Lewis begins his essay section on miracles with his idea that we cannot label events as being miraculous if we do not believe in the supernatural. He explains that miracles are experiences received from the senses, which can never lie. If we disbelieve in the supernatural, we can blame this confusion of the senses on illusion. .
Lewis is strongly against the idea that miracles are simply illusions. He is aware that people doubt miracles, giving many examples of other statements one might use as excuses to why "miracles" occurred. Although many are doubtful, Lewis himself believes that the experience of a miracle requires two conditions. First, he says we need to recognize the regular patterns of nature, which show stability. Second, we must "believe in a reality beyond Nature." This reality cannot be proved or disproved by experience, and we must assume the idea is true and that we are a part of this reality, in order to live in the Natural world. .
The passage mentions two ideas, which Lewis disbelieves, that cause skepticism when speaking of Jesus" miracles. Lewis says first that many people simply dislike miracles, believing they are a way for God to impress His people. The second idea is that many confuse the laws of nature with the laws of thought. Lewis goes against both of these ideas when he states his beliefs. He seems to think that when a miracle is performed, God is trying to show us that His personal power on a small scale is the same type of personal power on a large scale. Some of God's simpler miracles represent what he has done with larger ones, such as creating the universe. Lewis believes these small miracles happen to us everyday through events like birth, death, and overcoming sickness. He explains that God is the overall cause of these occurrences, and therefore is a part of our every day lives and our actual selves. He believes the second type of miracle, the kind which foreshadows what God will do in the future, can be seen in events such as the resurrection of Jesus.
