The belief that you could separate from Source and accomplish insanity is the “tiny mad idea” that Jesus talks about in “A Course in Miracles.” The mind, in reality, cannot accomplish this. The belief that you could separate from Source is a horrific idea. It’s mad. It’s insane! The belief that you are a separate consciousness takes a lot of active denying, pushing out, and repressing because it is so intolerable to your mind. Your natural state is unified, peaceful, and loving.
Denial and Repression
Why Do I Feel Incomplete?
When you are in your Holy Spirit-given function you are guaranteed to be happy. When you seek for happiness through external means you will always feel incomplete. Think about Hollywood. In Hollywood there is great wealth, fame, glamor, and glitz. The ego says if you had those things then you could be happy. But it’s apparent that it’s not really the case! Instead you see suicide and depression! Why is it that the people that have most of the things that the rest of the world is looking for, aren’t happy?
Allowing the Shadow Up
By allowing the shadow, or egoic defense mechanisms, to arise in awareness, we have a quick inroad to where true healing can begin. Through our uncompromising focus on what is arising in awareness, the Holy Spirit can use what we give Him, no matter how counterintuitive it feels.
Feeling Angry at the World
The belief in separation is projected out onto specific people and situations. It’s typical for it to be experienced as anger with bosses, judges, policeman, parents; people with authority. The little-me takes the role of victim and is stuck feeling angry at the world. David quotes Alanis Morissette: “Thank you for your most generous triggers.” (Alanis Morissette, “Madness”) The ego rages at God, strangely wanting to be “right” about its misperception of littleness. If we can remember this gentle phrase from the songwriter however, we can stop the explosion of the ego and approach the truth of any situation with some grace. Taking responsibility for our own projections is ultimate and true humility.
Follow the Holy Spirit
The Holy Spirit sees only two orders of thought: love or a call for love. You as a person cannot make this distinction. Yet, this distinction is the gateway back to eternal life. Therefore, this important distinction is the Holy Spirit’s job to make for you when you surrender your will for His. This sends the mind into a state of humbleness where the prayer to the Holy Spirit is “show me.” Ultimately, we do not follow people, we follow Spirit. David Hoffmeister is a living example of the teachings in “A Course in Miracles.” For those who are feeling the call to Awaken, David Hoffmeister offers pure inspiration! “A Course in Miracles” is a pointer towards non-dual awareness, Oneness.
The Death Wish
Any upsetting thought is just a thin veil drawn over intense rage. Death is a decision. What happens to you, you have asked for. Atonement is accepting the correction that has already been given. Forgiveness is a life wish. The ego is a death wish. The prerequisite for accepting the correction is to see the death wish as in your mind. First you must understand that your problem is always a perceptual problem; you are seeing something that is not there. Once you admit this then you can accept the answer, the guidance of the Holy Spirit. The solution is never a choice in this world; nothing in the world needs to be saved; only the mind can be salvaged. Face your darkness, your belief in lack. You are worthy of moving through it to perfect happiness. God’s plan for you cannot fail. The world is escaped through life.
No Private Thoughts and Emotions
There are no private thoughts. Any thoughts that you believe are private are not real. They are meaningless. ACIM daily lessons ask you to practice this early on in your training with lesson eight, “my mind is preoccupied with past thoughts,” and ten, “my thoughts do not mean anything.” The first step in healing is to let all of the emotions up, whether you label them bad or good. Talk about them. Imagine how much faster your relationships would heal if you were open to sharing your emotions. It’s the fastest way to undo the egoic people-pleasing pattern!
Self Acceptance
It is exhausting to try to be perfect all of the time. Self acceptance is very relaxing. You can give up the need to be important, well liked, more intelligent, or better looking. Get off of the treadmill of self-improvement! Instead, expose all of the subtle secrets that the ego tries to keep. The secrets hide your true identity from you. Your true identity is already perfect! Your identity is beyond the forms in this world. Your identity is Spirit. You were created perfect, beautiful, and innocent. There is no need to improve a thing about yourself. Relax into self acceptance. Give yourself over to the miracle.
Exposing Thoughts about Sexuality
The ego belief system is a belief system in lack. You experience cravings for basic needs, like food or sex, indulge, and are temporarily satisfied. The cravings will come again. Mind training, exposing feelings and thoughts about sexuality, is part of healing. Your perception of the body will change; you will begin to realize that your attractions are generated in consciousness. Divine purpose will fill you and take you into higher states of consciousness.
I Feel Like I’m Getting Nowhere
Do you ever have the thought, “I feel like I’m getting nowhere” or, “What is the point of all of this?” You are recognizing that you’ve got amnesia! The addiction of time and all its imaginings made a seeming escape so deceiving we’ve forgotten the original separation! The Holy Spirit is the only one that can lift us out of the maze. It’s not always pretty as we are weened off our drug. But the Holy Spirit’s way is through teaching us that joy can be seen as the constant, even if we still think we are not quite there yet. David Hoffmeister suggests we need a support group for linear time addiction, just as someone addicted to a drug needs support. “Hi, my name is so-and-so, and I believe I am a linear being!”