You who want peace can find it only by complete forgiveness.     No learning is acquired by anyone unless he wants to learn it     and believes in some way that he needs it. While lack does not     exist in the creation of God, it is very apparent in what you     have made. It is, in fact, the essential difference between them.     Lack implies that you would be better off in a state somehow     different from the one you are in. Until the “separation,”     which is the meaning of the “fall,” nothing was lacking.     There were no needs at all. Needs arise only when you deprive     yourself. You act according to the particular order of needs     you establish. This, in turn, depends on your perception of what     you are.

A sense of separation from God is the only lack you really     need correct. This sense of separation would never have arisen     if you had not distorted your perception of truth, and had thus     perceived yourself as lacking. The idea of order of needs arose     because, having made this fundamental error, you had already     fragmented yourself into levels with different needs. As you     integrate you become one, and your needs become one accordingly.     Unified needs lead to unified action, because this produces a     lack of conflict.

The idea of orders of need, which follows from the original     error that one can be separated from God, requires correction     at its own level before the error of perceiving levels at all     can be corrected. You cannot behave effectively while you function     on different levels. However, while you do, correction must be     introduced vertically from the bottom up. This is because you     think you live in space, where concepts such as “up”     and “down” are meaningful. Ultimately, space is as     meaningless as time. Both are merely beliefs.

The real purpose of this world is to use it to correct your     unbelief. You can never control the effects of fear yourself,     because you made fear, and you believe in what you made. In attitude,     then, though not in content, you resemble your Creator, Who has     perfect faith in his creations because he created them.     Belief produces the acceptance of existence. That is why you     can believe what no one else thinks is true. It is true for you     because it was made by you.

All aspects of fear are untrue because they do not exist at     the creative level, and therefore do not exist at all. To whatever     extent you are willing to submit your beliefs to this test, to     that extent are your perceptions corrected. In sorting out the     false from the true, the miracle proceeds along these lines:

Perfect love casts out fear. If fear exists, Then there is not perfect love.

But:

Only perfect love exists. If there is fear, It produces a state that does not exist.

Believe this and you will be free. Only God can establish     this solution, and this faith is his gift.

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

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

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

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

A solid foundation is necessary because of the confusion between     fear and awe to which I have already referred, and which is often     made. I 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. However, it was also emphasized that     awe is proper in the Presence of your Creator. I have been careful     to clarify my role in the Atonement without either over- or understating     it. I am also trying to do the same with yours. I have stressed     that awe is not an appropriate reaction to me because of our     inherent equality. Some of the later steps in this course, however,     involve a more direct approach to God himself. It 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. Healing is of God in the end. The means are being     carefully explained to you. Revelation may occasionally reveal     the end to you, but to reach it the means are needed.