A Course In Miracles Lesson 6

A Course In Miracles Lesson 6 states: 

I am upset because I see what is not there.

Our minds have the ability to see things that are not there.  Our minds are very unreliable narrators of what is going on.  This is why we get upset.  This is why our peace of mind is disrupted.  We really do not see a situation in its entirety.  Knowing this limitation about our minds can help us grasp and manage the ever-changing nature of our daily experiences.

We read into things.  We pile hopes and expectations onto people and events to bring us something we think we want and we are not aware of how much meaning and importance we have piled on.  When the person or event is unable to serve the role we have unconsciously asked them to play for our hopes and desires, we get upset.  We think we are upset at the person.  But what really caused the upset is how our minds placed demands upon them and felt those demands should be met.  

A Course In Miracles Lesson 6 is not asking us to learn how to see situations accurately.  That is a different skill set.  Today all it is asking of us is that we recognize that we do not see a person or a situation accurately.  Today’s lesson is asking that we see how our brains make things up.  We see people and situations as either meaningless to us or as playing a role in a desire that we have.  

I am upset because I see what is not there.

We do not yet know what it is we are seeing that is not there because we think it is there.  We do not need to strain to try and figure out how we are misperceiving.  For now it is enough to keep in mind that misperception is, indeed occurring.  

Here is what we can know:  I know I feel (sad).  I think it is because (of this person or this situation)  But I am also going to consider that I do not really know what is upsetting me because I am seeing something in this that is not really there.

Bring this idea to anything that upsets you today.  And remember, we are not seeking to locate what we are not yet seeing.  We are only introducing the concept that something is there that we do not see.  We are acknowledging that we do not have the whole picture.