David welcomes a group at the start of a weekend retreat and gives an overview of the spiritual journey. Topics include: removing grievances, judgments, and attack thoughts from the mind and being grateful; placing faith in the Holy Spirit to find peace of mind; the nature of problems; stepping back and opening to guidance/intuition.
Trust
Trust 10–30 mins, Authority Problem, Beliefs and Concepts, Control, Ego, Equality, Pain, Pleasure, True Freedom, True Peace, Trust
Withdrawing Investment in the Ego
We can take an honest look at how we have invested the mind’s energy: “you made it [the ego] by believing in it, so you can dispel it by withdrawing belief from it,” (T-7.VIII.5:2) says ACIM. It’s not about trusting more (you’ll just beat yourself up over that one); it’s about reinvesting your trust in that which will bring true fruition, true peace of mind. We’ve invested our belief in personal freedom and special people and places to bring us truth/peace. Loosen your investment in the personal and come to freedom as a state of mind.
Stress and Worry 10–30 mins, Creation and Extension, Expressing, From Darkness to Light, Miracles, Projection, Purification, True Forgiveness, Trust, Upset
Projection and Clearing the Mind
This clip, from the final day of the May/June 2010 retreat at the Living Miracles Monastery, talks about projection and how it is necessary to allow the darkness to come up in order for it to be shone away. From this clear place, the light can shine through and the miracle can be extended.
Stress and Worry 10–30 mins, Acceptance, Authority Problem, Christ-Identity, Contentment and Happiness, Control, Creation and Extension, Forgiven World, Grace, Holy Spirit, Letting Go, Rituals, Spontaneity, Stress, True Freedom, True Peace, Trust
Reduce Stress and Worry, Grace vs. Control
We want to experience peace. We want to reduce stress and worry in our lives. But how? In this clip, David Hoffmeister shares on letting go of the illusion of control and sinking into divine Grace. The ego seeks to demonstrate that it is the author of itself by working, planning, and controlling as many “personal” aspects of life as possible. But doing each “must” and “have to” is highly stressful. The alternative to attempting to control things is to relax into divine Grace.
Stress and Worry 10–30 mins, Allowance, Authenticity, Dark and Intense Emotions, Faith, From Darkness to Light, Guidance, Guilt, Happy Dream, Non-Judgment, Perception, Perceptual Problem, Personality-Self, Split Mind, True Forgiveness, True Peace, Trust, Unified Perception
Perception Is Selective
Instead of focusing on the body, put your attention on joining, connecting. The ego-mind looks for problems to solve; the whole world is a mirror of this mind searching and exaggerating the problem instead of the solution (joining). A succession of personality identities will be revealed; even “teacher of God” or the “saint” are masks. We must keep unveiling until all is exposed and we have moved completely into the light. Always be authentic and guidance for the next step will be there.
Health and Sickness 10–30 mins, Beliefs and Concepts, Body Issues, Dreaming, God's Plan, Trust, Unwinding from the World
Letting Go of the Human Condition
David talks about the undoing of accepted beliefs such as the laws of nutrition, health, and sleep. As we unwind from long-held beliefs about what our needs are as humans, we begin to feel the inspiration of the Spirit and trust that all of our seeming needs are always met. We are free to live in the joy!
Health and Sickness 5–10 mins, Beliefs and Concepts, Body, Defensiveness, Gratitude, Love, Sickness, Trust
Transcending Sickness
David had an experience of sickness in which he realized that either what Jesus had taught him about the Truth was true or it was false. David chose to drop down into the Love and experienced this teaching. His symptoms disappeared and the experience changed his entire life.
Health and Sickness 5–10 mins, Body Issues, Guidance, Hypotheticals, Invulnerability, Mind Training, Presence, Trust
The Ego Pain Trick
When the mind is conflicted, it projects pain onto the body. Pain is a convincing trick of the ego. If you’re identifying with the body, it seems that protection seems to be a pretty good idea. The more you identify with Spirit, or the present moment, the more that state of invulnerability comes in. There’s a sense of safety and you can let go of protecting and defending the body.
Who Are You Trying to Convince?
It is helpful to remember that your healing journey is not about convincing others. It is about practicing mind training for yourself in all situations. In many of David Hoffmeister’s ACIM videos, he shares his own story to help people struggling with similar situations. At the beginning of his mind training, he tried to be completely non-compromising. Sometimes things would seem to blow up in his face as he tried to integrate his new outlook into his life. The question that he found helpful to ask himself was: “Who am I trying to convince?” He found that there was no one he needed to convince. He found that everything was an opportunity for mind training.
Joining in Spiritual Community
Feelings of aloneness are frequent on the spiritual journey and the desire arises to have an experience of connectedness. As we go deeper spiritually, we recognize the importance of joining with others in a single purpose.