Together, We Light the Way

Lesson 18

I am not alone in experiencing the effects of my seeing.
1. The idea for today is another step in learning that the thoughts which give rise to what you see are never neutral or unimportant. ²It also emphasizes the idea that minds are joined, which will be given increasing stress later on.
2. Today’s idea does not refer to what you see as much as to how you see it. ²Therefore, the exercises for today emphasize this aspect of your perception. ³The three or four practice periods which are recommended should be done as follows:
3. Look about you, selecting subjects for the application of the idea for today as randomly as possible, and keeping your eyes on each one long enough to say:
²I am not alone in experiencing the effects of how I see _____.
³Conclude each practice period by repeating the more general statement:
⁴I am not alone in experiencing the effects of my seeing.
⁵A minute or so, or even less, will be sufficient for each practice period. (ACIM, W-18.1:1–3:5)
2025
Our thoughts are projected outward, and our eyes show us these thoughts. Our mind then interprets the thoughts to give meaning to them, which is referred to as our perception of what is happening. Add to that the new fact that our minds are joined, and it is clear that our thoughts are never neutral or unimportant.
My eyes do not inform my mind; they report what my mind has already chosen to believe.
I learned to watch my thoughts carefully, choosing to keep those that reflected love and release those that reflected fear. As a result, I am far more peaceful than I used to be, and I have put less darkness into the mind we share.
I always assumed that everyone saw objects in the same way. But this isn’t true. I looked at my computer this morning and realized that my history with computers is different than some people’s. I love my computer because it keeps me in touch with other ACIM friends. Otherwise, I would be alone in my study and joining with others has been so very beneficial for me. Others may perceive the computer as a handy tool. I know some who perceive it as the bane of their existence because it causes more problems than solutions for them.
Because I perceive my computer as something I love and appreciate, each time I sit down to it, I settle into a peaceful state and am generally productive in whatever I am doing. I use a Mac, but when I was working, we had PCs. I did not feel the same way about this computer. I perceived the PC to be a problem, and so that is what it was for me. Apple and Apple users convinced me that this brand was much better, and so that is what it is for me. Our minds are very powerful.
2026
Since I am absolutely convinced that my eyes show me what my mind thinks, and my perception of what I see determines my experience with it, you would think I would choose to see only love and experience only peace. But you would be wrong. I have seen lack and experienced the grief of loss. I have experienced hate because I believe in fear and guilt. At first, it seemed out of my hands, that sometimes the world caused these things, and I had no choice in the matter since I couldn’t change the world. However, I am learning differently.
I feel fear when I forget who I am and where I am. So I remind myself that I am the holy Son of God, and I am where He established me. All else is an illusion, a dream. I remain safe and loved. And sometimes that is not enough because while the world is not real, this experience of it is. So I have compassion for myself rather than feeling like a bad Course student. I forgive my errors and ask the Holy Spirit for help in seeing differently. I ask that He heal my mind and remove the false beliefs that I am using to cause myself this distress.
I found this passage from Chapter 8 to be helpful.
2. The distractions of the ego may seem to interfere with your learning, but the ego has no power to distract you unless you give it the power to do so. ²The ego’s voice is an hallucination. ³You cannot expect it to say “I am not real.” ⁴Yet you are not asked to dispel your hallucinations alone. ⁵You are merely asked to evaluate them in terms of their results to you. ⁶If you do not want them on the basis of loss of peace, they will be removed from your mind for you. (ACIM, T-8.I.2:1-6)
I have put this to the test, and I know it will work if I really want the thoughts removed for me. I’ve also experienced it not seeming to work, and I understand why. Sometimes I want to be free of the effects of my thoughts, but I am not ready to release the thought. That’s okay because if I continue to choose the idea of freedom, I will convince myself I want the actual freedom, and then it is done.
Often it is the feeling of fear that keeps me in the fear. I remind myself that emotion happens, but it cannot hurt me. It is just a physical response to something I believe. Change the belief, and the emotion fades naturally, without being fought or denied. I’m learning to disregard the emotion of fear, but I still respond to it at first. I just don’t have to continue to believe it. Instead, I can let it be a message to let me know that my beliefs need to be evaluated and released.
And we are back to the purpose of this lesson. Thoughts cause the world, and my perception of their effects decide my experience of it. Now we can add one more component; we are not alone in experiencing the effect of our seeing. Our minds are connected, and my fear affects the whole. It is as if adding my fear to the whole tilts it toward a tendency to choose fear. Or, choosing love tilts it more toward that choice. I know what I want to add to the mind we all share. So I am open to correction when I move toward fear. Knowing this, I do not condemn myself when fear arises. I simply become willing to be corrected, because what I choose is never for myself alone.
Video: https://youtu.be/tlABSIOGJmU

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