"You Are the Placebo: making your mind matter," Rumi's, "The Guest House," a "Star Trek" episode, A Course in Miracles, Lesson 44

Here are four recent Facebook Posts

2/9

Of course, Jesus begins His Workbook by having us become aware of our thoughts, since it is only our thoughts that are standing between us and our salvation, our recognition that we are as the holy Sons of God.

Lesson 4, These thoughts do not mean anything.

Lesson 8, My mind is preoccupied with past thoughts.

Lesson   10, My thoughts do not mean anything.

Lesson 11, My meaningless thoughts are showing me a meaningless world.

Although I was well aware of my ceaselessly-chattering mind,  I do not think I had fully realized what we are up against, until I read these passages from Joe Dispenza’s book, “You Are the Placebo:  making your mind matter.”

Let’s begin with our own personal daily thoughts.

We are creatures of habit.  We think somewhere between 60,000 to 70,000 thoughts in one day, and 90% of these thoughts are exactly the same ones we had the day before.  The latest scientific results in psychology estimate that about 70% of our thoughts are negative and redundant.

If it sounds as though I am saying that we are living a large part of our lives on auto-pilot, that is exactly right. (ppl98,99)

Of course, Jesus shows us the way to undo our auto-pilot and come into the awareness of being here, now, so that we can become aware of the Holy Spirit’s still, quiet Voice speaking to us all through the day.

Lesson 39,  My holiness is my salvation:

Begin the practice periods as usual by repeating today’s idea to yourself.  Then with closed eyes search your unloving thoughts in whatever from they appear—uneasiness, depression, anger, fear, worry, attack, insecurity, and so on.  Whatever form they take, they are unloving and therefore fearful.  And so it is from them you need to be saved.

And here is an exercise:

My unloving thoughts about    _________ are keeping me in hell! 

My holiness is my salvation.

Lesson 4 0, I am blessed as a son of God.

Practice.  Practice.  Practice.

Jesus tells us, “Once every ten minutes would be desirable.”

I am blessed as a Son of God.  I am calm, quiet, assured and confident.

(Hmmm. . .If I were up 16 hours a day, that would be 96 times a day.  OK.)

2/11

Two days ago, I wrote a Post about  our thousands of daily thoughts, and what to do about them, inspired by Joe Dispenza’s book, “”You Are the Placebo:  making your mind matter,”and today, it was no accident that I came across this magnificent poem by Rumi, urging us to treat them as guests, coming from the understanding that what we resist, persists, and resist NOT evil.

THE  GUEST  HOUSE Rumi
	This being human is a guest house.
	Every morning a new arrival.
	A joy, a depression, a meanness,
	some momentary awareness comes
	as an unexpected visitor.
	Welcome and entertain them all!
	Even if they’re a crowd of sorrows,
	who violently sweep your house
	empty of its furniture,
	still, treat each guest honorably.
	He may be clearing you out
	for some new delight.
	The dark thought, the shame, the malice,
	meet them at the door laughing,
	and invite them in.
	Be grateful for whatever comes,
	because each has been sent
	as a guide from beyond.

2/12

While reading Joe Dispenza’s book, “You Are the Placebo:  making your mind matter,” I was fascinated to come across the fact that we have 60,000 to 70,000 thoughts crossing our minds, daily, and 70% of them are negative.

And, talk about synchronicity, last night Christine and I saw an incredible “Star Trek:  The Next Generation” episode entitled, “Man of the People  ,” (Season 6, Episode 3)that vividly portrayed one way, a nasty way, to deal with these thousands of thoughts.

   Ves Alkar, , an Ambassador, comes aboard the Starship Enterprise with his “mother” who looks old and haggard, and who is terribly mean and rude, particularly, to Counselor Troy who is, surprisingly, attracted to this kind and thoughtful man who is completely centered and peaceful.

She comes onto him, and he asks for her support, and performs a ritual with her, chanting a mysterious phrase, and they drink a potion from crystal glasses.

Soon, Counselor Troy becomes mean to everyone, particularly to her friend,   Will Riker, and grows old and haggard.

It turns out that Ambassador Alkar thought that by being centered and peaceful, himself, he would be a more successful mediator.  He could do this by pouring the thousands of negative thoughts going through his mind into a “receptacle.”  The woman he came aboard with was not his mother at all, simply a “receptacle” he had recruited.  And since she was dying of all the negative thoughts being poured into her, he needed to recruit another one.

This explains his peaceful, centered state of mind, and yet, he was not experiencing true forgiveness, only a casting away of all negative thoughts.

Well, all’s well that ends well, and I will let you see how it all comes out.

I am just grateful for the vivid example that, unless I take full responsibility for my  thousands of negative thoughts on a daily basis, by recognizing them and forgiving them, I will project them unto others, using my brothers as “receptacles,” and get old and sick and die.

2/13

We have 60,000 to 70,000 thoughts crossing our minds, daily, and 70% of them are negative. (Joe Dispenza, “You Are the Placebo:  making your mind matter,”)

Lesson 44, God is the light in which I see.

Try to sink into your mind, letting go every kind of interference and intrusion by quietly sinking past them. Your mind cannot be stopped in this unless you choose to stop it. It is merely taking its natural course. Try to observe your passing THOUGHTS without involvement, and slip quietly by them.  You are attempting something very holy. 

If you are doing the exercises correctly, you should experience some sense of relaxation, and even a feeling that you are approaching, if not actually entering into light. Try to think of light, formless and without limit, as you pass by the THOUGHTS of this world. And do not forget that they cannot hold you to the world unless you give them the power to do so.