Many people who study A Course in Miracles study at the level of mind–at the the level of thinking–so when they come to Lesson 94, they adopt the idea, “I am as God created me,” including their imagination of what that means to them. It doesn’t penetrate very deep, because it is only at the level of mind.

We are now at the phase of Self-inquiry. Self-inquiry has nothing to do with thinking. Self-inquiry is LOOKING. For people who believe everything is resolved by thinking, it takes practice to drop thinking and practice looking, but it can be done. With looking you have the attitude of, “What am I?” and then you LOOK with inner-looking, intuitive looking, to realize the answer.

Yesterday we saw that some of the symptoms of the “I am a body” belief are judgment, condemnation, fear, attack, and self-hatred. The voice in your head that we call the ego is the voice of the “I am a body” belief. Watch it as a curious observer and you will see what I mean.

“I am so stupid.” “I’m pretty clever.” “He is so annoying.” “She is prettier than me.” “They don’t ever listen to me.” “I better get this done or they’ll think I’m avoiding work.”

Look at those sentences and the sentences that come into your mind today. Do you see the “I am a body” idea in those thoughts?

Today’s workbook lesson says, “You think if anyone could see the truth about you he would be repelled, recoiling from you as if from a poisonous snake.” That sense that we have about ourselves, that sense that ‘I am the scum of the earth’, is the voice of the “I am a body” belief.

Today’s workbook lesson also says, “Today we question this, not from the point of view of what you think, but from a very different reference point.”

We are going to question our ‘I am a body’ thinking from the point-of-view of our truth. That is, from awareness. An important part of this questioning is “What am I?” Be curious to discover what you are. Are you the body? Are you this thinking? Or are you awareness? Which one is most true about what you are? Which ones can you observe and which one is you, the observer? As you become more familiar with the true you, thoughts that do not reflect your truth lose their power.

For example, if I went into a big tirade about what a terrible tree you are, I could go on and on about how you never drop your leaves in the fall; I could go on and on about how trees are suppose to stay in one place and you are always moving around; I could go on and on about how you don’t put off enough shade, and you’d just think that I am crazy. Those thoughts wouldn’t affect you because you don’t think you are a tree. If you aren’t a tree, you can’t be a bad tree.

Well, if you aren’t a body, you can’t be a bad or stupid or ugly body. So we question all of the beliefs and ideas that are part of the “I am a body” thought system by questioning the basis of the thought system itself. What am I?

Today you are asked to give the first 5 minutes of each hour to today’s lesson. It’s possible that you won’t be able to do that, but give those 5 minutes when you can. During that time, wonder, “What am I?” and then look to see what the true answer is. Use the video that is attached to this post to help guide you. You might watch it as part of your practice during one or more of the 5-minute periods today.

When you can’t give a full 5 minutes to today’s practice, give at least the 2-5 seconds that was represented by yesterday’s Bentinho video. If you say today’s workbook lesson and then give a full 5 minutes (or at least 2-5 seconds) to this looking every hour today, you will take great strides in freeing yourself from the “I am the body” belief and from the thinking that goes with it.

Here’s today’s video:

An example of what I am calling a “visualization plan” is in the audio “The Secret Holy Spirit Style,” which is also part of this week’s homework. Maybe my term, “visualization plan,” is a poor choice of words, but I am pointing to the kind of visualization/contemplation statements that I shared in that audio. Of course, your statements should be developed personally for you. Here is a link to the plan I referred to in that audio:

http://www.drivehq.com/…/TheSecretHolySpiritStyle.pdf

This is the visualization plan that I have come up with for me now. It supports my spiritual aspiration.

Relaxed in Self-certainty, I know where to place attention in every moment including how to think, how to perceive and how to spend my time. I easily focus attention without distraction. I use the mind effectively when it is useful. It rests silently when not in use. I abide in Self-realization, even as the body is engaged in activity. I experience truth as it is, without a second. I am the direct experience of truth.