Anyone here read "A Course in Miracles"? What are your experiences with it?

[lmfao]

Recently got the workbook that instead of the main text, since it was on Leo's booklist. In this book you're going through one "lesson" a day, and applying it. It'll give you an idea and you are to apply that idea to what you see during the day. e.g. here's lesson 1 https://acim.org/workbook/lesson-1/ 

I just find this method of applying these conceptual ideas weird. I'm giving it a go regardless. But the book says that even if you disagree with a lesson or your mind actively resists it, merely applying it even if you don't accept it is fine. The book says it isn't asking you to accept these things and just believe them, but the way these exercises are structured seems to contradict that. Thoughts? 

At the end of the day it comes down to your mindset and the relationship you create with a given idea. Any concept or idea is as dogmatic or liberating as you make it. Your relation with it is what characterises it rather than the it itself.

Regardless though, I am interested to see if anyone here has done these workbook exercises and how its worked with them.

I think I just naturally feel a bit weird since I'm usually against " woo woo" stuff and just put up resistance. And it makes me feel weird and uneasy. I've always been the sort of person who disliked affirmations or cheesy things. Maybe its a sign the demonic entities in me are shrieking upon being doused with holy water.  When I can simply use the lessons presented as alternate perspectives or as ideas which negate a previously held idea. Good teachings give you concepts which negate your currently held concepts. 

Edited August 17, 2020 by lmfao

[VeganAwake]

Its definitely interesting that's for sure.

Some ACIM names that come to memory: David Hoffmeister; Marianne Williamson; Michael Mirdad; Jon Mundy; Alan Cohen; Aaron Abke.

I would recommend reading "A Course in Miracles Made Easy" by Alan Cohen.... it's a great read ❤

 

 

Edited August 17, 2020 by VeganAwake

[Nahm]

Don’t think it, do it.  

[lmfao]

@VeganAwake I'll stick with the workbook for now

@Nahm Will do champ 

[sholomar]

I'm reading "Disappearance of the Universe" right now along with the book written by his wife about healing which is pretty good. I also bought some of Ken Wapnick's books on kindle. I find the Course itself to be so complicated in the way it's written that it doesn't resonate with me. Another hangup of sorts is I have all this scientific knowledge in my brain about evolution, psychology, how the human brain works (the older limbic brain comprises most of our emotions) and also ponder things like "what about animals?" ... do they practice forgiveness? Do they have souls? They mostly operate on instinct minus consciousness, so more limbic brain and less prefrontal cortex... and what about other planets in the universe?  Are we all just trying to get back to the source?  Part of me wonders if "enlightenment" isn't simply a chemical release of oxytocin in the brain and if pure evolution isn't the ultimate truth. Never having had an enlightenment experience, out of body experience, near death experience, or any sort of psychic encounter, I guess I should perhaps get ahold of some psychedelics so I can experience for myself, or go to a haunted house, something so I can get some concrete proof of this "afterlife" for starters which will make all this enlightenment stuff stick more to my scientifically minded brain. In the meantime I understand all this spiritual work is meant to strengthen the parasympathetic nervous system, reduce sympathetic activation, and thus calm us down and make us more at peace.  I understand the amygdala and other related structures create the emotions we know of as fear, anger, stress, anxiety, combined with our thoughts and some instincts our DNA comes pre-wired with. 

If anybody has read any books that merge spirituality (specifically enlightenment) and science (focusing in particular on evolution and human psychology) if you could post them that'd be great. Thanks!

 

In the meantime browsing these forums more might get me some more insights.   One of my new rules is to only browse forums that promote laughter, playfulness, or growth, and not anger, hatred, divisiveness (godlikeproductions, lunaticoutpost, and city-data politics forums were my favorites in that catagory)

Edited September 24, 2020 by sholomar

[Adamq8]

@sholomar

The mind illuminated, is something i can recommend ? but honestly the best thing right now may be a psychedelic trip cause it will make you question science, ive always been intrested in science but when i did 200 mcg LSD on my last trip i got a vision of scientists studying this world when it was sooooo obvious that is a hallucination that i rolled on the floor laughing ? 

[GoingHome]

I’ve just finished reading Gary Renard’s trilogy “The disappearance of the universe”, “Your Immortal Reality and “Love has forgotten no one”. Then tonight I finished Marianne Williamson’s book “A return to love”. I’ve heard many have walked away from the course due to it not making sense and these books can help prepare you for the course. I’ve ordered the course for my husband and I so still waiting for it to arrive. The books to prepare were amazing though and I’m blown away by it all already! 
 

I’ve seen in some of ACIM Facebook groups it being advised to read the teachers manual first as it uses plain language and can help set a foundation for the text and the workbook. So we will probably start that way. 

[Moksha]

After coming across a couple of quotes from ACIM, it's on my "to read" list. The religious pointers are slightly off putting, but I just plan to replace "God" with "Source" while I'm reading

Here are the quotes that convinced me to read it, if you're interested:

“Nothing real can be threatened. Nothing unreal exists. Herein lies the peace of God.” (Introduction)

“It has taken time to misguide you so completely, but it takes no time at all to be what you are.” (15:1)

[Amit]

Rightly said, It's never about what you think, but what is. Not letting your inner chattering stops you from doing what it takes is the real work

[Zigzag Idiot]

On 8/17/2020 at 0:03 PM, lmfao said:

Regardless though, I am interested to see if anyone here has done these workbook exercises and how its worked with them.

This was similar to my experience but I determinedly moped my way through it. One aspect it showed me though was my discontinuity of Consciousness. It took me almost three years to finish it  because if the exercises slipped my mind in the morning or for a large part of the day, I would just wait until the next day and as much as possible, carry them out as instructed.The workbook was definitely the least favorite part of the Course for me. 

The main text was a completely different experience. I loved it and read it through it very quick and have continued to reread it off and on. It truly inspires me to do the difficult things. Such as forgiveness instead of grudge holding. Letting go of  grievances and overlooking or looking past others transgressions against myself or others. The practice of not judging or forgiveness in my opinion is the main focal point ACIM. It is such powerful thing, yet the practice of forgiveness will never be a popular teaching. IMO

It does have a definite patriarchal tone which for some is just too much. It bothered me somewhat but I was able to let go of the associations and thoughts which cropped up at times.

To get rid of, or reduce one's violence and negativity is terribly difficult task but has a really powerful transforming effect. It can give one an unsought new virtue or maybe an unexpected curious kind of a new power or will that's hard to explain.

My friend and Teacher recommends reading 3 pages of the text along with doing one of the workbook exercises per day. Doing this makes it a one year Course.

I enjoyed Gary Renard's books after I read the main text.

[lmfao]

@Zigzag Idiot Thanks for sharing. I hadn't really thought too much about the theory untill I saw this post of yours. I'm considering looking at the online free pdf of the theory whilst I have the workbook. 

Interesting that you didn't like the workbook as much as the main text. And I can relate to you about this missing days thing. Under 50% of days am I taking on an exercise it seems, barely over lesson 20.

 

That said, I've been loving it so far. Even though it's a workbook, it states many spot on truths in the explanations for the lessons that leave me like "wow". 

The most recent wow moment being the lesson "What I see is a form of vengeance", in that I'm paranoid about being hurt and punished by (the world) /(God) , and hence close off my self. 

 

[lmfao]

@GoingHome it's great that you read those books, if what I've practiced of ACIM is of any indication of how good they are. 

Also, that baby in your pfp is adorable! 

Edited September 25, 2020 by lmfao

[GoingHome]

48 minutes ago, lmfao said:

@GoingHome it's great that you read those books, if what I've practiced of ACIM is of any indication of how good they are. 

Also, that baby in your pfp is adorable! 

I start ACIM next week, am very excited, although I feel I’ve already started as the concepts are becoming life to me as I drove past my old church today (we don’t attend church anymore and haven’t for 9yrs or so) I started going through lists of names of all the people I remembered forgiving them and forgiving myself. I usually can’t drive past the church with judgement but it wasn’t present today. Only love.

 

The baby in my photo is my granddaughter who’s now 3. She is a twin so I have two of these precious beings as forgiveness lessons and to learn unconditional love. 

[Bojan V]

Hello from Slovenia☺️

A Course in Miracles is my spiritual path. I completed the Workbook twice. The first time in 2006/7. It took me 13 months to finish it. The second time was almost 2 years ago, i think also in 13 months.

The unpleasant thing with every spiritual path, including ACIM, is the shadow work. It is really difficult to accept and integrate the repressed unconscious aspects of myself. So the main issue i had with practicing the lessons from Workbook is the resistance i felt while i confronted the hiden pain. But i also discovered that A Course in Miracles is such a gentle path. It uncovers only a small amount of the shadow, so that we are able to deal with it efficiently and not be flooded with it. 

In my opinion ACIM is for people who prefer slower and safer way, for people with strong intelect ( not necesserily formaly educated, but who can understand complexity of both the ego and the text), but  especialy for people whos ego is low structured, like mine is. Also people with a preference for christian and psychological terminology will like it.

It is important to say that ACIM does not contain christian theology.

I hope that helps.

If you have any question i would be glad to answer if i can.

Edited October 8, 2020 by Bojan V
Spelling errors