Lesson 8: My mind is preoccupied with past thoughts.

Jan '24 (edited) • Feed

INTRODUCTION OF THE IDEA OF "PROJECTION"

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In this section of the workbook, Jesus introduces the concept of the world's unreality, emphasizing the idea of projection. While the notion of projection was implied in previous lessons, it becomes explicitly identified in the upcoming lessons. Jesus underscores that our perceptions are meaningless because they originate from our thoughts, and our egoic thoughts, being devoid of true Meaning, are also meaningless. This is a major teaching to understand:

"This idea is, of course, the reason why you see only the past. ²No one really sees anything. ³He sees only his thoughts projected outward. ⁴The mind’s preoccupation with the past is the cause of the misconception about time from which your seeing suffers. ⁵Your mind cannot grasp the present, which is the only time there is. ⁶It therefore cannot understand time, and cannot, in fact, understand anything." (ACIM, W-8.1:1-6)

Here, our main "misconception about time" is that we think time is real. But what was based on the false idea of separation will only extend its falsy content when projected as an illusory world of separate things ruled by time. In the same way, what was based on the true idea of Oneness will extend its truthy content of love when projected as the forgiven world of the Sonship ruled by the Holy Instant ("the present, which is the only time there is" (ACIM, W-8.1:5). Kenneth Wapnick explains very nicely the connection between the two following major concepts of the Course:

!!! "Projection makes perception" & "Ideas leave not their source" !!!

"Jesus is here introducing the idea that what we see outside comes from what we think inside, a major theme of the text: “projection makes perception” (T-13.V.3:5; T-21.in.1:1). What we believe and have made real about ourselves within, whether as children of the ego or children of God, will be directly reflected in what we perceive outside, because the inner and outer are the same. This is a variation of the essential principle in A Course in Miracles that ideas leave not their source.”

Excerpt from Journey through the Workbook of "A Course in Miracles", Kenneth Wapnick, Vol. 1, p 27.

A REVERSAL OF PARADIGM: "I THINK, THEREFORE... I AM NOT."

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"The purpose of the exercises for today is to begin to train your mind to recognize when it is not really thinking at all. While thoughtless ideas preoccupy your mind, the truth is blocked. ³Recognizing that your mind has been merely blank, rather than believing that it is filled with real ideas, is the first step to opening the way to vision." (ACIM, W-8.3:1-3)

René Descartes will undoubtedly turn in his grave but, "if I think, I am not". What would be accurate to say, however, is that "if I think, I exist". Which is a polite way to say that I'm not real. We have touched on this, in yesterday's lesson with the "I exist" (based on past associations) VS "I am" (as an ever-present awareness) concept. The only way I can exist is within the confines of time, an illusional construct where we project our illusionary selves, like unsubstantial images projected on a screen. They might be compelling, but they are nonetheless unreal.

When Jesus says "While thoughtless ideas preoccupy your mind, the truth is blocked", not only does he bring back the theme of our upsets, but he labels them as "thoughtless ideas" and clearly states that they act as an obstacle to the truth. It is difficult to swallow for our untrained minds because we are used to taking our issues and difficulties seriously. Most of us, when we are suffering, feel like we exist for real, our problems too and we "really" and "truly" do suffer because of them.

CLOSING OUR EYES TO DEVELOP OUR VISION...

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"The exercises for today should be done with eyes closed. ²This is because you actually cannot see anything, and it is easier to recognize that no matter how vividly you may picture a thought, you are not seeing anything." (ACIM, W-8.4:1-2)

(I love these outrageous statements 😁) It shouldn't escape our notice that Jesus's first instruction for us to develop our sight is to close our eyes. Jesus is asking us to turn our attention to the inside so that we can recognize that there is nothing out there for us to see. His message couldn't be more clear. The only thing there is to see are images that we project, convincing illusions but illusions through and through. The thinking process is the projector. Bellow the illusionary images, there is a blank screen, our mind, a void that we anxiously try to fill because its emptiness seems to threaten our very selves by mirroring the absence of "any-thing" and "any-body".

This is why the Cogito, ergo sum of Descartes has been such a successful idea in Western philosophy, it so elegantly reinforced our belief in a dualistic world. If we want to see beyond illusions and touch on the Truth, we have to withdraw our investment not only in what we see (lessons 1, 2, 3, 6, and 7) but also in what we think (lessons 4, 5, and 8), we have to withdraw our investment in illusionary images based on illusionary thoughts. This back-and-forth between what we see and what we think in these early lessons is a very deliberate attempt from Jesus to help us make the connection.

ITEMS OF ATTENTION:

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🎯 FROM THE CONCEPT OF "PROJECTION" TO THE PRACTICE OF "MIND-SEARCHING": once again, Jesus will have us look very specifically at our thoughts. This is something we should pay attention to and get used to. Doing our daily lesson is not merely reading the lesson or repeating its title like a mantra. It is by engaging in the mind-searching and self-inquiry process that we are going to correct our perception. Like developing a "discernment muscle" that remained atrophied for lack of use. Jesus wants us to really look at what is going on in our minds because that's where the errors were made, and where they will be corrected (the so-called "miracles").

With as little investment as possible, search your mind for the usual minute or so, merely noting the thoughts you find there. (ACIM, W-8.4:3)

🎯 CHECK-IN: how are you doing, guys? Here I'm alternating between anxiety and excitement depending on the day, lesson, and my attitude toward my lesson. I feel like I kind of glossed over my first year of lessons and like I'm uncovering a new layer of understanding. This is not saying much as we are now privy to the fact that we don't understand anything at all, lol! 😜

💫💙 Have a delicious day/evening full of joy 💙💫

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* My comment on this lesson follows my studying of the in-depth comment of the same lesson by Kenneth Wapnick in his published work, Journey through the Workbook of "A Course in Miracles". While it may sometimes contain my thoughts on it, it is essentially my humble take and summary of the masterful work of Kenneth. I share them here in the hope that someone might find them helpful.

** I also share, in these ACIM posts, the wallpaper images that I use on my phone and change every day to help me commit to my lesson, in the hope that some might enjoy them as well. Here is the link to a Dropbox folder where you can download the lessons's wallpaper for mobile I have uploaded so far.

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