Bartholomew explained the fundamental difference between extension and projection: extension uses the power of God, projection uses the power of ego. The ego's sole job is to maintain the illusion of separation - not out of evil intent, but simply because that is what it was created to do. Projection is the mechanism by which we throw out onto others those parts of ourselves we cannot accept, creating the movement we mistake for power. When someone triggers fear and guilt in us, we project these feelings back onto them rather than recognizing the original response as our own creation. Understanding this process - truly understanding it in the heart - allows one to quietly move out of projection and into extension, where real power flows.

The Ego's Job: The ego's purpose is to maintain the illusion of separation - "to make sure at all times and in all places that the separation is evident." It uses any device to be divisive, not from evil intent but simply because that is its function. Bartholomew suggested one should have some sympathy for egos because they are "cast as the villains of the piece" when actually they're just doing the job they were created to do. The ego's task is difficult because separation isn't real - it's trying to convince the vast part of you that you are separate, but "it's a losing battle because it isn't the truth. Sooner or later, untruth dies and truth goes on."

The Mechanism of Projection: The ego has movement, which it mistakes for divine will and power. But this is momentum, not true power. Projection is something "thrown out from you" - those parts of yourself you cannot stand to think of as within yourself. When a thought comes in, there is tremendous subtlety: the thought that enters is not the thought you project out. If someone asks "What are you doing there?" your first response is fear and guilt - an excessive reaction to a simple question. Because you cannot accept seeing yourself as less than perfect, you throw these feelings out onto the other person who "caused" your discomfort. This happens over and over, endlessly.

The Chain of Projection: In any interaction, both parties may be projecting. The person who walks in with a challenging question is also disturbed, also projecting. "Unless a person has a grip on himself and is aware of what he is doing, he simply reacts out of an unexamined set of values and then projects onto people without even knowing he is doing it." The projections compound and multiply. This is how wars start - the cycle of projection and counter-projection escalating until violence erupts. The only way to break the chain is for someone to recognize what is happening and choose not to respond in kind.

Extension Versus Projection: Extension is entirely different from projection. Where projection throws out what we reject in ourselves, extension shares what we truly are. "If you look upon your brother with love, you see. If you then extend your love to him, it is an act of God that is happening through you." Extension doesn't deplete - it increases what you have. It operates from the recognition of oneness rather than separation. The person who extends sees another not as separate but as part of themselves, and in giving love, receives it simultaneously. This is real power, divine will in action, not the false momentum of ego.

The Way Out: Understanding what is happening allows one to "very quietly move out" of projection. There's no need for hostile feelings toward the ego or toward oneself for projecting - just understanding. When you catch yourself in the moment of projection, you can choose a different path. The intellectual mind alone cannot solve this; it goes "around and around" on the same level without rising. But when one senses that the lower mind isn't working, that questions keep hitting a wall and falling dead, there's an opening. The intuitive plane offers access to truth that the intellect can then articulate. "The mind itself can be used only after the intuition has sketched out the plan."