🌀 ACIM Deep Dive: Reframing Psychology and the Nature of the Mind
In A Course in Miracles (ACIM), Jesus introduces a radical reframing of psychological theory that completely upends traditional Freudian concepts. The deep dive into Chapter 2, Section 11, Paragraph 16 reveals how modern psychology has fundamentally misunderstood the nature of the mind and its energy.
Freud’s Perspective vs. Jesus’ Correction
Freud believed neurosis came from misdirected or blocked libido—psychic sexual energy. His proposed solution was to redistribute or sublimate that energy into "acceptable outlets." This approach forms the foundation of much of society's understanding of psychology today. However, Jesus corrects this perspective, explaining that the issue isn't where energy flows, but what the mind believes about itself.
“A redistribution of psychic energy is not the solution.”
Shuffling psychic energy around through repression, creativity, catharsis, or sublimation only manages symptoms within the illusion. The real problem isn't distribution of energy—it's the belief in miscreation itself. The mind's conviction that separation and fear are real makes it believe it can miscreate, leading to the perception that miscreation is happening everywhere.
Two Distortions in Psychology
Jesus identifies two major distortions in psychological thinking:
- The assumption that both creation and miscreation are equally inevitable. This is false—only creation exists.
- The belief that creation can be twisted, misused, or misapplied. This is also false—creation, being love, cannot be altered.
The solution Jesus offers is profound in its simplicity:
“The only way out is to stop miscreating now and accept the atonement for miscreations of the past.”
Present-Moment Healing
This present-moment solution means withdrawing belief from illusions right now and accepting that the past is undone. Miscreations left no real effects—so there is nothing to carry as guilt, nothing to fix—nothing happened. When we recognize that miscreation is just misbelief, the misbelief falls away. This is where miracles flow effortlessly, and the mind achieves what Jesus calls "true single-mindedness" or "psychic unity".
Reinterpreting Libido as Miracle Impulse
The text explains: "The structure of the psyche follows along the lines of the particular libido concept the theorist employs." Freud saw libido as sexual energy and thus interpreted conflict through sexuality. Others viewed it as instinctual life energy. Jesus completely reinterprets this: what psychology calls libido or psychic energy is actually the miracle impulse—the mind’s true creative drive.
“Mental or physical illness doesn’t come from suppressed sexual or instinctual energy; it comes from misdirection of miracle impulse, turning the mind’s creative power toward fear instead of love.”
Healing Through Redirecting the Mind
From this perspective, mental illness is simply belief in miscreation—the attempt to misuse divine energy. But divine energy cannot truly be misused. Healing doesn’t come from redistributing psychic energy; it comes from redirecting the miracle impulse to its true function: extending love.
When we notice ourselves using our minds to argue for fear, guilt, or limitation, we can ask:
“Is this good mind being wasted right now?”
We don’t have to defend fear, guilt, or limitations. We can offer our minds to Spirit and allow our brilliance to be used for love and miracles.
✨ The mind’s true energy is not sexual or instinctual—it is creative in God. ✨
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