I have no neutral thoughts. ACIM Lesson 16
Day 16: Today’s A Course in Miracles (ACIM) lesson reminds me to remain in neutral position whenever someone tries to bait me into an adversarial, conversational trap.
Sometimes, I say this out loud. “Don’t take the bait!”
For example, I got into a crowded elevator at a resort (where people are supposed to relax and have fun), and I said (in a friendly tone), “Brr! It’s unexpectedly cold out there! Blame it on climate change.”
A large woman in the back responded in a loud, dismissive tone, “No, it’s not climate change.”
I had a choice at that moment: Take the bait or de-escalate the situation. I immediately ignored her.
Staying in neutral, in the face of opposition.
Instead of answering, I turned around and faced the door. All it would take to ruin my mood was a snappy retort rushing out of my mouth before I could stop it.
Pivot: To defuse the tension, a friendly person asked me where I was from. I answered the question. Then the same woman in the back, chimed in saying where she was from. This time her tone was entitled-superiority. She was one-upping. OMG!
Since I was in no danger in the short ride to my floor, I ignored her again.
I didn’t get flustered or tense. I chose not to speak because all I could think of to say was, “No one’s talking to you, witch!”
With the exact wrong attitude accompanying my ill-considered response, a stupid fight to prove who was RIGHT would have started immediately. This is what it looks and sounds like in the busy, Split Mind space. Stinky rubbish breath coming from both of us.
To end the situation in my mind, I decided that she was a rude person with a blank face. I have no idea what she looked like because she was just so generic. Nothing she said was neutral. She revealed her need to compete and to dominate.
In my Demon Spotting game, one-upping is labeled “Grandiose”, which is the code word for a verbal attack using an insult of any kind, large or small.
The position she played is labeled “Peacock” because she needed everyone’s attention to be on her. Negative or positive, the person playing this position wants to be noticed. And there she stood, stuck in the back where no one could see her.
One position and one verbal attack makes this a white belt trap.
Running my mouth has gotten me into trouble ever since I learned how to speak using complete sentences.
By contrast, there was a time in my life (um, not that long ago), when I would have displayed unfriendly body language and aimed coarse words in her direction.
But I’m learning not to do that. Taking the bait wastes my energy, and shifts my mood. Then, Spirit can’t get through to tell me to calm down.
If Spirit had gotten through (after it was too late), he might have told me to “Spit that bait out your mouth and shut-up.”
Since I’m in constant practice shifting my attention away from the Split Mind Zone and connecting with Unified Mind, Spirit says that to me quite often.
So, he doesn’t always say “shut up”. Sometimes, Spirit says, “Stop talking!” Or even, “Be quiet.”
Holy Spirit is my favorite cornerman. When he says shut-up, I stop talking.
That thought is not a neutral one.
Neutral thoughts happen in neutral space, a place where you can let your guard down. Once you are calm, then you can listen for the Holy Spirit’s voice. He can only whisper to you when you have created an opening (a toehold) for him to enter.
ACIM Lesson 16 exercise: That thought about ________ is not a neutral thought.
So my fill-in-the-blank answer is: That thought about taking the bait is not a neutral thought.
Or even: My thought about the generic woman in the elevator is not a neutral thought. And that is correct.
I could take the bait and get pulled deep into Split Mind, or I could ignore her and stay in the neutral zone waiting for instruction from Holy Spirit. I chose to change my point of view. Instead of reflexively competing no matter who or what is at stake, I went to neutral.
In this case, nothing was at stake. So, I shifted into neutral position and surveyed the situation from a safe distance.
Be on your guard, Demon Spotters! Because these witches are everywhere, dropping bait until they find which button to push to pull your attention away from Holy Spirit.
A Course in Miracles (ACIM), Lesson 16 video
ACIM Teacher, Nouk Sanchez: “There is a temptation to dismiss fear thoughts as unimportant, trivial, and not worth bothering about. But it is essential to recognize them all as equally destructive, but equally unreal.
This kind of thinking happens a lot in many New Age teachings and spirituality. It’s like, no, don’t do fear. Let’s not look at the fear. Let’s just teach love, peace, and positive thinking.
But it’s the ego that’s doing the positive thinking [redirecting]. And in its deep unconscious, it is actually suppressing and denying thoughts. This ends up sabotaging us, because thoughts have to be projected outward.” ACIM Lesson 16 video (see below)
If you are spewing fearful thoughts, acting like a victim or spreading gossip, you are stuck in the Split Mind (The River of Shame). Notice that your thoughts are not neutral. They produce a particular result that pleases you. Results come from your thoughts, especially when you act on them to belittle another person. You have no neutral thoughts.
I have no neutral thoughts. ACIM Lesson 16
A Course In Miracles: Lesson 16 (read the lesson here).
Disclaimer for quotes: I use an AI tool to capture quotes. It corrects grammar as people are speaking. Why? It’s very annoying. But, it is quick. And the relevance of the quote isn’t changed. So, what do you think? Are these robots a help or a hindrance? Only time will tell.
DramaGuru Academy is here to teach you how to navigate the situations in your life. Through Demon Spotting lessons, we reveal the patterns of any demon who is interfering with you and your loved ones. We show you how to stare those demons down as you advance confidently from the First Heaven, through the Second Heaven, towards the Third Kingdom of Heaven.
