can never make them real except to yourself. ⁸You believe in what you make. ⁹If you offer miracles, you will be equally strong in your belief in them. ¹⁰The strength of your conviction will then sustain the belief of the miracle receiver. ¹¹Fantasies become totally unnecessary as the wholly satisfying nature of reality becomes apparent to both giver and receiver. ¹²Reality is ‘lost’ through usurpation, which produces tyranny. ¹³As long as a single ‘slave’ remains to walk the earth, your release is not complete. ¹⁴Complete restoration of the Sonship is the only goal of the miracle-minded.

Expanded
Fantasy is a distorted form of vision. ²Fantasies of any kind are distortions, because they [fantasies] always involve twisting perception into unreality. ³Actions that stem from distortions are literally the reactions of those who know not what they [reactors] do. ⁴Fantasy is an attempt to control reality according to false needs. ⁵Twist reality in any way and you are perceiving destructively. ⁶Fantasies are a means of making false associations and attempting to obtain pleasure from them [false associations]. ⁷But although you can perceive false associations, you can never make them [false associations] real except to yourself. ⁸You believe in what you make. ⁹If you offer miracles, you will be equally strong in your belief in them [miracles]. ¹⁰The strength of your conviction will then sustain the belief of the miracle receiver. ¹¹Fantasies become totally unnecessary as the wholly satisfying nature of reality becomes apparent to both giver and receiver. ¹²Reality is ‘lost’ through usurpation, which [usurpation] produces tyranny. ¹³As long as a single ‘slave’ remains to walk the earth, your release is not complete. ¹⁴Complete restoration of the Sonship is the only goal of the miracle-minded.
Substituted
Fantasy is a distorted form of vision. ²Fantasies of any kind are distortions, because fantasies always involve twisting perception into unreality. ³Actions that stem from distortions are literally the reactions of those who know not what the reactors do. ⁴Fantasy is an attempt to control reality according to false needs. ⁵Twist reality in any way and you are perceiving destructively. ⁶Fantasies are a means of making false associations and attempting to obtain pleasure from false associations. ⁷But although you can perceive false associations, you can never make false associations real except to yourself. ⁸You believe in what you make. ⁹If you offer miracles, you will be equally strong in your belief in miracles. ¹⁰The strength of your conviction will then sustain the belief of the miracle receiver. ¹¹Fantasies become totally unnecessary as the wholly satisfying nature of reality becomes apparent to both giver and receiver. ¹²Reality is ‘lost’ through usurpation; usurpation produces tyranny. ¹³As long as a single ‘slave’ remains to walk the earth, your release is not complete. ¹⁴Complete restoration of the Sonship is the only goal of the miracle-minded.
Simplified
Fantasies are false associations. Fantasies are an attempt to obtain pleasure. Fantasies are not real. Fantasies are not satisfying. Miracles are wholly satisfying. Release yourself and the whole Sonship from fantasies.

4. This is a course in mind training. ²All learning involves attention and study at some level. ³Some of the later parts of the course rest too heavily on these earlier sections not to require their careful study. ⁴You will also need them for preparation. ⁵Without this, you may become much too fearful of what is to come to make constructive use of it. ⁶However, as you study these earlier sections, you will begin to see some of the implications that will be amplified later on.

Expanded
This is a course in mind training. ²All learning involves attention and study at some level. ³Some of the later parts of the course rest too heavily on these earlier sections not to require their [these-earlier-sections’] careful study. ⁴You will also need them [these earlier sections] for preparation. ⁵Without this [preparation], you may become much too fearful of what is to come to make constructive use of it [what is to come]. ⁶However, as you study these earlier sections, you will begin to see some of the implications that will be amplified later on.
Substituted
This is a course in mind training. ²All learning involves attention and study at some level. ³Some of the later parts of the course rest too heavily on these earlier sections not to require these-earlier-sections’ careful study. ⁴You will also need these earlier sections for preparation. ⁵Without preparation, you may become much too fearful of what is to come to make constructive use of what is to come. ⁶However, as you study these earlier sections, you will begin to see some of the implications that will be amplified later on.
Simplified
This is a course in mind training. Study these early sections carefully. Without preparation now you may be fearful later on.

5. A solid foundation is necessary because of the confusion between fear and awe to which I have already referred, and which is often made. ²I have said that awe is inappropriate in connection with the Sons of God, because you should not experience awe in the presence of your equals. ³However, it was also emphasized that awe is proper in the Presence of your Creator. ⁴I have been careful to clarify my role in the Atonement without either over- or understating it. ⁵I am also trying to do the same with yours. ⁶I have stressed that awe is not an appropriate reaction to me because of our inherent equality. ⁷Some of the later steps in this course, however, involve a more direct approach to God Himself. ⁸It would be unwise to start on these steps without careful preparation, or awe will be confused with fear, and the experience will be more traumatic than beatific. ⁹Healing is of God in the end. ¹⁰The means are being carefully explained to you. ¹¹Revelation may occasionally reveal the end to you, but to reach it the means are needed.

Expanded
A solid foundation is necessary because of the confusion between fear and awe to which I have already referred, and which [confusion between fear and awe] is often made. ²I have said that awe is inappropriate in connection with the Sons of God, because you should not experience awe in the presence of your equals. ³However, it was also emphasized that awe is proper in the Presence of your Creator. ⁴I have been careful to clarify my role in the Atonement without either over- or understating it. ⁵I am also trying to do the same with yours [clarify your role in the Atonement]. ⁶I have stressed that awe is not an appropriate reaction to me because of our inherent equality. ⁷Some of the later steps in this course, however, involve a more direct approach to God Himself [God’s own Self]. ⁸It would be unwise to start on these [the later] steps without careful preparation, or awe will be confused with fear, and the experience will be more traumatic than beatific. ⁹Healing is of God in the end. ¹⁰The means are being carefully explained to you. ¹¹Revelation may occasionally reveal the end to you, but to reach it [the end] the means are needed.
Substituted
A solid foundation is necessary because of the confusion between fear and awe to which I have already referred — confusion between fear and awe is often made. ²I have said that awe is inappropriate in connection with the Sons of God, because you should not experience awe in the presence of your equals. ³However, it was also emphasized that awe is proper in the Presence of your Creator. ⁴I have been careful to clarify my role in the Atonement without either over- or understating it. ⁵I am also trying to clarify your role in the Atonement. ⁶I have stressed that awe is not an appropriate reaction to me because of our inherent equality. ⁷Some of the later steps in this course, however, involve a more direct approach to God’s own Self. ⁸It would be unwise to start on the later steps without careful preparation, or awe will be confused with fear, and the experience will be more traumatic than beatific. ⁹Healing is of God in the end. ¹⁰The means are being carefully explained to you. ¹¹Revelation may occasionally reveal the end to you, but to reach the end the means are needed.
Simplified
We have an equal role in the Atonement. Awe and fear should not be confused. Fear is to be healed. Awe is proper towards God. Later steps in the course involve a direct approach to God.

T-1.VI The Illusion of NeedsT-2.I The Origins of Separation