Welcome to Active Meditation A Course in Miracles,
Lesson 31 I am not the victim of the world I see.
Take a few moments to prepare for meditation.
I'll be silent while you do this.
I do not know the thing I am,
And therefore do not know what I am doing,
Where I am,
Or how to look upon the world,
Around myself.
Today's idea is the introduction to your declaration of release.
Again,
The idea should be applied to both the world you see without and the world you see within.
In applying the idea,
We will use a form of practice which will be used more and more,
With changes as indicated.
Generally speaking,
The form includes two aspects.
One,
In which you apply the idea on a more sustained basis,
And the other,
Consisting of frequent applications of the idea throughout the day.
Two longer periods of practice with the idea for today are needed,
One in the morning and one at night.
Three to five minutes for each of these are recommended.
During that time,
Look about you slowly while repeating the idea two or three times.
Then,
Close your eyes and apply the same idea to your inner world.
You will escape from both together,
For the inner is the cause of the outer.
Let's practice.
Open your eyes.
Look about you slowly.
Say to yourself,
Say in your mind two or three times,
I am not the victim of the world I see.
I am not the victim of the world I see.
Close your eyes.
Now,
As you survey your inner world,
Merely let whatever thoughts cross your mind come into your awareness,
Each to be considered for a moment and then replaced by the next.
Try not to establish any kind of hierarchy among them.
Watch them come and go as dispassionately as possible.
Do not dwell on anyone in particular,
But try to let the stream move on evenly and calmly without any special investment on your part.
As you sit and quietly watch your thoughts,
Repeat today's idea to yourself as often as you care to,
But with no sense of hurry.
Practice this now.
Observe the stream of your thoughts.
Repeat to yourself,
I am not the victim of the world I see.
I'll be silent.
The idea for today is also a particularly useful one to use as a response to any form of temptation that may arise.
It is a declaration that you will not yield to it and put yourself in bondage.
Let's practice again.
Open your eyes.
Look around slowly.
Say to yourself,
Say in your mind,
Several times,
I am not the victim of the world I see.
I am not the victim of the world I see.
Close your eyes.
Survey your inner world.
As you witness the stream of your thoughts,
Repeat to yourself,
I am not the victim of the world I see.
Watch these thoughts move through your awareness,
Each to be considered for a moment,
And then replaced by the next,
Evenly and calmly,
As you might watch clouds float through the sky.
As you quietly monitor your thoughts,
Repeat as often as you like,
With no sense of hurry,
I am not the victim of the world I see.
Practice this now.
In addition to the three to five minutes in the morning and evening,
Repeat the idea for today as often as possible during the day.
Remind yourself that you are making a declaration of independence in the name of your own freedom,
And in your freedom lies the freedom of the world.
I am not the victim of the world I see.
Remember only this.
You need not believe the ideas,
You need not accept them,
And you need not even welcome them.
Some of them you may actively resist.
None of this will matter or decrease their efficacy.
But do not allow yourself to make exceptions in applying the ideas the workbook contains.
And whatever your reactions to the ideas may be,
Use them.
Nothing more than that is required.
The inner is the cause of the outer.
I am not the victim of the world I see.
Take a few deep breaths.
And as we return to time and space,
We acknowledge,
I am aware.
I am.
Nothing real can be threatened.
Nothing unreal exists.
Herein lies the peace of God.
