The Rock in the Water

Tim: The first question I have is regarding my background in Christian Science. I'm having trouble understanding what I perceive to be a contradictory emphasis in books like 'Keys to the Scriptures' and 'A Course in Miracles' with books like the Urantia Book. On the one hand, Christian Science and ACIM seem to emphasize to me a very high level of understanding of a spiritual world, and seem to denounce the reality of a materialistic world. Yet books like Kryon's book and the Urantia Book seem to indulge in endless speculation about energy forces and material forces. The involvement that S has with the healing energies, including her involvement with the flower essences and the gem elixirs, imply these are crucial to her background in spiritual evolution and her understanding of healing. Can you clarify some of this for me?

Olfana: You touch upon issues of great importance. We understand your confusion regarding these many questions. Let us digress for a moment. Can you allow the use of symbolism, symbolic images, to help you, perhaps, to comprehend?

T: If you think these symbolic images will help, yes.

Olfana: If you place a rock in water, is it not true that your perception of the rock can change when you view it, looking downward into the water? And then shift, and perceive the rock from, let us say, the side of a container that holds this rock and water. Also, if you placed your face into the water, would you again see the rock from a slightly changed perception? Do you understand the image we create here?

T: Yes, I've experienced those different perceptions a number of times.

Olfana: Then please hold this image in your mind as we proceed to discuss concepts of the body. The physical, bio-chemical mechanism, or instrument, you are housed in, is now, indeed, like the rock, of material substance. Yet, your perception of this body you inhabit can change depending upon your perspective. Sometimes you feel you ARE the rock in the water. Yet this is only one perspective. When you look from outside the cylinder, through the water, does not the rock appear magnified, greater than its original image?

T: Yes.

Olfana: Your consciousness is not only connected to this physical being. Much of your perceptions of your consciousness as limited to this body is illusory, just as the rock appearing magnified is an illusion of light waves affected by the water. Lessons learned from the perspective of being 'in the body' are a necessary part of your experience in this lifetime. However, you are indeed, so much more than what the body appears to limit you to, that teachings such as the Course, or the doctrines of Christian Science, encourage you to expand your perceptions past these body limitations. True essence of the rock is not modified by these perceptual changes caused by different viewpoints of it. Just so, your being is not limited by body perceptions. Higher truths surrounding the complete make-up of your being are not fully understood or widely taught on your planet. I might say, you have seen the rock from many different angles in the this cylinder of water. But, thus far, you have not reached in, and pulled out the rock, in order to gaze upon it, alone.

The water surrounding this rock is representative of the many illusions or beliefs that exist in your philosophical doctrines. ACIM encourages you, as does the work of Mary Baker Eddy, to see that these illusions can be penetrated, and, through inspiration, a clearer perspective--perception--of the true entity that you are, can be discovered. However, doctrinaire interpretations that the body has no existence on the physical plane are also incorrectly stated--perceived. You cannot deny that one is seeing an aspect of the rock, even when viewed through water. Just so, seeing the body as a physical entity has some accuracy. Adjustments to the vibrational manifestation of your entity can indeed take place. And physical imbalances do occur. These teachings of such matters as flower essences, energy transmissions, and adjustments are appropriate to one level of perception of your being. You are not removed from the water yet+ACE- Therefore, within the boundaries of this perception, the body needs to be dealt with.

Indeed, the time comes when you are truly released from any limiting perceptions of your being as connected to a physical manifestation. But, this is the ideal which is striven for in ACIM or the Christian Science teachings. Those who can release themselves from illusions of body boundaries can indeed create new perceptions of themselves--healed perceptions of themselves. But most mortals need to begin their comprehension of themselves at a level much more connected to the physical world.

In the Course, Jesus says, +ACI-If taking a pill allows you to feel less anxious, then, by all means, take this pill.+ACI- There is much truth in this teaching. It encourages you to see that leaving behind your illusions of the body is a process that builds toward a final moment of clarity--just as one realizes by shifting positions and observing the rock, that these changing perceptions of the rock in the water are more the result of the water, than the rock. That moment of clarity liberates you to reach in and remove the rock from the water, to see it free of the substance which clouded your true perception of it+ACE- Just so, your release from illusions surrounding the body will come at the point you choose to remove your perceptions of your being from the body, which seems to contain it. We hope our attempt to elucidate your concerns regarding these issues has been helpful. We thank you for your patient attention.

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