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Articles

by Rusty Stewart, Ph.D.

Do you remember this line by Jack Nicholson from “A Few Good Men"? It was a very powerful statement. Many of us truly cannot handle the “truth". And given that our different perceptions provide a plethora of possibilities as to what truth is, this can further complicate matters. The ego loves complexity! Truth lies in simplicity. The experience of truth diminishes and softens the ego. However, everyone has their pace in which they uncover, accept, and act with the truth. Too much too early can slow their process and reinforce ego defenses. I have witnessed this numerous times in my practice. I have to find a delicate balance in offering just the amount of truth the client can handle. And then, of course, my ego critically reminds me of the truth I'm not willing to embrace quite yet. It is interesting how the ego does not want the truth yet chastises me for not accepting and living my life based on the truth. Does, “I feel trapped" sound familiar?

One of the reasons I love A Course In Miracles is because the truth is not moral or dogmatic. In fact, God realizes that the “Truth" would be far too intense for us to experience in human ego form. That is why God created the Holy Spirit as an interpreter between God and human form. All we need is a little willingness to call in the Holy Spirit to help us reinterpret our experience to one of forgiveness and Love. The Holy Spirit heals on the level of the mind not the ego. We cannot heal ourselves through the ego. The “Truth" can only be found through turning our minds over to the Holy Spirit or God to be healed. When we do this, our thoughts are re-premised from fear to Love. There is nothing else to do. We continue to do what we do, whatever that is, but do it with God. This will hasten our journey back home to our oneness with Spirit.

Because our thoughts of separation are the root of all suffering and fear, it is our minds and thoughts that need healing. By this I mean separate from the oneness of God and separate from each other. This accentuates difference not commonality. Thus, "Psychotherapy is the only source of therapy there is. Since only the mind can be sick, only the mind can be healed. Psychotherapy is necessary so that an individual can begin to question their reality. Very simply, the purpose of psychotherapy is to remove the blocks to truth. Its aim is to aid the patient in abandoning his fixed delusional system, and to begin to reconsider the spurious cause and effect relationships on which it rests" (Psychotherapy: Purpose, Process and Practice, Supplements to ACIM, 1976). The truth is we are children of God and as such are God. This freaks out the ego because to know this is to have to take responsibility for everything that happens in our life, everything. Our minds think and create. All prayer is thought and all thought is prayer. The truth is we are Love as God is Love.

The extent that we can embrace this truth is dependent on our readiness to let go of our attachments, fears, victim mentality, and willingness to change our perception of the "reality" of illusions. Many people, including myself, struggle with this at various times. Truth is tough to swallow all the time. We are attached to some ways of being more than others. Many of us want to find the easier way. Truth is simple but not easy. We have been conditioned by the ego to take the easier more comfortable but many times longer and more complicated way back to truth. In essence, "Our aim is to be able to retain our self-concept exactly as it is, but without all the suffering it entails. Our whole equilibrium rests on the insane belief that this is possible. And because to the sane mind it is so clearly impossible, what we seek is magic. In illusions the impossible is easily accomplished, but only at the cost of making illusions true. We have already paid this price. Now we want a better illusion" (Psychotherapy: Purpose, Process and Practice, Supplements to ACIM, 1976).

So I ask you, can you handle the truth? I know I can't all the time. But I have a teacher I call the Holy Spirit. It will guide me to the truth in my own time through my willingness to ask for help. Meanwhile I participate in all my magic, breathwork, meditation, therapy, etc., that aids me in thinking differently about myself and the world. We all have an inner guide that knows this truth and it's universal. We are one. We are children of God. We are God. We are Love. Now let's stop beating ourselves up for not living the truth everyday. If we are bringing the Holy Spirit into our everyday affairs we are doing our best! In closing I would like to share that although there are times I cannot handle the truth, it's okay because I'm doing it with God. Wow, what a relief!

Yoga Living, July/August 2006