Chapter 2 Section I – The Real Meaning of Possession (paragraphs 1-12)
February 11, 2021
In this section we learn from Jesus that we feel a constant and irresistible attraction to God “at all levels…” (1:3) That means that this irresistible attraction can be experienced at the subconscious, superconscious and the conscious levels. As we learned in Miracle Principle 28, if our identification is in the body our conscious level will distort impulses from the subconscious and superconscious into physical impulses. Our underlying fear of possession is caused by the perversion or distortion of the attraction we feel to God. Our natural attraction to God is something we will all eventually succumb to and Jesus says we can decide to succumb any time. When we understand the meaning of possession, we will want to succumb to this attraction right away!
Our perception of ourselves as physical beings, perverts the natural and irresistible attraction to God into fear of possession. This shows up in four ways that Jesus highlights in this section, three of which we will be looking at in today’s reading.
1. Use of the body to divert the fear of possession can be seen to play out in the sexual act of a body possessing or being possessed by a body. This is often seen in the male as the possessor and the female as the possessed. Sex crimes are extreme forms of using this solution to the fear of possession.
2. Possession of things can be used as a way of “protecting others from our possessiveness.” (4:3) In its extreme form this distortion of the fear of possession leads to stealing.
Both of these perversions result from endowing the physical with spiritual qualities and attributes. They are compulsive attempts to escape the “real possession drive” (5:2) which is our attraction to God, they are easily achieved and seen as relatively harmless. It is also easy to see any lack of love in these areas as “the other’s” problem. Because these solutions are experienced as outside of us, it is easy to continue the pretense of relating and preserve our extension of lack of love. Remember miracles are a way of relating and we view sex as a way of relating/communicating.
3. Another, possibly more dangerous confusion is one that results from endowing “the Spirit with human possessiveness.” (9:1) Jesus calls this “a more serious level confusion.” (10:2) Since the physical order is where we have projected all of our “sin” or guilt, the spiritual order is now endowed with evil attributes. This increases our fear and is completely opposite to being “filled with the Holy Spirit.” (11:1)
To be filled with the Holy Spirit is to be in our right minds, to not be level confused and gives us the means “to communicate to everyone in his own language, or at his own level.” (11:2) This would result in our ability to use the levels in the manner that will express what Jesus wants us to communicate to others in the way that they can understand. When we endow the levels with the attributes of other levels, we “speak in a way that nobody could understand.” (11:3)
This only happens because our awareness of the need for universal communication has been perverted by our belief in the reality that we can possess another or be possessed by another. We distort our attempt at communication as incomprehensible in order to reduce our fear.
Exercise:
Think about the ways you feel moved to communicate today. See if you can find any evidence of the possession fallacy in your communication methods. Try to pause before you engage with anyone and ask Jesus to help you connect to your true identity as created by God and then to tell you how to offer his message in the way that this person will understand.
Suggested Practice:
It is my will today to accept all of my impulses as my irresistible attraction to God.