Welcome to active meditation.
A course in miracles.
Lesson 10.
Why thoughts do not mean anything.
We prepare for this exercise by placing our body in a comfortable position so that we won't have to move it for several minutes.
We close our eyes.
We take three deep breaths to relax our mind and body.
The out breath longer than the in breath.
And to help relax we remove all expression from our face.
Do this now.
Place your body in a comfortable position.
Take three deep breaths.
And remove all expression from your face.
And release all expression from your face.
This is a course in miracles.
It is a required course.
Only the time you take it is voluntary.
Free will does not mean that you can establish the curriculum.
It means only that you can elect what you want to take at a given time.
The course does not aim at teaching the meaning of love.
For that is beyond what can be taught.
It does aim however at removing the blocks to the awareness of love's presence,
Which is your natural inheritance.
The opposite of love is fear.
But what is all encompassing can have no opposite.
This course can therefore be summed up very simply in this way.
Nothing real can be threatened.
Nothing unreal exists.
My thoughts do not mean anything.
This idea applies to all the thoughts of which you are aware,
Or become aware,
In the practice period.
The reason the idea is applicable to all of them is that they are not your real thoughts.
We have made this distinction before and will do so again.
You have no basis for comparison as yet.
When you do,
You will have no doubt that what you once believed were your thoughts did not mean anything.
This is the second time we have used this kind of idea.
The form is only slightly different.
This time the idea is introduced with my thoughts instead of these thoughts,
And no link is made overtly with the things around you.
The emphasis is now on the lack of reality of what you think you think.
This aspect of the correction process began with the idea that the thoughts of which you are aware are meaningless,
Outside rather than within,
And then stressed their past rather than their present status.
Now we are emphasizing that the presence of these thoughts means that you are not thinking.
This is merely another way of repeating our earlier statement that your mind is really a blank.
To recognize this is to recognize nothingness when you think you see it.
As such,
It is the prerequisite for vision.
Keep your eyes closed for these exercises and introduce them by repeating the idea for today quite slowly to yourself.
Then add,
This idea will help to release me from all that I now believe.
The exercises consist as before in searching your mind for all the thoughts that are available to you without selection or judgment.
Try to avoid classification of any kind.
Let's practice.
Notice the thoughts moving through your mind.
Say to yourself,
Say to your mind,
My thought about,
Name the thought,
Does not mean anything.
Do this now.
This idea will help to release me from all that I now believe.
In fact,
If you find it helpful to do so,
You might imagine that you are watching an oddly assorted procession going by,
Which has little,
If any,
Personal meaning to you.
As each one crosses your mind,
Say,
My thought about this does not mean anything.
My thought about that does not mean anything.
Today's thought can obviously serve for any thought that distresses you at any time.
In addition,
Five practice periods are recommended,
Each involving no more than a minute or so of mind searching.
It is not recommended that this time period be extended,
And it should be reduced to half a minute or less if you experience discomfort.
Remember however,
To repeat the idea slowly before applying it specifically,
And also to add,
This idea will help to release me from all that I now believe.
Let's practice again.
Notice the thoughts moving through your mind.
Watch the assorted procession going by.
Note that it has little,
If any,
Personal meaning to you.
As each thought crosses your mind,
Say,
My thought about this does not mean anything.
My thought about that does not mean anything.
I will be silent.
My thoughts do not mean anything.
This idea will help to release me from all that I now believe.
Continue repeating this.
Let's return to our regular waking state of thoughts,
Feelings and actions to time and space.
And as we do this,
We know that our personality has made progress in developing a working relationship with our higher self,
The conscious presence.
Take a few deep breaths to help establish the waking state.
And return fully alert,
Comfortable in all instruments of awareness,
The heightened awareness of our environment and the knowledge,
I am aware.
I am.
Nothing real can be threatened.
Nothing unreal exists.
Herein lies the peace of God.
