A: No, this is a spiritual universe. It is true that God is the substance of all form: God is the substance of your very body and of all creation. But remember, when I see you; that is, when I see your body or when I see the trees or flowers, I am not seeing God’s creation. I am not seeing the spiritual universe. I am seeing only a finite material concept of it. This concept is referred to as the Adam-dream, the illusion, the mesmeric picture that Jesus referred to when he said, ‘My kingdom is not of this world.’2
This does not mean that there are two universes, the real and the unreal, or that there is a real body and an unreal one. It means that the only universe there is, is the real universe, and the only body there is, is the real body, but what I am seeing is my concept of them. Therefore, the only unreality about them is in my misperception of them, in my false concept of them. When you look at any person, you are not seeing what God created. You cannot see that with your eyes. You are seeing only your concept of the world’s concept of God’s creation.
Catch the import of this and you will see why there is so much lack of healing. If someone says to you, ‘Give me help,’ you should not attempt to do anything at all about this false concept, but turn away from it, realizing that it is only the illusion, and that right where the illusion seems to be, there is God appearing.
When spiritual consciousness is attained, then we can see the spiritual universe, but we cannot see, hear, taste, touch, or smell the spiritual universe with the five senses. In a state of illumined consciousness, we do catch glimpses of it, just as the beloved disciple, John, caught the spiritual vision of the universe. However, the trees and the flowers – the forms of trees and flowers or of anything else – are not spiritual as we see them. They are the illusory sense of reality.
As you turn away from the appearance and turn to God, seeking the realization of reality as Spirit fulfilling itself, then you experience what appears to be healing. It is really the harmony of God being revealed to us which we see as improved form. This is the most important part of our healing work. You will not succeed while you are trying to make sick bodies well. Success in healing work is attained when you are able to turn away from the outer picture entirely, recognizing that it is illusion, and turn within, realizing omnipresent, omnipotent God, and discerning the reality of God’s creation. In your work, do not think of the things you are trying to heal. Think of what God is and of what God appears as – God appearing not as outlined form, but as infinity, eternality, immortality, harmony, joy, abundance. Then you will have healings.”
1 This excerpt is from Chapter 4, “Fulfillment of Consciousness,” in the book God, The Substance of All Form. It is posted with kind permission from Acropolis Books and the Estate of Joel Goldsmith, which holds the copyright on the books.
2 John 18:36