Lesson 4: These thoughts do not mean anything. They are like the things I see in this room.
Jesus starts Lesson 4 by telling us it will differ from the first three lessons because the practice will not begin with the idea for the day. First, we just notice the thoughts that cross our minds; then we apply the idea to them. Jesus tells us to apply the idea to specific thoughts, but not to be selective about the thoughts to which we apply the practice. This is becoming familiar.
Then we learn that “good” thoughts are “but shadows of what lies beyond” and “bad thoughts are “blocks to sight.” It turns out that good and bad thoughts are used by the ego to “cover up” real thoughts! For now, we do not know what real thoughts are. But that’s okay. Remember, the Introduction to the Workbook told us:
“Remember, you need not believe the ideas, you need not accept them, and need not even welcome them. Some of them you may actively resist. None of this will matter or decrease their efficacy. … whatever you reactions to the ideas may be, use them. Nothing more than that is required.”
Jesus tells us straight up in Lesson 4:
“The aim here is to train you in the first steps toward the goal of separating the meaningless from the meaningful. It is a first attempt in the long-range purpose of learning to see the meaningless as outside you, and the meaningful within. It is also the beginning of training your mind to recognize what is the same and what is different.”
We need to have humility and a sense of humor if we’re not going to reject each of the above.
- We are learning to separate the meaningless from the meaningful
- We are learning to see the meaningless as outside ourselves, and the meaningful within
- We are learning to recognize what is the same and what is different
Something in us knows that our personal identity is too restrictive, too limited, and, that believing our identity is defined by our bodies is actually the addiction beneath all addictions. We are addicted to the ego and brain-washed by the ego. That is why it is in our best interest to use our free will to accept the mind training offered by Jesus in his Course in Miracles no matter how outrageous it may seem.