Next Big Book Thing: Living in Grace: The Shift to Spiritual Perception by Beca Lewis @becalewis

The 3^rd Step To Shift—Understand Signs and Symbols.

Matter is matter only to the material state of consciousness, but once we rise to a mental state of consciousness, matter is not matter, but mind.

—Joel S. Goldsmith, The Thunder of Silence

The outside, visible world is the projection of the internal and non-visible world of our point of view. The signs and symbols of the universe are not the Truth but messages that can be interpreted to discover either the essence of the Truth they are revealing or the lie they are telling.

Signs and symbols make up every part of life—from traffic to nature. Being Aware of the difference between signs and symbols of what is True and the reversal of what is True is critical to understand. Signs and symbols are not anchors but guideposts on our path. If we believe them to be real and Truth rather than signs and symbols, we will be locked into the accumulation of things rather than be free to be the full expressions of boundless Life.

In the Chapter Unkink The Hose, we will further discuss how to observe and use signs and symbols to become more aware of belief systems that govern our perception of reality.

Light—as symbol.

Whenever I look into a mirror now, I think of the light. I know that I am seeing only a small fragment of my own totality. The figure staring back at me is the barest representation of what is there and what I may actually be.

—Joe McMoneagle, Mind Trek

Quantum physicist Arthur Zajonc says, “Understanding the true nature of light requires looking not only with the eyes, but with the soul.” He and a friend designed an exhibit as part of a science project he called “Eureka”. It consisted of a box with a projector whose light shown directly into the box without touching any part of the box. Obviously within the box was pure light. However, when they looked through a view port into the box there was only blackness. When they inserted a wand, it revealed the light by reflecting it back. Without an object on which light can fall, there is only darkness.

We take light for granted. We think it is part of our world. But it is not. It is part of an invisible world, like the wind. Both are only visible in their interaction with an object.

God, like the light and wind, is invisible. God is always invisible. Without us—God’s reflection—God would not be apparent. Everything we see is a result of God, the abundance of God, the supply of God, but not God Itself.

Quantum physics—as symbol.

what quantum mechanics says is that nothing is real and that we cannot say anything about what things are doing when we are not looking at them. Nothing is real unless it is observed…and we have to accept that the very act of observing a thing changed it.

—John Gribbon, In Search of Schrodinger’s Cat: Quantum Physics and Reality

The chair on which you are sitting is constructed out of fundamental laws, rather than out of such material objects as atomic particles—an almost theological concept.

—Allen D. Allen, Does Matter Exist? The Foundations of Physics

Physics describes the behavior and idea of energy, which is still a material element. However, the essence of physics can take us further into an understanding that this is in Reality a Spiritual world.

Those of us who are not physicists can take the easy way out by considering physics in a way that it will be helpful to Shift out of our point of view. Quantum physics informs us that everything is a wave until it is observed. Then it turns into a particle. What does that mean? First of all the word “observed” in this context means “think about”. Quantum physics is saying that there is nothing “real” until we think about it; then it becomes solid (real) to us. Therefore, every moment is new if we choose to live it in Reality.

This idea explodes ruts! It means that the moment we change what we’re thinking, or what we believe to be true, our world changes accordingly. Why don’t we see this? We will discuss the answers to that question later—but for now just a hint. Could it be we have a habit of holding on to our point of view so that we can hold on to who we think we are? Quantum physics reminds us that we cannot separate the observed from the observer. The dream and the dreamer are one.

The computer—as symbol.

The discovery of how our DNA is put together rocked the world. The implications of this breakthrough are interesting and bring to mind the thought of “how we are like a computer,” or how the computer is a symbol of Truth. Now that we know the order of the DNA sequence, scientists are able to understand which part of the DNA strand to “fix” or “change” to produce the results they might want—like perfect health, or intelligence.

Looking at it simplistically, it means they will fix the bugs in our computer programming, and perhaps continually upgrade our software. By plugging into their system, we will hopefully become better in all ways.

Instead of reacting either way to this idea, look at it as a symbol of what is true spiritually.

What if we understood that what appears to be a material DNA is really a spiritual idea? What if we understood that the main computer is really Divine Intelligence—or One Mind—and that our personal computer system is part of the One Computer System called God? This One Computer is always expressing perfection. As we become aware of this perfection our world, appears “upgraded”.

Our “free will” has given us the choice to believe that we are separate from Mind, God, or the One Computer. But believing it does not make it so. The moment we remember—wake up to, experience, think through, and know—that we are not separate, our DNA bugs disappear; because it was our sense of being separate that produced the illusion of “bugs” in the first place. As we wake up to the Truth of our connection we experience an upgraded, newer and better understanding of who we really are.

The Internet—as symbol.

“Dialing up” to the Internet is a wonderful symbol of connecting to the Kingdom of Heaven. How? First—look at how we get online to the Internet. We use a “dial-up” program. Which one do we use? There are many choices. Does it matter which one we use? Not really. We determine the parameters that we are comfortable with to get online. But we will eventually all get there if that is where we are choosing to go.

Should I judge how you make your connection? Should it be important to me, which one you use? Should I punish you if you use the wrong one, or assume that you will be punished because you use one that is different from mine? No. Neither should we be judging the way or the method that others choose to reach the Kingdom of Heaven. It is their choice. Each one of us walks a different path, but if the intention is clear, we will all eventually connect. Of course, for me, I want the fastest, clearest, simplest, and most service-oriented way possible.

Once we get to the Internet, how is it like the Kingdom of Heaven? Check this out—we are all there and it is each person’s unique contribution that makes it actually exist. We get more and more out of the Internet as more of us contribute and participate. It is our unique expression of an idea that brings it to life—whether it is the Internet or the Kingdom of Heaven.

Like the Internet, the Kingdom of Heaven is impartial. It does not know whether we are male, female, beautiful, or ugly. It exists because we exist. It is our point of view that creates what we see of either one.

What else is the same? Some of us say we can’t “do” the Internet. Some of us say we can’t “find” the Kingdom of Heaven. Again, it is a matter of simply looking and seeing that both are here now. To see and use both, we need to clear out and let go of habits and thoughts that keep us in the rut of our current thinking of how it is and then we can choose the Kingdom of Heaven.

We may argue that the Internet has serious problems. There are some really terrible sites (sights) and many people who find pleasure in trying to destroy our joy in it. And so—what is different here? Who is doing this? People and their choices are producing this result. The Internet as an idea is not doing any of this. It can’t. A negative, and sometimes evil, point of view attempts to use this impartial idea to express what is not good, but the idea of the Internet itself remains impartial.

What can we do about the negative side? Start by choosing not to participate or give power to the negative symbol of the Internet. Stop being interested (either because we are curious or disgusted) at those things that appear to be bad or evil. Set boundaries. Protect yourself. Don’t believe the point of view that says things are not good now. Dial up. Get in. Participate. Share. Express yourself. The result? We all experience an improved version of a symbol of the Oneness and expression of the Kingdom of Heaven.