Musician and Course student/teacher Neda Boin converses with fellow Course enthusiast Bruce Rawles about the intersection of music, metaphors, and the non-dual metaphysics of A Course In Miracles (ACIM)… and sings a few of her inspiring songs. The Course’s aim – removing the blocks to the awareness of love’s presence in our minds – by means of forgiving ourselves for our grievances which unsuccessfully attempt to keep “others” and our Creator out of our eternally shared and All-Inclusive Identity – benefits greatly from the idea that “not one note in Heaven’s song was missed.” With help from our Inner Kindness Teacher, we learn to hear the melos* – the whole song, not just individual notes – which is our heart’s true desire, to return to the Oneness we never left except in silly dreams of differences.
(* The melos that melts our resistance to the irresistible pull of Spirit is further explored in this post about “Ken Wapnick’s musical inspirations” which Ken shared in some of his later academy classes.)
Here are some references to musical terms in ACIM, followed by the number of instances that they appear:
- song (58)
- melody (9)
- note or notes (2)
- dirge (2)
- music (1)
and there are two conspicuously prominent extensive references to music in ACIM:
The Forgotten Song – T-21.I
and major portions of – as well as the overall theme of – the 2nd supplement: The Song of Prayer: Prayer, Forgiveness, Healing
Here are two poignant passages from this favorite section in the text, The Forgotten Song:
“Listen,–perhaps you catch a hint of an ancient state not quite forgotten; dim, perhaps, and yet not altogether unfamiliar, like a song whose name is long forgotten, and the circumstances in which you heard completely unremembered. ²Not the whole song has stayed with you, but just a little wisp of melody, attached not to a person or a place or anything particular. ³But you remember, from just this little part, how lovely was the song, how wonderful the setting where you heard it, and how you loved those who were there and listened with you.
The notes are nothing. ²Yet you have kept them with you, not for themselves, but as a soft reminder of what would make you weep if you remembered how dear it was to you. ³You could remember, yet you are afraid, believing you would lose the world you learned since then. ⁴And yet you know that nothing in the world you learned is half so dear as this. ⁵Listen, and see if you remember an ancient song you knew so long ago and held more dear than any melody you taught yourself to cherish since.” – T-21.I.6:1–7:5
Neda sings beautifully, performing her original compositions in this recording:
- The Light Has Come (9:15) (related reference Workbook Lesson 75)
- I Am Not A Body, I Am Free, For I Am Still As God Created Me (43:02) (related reference Workbook Lesson 207)
- Nothing Else (God Is Only Love, and Therefore So Am I – (1:07:49) drawing from Workbook Lessons 155, 174, and 180)
Learn more about Neda’s work from her website, NedaBoin.com
Forgiveness workshop: https://nedaboin.
Spotify ACIM album: https://open.spotify.
You might also enjoy a recent Foundation for Inner Peace (FIP) webinar conversation and concert with Neda and Audrey Whitehead recorded on December 17, 2020. as well as other webinar conversations on FIP’s Events page.
This video was recorded on March 10, 2021.