In terms of A Course in Miracles, a special relationship is any relationship (with anything though we tend to think of it as between people) that we use as a substitute for Oneness with God. It might be a special hate relationship, in which we feel justified in projecting hate and anger onto someone, orContinue reading “On Special Relationships in A Course in Miracles”
Author Archives: Sean
Choosing Between Belief Systems
The problem is never the specific feeling I am having – I am angry, say. Rather, it is the belief system from which the specific feeling reflexively arises. Ultimately, that is where the problem is solved. That is where we will find Saint Paul’s “peace that surpasseth understanding.” In A Course in Miracles, this meansContinue reading “Choosing Between Belief Systems”
Meaning and Inherency: The First Lesson of A Course in Miracles
The first lesson of A Course in Miracles teaches us that meaning is not inherent: it does not reside “in” the dog, or the table, or the stack of books, or the picture of our children laughing at the beach. Nothing that we see – ever – means anything (W-pI.1). And of course we couldContinue reading “Meaning and Inherency: The First Lesson of A Course in Miracles”
Looking at the Looker
So as we go through our lives there is a sense in which we feel wronged, say, or blessed. Things happen, people do things, or don’t do things, and we experience those effects as good or bad, and then respond accordingly. But we never give much attention to the self that is experiencing these effectsContinue reading “Looking at the Looker”
Following Jesus in A Course in Miracles
It is a mistake, I think, to approach A Course in Miracles as if it were merely a light-hearted picnic en route to the Gates to Heaven. It is not that an emphasis on inner peace and joy is wrong per se, but that it can distract one from the actual forgiveness inherent in theContinue reading “Following Jesus in A Course in Miracles”
On Attention to Thought
When I say “give attention to thought” I mean literally sitting quietly and observing what is happening in the interior. A thought about moonlight arises and I look at it – does it have an edge? Where did it come from and where does it go? Can I stay with it? Does it respond toContinue reading “On Attention to Thought”