The pain of separation has been pushed way down in the mind and out of awareness. We need to invite what was suppressed back into conscious awareness so it can be forgiven and healed. To the ego it seems a painful process, but for true healing to take place, we must move through this darkness in order to remember the light.
From Darkness to Light
The Outer World Is a Reflection
The seeming outer world is a reflection of the mind’s beliefs. Wow! Think about that for a minute! Everything in the perceived dream world is a reflection of thought. Since the unconscious ego is a death wish, it is not surprising that there seem to be so many atrocities in the world: rape, murder, war. Underneath the horror of these apparent atrocities is an even deeper horror: the idea that we could have permanently separated from our divine Creator.
Jesus Did Not Suffer
How did Jesus not suffer? To the ego, it looked as if Jesus was suffering on the cross with nails in his hands and feet. Why do we see this event as suffering? Because the ego made up suffering. And, when we see suffering, we are looking with the ego. It made up the appearance of the body, the nails, and the cross. It made up an innocent lamb and the judgment cast upon it. Yet these are all mere concepts, mere duality. The mind that has been healed of all concepts rests in a freed perspective, or state of Christ.
Remove the Obstacles to Love’s Presence
We must approach Truth through negation, not directly. We discover what it is not. Affirmations have their place but we must remove the obstacles to love’s presence. The ego uses the world to make “effects” to hide the Truth. But these effects have no real source and therefore they are not actual or real. Relationships can be fun with this purpose: uncovering the errors that hide our true nature. Hurray for everything that helps expose the ego in its deception! No private thoughts—can you dig it?
Positive Thinking and Healing Pleasure (Part 1)
To use positive affirmations without getting down to what is underneath is like putting sweet icing on a cake of mud. Your task is not to seek for love but to find and remove all the obstacles to the awareness of love’s presence. Everything you have built against love needs to be exposed and released. Any authentic spiritual path is more a journey through the darkness into the light. As you go much deeper, you realize that the ego set up a dualistic thought system of opposites to cover over the truth of being, the truth of pure Oneness. In that sense, the positive and negative were set up as a trick. Positive thinking may have initial benefits but people are then usually faced with dark unconscious guilt that is underneath the positive and the negative. They are both part of a defense mechanism that covers over the pure truth.
“As If” the Separation Occurred
The world is based on hypothetical possibilities. The mind is described “as if” it has two parts. An event on the timeline has to be an “as if.” As if it will, or could possibly, occur; as if the separation occurred. The whole teaching of ACIM is that the Atonement is a complete escape from the past and a complete lack of interest in the future. This zooms us into an experience. The only thing that makes anything helpful is zoomed into by asking one question, “What is the purpose?” This is an age-old question. And the answer is: it is for Love, for Joy. It is a celebration of divine Innocence.
Being Single: Relationships and Commitment
Being single or “in relationship” is a concept that the Spirit uses as a teaching aid. The key to relationships is forgiveness and this is the only purpose of relationships as taught in ACIM. The use of romantic relationships can be a great speed-up for the mind to recognize its relationship with God.
We seem to have a variety of relationships. Yet we are teaching and learning about ourselves in every interaction. We want to tune into guidance and relationships are part of the plan. We want to forgive as deeply as we can in every encounter. Building commitment with the Holy Spirit helps us face the darkness that comes up.
Relationship, Marriage, and True Union (Part 1)
David Hoffmeister, “A Course in Miracles” teacher, shares on true union and relationships. What is the purpose of a marriage? Is it being used by ego or Holy Spirit? The ego uses marriage to hold fast to separateness. Two bodies may be legally committed to each other, yet joining is not happening. True union happens at the level of the Christ mind. When you enter into a committed relationship you will find that a lot of mirroring happens!
Transform Your Mind into Wholeness
Transform your mind. Give away the filter that is in place that is specialness. Specialness is the desire to get. It is the ego’s lens of seeing the world. Without this filter, you transform your mind into holiness; wholeness. The mind that believes it is separate is not satisfied with its self-image, so it wants to get more. The separate self wants to improve. It is constantly seeking and investing energy and time, and then feeling unsatisfied.
Working with Upsets
A helpful talk on working with upsets! David Hoffmeister shares his experience of working with the ACIM daily lessons 5, 6, 7, and 8 when upset would arise. “A Course in Miracles” is aimed at “removing the blocks to the awareness of love’s presence, which is your natural inheritance.” (T-In.1) David Hoffmeister shares some practical steps of how to uncover these blocks. The most important thing is not to hide or protect anything.