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Re: A + P used to mean something
Hello starchild1124@...,
In reference to your comment: ¨¨ This is a discussion list.... I was writing it in the spirit ¨¨ of? discussion.??? I didn't mean it personally against ¨¨ Ken and his judgement.? I was told he said to someone ¨¨ on the phone he was suing people over? the copyright ¨¨ because of an "agreement we made when we chose to ¨¨ be in? the world of form/illusion". Hey Martha .. now I finally understand why this topic is not discussed ... LOL and I should know better I work in a law firm .. and boy how stories abound when it comes to lawsuits and court trials.? LOL I remember hearing said, not sure if it was Course related or not .. but the only way one can really "know" something is if they were there in the past, present and future.? Otherwise folks will only be able to tell from a certain perspective ... the past? and/or I heard from someone .... or the present ... and definitely not the future? ... and from within the frame work of their mindset.? Very faulty set of parameters if you ask me.? :-) Another way to look at it is that two people can be at the same place at the same time, and walk away seeing different things and having different experiences. I guess that is why Ken keeps saying, just be/act normal and just be sure you are seeing this insane world with the Right Teacher, because there is really no one out there, and because folks will look at what you do (the form) and make it special .. just like they made Jesus body seeminly dying on the cross special. :::::sighing:::::: You guys are simpy marvelous. LOL |
Re: A + P used to mean something
In a message dated 7/11/03 8:02:55 PM Eastern Daylight Time, BBFBBN@... writes:
I just got back from vacation .. and I have bills galore, and now trying to get sick.? And I am not surprised ... because I had a couple of breakthroughs in Atlanta and I expect my ego to act out big time.? LOL Hi Ossie, I am smiling at parts of your post, because do you recall the state my body was acting out towards the end of the workshop?? My resistance was coming through full swing, and I was a little relieved that it was over.? Not that it was not brilliant and very helpful, but that I was having a difficult time concentrating, and walking through a two day cold.? I wanted to choke my ego, because on the last day of the workshop, I had lost my voice.? I even watched myself getting sick, for some strange reason to ensure that I would not hear what Ken was saying.? This was actually prior to making a cold in my thoart.? A good part of the experience is that a part of myself was watching the whole thing, and I was reminded to do this by Ken's comments to use everything that happens in our day as a way to get back to the mind.? He said that the purpose of my day is to let Jesus help me see the world as the entree to getting back to my thoughts. <<>> This is from my notes in the workshop, "Living a ACIM," (by the way, Ken is going to change the name of this workshop to something else.? As Martha pointed out earlier, this was the title of a workshop she has on tapes.): Ken - "Just watch yourself, and be aware of the cost of choosing the ego. Continue to observe yourself so you realize that your life is a dream.? It is a stage.? Try to remember that Jesus tells you your whole life is made up." Billy-- |
Re: curious here.
It could be something to do with Yahoo, or maybe the planets (moon
in Sagittarius and possibly full) but also this seems to be Freaky Friday or something. Weird stuff seems to be the norm today. Or maybe it is now normal? ~ Carrie --- In Disappearance_of_the_Universe@..., "mstreet" <mastreet@t...> wrote: I don't know what is happening, but a response I sent in to thisgroup, did not appear, or was not sent out to me from this group, but then a post that I sent in later, did appear. For some odd reason, it does appear to be playing tricks on me, but there is probably a very logical explanation for all of this. Another example is, I cannot post or even read back posts on the ng. And also something I posted yesterday to this group, did not appear at all in my personal "inbox" at all, but I did notice that Karen responded to it, and then I noticed, it appeared on the Yahoo site. like, a logical explanation. Don't suggest that I need a new computer (lol) as right now that doesn't seem like an option.
|
Re: A + P used to mean something
In a message dated 7/11/2003 6:24:48 PM Eastern Standard Time, BBFBBN writes:
One of the things the Ken kept emphasizing is "TO BE NORMAL"I just got back from vacation .. and I have bills galore, and now trying to get sick. And I am not surprised ... because I had a couple of breakthroughs in Atlanta and I expect my ego to act out big time. LOL Now I will not ask Jesus/HS to remove these problems or create situations that will make these problems go away. But I am in touch with the fear that surrounds all these issues. What I ask of Jesus is to see through his eyes ... show me what the fear is about ... because I know it is not about the form, even though it sure does feel like it. In the meantime I will do what normal people do ... budget, rest, take medicine etc. But my prayer is to be able to do the ego things without all the fear that is attached to it. Now I can intellectualize and say that it is about of lack ... fear of not being enough, etc., etc., ... but I want to experience ... if just for a moment "Peace" The kind of Peace that is a reminder of who I am, and I cannot do that by myself ... My fear that has manifested in the form of finances and illness etc., is really about something much deeper and that is why I need to see this with the Right Teacher. What is fascinating is that this fear shows up no matter what ego problems shows up ... it all feels the same (my son dying, relationship breaking up, job issues, etc.) ... that is how I was finally able to understand that it is not the form of the problem but the content. I set up these situations in order to not feel the Peace of God, and with continued practice and choosing the Right Teacher I will gradually stop doing things to sabotage myself, namely, undoing the ego. My favorite statement that Ken makes (which I realize is not in the Course) but is about one of the Laws of Chaos .. attraction of pain. Ken uses the analogy of sending out vicious dogs to find people, situations, etc., that will keep me from experiencing Peace ... and when they come back with blood and flesh and see their gnawing teeth (and it is not a pretty sight LOL) I am in horror at what I am seeing ... forgetting that I asked for this. In Gary's book, I think the one thing that stayed me is their persistence in telling Gary to Forgive, to continuing studying and keep choosing the Right Teacher and they assured him that he could not go wrong, and this is exactly what Jesus promises. The more I choose the Right Teacher, the more opportunities I have to forgive ... thus undoing the ego ... thus removing the block to Love's presence. "Ideas Leave Not Their Source" |
Re: A + P used to mean something
In a message dated 7/11/2003 11:26:28 AM Eastern Standard Time, starchild1124@... writes:
Of course, then he might have to try and explain how his viewsOne of the things the Ken kept emphasizing is "TO BE NORMAL" Just be aware of what you are doing and remember to have the Right Teacher with you. We are getting content and form mixed up. If you are sick, you do what sick people do, take medicine, go see a doctor Do what normal people do, just remember to ask for help. "Ideas Leave Not Their Source" |
Re: [Long] What to do when all hell breaks loose
In a message dated 7/11/2003 12:10:21 PM Eastern Standard Time, lklanglois@... writes:
As I have mentioned, I have in my home a 25 year old young woman, a student of ACIM who came to me asking for help as she is involved in a relationship where there has been some Now I see why Ken does not recommend the Course for young people. "Ideas Leave Not Their Source" |
curious here.
mstreet
¿ªÔÆÌåÓýI don't know what is happening, but a response I sent
in to this group, did not appear, or was not sent out to me from this group, but
then a? post that I sent in later, did appear.
?
I am just wondering if this has something to do with my computer? For some
odd reason, it does appear to be playing tricks on me, but there is probably a
very logical explanation for all of this. Another example is, I cannot post or
even read back posts on the ng. And also something I posted yesterday to this
group, did not appear at all in my personal "inbox" at all, but I did
notice that Karen responded to it, and then I noticed, it appeared on the Yahoo
site.
?
Could this possibly have something to do with Yahoo? I sort of like, a
logical explanation. Don't suggest that I need a new computer (lol) as right now
that doesn't seem like an option.
?
Thanks Martha :-)
?
p.s. And Mercury isn't even retrograde.
|
Something really weird...
Maybe another example of reality (as we know it) coming unglued...
or maybe just a fluke with the internet. I'm not even sure I can explain it. This morning I found in my INBOX a (new)email from someone I had once been in an egroup with. Around 3 years ago. At the time I was having a problem with some of the regulars, and this person (who was more low key) wrote me a letter of "support" saying how much she enjoyed my posts and how open and outspoken I was, etc. I wrote her back and we exchanged a few emails at the time. I didn't notice this morning, as I clicked on REPLY and wrote something back (to what I thought was another email from her- maybe in support of what seemed to have happened here?) that the reply was going to a group at "onelist" (which was later bought out and change to yahoo egroups) and the date on it was 3 Mar 2096! And on the bottom of it was a letter from me, it was in response to, dated March 2000. So, I wrote a response and sent it, and even though it was to "onelist" which no longer exhists, apparently it was received by the egroup and the person who's name was on it read it. SHE THOUGHT I WAS WRITING TO HER NOW, responding to a letter from 2000! She wrote back and said it was good to hear from me after all this time and answering a letter from 2000 sounded like something she might do. And to refresh her memory, WHICH list was it referring to? I had saved her origainl letter (of support) way back on the earlier pages of my Yahoo email and I went to look and make sure it was the same letter I had gotten this morning and it was no longer there! Thus, I received a letter in my IN BOX that I had orignally received in 2003 (though it was now dated 2096- and I didn't even have a computer till 1998) and thinking it was current, responded to it- to an address of a group that was no longer "onelist". The person got it, and wrote back, thinking I had just written to her after 3 years "out of the blue". I just checked an the date on for the letter (unopenned) in my INBOX says 1/27. The dates on the full hearder info say Mar 2000. Except for the one place that says 3 Mar 2096. I am waiting to see if she has any ideas about this, now that I've written back and told her all this. And I hadn't written to her this morning in response to the one I thought I had just received from her. Maybe computers are really taking over and manipulating our lives? More likely it's some sort of guidance to check out the egroup (which I am still member of, and is now Yahoo egroups) that I haven't thought about in a long time. Or else it's been stuck in a yahoo mail bottleneck for 3 years and just go through! Just thought I'd write about this here. I mean Gary wrote a book based on conversations with ghosts (LOL) ~ Carrie |
About Endeaver Academy and the book...
Gary's book that is.
I've been told the number of copies that were sold to Endeaver Academy and have been getting email updates saying that they have now bought (ordered) another large amount. In Karen's post the other day (as "Zak") she said "you can ask Ted". I don't mean this at all to question the truth of this, but since Ted (Hector) is listed as a member here- thought he doesn't seem to have ever posted, I thought maybe if he reads this he might explain more about this. Like just what they are finding so interesting about this book, they ordered such a large number of copies and now have ordered more? Someone mentioned (somewhere) that MT loves it and how it talks about "forgiveness" which is something he hadn't thought about before (rough quote from memory). How could someone who claims to be an Enlightened Master, teaching ACIM have not thought about (or taught) forgiveness, before? This is strictly for the sake of discussion, and maybe if Ted checks in here, and has some free time, he can tell us more about this. Also, how many people are actually at Endeaver Academy now? So that they need such a large number of books (over 100 I think) and couldn't just several copies around, between them? Oh, changing the subject, while looking at the member list to see who I might already know, I saw an email address "kelpiep" Nobody I know (that I know of) but... we happen to have an Australian Kelpie (dog) who's parents were imported from Australia. I thought the name might refer to another kelpie owner? Ours came to us more by accident than be choice and we'd never heard of the breed before. If you don't have a 300 acre sheep farm they can be trained to herd on, they are a challenge to live with. But, aside from that.... this one is sweet and VERY smart. I guess, like people no dogs come into our life by accident. ~ Carrie |
Re: [Long] What to do when all hell breaks loose
What I thought when I read this is...
"We are all teachers to/for each other" And "nobody comes into our lives by accident". I have two young roommates (my daughter and her boyfriend, who was an adopted/abused kid who left home as a teen and has a lot of issues about living with "family") Sometimes I remember the quotes I just told you, myself. Thanks for sharing so much, ~ Carrie --- In Disappearance_of_the_Universe@..., LindaL <lklanglois@y...> wrote: This one is lovingly for Red Pill (and anyone else who might wantit), because it is, I hope, practical ways to use the metaphysics of the Course. An example or examples. I'm not sure what I'm going to write yet. student of ACIM who came to me asking for help as she is involved in a relationship where there has been some "seeming" <smile> lies and a feeling of abandonment, etc. I am renting her a room for an indefinite amount of time. Her fiance is also a student of ACIM, and they are both friends of mine, although I have to admit that before this happened, I hardly really knew them. Just had seen them at discussion groups, and I go very infrequently (once every few months maybe!), so you can see I didn't know her very well. So I feel she has been sent to me to teach her and also to learn from. One thing I am learning is how to help someone. Also, it is great, because we have what amounts to at least one intensive study a day. Last night and this morning after some things I told her, she says are a "huge" help to her, so I am sharing. Mind you, this is an ongoing experiment - this technique I have used on myself and which she is trying. It's about how to perceive when you are so emotionallyinvolved in an argument or sorrow or whatever that you cannot get out of the ego. It uses heavily the metaphysics of there not being a world. I figure if you cannot use this in a practcal manner, what good is it? Here is an example where it is used. into the habit of looking at the world this way. Take watching a movie as an example. The projector is what projects the movie onto the screen. And yet it "seems" as if the movie is real. In fact, while watching it, I will forget it's not real sometimes and feel emotional while identifying with the characters - who are not real. To me, the projector represents the decision maker choosing to project either ego or spirit thoughts onto the screen called the world. The movie is the projection. I, sitting in the audience am also the decision maker choosing to either believe it's real or not. If I think it's real, I'm in the ego. If I know it's not real, I am choosing to look with the Holy Spirit. So one thing I like to practice doing is watch movies or TV or whatever and note when I am perceiving whatever I am watching as real. If I find myself getting emotionally involved in it, then I realize I am believing it is real. I find the Jerry Springer Show great for this, for example. See, Ithink of it this way. Even scientifically there is no way at all to prove that the world is real. The only way we could test to see if it were real is to use the body. No matter what experiment used, it would involve touching, seeing, hearing, etc. and there is no way to get outside this world to observe. Scientifically speaking, too, it has been found that dreams are just as real to a brain as reality. It will react in exactly the same way. There has been exhaustive scientific writing done on this, but no need for me. I am going to assume that the world is not real, because I am taking ACIM to mean what it says as an experiment. J didn't say we had to believe it; just try it. So whenever I think of it, I practice this. Even not watching TV, but while I am having a conversation with someone, for instance, I will get in touch with the decision maker and while talking, the part of me that is the observer, the part that can stand back and watch, which is the decision maker will justkind of note that what I am seeing is not real. I have found that most times it is just about impossible to remaim emotional while observing that it is not real, and what I am doing, too, is stepping aside so that the HS can work. imagine that I am actually in a virtual reality movie or play - and that I am one of the characters in the play. My part in the play is the role of Linda Langlois (currently). So I act the role of Linda - her personality - and practice, also, observing her playing this role - just as I practice watching movies and observing that it is not real. In the movies I thoroughly enjoy it and can laugh, cry, etc. all the while knowing it is not real. The same with regular life. feeling sad and was having trouble coping all day. She was upset and angry and trying not to be. She told me all these things she had been trying to get her emotions to do. Things she had been telling herself in trying to see in another way. I asked her if she had tried asking HS for help. In surprise she said, no! I suggested that might be a good first step. LOL. But she said she was so tired of being meditative of praying all the time. See, she had been trying so hard to be holy that it was just wearing on her. That's a signal to me that it's the ego. The ego makes everything so hard. So I suggested she let herself experience all the emotions she wanted but while doing so to be in touch with the decision maker and watching herself at the same time. Just with interest - not trying to stop it, but just realizing it wasn't real - it was the ego - even while allowing full vent. Scream, cry, thrash around, whatever. (I'm getting a little carried away here. LOL) I told her that it withresistance that the ego keeps hold. The more we resist, the stronger the ego will "seem". That if she practiced this, it is good, because it is a way of getting out of the way and, therefore, allowing J or HS to help. It is a way of sidestepping. She told me she was going to go to her room and have a good cry. Well, amazingly, she came out quite soon saying that well, that didn't take long. We talked about it and she realized that she had been trying to change her behavior by being spiritual and had instead started getting awfully serious and not laughing so much. I suggested she have fun. All the fun and all the crying and whatever she wanted to do. It is not the actions we have to monitor, but the decision to look upon it as real. That is the perception part. Then HS takes it from there. When we feel immobilized and helpless, this is sometimes the only thing we can do. Get in touch with the observer - the decision maker.think." USE the upset for getting in touch with what is really upsetting you. This is how I first started loving the disease of unforgiveness - or upset. LOL. (Tongue firmly in cheek.) When I am really, really upset, it is the PERFECT time to get in touch with what I am really upset about - within the deep dark recesses of the hidden ego. The ego uses the world to hide what I am really frightened about, and, yes, it is all fear. I use the whole world continually symbolizes the original upset or when we identify more and more with the HS - with love. But when I am upset, it is symbolilzing the separation, the creation of the world, etc. When I can step back and see the symbolism "out there" and then realize that it is really a projection of what I am feeling unconsiously, I can change my perception from out there to looking at myself. I may have some major resistance as I described in the lie story, but if I persist and am willing to "feel the pain", with the HS's help, I can do it.For instance, my roommate's fiance will leave her to see another woman. She feels abandoned and hurt and, therefore, angry. What to do? Well, it doesn't matter what she does, I told her, and as I illustrated above. Whatever she feels like. But if she can remove herself from the situation enough to where she can ask herself, how can I see this symbolism as being a projection of what is going on in me - or What is this for? - then she can start to allow what is buried deeply to come forth. I believe that all our longings in relationships for love, etc. are really longing for the love of God. WE MISS HIM WITH OUR WHOLE HEARTS whether we remember it or not. It felt like her boyfriend abandoned her. Does it feel like God has abandoned her? While she is open in pain about her boyfriend, she is much more likely to get in touch with that - the real issue. As we open up more and more like that, we can go deeper and deeper over time actually feeling other parts like realizing that she feelsguilty because she believes she has abandoned God. I spoke with her how in reality it is impossible that God could ever abandon her. I posted the citation from Lesson 132 where it talks about how it is impossible to tell where God ends and the Son begins. If that is so, how could we ever be separate, and, therefore, how could we be abandoned? What can be thrust off of God if it is impossible to separate because there would be no "part" that is you AND God. That part of me that God created as the Son is now part of the Son. How could God cut off part of Himself, and why would He want to? I am not speaking of the character in the play here, but much more. This character here named Linda cannot even begin to imagine being larger than the whole universe! pain to change perception, the pain disappears and there is peace, but also I have developed more trust, because it is getting at the root of the fear. Getting to the cause rather than to the effects. What is out there is effects and not cause! Time to get to the root of the matter, I say! Here, here!!
|
Re: Re-Posting: FYI: I have no control over this board
--- In Disappearance_of_the_Universe@..., "mstreet"
<mastreet@t...> wrote: that any of us are asked to give up whatever our life's scripts are, in order to practice the Course. In fact it is whithin our very life situations (whatever they maybe) that we have the opportunites of practicing forgiveness and following what the Course teaches. At least this is my understanding. having.:-) I'm not always quite sure what I mean, either (LOL) Like I was always a housewife and mother and didn't go out to work, and spent a lot of time either with the kids, or reading/writing letters (or both) I led a kind of sheltered life compared to some. And it was what I wanted. I also spent the last 15 years reading and trying to apply what ACIM says. And I know it doesn't say we have to "give up" the ego world of form. In fact in the PSYCHOTHERAPY pamphlet it says "Holy Spirit knows you have earthly needs, (need money for) since you have choisen to live in a world of form" (paraphrased from memory). Now that my kids are grown and gone (sort of) and my husband is in a nursing home, and I'm pretty much on my own for the first time in my almost 60 years, I seem to be more in a "making a life" type of mode. More "doing" (though I don't yet have a car so can't go very far- the computer more than makes up for that). Thus, I am trying to make a life "around" my ACIM beliefs. Some (probably the majority) who find ACIM and start to learn it, already have more of an "out in the world" life. Going to work, career, with or without kids. So, they already have the life (set up) and try and fit ACIM into this. As I said, not that one is anymore good/better than the other. Just different ways of looking at it. As to resolving the problems I had (very briefly) here, that is mainly Karen's doing. She emailed me and made the first move. Making the second one is a lot easier if someone else has already make the first (LOL) ~ Carrie |
Re: A + P used to mean something
--- In Disappearance_of_the_Universe@..., "Jeanette"
<jeanettejoy@e...> wrote: MessageJim, Love is there, only removing the obstacles to my view of Love, will offerme The World for which Jesus teaches.So, you are saying that if I see a problem with my brother, it's really only my own mind/perception and this is all that ever has to change? Not anyone else? LIke there really aren't any mean,unkind people "in the world" who lie and attack us- in need of defense and counterattack, including calling them names, and ignoring/shunning them? That's always how I saw what the course says. It's never anyone else, only my own mind perceiving it, and the "someone else" (something else) will change just as soon as I change my mind. And feel the joy of God instead of pain. ~ Carrie have it any other way. |
"My attack thought are attacking my invulnerability."
mstreet
¿ªÔÆÌåÓýI had not planned on sending in any more of the Lessons from Ken's tapes,
as I think that any one that wants them, can get them for themselves. :-)
However, I think this lesson should have been heard or read as whole, to get a
clearer understanding of what Ken was meaning. At least that is what came to me,
as I continued listening to it.
?
So I am hoping others too, well get a clearer
understanding from this.
?
~ Martha :-)
?
Again ... this is from Ken Wapnick's Commentaries on
the Workbook Lessons. Volume I. Tape(4) ?
LESSON 26. "My attack
thoughts are attacking my invulnerability."
?
Ken: This is another important lesson. Obviously if I have attack thoughts
then I must believe I am vulnerable. If I believe I am vulnerable, I cannot be
Christ. Because Christ is invulnerable.
?
If I am as God created me - if my reality is pure spirit then I am one with
everything and everyone. Therefore there is no one out there that could really
hurt me. So, as long as I believe there is something out there that could hurt
me, within my own body or someone else's body then I am saying that I am
vulnerable. And if I am saying I am vulnerable, I am saying once again, I am
right and the Holy Spirit is wrong.
(W-26.1-4) "It is surely obvious that if you can be attacked
you are not invulnerable. You see attack as a real threat. That is because you
believe that you can really attack."
?
Ken: Well the very fact that I am here is proving to me I can really
attack. Because - how did I get here? I can only have gotten here because I
attacked God first.
?
"And what would have effects through you must also
have effects on you."
?
Ken: Because it is all the same. As we have seen in
earlier lessons, the inner and the outer are one and the same. There is no
difference. So, if I believe I can attack, then I will also believe I can be
attacked. That is why he said in the earlier lesson that we must understand that
the thought of attacking and being attacked are one and the same. They all come
from the same thought system. And whatever I believe is coming from outside, is
inside.
?
"It is this law that will ultimately save you, but
you are misusing it now."
?
Ken: It will ultimately save me, because its saying
that everything is an illusion. What seems to be outside of me, seems to be an
illusion. What seems to be inside of me, the ego thought system, is an illusion.
?
"You must therefore learn how it can be used for
your own best interests, rather than against them."
?
Ken: Again - so what the ego says, that the law that has effects on me,
namely that I can attack others, also works the other way. That as I learn to
forgive and let the love of God through me, then that love will come back to me
as well.
?
So basically the laws of extension and projection are exactly the same.
They just have different contents. What I believe is real inside of me as an
ego, I project out, automatically. And then will believe it? is going to
hurt me in return. That is what projection is. Extension is, I identify with the
love of Jesus within me, and that love automatically comes through me and
therefore its that love I have perceived all around me. Either expressions of
it,? or calls for it.
"Because your attack thoughts will be projected, you will fear attack. And if you fear attack, you must believe that you are not invulnerable." ?
Ken: That's what proves your right, and Jesus is wrong.
?
So, Jesus says, what are you so upset about? All this is a dream. And we
say to him "What do you mean all this is a dream? Look at how I have been
attacked. Look at how I suffer. Look at the pain I am feeling. Look at the pain
other people other people are feeling. We are all vulnerable. Don't tell me this
is all a dream." And that is how we prove that we are right and he is
wrong.
?
And our pain - if we perceive it in others or ourselves - is what the final
proof is, to the ego, that God is dead and we exist.
?
"Attack thoughts therefore make you vulnerable in
your own mind, which is where the attack thoughts are."
?
Ken: If I perceive attack thoughts in you, and make
them real, no matter what you are doing. And I make them real for me, then it is
only because I have made them real inside myself.
?
"Attack thoughts and invulnerability cannot be
accepted together. They contradict each other."
?
Ken: That is another way of saying that God and the ego are mutually
exclusive thoughts.
"The idea for today introduces the thought,? that you always attack yourself first." ?
Ken: If I perceive you as attacking me, and I
react in that way, as if it were true, it is only because I attacked first in my
mind. This has nothing to do with behavior. That is what the line at the end of
"The Dynamics of the Ego" in chapter 11 says: "If he speaks not
of Christ to you, you spoke not of Christ to him."
?
Again, we are not talking about what other people are doing. We are talking
about what our perception of what other people are doing. And by this we mean,
our interpretation ... that they are attacking us.
?
It doesn't mean that you don't see attack thoughts in other people. Jesus
is seeing attack thoughts in all of his students. It is when you judge against
them, your making them real.
?
"If attack thoughts must entail the belief that
you are vulnerable, their effect is to weaken you in your own eyes. Thus they
have attacked your perception of yourself."
?
Ken: And that proves that we are right, and the Holy
Spirit is wrong. That we are sons of the ego, instead of Sons of God.
?
"And because you believe in them, you can no
longer believe in yourself."
?
Ken: And here the "self" we are no longer
believing in, would be the Christ, that the Holy Spirit is reminding us of.
?
"A false image of yourself has come to take the
place of what you are."
?
Ken: And the false image again, is the special, unique, individualized self
that we believe we are.
?
"Practice with today's idea will help you to
understand that vulnerability or invulnerability is the result of your own
thoughts. Nothing except your thoughts can attack you. Nothing except your
thoughts can make you think you are vulnerable. And nothing except your thoughts
can prove to you this is not so."
?
Ken: So everything, again, is thought. So this is
really, the early training that the workbook is giving us. To really realize
that everything is thought. And we have already seen the clear implications that
these thoughts are not the thoughts of the brain (a physical organ) but these
are thoughts that are in the mind. That come from either identifying with Jesus,
or the ego. And from these two basic thoughts - these two basic thought systems
arises a whole world, and our perception of the world. So if I feel myself
attacked, it is because I have chosen my ego as my teacher, and therefore
believe I am vulnerable. And again, this has nothing to do with what the
behavior is.
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The end. |
[Long] What to do when all hell breaks loose
This one is lovingly for Red Pill (and anyone else who might want it), because it is, I hope, practical ways to use the metaphysics of the Course. An example or examples. I'm not sure what I'm going to write yet.
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As I have mentioned, I have in my home a 25 year old young woman, a student of ACIM who came to me asking for help as she is involved in a relationship where there has been some "seeming" lies and a feeling of abandonment, etc. I am renting her a room for an indefinite amount of time. Her fiance is also a student of ACIM, and they are both friends of mine, although I have to admit that before this happened, I hardly really knew them. Just had seen them at discussion groups, and I go very infrequently (once every few months maybe!), so you can see I didn't know her very well. So I feel she has been sent to me to teach her and also to learn from.?One thing I am learning is how to help someone. Also, it is great, because we have what amounts to at least one intensive study a day. Last night and this morning after some things I?told her, she says are a "huge" help to her, so I am sharing. Mind you, this is an ongoing experiment - this?technique I have
used on myself and which she is trying. It's about how to perceive when you are so emotionally involved in an argument or sorrow or whatever that you cannot get out of the ego. It uses heavily the metaphysics of there not being a world. I figure if you cannot use this in a practcal manner, what good is it? Here is an example where it is used.
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1) This first part is a good technique to use whenever - to get into the habit of looking at the world this way. Take watching a movie as an example. The projector?is what projects the movie onto the screen. And yet it "seems" as if the movie is real. In fact, while watching it, I will forget it's not real sometimes and feel emotional while identifying with the characters - who are not real. To me, the projector represents the decision maker choosing to project either ego or spirit thoughts onto the screen called the world. The?movie is the projection. I, sitting in the audience am also the decision maker choosing to either believe it's real or not. If I think it's real, I'm in the ego. If I know it's not real, I am choosing to look with the Holy Spirit. So one thing I like to practice doing is watch movies or TV or whatever and note when I am perceiving whatever I am watching as real. If I find myself getting emotionally involved in it, then I realize
I am believing it is real. I find the Jerry Springer Show great for this, for example. See, I think of it this way. Even scientifically there is no way at all to prove that the world is real. The only way we could test to see if it were real is to use the body. No matter what experiment used, it would involve touching, seeing, hearing, etc. and there is no way to get outside this world to observe. Scientifically speaking, too, it has been found that dreams are just as real to a brain as reality. It will react in exactly the same way. There has been exhaustive scientific writing done on this, but no need for me. I am going to assume that the world is not real, because I am taking ACIM to mean what it says as an experiment. J didn't say we had to believe it; just try it. So whenever I think of it, I practice this. Even not watching TV, but while I am having a conversation with someone, for instance, I will get in touch with the decision maker and while talking, the part of me that is
the observer, the part that can stand back and watch, which is the decision maker will just kind of note that what I am seeing is not real. I have found that most times it is just about impossible to remaim emotional while observing that it is not real, and what I am doing, too, is stepping aside so that the HS can work.
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The other part of this - going even further - is that I will imagine that I am actually in a virtual reality movie or play - and that I am one of the characters in the play. My part in the play is the role of Linda Langlois (currently). So I act the role of Linda - her personality - and practice, also, observing?her playing this role - just as I practice watching movies and observing that it is not real. In the movies I thoroughly enjoy it and can laugh, cry, etc. all the while knowing it is not real. The same with regular life.
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OK. So my roommate came to me last night and said she had been feeling sad and was having trouble coping all day. She was upset and angry and trying not to be. She told me all these things she had been trying to get her emotions to do. Things she had been telling herself in trying to see in another way. I asked her if she had tried asking HS for help. In surprise she said, no! I suggested that might be a good first step. LOL. But she said she was so tired of being meditative of praying all the time. See, she had been trying so hard to be holy that it was just wearing on her. That's a signal to me that it's the ego. The ego makes everything so hard. So I suggested she let herself experience all the emotions she wanted but while doing so to be in touch with the decision maker and watching herself at the same time. Just with interest - not trying to stop it, but just realizing it wasn't real - it was the ego - even while allowing full vent. Scream, cry, thrash around, whatever.
(I'm getting a little carried away here. LOL) I told her that it with resistance that the ego keeps hold. The more we resist, the stronger the ego will "seem". That if she practiced this, it is good, because it is a way of getting out of the way and, therefore, allowing J or HS to help. It is a way of sidestepping. She told me she was going to go to her room and have a good cry. Well, amazingly, she came out quite soon saying that well, that didn't take long. We talked about it and she realized that she had been trying to change her behavior by being spiritual and had instead started getting awfully serious and not laughing so much. I suggested she have fun. All the fun and all the crying and whatever she wanted to do. It is not the actions we have to monitor, but the decision to look upon it as real. That is the perception part. Then HS takes it from there. When we feel immobilized and helpless, this is sometimes the only thing we can do. Get in touch with the observer - the
decision maker.
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2) Saved the best for the last. "I am not upset for the reason I think." USE the upset for getting in touch with what is really upsetting you. This is how I first started loving the disease of unforgiveness - or upset. LOL. (Tongue firmly in cheek.) When I am really, really upset, it is the PERFECT time to get in touch with what I am really upset about - within the deep dark recesses of the hidden ego. The ego uses the world to hide what?I?am really frightened about, and, yes, it is all fear. I use the?whole world continually symbolizes the original upset or when we identify more and more with the HS - with love. But when I am upset, it is symbolilzing the separation, the creation of the world, etc. When I can step back and see the symbolism "out there" and then realize that it is really a projection of what I am feeling unconsiously, I can change my perception from out there to looking at myself. I may have some major resistance as I described in the lie story,
but if I persist and am willing to "feel the pain", with?the HS's help, I can do it. For instance, my roommate's fiance will leave her to see another woman. She feels abandoned and hurt and, therefore, angry. What to do? Well, it doesn't matter what she does, I told her, and as I illustrated above. Whatever she feels like. But if she can remove herself from the situation enough to where she can ask herself, how can I see this symbolism as being a projection of what is going on in me - or What is this for? - then she can start to allow what is buried deeply to come forth. I believe that all our longings in relationships for love, etc. are really longing for the love of God. WE MISS HIM WITH OUR WHOLE HEARTS whether we remember it or not. It felt like her boyfriend abandoned her. Does it feel like God has abandoned her? While she is open in pain about her boyfriend, she is much more likely to get in touch with that - the real issue. As we open up more and more like that, we can
go deeper and deeper over time actually feeling other parts like realizing that she feels guilty because she believes she has abandoned God. I spoke with her how in reality it is impossible that God could ever abandon her. I posted the citation from Lesson 132 where it talks about how it is impossible to tell where God ends and the Son begins. If that is so, how could we ever be separate, and, therefore, how could we be abandoned? What can be thrust off of God if it is impossible to separate because there would be no "part" that is you?AND God. That part of me that God created as the Son is now part of the Son. How could God cut off part of Himself, and why would He want to? I am not speaking of the character in the play here, but much more. This character here named Linda cannot even begin to imagine being larger than the whole universe!
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It has been my experience that as I have used these incidents of pain to change perception, the pain disappears and there is peace, but also I have developed more trust, because it is getting at the root of the fear. Getting to the cause rather than to the effects. What is out there is effects and not cause! Time to get to the root of the matter, I say! Here, here!!
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Way, way too much writing for me. Hope this helps.
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Love,
Linda Do you Yahoo!? - Now only $29.95 per month! |
Re: Re-Posting: FYI: I have no control over this board
mstreet
¿ªÔÆÌåÓý?
What a slew of posts since last I looked.
:-)
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Hi Carrie, you wrote:
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>Some people seem to have a life and find ACIM and try and fit it
in. I found ACIM and now try and have a life that fits into that.<< ?
I am not exactly sure of what you are meaning, but I don't think that
any of us are asked to give up whatever our life's scripts are, in order to
practice the Course. In fact it is whithin our very life situations (whatever
they maybe) that we have the opportunites of practicing forgiveness and
following what the Course teaches. At least this is my understanding.
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BTW I am glad to hear that you resolved whatever problems you were
having.:-)
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~ Martha??
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Re: A + P used to mean something
--- In Disappearance_of_the_Universe@..., BBFBBN@a...
wrote: Hello starchild1124@y...,of the things that Ken cautions Course students is to judge or get intodebates about the way people do the Course.Of course, then he might have to try and explain how his views about suing people over the words in it relates to what it says in it. I recently read a quote from him about this, saying that he was suing over it because of some agreement "we made" when we came to earth to live in form. Maybe to go by the rules of the world, that the people in it have decided on? How does that relate to all the course says, like "to have, give all to all" and we can only keep something by giving it away? And "we are under not laws but the laws of God's?" If he were open to debate about what the course says, he would be asked those questions. Good practice in not judging Ken, accepting him as he is, and giving it to the HOly Spirit to take care of. subtly inBut for me, I have run into too many teachers over the years who one way or another try to make this world real, try to make thisworld a better place to live .. etc., etc., and that is not my goal. So when Ifind myself in that situation ... I just leave .. I do not debate or argue aboutit. Me too, I have a kind of bell that goes off in my head when I pick up on this stuff. LIke making the body real, and offering ways to then "heal" it. I think it comes down to whatever feels "right" for each of us. ~ Carrie our experience, there is no world, we are not here (even though wethink we are), that there is nothing good about this world, this world was made as anattack, with the ego's motto of kill or be killed which is reflected ineverything in form, and that the only way out of it is through forgiveness. This isreflected all throught out the Course.differences on how they perceive the Course, then the same thing will happen tothe Course as did the Bible.know is not in it, I just realize that is where they are and they arereceiving from the Course exactly what they need.subtly in one way or another try to make this world real, try to make thisworld a better place to live .. etc., etc., and that is not my goal. So when Ifind myself in that situation ... I just leave .. I do not debate or argue aboutit. is one, Joe Jessup of the Course_talk is another one ... and after readingDisappearance ... Arten and Pursah in their own unique style say the samething ... This world is not here .. nothing is going on here ... they repeat thatover and over again and they emphasize that the only way out of here, the way tospeed up the process is through forgivness which is realizing that we neverleft home, the mad idea did not happen ... etc., etc.make this world real. I do that enough on my own and I need all the help Iget to remember |
Re: A Question
toAnd don't you remember this whole mess started because we forgot Maybe you should have used this for a subtitle on the book, atlaugh?Yup, I do. Just joking! As Pursah says on P.348 least before trying to discuss it on internet newsgroups (LOL) I really can't get into the book too much, until I get it and read it. And I don't know much about higher math, physics and the how the universe works (in the illusion) so I won't have a problem with that. ~ Carrie |
Re: Re-posting: I have no control over this board
Salem, MA...
I just told someone in an email where all my kids live in MA and forgot about my oldest son (and wife) who live in Salem. I guess when you have 7 kids you tend to forget (LOL) We used to look for apartments there, Beverly was much nicer but more expensive. Other kids live (one lives with me in VT) Peabody, Salisbury (in the process of moving to FL (!) Saugus, Wakefield and Metheun. where I grew up was No.Revere, on the Saugus line- by the marshes, inlets to the ocean, etc. One thing I miss about living in VT is the ocean, the smell, cool breeze on a hot summer afternoon, sound of the gulls, etc. But when we first left to move to VT (the first time- long story) we also felt it was so overcrowded and polluted- and you had to be a millionaire to live anywhere ON the coast (or live in a high rise Condo on Revere Beach) we weren't missing anything by leaving. Sometimes I think I can smell the ocean now- even though it's almost 300 miles away. It's probably a combination of cow manure and road salt (LOL) We've looked into Lewiston/Auburn ME (years ago) as a possible place to move to. Waterville was another one. One negative about it is we hated that Maine Turnpike! Stephen King even mentioned it in at least one of his books. It's so long and boring... I liked the little towns like Biddeford/Saco and that area, too. Thanks for the welcome and to those who have emailed me, with the same. I have to get offline right now (for a bit) so my daughter can do her online college classes, and I can get at least something done before another day is over. It's cool and rainy today, peaceful and nice. ~ Carrie --- In Disappearance_of_the_Universe@..., "garyrrenard" <garyrrenard@y...> wrote: very good way too, and I never thought you and I had a problem. Isn't it20 miles north of you in Beverly (I was born in Salem, the next townmeaning "fox". Lewiston, Maine does have a large French population. A lot ofyears ago and built up the place. But I never had any connection to theas you say, but it sure is cold in the winter! The experiencesdescribed in the book started about 10 and a half years ago, about 3 yearsnever actually said what town I was in for the book, (I think I had some(long ago) and considered it as a place to move to. |
Re: A + P used to mean something
sonnetone
¿ªÔÆÌåÓýHi Jim,
I liked your post and would tend to agree that we
are kept in the dream because we still believe and treat it as
real.
Douglas Harding developed an excellent way to show
you there is no one there-it kind of freaks you a bit when you do it-www.headless.org?
David
|
Re: A Question
And I loved it, too, in the book where Pursah or Arten said that Jesus (or J) had an irreverent sense of humor. garyrrenard wrote: Carrie wrote: --- In Do you Yahoo!? - Now only $29.95 per month! |
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