THE GIFTS OF GOD — Sondra Ray and Markus Ray on A Course in Miracles

We are not alone in our experiences of the ego, or of our real Self. This lesson begins to show us that "minds are joined." Even in the effects of the ego's thought system, such as fear, anger and guilt, we are not alone in experiencing these. This is the first step in seeing that we share the conditions we project, or the healing we extend. We decide how we want to "see" in all instances. And we share that decision with those around us. Join Sondra & Markus in this discussion of Lesson #18. 

Sondra & Markus look at Lesson #17, "I see no neutral things."  This is a continuation of the Lesson before, "I have no neutral thoughts." The cause and effect relationship is discussed—thoughts always precede our "seeing," and our thoughts are preventing us from perceiving the "real world." In these Lessons we begin to see how difficult it is to let go of the way we are thinking now. 

Markus and Sondra discuss lesson #16 in ACIM: "I have no neutral thoughts." In this dialogue we see that thought is never idle, and it is always assessing and judging things according to its preferences. To see the nature of thought itself is to judge, is the prerequisite to coming to a still mind. 

The theme of projecting images is discussed. Sondra and Markus explore the inherent meaning of things, and the importance of giving up our "images" of things we have projected and made. There may be "light" around the things we see when we stop projecting these "images." 

If God did not create a meaningless world, then where did it come from? Sondra and Markus discuss this important Lesson in this beginning section of "undoing" in the Workbook of A Course in Miracles. A "meaningless world" is a projection of our misperceptions that make up a fearful world, a conflicting world, an unsafe world. God did not create that world, and so it does not really exist. 

Markus & Sondra discuss Lesson #13, "A meaningless world engenders fear." In this lesson it becomes clear there are two ways we can "see" things: through the eyes of our "separated self (the ego) or through the Eyes of God. Nothing really exists without meaning, but the meaning we have projected onto the life stream from the ego's perspective is a personal illusion. To give up this projection of a meaningless world usually invokes fear in us. Then we get into "competition with God" to assert our own meaning—which Jesus points out is "meaningless." 

Sondra & Markus discuss Lesson #12 in ACIM: "I am upset because I see a meaningless world." Why does a meaningless world upset us? Why are we so attached to giving meaning to how we see the world? Is it possible to give up our judgments about the world? These are the kinds of questions explored in this Podcast. 

Markus and Sondra explore Lesson #11, "My meaningless thoughts are showing me a meaningless world." ACIM is a mind training to get us to look at our negative thoughts as the precursors of painful experiences. We practice in the lesson as prescribed. Understanding is not needed. Let our eyes rest on external things, on which we apply the lesson. 

Markus and Sondra continue in the first Lessons of A Course in Miracles. "My thoughts do not mean anything." This is the correction process in which we "see" by a projection of our "thoughts" which are in the past, and are separated from our Source. 

Markus & Sondra further discuss the issue of time, and lack of higher understanding from the Holy Spirit. This lesson brings us into the present, by sweeping away the way we have been "seeing" the world through projection of the past onto it. Time is undone by these recent lessons.