The purpose of the workbook exercises is to train your mind in a systematic way to a different perception of everyone and everything you see. The lessons are planned to help you generalize the ideas, so that they are as applicable to one situation as they are to another.
Each of the first three lessons should not be done more than twice a day, preferably morning and evening. A comfortable sense of leisure is essential.
Introduction
The purpose of this course is to train the mind to a different perception. There are no specifications as to the time required for the practice, but it is suggested that each lesson not be attempted more than twice a day, preferably morning and evening. Nor should any one exercise be attempted for more than a minute or so, unless a sense of urgency is involved. A comfortable sense of leisure is essential.
You may not believe the ideas in this course, and you may even actively resist some of them. This does not decrease their efficacy. It is important to remember, however, that the goal of this course is to train the mind to perceive everyone and everything in a completely different way.
Lesson 1 – Revelation
The lesson opens with a discussion of the circumstances in which the apostle John wrote the Book of Revelation. It tells us that he was exiled on the island of Patmos and saw Christ in a vision who told him to record and send messages to seven churches. John was a very pious man who wanted to obey God. He was rewarded by being allowed to return home. This is an important point to emphasize in this first lesson.
This section begins with an explanation of what the Course means by “revelation.” It is a term that has many meanings in our world. We will try to incorporate some of the common ones as we go along, but we also want to look at some of the more esoteric meanings that this term has acquired.
Revelation induces complete but temporary suspension of doubt and fear, and it represents the original form of communication between God and His creations. It reflects an extremely personal sense of closeness to creation that man often seeks in physical relationships, but which cannot be achieved by them. Revelation, like miracles, is not the immediate goal of the Course, but it is a necessary step toward it. acim
Revelation is intensely personal and cannot actually be translated into conscious content at all, which is why any attempt to describe it in words is usually incomprehensible. Miracles, on the other hand, induce action. They are more useful now than revelation because they overcome the fear that prevents us from receiving revelation, and they do this by allowing us to experience ourselves as equal to our brothers. This recognition of equality is what enables us to see beyond the differences that we normally perceive, and recognize the oneness that lies behind them all.
Lesson 2 – Time
The idea of time is a great illusion because it makes the world seem to be either past or future. However, the Will of God is always in the present moment. This lesson suggests that you try to live each day devoted to miracles. You will experience the true purpose of the day, and you will know that you have a right to Heaven every day. This practice may take a while at first. As you do each lesson, you will be training your mind to perceive everyone and everything differently. This will not happen quickly, but it is worth the effort.
Lesson 3 – Miracles
In this lesson we are told that miracles correct perceptions. This means that they remove all illusions and show you the truth. This includes all the false ideas you have about yourself and others. It also includes the beliefs that you have about God and the universe.
It’s a hard thing to believe. It’s one thing to say that a dog or your friend doesn’t mean anything, but to believe that the very things you hold dear and love do not have any meaning at all, is quite another. However, the Course points out that even a window or pencil seems to have some kind of meaningfulness. That’s because you have a complex network of thoughts associated with each object in your life. If you want to look at the world differently, then you must change the way you think about it.
A Course in Miracles is a spiritual classic that has had an incredible impact on thousands of lives. It was written through inner dictation over the course of ten years, and first published in 1976. It has been translated into several languages, and has been read by millions of people in every walk of life. It has been regarded as both intellectually sophisticated and spiritually inspiring, and many people have compared its thought system to that of the world’s great literature.
The Course is very practical, and it does not require a lot of time or long practice periods. Its daily Workbook lessons offer a clear, step-by-step process by which you can learn to apply its principles. Its goal is to teach you how to find peace in the midst of chaos and conflict, and to see the world through the eyes of God.
If you would like to start learning this amazing course, I recommend starting with the textbook, A Course in Miracles, and the daily lessons. You can purchase the book at amazon or at any major bookstore. Once you have the book, study each lesson and write down your answers to the questions on paper. When you are ready, click here to submit your answers.