Welcome to Active Meditation A Course in Miracles,
Lesson 34 I could see peace instead of this.
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,
Or on myself.
I could see peace instead of this.
The idea for today begins to describe the conditions that prevail in the other way of seeing.
Peace of mind is clearly an internal matter.
It must begin with your own thoughts and then extend outward.
It is from your peace of mind that a peaceful perception of the world arises.
Three long practice periods are required for today's exercises.
One in the morning and one in the evening are advised,
With an additional one to be undertaken at any time in between,
That seems most conducive to readiness.
All applications should be done with your eyes closed.
It is your inner world to which the applications of today's idea should be made.
Some five minutes of mind-searching are required for each of the longer practice periods.
Search your mind for fear thoughts,
Anxiety-provoking situations,
Offending personalities or events,
Or anything else about which you are harboring unloving thoughts.
Note them all,
Casually,
Repeating the idea for today slowly,
As you watch them arise in your mind and let each one go,
To be replaced by the next.
If you begin to experience difficulty in thinking of specific objects,
Continue to repeat the idea to yourself in an unhurried manner,
Without applying it to anything in particular.
Be sure,
However,
Not to make any specific exclusions.
Let's practice.
Search your mind for fear thoughts,
Anxiety-provoking situations,
Offending personalities or events,
Or anything else about which you are harboring unloving thoughts.
Note them all,
Casually.
Say to yourself,
I could see peace instead of this.
Repeat this slowly as you watch the thoughts arise in your mind.
Then,
Let each one go,
To be replaced by the next.
I'll be quiet while you do this.
I could see peace instead of this.
If the inroads on your peace of mind take the form of more generalized,
Adverse emotions,
Such as depression,
Anxiety,
Or worry,
Use the idea in its original form.
If you find you need more than one application of today's idea to help change your mind in any specific context,
Try to take several minutes and devote them to repeating the idea until you feel some sense of relief.
It will help you if you tell yourself specifically,
I can replace my feelings of depression,
Anxiety,
Or worry,
Or my thoughts about this situation,
Personality,
Or event with peace.
Let's practice again.
Review a current or recent state of mind in which your peace of mind was or is threatened.
Say to yourself,
Say in your mind,
I can replace these feelings,
Or I can replace these thoughts with peace.
Do this now.
I could see peace instead of this.
The shorter applications are to be frequent and made whenever you feel your peace of mind is threatened in any way.
The purpose is to protect yourself from temptation throughout the day.
If a specific form of temptation arises in your awareness,
The exercise should take this form.
I could see peace in this situation instead of what I now see in it.
I could see peace instead of this.
I can replace my feelings of depression,
Anxiety,
Or worry.
I can replace my thoughts about this situation,
Personality,
Or event with peace.
I could see peace in this situation instead of what I now see in it.
I could see peace instead of this.
I could see peace in this situation instead of what I now see in it.
The inner is the cause of the outer.
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.
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.
