David Hoffmeister

Beloved One,

Blessings of Joy. I often hear people tell me that they want the experience of Peace, but they aren't aware what it is that's blocking Peace from consistent awareness. This post addresses this request. I have spoken about our Teacher of Teacher's website and about transfer of training using the ACIM Workbook. So this is the way: learn about and practice transfer of training (tot) using the (ToT) web site. This is a very, very fast approach - and very direct.

Transfer of training

The experience of joy comes to a willing mind that has given up all
attempts to make exceptions to the miracle. Only exceptions
block the awareness of ever Present miracle mindedness. Today look
at some ideas I shall offer to clarify transfer of training as
described in A Course In Miracles. This clarification will have
tremendous benefits for anyone desiring to experience the State of
Mind I call Enlightenment.

Many have heard of the teaching from the Bible in Corinthians: Love
does not possess. This world of time-space, made by the ego, is a
construct of possession. Everything and everyone that makes up
distorted perception is the result or outcome of the desire to
possess. To be free of limits of any kind, therefore, it is
imperative to expose and release the concept of possession from the
mind entirely. There is no such thing as partial forgiveness or
partial healing, and no such thing as partial possession. Either
the mind believes in possession and experiences the illusion of
imprisonment, or the mind has forgiven or released the concept of
possession and is naturally free and whole. There can be no
compromise or middle ground or balance with the release of
possession. If you believe you can actually possess anything you
have allowed your mind to be possessed by error or illusion.
Freedom is nothing more than the escape from concepts, and all ego
concepts rest on the assumption of possession. Once this error is
abandoned, all errors vanish immediately.

Think awhile on what seems to attract so much attention in the
world: the body. What plans do you make that does not involve the
comforts and conveniences and care of the body. You treat it like
it is your home, a valued treasure in a world of transient images.
Yet the body is nothing more than a temporary learning device that
you can use awhile to expand your perception beyond its current
limits. That is all. The mind can be mind free that no longer sees
itself as in a body, firmly tied to it and sheltered by its
presence. Without the concept of possession you would not believe
that you can even possess a body. Yet you believe far more than
the body as a possession, you have identified yourself with the body
and therefore see yourself as temporary and transitory. How can
there be consistency and stability at all if your identity is in
constant flux and change? And this self-concept "identity" seems to
change and be as instable as the things with which it has surrounded
itself. No stability is possible in an impossible situation, and
this world of time-space is just that – an impossible situation.
Everyday the deceived and untrained mind concerns itself with
survival of the body, and the state of this mind seems often
stressful and at times angry, fearful, and guilty. Though these
conditions of mind are illusions, they seem very real to a mind that
believes in the error of possession. Possession is a synonym for
the ego, for the ego desires to get and has no awareness of True
Giving, Which is the natural attribute of Spirit. Only the mind can
be freed and it can only be freed through the peace of forgiveness
(the release of illusion). How simple is Salvation.

To experience freedom of mind trust in the Holy Spirit is a basic
requirement. Without this trust in the Holy Spirit the spiritual
journey will seem like an intellectual endeavor or an impossible
undertaking or a sorrowful, intense series of trials and
temptations. What is temptation but the wish to make illusions
real? And who will Awaken to God's eternal Love who still values
the illusions of the ego? As you answer the Call to Awaken and be
glad the Purpose of forgiveness becomes strengthened in awareness
and the need for the concerns and the dramas surrounding the body
will fade away. Thus it can accurately be said that without trust
in the Holy Spirit and devotion to this Purpose the Awakening will
seem to be delayed until there is a willingness to trust. As you
develop trust in the Holy Spirit it can accurately be said that all
perceived problems will disappear from awareness, and with
acceptance of the Atonement it is certain that "problems" will
never "return" again.

Since the topic is transfer of training our brief discussion will
eliminate aspects of this world that seem most problematic for they
are all the same. All of the aspects I will discuss are based on
the concept of possession, and therefore the Answer or Solution will
always be as simple as the release of this erroneous concept. Trust
in the Holy Spirit undoes the concept of possession, and as
possession dissolves away only the Light of Spirit remains in
awareness. The Light of the Spirit simply Is, so when the obstacles
have been removed the Light shines unobstructed in awareness. The
Light of Love is perfect Oneness, and there is nothing lacking or
incomplete in perfect Oneness. This is the Unity and Purity of
Heart that Christ radiates forever Being God's Love.

In the time-space cosmos this Love has been temporarily forgotten
and pushed out of awareness. The sleeping mind has therefore
experienced a kind of amnesia about the Kingdom of Heaven and seems
preoccupied with bodies, environment, food, clothing, shelter,
entertainment, competition, betterment, pleasure, attack, economic
advancement, education, and striving for progress or destruction in
a variety of ways and forms. These pursuits leave the mind mired in
an unnaturally stressful state that is highly busy and exceptionally
unproductive. Productivity and Creativity are synonymous, yet the
makings and the strivings of the ego have nothing to do with true
Creativity. The imaginations and goals of the ego are all of linear
time-space and serve only to perpetuate the illusion of linear time-
space.

The linear time-space cosmos of distortion is a game. The only way
the game becomes consistently happy is when you allow the Holy
Spirit to Interpret the game from the lofty Perspective of non-
judgment. Possession is a belief (the ego) which seemed to set the
game of time-space in motion. The game cannot be won or lost. The
game can only be forgiven or Observed in a beneficent way. The game
is in the mind, though the ego projects a world which seems to be
the game. It is not. The game cannot be forgiven or Observed
Correctly until you realize that the game is in the mind. Economics
are therefore in the mind. Sexuality is in the mind. War is in the
mind. Competition, attack, defense, education, entertainment,
pleasure, suffering, bodies, striving, etc. are all games that the
sleeping mind is toying with. The game of time-space is only a game
in the mind and has no reality whatsoever. It is a game of belief
and has no real Substance or Spirit. The only thing necessary to be
free of the linear time-space game is to stop playing the game and
trust in the Holy Spirit for absolutely everything. Absolutely
everything. If you open to experiencing the Holy Spirit as the
Provider you can open to experiencing our Self as Christ as God as
the Creator. The Way is very simple, and it is only the ego that
obscures the Way, the Truth, and the Life.

I dedicated my "life" to experiencing the peace that passeth the
understanding of the world. It has turned out wonderful. The whole
world is now a miracle to me, and it feels like a happy fairytale.
Drama has been replaced by Certainty, striving has been replaced by
rest, depression and boredom have been replaced by joy and freedom,
loneliness has been replaced by intimacy of shared Purpose, and I am
happily in Love with God and everything and everyOne. So peacefully
Present am I, there is no longer an expectation that people, places,
events, or things be any different than they Are. By Grace I live
in the Heart of God, serenely unaffected by the journey that never
was. "How" did this awareness seem to happen? I trust the Holy
Spirit absolutely. The Holy Spirit is the "How," the means and the
End together as One. There is nothing left to search for, nothing
left to attain. There is no problem to solve and nowhere to go.
There is nothing left to do. Enlightenment is a Present experience.

Teacher of Teachers website (section 3):
Transfer of Training - Materials Set Three
This section covers the most advanced ideas from the Course on cause and effect, the subject / object split, relationship and many
other topics, focusing on the transfer of training. A solid understanding of the most advanced metaphors of ACIM combined with a willingness to transfer those ideas to one's life without exception has only one result; a clear mind and consistent happiness.
Read about how to use this website

Transfer of Training - The experience of joy comes to a willing mind that has given up all attempts to make exceptions to the miracle. Only exceptions block the awareness of ever Present miracle mindedness. Today look at some ideas offered here to clarify transfer of training as described in A Course In Miracles. This clarification will have tremendous benefits for anyone desiring to experience the State of Mind called Enlightenment.

The Experience Beyond Theology - The concept of theology has only temporary value as a "stepping stone" to the Awakening Experience. The Text of ACIM is intended to make the Workbook lessons more meaningful yet it is application of the lessons (without making exceptions) that is the key to the transformation of consciousness or the happy dream. The goal is true forgiveness and theology must be laid aside for this Experience to occur in awareness.

Letting Go and Trusting - Follow your heart on a journey of discovery. Listen to the Voice within and do what It says, even if it sometimes doesn't make sense according to what you believe are your "personal" best interests.

A Prayer For Us - We are joined in Purpose or Content and "joining in form" is a meaningless concept.

Sex and Spirituality: Do they go together? - A long answer to one of the issues that is not specifically addressed in the Course.

Relationships: Lack, Completion and Ownership - KEY - (MP3 27:23mins 37.6MB) - Completion is your inheritance. Wanting a partner, to be with a body, is seeking for completion in form. Yearning for companionship is a distorted miracle impulse. When the mind is attracted to one person over another the equality of the Sonship is obscured. The right mind sees that personal love and impersonal love do not go together. The way out of the loop of seeking for specialness is to desire only to be truly helpful. The deceived mind has a very deep rooted belief in scarcity, lack, unworthiness and guilt. Expectations come from the belief in lack and incompletion. Extending and giving have nothing to do with specifics. Having and being are the same. Giving and receiving are the same.
Read also: What about marriage? , Holy Spirit Vows of Union

Opening to the Experience of Real Relationship - How do you define relationship? This is a beginning point in dissolving the disillusionment and dissatisfaction you experience. Are you aware of all of the unconscious assumptions and definitions you hold about the concepts of relationship in your mind? Do you have any idea of the hold these concepts exert on your experiences of this world? First we must take a look at how you have defined relationship, for your experiences of the world result from your beliefs and concepts and thoughts about yourself and the world.
Read also: Releasing Guilt and People Pleasing , Awakening to Relationship , Love has no opposite , Relationship is Divine , Releasing the "family concept" , From partnership to Divine Relationship , Holy Union; undoing the construct of coupleness , Help releasing fantasies

"Wait" on No Body - You are the One Holy Child of God, there is no one to wait for.

The Secret Dream - KEY - (MP3 29:50mins 40.9MB) - Discussion about dreaming, seeing and exposing the false belief in separation. Right mind is a present decision. The thinker and the thoughts are the same, the perceived gap/separation between the perceiver and the perceived is the wrong mind. The right mind sees the gap as false and sees that the perceived world comes from the belief in separation. Exposing the gap/the belief in separation is the undoing of the ego – seeing its impossibility is the healing. Purpose is the only choice and all strain comes from compromising, attempting to live in two worlds. Beliefs are dissolved when they are deeply questioned and judgment is seen as impossible. The ego's definition of life is the birth and death of the body – on a grand scale this is the big bang and impending implosion – it is all part of dreaming. Ideas about good and evil are all part of dreaming.

Beyond the Subject / Object split - KEY - (MP3 25:59mins 35.7MB) - Everything is a present moment decision. Becoming miracle-minded is a metaphor for the mind that believes in linear time. The metaphor of right mind and wrong mind is helpful but like all metaphors, it is to be released. Desire the holy instant above all else. The wrong mind believes in bodies and the illusion of attack. Right mind and wrong mind are not at war – the right mind watches and the wrong mind projects the illusion of attack. Past thoughts of the self are images. All perceptions of duality are seen with the wrong mind – it sees differences. The right mind is a reflection of reality – it sees everything as the same. There is no causation in the world, images are images. There is only one miracle, it is the atonement. There is one holy instant, one holy encounter, one holy relationship. Everything collapses in the instant. Cause and effect are one, time is simultaneous.

Opening to the Dreamer of the Dream Perspective - KEY - (MP3 43:09mins 59.2MB) - ACIM the book, and words, are symbols; they are the past. What is causative is desire. Parables and teaching sessions are the Holy Spirit's use of the past, to point to what is beyond. Words can be used to ask meaningful questions and open the mind. Inward questioning leads to a point of taking a leap into Certainty. There is no questioning in Certainty - Christ is not a questioner. The experience comes by desire, at first through miracles (glimpses). Time is to be questioned; the ego uses it to maintain guilt, keeping the mind closed. Accepting the atonement involves looking at assumptions and mistaken beliefs that are in the way of the experience.
Read also: Lucid dream realization; one mind dreaming , Holy Relationship is a shift of mind

The Dreamer of the Dream (selections from A Course in Miracles) - A four part publication which provides a layout of the ego thought system versus the Holy Spirit. Subject material includes; Use of metaphysical terminology and metaphors God, Spirit, Knowledge, Creation, Christ, Heaven, the metaphor of split-mind, cause and effect, perception, ego, Holy Spirit, miracle, revelation, consciousness, right- mindedness, wrong-mindedness, choice, beliefs, subject/object split, level confusion, ordering of thoughts, judgment, healing, the relinquishment of judgment. Two uses of time, relationships, and the body; Ego and the Holy Spirit purposes. Ego goals: What are they? Why is it important to let them go? Examining the Self Concept. Approaching truth through negation (seeing false as false). Revealing all illusions as one. The image-maker and the images are one. True forgiveness: a new purpose. Meditation: emptying consciousness of its contents. To see the self-concept completely is to be free. This publication summarizes some core metaphysical points.

Reversing Effect and Cause; Getting to the Bottom of the Belief in Linear Time - The idea of `cause and effect' is an essential element of the metaphysics outlined by A Course In Miracles. This idea must be understood in order to begin the process of thought reversal. Once this idea is fully grasped it must then be transferred from a mental concept to practical application, without exceptions. This is the key element in the process of forgiveness and accepting the Atonement, which is the sole responsibility of a teacher of God. This leads to the experience of Inner Peace, Happiness, Freedom, Joy, & Divine Love. Note: A Course In Miracles was used for all "quotations" used in the following teaching/learning session. The words of Jesus are in quotes " "

Questioning the Reality of Debts and Reciprocity - KEY - (MP3 8:51mins ) - A stepping stone to begin to tracing back inward from identification with the world and the body is to seem to pay off debts in form. The laws of reciprocity, exchange, and the reality of debts are to be questioned, which leads to realizing that there is an association with personhood. The world is the means, and provides evidence of beliefs in the mind. Concepts are to be released and a retranslation occurs. This seems to be a process until the leap is taken. There is no debt in the real world, or in Heaven.

Time, Space and Personhood - KEY - (MP3 1:19:26mins 89.4MB) - This advanced discussion goes deeply into the major topic areas of ACIM including ordering thought, right mind/wrong mind, cause and effect, linear time and hypothetical thinking, the subject-object split, and the immediacy of salvation. The immediacy of salvation is to see that everything is thought. Time and space are of one illusion. Every memory is a thought. If projected beyond the mind and seen in terms of personhood, thoughts are described in terms of time. Discernment is the key to seeing that "I Am the Right Mind!" The wrong mind is dissolved in this realization. The right mind is a constant state. Vacillation is a metaphor; there is only the right mind. "I am wholly mind" is not believed and so all false beliefs are to be questioned to come to the experience of being Mind. It is a metaphor to say that the ego exists or even to say that it could be resistant or resilient. The ego is a present decision as is the Holy Spirit. The right mind is a state where there is no ordering of thought/of images. It is practical to see cause and effect are not apart. This is a state of rest, of peace; there is nothing to attain or strive for, no future goals or outcomes. Only present peace and joy. Mysticism is realizing that there is no gap between time and space, no gap between cause and effect; there is no personhood and there is no subject-object split.

The 'Hero' of the Dream - A transcribed dialogue on some of the deepest core ideas of the Course, done in a very practical and comprehensive way. "And so you wander idly in and out of places and events that it contrives. That this is all the body does is true, for it is but a figure in a dream. But who reacts to figures in a dream unless he sees them as if they were real? The instant that he sees them as they are they have no more effects on him, because he understands he gave them their effects by causing them and making them seem real. How willing are you to escape effects of all the dreams the world has ever had? Is it your wish to let no dream appear to be the cause of what it is you do?"
See also: Projector chart (requires Adobe Reader)
Read also: The projector metaphor

Self Concept vs. Self - KEY - (MP3 1:21:51mins 112MB) - This dialogue was part of an in depth workshop and followed the talk called 'Hero of the Dream' which can be read above. This talk goes deeply into uncovering the idea of the self concept, the false sense of self which was made as a defense against Christ. The reading in this recording is from "Self Concept versus Self" in the ACIM text.
See also: Projector chart (subject / object split) , cause and effect chart, domain of consciousness chart (charts require Adobe Reader)

Levels of Mind (Selections from A Course in Miracles)- The world you see is a reflection of your desire. Map the levels of mind from desire, belief, thought, emotion and perception. The Holy Spirit consistently brings everything perceived on the screen back to the mind, where it can be seen as what it is: the out-picturing of the mind's false thoughts/beliefs. The Holy Spirit sees only wholeness, all things working together for good, and only two orders of thought: love or a call for love. When the Holy Spirit's thought system has the mind's allegiance, it is at peace, and peace of mind is the goal of life. In a state of sleep or mindlessness, perception is very unreliable and changes continually. In a state of alertness or mindfulness, there is awareness of and detachment from "ego" thoughts and mind sees everything and everyone differently. As mind changes, perception changes, and the world is seen differently from the way it was seen before.
Read also: To desire wholly is to Be

Purpose is the Only Choice - This dialogue (which takes place between the Speaker and several friends) begins with an expression of restlessness which is a subtle form of upset or simply not being at peace. This provides a starting point for tracing the specific upset back to its source, the deceived mind, where perception is corrected by the choice of a new purpose.
Read also: Spiritual Practice is Nothing Without Integrity , Integrity: Living in Divine Purpose

Only the Truth is True - Nothing said about the Truth is true as no idea of this world is wholly true. The truth is beyond all concepts and images.

Rest in Me - Ask only this: Will I fulfill the function given me? What else is there to ask? Why must I know the form in which the answer comes to me? God answers, "Yes" and it is done. No more than this is meaningful to you.

Stillness: Readings on Going Beyond the Words - KEY - (MP3 17:18mins 23.7MB) - Some readings from the Course on Stillness, 'I need do nothing' and 'The time for words is almost over'.
Read also: Singularity and Silence

Selections on' Living in Community' and practical application - KEY - The following audio tracks hint at what it can be like to live in community with the intention of exposing and releasing the ego thought system and practicing these ideas without compromise or exception.
Living in Community - Pointing Out Inattentiveness (MP3 32:28mins 44.5MB) - This track includes a discussion that took place over a decade ago around the subject of caring for the the original recordings that are now found on this very website! There were many teaching learning opportunities that arose around these resources even then. The first part of this dialogue is about preferences, ordering of thought and the belief that I am the author of reality leads to frustration. When frustrated, there is no awareness of being the dreamer of the dream. It takes great effort to train the mind and release the "doer". There is no way to wake up with out being attentive. If you say you want to wake up, then you must be grateful when inattentivenes is pointed out even if it there is a temptation to perceive an attack. Sometimes it is necessary to get the student's attention; examples from the life of Jesus are cited. Everything that seems to be done is always a backdrop for mind training, done in the spirit of love.
Living in Community - Looking at Wants and Preferences (MP3 14:21mins 19.7MB) - "I want" comes with a picture; an outcome in mind. It is a personal request, a decision made by oneself (autonomously). Preferences are a hierarchy of illusions. To order thoughts is to believe in the wrong mind. When the mind sees that ordering thoughts offers nothing of value it can become set on purpose. Preferences may seem miniscule but they are to be questioned. The dreamer of the dream perspective cannot judge or order thoughts. This perspective is the desire to be truly helpful.
Living in Community - Demands vs. Requests (MP3 40:51mins 56MB) - The ego's purpose for the world is to see the cause of upset out in the world and it uses situations to defend its position / its reality. Before being able to accept the atonement one has to see oneself as the dreamer of the dream. Beliefs are decisions that are pushed out of awareness.

In Love & Gratitude,

David
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~http://davidhoffmeistermaterials.com/~~~~~~
David Hoffmeister
David Hoffmeister is a living example of the teachings of A Course In Miracles & Self realization. He teaches from Enlightened Mind, shining the Love of God wherever he is invited in the world. David lives a simple life of trust and is supported by the Holy Spirit. Thus he never charges any money and never has anything to sell. His gatherings are open discussions and he invites questions and comments from everyone who attends. His websites have a variety of inspiring, enlightening, free resources (ie., Videos & MP3s) along with the most profound Self-realization writings on the planet. David’s global mailing list group, AwakeningInChrist, has hundreds of archived messages written from the Holy Spirit as answers to questions sent in to David from around the world. David’s teachings and his living example demonstrate the State Of Being & Oneness Jesus called the Kingdom of Heaven.
David traveled full-time throughout North America beginning in 1991. During his first 12 years of teaching David met with Course groups and individuals in churches, bookstores, homes, parks, & spiritual centers where he was invited. In 2003 he began traveling to 22 countries on 4 continents (North America, South America, Australia, & Europe). Most of these visits and gatherings were in the United States, Canada, Argentina, & Colombia, though in recent years David has also visited New Zealand, Australia, Sweden, Denmark, the Canary Islands, France, Switzerland, Germany, & Belgium as well. In 2006 David began the first of 4 yearly tours along the East coast of Australia. In February 2007 he spoke at the ACIM Conference in San Francisco, California and thereafter returned to the South Pacific and to central Europe. David returned to the South Pacific & Europe for gatherings in 2008, and in February, 2009 David will again speak at the international ACIM Conference at the Holiday Inn in San Francisco before embarking on travels to Australia & Hawaii. Humankind is Awakening to the Oneness of God’s Love, and David demonstrates that the time of Peace is Now. He invites you to join him in the Love of God and rejoice. Read some of David's early metaphysical writings here. Write to David at david@awakening-mind.org