Beyond the Self: Transmissions from Inside the Practice

H. Marcus guides daily contemplations on A Course in Miracles. Listen-in to explore non-duality, spiritual surrender, and the direct experience of your own true nature.

Beyond the Self is a daily, unscripted working of the ACIM Workbook, one lesson at a time. Hosted by H. Marcus — scholar, interpreter, and teacher of the material. If you’ve spent years collecting spiritual ideas without experiencing lasting transformation, then this is for you. A Course in Miracles is a 365-day training in changing how you perceive the world — not just a philosophy to collect, but an thought system to embody and practice. The Course is the curriculum. Your life is the classroom. New episodes daily. Full written companions and the complete Workbook archive at Beyond the Self on Substack. #ACourseInMiracles #ACIM #NonDuality #SpiritualPractice #MindTraining hmarcusbts.substack.com

  1. 5h ago

    ACIM Lesson 317: “I Follow in the Way Appointed Me”

    TITLE ACIM Lesson 317: “I Follow in the Way Appointed Me” DESCRIPTION What if the path we're meant to follow is already leading us toward something that has never been lost? https://hmarcusbts.substack.com In this episode of Beyond the Self, we explore A Course in Miracles Workbook Lesson 317, “I Follow in the Way Appointed Me.” The Course tells us that each of us has a particular role to fulfill in salvation. But what does that mean when we still have ordinary human responsibilities—work, money, family, and all the practical activities of life? We approach this lesson through three perspectives: the ordinary human experience, the Holy Spirit's guidance within that experience, and the deeper non-dual truth that salvation is already complete. In this discussion, we explore: How ordinary activities can serve a spiritual function. The distinction between our human responsibilities and the higher path of the Holy Spirit. Why every moment presents an opportunity to choose differently. How following our appointed way can shorten the experience of time. The relationship between individual awakening and the salvation of the entire Sonship. The Atonement as both a process within time and a completion beyond time. The Ouroboros, the beginning and end of the spiritual journey, and the recognition that we have never truly left our Source. Three perspectives on identity: the separate self, the self awakening to its True Nature, and the non-dual Self beyond perception. Why spiritual teachings and language ultimately point toward a truth that cannot be contained in words. We also revisit Lessons 50, 244, and 38, exploring the relationship between divine guidance, safety, and the power of our True Nature. The central recognition is that the way appointed us leads toward the remembrance of what we already are. I'm also organizing a private A Course in Miracles practice circle for those interested in working with the Workbook, Text, and related material together. If you'd like to participate, leave a comment on YouTube or contact me through Substack. #ACIM #ACourseInMiracles #BeyondTheSelf #Nonduality H. Marcus is a translator and interpreter of A Course in Miracles. All quotes from A Course in Miracles © are used with gratitude from the Third Edition, 2007. Used with written permission from the copyright holder and publisher, the Foundation for Inner Peace, 448 Ignacio Blvd #306, Novato, CA 94949. www.acim.org and info@acim.org. Follow The Workbook, practiced daily at Beyond the Self for ongoing commentary and practice with A Course in Miracles. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit hmarcusbts.substack.com

  2. 17h ago

    ACIM Lessons 315 & 316: “All Gifts My Brothers Give Belong to Me” / “All Gifts I Give My Brothers Are My Own”

    TITLE ACIM Lessons 315 & 316: “All Gifts My Brothers Give Belong to Me” / “All Gifts I Give My Brothers Are My Own” DESCRIPTION What if every act of love, even between two people we've never met, is also a gift to us? https://hmarcusbts.substack.com In this combined episode of Beyond the Self, we explore A Course in Miracles Workbook Lessons 315 and 316. These two lessons offer an unusually practical expression of the Course's non-dual teaching. They describe ordinary acts of kindness, gratitude, generosity, and recognition—and invite us to see how every gift given or received belongs to the whole. We explore: Why these lessons are particularly dualistic in their language and examples. How witnessing kindness between others can become a gift to us. The relationship between the small mind, the big mind, and the Mind of God. Why giving and receiving are ultimately inseparable. The danger of interpreting these lessons through a self-centered or solipsistic ego. The possibility that God's gifts to us are found in our brothers. How recognizing holiness in another also reveals our own holiness. The relationship between right perception and the ultimate transcendence of perception. How Lessons 311–316 form a continuous progression from judgment and separation toward the recognition of unity. We also examine a passage highlighted in a Foundation for Inner Peace weekly message about the ultimate purpose of right perception. The central recognition is that the gifts we give and receive are expressions of a single, shared Reality. I'm also organizing a private A Course in Miracles practice circle for those interested in working with the Workbook, Text, and related teachings together. If you'd like to participate, leave a comment on YouTube or contact me through Substack. #ACIM #ACourseInMiracles #BeyondTheSelf #Nonduality H. Marcus is a translator and interpreter of A Course in Miracles. All quotes from A Course in Miracles © are used with gratitude from the Third Edition, 2007. Used with written permission from the copyright holder and publisher, the Foundation for Inner Peace, 448 Ignacio Blvd #306, Novato, CA 94949. www.acim.org and info@acim.org. Follow The Workbook, practiced daily at Beyond the Self for ongoing commentary and practice with A Course in Miracles. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit hmarcusbts.substack.com

  3. 2d ago

    ACIM Lesson 314: “I Seek a Future Different from the Past”

    TITLE ACIM Lesson 314: “I Seek a Future Different from the Past” DESCRIPTION What if seeking a different future means relinquishing the past entirely, rather than imagining a better version of it? https://hmarcusbts.substack.com In this episode of Beyond the Self, we explore A Course in Miracles Workbook Lesson 314, “I Seek a Future Different from the Past.” Following Lessons 311–313, which examine judgment, perception, and the willingness to see differently, Lesson 314 brings us into our relationship with time. The ego interprets a different future through comparison. It remembers what happened, decides what it would prefer, and projects that preference onto what has yet to come. The Course offers a more fundamental shift: release the past, relinquish the future, and enter more fully into the present. In this discussion, we explore: How the ego hijacks spiritual teachings through projection. Why a different future begins with a new relationship to the present. Forgiveness as the complete relinquishment of past judgments. Fear as the projection of imagined circumstances into the future. The holy instant and the experience of presence. Michael Singer's The Surrender Experiment and the practice of spiritual surrender. The relationship between Lessons 50, 244, and 314: safety, provision, and trust. The distinction between non-dual Truth and its expression through ordinary human experience. Why the Course ultimately points beyond the body, time, and the need for learning itself. The central practice is simple: relinquish judgment, surrender the past, and allow the Holy Spirit to reinterpret what unfolds. I'm also organizing a private A Course in Miracles practice circle for those interested in working with the Workbook, Text, and related material together. If you'd like to participate, leave a comment on YouTube or contact me through Substack. #ACIM #ACourseInMiracles #BeyondTheSelf #Nonduality H. Marcus is a translator and interpreter of A Course in Miracles. All quotes from A Course in Miracles © are used with gratitude from the Third Edition, 2007. Used with written permission from the copyright holder and publisher, the Foundation for Inner Peace, 448 Ignacio Blvd #306, Novato, CA 94949. www.acim.org and info@acim.org. Follow The Workbook, practiced daily at Beyond the Self for ongoing commentary and practice with A Course in Miracles. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit hmarcusbts.substack.com

  4. 3d ago

    ACIM Lesson 313: “Now Let a New Perception Come to Me”

    TITLE ACIM Lesson 313: “Now Let a New Perception Come to Me” DESCRIPTION What happens when we stop insisting that the world be what we have judged it to be? https://hmarcusbts.substack.com In this episode of Beyond the Self, we explore A Course in Miracles Workbook Lesson 313, “Now Let a New Perception Come to Me.” Lessons 311 and 312 established how judgment creates the experience of separation and how perception follows judgment. Lesson 313 represents the next movement: the conscious willingness to see differently. The Course invites us to relinquish our judgments and allow Christ's vision to reveal a world that is holy, forgiven, and unified beneath its appearances. In this discussion, we explore: Why Lesson 313 represents a turning point in the sequence of judgment and perception. The two ways the Course speaks about the world: as an illusion and as a holy vision. Sinlessness as the absence of separation. How Christ's vision changes our relationship with suffering, fear, and ordinary life. The holy instant and the experience of unity beyond time. Meditation, surrender, and the gradual removal of obstacles to love. True Identity and the distinction between the symbols of God and direct realization. Why even spiritual language must eventually give way to what it points toward. We also explore the continuity of Lessons 311–314, moving from judgment to perception, the possibility of new perception, and ultimately a future no longer determined by the past. I'm also preparing a private A Course in Miracles practice circle for those interested in working with the Workbook, Text, and related teachings together. If you'd like to participate, leave a comment on YouTube or contact me through Substack. #ACIM #ACourseInMiracles #BeyondTheSelf #Nonduality H. Marcus is a translator and interpreter of A Course in Miracles. All quotes from A Course in Miracles © are used with gratitude from the Third Edition, 2007. Used with written permission from the copyright holder and publisher, the Foundation for Inner Peace, 448 Ignacio Blvd #306, Novato, CA 94949. www.acim.org and info@acim.org. Follow The Workbook, practiced daily at Beyond the Self for ongoing commentary and practice with A Course in Miracles. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit hmarcusbts.substack.com

  5. 4d ago

    ACIM Lesson 312: “I See All Things as I Would Have Them Be”

    TITLE ACIM Lesson 312: “I See All Things as I Would Have Them Be” DESCRIPTION Perception follows judgment. We see what we have already decided to see. https://hmarcusbts.substack.com In this episode of Beyond the Self, we explore A Course in Miracles Workbook Lesson 312, “I See All Things as I Would Have Them Be.” Building directly on Lesson 311, we examine how the ego first judges something as separate, then projects meaning onto it, and finally experiences that interpretation as reality. The Course presents a different possibility: relinquishing judgment and allowing the Holy Spirit to reinterpret what we perceive. We explore: Why perception follows judgment. How the ego creates the experience of separation. The relationship between ordinary sight and conceptual projection. Why choosing the Holy Spirit's purpose for seeing changes our perception. Christ's vision and the recognition of love beneath appearances. Forgiveness as the relinquishment of attachment, judgment, and control. The difference between progressively embodying truth and the ultimate realization of non-duality. How Lessons 311–314 develop a sequence from judgment to perception and the possibility of a different future. This episode also includes an announcement about a forthcoming private A Course in Miracles practice circle, where we'll work with the Workbook, Text, and related material together. If you're interested in participating, leave a comment on YouTube or contact me through Substack. #ACIM #ACourseInMiracles #BeyondTheSelf #Nonduality H. Marcus is a translator and interpreter of A Course in Miracles. All quotes from A Course in Miracles © are used with gratitude from the Third Edition, 2007. Used with written permission from the copyright holder and publisher, the Foundation for Inner Peace, 448 Ignacio Blvd #306, Novato, CA 94949. www.acim.org and info@acim.org. Follow The Workbook, practiced daily at Beyond the Self for ongoing commentary and practice with A Course in Miracles. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit hmarcusbts.substack.com

  6. 4d ago

    ACIM Lesson 311: “I Judge All Things as I Would Have Them Be”

    What if judgment is the very activity through which we create the experience of separation? https://hmarcusbts.substack.com In this episode of Beyond the Self, we explore A Course in Miracles Workbook Lesson 311, “I Judge All Things as I Would Have Them Be.” The Course describes judgment as an instrument of separation. We isolate something from the whole, decide what it means, and then relate to it as though our interpretation were reality itself. But this process goes much deeper than our judgments about other people or the circumstances of our lives. It begins with the fundamental judgment that we are separate from our Creator. In this discussion, we explore how the Holy Spirit reinterprets judgment, why the ego cannot perceive totality, and how surrender becomes an immediate, practical means of returning to peace. We also examine the difference between improving our relationship with life and the ultimate realization of non-dual Truth. Even when we cannot perfectly embody that Truth in every circumstance, we can relinquish a degree of control, release resistance, and become more receptive to a higher intelligence. I also discuss the forthcoming private A Course in Miracles practice circle for listeners interested in working with the Workbook and Text together. If you're interested, leave a comment or contact me through Substack. #ACIM #ACourseInMiracles #BeyondTheSelf #Nonduality H. Marcus is a translator and interpreter of A Course in Miracles. All quotes from A Course in Miracles © are used with gratitude from the Third Edition, 2007. Used with written permission from the copyright holder and publisher, the Foundation for Inner Peace, 448 Ignacio Blvd #306, Novato, CA 94949. www.acim.org and info@acim.org. Follow The Workbook, practiced daily at Beyond the Self for ongoing commentary and practice with A Course in Miracles. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit hmarcusbts.substack.com

  7. 5d ago

    ACIM Workbook Part II, Section 10: “What Is the Last Judgment?”

    What if God's Last Judgment is not condemnation, but the final correction of everything we mistakenly believe ourselves to be? Explore Beyond the Self:https://hmarcusbts.substack.com In this episode, we examine Part II, Section 10 of the A Course in Miracles Workbook, “What Is the Last Judgment?” The Course presents the Last Judgment as the end of perception, the correction of error, and the restoration of our changeless Identity. We explore two ways of understanding this teaching. First, there is its ultimate meaning: the completion of learning, the disappearance of the world as we perceive it, and the recognition that we are not the body. Second, there is its practical application while we are still participating in ordinary life. As identification with the ego begins to diminish, our relationship with fear, control, judgment, and the unfolding of experience can change. Throughout this discussion, we explore: The Last Judgment as correction rather than punishment. Why the body becomes unnecessary when its learning function is complete. The relationship between fear, control, and suffering. The limitations of interpreting experience through good and bad. How the world can refer both to physical experience and our perceptual framework. Why the Course's language becomes recursive when describing our return to a Self we never actually left. I also share an announcement about a forthcoming private A Course in Miracles practice circle for listeners interested in working together on a regular basis. If you're interested, leave a comment or contact me through Substack. #ACIM #ACourseInMiracles #BeyondTheSelf #LastJudgment H. Marcus is a translator and interpreter of A Course in Miracles. All quotes from A Course in Miracles © are used with gratitude from the Third Edition, 2007. Used with written permission from the copyright holder and publisher, the Foundation for Inner Peace, 448 Ignacio Blvd #306, Novato, CA 94949. www.acim.org and info@acim.org. Follow The Workbook, practiced daily at Beyond the Self for ongoing commentary and practice with A Course in Miracles. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit hmarcusbts.substack.com

  8. Oct 29

    ACIM Lesson 302: “Where Darkness Was I Look Upon the Light”

    TITLE ACIM Lesson 302: “Where Darkness Was I Look Upon the Light” DESCRIPTION What if the darkness we experience is not inherent in reality, but something the mind projects onto it? hmarcusbts.substack.com In this episode of Beyond the Self, we explore A Course in Miracles Workbook Lesson 302, “Where Darkness Was I Look Upon the Light.” The lesson invites us to reconsider the relationship between suffering, perception, and our underlying True Nature. We begin with the distinction between what happens in the world and the meaning we assign to it. Much of our suffering arises because we believe life needs to conform to our expectations in order for us to be at peace. But the Course goes further, challenging the more fundamental belief that we are separate physical bodies, inherently vulnerable to limitation and death. From there, we examine the Course's reinterpretation of the world itself. How can a world described elsewhere as an illusion also be called holy? What changes when we relinquish our projections and begin to perceive through Christ's vision? We also explore the relationship between holiness and wholeness, the recursive logic of God as both the end we seek and the means by which we reach Him, and why spiritual practice must ultimately extend across every circumstance of ordinary life. The lesson is simple in principle, yet extraordinarily comprehensive in application: recognizing what we truly are, regardless of what appears to be happening around us. #ACIM #ACourseInMiracles #BeyondTheSelf #Nonduality H. Marcus is a translator and interpreter of A Course in Miracles. All quotes from A Course in Miracles © are used with gratitude from the Third Edition, 2007. Used with written permission from the copyright holder and publisher, the Foundation for Inner Peace, 448 Ignacio Blvd #306, Novato, CA 94949. www.acim.org and info@acim.org. Explore the complete daily Workbook series, The Workbook, practiced daily, at Beyond the Self. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit hmarcusbts.substack.com

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About

Beyond the Self is a daily, unscripted working of the ACIM Workbook, one lesson at a time. Hosted by H. Marcus — scholar, interpreter, and teacher of the material. If you’ve spent years collecting spiritual ideas without experiencing lasting transformation, then this is for you. A Course in Miracles is a 365-day training in changing how you perceive the world — not just a philosophy to collect, but an thought system to embody and practice. The Course is the curriculum. Your life is the classroom. New episodes daily. Full written companions and the complete Workbook archive at Beyond the Self on Substack. #ACourseInMiracles #ACIM #NonDuality #SpiritualPractice #MindTraining hmarcusbts.substack.com

Information

  • Creator
    H. Marcus guides daily contemplations on A Course in Miracles. Listen-in to explore non-duality, spiritual surrender, and the direct experience of your own true nature.
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    49
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Divergence Enterprises LLC
  • Show Website
    Beyond the Self: Transmissions from Inside the Practice