In this episode of the ForgiveNest Podcast, host Alison Anton highlights studying A Course in Miracles to prepare for God's presence. This episode discusses the section 'The Need to Study 'from Chapter 3 of the Complete and Annotated Edition of A Course in Miracles. Alison shares her personal journey with this section, emphasizing its pivotal role in starting her video commentaries and the ACIM Book Club. Key concepts such as blocking learning and the difference between awe and fear in spiritual experiences are explored. Listeners are encouraged to reflect on their relationship with studying the Course and are guided through a practice statement to reinforce their commitment to this spiritual path.
Watch and read the full transcript here: AlisonAnton.substack.com
Podcast Category: Faith and Spirituality
Timestamps
00:00 Introduction to Chapter Three
00:25 The Turning Point: Starting the ACIM Book Club
02:08 The Importance of Studying the Course
05:13 Learning Blocks
10:16 Understanding the Mind and Preparing for God
14:35 Concluding Thoughts and Reflection
15:50 Preview of Next Section
ACIM Quotes & Prayers:
Note: Alison Anton uses the Complete and Annotated Edition (CE) of A Course in Miracles. This edition is based on the original handwritten notes of Helen Schucman, scribe of A Course in Miracles. Publisher: Circle of Atonement.
All learning involves attention and study at some level. This course is a mind-training course. Good students assign study periods for themselves. [ACIM CE T-3.I.1:1-3]
You vaguely know that the course is intended for some sort of preparation. But are you prepared? [ACIM CE T-3.I.1:8-9]
When it occurs in the literal sense, it is a temporary device, agreed on beforehand, to check the miscreative activities of a strong but misdirected will. [ACIM CE T-3.I.2:2]
The person himself is a poor learner by definition, but only as a step toward changing from a bad to a good one. [ACIM CE T-3.I.2:4]
Mental retardation can also be used, however, as a maladaptive defense, if the wrong (or attack) side is employed. ²This produces the “pseudo-retardation syndrome,” [ACIM CE T-3.I.3:1-2]
You may well be using this defense as you read this course. This represents a joint attack on both yourself and me, because it renders your mind weak and mine incompetent. [ACIM CE T-3.I.3:3-4]
Remember, this puts you in a truly fearful position. If you cannot understand either your own mind or mine, you do not know what is really willed. [ACIM CE T-3.I.3:5-6]
The next part of this course rests too heavily on the earlier part not to require its study. Without this, you will become much too fearful when the unexpected does occur to make constructive use of it. [ACIM CE T-3.I.4:1-2]
The reason why a solid foundation is necessary at this point is because of the highly likely confusion of “fearful” and “awesome,” which most people do make. [ACIM CE T-3.I.5:1]
The next step, however, does involve the direct approach to God Himself. It would be most unwise to start on this step at all without very careful preparation, or awe will surely be confused with fear, and the experience will be more traumatic than beatific. [ACIM CE T-3.I.6:5-6]
Healing is of God in the end. The means are carefully explained in this course. Revelation may occasionally show you the end, but to reach it the means are needed. [ACIM CE T-3.I.7]
