Lesson 6 – “I am upset because I see something that is not there.”

Day - 6 ACIM Alex Puglia.pdf

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Lesson 6 – “I am upset because I see something that is not there.”

1. The Lesson

“I am upset because I see something that is not there.”

This idea applies to all forms of emotional disturbance—anger, fear, sadness, anxiety. Each time you feel upset, it’s because your mind is interpreting something through the lens of past pain or imagined fear. The lesson invites us to realize that our suffering does not come from what is happening, but from what we believe it means.

You can practice by naming the emotion and the situation:

• “I am angry at ___ because I see something that is not there.”

• “I am afraid of ___ because I see something that is not there.”

• “I am worried about ___ because I see something that is not there.”

Do this several times throughout the day, especially when strong emotions arise. Be honest. Be specific.

2. Explanation

This lesson reveals how much of our suffering is based not in reality, but in perception—more precisely, misperception. Our mind reacts not to what is happening, but to what it believes is happening. When we feel upset, we are often caught in a loop of projection, seeing what we fear instead of what is.

From the Text:

“You see what you expect, and you expect what you invite. Your perception is the result of your invitation.”

The Course teaches that we are constantly projecting meaning onto the world. If we believe we are unworthy, unloved, unsafe—we will see the world that way. Not because it is that way, but because the ego cannot see beyond its own filter.

The deeper view invites us to awaken to a truer reality—one not shaped by fear or defense, but by the presence of love. As Rumi said, “Don’t get lost in your pain, know that one day your pain will become your cure.” The cure begins with the realization that what we see—what we think is causing our suffering—is not real. It is a shadow on the wall of the cave.

3. Integration

In the deeper understanding of spiritual life, perception is not a passive experience but an active participation in how we create meaning. This view moves beyond the old framework that told us to change our behavior to become acceptable before God. It tells us that we must allow the Spirit to heal how we see—because how we see determines how we live.

The traditional church often emphasized avoiding sin to stay in God’s favor. But this deeper view reminds us that sin is not about punishment—it’s about perception. Sin means "missing the mark." And the mark we miss most often is love.

When perception is healed, we stop reacting to ghosts. We stop defending ourselves against illusions. We begin to see others as they are—not as our fears make them out to be.

This is the vision Jesus came to give us: not just new rules, but new eyes. Eyes that see through grace. Eyes that see through presence. Eyes that see love where fear once lived.

4. Bible Verses and New Meaning

• 2 Corinthians 5:7 – “For we live by faith, not by sight.”

  
  

  Traditional View: Faith is belief in unseen spiritual truths.

  
  

  Deeper View: Our ordinary sight is clouded by ego and fear. True vision comes by trusting in God’s reality, not in our fearful interpretations.

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• John 7:24 – “Stop judging by mere appearances, but instead judge correctly.”

  
  

  Traditional View: Be more fair and discerning.

  
  

  Deeper View: Surface-level appearances are often illusions. Correct judgment means seeing through love, not assumptions.

• Genesis 3:7 – “Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they realized they were naked.”

  
  

  Traditional View: The beginning of human shame.

  
  

  Deeper View: The first time humanity saw through fear. Their “eyes were opened” to a false perception—one where separation replaced communion.

5. Message to Friends

This weekend, Darcia and I couldn’t find each other.

We weren’t yelling. We weren’t fighting. But we were miles apart. Back in that old pattern—me longing for her love and tenderness, and her feeling like she gives and gives and I never see it.

It all began with a small moment that carried a deep weight.

I had brought Augusto a toy he had been waiting for. But it was the wrong one. The same one he already had. He was devastated. Not because of the toy, but because of what it meant to him—he had been waiting for three days, building up hope.

My first instinct was to sit with him. Hold space for his sadness. Just be there.And then I felt moved to do something more—to take him and exchange the toy. We had just enough time before dinner at our friends’ house. In my heart, I knew Augusto’s heart came first. I knew Peter would understand.

But when I asked Darcia, she said no.She felt we had a commitment. And in that moment, I abandoned what love was telling me.

I obeyed what I thought I should do, instead of what I knew was right.Not because I agreed.But because deep down, I was afraid.

Afraid that if I chose my way, she would withhold her love.Afraid that if I followed my truth, I’d lose hers.

That one decision—made from fear—pulled me out of myself. I lost presence. I couldn’t reach her anymore. The whole weekend felt like trying to knock on a door that wouldn’t open. But I see it now: the disconnection didn’t start with her.

It started when I didn’t follow love.It started when I believed that love was conditional.

And that’s when today’s lesson hit me with full force:“I am upset because I see something that is not there.”

I thought that I was not loved.I thought that no one sees my efforts.I thought that no one looks and cares about my emotional needs.

But none of that was real.What was real was that I forgot about love—and that made me afraid.

Now I see it.And with that seeing, something inside me softens again.

The miracle isn’t that she changes.The miracle is that I can finally see where I left love behind—and choose to return.