In the discussion from Day 1 of that journey, several people talked about practicing the foundational practices of revolutionary love so that we have something in else our toolkit to pull out when we are in a moment where we feel attacked and triggered (moments of “fierce entanglement” one speaker called it), instead of the seemingly instinctual tool of defense or counterattack. For me, giving up my own attack thoughts is part of that foundational practice because the Course teaches me (and I’ve come to know) that my own attack thoughts create the whole set up where I see a world of people who attack me or others. And it’s not just “my” thoughts in my physical head. It’s those thoughts of mine that are thought by the brain in your head or in that “stranger’s” head, because you are all me, right? All a part of me that I don’t yet know (although probably on some level I do know you well enough; I’m just not ready to accept those parts of me yet). It’s all just me, the One, out there having a different experience. Some of you are me having an experience where other parts of me feel justified in attacking you/us. Some of you are having an expererience where I or others parts of us feel called to defend . . . . And on and on it goes as we collectively create this world we see.

So, I am practicing seeing the oneness. I am practicing seeing no stranger, and I practicing (and failing pretty regularly) at seeing only love and calls for love–calls that I at least want to want to answer, mostly. I still “see” some separation. I haven’t quite figured out the technique of Jedi mind control or maybe Vulcan mind-meld so that all of the brains thinking my/our thoughts sees that oneness. But this part of me/us is practicing letting go of attack thoughts and seeing the world differently. And wouldn’t you know it–when I do that, I do escape the world I saw as angry, miserable, [you fill in the blank], and I see glimpses of a world of wonder.