I presented the ideas in this blog at a while ago in Ann Arbor, Michigan. If you’re a student of the Course, I’d love to receive your comments. If you’re new to it, you may find its teachings helpful to your personal growth. It has changed my life!
What is A Course in Miracles? (from Wikipedia)
The book, A Course in Miracles (ACIM), consists of three sections entitled “Text”, “Workbook” and “Manual for Teachers.” Its purpose is to bring about a “spiritual transformation,” In 1965, Helen Schucman began working at a medical center as Bill Thetford’s research associate. When their weekly office meetings became quite contentious, Thetford concluded that “[t]here must be another way.” Schucman believed this interaction triggered a series of visions, dreams, and heightened imagery, along with an “inner voice” that told her: “This is a Course in Miracles, please take notes.” The next day, she explained her “note taking” to Thetford. To her surprise, Thetford encouraged her to continue the process. Schucman said that the writing made her very uncomfortable, though it never seriously occurred to her to stop. The transcription was completed in 1977. ACIM is published by the Foundation for Inner Peace in Novato, CA.
General Principles of ACIM : Gigi’s Ideas (Workbook lesson # in parentheses)
A miracle is a shift in perception. We choose God’s loving thoughts over ego’s fearful thoughts. We can align our minds with either Love or Fear.
Love: God. Spirit. The only reality. Everything that comes from love is good: e.g., peace, service, care.
Fear: The ego. Illusions. The part of the mind that knows only fear: judging, separating, attacking. God did not create the ego. It’s driven by bodily instincts for survival and competition. When people operate out of fear, it’s simply an appeal for help.
Who Am I, Really? “We’re spiritual beings living in a human body.”
I am a beloved child of God. I am spirit. (But I’ve forgotten this.) (114)
I am not a body. I am free, for I am still as God created me. (201)
God is in my mind. My mind holds only what I think with God. (141)
Don’t Trust Ego’s Thoughts
Ego’s voice is the first one and the loudest one we hear. It tells us happiness is not in God; that it’s in worldly people, places & things.
I’m never upset for the reason I think. (5)
I’m upset because I see something that isn’t there. (6)
I see only the past. (7) I have no neutral thoughts. (23)
The world I see holds nothing I want. (128)
“It’s His/Her Fault!”
We’re sinless in God’s Eyes: We love ourselves & others because God does. Fear (ego) separates us from our own spirit AND one another.
When people operate out of fear, it is simply an appeal for help.
What I see is a form of vengeance (attack/defense). (22)
My grievances hide the light of the world. (69)
There’s Only One of Us Here
What we see in another is what we believe about ourselves. As we love and forgive others, we dissolve our sense of separation from God and our fellows. We’re students and teachers to one other.
To give and receive are one in truth. (108)
All that I give is given to myself. (126)
I’m not alone in experiencing the effects of my thoughts. (18)
How to Escape Ego and Fear
Every time we’re disturbed, we need to reject ego’s negative perceptions and ask God (Love) to help us see things differently. There is no “order of difficulty” to either problems or miracles. They’re all the same: either misperceptions or the truth.
IWant to Be Free of Ego’s Perceptions
I share God’s will for happiness for me. (102)
I am not the victim of the world I see. (31)
The past is over. It can touch me not. (289)
I could see peace instead of this. (34)
I Choose Love over Fear
I am determined to see this differently. (21)
Let miracles replace all grievances. (78)
Let every voice but God’s be still in me. (254)
I rest in God. (109)
Love is the way I walk in gratitude. (195)
Related Prayers
Third Step Prayer: God, I offer myself to Thee – To build with me and to do with me as Thou wilt. Relieve me of the bondage of self, that I may better do Thy will. Take away my difficulties, that victory over them may bear witness to those I would help of Thy Power, Thy Love, and Thy Way of life. May I do Thy will always!
Seventh Step Prayer: My Creator, I am now willing that you should have all of me, good and bad. I pray that you now remove from me every single defect of character which stands in the way of my usefulness to you and my fellows. Grant me strength, as I go out from here, to do your bidding. Amen.
The Activity of God(J. Sig Paulson — Unity Church): The activity of God is the only power at work in my mind, heart, and life. All false beliefs, all negative appearances are dissolved right now by the loving, forgiving action of God. I am whole, strong, and free as God created me to be.
Want to Learn More?
Start with Marianne Williamson’s A Return to Love. Then get my friend, Karen Casey’s, two wonderful books, Daily Meditations for Practicing the Course and52 Ways to Live The Course in Miracles. https://www.amazon.com/Karen-Casey/e/B001IGNGO2
Gigi Langer has studied ACIM since 1988. She now attends Course study groups in Michigan and Florida. Langer is a certified facilitator of Gerald Jampolsky’s Attitudinal Healing, a program that helps children and adults struggling with diseases apply the ideas from ACIM. More about Gigi and her books at https://gigilanger.com
My latest book “Love More Now,” is greatly inspired by A Course in Miracles and Jerry Jampolsky’s Attitudinal Healing. It’s a pretty simple recipe for peace of mind: CHOOSE LOVE (an open heart) OVER FEAR (a closed heart). Two major sources of fear are thoughts about the past and future.
What is Attitudinal Healing?
Jerry Jampolsky, one of the early readers of A Course in Miracles, simplified its complex lessons into the 12 Principles of Attitudinal Healing (AH). AH groups have grown into a worldwide service that can be applied to almost any difficulty.
The 12 Principles of Attitudinal Healing 1. The Essence Of Our Being Is Love 2. Health Is Inner Peace, Healing Is Letting Go Of Fear 3. Giving And Receiving Are The Same 4. We Can Let Go Of The Past And Future 5. Now Is The Only Time There Is And Each Instant Is For Giving 6. We Can Learn To Love Ourselves And Others By Forgiving Rather Than Judging 7. We Can Become Love Finders Rather Than Fault-Finders 8. We Can Choose And Direct Ourselves To Be Peaceful Inside Regardless Of What Is Happening Outside 9. We Are Students And Teachers To Each Other 10. We Can Focus On The Whole Of Life Rather Than The Fragments 11. Since Love Is Eternal, Death Need Not Be Viewed As Fearful 12. We Can Always Perceive Others As Either Loving Or Fearful And Giving A Call Of Help For Love
Principle 4. We Can Let Go Of The Past And Of The Future
The past is there for our learning. All of our experiences are valuable ones and add to our growth, if we choose to view it that way. Things that we have done that we label as “wrong” are merely experiences for us to learn from and build upon. It does not serve us, however, to dwell on the past. Things like “if only I had done this or that” or “I wish it were different” only serve to hinder us. The fact is that we are in the present and we need to deal with what is going on NOW. This, again, is done by retraining our minds to stay aware and alert. It is so easy to slip into either the past or the future, but we are not truly alive unless we are living in the present moment. The future can be exciting or scary, depending on what is going on in our lives. We can dwell on the anxieties of the future all we want, but it surely does not give us peace. There is an important distinction here. All this doesn’t mean that we shouldn’t make plans for our future. Of course, that is important. The distinction is that while we are making plans for the future, our consciousness remains in the present. We can’t foresee the future, so it isn’t productive to dwell on what may or may not happen. We can only set our intentions for the future, like making reservations, and then take steps to make them happen when they actually manifest and become the present. The important aspect of this Principle is that we can elect to change past thoughts that are not beneficial, or that are hurtful. To do this, it is important to become aware of them, and then make a conscious decision to let them go. If they come back again, we just repeat the process. Every time something comes up that we don’t want to hang onto, we can make a fresh decision to erase the tape. One of the concepts that is particularly valuable in Attitudinal healing is “My mind can change all thoughts that hurt.” This is a powerful tool if we want to change our perceptions and create a new reality.
More About Attitudinal Healing You can easily find Attitudinal Healing groups by searching in your area. They are helpful for anyone who is struggling with any life situation. Many years ago, I joined my mentor, Jane, in California to become a facilitator for Attitudinal Healing groups. What a wonderful experience. Plus, I got to meet the late Jerry Jampolsky
Love More Now: Facing Life’s Challenges with an Open Heart is now available from Amazon HERE or Barnes and Noble HERE. PAPERBACK ($9.99) E-BOOK ($4.99) These low prices last through April, so get your copy now! Thank you for helping readers find Love More Nowby POSTING a REVIEW on Amazon.
Gigi Langer has been sober 37 years, and holds a PhD in Psychological Studies in Education from Stanford University. Formerly crowned the “Queen of Worry,” Gigi resigned her post many years ago and now lives happily in Florida with her husband, Peter and her cat, Easter.
I just had an ah-ha moment while reading this in A Course in Miracles (ACIM): “Learning is invisible, and what has been learned can be recognized only by its results.”
Why did this strike me as so significant? I used to think doing God’s will required visible effort that resulted in some abstract enlightenment or bliss.
Now I see that perhaps we best follow God’s will by first seeking invisible learning, and then witnessing the amazing visibleresults. To paraphrase ACIM, God’s presence can become compellingly real to us as it becomes manifest through our healed, loving behavior.
12 Steps to Learning and Results
The 12 Steps illustrate this process beautifully, as they teach us that a higher power can do for us what we can’t do for ourselves.
Steps 1-3 (admitting powerlessness, gaining strength through a higher power). As we learn about our personal powerlessness and a force greater than ourselves, we notice surprisingly visible changes in our lives: we’re enjoying meetings; we’re seeking out healthy, sober mentors and friends; and most important, we aren’t practicing our addictive habits (drinking, using, codependency, gambling, overeating, etc.).
Steps 4-9 (taking a moral inventory, addressing character defects, and making amends). As we learn to take responsibility for our self-centered fears, motives, and actions, we magically begin to act more generously towards ourselves and others. In short, our invisible internal changes precede our visible outer changes.
Learning Requires Action
Does this mean that we don’t take actions to foster our learning and internal growth? No! In 12-step programs, we choose to go to meetings, read the literature about our disease, and meet with a sponsor to take the steps. Our willingness to make these choices is a gift of grace.
Through these actions we begin tolearn—to change inside. And those changes manifest through visible results. One might say that this quiet, spiritual learning shows up “in living color.”
Talk to anyone who’s been following the 12-step path, and you’ll find they’ve gained not only freedom from their addiction; they also have the families of their dreams, amazing jobs, peace of mind, and an enjoyment of life. In my case, after three divorces I’ve been happily married for 31 years, plus I’ve published an award-winning book. Amazing!
But what about the hard times? Even when the shit hits the fan, our spiritual learning makes us more resilient; we bounce back, better than ever. For example, we can deal with the painful effects of death, illness, job loss, divorce, and money troubles with the support of a higher power and the friends who stream loving care into our lives.
We Don’t Learn Alone
But there is one catch to spiritual learning: we can’t do it alone. We need teachers, guides, and buddies to visibly demonstrate a new way of being. Their example motivates us to learn what we need to get the same amazing results.
The step 11 Prayer of St. Francis best expresses this new life. We sow love instead of hatred, pardon instead of injury, faith instead of doubt, hope instead of despair, light instead of darkness, and joy instead of sadness; we seek to console rather than be consoled, to understand rather than to be understood—and most important of all—to love rather than to be loved.
Finally, step 12 teaches us to give it away; to foster others’ learning so they may also manifest the miracles of recovery. As we know, what we give returns it to us ten-fold.
My award-winning book, 50 Ways to Worry Less Now describes how to reject the faulty thinking leading to addiction, dysfunctional relationships, perfectionism, and worry about loved ones. Check out the practical directions, personal stories, and other helpful suggestions. Amazon: 4.8 stars (Buy Discounted Paperback, e-book, OR audiobook HERE)
Gigi Langer has been sober 35 years, and holds a PhD in Psychological Studies in Education from Stanford University. Formerly crowned the “Queen of Worry,” Gigi resigned her post many years ago and now lives happily in Florida with her husband, Peter and her cat Murphy.
Looking for inspiration and release from worry in these challenging times? Feeling a conflict between your human instincts and your divine spirit? I offer you two beautiful passages that clarify the temporary nature of struggle, and our higher power’s healing presence through it all–even during Covid!
MY VERY FAVORITE WORDS: “Worry not, my child. All earthly experiences teach only one thing: That you are forever a child of a loving God who punishes you not.”
“We are merely rendering the barriers to love harmless by walking through them together.”
The Human Experience, Part 1
Many years ago, my friend Mo recorded several passages from A Course in Miracles (ACiM); the last one was called “The Human Experience,” but it did not come from ACiM. Do you know where it’s from?? I posted the first half of it here: A Mystery Quote: “Songs of Plenty and Songs of Want.” Here’s the second half, a true message of hope and trust. I love it so!
The Human Experience, Part 2
“Worry not, my child. All earthly experiences teach only one thing: That you are forever a child of a loving God who punishes you not.
“You’ve elected to learn these lessons so that you can be free. You can’t be free until you have faced, and then walked through, your worst fear. What your worst fear is changes from time to time.
Walking through your worst fear transforms it into an old meaningless fear. Then a new worst fear will come to take its place. Call the fear poverty, rejection, abandonment, loneliness, death, meaninglessness, or helplessness. Walk through them you will, until they are all gone.
“What you forget is that you don’t have to walk through them alone. I am here and will walk through them with you. Trust me, my child. Ask not that any specific burden be lifted. Ask instead for my presence to walk through with you. We are simply rendering the barriers to love harmless by walking through them together.
“The human experience provides all these lessons to all who walk through them. You walk through them with pain and sorrow if you choose to do it alone. Or you walk through them with peace and joy if you take me along.
The whole point of the lessons is to realize that they are dreams. You only see that when you can see from the place beyond the dreams, after you have awakened. Then you sleep again, and another dream will come to take its place, and we will walk through it. And you will awaken again to see the harmlessness of the dream.
“Ask me to guide you. Ask me not to solve what you perceive as your problems. What you perceive as problems are dreams and dreams are not real.
“Practice fearlessness, my child. Turn over all your fears to me. My way will lead you to discover the light which is already within you.
“There is nothing my love for you will not conquer. We have already traveled this path together, and we are at the end. Try to remember, my child, the song of rejoicing we heard when we arrived safely back in the arms of the Father.
“Your mind has wandered from the truth of that memory. You daydream again. The thoughts of the mind are undisciplined but the mind is at home in the heart of God. Only the thoughts drift away for a moment.
“Call to me dear soul. When you call from the part of your heart that knows we are together still, I will be there and you will be here in an instant.
“Peace and joy to you, dear one. Only joy and peace are eternal. All else is illusion. You have been to joy and peace and you do know the truth. Ask me to remember, and I will. Peace. Peace. Peace.”
Connect with God’s Love and Love One Another
Isn’t that beautiful? We need not fear because comfort and courage walk with us through every experience–even those that scare our pants off! Perhaps we’re here for this very reason: to render “the barriers to love harmless by walking through them together.” Let this be the message of this holiday season.
Gigi Langer has been sober 34 years, and holds a PhD in Psychological Studies in Education from Stanford University. Formerly crowned the “Queen of Worry,” Gigi resigned her post many years ago and now lives happily in SW Florida with her husband, Peter and her cat, Murphy.
In Worry Less Now, Gigi shares her personal journey as a prisoner of fear, worry, and substance abuse, along with practical techniques anyone can use. Award-winner with rave reviews. Amazon rating: 4.8 stars. Buy signed copy HERE
