Whatever is true is eternal, and cannot change or be changed. Spirit is therefore unalterable because it is already perfect, but the mind can elect what it chooses to serve. The only limit put on its choice is that it cannot serve two masters. If it elects to do so, the mind can become the medium by which spirit creates along the line of its own creation. If it does not freely elect to do so, it retains its creative potential but places itself under tyrannous rather than Authoritative control. As a result it imprisons, because such are the dictates of tyrants. TO CHANGE YOUR MIND means TO PLACE IT AT THE DISPOSAL OF TRUE AUTHORITY. (T-1.V.5:1)

Why does the body seem to get sick? Because we placed our mind at the disposal of a tyrant, the ego, which we made. We gave the awesome power of our mind to the ego. And then we forgot we made the ego. All miscreations, including sickness, are a result of our abdication of our God given power. This was all an elaborate scheme, we made up, so that we could experience ourselves as self-reliant, as special, as creators of ourselves. The price for this fantasy was our awareness of our Self and God.

We made up this incredible tool called dissociation with which we taught ourselves, as we descended the ladder of separation, to forget the previous level.

Who but yourself evaluates a threat, decides escape is necessary, and sets up a series of defenses to reduce the threat that has been judged as real? (All illusions, including sickness, are defenses against the truth.) All this cannot be done unconsciously. But afterwards, YOUR PLAN REQUIRES THAT YOU MUST FORGET YOU MADE IT, so it seems to be external to your own intent; a happening beyond your state of mind, an outcome with a real effect on you, instead of one effected by yourself.

It is this QUICK FORGETTING of the part you play in making your “reality” that makes defenses seem to be beyond your own control. But what you have forgot can be remembered, given willingness to reconsider the decision which is doubly shielded by oblivion. Your not remembering is but the sign that this decision still remains in force, as far as your desires are concerned. Mistake not this for fact. Defenses must make facts unrecognizable. They aim at doing this, and it is this they do. (W-136.4:1–5:6)

Having dissociated that we made this all up, we were seemingly trapped in this delusional thought system, where we would have remained, if not for God placing the Holy Spirit in our mind. He is our way out.

How do we get home? We must let the Holy Spirit teach us how to change our minds which means placing ours minds at the disposal of true Authority and returning our minds to God. But in order to even hear the Holy Spirit we must have reached our “there must be a better way moment” and acknowledge that the solution is beyond us. Why is it beyond us? Because we gave the ego, the idea of separation, the power of the mind to use to turn everything upside down and backwards. We are in a pod, connected to a virtual reality game playing in our mind, that we are experiencing as real. Without our Guide, our Morpheus, we are doomed. Which one of us is completely dependent on the Holy Spirit for everything, all of our self-reliance laid aside? Do we want out of the pod? We must surrender to our Guide.

As long as we allow the ego to use the mind to miscreate…

The world has not yet experienced any comprehensive reawakening or rebirth. Such a rebirth is impossible as long as you continue to project or miscreate. (T-2.I.3:7-8)

We can practice placing our mind at the disposal of true Authority by asking the Holy Spirit what to do, say and think. Not asking is the equivalent of allowing the ego to continue to use the mind to miscreate. To ask the Holy Spirit is to practice God-reliance. To not ask is to continue self-reliance.

Learning to change our mind, to place it at the disposal of true Authority, is daunting because it threatens to destroy the entire ego thought system. The ego will not take that lightly. Challenges, made-up by the tyrant, using the power of the mind we gave it, will rush in to make us fearful and want to run back to the ego’s “protection.” Eventually, we will all learn the lesson, as Jesus did, and be able to not make those hallucinations real in the face of temptation.

When we choose to be led by the Holy Spirit, when we chose to learn to place our mind at the disposal of true Authority, the process will be challenging.

The miracle is a sign that the mind has CHOSEN TO BE LED BY ME IN CHRIST’S SERVICE. The abundance of Christ is the natural result of choosing to follow Him. ALL shallow roots must be uprooted, because they are not deep enough to sustain you. The illusion that shallow roots can be deepened, and thus made to hold, is one of the distortions on which the reverse of the Golden Rule rests. As these false underpinnings are given up, the equilibrium is temporarily experienced as unstable. However, nothing is less stable than an upside-down orientation. Nor can anything that holds it upside down be conducive to increased stability. (T-1.V.5:1–6:7)

In the process ALL shallow roots, ego or unforgiven thoughts, must be uprooted. They are shallow because they cannot be extended or shared therefore they cannot sustain or be sustained. The illusion these thoughts, roots can be deepened, extended or shared is an underpinning of the reverse of the Golden Rule. Perceive others as you would have them perceive you (true perception, sameness, wholeness, extension) becomes perceive others as they perceive you (false perception, difference, separation, projection, eye for an eye).

In the process of learning to change our minds, to place our minds at the disposal of true authority, these shallow roots, these mistaken ego thoughts, that anchor whole ego concepts, are released and temporarily we experience some shakiness. The ego whispers, “Come back to me, to stability.” Of course there is going to be some shakiness, maybe even some seeming earthquakes, as we reverse course and head home to God. But we have Jesus, our model to emulate. As we walk through all the shakiness, the ego’s deceptions, with the Holy Spirit, we will use them to be more and more dependent on Him. Our dependence on Him reflects our ultimate dependence on God.

No more specific lessons are assigned, for there is no more need of them. Henceforth, hear but the Voice for God and for your Self when you retire from the world, to seek reality instead. He will direct your efforts, telling you exactly what to do, how to direct your mind, and when to come to Him in silence, asking for His sure direction and His certain Word. His is the Word that God has given you. His is the Word you chose to be your own.

And now I place you in His hands, to be His faithful follower, with Him as Guide through every difficulty and all pain that you may think is real. Nor will He give you pleasures that will pass away, for He gives only the eternal and the good. Let Him prepare you further. He has earned your trust by speaking daily to you of your Father and your brother and your Self. He will continue. Now you walk with Him, as certain as is He of where you go; as sure as He of how you should proceed; as confident as He is of the goal, and of your safe arrival in the end. (W-ep.3:1–4:6)

The God news is that we can stop engaging in the ego’s shenanigans of sickness, death, guilt and fear if we learn to place our minds at the disposal of true Authority. We ALLOW the ego to use the mind. The Holy Spirit will teach us how not to.