Social media and A Course in Miracles

[Asfand]

Social media is like anything in this world, i. e., planned thoughts with the content of the ego wrong mind. Online attacks in the community for a Course in Miracles (ACIM) are via the many comments, quotes and other postings wherein we respond to our design which then becomes the justification for our response (T-12. I. 1) or our reason for posting, etc. All students have a basic confusion between form and content as well as what it means to join so let's not sugar coat it: Social media is forms (projected content of the ego wrong mind) from joining with the wrong mind. Therefore, from the outset it is a series of attacks until we forgive and start identifying (joining) with the right mind.

Even in the Course, we all sit around online with some sort of an electronic device mindlessly doing our ego thing. Okay, some might be standing, leaning or lounging:

Sitting around and talking about the Course is not the same thing as doing the hard work of studying the text and putting the principles into practice to find out what the Course means (Kenneth Wapnick, Rules for Decision).

In the same Rules, Wapnick also says, "What allows the ego its power is your having joined with it, your identification with it. " Forms are planned as a defense up against the opposite and are only with the ego wrong mind and thus they never matter.

Since social media is all about forms which are fragmented projections of the ego, we are then perceiving the Sonship as fragmented that makes the error real. Specialness is valued as an idol placed before the Love of God and those perceived differences maintain the split in the mind. Absolutely any fragmented option we judge in another online (or anywhere) must be seen in all of the Sonship since we're really One in reality. That is why attack isn't discrete and must be relinquished (T-7. VI. 1).

Discrete means, "Individually separate and distinct. " All attack in any form is the same and is meant to try to portion the entirety of the Sonship because it attacks (fragments) the Sonship via differences instead of sameness. acim Hence, we can see why Wapnick would say that it is silly to use the Course as a weapon when it's clearly a course headquartered in unity.

Finally, let's add two other word symbol classifications since these are both used throughout the Course:

Demonstrate: Clearly show the existence or truth of something by giving proof or evidence.
Reminder: A thing that causes someone to remember something.

Unloving Simple guidelines

In the Course, "To teach is to demonstrate (M-in. 2) and we are always teaching, or representing the ego or God every moment, i. e., the content mind with which we have chosen to join or identify. For contrast, the content of the ego is many planned and different forms; and the content of the right mind is unity, sameness, i. e., Love (no projections). There are no exceptions. It's one or the other.

Our brothers are a part of us. They are the ones who teach us who we are for our learning is a result of what we have taught them (T-9. VI. 3) - the ego or God - always. As the dreamer of the dream (T-27. VII. ), our dream figures (those online with us and our brothers) are doing what we are musing about it they are doing based on what we've taught (demonstrated). Therefore, they are innocent since it is our dream. We taught split or a murderous attack thought against God and so we all demonstrate said attack in many fragmented forms. Yet if we forgive ourselves for what we have taught (chosen) instead of fighting, we find who we are through our brothers who are the same.

When we are posting quotes, comments or use Course language "at" another we are really fighting (unloving reminders). If we think about how "at" feels we know we believe in split and differences. The codes or demands of the ego must be answered "at" a separated fragment (brother) so we continue to demonstrate our original attack thought and repress our guilt. Course students then go and get online with the many ideas of specialness and their unloving simple guidelines which fragments the mind and maintains the split (the opposite of unity) which is the problem.

From the social media platform to personal pages, online friends and groups, forms are the focus on social media. Forms do not matter. When we say they do, we will automatically demonstrate the ego and be unloving and unkind, i. e., we harm others.

Surely often times a reminder can be loving and helpful, but very often it is not. Again, you should always use being normal as a criterion. Normal people in the presence of someone who is sick (and any mind that believes it is separate is sick), especially a friend or family member, are kind. You don't need to be a spiritual giant or understand stand the difference between non-duality and duality to know that if someone is sick and in pain, kindness should be offered to that person. As I have been stressing, when you do not look at fear or guilt, they will automatically be pushed down in your unconscious, and just as automatically will be project out - always. Inevitably, then you end up judging and fighting other people (Kenneth Wapnick, The Healing Power of Kindness: Vol. 1, Kindle location 149, underline and parenthesis addition mine).