How to change the optical illusion of your life

“Man’s concept of his world built on the experience of the five senses is no longer adequate and in many cases no longer valid.”—Shafica Karagulla

A Course in Miracles is a thick, dense book that most of us who rank high on the woo-woo spectrum own, but very few actually read.

I get it. It’s not a picture book.

Because it’s my main spiritual squeeze, I’m asked a lot of questions. But here’s all you really need to know. The Course tells us consciousness creates the material world. And that we get to decide how we’re going to experience life, that we get to choose what we want to see.

This would be truly good news except for one small fact. Most of us have a monstrous chip on our shoulder. We think life sucks or that it’s here to be endured.

So we use our butt-kicking consciousness to create a problematic reality.

Our brains gather pieces of data from our five senses, but, quite frankly, the data is imprecise and not the truth about the real world. Quantum physicists present incontrovertible evidence that our experience of the world doesn’t match physical reality in any way, shape or form.

There’s a new book out called Champions of Illusion. I’m happy to report this book by Susana Martinez-Conde and Stephen Macknik IS a picture book. They’re professors of neurology and physiology who, since 2005, have hosted a Best Illusion of the Year contest. This collection of mind-bending illustrations will definitely challenge the veracity of your perception.

As the authors write:

“Your brain creates a simulation of the world that may or may not match the real thing. The “reality” you experience is the result of your exclusive interaction with that simulation.”

They define “illusions” as the phenomena in which your perception differs from physical reality which, sad to say, includes most all concepts and judgments of the world that we take for granted. Our minds establish a pattern of perception and then proceed to filter out everything else.

In other words, we see things that aren’t there and fail to see things that ARE there. We distort the world to jibe with our very limited perception.

All we have to do to change the optical illusion of our lives is to annul our ongoing grudge against the world and actively see and expect a different reality.

That’s what the Course is all about. It actually says we were created to live in eternal joy (say what?!), that nothing can hurt us and that every passing moment offers a thousand different treasures.

I can’t wait for that picture book to come out. How about you?

Pam Grout is the author of 19 books including E-Squared: 9 Do-it-Yourself Energy Experiments that Prove Your Thoughts Create Your Reality and the just-released, Art & Soul,Reloaded: A Year-Long Apprenticeship to Summon the Muses and Ignite Your Daring, Audacious, Creative Side.