Shame

Anger, Full Length Talks, Stress and Worry 30+ mins, Abuse, Blame, Communication, Comparison, Conflict, Dark and Intense Emotions, Denial and Repression, Ego, Embarrassment, Expressing, Fear, Guilt, Hate, Rejection, Shame

Expressing Private Thoughts

We are fearful, even of our thoughts, and we push our fearful judgmental thoughts out of our conscious awareness. But our thoughts don’t have power over us. In the safe environment of an “expression session” we let any feeling, anything that is hidden, come to light. With this practice we learn to allow all of our thoughts into awareness. None of our thoughts are actually true, and we can learn to overlook anything.

This recording took place at A Gift of Happiness Week-Long Retreat (David Hoffmeister and Frances Xu – Morning Session), Wilbetree House, Mudgee, Australia (November 5, 2016)

Sex < 5 mins, Embarrassment, Expression, Guilt, Holy Instant, Private Thoughts, Repression, Sex, Sexuality, Shame

All Those Shameful, Shameful Sexual Thoughts

Does it feel like you carry shameful sexual thoughts or guilty secrets? If you would know the holy instant, you have to have a willingness to hide nothing. Let’s get everything up and out and not have anything pushed down and repressed. This is for the whole universe! It’s important not to single out certain subjects and topics as better or more embarrassing or shameful than others. Anything that’s blocking the light needs to be released. Whether we talk about awkward thoughts or seemingly shameful thoughts, it’s the belief they are true where the guilt comes in.

Living with Purpose 10–30 mins, Accepting Correction, Beliefs and Concepts, Choice and Free Will, Divine Order, Error and Sin, God's Plan, Guilt, Illusion vs Reality, Love, Power of Thought, Projection, Script Is Written, Separation, Shame, Theory vs Experience, Time and Space, True Forgiveness

The Belief in Separation

The belief in separation is actually the belief in impossibility. The ego created the world. God did not create the world. You can’t connect a God of Love to a distorted perceptual world where there seem to be so many problems. We have a belief in the concept of duality. This is an error. This very error has to be exposed. We have to look at this error together and expose its falsity. This whole world was made as a giant hiding place. Duality is in the mind, not in the world. When the mind decided to take the idea seriously (forgot to laugh) the whole cosmos was created as a giant fig leaf to cover up the belief in shame and guilt. You have to look within and see and expose the shame for the nothingness it is instead of trying to project it into time and space. The problem is not time and space, it is in your mind that made up the belief. We need to release the error and realize that it has no consequence. The instant the error seemed to arise the Answer was given.

Stress and Worry < 5 mins, Embarrassment, Error and Sin, Expressing, Guilt, People-Pleasing, Private Thoughts, Rejection, Shame

Exposing Private Thoughts

To learn “A Course in Miracles,” you must question every value that you hold. At our Monastery we have two guidelines that help us do this: “No Private Thoughts,” and “No People-Pleasing.” Every day people expose their private thoughts at expression sessions.

Sex, Stress and Worry 10–30 mins, A Course in Miracles, Allowance, Blame, Dark and Intense Emotions, Ego, Healing, Holy Spirit, Judgments, Non-Judgment, People-Pleasing, Presence, Private Thoughts, Projection, Purpose, Sex and Sexuality, Shame, True Innocence, Unconsciousness

Expression Sessions

David Hoffmeister shares about “expression sessions.” In our communities, we encourage expression of our unconscious patterns and thoughts. Rather than fearing and repressing dark thoughts, we hold the space of love and acceptance for them. In this spacious non-judgment, the burden is lifted and healing takes place through the Holy Spirit. The point is to get in touch with emotions, not to give advice or attempt to teach. David Hoffmeister recounts a parable of healing around sexuality.

Money < 5 mins, Body Issues, Contentment and Happiness, Control, People-Pleasing, Planning, Possession and Ownership, Private Thoughts, Sex and Sexuality, Shame, Specialness

What Is Success?

What is success? You may have specific ideas about what success would look like in your life. Is it built on a concept like the “American Dream,” or some other artificial standard? These societal ideas about the “success” are like a cosmic fig leaf, covering over the separation and belief in guilt and shame. There is no need to cover anything up. There is nothing to hide.

Addictions < 5 mins, Addictions, Anxiety, Concern and Worry, Guidance, Guilt, Mind Training, Perception, Practical Steps, Presence, Real Thoughts, Shame, True Peace, Upset

Practical Application of ACIM Principles

In “A Course in Miracles,” Jesus provides 365 Workbook lessons for mind training. Each lesson contains a specific thought to be used as instructed throughout the day. The ACIM daily lessons are replacement ideas for your ordinary, everyday, repetitive thoughts. Your thinking is generally stuck in the past or future. Disturbances can be approached differently through practical application of ACIM principles. As you advance in your mind training, you begin to use “The Rules for Decision” that Jesus presents in the Course (T-30.I) as a way of re-interpreting everyday occurrences.

Anger 5–10 mins, Abuse, Anger, Awareness, Bringing Illusions to Truth, Conflict, Denial and Repression, Embarrassment, Error and Sin, Expressing, Guilt, Healing, Private Thoughts, Shame

Denial and Suppression

If you notice the mechanism of denial and suppression, you’ll notice the ego uses it to hold on to secrets and private thoughts. You can smile, put on a happy face, have a stiff upper lip. You can maintain a facade of dignity and peace, and even have a pride about the surface level things. But if you have an inner churning, the thoughts surrounding that upset need to be expressed and released. Jesus points the mind towards a purified state of being. Healing takes place as you clean and clear the mind.

Stress and Worry 5–10 mins, Attack Thoughts, Desire, Fear, Forgiven World, Grievances, Jealousy, Private Thoughts, Real Thoughts, Shame, Time and Space, True Forgiveness

What Are Thoughts?

What are thoughts? How does my mind work? In the state of the sleeping—deceived mind—there are two kinds of thoughts: real and unreal. In the core of your mind, you have real thoughts. They are abstract. They are extensions of Source. They are your bright essence. They spring from Love. You are a thought in the mind of God and your real thoughts extend this. Surrounding those thoughts is a bunch of monkey-mind thoughts. These are ego-based thoughts. They are not real! They have no source. They are thoughts about the past or the future and they keep you distracted in a spinning wheel of changing perception.

Shame

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