By Gonny 
According to A Course in Miracles, we are the Son of God—the infinite, the all-encompassing. Yet, we often feel ourselves to be tiny, seemingly insignificant beings, vulnerable and lost in an expansive universe. A universe with trillions of stars and galactic vistas stretching into the seemingly infinite appears to confirm our insignificance. But this universe, filled with forms and vastness, is, according to ACIM, actually an illusion born from a single idea of separation.
So, why did the Son of God choose to experience separation, and why would He make Himself so small? The answer might be simpler than we think. First, He wanted to experience what it means to be “something,” separate from “everything.” But this new “something” soon felt the weight of guilt over this sense of separation, and, in an attempt to rid Himself of that guilt, He projected it outward, dividing “the something” into billions of fragments. Each fragment carries its own “I,” its unique experience and perception. Each “I” experiences the same moment in a different way and is, in this sense, entirely unique. And yet, all these fragments are interconnected, bound together by a consciousness that permeates us all—a shared awareness linking each of us back to the Son of God.
Here’s the twist: despite our apparent smallness, each “I” is still an expression of the Son of God. Whether as a seemingly insignificant “I” or part of the vast “everything,” our essence remains the same. The strength, wisdom, and peace of the Son of God cannot be diminished, not even by the most intricate illusions of separation.
Imagine a ray of sunlight peeking through a window. Even though it’s just a single beam, it carries the full warmth and light of the sun itself. In the same way, each of us—even in our individual “I” forms—holds the boundless power of the Son of God. The only thing that limits this power is the belief that we’re separate and small.
Shaking Off the Illusion of Smallness
What’s needed to shake off this illusion of smallness? It’s simply a matter of “seeing in a different way.” Now, some might say, “Oh, that sounds easy! Everything’s an illusion, so I can do whatever I want, right?” But…not quite! The game we’re playing here isn’t about dismissing everything as “just an illusion” and carrying on as we like. It’s about changing how we see things—and that requires us to fulfill our true function in this dream: forgiveness.
In ACIM, forgiveness isn’t about condoning or overlooking mistakes. Instead, it’s a gentle release, a shift in perception where we let go of the grievances that keep us feeling separate. Forgiveness steps back from the ego’s endless game of judgment, which insists on keeping us small and divided. When we forgive, we’re reminding ourselves that what seems to hurt or limit us isn’t real—it’s just part of the costume we chose in this play.
So, while the world may be an illusion, our choice to forgive is very real. Forgiveness is the key to seeing things differently, to seeing ourselves and each other as whole and connected. And as we practice forgiveness, we gradually wake up from the dream with a smile, recognizing the love that binds us all.
Awakening with a Smile
The ego loves to make things complicated (it probably has a 12-step program for everything!), but the truth is simpler than that. We need only recognize the illusion of separation and remember that the “I” we experience is just a costume. Underneath, we’re still the infinite, united Son of God.
There’s a touch of humor in all of this. Here we are, like actors who’ve gotten so wrapped up in our roles that we’ve forgotten it’s all a play. We’ve spent lifetimes believing we’re the costume rather than the actor, forgetting that we have the freedom to wake up at any moment.
The beauty of this realization is that we don’t have to struggle to become “something greater.” We’re already everything we’re seeking. We just have to laugh at the idea that we could ever truly be small. Once we see through the illusion, the separation loses its grip. We can feel the warmth of our true nature shining through, reconnecting us with the peace, love, and strength of the Son of God within.
In the end, our journey in this dream world is simply an adventure in remembering who we truly are. The vastness of the universe around us? Just a beautiful illusion. The small “I” we seem to be? Just a playful costume. When we wake up to the truth, we can embrace the joy of our shared oneness, letting go of the burden of smallness. And perhaps, we’ll even smile, knowing we never lost our connection to the Source—we merely pretended to.