Reference: ACIM Circle of Atonement Edition
Chapter 5 VI. The Ego’s Use of Guilt
The ego’s primary purpose is to create fear. Fearful people attack. We attack ourselves with shame and guilt. We project our own shame and guilt onto others and attack them with judgment and blame. Attack divides us.
Guilt’s primary message is,
“I did something wrong.”
Sometimes here in the illusion on planet earth we do need to own a behavior that is not loving.
Shame however says not that I did something wrong but that “I am something wrong”.
“I can’t let you see me or know me because you will realize I’m no good and you’ll reject me.”
It’s an underlying thought that says,
“I can’t let you see me.”
The word for this phenomenon is SEPARATION.
Shame and Guilt – They’ve Gotta Go
Guilt and Shame keep us divided from our True Self which is the knowledge of the divine creations we innately Are.
One of the ways to clear out shame is through the removal of the word “should”.
First, we must recognize the “shoulds” in our internal dialogue.
“I should (fill in the blank).”
Once recognized, we can become conscious of these shaming thoughts and the toxic energy they bring.
There are no “shoulds” in Love.
There are no “shoulds” in Heaven.
Guilt says,
“You didn’t do your should.”
Do something that makes you feel alive each day. Not because you are supposed to but because you want to. 'I should' has a much different feeling than 'I want to.' Click To TweetShoulds are generally ideas we learned from others. We took on their rules based on their own “shoulds”. Ask yourself,
“Whose rule is this and do I still believe in it? Do I still want to follow it? Or am I too afraid to disappoint? Am I too afraid to stand in my own truth?”
If so then we simply numb ourselves to our real Truth because we’re too afraid to listen to it.
That is separation.
Oftentimes, we use food, shopping, sex, medication, alcohol, etc. to numb our separate selves from Truth. The result is that we lose the Heaven that is ours. So instead we live in hell.
The choice to be in heaven is ours. The price is courage. Courage to be the Light that we Are. Courage is to feel the fear and do it anyway. Jesus is our example.
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The Teachers of God Foundation Team
5 Comments on “Shame and Guilt – They’ve Gotta Go”
Irene’s teaching was AMAZING and so very helpful! I’ve been doing lots of releasing of ego nonsense lately and this teaching came at the perfect time so THANK YOU Irene, very grateful. 💖
Thank you for sharing that video I have carried around shame and guilt for years until I realized that was someone else’s projection as a child I took on-board. Regardless of what or how much I did I carried this belief inside myself where ever I went., I would litterly freeze and burn up inside walking into a room full of people I didn’t know always feeling I was on the outside looking in and unable to talk to people because they would see me as inferior. Shame had run my life with an iron fist never letting up as I allowed these thoughts to control and dominate me in all my relationships. Here I am at 77 years of age able to say goodbye to those beliefs and say love lives here now as thanks to a ACIM I have continually surrendered my thoughts and beliefs to the Holy Spirit to be healed .I didn’t realize how much shame and guilt were still playing out in my life until this came up in the transformation room with the exercise of telling the thoughts that (Love lives here now) .I have taken back my power to say yes I am as God created me perfect whole and complete and I live in love and keep surrendering to him who leads me .Thank you to The Teacher’s of God Foundation for your weekly video’s and all the sharings and love that goes into creating amazing change in mine and other people’s lives. So much Gratitude to you all. Love and blessings. Joyce xxx
Thank you for this video! I have a lot of réflexions how to teach my children in school and transform the rules using the ❤️
I watched Irene, this is very true, and I relate. I have known this for a long time. But doing it every day and moment is another thing. I was blessed by Irene’s sharing. I just found And have been getting into Gabrielle Bernstein’s books, I am reading ” Spirit Junkie” right now. I am thankful that I don’t have to qualify or defend myself when I choose to read another book. Glad this group does not get onto me about every decision I make. I am using her exercises. And I have been praying for healing. Because I have had something in my lungs. It is a bacterial infection, and is being cultured for 6 weeks. I was exposed to air borne diseases as a nurse, and I am not sure what I am looking at? And have used steroid inhalers for many years, they can contribute to a lung infection and fungus growth. I love you all. I wish I had the push to sell my home and move some where smaller, I just have not trusted myself to make decisions for myself. Because I would love to do what Georgina Allen did.
Irene you’re one of my favorite teachers. Thanks for the clarity around Shame and Guilt. So clear and helpful to see how these can run my life without my permission. I’m on it.
“When you said GUILT seeks punishment” that was , my aha moment.
That’s incredibly powerful to remember as a reason to let guilt go as if it’s a red hot rock on fire.
I don’t want to live in depravation. I want freedom living an extroidinary life filled with JOY !!!
I love and bless you Irene for sharing so candidly and clearly. Your talks/books are the FAST TRACK to the truth.
AND btw I think you’re beautiful beyond measure!!!!!!. Not sure how you could ever think otherwise but that’s how conditioning works when we don’t have the skills to counter our beliefs as a child growing up.
My new understanding of my limiting beliefs rooted in Shame and Guilt is a wake up call and makes it easier to release them to stop blocking the life of joy I cherish. ((💗)) 🏆🌟🔭🎶