January 15, 2012 - Images of thought

ACIM Workbook Lesson #15

“My thoughts are images that I have made.”

[Marsha's thoughts]

I just saw a thought-provoking experiment in which a woman sat down at a table. They asked her to put her right arm on the table, resting it from the elbow to hand. They placed a barrier so she couldn't see her hand, and then put a rubber hand and arm in front of her, with the elbow ending at her body. Then the person sitting in front of her used a soft paint brush to stroke both her hand (which she couldn't see) and the rubber hand, which she could see. She stated she was feeling a little odd because she was starting to feel as though the rubber hand in front of her was her own. When the paint brush stroker moved the brush to the rubber thumb, and not hers, she jerked back because the feeling was so odd. Then the man across the table pulled out a hammer and hit the rubber hand. You can imagine how the woman reacted! This showed us how, in a matter of two minutes, or less, a rubber hand became a human hand in the thought of this person. This is, in essence, what we've done with everything around us. Belief becomes our reality --and very quickly! So today I will see how quickly I can move away from beliefs and open my thought to the reality of Spirit.

"Mortals evolve images of thought." "Mortal mind sees what it believes as certainly as it believes what it sees. It feels, hears, and sees its own thoughts. Pictures are mentally formed before the artist can convey them to canvas. So is it with all material conceptions." Science & Health Page 86:13 and 86:29:1

January 14, 2012 - Meaningless?

ACIM Workbook Lesson #14

“God did not create a meaningless world.”

PHoto by Aaron Springston

The last few days we've been seeing the world as meaningless and examining how that affects us. Today we are asked to see that this meaningless world was not created by God. This means that everything in this material world is not a creation of God. How can that be? We've been told that God created everything, is in everything, and it is good. But that can't be true because we see so many things which aren't good! How can this be explained? Some choose to deny God, perhaps with thoughts of a devil which is as powerful as any god we've ever imagined. Some of us may say that God created both good and bad to give us choices in this testing ground we live in. The possibilities are limitless when it comes to trying to make sense of the confusion surrounding spiritual beliefs. In our study, we're seeing that God did create everything, and it is all Good, but that this creation is spiritual, not material. Our true selves are spiritual; our material selves are but another belief, an illusion, which we are living. When we distance ourselves from the concept that life is in matter, we are able to realize that our true selves have a divine origin. We can know that we are not governed by mental influences over which we have no control, and then we are free to live the Love which is our true heritage as the children of God.

Mary Baker Eddy quote:

“When will the error of believing that there is life in matter, and that sin, sickness, and death are creations of God, be unmasked? When will it be understood that matter has neither intelligence, life, nor sensation, and that the opposite belief is the prolific source of all suffering? God created all through Mind, and made all perfect and eternal.” Science & Helth Page 205:7-13

January 13, 2012 - Meaningless fear

ACIM Workbook Lesson #13

“A meaningless world engenders fear.”

Photo from Aaron Springston

[Marsha's thoughts]

What is it about a meaningless world that would make us afraid? Today's lesson discussion tells us this: "A meaningless world engenders fear because I think I am in competition with God." So often we act as though we're in charge and that we must tell God what we want in order for it to be done. We bargain and cajole to get our way, then get angry with God when we don't. We blame God when anything less than our idea of good comes our way. We thank God when we get our way, perhaps in a boastful or self-satisfied way. All these actions are symptoms of the separation we feel. Allowing everything to be meaningless is similar to letting go of an addiction! Interesting symptoms show up, such as irritableness when giving up caffein. Today I repeatedly found myself thinking less than charitable and loving thoughts toward people I barely know. For instance, while reading on Facebook about the problems the daughter of an old friend was having, I thought to myself how she had brought them on herself. I immediately stopped and questioned my motives, uncovering the remembrance of a perceived painful period of antagonism between people I love. And then I stopped and remembered the reasons I love and appreciate these dear old friends. Let's not be afraid of any rogue thoughts that may seem to assault us, but simply acknowledge them as symptoms of a clearing away of self to allow our Self to be demonstrated.

Mary Baker Eddy quote:

"The Hebrew Lawgiver, [Moses], slow of speech, despaired of making the people understand what should be revealed to him. When, led by wisdom to cast down his rod, he saw it become a serpent, Moses fled before it; but wisdom bade him come back and handle the serpent, and then Moses' fear departed. In this incident was seen the actuality of Science. Matter was shown to be a belief only. The serpent, evil, under wisdom's bidding, was destroyed through understanding divine Science, and this proof was a staff upon which to lean. The illusion of Moses lost its power to alarm him, when he discovered that what he apparently saw was really but a phase of mortal belief." 

Science & Health Page 321:5-18

January 12, 2012 - Upset?

ACIM Workbook Lesson #12

“I am upset because I see a meaningless world.”

[Marsha's thoughts]

Have you ever felt that when something is upsetting it should be avoided, or we should look for the cause and change it, or -- in the most extreme reaction -- put the blame on someone else, as it couldn't possibly be our own fault? And so, if we give no meaning to anything, if we see a meaningless world, and then become upset by this void, we may be tempted to try to figure out why this is happening. Today's lesson asks us to witness events without giving them any meaning, neither good nor bad, thereby leaving ourselves blank to see what Truth comes through in place of our personal feelings. So if we find this upsetting, let's not act upon these feelings; instead, let's witness what happens without placing an interpretation on it. When we allow Sprit [God] to manifest through us, which is our native state as a reflection, the image and likeness of God -- we open ourselves to the field of all possibilities. All these years of speculation on the nature of time and space, the episodes of Star Trek and Bewitched that have caused us to dream of "what if", our fascination with magicians and Harry Potter -- in honor of all these things, let's work to create a blank slate for Love to write on. Who's to know where this will lead us? To quote Rumi: "Out beyond ideas of rightdoing and wrongdoing, there is a field. I'll meet you there".

Mary Baker Eddy quote:

"Nothing is real and eternal,--nothing is Spirit,--but God and His idea. Evil has no reality. It is neither person, place, nor thing, but is simply a belief, an illusion of material sense." 

Science & Health Page 71:1-5

January 11, 2012 - Utopia

ACIM Workbook Lesson #11

“My meaningless thoughts are showing me a meaningless world.”

Glacier National Park
photo by Aaron Springston

[Marsha's thoughts]

I dreamed last night of Utopia. We had no need to speak as we knew each others thoughts. We had no fear as our thoughts were uncluttered and pure. Everywhere I looked there were happy people, busy at tasks which would benefit everyone. There was no need for television or radios as we knew everything, and it was Good. Once I thought I was lost in the woods, but that was impossible because others sensed my confusion and were there immediately to lead me to a safe and beautiful home. When traveling on a road, suddenly the way was filled with huge boulders and ancient fallen trees. But to the left side there was a field filled with beautiful flowers, and a pathway leading to my destination. All needs were met before I knew of them. There was the most wonderful sense of peace. I will hold to these beautiful feelings today, while seeing the meaningless basis of my thoughts and desires. 

Mary Baked Eddy quote:

“Sleep and apathy are phases of the dream that life, substance, and intelligence are material. The mortal nightdream is sometimes nearer the fact of being than are the thoughts of mortals when awake. The night-dream has less matter as its accompaniment. It throws off some material fetters. It falls short of the skies, but makes its mundane flights quite ethereal.” 

Science & Health Page 249:24-30

January 10, 2012 - My thoughts mean nothing

ACIM Workbook Lesson #10

“My thoughts do not mean anything."

Glacier National Park
Photo by Aaron Springston

[Marsha's thoughts]

The realization that our thoughts mean nothing is such a freeing concept to me! If we fall into the habit of believing that every thought we have will cause us harm, it's easy to get stuck in analyzing these thoughts and wondering what pitfalls will manifest because of them. Humility is a word which keeps coming to mind as I read today's lesson. We are accustomed to believing that everything we think and do is important, and it seems hard to admit our thoughts mean nothing. Sometimes it is even difficult to admit we don't know or understand things in daily life, so how can we admit that our own thoughts mean nothing? For me, it's a matter of realizing that my true self isn't contained in this body, and any thoughts which are based in materialism are changeable. And so I can humbly admit that my thoughts, even those which seem to be pretty good ones, are not 

"founded on the divine rock". With this humble admission, I am happy to see the beliefs of a lifetime dissipate, leaving me open to the divine ideas which are my true reality as a child of God. 

Mary Baker Eddy quote: 

"Human thoughts have their degrees of comparison. Some thoughts are better than others. A belief in Truth is better than a belief in error, but no mortal testimony is founded on the divine rock. Mortal testimony can be shaken. Until belief becomes faith, and faith becomes spiritual understanding, human thought has little relation to the actual or divine. A mortal belief fulfills its own conditions."

Science & Health Page 297:24-32

January 9, 2012 - I do not understand anything

ACIM Workbook Lesson #9

“I see nothing as it is now.”

Photo by Aaron Springston

[Marsha's thoughts]

Today's lesson tells us, "the recognition that you do not understand is a prerequisite for undoing your false ideas." What a relief, huh? Last night I attended a talk on quantum physics which addressed a number of fairly complex concepts. The talk lasted an hour and a half and at the conclusion the speaker asked if there were any questions. There wasn't a single one. It could be perceived we knew it all, or maybe we didn't want to know about any of this, or perhaps we didn't know enough to ask questions! When we first hear a concept like today's topic, "I see nothing as it is now", it may seem nonsensical. But the more we study and talk about these ideas, they start to seem not only possible, but plausible. As Mary Baker Eddy tells us in the below quote, it takes the practice of turning away from matter to Spirit to develop the spiritual sense which allows us to understand the concepts we're hearing about. What an exciting adventure we have waiting for us each day as we learn to understand the difference in what we've learned through material sense and the reality of Spirit.

Mary Baker Eddy quote:

"If the disciple is advancing spiritually, he is striving to enter in. He constantly turns away from material sense, and looks towards the imperishable things of Spirit. If honest, he will be in earnest from the start, and gain a little each day in the right direction, till at last he finishes his course with joy."

Science & Health Page 21:9-14