The Disappearance of the Universe: Straight Talk about Illusions, Past Lives, Religion, Sex, Politics, and the Miracles of Forgiveness

Gary Renard's The Disappearance of the Universe is loosely based on A Course in Miracles (ACIM) and is quite good but like all products generated by the human ego, contains some flaws and contradictions in logic. It is noted that the ACIM is more a work of art (and a rather magnificent one at that!) than a technical manual so the following comments should be kept in that perpective. In loving confidence and forgiveness, minor errors that may tend to keep minds a little sleepy should still always be addressed.Gary's book makes a good case for the Perfect Oneness of Being and uses forgiveness to neutralize any inharmonious evidence that claims something other than Oneness does in fact, have being. As harmonious Oneness is All and is the only Reality, all contrary inharmonious evidence cannot be and therefore must be an illusion, a dream of the false belief of a separate human ego. Acknowledging that both the separate ego and inharmonious events are illusions and not real, forgiveness is repeatedly brought into play to realize the correct conviction and realization of the Oneness of True Harmonious Being. Wherever you are in your journey back to Reality, your experience is entirely dictated by the quality of thoughts and feelings you entertain as 'true'. When they are ALL true (and containing no erroneous guilty ones) you have returned to your Oneness in Reality, infinite perfection...so far, so good.I feel there is a flaw in both Gary's book and the book it is based on, ACIM and that flaw is the origin of the imagined, separation error, or as some would say, original sin. Here is the rub; if God and his awareness of Himself (that is the Christ which is You) is infinite perfection everywhere (as correctly stated on page 45), then it would be illogical that a 'smidgeon' of that infinite perfection could make the separation-mistake as stated on page 123 of Gary's book and similarly on page 17 in the text portion of A Course in Miracles. Any 'smidgeon' of infinite perfection that is imperfect renders God to be niether infinite nor completely perfect and logically, this is impossible. This shared assumption (Gary's and ACIM) makes no logical sense. Naturally if You made this horrendous mistake you would be haunted by guilt, fear and in need of much forgiveness as Gary and ACIM then deduce. However, as the goal in all this is to realize, understand and know that we are now Perfect and are One Now with a flawless, perfect God and have always been mistake-free, a better explanation of the separation-error (original sin) is required for logical continuity and for an even faster return to Perfect Oneness. The following approach below is also more helpful in explaining the evolution of the so-called, material, Big Bang Universe that in the illusion, occurred prior to the evolution of human beings.Both God and the separate ego are impersonal entities (as are ALL mental entities) that constantly throw off or reflect a universe in their own image and likeness. Effect always mirrors cause. With this reasoning, the Big Bang 'banged' when a portion of the impersonal ego supposed and erroneously claimed to be separate and independent (and where humans or other separate beings have not even evolved yet). Where this imagined, separated, impersonal ego originated in infinite Oneness still remains to be explained. Throughout this so-called evolution in "time" (that is still enveloped by God, True Father or Intelligence as there is nothing else), the ignorant, separate ego was forced to evolve higher forms of intelligence that will eventually destroy it and its 'life' of inharmonious illusions with the true facts finally understood. Until then however, all 'sons and daughters' (male and female meat-sacks) of the evolving separate ego (the other father Jesus referred to as a liar and murderer - notice he didn't call them liars and murderers but only their impersonal father - he knew they were always perfect behind the veil!!) will be dead to the truth, 'live' a hellish 'life' while still believing that separate egos and the reproduction of them is valid. By this reasoning we see that we did not make the mistake, we are not guilty of one nor do we require forgiveness as we were always pure and innocent. But our true Self, Christ was overshadowed by idenity theft of an imagined, separate ego, the 'other' father Jesus referred to as a liar and a muderer. Stating that you require forgiveness to regain purity as Gary and ACIM puts it, automatically implies that you made the mistake which is impossible as Intelligence and Its Ideas are mistake-free. In this sense that the other, separate father made the error and not you, Gary had it right when he stated on page 288, "Would the devil teach people how to escape from hell?" Let's bring out this counterfeit father, this wannabe separate cause into the open and call a spade a spade and emphasize that this spade, this 'other' father is an imagined mind of ignorance idiotically claiming separation and implicit causeability and was never 'us' or 'our' mistake. I realize this seems to be just a technical nit, but understanding this enables us to forgive ourselves, others and events even more easily as WE were never really involved in making the mistake of separation and My infinite perfection remains intact and was never tarnished needing forgiveness. Note the contradiction where ACIM does correctly separate you from the ego on page 63, para. 5.To me, a lot of these Buddism-influenced books have inconsistency and confusion when speaking of ego, mind, consciousness, etc. Today we are breaking through all the modern day confusion and dogma about religion that occurred because blind baseless beliefs became accepted as facts in the past and must be destroyed. We cannot repeat these past ignorant errors especially with the advantages of mass education, the internet and endless sources that are currently available. Therefore we must insist that intelligent, logical reasoning be allowed to uncover and discuss any flaws in our advancement of understanding the truth.Truth is fixed, our present understanding of it is not. If it was understood, we wouldn't be here in "time" doing this. Also if a statement is made that is not supported by logical reasoning, how do we know you are not making the same mistakes you claim many Bible scribes did. Just because you may have read it somewhere in some Hindu based or other document does not make it a fact. Logical reasoning and a proven demonstration of said "fact" is the only acceptable criteria this time around buckos!! Blind, baseless, dogma is a very apt name....a dog chasing his tail and going nowhere.As an example of this confusion, ego is not the ego of psychology on page 113 which confuses many with this redefined ego term. Ego is denounced by God on page 268, but God has a Mind on page 272, and consciouness disappears when you experience Oneness on page 387 and elsewhere. In your book it is stated that consciousness and ego are to be avoided but mind is OK. How 'experience' or 'awareness' can take place without consciousness and ego and yet God still has a Mind, is confusing, inconsistent, a dogmatic mystery and a contradiction that requires a reasonable explanation at this level of understanding Intelligent Reality.To put it all in a reasonable and logical framework, why not something like the following in plain, common-sense terms? Consciousness that contains thinking is the only creative engine of life (for good or bad) and Intelligence is the true flavor of this Consciousness, the 'I AM', God, the only Ego, the only Cause, is always Good and the only Individual. By this reasoning, any mind, consciousness, individual or ego that claims to be a separate individual from the Only Real Ego and Mind is doomed to 'experience' inharmonious illusions until it wakens to find Itself the Only Ego and Individual there is... I AM. In this reasoning, the operating structure and principles of mind, ego, consciousness, individuality (all 'spirit' terms by the way) remains the same, makes more sense and is less confusing as we are more familar with them and thereby can more easily translate our present separate illusion-life experience to the Only Life Experience.On page 90 (the Voice) and on page 342 (Arten) says the objective universe has absolutely no meaning!! He reasons it is an illusion and therefore is meaningless. Again this sounds like rank duality, ie., two universes, one being a true universe of God and the other an objective, illusion-universe that is meaningless. Reason tells us there can be only one impersonal creator, Intelligence, and what It reveals as Itself is the only Universe possible. This point is the essence of non-duality. Whether this one universe is seen or interpreted correctly or not, it is still taking place on the singular playing field of individual mind and experience. In the illusion, correct reasoning has shown that all correct ideas have been reversed and distorted to form lies about the truth. Therefore, the counterfeit universe still has meaning and is still the meaning of the Identity of the One, Intelligent Being only it is reversed and distorted that also serves to reveal the truth when these very lies are themselves reversed. The universe always expresses the one meaning of Infinite Intelligence whether understood and seen correctly or not. For instance, death has meaning...it is not meaningless, it is the reversed meaning of Eternal Life. Sickness has meaning...it is the reversed meaning of harmony and health. A beautiful sunset has meaning....it is the beautiful but still cheap imitation of my infinite peace and serenity. The mountains and bedrock of our planet have meaning....they too are beautiful but are still the cheap imitation of the eternal foundation of I AM. Etc., etc.Although I feel Gary's book was quite good, I was really disappointed when, after stating all inharmonious things and conditions are unreal and for that reason should be forgiven as never happening and then suddenly, a lot of unresolved left-wing propaganda appeared in the last sections of the book. The wheels started to fall off his otherwise reasonably good cart! The undertone that corporations, banks and oil companies are 'out there' and are greedy conspiracies that pollute the environment is not only offensive but highly dangerous as these brain-washed mindsets do in fact, perpetuate the very negativity Gary is whining about. Gary correctly mentions that our experience reflects our convictions both individually and collectively. In any book available to the collective public, great care should be used to show that corporations, banks, oil companies and even oil spills like the one we had this summer in the Gulf of Mexico is a reflection of past erroneous convictions of YOU AND ME! Our media brainwashed minds convinced that said corporations are 'evil' conspiracies and are damaging the environment and our growing distrust of governments, etc. etc. all contribute to the growing illusion of chaos we have emerging before us. Gary reminds us of our neccessity to forgive these entities as never happening and ourselves for believing in these inharmonious conditions and that is good and a step in the right direction. Unfortunately though, for these very corporations, banks, oil companies, etc, he only does so faintly, without fervor and therefore, leaves the issue somewhat unresolved and you go away with a bad taste of innuendo and separate ego in your mouth. He never states that corporations, banks and oil companies MUST BE GOOD because THEY ARE GOOD! To present past poor corporate behavior and even this recent huge oil spill as so-called 'hard' evidence is invalid because all this negative evidence was never 'out there' but is simply the subjective reflection of the collective toxic spill of evil, untrue beliefs in OUR INDIVIDUAL SEPARATE EGOS. All corporations are good (remember that good infinity thingy) and to argue any other position or belief would be rank dualism claiming evil exists as well as good! You can't have it both ways on the journey back to God! For the collective public to erroneously believe otherwise, ie., evil corporate greed, conspiracies, untrustworthy governments and that incompetance truly exists, the collective public shall reap what they sow just as the individual always will! There is nothing 'out there' simmering, polluting and seething in evil and if there seems to be, know it is YOUR BELIEFS that has caused it and these toxic beliefs have got to be destroyed! LOVE YOUR MULTINATIONAL, INTEGRATED OIL COMPANIES AS BEING PERFECT AND GOOD!!! You can throw in your neighbor gun-owner and Adolf Hitler as well!!! If you cannot say that with conviction and love in your heart, you are a hypocrite in the light of understanding the Truth. This collective left-wing/right-wing garbage we call a democracy has got to be consciously superceded with the REAL BUT UNSEEN COLLECTIVE DEMOCRACY ruled by the GOOD THOUGHTS OF CHRIST OURSELF if we are to intelligently stop this idiotic cycle of self-fulfilling woe and whacko agendas.The chapter on sex generally states sex is like eating, that is, it's OK for now but will eventually be replaced by something better all seems reasonable enough. What is not reasonable is that sex is generally associated with the start of another human being....the very separate ego we call an illusion and are trying to wake up from here! It seems that this inevitable outcome of sex, the very source of the separate ego this book seeks to transcend and call an illusion, is not addressed...why is that? Not ready to cash that chip in yet? Afraid your life doesn't continue on without offspring or perhaps you fear loneliness without family when you were never alone but were always the one and only Being there ever was! So what do we do? Claim to understand Truth and we're going to Heaven while at the same time leave behind generations of separate, meat-sacks to repeat this idiocy? Why do you think Jesus was really crucified? Because he healed people? Because he said he was one with Intelligence? He was crucified because he taught that sex and reproduction was the separate egos party-time but in reality forged the chains and shackles of continuing human suffering and death. This pronouncement was and still is blasphemous to sensual, human beings who ignorantly believe they are doing God's work in creating babies. On his way to the cross (Luke 23:28,29) he warned them not to weep for him but weep for themselves and their children and that barren women will be seen to be blessed in this regard as understanding advances.Finally, the final two words of the Gary's book (God is) convey an undertone of duality that runs throughout the book. In fact, in both Gary's book and the ACIM, Reality is always couched in terms of God and His creation which is His Son that is you (and even further confusion ensues with this Holy Ghost thingy floating around as some third intermediary). This is close but in truth, sorry no cigar! God or Intelligence is like mathematics where it can only express itself with its likeness as in this case, with numbers. Likewise Intelligence can only express Itself as the mental, conscious awareness of Itself as there is nothing else. The Son of God therefore, is the Awareness of Itself. The son or offspring of mind can only be its awareness of itself. By the way this is also the only way a meat-sack knows itself too - its own awareness of a self that is the separate, alien ego or Satan for you in the old school jargon! There is not some silly God or Intelligence thingy separated from and watching His children as humans would ignorantly want to express the relationship in their limited meat-sack terms of a human family illusion. God and man is simply Intelligence and Its full awareness of Itself. What more could you want or need??!!!! This Holy Ghost thingy floating around confusing us even more is nothing but the Understanding of all this correctly. Jesus in KJV John 16:1-15, described the Holy Ghost thingy as the Comforter and the Spirit of Truth that will guide you into all truth. This is the Understanding that is within ALL, as there is nothing else but I AM! INFINITE INTELLIGENCE AND ITS AWARENESS OF ITS IDEA OF ITSELF - ALWAYS ONE!! Correctly stated, the last two words of the book should state I AM instead of God is. I know somewhere in your book you state that God, Son and Holy Ghost are all one but you also state you will be speaking plainly with the facts....well then just state it as it is instead of these confusing, ancient duality terms.Oh, one last thing...Gary mentions his dog Nupey being there, but what was his dog's reaction when the 'visitors' would arrive? Just curious. Seems to have a hole in his conjured-up-angel-visitation-scheme thingy!

Im not through the book just yet, it does take a long time to read as it is about 400 pages, although i read the first 200 when i first purchased this book.Before I continue with my review, let me say this, I will NEVER be the same again. And the book says, once you know HOW to forgive, you will NEVER be the same again.Life has changed for me, and of course for the better.Please note, i am an avid reader and i have not ONCE written a review, EVER, this is my first one. When I write in capitals, I place extreme importance on that word.Here's how I came across this book. Just last weekend, i broke down as I looked at my life, and realized that NOTHING was teh way that I had intended or wanted it to be. Certainly there were and are manyyyyyyyyyyyyy many things that I am ever so greatful for. Still, I was not truly happy.No matter how kind, how wonderful i was, how much i networked, how much money i had how many friends i had who loved me, parents who loved and supported me, something was still not right. And as the book explains its our beleif that we are seperate from God that makes us feel that way, and ONLY will our return to him fill that ache that is sooo deep.I came to the realiztion that NOTHING in this world could bring me true happiness. Nothing! This can also be scary because once you realize that nothing of this world can bring you real happiness, there's not much to look forward to. All goals become meaningless dont they? Why would you go after a goal knowing that it will not fulfill you? And it will not fulfill you becuase the things of this world are things of time, and what is of time will eventually fade, it does not last! it is not eternal. because of its changeable nature, we are bound to be hurt by it in some way.God's love is eternal and it is real. I knew deep in my soul that this is so, and the reason for which i was able to receive this book when i did. I made a mental decision and then believed that nothing of this world could bring me happiness. I didnt or dont deny my existence, but now things are different.anyway, so like i said, i broke down, i was crying and reaally praying to God for an answer to could help me get back home to him. I really cried from the bottom of my heart and prayed to God. Then this is the thought, (there was no voice or anything) but there was a thought and the thought was A course in miracles.I had already been a student of ACIM for over 3 years now. I knew what ACIM was. I immediately stopped crying as I felt a sense of peace come over me and knew that I was not alone, as I had always known, but sometimes you need reassurance and this was one of those times for me.Anyway, i didnt open ACIM, instead I was curious to see the reviews that had been written about it, as ACIM had a tremendous (positive) impact on my life, because it helpd bring me closer to God (of course in reality we can not be closer to God as we are home IN God)So i went on to Amazon to read some of the reviews, and of course 99% was very positive and inspiring. It made me happy to know that others had also benefited tremendously and found their way home.Then i came across ONE review that mentioned The Dissapearance of the Universe. The title is what intriugued me. If you ask me i was meant to discover this.As mentioned ACIM had a tremendous positive impact on my life, still I had not become enlightened (of courser we can not become enlightened, as we are already enlightened) so that is why i didnt open it in the first place after the thought had been placed in my head, but when instead to look at some reviews for inspiration.ACIM is written very poetically and some parts are hard to underrstand. The Dissapearnace of the Univerese truly helped me to understand sooooooooo many things, especially forgiveness and HOW to forgive. As mentioned previously, in the book it says, once you know HOW to forgive, you will never be the same again.For the First time in my 25 years, i learned how to forgive. I never really truly heled grudges but there were certain things that I truly did not know HOW to forgive, even when I desperately wanted becasuse i KNew that it would heal me.This book taught me HOW to forgive, and I will NEVER be the same again. It's been just over a week that I have been reading this, and i can tell you my mind and my heart have already been healed so much. I know this becuase now i look at the world and i laugh, i am ALWAYS smiling, i am laughing everything is soooo beautiful and so precious to me now. I love all and all loves me. Life is wonderful.Here is what it says about forgivenss, and this is how i learned to forgive.The world is not real. This is a dream. It is a dream because we are unconcioous. When you are unconcious you do things out of habit, which of course means that you are not doing thigns conciously, which means that you at times do things without event knowing it. We are robots at times becuase of this. Therefoer we are dreaming. and the things good and bad that we do not know we are even doing. Being a robot is almost like being crazy. Could you not forgive a crazy person?If you knew this how could you not forgive. All those things that seemed to happen, all the bad things that you think you cant forgive people for, you will now learn to forgive them because now you know that they do not know what they are doing. They did not mean to hurt you, they are playing a scrip that is on auto. They do not know. Forgive them for they do not know.Now i could forgive the world, and i have been healed. Thank you God, Jesus & The Holy Spirit. I love you.You have healed me. I will never be the same again.I have seen many things on my journey, i wont discuss them here, its too much.But i just wanted to share my story, and let you all know that this is the most beautiful journey one can take. I am so pleased and so happy. God loves us all.I wish you all success in your journey, and remember when God is with you all things are possible. Trust him to lead you home.Love and blessings to allForgive the world

Livre initiatique tout à fait extraordinaire ! Facile de lecture, anglais aisé mais plus difficile à comprendre car très profond, et pourtant qui ne manque pas d'applications pratiques dans la vie courante. Bonne lecture et bon courage, ça vous aidera beaucoup !

Excellent book. Easy read. Very clear, precise, entertaining and fun. I would recommend this book to anyone looking for the truth behind all of the craziness, good and bad, that we experience in this "life".

This is a very impressive book for a deeper understanding of A Course in Miracles (ACIM). The conversational style maintained the simplicity of the content. There is a fine balance of philosophy and humour in this book. The ascended Masters, Pursah and Arten, have expressed truths in a very nice manner. There are many interesting facts that have been included throughout the conversations.This book is very deep in its content. Many concepts have made me think in newer ways. Some of the lines have settled many of my doubts and queries.The book revolves around ACIM, being familiar with ACIM is a must to go through this book. Reading it directly without ACIM, will hardly make any sense.

An eye opening, Mind expanding read. This book re-states, in plain language, much of what ACIM has taught.The conversational style, interspersed with quotes from ACIM, works as a reminder that 'forgiveness' is the only way out.

Schade, daß es die Bücher von Renard noch nicht auf Deutsch als E-Books gibt. Mein Gefühl beim Lesen war: endlich habe ich gefunden, was ich gesucht habe. Endlich gibt es ernst zu nehmende Antworten, endlich eine Perspektive. Ich hatte den "Kurs in Wundern" vor etwa 20 Jahren angefangen und war nach Lektion 129 kläglich gescheitert. Ich habe damals vieles nicht verstanden. Durch "The disappearance of the Universe" sind mir ganze Kronleuchter aufgegangen und ich habe neuen Mut, es mit dem Kurs noch einmal zu versuchen, bzw. ich glaube, es führt gar kein Weg mehr dran vorbei. Das zweite Buch "Unsterblichkeit" bekam ich auf Deutsch geschenkt und kann hier gleich anfügen, hat man das erste gelesen, sollte man auch das zweite lesen. Mir war es zumindest ein Bedürfnis. Und auch wenn es zunächst so erscheint, als wiederhole sich da etwas, so wiederholt es sich doch mit Sinn und Zweck, und Neues gibt es da auch.Zusammengefasst möchte ich sagen, Gary Renard ist ein außergewöhnlicher Lehrer mit einer außergewöhnlichen Geschichte und einer ungewöhnlichen Art, höchste Wahrheiten verständlich weiterzugeben. Natürlich wird nicht jeder meine Ansicht teilen. Aber wie heißt es so schön: die Wahrheit ist die Wahrheit. Irgendwann werden wir sie alle verstehen, jeder zu seiner richtigen Zeit.