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Lesson 10 2026

I see nothing as it is now.
1. This idea obviously follows from the two preceding ones. ²But while you may be able to accept it intellectually, it is unlikely that it will mean anything to you as yet. ³However, understanding is not necessary at this point. ⁴In fact, the recognition that you do not understand is a prerequisite for undoing your false ideas. ⁵These exercises are concerned with practice, not with understanding. ⁶You do not need to practice what you already understand. ⁷It would indeed be circular to aim at understanding, and assume that you have it already.
2. It is difficult for the untrained mind to believe that what it seems to picture is not there. ²This idea can be quite disturbing, and may meet with active resistance in any number of forms. ³Yet that does not preclude applying it. ⁴No more than that is required for these or any other exercises. ⁵Each small step will clear a little of the darkness away, and understanding will finally come to lighten every corner of the mind that has been cleared of the debris that darkens it.
3. These exercises, for which three or four practice periods are sufficient, involve looking about you and applying the idea for the day to whatever you see, remembering the need for its indiscriminate application, and the essential rule of excluding nothing. ²For example:
³I do not see this typewriter as it is now.
⁴I do not see this telephone as it is now.
⁵I do not see this arm as it is now.
4. Begin with things that are nearest you, and then extend the range outward:
²I do not see that coat rack as it is now.
³I do not see that door as it is now.
⁴I do not see that face as it is now.
5. It is emphasized again that while complete inclusion should not be attempted, specific exclusion must be avoided. ²Be sure you are honest with yourself in making this distinction. ³You may be tempted to obscure it. (ACIM, W-9.1:1–5:3)
Contemplation for 2025
When I first did these lessons all those years ago, I absolutely did not believe the statement that I see nothing as it is now. I did the lesson anyway. Later, I was confused, but I accepted that I just didn’t understand it. And I did it anyway. Now, I do understand it, and I do the lesson. My mind still wants to object to it, and I will have a moment of confusion, but my desire for the truth clears the confusion quickly. I love the truth even as I sometimes resist it. My desire for truth wins out each time.
Contemplation for 2026
If you don’t understand or believe this lesson, that’s okay. As Jesus told us in the Introduction and again in this lesson, you don’t need to understand or even like these lessons. Just do them, and they will work for you despite any resistance. This has been my experience.
There is no world, only images of our thoughts projected from our minds. This acceptance helps me navigate the illusion without losing sight of the truth. It gives me the space to look at my fear with the Holy Spirit because I know that ultimately, I am safe in God. I don’t deny that I am having an experience of the world, just that it is not real. So when I do get caught up in the story, it is easier to find my way back to the truth.
That happened yesterday. A thought showed up in my mind about the state of affairs in the world. The story my mind was telling me was that there is so much violence right now—people hurting each other, killing, hating, and even showing simple disregard for one another. It appears in homes, schools, cities, and countries. I know this is a projection of conflicted minds, yet in my perception it seems worse than usual. As I followed this story and imagined where it might lead, fear quietly began to grow in my mind.
I’m talking about this now because it relates to the lesson for the day. I see nothing as it is now, and just because I think about an idea and dwell on it until it feels very real and present, this doesn’t make it real. Jesus is so clear about this. In this lesson he says: It is difficult for the untrained mind to believe that what it seems to picture is not there. Even in the trained mind, it can be difficult to remember that while this is a real experience, it is not reality, and who we are, our true self, is perfectly safe even as the experience shows us something different.
I never deny my experience, even as the spiritual ego wants to claim what is not true but ought to be. That kind of thinking doesn’t bring me closer to awakening. So, when I get caught up in a story, I look at that error with the Holy Spirit until my mind clears of the confusion, and peace is restored. That is true forgiveness, and it is an excellent way to move ever closer to the Truth. So that is what I did yesterday.
The story may grab me again. After all, though what we do with the power of God in us is not true creation in this dream world, what we make here feels very real. I used to worry when I felt the relief that comes with forgiveness, only for the error to come back. I took this as proof that either the Course doesn’t work or, more likely, it was just me who couldn’t succeed. I understand now that none of that is true. I am here to forgive untrue beliefs, and so I do. I don’t care how often I need to do it.
I am content today to remind myself of the simple truth: I see nothing as it is now. This no longer confuses me; it comforts me. I trust in the truth to be true even when my mind is lost in a scary story. Illusions can obscure the truth, but they cannot change it. I am safe in the Love of God.
Video: https://youtu.be/znJKbWiJheQ

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Posted by Rev. Myron Jones.

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