Lesson 016: ”I have no neutral thoughts.”
AI Reframe: Every thought carries some kind of influence or charge.
Suggested Exercise: Three to five times, for about a minute, start the practice by stating today’s idea: “I have no neutral thoughts”. Then with eyes closed and as each thought crosses your mind, hold it in awareness and state:
This (or that) thought about __________________ is not a neutral thought.
As you encounter any uneasy thoughts outside of the practice period, this following statement is suggested:
This thought about ____________ is not a neutral thought, because I have no neutral thoughts.
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Message
Up until now, The Course has been telling us that everything is neutral: objects, people, places, events, situations—all neutral in and of themselves. And just when we think we’ve got that settled, it introduces a plot twist. Our thoughts, without exception, are not neutral.
Per The Course:
“Thoughts are not big or little; powerful or weak. They are merely true or false. Those that are true create their own likeness. Those that are false make theirs… Every thought you have contributes to truth or to illusion; either it extends the truth or it multiplies illusions.” (ACIM, W-16.1:4–7; W-16.2:3)
This is huge news. There is no such thing as an “idle” or “passing” thought. No background static. Every thought is doing something—quietly voting for either love or fear. Which makes noticing our thoughts all the more important. Not to police them, but to become aware of what they’re generating in us and in the world we perceive. Are they amplifying fear… or extending love?
We may feel tempted to dismiss fear-based thoughts, assuming they’re not worth our attention. But The Course invites us to recognize them all—without exception—“as equally destructive, but equally unreal.” Not dangerous, just mistaken. Not sinful, just off-course.
As with the lessons before it, this one isn’t meant to be mastered overnight. Think of it as another small stepping stone, one that will reappear in many forms before it fully lands. The invitation here is simple and merciful.
So again—just notice.
Without judging.
Without fixing.
Without waving a spiritual wand at your mind.
Awareness is enough for now. The rest will follow.
“Lesson 16…dispels the belief that my thoughts have no effect. … My every thought either furthers the illusion (the meaningless) or it furthers the truth that, rather than face reality, I actually create reality.”
— “The Course in Miracles Experiment” by Pam Grout
Blessings & Peace,
Maureen,
The Mandala Lady
transforming soul whispers into mandalas and channeled messages for clarity, peace, and love
▶️ About the 2026 Mandalas of the Day — ▶️ A Note About A Course in Miracles
Mandala of the Day 