ACIM Mentor

…I am a married man with a very good female friend who I feel very close to. She is also a student of ACIM and we frequently discuss it. I find myself wondering...what is she really? Is she really just a vain imagining of my real self? Perhaps a reflection or projection of what my ego self believes itself to be? – MW Who anyone is to you depends on whether you choose to identify with a personal self or with Truth. Truth (God) is formless being. The experience of Truth is boundless love and peace and joy. It is an experience of wholeness. When you are identified with a personal self you are out of touch with your natural state of being. So you feel conflict and lack. You seek to supply this lack through the personal self and you see relationships as the way to do this. The personal thought system (ego) teaches you that others are your source. It projects the cause of your unhappiness onto them. It also tells you that in others you will find the peace and happiness that you seek. Th...

I wonder about insurances. Oddly, I have homeowner's and car insurance because they are required and they don't seem to concern me. I recently changed professions and now am without health insurance. I want to be open to guidance but find I am unsure. I know ACIM talks about not making plans for uncertainties. What are your thoughts regarding this? – PB You are unsure what to do because you are concerned with acting in a way that is “right” or “good” or in line with Truth. This is a common mistake for new students of A Course in Miracles because you are used to thinking that the personal self is you and that the goal is for you to “fix” the personal self to be “right” in the eyes of a separate, authoritarian god. But that god does not exist. It is only a projection of guilt. As the Course uses the word, God is the one Being that is, not something separate with authority over you. And the goal for you is not to be “right” but to return to your natural state of peace. The...

Is prayer for physical things based on fear? I’m a fifty year old man with a very struggling business. I have been studying the Course for about nineteen months now with regular meditations. I’m in debt that I accumulated over the years and they have gone to such an extent that I am now receiving threats. I normally pray for love and peace but deep down there is strong yearnings to pray for money and good fortune for my business so that I can pay these people, get my business in shape and focus on my spiritual path. Is prayer for money intervention in order to pay my debts based on fear? -HPWS Fear certainly leads you to feel that you need to pray for anything. And your strong desire to pray for money and good fortune reveals that you still believe that your fear is caused by the personal self’s lack of money. The flip-side of this is that you feel that the personal self having enough money will release you from fear. It’s true that if the personal self had enough money to pay its ...

Lesson # 183 of the workbook for students for ACIM call upon God's Name, and to repeat HIS Name while sitting silently. My question to you is this: DO I NEED TO HAVE A NAME OF GOD TO DO THIS LESSON? Being raised in the Eastern culture, I know that Muslims call God's Name by Allah, Hindus call God's Name by Bagwan and in the West, I've heard some Christians call God's Name by Jehovah…I often call God's Name by Love because it has all the attributes of what God Is…Can you please share your thoughts about calling upon God's Name? – JJ No, you do not have to have a name for God to do Lesson 183 because God does not have a name. The word God is the label given in A Course in Miracles to the experience of formless being. This experience is boundless love and peace and joy. What this lesson means to bring into focus for you is that God’s being is your being. So you can use the word God for this lesson or you can use any other word that evokes the experience o...

I have been studying spiritual paths for several years now and there is one question that nags me most often. How do I distinguish between setting healthy boundaries for what I think I need and setting boundaries out of fear instead of love? I understand when it comes to things like not accepting physical abuse. My struggle comes from less obvious situations. For example, my ex, after 2 years of dating, decided she wanted to be able to date other people. I knew that what I wanted was a monogamous commitment from a partner, but I attempted to stay in the relationship because I loved her and I thought not being willing to open the relationship to include others was fear based. Eventually, I decided that, fear based or not, it wasn’t what I wanted and lovingly exited the relationship. I still don’t know, however, if this was loving or fear based boundary setting. Any insights you have would be greatly appreciated. ‑VLB A fear-based decision for the personal self means one that comes from ...

…I would like to know more about acting/behaving in this world. Even when I am able to become still, to get present, to let spirit show me the truth (and/or the right thing to do or say), I still operate within this dream. I still have physical and emotional struggles, I still have friends and family in crisis, and that's just what's right in front of me ... there's a "world" out there full of suffering. I "know" that this is ego perception, that it’s not real, even if I haven't awakened from the dream. But since I haven't ...I guess I don't get present too often. Is that "the answer"? That all we can do is get still, listen to spirit for guidance, and practice true forgiveness? Is that what's meant by "you need do nothing?" ‑NK Yes, “I need do nothing” is about practicing what A Course in Miracles calls the holy instant. This means bringing your mind into the present, turning it within, and opening it to God. In the ...

…In '84 I had an experience that has become central to my understanding of oneness. …I awoke… to discover that my body was visibly radiant with a golden energy, the heart being the locus. My initial concern was replaced with awe and a feeling of joyful exultation. I moved my attention from my body to discover that everything without exception (animate and inanimate) was radiant with this golden energy. I went outside...all was on fire with this golden light that, far from being a soft ephemeral glow, crackled with the intensity of a million volts. Emotionally I was overtaken with an awesome feeling of love and connectedness.After I came to normal consciousness, basking in the afterglow of this amazing experience, this instructive phrase was "given" to me (by the Holy Spirit?): Rest/abide as That I AM in, as, and through all arising. To this day, for me, this is the epitome of spiritual wisdom and a touchstone for truth. …Now, for the question: What do you make of this? Is...

I've recently joined a community action group and met some new people. To make a long story short, I got the impression that one of the young women really does not like me. I know it shouldn't bother me, but it does. Obviously, there's something in my mind that still believes strongly in the idea of being liked. How can I heal this tendency? – SD When you want something from others you make them your god. You tell yourself that they are the source of your well-being. If you get from them what you want (in this case, being liked) you are at peace. If you do not get from them what you want you are shattered. A Course in Miracles shows us that this is how the personal thought system thinks. “You are my source…” This woman may or may not like you. You don’t really know what is going on in her mind. But it does not matter. You see what seems like her dislike of you and that is very real to you because it reinforces thoughts that are already in your mind. If she seemed to like yo...

…I've found that the Course's context has been a problem for students who have non-Christian beliefs (Muslims, Hindus etc). Why does a universal message such as A Course in Miracles have to come in a specific religious framework? And, does that not inevitably breed separation and at the same time denying the universally of specific religion?Indeed, the Christian language of A Course in Miracles , not to mention the presence of Jesus throughout the material, can pose a great challenge for students of other cultures. If my personal-self is looking for a way to invalidate the material or throw up obstacles, then Jesus and Christian can be helpful allies in this battle against the Truth (God).On the other hand, asking for the Holy Spirit for help can introduce yet another challenge for non-Christian readers. Speaking for myself, I miss the rituals I used to practice my religious upbringings. The Course seems to be directed more toward a Western audience than other cultures. Its...

...Having accepted (maybe as blind faith) that this material world in which we ‘dream’ ourselves is an illusion, I find myself looking with wonder at the natural world around me, here in the peaceful country close to the sea. Everything seems miraculous...I could go on marveling for pages and only touch the edges of the wonder. But then I tell myself this is all illusion. That God ‘doesn’t know about it’. So how did all this amazing design come about?...I had to visit the nearest city. As the bus took me further and further into the busy streets, the grubby buildings, the crowds blind to each other as they rushed in and out of shops‑the illusion idea wasn’t hard to grasp… ‑MDT The universe of form is projected by what A Course in Miracles calls the son of God . This is the part of Mind that contains the idea of not-God (illusion/ego). It is split between God and the idea not-God. Your seemingly-individual mind is made in the image of this split mind. When you see beauty and ugliness i...

I wonder exactly what is meant by "extend love" or how one extends love. Is it a loving intention toward the person, or a wish for them, or what? Can you give an example? – JO “Extending love” means replacing unloving thoughts in your mind with the awareness of Love in your mind. For example, your peace of mind is disturbed while watching something on television. Your peace is gone because you believe that what you see is reality. You extend Love in this situation by turning inward to Truth (God), feeling Love’s Presence within you, and remembering that It, not the images appearing, is What is Real. It may take you a while to accept that only your own thoughts cause you pain. So at first you may feel that you need to extend Love “out there” to the images that seem to be causing you pain. Or you may extend Love to another who is sharing their painful story with you. You can do this by imagining the situation or the person in a Loving Light. Or you may use some other image to ...

Can you please explain further these comments you made? What do you mean by "victimhood"? What do mean that I am attached to a role I play? What is my personal story? I have to look at the story I have about myself. What does that mean? - JJ The personal thought system (ego) in your mind has a story for you. A Course in Miracles refers to this as your individual or personal past. This story begins with your birth into the world and includes your childhood, adolescence, etc., all the way up to now. This is your “personal story” and it is not an obstacle to peace in itself but functions as one when you identify with and are attached to it because it is not reality. In Reality you are One with God, so you are formless being. But you have an idea in your mind of a form (body) in a universe of form. It seems like this idea began at the “birth” of the body, but really it is just an idea in your mind right now. In itself this idea is not an obstacle to peace. You can choose to sim...

As a student of the Course , I've learned that you'll need your learning the most in situations that appear to be upsetting rather than in those that are already calm and quiet. Why is that? Can you explain for me? - JJ It’s not that you need your learning only when confronted with discordant appearances, but, perhaps, that you choose to use your learning only when confronted with discordant appearances. The only way to lasting inner peace is through an awareness of Truth (God), but when one first becomes aware of Truth and experiences peace, they are not likely to accept yet that this is the only way to lasting peace. So, at first, when you are in pain, you are likely to turn to Truth only after you have exhausted all of the other ways that you have sought to relieve yourself. Then, when Truth brings you the relief that you want, you let It slip from your mind until you find yourself in pain again. In other words, at first, you use an awareness of Truth as a band-aid, rather...

Lesson 65 of ACIM - Workbook for students says: "God gives only happiness, therefore, my function is happiness." Speaking for myself, after witnessing the March 11th, 2011 Japan's massive 9.0 magnitude earthquake followed by 30 feet high tsunami… I am wondering just how can people be happy and fulfill their goals and function of happiness under these devastating situations? I've been pondering on these probing questions while practicing the daily lessons of the Course: Does God really love us? Does God have a different plan of survival for us? Does God exist? Does God have a different Will than what we will for us? Does God have nothing to do with what we will in life? Does God not want us to make this world a better place to live? Does God have nothing to do with such disasters? Can you please explain for me? – JJ I addressed the specific issue of the earthquake and tsunami in Japan in an earlier article, and that answer ties into the answers for your other questi...

...you advise making God real to oneself. I have been a student of the Course since 1992. I still am not able to "make God real" to me, or for that matter, Jesus. On the other hand, I do realize that I am not truly willing to let go of my personal story and I am experiencing fear and anger much of the time, especially at my husband of 40 years. Periods of peace are now less frequent than before I began the Course . How does one get to the point of experiencing God and Peace? – PM Actually, I do not advise making God real to you, but allowing God into your awareness. This is done simply by being willing to have God come into your awareness, and shows up either as a direct Revelation of God (very rare among individual minds, and within an individual life) or a miracle (very common, and necessary to become aware of God). (It is not necessary for Jesus to be real to you for you to have inner peace. The story of Jesus is simply a metaphor for spiritual awakening, and it is no mo...

I feel angry at "Joe" and I'm attacking him in my mind. Then, I remember to choose again and follow ACIM steps of forgiveness. First, I recognize my anger or attack thoughts. Then I recall that ideas leave not their source e.g. my rage is actually a projection of my belief that I'm separate from God and take responsibility. Third and last step, I ask the Holy Spirit to take it from here by healing a grain of my mind. Twenty minutes later I feel angry at Joe again about the same issue. Did forgiveness fail to work? Could it be that since my anger is really about my own guilt over thinking God is still separate, that it's irrelevant whether I project onto Joe a 1000x or a 100 different people 10x, it's all the same. Each attack thought episode is an opportunity to "bring home" to my mind projected attacks and give them over to the Holy Spirit. Or am I just making excuses for Course forgiveness that really doesn't work and I'm just deluding my...

… I am 64 years old, have melanoma and have just started ACIM and am on lesson 25…I have read others that say that it takes years to learn the Course and I may not have that. I know that nobody knows how long they will live but my case seems to be different than say a 25 year old. Do you have any comments about that? – DH A Course in Miracles is a self-study course for inner peace. Inner peace is the result of an awareness of Truth (God) as Truth, which you may have had before you picked up the Course , or which may have begun for you when you picked up the Course . In my own experience, and through my own observations of others, it does seem to take at least 20 years after first becoming aware of Truth for one to reach comprehensive peace, and longer still for one to reach complete peace, if this is their goal. In any case, all students of the Course begin to have a more peaceful experience as soon as they start seriously studying it, and their peace increases as they go along. I’...

a) I know I'm a part of God. Yet I cannot deny that there is a body which is my vehicle in this life. So there must be a purpose or reason for which this energy from God manifested in this form (my body, mind, spirit in this lifetime). I need to perform a "role" in this life to fulfill that purpose. Why do I need to perform a "role" in this dream/illusion we're living in? b) Secondly I'm a part of God (drop in the ocean) and God (the ocean) is all there is anyway, so everything including my body, mind (including the idea of separation that leads the mind to create the sense of personal self or ego), spirit - these all are part of God as well. So are all illusions and dreams, part of God - aren't they? Because God is all there is. So why do we need to wake up from the dream or illusion as that is also part of God? – MK If, as a person, I think, “I am a frog”, that idea is not a part of me; it is just an idea that is over the instant that I think it b...

I was recently healed of a persistent resentment while in the presence of a person who has dedicated her life to teaching ACIM. It was like a feeling of warmth and deep healing of that old wound/habit just by being in the presence of her love. What do you think happened? This was not intellectual; it seemed to be some sort of radiant experience. Of course in the Bible, it is mentioned that for example the woman was healed by touching Jesus's robe. What do you think happened? I have heard of folks being healed just by being in the presence of Teachers of Love of different religions. How would this be explained by ACIM? Thank you. – EH You were healed because you chose healing. All forms of discord – physical, emotional, and/or intellectual - are of the personal self, which is a thought in your mind. So, all healing occurs in the mind of the one who thinks that discord is occurring. You were open to seeing peace and love in this teacher, which reflected the peace and love within you,...

…a) I have been reading about "A Course in Miracles" and here is what it says: We are all one with God. Sometime (which never happened, since time is an illusion), there was this tiny mad idea of separation (duality). From that tiny mad idea, we bought into a dream that we were separate from God, and that's basically how the universe as we know it was formed (the Big Bang). None of this is real, however, and when we wake up, we'll have an experience of oneness with God again; an infinite, eternal Oneness. b) Another thought system, which I believed to understand so far, puts meaning and purpose behind this "illusion". God is said to have desired an experience of him/herself objectively, either as a fun game (hard to play Ludo by yourself), or according to some beliefs, as a means of continued evolution and development. Thus, The One sent out parts of him/her-self into an illusion of duality, so that The One could experience him/her-self as that which is ...