Ask: What does the Course mean by "ideas leave not their source"?


“…What does the Course mean when it says: ideas leave not their source? I just can’t seem to get a true understanding of that.” LDP

“Ideas leave not their source, and their effects but seem to be apart from them. Ideas are of the mind. What is projected out, and seems to be external to the mind, is not outside at all, but an effect of what is in, and has not left its source.” (T-26.VII.4)

“There is no world apart from your ideas because ideas leave not their source, and you maintain the world within your mind in thought.” (W-132.10)

Your experience of peace or conflict is the effect of thoughts (beliefs) in your mind. You may project the source of your experience outward and feel that someone or something else has caused your experience, but that does not make it so. Your “world” (experience) has its source in your thoughts (beliefs, perceptions), which never actually leave you when you deny them by projecting them away.

For example, let’s say a friend has treated you in a way that you see as unfair. Because you believe this, you are angry with them. Your view of their actions determines how you experience their actions. After your initial emotional response (defensive anger), you can think it through. Did they really treat you unfairly? Was that their intention or an unintended consequence of actions they took? The answer you come to will determine whether you continue to be angry and whether you continue to have this person in your life. You also want to look at your own determination of their actions as “good” or “bad” or “right” or “wrong” and at the story you tell yourself with these judgements.

You see how you build your world with your thoughts? The source of your thoughts is you, not someone or something else. And your thoughts never leave you.

This is important to know so you can change your experience by changing your mind.

“A thought is in the mind.  It can be then applied as mind directs it. But its origin is where it must be changed, if change occurs. Ideas leave not their source. The emphasis this course has placed on that idea is due to its centrality in our attempts to change your mind about yourself. It is the reason you can heal. It is the cause of healing.” (W-167.3)

Another corollary to this idea is that, as a thought, or part of, God’s Mind, you have never left God, your Source. Therefore, the ego’s (personal thought system’s) premise for guilt is erroneous.

“I walk with God in perfect holiness.
Today's idea but states the simple truth that makes the thought of sin impossible. It promises there is no cause for guilt, and being causeless it does not exist. It follows surely from the basic thought so often mentioned in the text; ideas leave not their source. If this be true, how can you be apart from God? How could you walk the world alone and separate from your Source?” (W-156.1)

“God wills you learn what always has been true: that He created you as part of Him, and this must still be true because ideas leave not their source.” (T-26.VII.13)

>>>> 
If you want to benefit from my experience and lighten your process, email me at Liz@acimmentor.com to set up an appointment for mentoring. Learn more at www.acimmentor.com.

Comments

will said…
Good piece.
Tes said…
I love the way you piece things together from beginning to end. Great thoughts following the Course and super writing skills! ❤️
Christine said…
Good Peace.
will said…
LDP, Your question reminds me of the beginning of years of confusion which hasn't entirely abated. I started getting confused by words like "mind." The different levels both use the word mind ( dream vs. Truth or human vs. Spirit). When reading the text or workbook I was continually trying to figure out who or what was being referred to. I was continually asking Liz for help but I was unable to understand what she was saying.

The end result was years of unrelenting confusion. I had the will, the determination to figure it out but what was once an asset became a true nightmare. The harder I tried the worse it got. "I and You" were other words that sent me down the rabbit hole.

I don't know if this is what you are going through but I wanted to mention it.
will said…
I have had, just a couple of times in my life, where I was angry at a person thinking I was punishing them only to find out they were totally unaware I had been angry.

I don't even remember the circumstances. But I can vaguely remember my reaction to this. It was confusion. It was almost like I had been handed something but had no idea what I was holding.

I can remember a kind of mental blankness, but that really doesn't describe it. My avenues were cut off. I couldn't get angry again, that was past. I couldn't go through this long convoluted explanation. I would look like a fool or at the least feel like one. Did I feel cheated out of the effort I had put into my anger? Like I was somehow unappreciated? Or worse, disrespected?

Standing there, holding this unknown and unknowable thing, the ego was close to madness.
Unknown said…
'Ideas leave not their source' is to remind us of right causation. Your mind is the CAUSE, the world/bodies are the EFFECT (not the other way around). And as long as the mind values it it will project a world/bodies to project its BELIEF in SIN, GUILT AND FEAR onto. When the sleeping mind awakes the world of bodies will no longer be valued - and disappears ! Into the nothingness from where it came - and only LOVE is there! God is ...
Love, peace and gratitude everyONE <3
will said…
I read something interesting the other day, I think it was in Wapnicks book A Vast Illusion but I'm not sure. Anyway in a condensed version as I remember it, they were talking about psychics seeing into the future in a workshop. To see something it has to have already happened. So the psychics see the past we are reliving. What happens is what they are seeing is not linear. It's like a ball of confusion. They are seeing events, that they think are linear in time but they aren't. They are seeing random events and then reporting them as linear. How do you like them apples? (As my dad used to say:-)
will said…
No, hold on, wait a minute, just wait a second. I think the correct version was "How do you like them beans? You can probably insert whatever fruit or vegetable you choose without someone calling you out on it.
will said…
I used to delete these inane posts but I have been reprimanded enough times about doing that so I'm trying to leave it for better or worse. You'll have to take it up with those folks.
ACIM Mentor said…
Will: I'm calling you out on mentioning plant-based foods at all at this blog. What are you thinking, man???
ACIM Mentor said…
LOLOLOL

Anyhoo...what I understand in what I call the "timespace collapse" I've been experiencing (as in seeing myself here at Hannah's months before I got here) is not a future that is really past because somehow it's already happened, but instead that all of time really happened at once. The moment the idea of not-Truth arose it was undone by Truth's all-encompassing nature. Only within the idea of time (the opposite of Timelessness, the state of Truth) does it seem as though the idea began long ago and will be undone in some indefinite future. So, that one instant of undoing we experience in time as unfolding in a linear fashion, but it all really happened at once.
Anonymous said…
Meanwhile back at the ranch…

The Course is full of these one liners. There are two things going on with “Ideas leave not their source.” There is the intellectual understanding of how it fits into the Course teachings. A piece of the puzzle so to speak. The other is there is very strong message being given if we will take the time to look at it.

In our high tech culture we never question for a second that the things we say (often in anger) are seen as physical missiles out there to hurt someone. And with that belief people often are. But the Course asks us to visualize the victim in this case having internalized how this one liner actually works for them. The victim looks at what is being said to them and knows instinctively that the words have nothing to do with them and they move on. The words and thought behind the attack belong only to the personal mind that thought them up. Words leave not their source.

On the other side, if you like being on a pedestal it isn’t so great either. The compliment is given but it too is just a thought of the personal mind giving it. Of course, we eagerly lay claim to it and bask in its warmth. No one is doing anything ‘wrong.’ It takes a lot of discipline, time and effort to internalize the real power in this one liner. But once you have it, it will set you free!
will said…
Whoops!
will said…
The comment about our high tech culture is not a put down. It is a fact that communication is running at tremendous speeds. Talking, thinking, typing, watching everything is in overdrive. If you were born into it this seems normal. You sacrifice depth when you increase speed. You skim the surface like a rock skipping across water when thrown. One reason the Text is difficult is we approach it at the reading speed of a novel. The Holy Spirit is well aware that a mind running on steroids is not going to understand the Course. We are forced to slow down our reading and in turn our thinking.
hannah said…
haha.. bit cheeky Liz calling Will out on the plant based foods thing, seeing as she had to buy another fridge to fit her vegetables in.. how do you like them cumquats? ;)

will said…
A second refrigerator? A second refrigerator? The girl can't weigh 100 pounds! What is she doing with a second fridge? Oh Hannah, you are so fortunate to have us to lean on in these training times. You go girl, we are behind you!
ACIM Mentor said…
Hey, the 'fridge's are small here, okay? No US-sized behemoths...And you have to convert pounds to kilos or stones for Ms. Hannah...and I weigh about 9 stone...

Speaking of which...you should see the size of celery here. Honest to god, I've never seen anything so huge! Double the length and width of what I was used to. I couldn't stop exclaiming and laughing right there in the produce section of the supermarket. Ms Hannah had to walk away from the crazy American...I needed the other 'fridge just for the celery, see...
will said…
Oh Hannah, this is much worse than we realized! Something has happened to our girl. She is talking about a refrigerator for giant celery. I can't imagine how startled you must have been at the grocery store. Send pictures!! :)
will said…
So, a stone in Australia, England and Ireland is about 14 pounds. A person who weighed 10 stone and 4 would be 140+4=144 lbs. Google seems to be saying the stone measurement is used primarily for body weight. Something that might prove handy over here.
hannah said…
must inform you both that i can only deal in kilos, i dont know from stones .. but aside from that, Will, i heartily accept your much needed support :D you should have seen her trying to figure out our raisins. the story did not run smoothly and she has reluctantly converted to sultanas.
will said…
I am having fun with this but in all seriousness the celery, the stones etc. is all very interesting.

Have you ever read The Fatal Shore, The epic of Australia's founding" by Robert Hughes? It's a tome, but is excellently written and extremely interesting.


Back to raisins. I have gotten a curiosity about the fruits and vegetables you have in Australia. I'll check out these raisins!
will said…
You mean currants? It's best if you tell me what problems she is having:-)
will said…
God the celery is Big! And the carrots too. Hahaha. It must be fun having a newbie from the states to teach.
ACIM Mentor said…
Will, what they call sultanas are what we call golden raisins, although I think more processed. However, neither are up to the quality of what is grown and sold in the US. Very dried out things. I gave up on the raisins because they were pricier. Also, not seedless, so gritty. Spoiled American!

Much here is very much like the US. Supermarkets are laid out the same, etc. Sometimes even the same brands, but those are usually more expensive. But then I run into things that are unfamiliar or are missing. For example, of course their tea aisle offers much more, being tea drinkers. But good luck finding decent salad dressing! It's a tiny section here.
will said…
Projection & "ideas leave not their source"

“Projection still has this “hurling” connotation, because it involves hurling something you do not want, and regard as dangerous and frightening, to someone else.” Helen scribes as Jesus dictates.
“A Course in Miracles, Based on the original handwritten notes of Helen Schucman”, Complete & Annotated Edition, Circle of Atonement.
Kindle edition.

Devil Inside
INXS
Here come the woman
With the look in her eye
Raised on leather
With flesh on her mind
Words as weapons
Sharper than knives
Makes you wonder how the other half die
How the other half die
Makes you wonder, wonder, wonder
Warner/Chappell Music, INC.
Unknown said…
in the illusion it is OK to set boundaries with "others".. such as someone who is physically abusive etc. boundaries set in love from the right mind, is a good thing. Yes everything I see outside of myself is a projection of my own mind.. however, other like forms are also projecting.. its like we all contribute into a salad bowl and even a melting pot of projections mis-creating the illusion we believe is real. first of all I know I can not change or make decisions for anyone in this illusion .. the only action I have, is to accept the atonement for myself and mentally invite all others to do the same.. forgive myself, look at my ego and the other egos and see the differences without judgement.. to see we are all one is my goal... and that I and others have not separated from God .. thoughts do not leave their source... While this is the TRUTH I still need to operate in this illusion by choosing in love decisions that do not perpetuate more suffering and pain. If I "feel" that it is best to walk away from another ego because I have noted by observations patterns of behavior that are not conducive to keeping my peace, the most loving thing to do is to walk away, that would be my lesson for that moment. Am I actually walking away from my ego self, not in denial.. but, yes.. and seeking into my TRUE mind to clear the obstacles to LOVE yes. As I undo the thoughts of the ego thought system by choosing it less and less because I am actively choosing the HS and owning the projections I make from my ego based thought system, without judgement.. there will come the moment that I can truly say I am in the world but I am not of this world.. all forms have been forgiven.. and I no longer see the differences but the oneness we all are.

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