Focusing on the world and bodies is meant to be deceptive and that's made very clear in A Course in Miracles (ACIM). It's what we call our life even though the Course says, "there is no life outside of Heaven." The ego can be likened to the first compartment of the mind that believes the separation happened and thus holds the mind back until the mistakes are completely forgiven (corrected). Through application of the Course over our lifetime, we learn to generalize lessons so that generalization is the compartment that spreads in the mind, i.e., the decision maker consistently chooses forgiveness and right mindedness in all situations.

Everything is the same ego and the same for all of us regardless of appearances. Because we believe this life is real and everything different, we compartmentalize aspects which is the basic law of division (separation and difference). It involves numerous choices and beliefs as well as excluding other compartments or aspects. This is the ego's law of "one or the other" within our life and from each other. Compartmentalization reflects the belief in the world and bodies as being real.

Compartmentalize

While compartment isn't a term used in the Course, it is actually very similar in meaning to fragment which word symbol is used many times regarding the mind. By definition, a fragment is, "a small part separated off of something." However, in modern day terms, we like to say we "compartmentalize our life" in order to maintain some false sense of control over what we believe is out of control. As a Son of God, that is impossible; but it is what we all believe.

In the dictionary, a compartment is, "a separate section, division or part of something" and, compartmentalize is, "to divide into section or categories." Obviously the latter is the verb or action which is always a decision in the mind to believe the ego and divide. Behaviors stem from beliefs in the mind. The world and bodies (and behaviors) don't make choices or beliefs. The mind does and those are reflections.

Please observe that like fragment, compartment is a noun or the subject, i.e., a set of beliefs for further division. It's a section of the mind that believes it separated even though it is still "part of something." The Course terms are the ego wrong mind and the right mind which is a split in the "something" but not a separation. By definition, a split is to, "break something into parts." We're still at a whole something (the mind) regardless of any definition used. The Course's point is that only belief makes anything false in the mind appear real because the impossible is taken seriously.

For all of us, it seems far better to compartmentalize our work, family, friends, home, town, country, universe, etc., than to admit what we're really choosing to believe in our mind. Coping with the anxiety becomes paramount. We will do this until we admit there must be a better way.

Reaction Formation

Reaction formation is a psychoanalytic theory regarding the ego that is a defense process in the mind used to manage anxiety producing emotions in our life. While difficult to understand, it's one of the basic rules of a split mind which means we all do it in some form or another.

It works like this: When an anxiety producing belief rises to the surface in the ego mind, we will react with the opposite on the outside so we can deny or shove the belief back into the ego mind thereby defending or protecting it. We're too afraid to allow the anxiety belief to come up; however, correction of fear is our responsibility because we made it.

Let's use a simplified example straight from Wikipedia to further the discussion:

"Where reaction formation takes place, it is usually assumed that the original, rejected impulse does not vanish, but persists, unconscious, in its original infantile form. Thus, where love is experienced as a reaction formation against hate, we cannot say that love is substituted for hate, because the original aggressive feelings still exist underneath the affectionate exterior that merely masks the hate to hide it from awareness."

We can all relate to this since we profess love for each other; but let the object of our affectionate exterior do one thing we judge incorrect and what is underneath rises to the surface. All hell breaks loose because it comes to the surface of our awareness.

Even Kenneth Wapnick has written about reaction formation and the ego. His book, "When 2 + 2 = 5: Reflecting Love in a Loveless World" has one of my favorite quotes:

"When you dramatically profess your love for someone, whether to a person, Jesus or God, or even this course, that is a defense against the opposite. Truth and love are quiet, and need not make assertions."

You can see that reaction formation leads to some very compulsive and obsessive behaviors (mindlessness) for all of us as coping mechanisms in this world. Generally speaking, because we all believe in separation, differences and how terrible we are for what we think we've done (hence the hatred under the affectionate exterior), this world and bodies are a testament to doing the opposite which means we're all participating in the ego mind with reaction formation until we practice forgiveness.

Generalization

In the dictionary, to generalize is, "to acim  or become more widely applicable." For anyone dedicated to practical application, we begin where we are and then over time, the application of forgiveness spreads. Eventually, it's applied to all situations because it is all the same ego. Again, this is why the Course says, "there is no hierarchy of illusions" and "no order of difficulty in miracles."

We can use reaction formation to take an honest look at ourselves because compartmentalization is merely one example of an ego defense. All of us have patterns running through our lives and they're nothing to be ashamed of. In fact, that shame (guilt) is what needs to be forgiven. No matter what we believe about any aspect of our life, the very fact we dramatically proclaim it is "life" is reaction formation or a defense against the opposite.

What we've forgotten but are reminded of is in Wapnick's quote and also within the Course. Only the ego has opposites, i.e., reaction formation is a defense against some opposite belief within the ego because with division there are things to choose between. Truth and Love have no opposite and that is why they're quiet and need no defense. There's no assertions to make as Love merely "is" and patiently waits on the Son's choice.

Conclusion

This is not a race between us a Course students, teachers or human beings in any aspect of life because none of it has anything to do with Love. In fact, it is impossible to compete since no one else is out there. Proclamations about anything are not Love; and teaching (even of the Course) is through demonstrating, i.e., generalization. It is demonstrating that you are not an ego regardless of the situation.

Generalization isn't an overnight thing. It takes time and a lot of hard work to learn and apply the forgiveness of the Course and the right minded thought system. It is something we grow into over our lifetime (as Wapnick is known for emphasizing). Wapnick has also made clear what the Course says that we're all the same - the ego wrong mind, the Holy Spirit right mind and the same decision maker in the mind to choose. No one is excluded.