Lesson 35: “My mind is part of God’s. I am very holy.”

The Core Teaching

This lesson is a gentle but radical correction of how you see yourself. It tells you that your mind is not a small, private, separate mind. It is part of God’s Mind. And because God is holy, what shares His Mind must also be holy.

The ego’s entire thought system is built on the opposite idea:

• “I am separate.”
• “I am guilty.”
• “I am vulnerable.”
• “I am alone in here, trapped in this body and this personality.”

So when you read, “My mind is part of God’s. I am very holy,” the ego hears a direct threat to its existence. If this is true, then the ego’s story of you is false. Not just slightly off—completely mistaken.

What the ego is trying to hide

The ego is trying to hide your true Identity. It wants you to believe:

1. *Your mind is private and isolated.*

That you have your own separate mind, with your own separate thoughts, that begin and end in your brain. This keeps you feeling cut off from God and from others.

2. *You are guilty and flawed.*

The ego insists that you have done something terribly wrong—left God, betrayed love, broken something beyond repair. It tells you that you are fundamentally unworthy, and that holiness is something you might earn someday if you become “good enough.”

3. *You are a body.*

If you are just a body, you are vulnerable, aging, fragile, and destined to die. This keeps fear alive and makes the world of separation seem very real.

The ego hides the truth that you are still as God created you: a holy, innocent extension of His Love, untouched by anything that seems to happen here.

What the Holy Spirit is revealing

The Holy Spirit uses this lesson to gently remind you:

1. *Your mind is shared with God.*

Not “similar to” God’s Mind, but part of it. This means your true thoughts are not the fearful, judgmental, anxious thoughts you notice all day. Those are ego thoughts. Your real thoughts are loving, peaceful, and extend from God’s Love. Even if you don’t feel them yet, they are there, behind the noise.

2. *You are very holy—now.*

Not “if you improve.” Not “if you fix your past.” Holiness is not a reward; it is your nature. You cannot lose it. You can only forget it. This lesson is about remembering, not achieving.

3. *Nothing you have ever done has changed your reality.*

You may feel stained by past choices, failures, or harm you believe you caused. The Holy Spirit says: “You have made mistakes in dreams, but you have not changed what you are in truth.” Your holiness is untouched.

To say, “My mind is part of God’s. I am very holy,” is to accept—even a little—that your identity is not the frightened self you think you are. It is to let a crack of light into the dark room of the ego’s story.

Applied to Daily Life

Let’s bring this down into the situations you face every day.

Relationships

Suppose you feel hurt by a partner, friend, or family member. The ego says:

• “They disrespected me.”
• “I’m not loved.”
• “I must defend myself or withdraw.”

If you remember, “My mind is part of God’s. I am very holy,” you can pause and ask:

• “If I am part of God’s Mind, is this attack on my worth real?”
• “If I am holy, what would I see here instead of guilt?”

You might begin to notice:

• Their behavior came from their own fear and confusion, not from truth.
• Your worth is unchanged by what anyone says or does.
• You can respond from calm rather than from defense.

You may still set boundaries or speak up, but the energy behind it is different. It comes from self-respect rooted in holiness, not from wounded pride.

Work and career

At work, you may fear failure, judgment, or not being “good enough.” The ego tells you:

• “Your value is your performance.”
• “Your safety is in your status, money, or reputation.”

This lesson invites another view:

• If your mind is part of God’s, your value is already infinite.
• No job can add to or subtract from your holiness.

From this awareness, you:

• Do your work with more peace, because your identity is not at stake.
• Make decisions from inner guidance rather than fear of loss.
• Handle criticism more lightly, seeing it as information, not a verdict on your worth.

Illness and the body

When the body is sick or in pain, the ego uses it as proof:

• “See? You are weak. You are this body. You are at the mercy of the world.”

This lesson says:

• “No. I am a holy mind, part of God’s Mind. The body is not my identity.”

This does not mean you deny symptoms or avoid treatment. It means you remember:

• Illness cannot touch what you truly are.
• Your holiness is intact, even in a hospital bed.
• You can bring peace, trust, and gentleness into your healing process.

You might say quietly, even in pain:

“This body feels weak, but my mind is part of God’s. I am very holy. My reality is untouched.”

This softens fear and opens you to guidance about what is truly helpful.

Anxiety and daily stress

When anxiety rises—about money, the future, relationships—the ego insists:

• “You are on your own.”
• “You must control everything or you will be harmed.”

This lesson offers a different foundation:

• If your mind is part of God’s, you are never alone.
• If you are very holy, you are worthy of care, guidance, and peace.

In a moment of stress, you might pause and say:

“I feel anxious, but that feeling is not the truth of me.

My mind is part of God’s. I am very holy.

I am willing to see this situation as the Holy Spirit sees it.”

Even if the anxiety doesn’t vanish instantly, you have shifted your inner allegiance—from the ego’s fear to the Holy Spirit’s quiet certainty.

Overcoming Resistance

This lesson can feel uncomfortable or even unbelievable. You might notice thoughts like:

• “I don’t feel holy.”
• “If you knew what I’ve done, you wouldn’t say that.”
• “This sounds arrogant or unrealistic.”

The Course understands this. The resistance comes from fear, not from truth.

Why it feels threatening

1. *Fear of losing your familiar identity.*

Even if your self-image is painful—“I’m not enough,” “I’m damaged”—it is familiar. To accept that you are holy means letting go of the identity you’ve built. The ego says, “Who will I be without my story?”

2. *Confusing holiness with specialness.*

You might think, “If I say I’m holy, I’m claiming I’m better than others.” But ACIM’s holiness is shared. If you are holy because your mind is part of God’s, then so is everyone else. There is no hierarchy in holiness.

3. *Fear of responsibility.*

If you are truly holy, then you are not a helpless victim. You are a powerful mind, capable of choosing love. The ego finds this frightening, because it prefers to blame the world.

How to meet the resistance

• **Do not fight your doubt.**

Just notice it: “I feel resistance to this idea.” Then gently add, “But I might be wrong about myself.” This small willingness is all the Holy Spirit needs.

• **Let the words work on you, even if you don’t believe them.**

The Course often says you don’t have to believe the ideas; just use them. Think of this lesson as medicine. You take it even if you don’t yet feel its effects.

• **Remember: Holiness is not about behavior.**

It is about your true nature as created by God. You can acknowledge mistakes in form while still accepting your holiness in content.

Today’s Practice

Here is a simple way to practice Lesson 35 today, in line with the Course’s instructions and spirit.

1. Set aside a quiet time (about 1–2 minutes, several times)

Aim for at least three practice periods: morning, midday, and evening. More, if you can.

2. Begin by repeating the idea slowly

Sit quietly, close your eyes if you like, and say to yourself:

“My mind is part of God’s. I am very holy.”

Let the words sink in. You don’t have to force belief. Just let them be heard.

3. Gently search your mind

Now look within your mind and notice:

• Thoughts of fear
• Thoughts of guilt or shame
• Thoughts of anger or judgment
• Thoughts of unworthiness
• Thoughts of anxiety or lack

As each type of thought comes to mind, apply the idea to it. For example:

• “I see a thought of anger at my partner.

This thought does not change my holiness.

My mind is part of God’s. I am very holy.”

• “I see a thought of fear about money.

This thought is not my true mind.

My mind is part of God’s. I am very holy.”

• “I see a memory of something I regret.

This memory cannot touch what I am.

My mind is part of God’s. I am very holy.”

You are not trying to push the thoughts away. You are looking at them and quietly reminding yourself that they do not define you.

4. Include thoughts about others

Let people come to mind—those you love, those you fear, those you resent. As each one appears in your mind, say silently:

“My mind is part of God’s. I am very holy.

[Name]’s mind is part of God’s. [He/She/They] are very holy.”

This helps you remember that holiness is shared. There are no exceptions.

5. End each period with a simple willingness

Close with something like:

“Holy Spirit, help me remember today that my mind is part of God’s, and that I am very holy.

Help me see every situation from this truth.”

Then go about your day, letting the idea return whenever you feel stressed, guilty, or afraid.

Comparable ACIM Lessons

This lesson connects closely with several others:

• **Lesson 26: “My attack thoughts are attacking my invulnerability.”**

Both lessons challenge the belief that you are weak and vulnerable. If your mind is part of God’s, attack thoughts cannot be true.

• **Lesson 29: “God is in everything I see.”**

If your mind is part of God’s, then the holiness in you is also reflected everywhere. Lesson 35 focuses on your own holiness; Lesson 29 extends that holiness outward.

• **Lesson 34: “I could see peace instead of this.”**

Lesson 34 offers a choice of perception. Lesson 35 explains why peace is your natural perception: because your mind is part of God’s.

• **Lesson 67: “Love created me like itself.”**

This later lesson deepens the same truth: your identity is Love, not fear. Lesson 35 plants the seed; Lesson 67 waters it.

Closing Thought

You do not have to feel holy to be holy. Your feelings and your true nature are not the same. Today, you are simply allowing a deeper truth to be remembered:

“My mind is part of God’s. I am very holy.”

Let this sentence walk beside you today, like a quiet friend. When fear speaks loudly, let this truth whisper in your heart, and be willing—just willing—to believe that God’s idea of you is more accurate than your own.