First of all, I would like to say that this gallery of pictures about the Course In Miracles is just an attempt to graphically represent the thought of ACIM, “my attempt”, and I make absolutely no claim that all my interpretations of the Course are correct. It is the result of my personal journey through the book and my way home. It only reflects my personal view, understanding and interpretation of the religious and philosophical content of this absolutely extraordinary „masterpiece“.
Since I can remember, from an early age I felt a strong need for answers concerning the meaning of life. I wanted to know what it all means, what’s it all about, who I am and why we’re we all here …
I was still a teenager when I had a lucid dream one night, a vision that deeply impressed me and influenced my whole later life. I felt and suddenly knew that I was not from this world, and I heard a soft music, a melody, a voice that wanted to remind me of something. It was the voice of my father who called me back home …
I wrote about this experience in my journal and painted my first pictures about this vision, but above all it started my search for answers to questions that had awakened this “dream” in me. My search first took me through the sea of books into the harbors of various religions, mystical brotherhoods and spiritual schools … I sat at the feet of gurus and masters and listened … but I also experimented with many different drugs and had breathtaking experiences with so-called altered states of consciousness, … I had all sorts of divine visions … but what now? … what to do with it all? … So I searched for more answers in more books … But I could not find what I was looking for … I did not find any peace … I started to pray …
When the course first fell into my hands in 1991, I lived in Spain and earned my living as a graphic designer and as a kundalini-yoga teacher. I had just had my first big exhibition of my so-called spiritual paintings, my first own book published in 2 languages: „Worlds within Worlds“. In addition, I regularly wrote articles on symbolism and comparative religious studies. So one could have actually assumed that I was on a good way to success in the world. But that was not the truth. Inside, things looked very different. I was not satisfied with the course of my life at all. Some how I suddenly knew, that almost all my life till then was only a fake. I realized with a crushing certainty that my entire, previous, so-called spiritual path, was based solely on one big lie of my ego. I saw with horror my excessive arrogance and that I really just wanted to be something special, better than others, more talented and much more advanced but above all, holier than anyone else. This realization shook and sobered me so much that I fell into a dark spiritual crisis. Deep inside I felt something was wrong … Something important was missing …
… That was the moment the course came into my life. I immediately felt that it was the answer I had been waiting for so long. I read the book like in a trance or under drugs. It melted in me like butter in the desert on a hot stone. It only took me two weeks to devour it completely for the first time. I almost did not sleep then … I had finally found the lost melody … My father called me home … The course in miracles was this song, this voice from my vision …
From then on I read the text from start to finish, over and over again … I never got tired … on the contrary, I got ever more fascinated and enthusiastic about this message to me and to the world.
Of course, I also got to know a lot of secondary scriptures about the course, listened to the tapes of Wapnik, attended many intensive courses held by different ACIM interpretations and finally got to know „Dear One“ the „master teacher“ in one of these intensive courses in Spain. I immediately fell in love and decided to continue studying the course in miracles from then on with the Endeavor Academy. I quit my yoga center and my graphic studio in Spain, went to the States and stayed there in Wisconsin at the center of the Endeavor Academy with the master teacher… Later I lived for several years in the Endeavor Academy in Wusterwitz in Germany … (This was a kind of „secular monastery“ where the ideas of the course were lived and taught on the basis of a brotherhood) …
During all this time practicing the ideas of the course, I have also written down my own ideas of a graphic representation of the book in the form of hundreds of small sketches and notes. Slowly over the years, these ideas and sketches then fitted together like little puzzle pieces and a larger picture became visible.
The FORM and STRUCTURE, how it came about.
Over the years, the form of the images and the structure of a possible book-edition has changed again and again and only slowly, piece by piece, has led to this final result.
In my mind there were so many possibilities to arrange the pictures. For example, I could have taken one or more pictures for each chapter, for each lesson, for each topic in the Manual for Teachers, for each explanation of the terms, or for each of the most important topics in the book. I also started designing for each of the 50 Principles of Miracles, or for the first 50 repetitions, but never quite finished them.
But since my personal process with this course was to re-read the text over the years over and over again, from beginning to end, and at the same time do the lessons and apply them on a daily basis, it came about quiet naturally, that the pictures that came into my mind during my reading and applying of the lessons of the Course, to capture and to gather them in the form of sketches, and then gradually complete them, albeit without a firm plan or structure.
However, the more ideas and designs for images had accumulated this way over the years, I became increasingly aware of the need to somehow have to give the whole material an interconnecting form and structure that made it easier, even for readers who are not at all acquainted with the idea of the course, or not yet very familiar with it, to understand it better in a coherent context and thus make it more accessible to them. The selection and the order of the pictures as well as the chapters that I chose for the book, have mainly resulted from the existing picture material, not from independent considerations concerning the course. Also, it was sometimes difficult to classify some pictures because they often came in several subjects of the course in question. For example, I would have been able to accommodate many of the images of this book that I have assigned to the theme of the Divided Mind as well to the topic of Separation or to Singularity (you are doing it to yourself), or vice versa. The same difficulty of assignment has been found in other subjects, such as those about the dreamer of the dream, the veil of illusion, the world of idols, and more generally about sleep and awakening.
Finally, to give to the whole book a uniform look and an easily understandable structure, I finally decided on the form of comedy and a structure of 12 chapters in which I guide the reader and viewer step by step through the central picture of the course which tells the story of the Prodigal Son. ( Chapter 4 From the origin of the Divine Creation of Sonship through the illusion of separation and fall into the nightmare of tragic erring ways to death … but then by letting go and forgiveness to a resurrection and a reawakening in the Kingdom of Heaven.)
Why the form of Comic?
On the one hand, the form of comic gave me the opportunity to exaggerate the expressiveness of the pictures and on the other hand to bring in the humor through the speech bubbles, in order to be able to express the mostly absurd or theatrical drama of the different situations on our way home.
Why this book format?
There have been some different ideas for the format of the book in the course of development. Because of the many panoramic pictures, it seemed to be logical to use also a panoramic, elongated book format. Then, however, the vertical images could not be inserted well, unless one turned the book each time to view and read the vertical images. That seemed to me unpractical and too complicated. Also, a DinA4 format proved, in my view, as graphically not optimal, because of the difficulty in this format to bring the images and the text into a harmonious whole. So finally it came to the decision to design the book in square format. Most of the pictures were square anyway and from the vertical pictures I just had to show isolated enlarged sections to make the details visible.
Why Black + White?
My first pictures about my awakening and the way home were all in color. I tried to show and portray the breathtaking beauty of the „spiritual world“, the light and the glow of colors, the transparency of everything. But for the pictures of the course in Miracles I decided for the version of black and white. (I think also for the sake of simplicity) If I had wanted to do the pictures in color, I probably would never have finished with them. Also, in black and white, I was able to graphically, clearly distinguish between light and darkness, between good and evil. Sometimes I also thought that a single sheet of white paper would be the best representation of the course. But, hey, we’re in the world…and everyone can add their mustard.
Why horizontal and vertical? Why left and right? Why below and above?
The horizontal and vertical panoramic images are the result of the need to show the process end development of the way. A path from the darkness to the light, from sickness and suffering to salvation and joy, from fear to love, from the nightmare of hell back to the kingdom of heaven … This is how the triptychon-like pictures arose, in which a central figure must choose between one or the other side, or escape right up through the center in the here and now. That is also why I used the distinction between left and right, up and down…
Although in my opinion in the divine reality there can be no left or right, no down or up, I did not want to forego in the graphic representation in this material, transient dream world, a certain meaningful assignment and regularity. Thus, the so-called „evil dark“ is shown in most pictures left, below, the „light good“ right, above, or in the middle upwards-out.
Why text below the pictures?
Actually, there was not a plan from the beginning to publish the pictures about the course in a book. The Course has simply driven and animated me through its very visual language to get somehow hold of these never ending stream of pictures. Whenever I read the course or thought about the text or the lessons, the pictures jumped right into my mind. First of all, I painted the pictures just for myself and showed them to a few friends or brothers. Later, the Internet came along and offered an opportunity to make the pictures accessible to a larger audience. I thought then that the images would be better understood if I added those passages from the course that had inspired me to do them. So it came that I attached the quotes from the course to the pictures in addition to the speech bubbles of the protagonists. Thus, the texts developed into another additional graphic element in the design of the pictures. For the book I then simply took over the pictures, which were actually intended for the Internet or even for a possible future exhibition, with their respective texts. That is also the reason why repetition of some passages could not be prevented.
Why with frame?
The demolition of all human, material and mental boundaries and frameworks is an important element on the way back home. Freeing yourself from narrowing fears and worries and letting go of unnecessarily burdensome problems are important tools to success and true happiness and peace. That is why most of the pictures have a frame that is constantly broken by the Divine Light, the words of Jesus or the Holy Spirit.
Why copies of other artists?
In my search for the way home, of course, I also looked for answers and inspiration in the world of art. Before the computer and internet time, I diligently collected illustrated books from artists who interested me, because they expressed their longings, their heavenly visions, as well as their problems, their fears and their obstacles and difficulties on their way. Many of them have helped me through their example on my way to get up again when I was down, to remind myself of my true goal, or even to inspire me and jump straight into heaven, if only for a moment. They were my teachers of God in my dream of awakening.
Even before I got to know the Course, I had put together a large library and also created my own archive of the pictures that particularly appealed to me. Of course, later on with the digital age of the Internet, I continued with this „passion“ and, over the years, first in my computer and then on Pinterest, brought it to a considerable collection of over 100,000 images.
In this book, I used some pictures of other artists, as a template, as it were, if their picture examples matched the topic of the course. Those artists who are still alive, I have not specifically asked for their permission, as I suppose that they would agree anyway. In addition, I have changed the images when copying so that they fit better into my frame of the comic book. Nevertheless, I always mention their names in some part of my drawing.
In this context, of course, I also have to remember one of the most important messages of the course, namely that we are all ONE in Spirit. We all have in our deepest interior the need for peace, for love and for being one. And so it also came through the ages to this enormous treasure of examples of artistic creations …. But on human level, it is unfortunately still time to separate copyrights, instead of enjoying that we can share the same ideas with each other.
The central picture
The central picture of the book came into being on its own after I had once decided on the form of the two main characters, the ego and the Holy Spirit. In the central picture the story of the lost son and his return to the Father is told and graphically reflected. It shows the fall into the nightmare of separation and into the illusion of the idea of death … and then the resurrection from death and the ascent, the way home to the reawakening in the kingdom of heaven.
The texts for this book
It was necessary to choose two different fonts, which are easy to distinguish from each other. One for my own, the chapters or the pictures accompanying, explanatory words. The other for the passages taken from the course.
The main characters of the Course
Once decided on the form of the comic, the most important different „personalities“, who enliven the content of the „Course in Miracles-Comic“ automatically peeled off. I had to find a suitable graphic form for the main characters of the course. First of all for the Holy Son of God as Christ, but also in human form as Jesus, then for the Holy Spirit, for the ego and for the miracle.
The son of God
I have portrayed the Creation of God as His Son, the Christ, in a human, but permeable, transparent form, without a personal face.
Jesus
Jesus as author of the book should definitely be „historically“ recognizable, but nevertheless equipped with humor and also contemporary.
The Ego and the Holy Spirit
To illustrate the two main characters, the ego and the Holy Spirit, I decided after much back and forth for the version of Yin and Yang. Whether this is absolutely correct from a philosophical point of view remains a thing of the past, but it helped me to graphically define these two important „characters“ from the course. The ego is the „poor buddy“, the Holy Spirit is the „divine spark“. The ego looks outward and falls down the Holy Spirit looks inward and ascends.
The “fallen poor buddy”, not all forsaken: The Ego-Devil was made by you (that´s of course by me). Questioning the Authorship and Authority of God, our Father and Creator and out of the desire and our false belief to be God ourselves, we put him as usurper on God´s throne, together with all his devilish tools of deceit, to maintain himself in power. Then we erased this very fact, that we made him, out of our consciousness. This is also the exact instant we fell asleep…and our nightmare of hell began.
The “Risen Divine Spark”, not all forgotten: The Holy Spirit was created by GOD. He is the immediate answer to our question and response to our desire. He communicates with us in our dreams and reminds us of our Sonship as Christ. He leads us back Home with the help of Miracles and he helps us awakening out of the dream of separation, realising that Jesus Christ is our True Self….and GOD Himself will take the last step for us…
The Miracle
The miracle, the real counterpart of the ego, is the tool of the Holy Spirit. The miracle is what transcends all frames and limitations as an expression of the quantum leap in the here and now of the Holy Moment.
The Bad-one and the Good-one
Then it came to the invention of the two additional personalities: The Bad-one and the Good-one, which reveal their comments or thoughts in the pictures.
The Bad-one is the expression of the false split-mind.
He is almost always angry and he wants no part of the truth, because he himself is not true. He made the Ego,…the Ego made projection,…projection made perception. That is how he converted himself from the Holy Son of God into the “Bad-one”, forgot this very fact and fell asleep. Now he thinks, that what he sees in his dream is actually happening outside of him in a separate world, and believes, that he is not the cause and not responsible for it.
The Good-one is the expression of the right-mind.
He has stepped back and given himself over to the Holy Spirit. That makes him immediately happy. He began to listen to the Holy Spirit´s advice and by applying and practicing His lessons, he learned to take on responsibility for all his projections. Forgiving everything and losing the world of dreams from all he thought it ever was, he enters in a happy dream of awakening. The last step, however, God Himself will take for him.
Dear One and the teachers of God
Everyone teaches and that always. No matter if on purpose or without. Everyone teaches and shows only exactly what he believes to be himself. That is inevitable.
Chuck Anderson is the founder of the Endeavor Academy in Wisconsin. He was called by his followers “Dear One” or the Master Teacher.
I chose Dear-One as my personal master teacher. It was him that I put in my dream to wake me up. It was he who reminded me through his example of my true self, admonishing me to stop playing and not to waste my life in a seemingly spiritual path, but to really commit myself 100% and dedicate myself to my true purpose.
In the picture I put together in this book for the idea of God’s Teachers, I surround Dear One with those teachers of God who have guided me on my personal journey to important insights. There were many more, and I am sure, I forgot to mention a very important one, but it is not the place and the time to mention them all. Nevertheless, I would like to take this opportunity to wholeheartedly thank all those who have helped me, every time I got lost, to find again my way home.
! THANK YOU !