Welcome to active meditation.
A Course in Miracles.
Lesson 9.
I see nothing as it is now.
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 will be opening them up again for this exercise.
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.
This is a Course in Miracles.
It is a required course.
Only the time you take it is voluntary.
Some of the ideas the exercises present you will find hard to believe.
And others may seem to be quite startling.
This does not matter.
You are merely asked to apply the ideas as you are directed.
You are not asked to judge them at all.
You are asked only to use them.
It is their use that will give them meaning to you and will show you that they are true.
The purpose of the workbook is to train your mind in a systematic way to a different perception of everyone and everything in the world.
I see nothing as it is now.
This idea obviously follows from the two preceding ones.
But while you may be able to accept it intellectually,
It is unlikely that it will mean anything to you as yet.
However,
Understanding is not necessary at this point.
In fact,
The recognition that you do not understand is a prerequisite for undoing your false ideas.
These exercises are concerned with practice,
Not with understanding.
You do not need to practice what you already understand.
It would indeed be circular to aim at understanding and assume that you have it already.
It is difficult for the untrained mind to believe that what it seems to picture is not there.
This idea can be quite disturbing and may meet with active resistance in any number of forms.
Yet that does not preclude applying it.
No more than that is required for these or any other exercises.
Each small step will clear a little of the darkness away and understanding will finally come to lighten every corner of the mind that has been cleared of the debris that darkens it.
These exercises,
For which three or four practice periods are sufficient,
Involve looking about you and applying the idea for the day to whatever you see.
Remembering the need for its indiscriminate application and the essential rule of excluding nothing.
For example,
I do not see this computer as it is now.
I do not see this smartphone as it is now.
I do not see this arm as it is now.
Let's practice.
Open your eyes.
Look around you.
Locate some objects.
Say to yourself.
Say to your mind.
I do not see this object as it is now.
Spend some time doing this.
I will be quiet.
Close your eyes.
Begin with things that are nearest to you and then extend the range upward.
I do not see that boat ride as it is now.
I do not see that door as it is now.
I do not see that face as it is now.
It is emphasized again that while complete inclusion should not be attempted,
Specific exclusion must be avoided.
Be sure that you are honest with yourself in making this distinction.
You may be tempted to obscure it.
Open your eyes.
Look around.
Begin with the things that are nearest to you and then extend the range upward.
Say to yourself.
Say to your mind.
I do not see that object as it is now.
Spend some time practicing this exercise.
Do this now.
Close your eyes.
I see nothing as it is now.
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 with a heightened awareness of our environment and the knowledge,
I am aware.
I am.
Nothing real can be threatened.
Nothing unreal exists.
Wherein lies the peace of God.
