Unlearning Classroom – Page 66 – A Course in Miracles with Amy Torres

The Process of Image Making

Posted on April 22, 2011

More than one spiritual path explains that this world is an illusion. Even science now agrees. But what do they mean? And if this world is an illusion, what good does it do us to know that?

A Course in Miracles (ACIM) teaches us, “It is because the thoughts you think you think appear as images that you do not recognize them as nothing. You think you think them, and so you think you see them. This is how your ‘seeing’ was made. This is the function you have given your body’s eyes. It is not seeing. It is image making. It takes the place of seeing, replacing vision with illusions.” (ACIM Workbook Lesson 15) ACIM posits that we are hallucinating this world by projecting our thoughts outward. In Hinduism and some forms of Buddhism, this is called “maya”–the dream of duality, or the ignorance of our true God-Self. Einstein has assured us that solidity is a mirage. Quantum physics explains that the observer affects what is observed.

Let’s break this down: “… the thoughts you think you think” tell you that what you consider thinking is not really thinking. What the ego (our sense of individual identity) does is replace God’s Thought with images–imaginary thoughts that appear as pictures. You view these pictures and call them “eyesight.” You believe in them, but that does not make them real. The function the ego gives the body’s eyes is to hallucinate images which are not real to distract us from the Reality of God’s Vision.

But why would the ego want to distract us from God’s Vision? Because the ego knows that if we re-discover this formless Peaceful Creative Light within ourselves, the personal self as we know it will unravel and “die.” Within this “death” lies Eternal Life–but that’s not the way the ego sees it. One scientist put it this way, “If you look at the universe with through a golf ball-sized lens, you will see a universe the size of a golf ball.” The ego limits our experience, but denies that it does this.

Un-think your way through this. Tell yourself, “I do not really think. What I think are my thoughts are images the ego made. These images are neither good nor bad, they simply are not real. Would I rather think these puny little thoughts that lead to suffering and death, or would I rather gently peel these images from my eyes today, and truly see what God would have me see?” Ask God, “What would You have me see?” He will show you. Then you can decide for yourself whether you prefer the image making eyesight of the ego, or God’s Vision.

What You Can Do to Grow on Your Spiritual Journey

Posted on March 22, 2011

in Spiritual Psychotherapy

by Amy Torres

Many years ago, at an Al-Anon meeting, someone asked, “Are we human beings on a spiritual journey? Or are we spiritual beings on a human journey?” From A Course in Miracles perspective I would say we are spiritual beings on a human journey. Underneath the limitations of our humanity, there is a boundless Light from which we can live. We can use our human journey as a classroom to learn about our true spiritual nature. There are many practices which can help us grow on our spiritual journey and, depending on your nature and circumstances, one may be more useful than another.

Below I list five practices that can access our Inner Light. Read through them and see if one or more stand out for you. Then focus on the practice to which you are drawn. Set yourself up for success. If you think you are ready to take action, make a plan to do the practice regularly for a specific amount of time. If you feel concerned about your self-discipline, or lack thereof, be gentle with yourself. Read and re-read the practice. Write it down and put it in places where you will see it and read it throughout the day. That alone will strengthen your ability to follow through down the road.

1. Chant. A very simple and powerful way to kickstart your spiritual growth is to chant, or recite, a mantra. You can try “Om Namah Shivaya”-I have been cleansed, balanced and empowered by it, and have offered it to many clients who report great results. Roughly translated it means, “I bow to the Divinity within me” but more important is the potent vibration that Om Namah Shivaya provides. It is pronounced the way it looks. You can search YouTube to hear variations for yourself and choose the one you like best. If you would prefer to use English, try “I am that I am” highly recommended by Sri Ramana Maharshi.

2. Pray. It is said that prayer is speaking to God and meditation is listening to His Answer. Most of us use prayer to beg and barter for what we want, and in this way we miss the point of prayer. A Course in Miracles says that the only meaningful prayer is to request that we be able to recognize what we already are. We already are that boundless Light which is eternal, peaceful, unified Oneness. As we ask God to help us identify with that Light rather than our personal lives, we will have a new perspective on whatever is paining, angering or scaring us.

3. Meditate. Meditation is the second part of prayer. Now we sit and listen. The way to do this is to clear our minds just like opening a door for God to enter. If we sit with the door closed, and get caught up in our thoughts, God has no entry point. When thoughts come, we can give them to God and in this way keep directing our minds back to God. Swami Chidvilasananda says that God is in the space between the thoughts. Just one brief opening and you will have a mystical experience that is beyond words.

4. Move. Some of us are too restless to sit quietly in meditation. There is the option of moving meditation, where we use yoga, dance, or qi gong, for example, to quiet the mind and help us get out of our own way. As long as we control our experience, we are blocking God. When we are willing to let God guide us, then any practice will work for us. Setting an intention to step back and let God lead the way before we start our day will accomplish this.

5. Breathe. Most of us are shallow breathers and don’t know how it feels to fully inhale and exhale. We’re too busy talking and running around to stop and invite a complete breath to fill us, nourish us, open us to Spirit. Spiritual energy rides on the breath. The breath carries the healing energy, like a train tranporting cargo, and deposits this life energy within us. We can direct it to specific parts of the body if that seems useful, or simply inflate on the inhale all over, like a balloon, and deflate on the exhale to empty the lungs of all toxins and the body of overall tension. There are countless breath techniques, called pranayama in yoga, which you can look into.

These five potent practices are tried and true techniques found in many spiritual teachings throughout the world. The more you do them, the more you learn from your own inner experience. If you would like more tools to help you grow in your spiritual journey, please drop me a request-there are plenty more to share.

Review II: Introduction

Posted on March 20, 2011

in Today's ACIM Lesson

by Amy Torres

REVIEW II

Introduction

We are now ready for another review. We will begin where our last review left off, and cover two ideas each day. The earlier part of each day will be devoted to one of these ideas, and the latter part of the day to the other. We will have one longer exercise period, and frequent shorter ones in which we practice each of them.

The longer practice periods will follow this general form: Take about fifteen minutes for each of them, and begin by thinking about the ideas for the day, and the comments that are included in the assignments. Devote some three or four minutes to reading them over slowly, several times if you wish, and then close your eyes and listen.

Repeat the first phase of the exercise period if you find your mind wandering, but try to spend the major part of the time listening quietly but attentively. There is a message waiting for you. Be confident that you will receive it. Remember that it belongs to you, and that you want it.

Do not allow your intent to waver in the face of distracting thoughts. Realize that, whatever form such thoughts may take, they have no meaning and no power. Replace them with your determination to succeed. Do not forget that your will has power over all fantasies and dreams. Trust it to see you through, and carry you beyond them all.

Regard these practice periods as dedications to the way, the truth and the life. Refuse to be sidetracked into detours, illusions and thoughts of death. You are dedicated to salvation. Be determined each day not to leave your function unfulfilled.

Reaffirm your determination in the shorter practice periods as well, using the original form of the idea for general applications, and more specific forms when needed. Some specific forms are included in the comments which follow the statement of the idea. These, however, are merely suggestions. It is not the particular words you use that matter.

To see the entire Workbook for Students, get a copy of the book, A Course in Miracles, or visit the original publisher, Foundation for Inner Peace, online at http://acim.org/Lessons/index.html. To have the lesson delivered daily to your email box for free, sign up with http://www.acimdailylesson.com/category/daily-lessons-from-a-course-in-miracles.

Review I: Introduction

Posted on February 19, 2011

in Today's ACIM Lesson

by Amy Torres

Commentary (full lesson beneath commentary)

This is our first review. It weaves together the first fifty lessons, reinforcing them in my mind. I am learning to bring the principles into any situation, especially if I am upset, to live from the Calm and Quiet of my Eternal Truth. Opportunities present themselves all day long 🙂

These first fifty concepts are reviewed in slightly different language enabling us to sponge in the ideas themselves rather than ritualizing or memorizing, which serves no purpose. Saturation in God’s Mind is the healing which leads me Home. Happy sigh.

REVIEW I

Introduction

Beginning with today we will have a series of review periods. Each of them will cover five of the ideas already presented, starting with the first and ending with the fiftieth. There will be a few short comments after each of the ideas, which you should consider in your review. In the practice periods, the exercises should be done as follows:

Begin the day by reading the five ideas, with the comments included. Thereafter, it is not necessary to follow any particular order. In considering them, though each one should be practiced at least once. Devote two minutes or more to each practice period, thinking about the idea and the related comments after reading them over. Do this as often as possible during the day. If any of the five ideas appeals to you more than the others, concentrate on that one. At the end of the day, however, be sure to review all of them once more.

It is not necessary to cover the comments that follow each idea either literally or thoroughly in the practice periods. Try, rather, to emphasis the central point and think about it as part of your review of the idea to which it relates. After you have read the idea and the related comments, the exercises should be done with your eyes closed and when you are alone and in a quiet place, if possible.

This is emphasized for practice periods at your stage of learning. It will be necessary, however, that you learn to require no special settings in which to apply what you have learned. You will need your learning most in the situations that appear to be upsetting, rather than in those that already seem to be calm and quiet. The purpose of your learning is to enable you to bring the quiet with you, and to heal distress and turmoil. This is not done by avoiding them and seeking a haven of isolation for yourself. You will yet learn that peace is part of you, and requires only that you be there to embrace any situation in which you are. And finally you will learn that there is no limit to where you are, so that your peace is everywhere, as you are.

You will note that, for review purposes, some of the ideas are not given in quite their original form. Use them as they are given here. It is not necessary to return to the original statements, nor to apply the ideas as was suggested then. We are now emphasizing the relationships among the first fifty of the ideas we have covered, and the cohesiveness of the thought system to which they are leading you.

What I Realize as I Blog the ACIM Workbook

Posted on February 11, 2011

in Today's ACIM Lesson

by Amy Torres

I started off blogging the Workbook this year without really knowing what would happen. Initially a tagline popped out of me effortlessly, “My experience with the ACIM Workbook” and that is what I wrote about. My habit is to do the morning lesson, then go straight to my computer, letting the feeling of my experience of the exercise or meditation flow through my words.

Now I notice that sometimes I’m explaining the lesson, or even trying to explain or translate what Jesus says into my own words so that I understand, clarify and reinforce the teachings for myself. Maybe this is overkill. Maybe I should stick with my pure experience … It’s occurring to me that this year the blog is meant to be my experience without explanation–let the lessons speak for themselves.

And NEXT YEAR I’m going to translate the lessons ! I wonder if that will actually happen. What’s funnier is that according to ACIM metaphysics everything has already happened … I wonder if I’m having a memory of what has already happened: first I reported my experience and communicated the experience Itself as best I could. Then I translated … it’s like the Harville Hendrix Imago work: repeat back what was said and understand more fully as you do.

My concern is that a pure report of my experience may be confusing to my readers. That’s funny. Who are my readers? I am you, you are me … anyway, if you do need clarification, please feel free to shoot me a question or comment and I will be happy to respond.

Inexplicably Predictably Happy

Posted on February 7, 2011

in Spiritual Psychotherapy, Thoughts on A Course in Miracles, Undoing the Ego, Unlearning Classroom

by Amy Torres

Recently a phrase popped into my head, “Inexplicably predictably happy.” That’s one way I experience God — words come to me and I can tell they are not mine (some people call this “channeling”).

I was actually grieving at the time I “heard” those words, but even though I was grieving, I remembered to ask God to remind me of who I really was. In that moment, as I cried, I felt my heart expand and a peace move through me that was filled with joy. There was no logical explanation about why I needn’t grieve — I just felt at peace, even as I wept.

There was a smile inside me that said, “Inexplicably predictably happy” and I knew it to be True. “Inexplicably” because the joy of God is beyond words and explanations. “Predictably” because God is reliable, and if I ask Him for help, I will receive His help. “Happy” because God is full — full of joy, peace, love, eternal life, infinite creativity, and there is no way I cannot be happy because God’s treasures are my inheritance. Joy, peace, love, eternal life, infinite creativity are always mine — I just forget.

These days I remember my inheritance more and more and life is so interesting, full of wonderful surprises and beautiful people. I know that when I’m scared and overwhelmed that I’ve just forgotten Who I really am, and knowing that is a great comfort. Another name for the Holy Spirit is The Comforter, and He really is. When I accept Him, I am inexplicably predictably happy 🙂 And then comes the realization, just like A Course in Miracles says: there is no “me”!

Step 10: Continued to take personal inventory

Posted on January 25, 2011

in Spiritual Psychotherapy, Thoughts on A Course in Miracles, Twelve Step Work, Undoing the Ego

by Amy Torres

The original 12 steps were scribed by Bill W. when he was illuminated with the idea to establish Alcoholics Anonymous. No doctor was able to help him in his desperate attempts to end his addiction to liquor. Only the Holy Spirit instructing him to help his brother was successful. I say the 12 steps were scribed because it’s my sense that they flowed through Bill as opposed to his deliberate writing of them. I’m opening the Big Book right now to double-check my facts and I’ll be back to revise them if I’m mistaken. (In the past, I would have said “if I’m wrong,” but now I spontaneously use the word “mistaken”–much gentler, and, of course, open to correction.)

Step 10: Continued to take personal inventory and when we were wrong promptly admitted it.

Step 10 grows out of Step 4–Made a searching and fearless moral inventory of ourselves. After we have written down a searching and fearless moral inventory of ourselves, taking our time to be ruthlessly self-examining, we naturally cultivate a taste for using this process on daily basis. Part of this process is sharing what we’ve written with God and with a trusted witness. That person is usually a sponsor in the 12-step program, but in my case it was my psychotherapist who participated in 12-step programs himself, so he had a good understanding of what this was about.

It is crucial that the listener we choose is non-judgmental. That way, through his ability to see the light in us, we begin to experience ourselves as worthy of forgiveness–this often takes time. When we do finally get it that we are deserving of forgiveness, we are much more able to extend forgiveness to others. Sometimes this works conversely: as we notice how generously we extend forgiveness to others, we begin to experience ourselves as deserving of the same kindness, understanding and generosity from others.

It is very similar to miracle principle #3 in A Course in Miracles: “Miracles occur naturally as expressions of love. The real miracle is the love that inspires them. In this sense everything that comes from love is a miracle.” Doing a 10th step on a daily basis is a way of loving ourselves and others.

There is something I’ve come to believe about the 12 steps which I want to share. They were written by an alcoholic who got into all kinds of trouble and hurt lots of people along the way. That is a certain kind of person, and that type of person has amends to make to lots of other people. But in the case of the codependent, the one who depends on the alcoholic, and often enables the alcoholic, the type of person is more likely to hurt herself. In this case, the amends and the character defects are most needed toward oneself, rather than others.

This is important because it occurs to me that a customized 10th step for me might read, “Continued to take personal inventory and when we were right promptly admitted it.” I was right that the alcoholic’s drinking was harmful to both of us. I was right that the atmosphere of an alcoholic household was toxic. I was right that my feelings of depletion and despair evaporated when I was in a healthier environment, such as a yoga class, a support group, a spiritual retreat, or with people who were sober and in recovery or psychotherapy in some shape or form.

In other words, for the codependent the essential task is to build a sense of self, to trust ourselves more, to listen to our intuition, and to develop more inner strength. As we believe in ourselves, we can take better care of ourselves and become emotionally self-sufficient and financially independent. These are the healing tasks for earnest people like me who unconsciously turned to alcoholics for a more daring, playful approach to life.

Of course I sometimes need to make amends to other people. Al-anonics, or codependents, tend to feel victimized and so we blame others for being mean or self-centered or emotionally unavailable. The truth is we need to be a little more self-centered in order to meet our own needs before catering to other people. We only do that because we hope that once they are well, they will partner with us, or take care of us. This is all well and good if they would–but if they are not inclined to heal, we have to cut our losses and heal ourselves with God’s help.

We are not victims and no one is to blame for anything. We are all immature in our own particular way, and we are learning to grow up. Jerry Seinfeld said he liked being grown up because it meant he could eat cookies before dinner if he wanted to! Many of us feel that being grown up robs us of carefree fun and imprisons us in a life of endless responsibilities and obligations. But A Course in Miracles says, “Beware of the temptation to perceive yourself unfairly treated.” It explains that, “You have no enemy except yourself, and you are enemy indeed to him [any person in our life we are upset with] because you do not know him as yourself.”

The teaching is that as we see the Light of Forgiveness in ourselves, we realize that underneath the personality of ourselves and others is a spiritual Light which is our Truth. As long as we insist that there is someone to blame, we block God’s Light. This is not to condone bad behavior–it is to empower us to realize that bad behavior is a call for Love. Sometimes Love means we take care of ourselves first and pray for another without having to take a concrete action on their behalf.

I’ll be writing more on the 12 steps and how I’ve customized them to myself. I hope this makes their message even clearer and more useful for people like me–people who tend to take ourselves for granted and haven’t realized we’ve blamed ourselves or hurt ourselves in ways that deserve forgiveness toward ourselves.

Sunday Afternoon ACIM w Amy Class

Posted on January 18, 2011

in ACIM with Amy, Class Description

by Amy Torres

A Course in Miracles with Amy Torres

When: Sundays, 2 – 4 pm
Where: Amy’s Place, Naples, Florida
Suggested Donation: $20 per class (no one turned away due to lack of funds)

A Course in Miracles is a brilliant form of spiritual psychotherapy which teaches us to work miracles on a daily basis, and how to forgive effortlessly. The format of this weekly ongoing class includes:

We read aloud from A Course in Miracles
Questions, commentary and discussion flow naturally from the material
Join class at any time–you do not have to “start from the beginning” … and you can drop in when you like–consistent attendance is optional 🙂
Learn how to cultivate a relationship with your Inner Teacher
Understand why it is essential to develop a “healthy ego” in order to give up the ego thought system
Establish the habit of looking at the ego with your Inner Teacher, and how to discern the ego’s voice and the voice of Spirit
Work with the Course on both Level 1: the metaphysical teachings, and Level 2: daily practices for using this world as a spiritual classroom
Gain more clarity on miracles, forgiveness, the holy instant, our true purpose, projection/perception, special relationships, the obstacles to peace, the origin of the world, the development of trust, who are God’s teachers, and more
Enriching for both beginners and longtime Course students
Warm, non-judgmental atmosphere where all questions are welcome

Come join us for a light-hearted approach to an ego-annihilating (in a good way!) spiritual teaching. ACIM reverses our fearful ego-based thinking and offers us the “happy dream” through which we experience ourselves as innocent rather than guilty, and life as peaceful rather than threatening. We learn a new definition of forgiveness, and how to remove the obstacles to the awareness of Love’s presence in the undoing process the Course offers us.

Reverend Amy Torres is an established ACIM teacher, as well as an interfaith minister, spiritual counselor, Gestalt psychotherapist, and yoga instructor. You can watch Amy’s video interviews and read what students have to say about her classes at www.amytorresacim.com. She is also available for private and individual sessions. For more information, call 212-340-1201 or email [email protected]. You can also join via http://meetup.com/ACIMwAmy

Lesson 6: I am upset because I see something that is not there.

Posted on January 13, 2011

in Spiritual Psychotherapy, Thoughts on A Course in Miracles, Today's ACIM Lesson, Undoing the Ego, Unlearning Classroom, Workin' the Workbook

by Amy Torres

Commentary (full lesson beneath commentary)

This lesson equalizes all upsets. It calmly, with authority, states that I am seeing something that is not there, namely, the illusory world, the world of form. I am seeing something that is not there, and then I am attributing my upset feelings to a world that is not there. I am projecting my upset feelings outward, in order to avoid awareness of what caused my upset feelings. As I practice the exercises in Lesson 6, there is an undoing process that takes me back to the original upset–the tiny, mad idea that I could separate from my Father’s Mind.

LESSON 6

I am upset because I see something that is not there.

The exercises with this idea are very similar to the preceding ones. Again, it is necessary to name both the form of upset (anger, fear, worry, depression and so on) and the perceived source very specifically for any application of the idea. For example:

I am angry at _________ because I see something that is not there.
I am worried about __________ because I see something that is not there.

Today’s idea is useful for application to anything that seems to upset you, and can profitably be used throughout the day for that purpose. However, the three or four practice periods which are required should be preceded by a minute or so of mind searching, as before, and the application of the idea to each upsetting thought uncovered in the search.

Again, if you resist applying the idea to some upsetting thoughts more than to others, remind yourself of the two cautions stated in the previous lesson:

There are no small upsets. They are all equally disturbing to my peace of mind.

And:

I cannot keep this form of upset and let the others go. For the purposes of these exercises, then, I will regard them all as the same.

Let’s practice together! Watch and listen to me reading each ACIM Lesson on Youtube. Also, check out Workin’ the Workbook, my online class which supports the ACIM Workbook practice.

Lesson 5: I am never upset for the reason I think.

Posted on January 13, 2011

in Spiritual Psychotherapy, Thoughts on A Course in Miracles, Today's ACIM Lesson, Undoing the Ego, Unlearning Classroom, Workin' the Workbook

by Amy Torres

Commentary (full lesson beneath commentary)

It seems to us as if we’re upset for a never-ending number of reasons. But the metaphysical explanation that A Course in Miracles offers us is that we believe we’ve separated from God, and the terror and the horror we feel at the thought that we are exiled from Heaven permanently, is the only reason we are ever upset. Everything that we think we are upset about is just an ego distraction. The ego believes it will be annihilated if we wake up. And it will disappear back into the nothingness from which it came. In the meantime, we can practice “I am never upset for the reason I think.”

The lesson goes on to say we can apply it to specific personal situations, as well as to whatever comes to mind. I can fill in, “I am not angry at Mayor Bloomberg for raising the subway fare and bridge and tunnel tolls for the reason I think. I am not afraid of my bills going up for the reason I think. I am not worried about money for the reason I think.” And what’s more, all upsets are equal. A splinter, a tumor, a scratch on the new furniture, a death in the family–it is all the same. The ego gloats at the obscenity of equalizing what, to it, clearly have different levels of importance. We will never choose God if He is so insensitive to our feelings. But the truth is that God knows us as we Are. Our “work” is to undo the layers of forgetfulness which “cover” our True Nature.

“I am never upset for the reason I think” is one of the best reminders I have. I apply it as often as I manage to remember and it always helps.

LESSON 5

I am never upset for the reason I think.

This idea, like the preceding one, can be used with any person, situation or event you think is causing you pain. Apply it specifically to whatever you believe is the cause of your upset, using the description of the feeling in whatever term seems accurate to you. The upset may seem to be fear, worry, depression, anxiety, anger, hatred, jealousy or any number of forms, all of which will be perceived as different. This is not true. However, until you learn that form does not matter, each form becomes a proper subject for the exercises for the day. Applying the same idea to each of them separately is the first step in ultimately recognizing they are all the same.

When using the idea for today for a specific perceived cause of an upset in any form, use both the name of the form in which you see the upset, and the cause which you ascribe to it. For example:

I am not angry at _____________ for the reason I think.
I am not afraid of __________________ for the reason I think.

But again, this should not be substituted for practice periods in which you first search your mind for “sources” of upset in which you believe, and forms of upset which you think result.

In these exercises, more than in the preceding ones, you may find it hard to be indiscriminate, and to avoid giving greater weight to some subjects than to others. It might help to precede the exercises with this statement:

There are no small upsets. They are all equally disturbing to my peace of mind.

Then examine your mind for whatever is distressing you, regardless of how much or how little you think it is doing so.

You may also find yourself less willing to apply today’s idea to some perceived sources of upset than to others. If this occurs, think first of this:

I cannot keep this form of upset and let the others go. For the purposes of these exercises, then, I will regard them as all the same.

Then search your mind for no more than a minute or so, and try to identify a number of different forms of upset that are disturbing you, regardless of the relative importance you may give them. Apply the idea for today to each of them, using the name of both the source of the upset as you perceive it, and of the feeling as you experience it. Further examples are:

I am not worried about _________________ for the reason I think.
I am not depressed about ________________ for the reason I think.

Three or four times during the day is enough.

Let’s practice together! Watch and listen to me reading each ACIM Lesson on Youtube. Also, check out Workin’ the Workbook, my online class which supports the ACIM Workbook practice.