A Course in Miracles and the Origins of Panic
“A meaningless world engenders fear because I think I am in competition with God.”
— A Course in Miracles, Lesson 13
The Unseen Root of Every Fear
Fear often feels justified.
We fear illness because it brings pain.
We fear rejection because it stirs shame.
We fear death because we believe it is the end.
But A Course in Miracles gently dismantles these ideas and offers a startling truth: fear is not caused by external circumstances. It is caused by the belief in a meaningless world.
And worse—by what the ego does with that perceived meaninglessness.
“The ego rushes in frantically to establish meaning, based on its past experience… It sees all meaning as defined by conflict.”
— W-pI.13.2:2
In other words, when the ego looks out upon a world it does not understand—a world that reflects neither truth nor certainty—it reacts with panic. It must do something to restore a sense of control, even if that control comes through fear, attack, or confusion.
And so it assigns meanings like:
- This is dangerous.
- This person is a threat.
- This situation proves I am unworthy.
The ego’s “meaning” is always rooted in separation, guilt, or death. That is its entire language. And when we accept the ego’s version of events, we accept fear as our constant companion.
But the Course says there is another way.
What Does “Meaningless” Really Mean?
At first glance, the idea that the world is “meaningless” can feel bleak, even nihilistic. But in the Course, the word meaningless doesn’t imply hopelessness—it points to the neutrality of perception.
A world without meaning is simply a blank canvas—free from judgment, guilt, or interpretation. It is not evil. It is not kind. It just is.
“The world you see has nothing to do with reality. It is of your own making, and it does not exist.”
— T-11.VII.1:1–2
This is not an attack on the physical world, but a correction of how we perceive it.
We are not afraid of the meaningless world itself.
We are afraid of what we believe it says about us.
If the world is meaningless, then where is our identity?
If nothing is real here, then what am I?
If none of my efforts, roles, or relationships are eternal, what is the point?
The ego answers with fear: “You are nothing. And God is angry at you for abandoning Him.”
But the Holy Spirit answers with love:
“You are everything because you are still as God created you.”
Competition with God: The Hidden Belief
The most shocking line in Lesson 13 is this:
“A meaningless world engenders fear because I think I am in competition with God.”
(W-pI.13.5:1)
This belief is so deeply buried that we rarely see it.
But it explains everything.
The ego knows it cannot coexist with God because God represents unity, and the ego is built on separation. So it creates a false self—a self that says:
- I will define myself without God.
- I will make my own truth.
- I will decide what is good and bad, who is guilty and innocent, what is worthy and worthless.
In essence, the ego says: “I will be God instead.”
And this is the origin of the fear.
Not because God punishes us. But because we believe we stole our identity from God, and that now we must defend it at all costs.
Every fear—of loss, death, betrayal, scarcity, or failure—stems from this underlying belief that we’re on our own, cut off from the Source of love and truth, faking our way through a world we secretly believe we invented to hide from God.
“The world was made as an attack on God. It symbolizes fear.”
— W-pII.3.2:1
But what if that belief was never true?
What if there is no competition?
Love Has No Opponent
A Course in Miracles reminds us that God has no rivals. There is no battle. No enemy. No war. Only the illusion of one.
The ego’s belief in competition is like a child drawing a line on the floor and calling it a wall. The Course tells us we can step over it anytime. In fact, it was never really there.
We don’t have to destroy the ego or win a spiritual contest.
We simply have to recognize the game as meaningless and let it go.
“Into eternity, where all is one, there crept a tiny, mad idea at which the Son of God remembered not to laugh.”
— T-27.VIII.6:2
Laughter is the key. Not scornful laughter, but holy laughter—lighthearted, gentle, and freeing.
Because once we stop assigning fearful meanings to a neutral world, we begin to see with Christ’s vision.
And then, fear fades.
The World as a Mirror, Not a Prison
The meaningless world the ego shows us is a prison of projections.
But the Holy Spirit can use this same world as a mirror to bring us home.
Instead of seeing threats, we see calls for love.
Instead of chaos, we see opportunities to forgive.
Instead of symbols of guilt, we see signs of our innocence.
The world has no inherent meaning, but the mind that sees it does.
And when our mind is aligned with love, the world becomes a place of healing.
“What if you recognized this world is an hallucination? What if you really understood you made it up?”
— T-20.VIII.7:3–4
This isn’t meant to frighten us.
It’s meant to liberate us.
If the world is a projection, we can choose a new projector.
If it’s a dream, we can wake up.
If it’s a story, we can rewrite the ending.
And in doing so, we remember that we were never in competition with God.
We were simply dreaming.
The Final Thought
If the world seems frightening, meaningless, or unfair, we can now ask:
- “What meaning have I given this situation?”
- “Is this the ego’s story, or God’s?”
- “Am I willing to see it through love instead of fear?”
Because behind every fearful image is the invitation to wake up and remember:
“Nothing real can be threatened.
Nothing unreal exists.
Herein lies the peace of God.”
And peace—not fear—is our natural state.
If I might inject a bit of personal and colorful humor here in Love…
When the Sh*t hits the fan, remember it is “just another forgiveness opportunity” (JAFO) Or during those intensely troubling moments…a JAFFO. You will figure it out if not already. LOL
