ACIM Workbook
Healing Perspectives

Lesson 19

“I am not alone in experiencing the effects of my thoughts.”

There are no private thoughts because there are no private minds. I am realizing that the idea of anything being ‘private’ is all just a fabrication, an illusion. In truth, we are all joined in one mind. As I am willing to let go of thoughts of separation, I help my brother let go of thoughts of separation. As each of us refuses to join with illusions, it gradually falls apart because even in the ego thought system, it takes two to agree in the illusion for it to hold together.

Telling myself often that I do not know what anything means helps me to open my connection with the Holy Spirit and receive a corrected perception. The Holy Spirit, which is also called Universal Inspiration, works through all of us as we are willing to have an open mind. As we join with the one Mind, the one Mind is all we see. Today I practice again, holding Holy Spirit’s hand, realizing that I am not alone in experiencing the effects of my thoughts.

There is only one word that is different between the central idea of yesterday’s and today’s lessons — seeing and thoughts. The lesson points out that seeing is the effect of thoughts, and cause and effect are never separated. One does not come before the other. They are simultaneous. The ego ploy of projection is an attempt to disconnect cause from effect and then make the effect appear to turn on us and be a cause of our distress or vulnerability. So the recognition of the unbreakable connection between cause and effect is central to our release from the hell of separation, the hell of the ego thought system.

Because cause and effect cannot be separated, everything we see is the effect of our thoughts. This puts everything we see in our domain, subject to our thoughts. We can change our thoughts and thus we can change what we see. We cannot be a victim because we are the master of our domain. The full recognition of this is the end of the ego, for it is the recognition that oneness is real and separation is illusion.

Once again I am seeing that this one lesson, if fully embraced without reservation, would bring about my complete release and return me to my Home in Love. The Course acknowledges that this is not a leap that I am willing to make at this time. I am grateful that it does not judge me for that. It simply offers an exercise to help me move in the direction of freedom. I am so grateful for the gentleness of the Course. Its ideas may be upsetting at times and I may resist them tooth and nail, yet the Course gently urges me on to take one more baby step toward my complete release from all limitation. I am willing to keep practicing, because I want the peace of God.

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