Ask: How did you deal with anxiety and panic?

…I was interested when reading your personal story, that you experienced anxiety and panic attacks… there is a lot of talk about "energy therapy" that releases the "trapped" energy in the subconscious mind.  I use it sometimes and it does help to bring me back to a rational state of mind where I can then more clearly ask the Holy Spirit for guidance.  Do you have an opinion on this?

If you don't mind sharing, how did you approach dealing with your anxiety and panic attacks?  Were you using the course at the time? You spoke about "processing" time with the Holy Spirit.  How did you go about doing that and were you able to remove subconscious blocks and beliefs by doing that alone?

Sometimes, when doing the exercises, I feel a literal "block" almost like a brick wall that makes it very difficult to absorb new thoughts and truths. –SL

            Yes, I used to experience anxiety and panic attacks. They began before I was a student of A Course in Miracles and continued for many years after I began the Course. I got past them not by focusing on them but by growing my awareness of Truth. In time, as Truth became a real experience for me and not just a nice idea, they fell away naturally.

            If energy therapy works for you that is great! Use whatever works. You make the choice for healing and the means for healing manifests in the universe of form in a way that works for you.

            When I refer to “processing” in my writing I am talking about letting the thoughts that fill your mind just go on by. For example, if you meditate at the end of the day your mind is likely to be filled with thoughts about what happened that day. Just let those thoughts run their course without embracing them or fighting them. You will find a need to let your mind process not just at the end of a busy day but often after an intense movie or TV program or when you are in the midst of any emotional experience. When the processing is done you will find it easier to quiet your mind and open it to Truth.

            Apart from processing and communing with Truth I also look with the Holy Spirit at mistaken beliefs that are obstacles to peace. If a false belief is not conscious, but I know that it is there because of the guilt, fear, and/or anger I feel, I ask the Holy Spirit to help me find it. Then, with the Holy Spirit, I look at the belief from an awareness of Truth and undo it. This practice and my experiences of Truth combine to help me undo my blocks to peace.

            Don’t worry about doing the Workbook perfectly or understanding every lesson. You are not going to be ready for every idea in it. For one year just do a lesson a day as best you can that day. You are only meant to practice the lessons for one year, but you will want to go back and read the Workbook through as you would the Text. And just as with the Text, you will understand more each time you read it.

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Learn about the books The ACIM Mentor Articles, The Plain Language A Course in Miracles, and 4 Habits for Inner Peace at www.acimmentor.com.

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