world

The physical earth and entire physical realm, which is an illusion. A realm of time, in which all things change and have a beginning and an end. A realm of space, in which all things are separate and lonely, trapped in bodies. A realm of fear, in which all things are under constant attack. A realm of pain, because everything attacks and nothing satisfies. A realm of insanity, governed by the “laws” of chaos (see T-23.II). A realm of death, in which all things must die. God did not create the world (see W-pI.152.6-7), for it is literally Heaven’s diametric opposite (see T-16.V.3:6) in which everything is upside down and backwards from reality (see T-18.I.5-6). It is not our home, for it is not our place of origin, it does not shelter us and we do not belong here. Instead of God creating the world, we made the world as an opposite to Him, a place His Love and Oneness could enter not (see W-pII.3.2:1-4), a way of proving the Will of God has been overthrown. It is our projection, which seems to prove that separation, sin, and fear are objective realities thrust on us from without, rather than subjective ideas that we can let go at any time. It is our dream, which was dreamt out of the idea of sin, out of the lesson that “God’s Son is guilty” (T-31.I.7:4; see “God’s Son is guiltless”). As such, the very nature of the world is to constantly punish us for our supposed sinfulness and guilt, attacking us with pain, sickness, and death (see T-13.In.2-4). This “proves” that fear is real (and fear is the essence of the ego). And it “proves” that fear of God is justified, for we assume that God made this world of fear and death. The world has no objective existence: “There is no world!” (W-pI.132.6:2). It is merely a set of ideas inside our sleeping minds in Heaven. The world will disappear when we let this set of ideas go (see M-14). Rather than trying to change the world to suit our wishes, we must choose to see the world differently. The Holy Spirit sees it as a teaching device for bringing us home (see T-5.III.11:1), as “a place where the Son of God finds his freedom” (W-pI.rI.57.3:6), as a place whose only purpose is forgiveness (see M-14.2:1-6). He teaches us to see the real world.
The global community of minds that are asleep, need saving, and will eventually return to Heaven. It is important to distinguish between this sense of “world” and the preceding one. When the Course says, “I was persecuted as the world judges” (T-6.I.5:3), it does not mean “as the mountains and trees judge”; it means as the human race judges. Likewise, when the Course says, “Our true purpose is to save the world” (W-pI.153.8:2), it does not mean saving the forms of the world, but rather saving the minds.

See T-18.IX.3-4, T-25.VII.4, W-pI.132.