Disappearance of the Universe

For many familiar with metaphysics, it is long established that we are in an illusory reality. What if the illusory world extends beyond what we originally thought? What if the whole universe in its various dimensions (including our world and after-life) and forms are merely levels within a huge illusion? What if this huge illusion is just a dream and none of it is real?

This premise is set by a controversial book called “The Disappearance of the Universe” by Gary Renard. I have actually read the book twice before I started this magazine but I could not truly understand or accept the ideas presented by Arten and Pursah, ascended masters who appeared physically in human form to Gary. The first two readings really threw me off and no matter how hard I try to find a synergy of the book’s teachings with other metaphysical teachings, I could never do so. It simply does not fit in.

Back in end 2005, I had embarked on a spiritual adventure and flew 3000 miles to Brisbane, Australia to attend my first-ever spiritual workshop. On my return, I found myself wandering into the local Borders bookstore and bought the last copy of “A Course in Miracles”. I have heard about the book as it was quoted quite frequently and felt a strong urge to buy it then. The whole idea behind the “Disappearance” book is to urge us to take the Course, i.e. "A Course in Miracles", which is dictated to a lady named Helen Schucman by J (aka Jesus or Jeshua) via a process similar to channeling.

When I first read the Course, I felt that it is so different from what I have learned about metaphysics. Generally, new age teachings are about how we can take full responsibility and exercise our free-will as individuated aspects of God. We can manifest a positive life by controlling our thoughts and there are higher purposes in our incarnations. It feels empowering and promises liberation from the separated illusion we call life.

In any case, the ego mind is out in full force and I quickly dismissed the Course because firstly, I thought it was less empowering than other existential metaphysical teachings. Secondly, it made me feel like giving up life. Well, I thought life on planet Earth is beautiful although there are constant strife and conflicts, and I wasn’t about to give up on life.

One day, I was reading a book by Osho, “Zen: The Path of Paradox” when something Osho said “hit” me. It made me want to grab and re-read “The Disappearance of the Universe”. And I found myself spending the next two days reading the “Disappearance” book and its sequel “Your Immortal Reality” for the third and second time respectively. Somehow, I finally have an understanding of these books and I could assimilate the teachings this time round without rejecting them.

It is not my aim to explore “A Course in Miracles” or “The Disappearance of the Universe" in depth here nor am I articulate enough to do them enough justice. I recommend you to read the “Disappearance” book which serves as a wonderful introduction if you are interested to find out more. I will just try my best to provide a brief overview here.

As I wrote earlier, most metaphysical teachings do not try to explore oneness in depth. Many people certainly claim we are all one but hardly act like they believe in what they are saying. Besides, if we know that life is an illusion, why do we continue to participate in one? Why not go for the real thing? What is beyond this illusion as we perceive it? What happens after ascension if there is such a phenomenon? Could it be a never-ending cycle of ascensions or changes that keeps us stuck in this illusion? What does returning to our spiritual home really mean? What is the true reality of God? Could there even be truths within an illusion?

Also, if God is perfect and only love, how could God possibly create an imperfect world like our current reality? We try to explain it by suggesting that it is God who wants to experience itself by splitting into many parts. But when God is omniscience, why does God need to do that? What kind of sane God will want to experience such horrible pain and psychotic aspects of our world? How could God be loving and omnipresent and yet exist a dark force? Those of us who are in the metaphysical community continue to come up with probable answers but never seem to find a common agreement.

True forgiveness is to understand that it is all a dream, there is no world, and nothing has ever happened.

A most plausible theory I have possibly encountered so far is what “A Course in Miracles” is suggesting. Our entire universe is a dream, regardless of its levels or forms. True oneness means we were never separated from God in the first place. We are still one with God all along. It only took place in a tiny mad instant when the Son of God (that’s us) had a delusional dream that we could be separated from ourselves in the reality of God. It is in this split moment when consciousness was conceived and illusively divided the One of us into the individual bodies or existence we are now thinking ourselves to be. Just like our dreams in sleep, a dream is ultimately unreal. When we wake up, it is gone.

In other words, God is never found in this illusory universe, no matter what dimensions or densities. It can only be found outside of it. We all intuitively understand that God’s natural state is permanence. Yet, change is the only constant in this universe and everything is either dying or decaying. The cycle of life and death is applicable from the smallest molecule to the biggest galaxies. Even when we die and move to the etheric levels, somehow we couldn’t stay there for long and have to come and go or evolve and nobody seems to ask why. If we are God itself, why is there a need for evolvement? Our world is a delusional one deeply influenced by the ego mind (the part of our mind which believes in separation) and we think we can hide from God or worry that God will punish us for being away. In short, we will never find permanent bliss in this illusory reality. Buddha knew that when he proclaimed that life is an illusion and teaches us to find the truly permanent peace and bliss that is the reality of God.

I finally understand why reading the Course for the first time gives me the feeling of wanting to give up my life. It is metaphorically so because J is asking us to renounce this illusory life under the ego’s script, wake up from our dream and return to the eternal and true reality of God which is heaven. J has done it and he is now showing us how to do it.

The way to break out of this cycle of life and death, as the Course suggests, is the practice of true forgiveness. It differs from the usual forgiveness process we understand. Typical forgiveness is such that we think other people are the source of our problems and then we hypocritically forgive them by perhaps thinking that we are better than them. However, we are only forgiving the effect (form) and not the cause (mind).

True forgiveness is to understand that it is all a dream, there is no world, and nothing has ever happened. We are merely making up this world and projecting our unconscious guilt on other bodies so that they become the guilty ones. He is guilty, not me. Now I don't have to remember that there is ultimately only one source of guilt (now unconscious) stemming from the decision to be separated from God. It also reinforces the false notion that we are separated individuals and keeps us identified with our body, which we are not in reality. As Gary says in the "Disappearance" book, "Were all the images of the world just temptations designed to persuade me that I was a body so I’d judge others and keep my unconscious guilt, my reincarnation dream-life cycle and the ego intact?"

But if nothing has really happened and it is unreal, we are all guiltless and it is by healing this unconscious guilt of separation from God with true forgiveness that we can eventually undo the ego and experience the reality of God again. Anything else we do is simply, to quote Gary Renard’s 2nd book “Your Immortal Reality ” − moving furniture within the burning house, instead of trying to get out of it.

I leave you with this quote from the introduction of “A Course in Miracles”:

Nothing real can be threatened.
Nothing unreal exists.

Herein lies the peace of God.