Chapter 2 - IV. Healing as Release from Fear

Chapter 2: Healing as Release from Fear

This section shifts our focus to healing and the deeper understanding of how it works within A Course in Miracles. Healing, in its truest sense, is all about releasing fear. Jesus reminds us that the miracle is the means, the Atonement is the principle, and healing is the result. It's easy to confuse these concepts and think of healing as a miracle itself, but healing is actually the outcome of embracing the Atonement and letting go of fear.

One of the major takeaways here is that all healing is a release from fear. We can’t truly understand healing if we’re holding onto fear ourselves. That’s why the first step in any healing process is undoing the error in our minds – separating our thoughts from fear.

This section also describes sickness is a form of level confusion. Our mind is where mistakes and errors occur, not the body. The body simply responds to the mind’s misthoughts. Believing that the body can create anything on its own is an error – this is where magic comes in. Physical illness, in essence, stems from the belief that the body has creative power, which it doesn’t.

What’s fascinating is how this text explores our reliance on physical remedies. When we use material means to heal bodily ills, we’re engaging in a form of magical thinking, giving power to things that don’t truly have it. But Jesus is gentle here. He tells us that using these physical remedies isn’t wrong, because sometimes fear has such a strong hold over the mind that a compromise is necessary. In those moments, a belief in external healing might actually help us feel less afraid, opening the door to true healing later.

A key point in this passage is how healing needs to happen at a pace we can handle. If we’re not ready to let go of our fears, being faced with the idea of a miracle might scare us more than help us. Healing must be communicated in a way that the person receiving it can understand without fear. It’s about helping us take small, steady steps toward realising that our fears, illnesses, and anxieties are simply manifestations of a confused mind – and they can all be undone.

As someone who sometimes seeks comfort in external things, whether it’s overeating or using a distraction to avoid facing my fears, I can relate to this need for a “compromise approach” to healing. We all have moments where the fear is so overwhelming that we reach for what feels immediately comforting. But this chapter reminds us that while those "remedies" might help temporarily, the real healing comes from recognising and undoing the fear in our minds.

The Path to True Healing

Ultimately, this passage teaches us that true healing is a shift in perception – from fear to love, from sickness to wholeness. When we release fear, the mind begins to heal, and as a result, the body follows. We may still use external methods, but the real transformation happens within. The Atonement provides us with the foundation for this change, allowing us to undo the errors in our thinking and step into a place of peace.

So, the next time you reach for something external to fix what feels wrong inside, pause and remember that real healing comes from letting go of fear. You don’t need to fix your body – you just need to shift your thoughts.

Let’s take this lesson to heart as we continue our journey, step by step, towards the release of fear and the embrace of true healing.

Bibliography:

A Course in Miracles. Foundation for Inner Peace. A Course in Miracles: Combined Volume, 3rd Edition. Foundation for Inner Peace, 2007. URL: https://acim.org.