What's Behind the Costume? Halloween Reflections: Drop the Ego Costume and See the Love Within

Life as a Costume: The Roles We Play

Even though I am a student of A Course in Miracles, I regularly attend a Science of Mind church. My minister, Rev. Liz Luoma, likes to refer to us all as adorable little packages of God. We’re all in different “packages,” but underneath, we are all the same essence.

Last month, during the Halloween season, she likened these packages to costumes. When we live on earth, we take on a costume (or role or character) and develop it over a lifetime. Our entire lives become a process of refining this character—often haunted by egoic fears and shadows.

Which costume have you chosen?

The Ego as a Scary Costume

Which costume have you chosen? In A Course in Miracles, these costumes are called the “ego.” The ego is our creation, not God’s. Take away the costume, the role, the character, and what is left? The part of us that God created—timeless, endless, unlimited, perfect, and One with God.

Underneath all the costumes and roles, we are not ourselves as the world sees us—we are the love and essence God created.

Lost in the Spooky Movie of Life 

But we get so busy living in our costumes that we forget who we really are. We become utterly consumed by the fantasy, convinced that our roles define us. It’s like going to a spooky movie—the lights go out, the story becomes our world, and we are completely absorbed.

Our lives on earth are similar. We get caught in the haunted illusions and forget our true selves.

Drop the costumes to forgive   

Forgiving requires that we simply drop those egoic costumes for a moment.  There is a larger part of us and it is not here in this false Halloween-like world of costumes.  We must remember that everyone is really only Love and always One in God. 

Forgiveness is the act of accepting that people come here to this 3D earth and put on a costume and do silly things.  They are deluded, they have simply forgotten who they really are.  When we forgive, we remember for them, who they really are.

Words for Haunted and Creepy Forgiveness

You can start your forgiveness practice with these words:  

You are Spirit,

Whole and Innocent,

I forgive you.

I release you.

I bless you with Love.  

I often begin with these words, then continue through a deeper process to see the higher truth for someone I am forgiving. It takes about five minutes and allows me to shift feelings from egoic fear to Love, no matter how personally scary, creepy, or even globally destructive someone’s actions may seem.

Learn the Process in My Book

The full process is detailed in my book,  Forgiveness is the Key to Happiness. It walks you through seeing through the costumes of this temporary world, focusing on higher truth, and practicing forgiveness for greater peace and joy.

Want to go deeper into forgiveness?

• Explore how forgiveness reconnects us to divine compassion in Unblocking our Connection to Love. Read it here →

• My book, Forgiveness is the Key to Happiness, offers heartfelt guidance, spiritual tools, and real-life practices. Read it on Amazon → | Barnes & Noble → | Balboa Press →

• Let daily affirmations support you too — discover the Forgiveness Metta Card Deck for a gentle morning practice of peace and release.

• Receive free weekly forgiveness coaching emails and insights to deepen your practice → Sign up here

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Let these tools light your path — because forgiveness sets you free.
— Sue Pipal

The Light Beyond the Body

In A Course in Miracles, the "Christ" Mind refers to that part in all of us that knows that it is the Son of God and chooses to think with love, rather than fear.

We are so much more than only bodies.  We are Mind.  We are connected through this mind.  We are Love.  We are Oneness, with each other and with our Creator.

Christ's vision has one law.  It does not look upon a body, and mistake it for the Son whom God created. It beholds a light beyond the body; an idea beyond what can be touched, a purity undimmed by errors, pitiful mistakes, and fearful thought of guilt from dreams of sin.  It sees no separation.  And it looks on everyone, on every circumstance, all happenings and all events, without the slightest fading of the light it sees.  --A Course in Miracles, Lesson 158

In this passage from the Course, we are told to look beyond bodies.  God's real creation is our Minds, the Love we all share.  Every one of us was created in this Love.   It's telling us that bodies and earthly events are unimportant.  What's important is the Light of God that is a part of every one of us.

Thus are his sins forgiven him, for Christ has vision that has power to overlook them all.  In His forgiveness are they gone.  Unseen by One they merely disappear, because a vision of the Holiness that lies beyond them comes to take their place.  It matters not what form they took, nor how enormous they appeared to be, nor who seemed to be hurt by them.  They are no more.  And all effects they seemed to have are gone with them, undone and never to be done.  --A Course in Miracles, Lesson 158

When we look past bodies, we can forgive anything, because we see that the real truth is what is happening in the Mind, not here in this earthly 3D dream world.  And the truth of the real Mind is Love.

We're all here on earth having some adventures and learning some lessons, but where we really are, with God, none of this matters.  And in that real place, we love everyone and in fact, are joined with everyone.  

When you give unto another that which alone is true, because all minds are joined, you have offered unto them the only gift that holds value.  When you give another the truth--perhaps even without saying a word--because all minds are joined they recognize what has been offered and say to themselves, "The one before me knows the truth of me and is looking right through every one of my attempts to be less than who I am.  Therefore I see that it's safe to choose again."  That is when miracles occur.  --The Way of Mastery p. 86

When you look past the body and see only the light, you know the truth of even the worst villains.  Remember that this all happens on the level of the Mind, where thoughts are joined.  Knowing this truth, holds the place for them, in your mind.  And this gives them the chance to know your forgiveness.  You are giving them your love which is a chance for them to choose love for themselves.

Whether they do or not, is not your concern.  You get what you give.  Your forgiveness of others creates your own acceptance of yourself.  Self love.  It happens over time as you forgive others and the world around you.

Self love creates peace.  Peace leads to happiness.  This is how forgiveness is the key to happiness.