A Course In Miracles - Lesson 5 - I am never upset for the reason I think.

 

"I am never upset for the reason I think." (ACIM, Workbook, Lesson 5).

This lesson leads on from the previous lessons in coming to the realisation that we don't actually understand anything, and know anything - in the sense of actually experiencing the reality of what we perceive vs perceiving through our conditioned responses.

Today's idea branches out into the emotional/feeling area, and follows the same lines, in that we seem to be upset (or experiencing negative, painful emotions) with some object/person/situation. There is intimated here, in the text, that there is a reason for this.. and the reason or cause that we ascribe to the situation isn't correct or the true reason for why we are upset.

The benefits in this approach, like in Lesson 3 (I do not understand anything I see in this place etc.) become apparent if we are able to relax and let go of the egoic tendency to think we are right, correct, knowledgable, and can grasp our experience within the realms of intellect and intellectual understanding-- all of which are false.

If we can let go of a situation and the need to grasp it, because we realise and see that we don't actually understand or properly know anything, then we become open to things just as they are.. a sort of space of not-knowing or "peace that passeth all understanding" (Phil 4:7, and ACIM Text Ch.13)

Meditating with eyes fully shut or half shut?

I've recently been experimenting with meditating and performing internal exercises with eyes half-shut, instead of eyes fully shut.

Some meditation teachers emphasize that eyes should be fully shut while meditating to reduce all distraction and retain full attention internally. Others emphasise half-shut eyes, in order to maintain added alertness, and also to avoid going into a 'void' state.

IME, after practicing for years with eyes fully shut, I have come to appreciate the half-shut position more, and now only use this while meditating or performing internal looking.

The reason for this is that IME I found that it not only helped with the above (added alertness, stopping 'void' drifting etc.), but also that it helped with posture and alignment of the head/neck.

It seems that the movement of the eyes definitely affects the position of the head/neck, even slightly or very subtly.

This has been noted in various therapies/systems, such as the Alexander Technique- 'the head follows the eyes, and the spine follows the head' etc. (paraphrasing here).

What seems to be a small point, and is usually brushed off as trivial by most meditation teachers, is actually quite a large point and can have a definite impact on a practice.

Experiment with both, and note the differences.