Reflexive thoughts on ACIM

[deLord]

Hello everyone

Recently I continued with A Course In Miracles (ACIM) and I now reached the first review spot.
If I apply the content to itself, that means

• My thoughts about the course and the contents mean nothing
• I do not understand the course
• There can be no knowledge/understanding/wisdom

So why bother with anything? This doesnt sound right. Maybe the course assumes a rather blunt mindset and thus oversimplifies things or doesnt give exceptions?
Especially the 3rd lesson confuses me.

**I do not understand anything I see.**

²How could I understand what I see when I have judged it amiss? ³What I see is the projection of my own errors of thought. ⁴I do not understand what I see because it is not understandable. ⁵There is no sense in trying to understand it. ⁶But there is every reason to let it go, and make room for what can be seen and understood and loved. ⁷I can exchange what I see now for this merely by being willing to do so. ⁸Is not this a better choice than the one I made before? (https://acim.org/acim/en/s/454#3:1-8 | W-51.3:1-8)

Moreover, I dont really get the idea about "my thoughts" and "the thoughts I share with God" either. In my understanding, I am completely engulfed in the Universe and it is within everything that is, including my thoughts. What is meant by this difference?

[iamthat]

I am no authority on ACIM but it seems as if the clue is given in the sentence:

What I see is the projection of my own errors of thought.

In other words, we see and interpret everything through the filters of our own mental patterns and emotional responses. We do not see what is actually there. Instead we give labels to everything and judge it according to these labels.

This ACIM perspective is a very Zen approach. We look at a tree and we do not really see the tree as it is, perfect in itself, unique and unlike any other tree. Instead we think "Oh, it's a tree." We think we have understood what we are seeing, but we have just applied a general label.

Hence the Zen idea of beginner's mind, where we see everything new and afresh. We may have seen a million trees, but when we see the next tree it is as if it is the very first tree we have ever seen.

If we can become empty of all patterns and conditioning then we can "let it go, and make room for what can be seen and understood and loved."

Originally Posted by deLord

Moreover, I dont really get the idea about "my thoughts" and "the thoughts I share with God" either. In my understanding, I am completely engulfed in the Universe and it is within everything that is, including my thoughts. What is meant by this difference?

This is clarified in the next paragraph (4):

What I call “my” thoughts are not my real thoughts. My real thoughts are the thoughts I think with God. I am not aware of them because I have made my thoughts to take their place. I am willing to recognize that my thoughts do not mean anything, and to let them go.

In other words, "my thoughts" are those thoughts arising from my ideas of myself as a separate individual, independent of everything around me. The "thoughts I think with God" are those thoughts arising from a place of emptiness. They come from a higher source within.

Originally Posted by deLord

If I apply the content to itself, that means: My thoughts about the course and the contents mean nothing, I do not understand the course, There can be no knowledge/understanding/wisdom.
So why bother with anything?

So when it comes to understanding ACIM then we cannot understand it with our own personal thinking. We may read the words and think we have understood what is being said, but we have not actually become what is being described. Becoming what is being described arises from being "... willing to recognize that my thoughts do not mean anything, and to let them go." In other words, becoming empty.

Just one possible interpretation of these concepts.

Peace

[deLord]

Then how can I know which thoughts "I think with God" and which not? If it's a thought, how can I distinguish between coming from the ego and coming from God?

[iamthat]

I suggest that the idea of "thoughts coming from God" is just a figure of speech.

Thoughts may arise from personality or thoughts may be inspired by the Higher Self.

Thoughts arising from personality tend to be habitual and self-referencing.

Thoughts inspired by the Higher Self tend to be more impersonal, more expansive, more inclusive.

So we remove the small personal self from the equation and we live more in a state of emptiness and stillness. Thus we become receptive to higher thoughts.

Peace

[Miss Hepburn]

I wanted to get back to you, deLord ...but haven't had the time to dedicate to this.

I have found ACIM to not be 'logical' to the worldly mind. Your questions make sense and are logical. :)
I, personally, find if one is a Left brainer (you can google what that is), ACIM is not really so much for them.
There are diff paths.

How do you 'just follow' the first 20 daily Lessons of 365 and use no logic? Right?
BUT, that's what it is all about...to simply do it and see what happens...

ACIM is meant to create a Mind Shift...a change in perspective.
It helps us see the world differently ...and to also allow the Holy Spirit 'in'...to aid us in our 'issues'....usually our issues of forgiveness.

(For those that know nothing about ACIM ....forgiveness is the main message, btw, channeled by Jesus.
But it is not the usual 'forgiveness' Christian think of...it is a whole other thing...
we can discuss later if anyone wants.)



Hi, iamthat. :)

[iamthat]

Originally Posted by Miss Hepburn

Hi, iamthat. :)

Hi, Miss H.