Lessons In Truth - Lesson 3 - Annotation 5
What is meant by error consciousness?
5. Error consciousness is a negative state of mind built up in the human consciousness by wrong use of the divine ideas that are our inheritance. It is man's belief in what is untrue.
In annotation 2 of this lesson we learned that all the ideas of Divine Mind are available to every person, and that each of us will form a consciousness, or what we refer to as "my mind" or "my human consciousness," according to the interpretation and use we make of the ideas. When we think of ourselves as merely flesh and blood beings, separated from God, then the activities of thinking, feeling, speaking, acting, and reacting, are based on a false premise and we build states of mind that bring forth many unhappy conditions in our mind, body, and affairs. Through the use of denials and affirmations" (lessons covering these processes will follow this one on "Thinking") we can dissolve such an error consciousness and build one that allows us to use rightly the ideas of God. Many times an error consciousness of health, of prosperity, of life itself, has been produced not so much through deliberate wllfullness as from ignorance of what Truth is.
The term error consciousness is associated with the expression "fall of man," which originated with the allegory in the 2d Chapter of Genesis (Gen 2). As we unfold and develop, we are in the process of growing up consciously into mature sons of God. The "fall of man" is not just something that took place in the far distant past. A fall takes place in our human consciousness (soul) every time we lower our thinking and feeling from the divine standard of Truth, and depart from the guidance of Spirit. This fallen or error state of consciousness can never be permanent, for we are essentially spiritual beings. When we come to know this truth consciously, we may choose at any time to rise above error beliefs in our human consciousness by making the right use of our formative power of thought. That is, all our thinking is to be done from the standpoint of Truth. Be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind" (Rom. 12:2). The so-called fall is not experienced by our divine nature but only by our evolving consciousness.
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Preceding Entry: Explain the three phases of our being, and show the function of each and how they are related.
Following Entry: Through what faculties does man find God?
