My thoughts do not mean anything.I
1. This idea applies to all the thoughts of which you are aware, or become aware, during the practice periods.
²The reason the idea is applicable to all of them is that they are not your real Thoughts.
³We have made this distinction before, and we will make it again.II
⁴You do not yet have a basis for comparison.
⁵When you do, you will have no doubt that what you once believed were your thoughts truly meant nothing.
2. This is the second time we have used this kind of idea.III
²The form is only slightly different.
³This time, the idea begins with “My thoughts” instead of “These thoughts,” and now no connection is made to the things around you.
⁴The emphasis is now on the unreality of what you think you think.
3. This aspect of the correction process began with the idea that the thoughts of which you are aware do not mean anything and refer to things outside rather than to anything within.IV
²Then it was emphasized that they refer to the past rather than the present.V
³Now we are highlighting the fact that the presence of these “thoughts” means that you are not really thinking at all.
⁴This is simply another way of repeating our earlier statement that your mind is truly blank.
⁵To recognize this is to recognize that when you think you see something, you are really seeing nothing.VI
⁶Realizing this is the prerequisite for true Vision.
4. To do today’s exercises, close your eyes and begin by repeating today’s idea to yourself slowly.
²Then add:
³This idea will help me to release all that I now believe.VII
⁴These exercises, like the previous ones, consist in searching your mind for all the thoughts you can find, without selecting or judging them.
⁵Try not to classify your thoughts in any way.
⁶In fact, if it helps, you can imagine that you are watching a strangely assorted parade, which has little or no personal meaning to you.
⁷As each thought crosses your mind, say:
⁸This thought about ____ does not mean anything.
⁹That thought about ____ does not mean anything.
5. Today’s idea can also, of course, be used to release you from any disturbing thought at any time.
²Five practice sessions are recommended, each involving no more than one minute of mind searching.
³It is not recommended that you extend the time, and you should reduce it to half a minute or less if you experience discomfort.VIII
⁴Remember, however, to repeat the idea slowly before using it specifically, and also to add:
⁵This idea will help me to release all that I now believe.
I The profoundly important idea for today is, without doubt, the starting point of every honest spiritual path. Pay close attention to it and be sure to practice it exactly as instructed. In fact, you must keep it present at all times for the rest of your apparent life in this world.
It is an idea that brings great liberation when you truly understand what it implies, and it is a fundamental principle that must always accompany you. Never forget it. What you call “my thoughts” is nothing other than the voice of the ego within you; it has no relation to you and is completely devoid of meaning.
You are merely the witness of the ego’s voice; you are not its author. You do not “construct” your thoughts; rather, you find them already fully formed in your mind. You do not “do” anything in order to think; you merely bear witness to what appears in your mind and, in your confusion, call it “yours.”
This is a matter on which it is impossible to place too much emphasis; it will never be enough. To believe that you are right, that what you think is meaningful, true, and of some value, is to be swept away by the madness of the ego. Yet do not be afraid. The sincere and honest practice of this Workbook will free you from that unhealthy habit and bring you into a prodigious state of mind.
This is the beginning of the process of mental purification that will enable you to work miracles, as mentioned in Principle 7: “Everyone has the right to miracles. But purification is necessary first.”
It is crucial to understand that the purpose of this exercise is not to demean or disparage your mind in any way. Your mind is perfect and eternally united with the Mind of God. The problem is simply that you are using it wrongly.
It is not a mental problem but a problem of identity. You have identified with something you are not at all. You are not an ego, nor a person; you are the Son of God.
II “None of them are your real thoughts, which are being covered up by them” (W-4.2:3). To think is the natural “activity” of the mind, and it is the same as creating—that is, extending the condition of Being, which is love. To think, to love, to create, to know, and to be are equivalent terms. Your true thoughts are your Creations, the Creations of the Son of God, which are as abstract, loving, and unlimited as you are.
III The first time this was said was in Lesson 4: “These thoughts do not mean anything…”
IV It is in Lessons 1, 2, and 3 that you practice with what you see around you. When you “think you think,” you entirely forget the purely mental character of the concepts that constitute this process, which is utterly intimate and abstract. The result of that forgetfulness is the “appearance” of a world… in your mind. It is not a real world; it is the illusion of a world.
There is no world outside the mind, because there is nothing apart from the mind. The “content” of a thought is the form you believe you see, but if that is the case, then what content does that form have? The form is only the illusion of a content.
V See Lessons 7, 8, and 9.
VI You are not seeing anything… that lies outside you. You are merely a spectator of an extraordinarily “realistic” movie that you yourself are projecting on the screen of your consciousness.
The events you behold follow a script you yourself have written, and this makes you see precisely what you want to see. What you call “my personal life” is something you grant yourself—which you will deny again and again for the simple reason that you do not want to acknowledge your lack of forgiveness. You still accuse yourself of too many things; you are still unable to recognize your essential innocence. But do not be concerned: your forgiveness will rewrite that fearful script, and the movie will change.
VII Your mind, created to generate and extend creation, is now focused instead on believing. To free yourself from your beliefs is the essential requirement for truly seeing, because at this moment you do not see; you merely “imagine.” To believe is simply to assume that what you imagine is real.
VIII Undoubtedly, the time will come in your life when considering this idea will bring you deep relief and an immense sense of liberation. It may now feel disturbing or even uncomfortable, but with time, as you recognize the truth and the light it contains, your perspective will change. Have no doubt: you will understand.