A Course in Miracles (ACIM) is a spiritual psychotherapy self-study course. It consists of a 669-page Text, a 466-page Workbook, and a 92-page Teacher’s Manual.
Although it uses Christian terminology, the course is essentially the opposite of Christianity as commonly practiced. It is a metaphysical and psychological path, rather than a religious one.
What is ACIM?
A Course in Miracles, or ACIM as it is commonly abbreviated, is a self-study spiritual teaching that claims to be the word of God as given to humankind through Jesus Christ. Helen Schucman (1909-81), a Columbia University psychologist, claimed to have received an inner dictation from Jesus beginning in 1965, scribes her notes for seven years, and then closely edited the Course into its final form with William Thetford (who died in a suspicious plane crash) and Kenneth Wapnick, a Jewish convert to Catholicism, before it was published in 1976 as a 4-volume book-set consisting of the 669-page "Text," 466-page "Workbook" and 92-page "Teacher's Manual."
A major feature of ACIM is its emphasis on forgiveness. It requires a complete reversal of ordinary perception, urging students to accept spirit as the only reality and the physical world as a massive illusion (similar to Buddhist and Hindu concepts like samsara and maya). It also insists that forgiveness is an ongoing practice that completely transforms attitudes, behavior and relationships. Although many other spiritual and psychological disciplines recommend the use of forgiveness, few emphasize it as consistently or in as a profoundly life-changing a way as A Course in Miracles does.
Another feature that sets ACIM apart from other spiritual traditions is its rejection of the idea that there is any kind of hierarchy of levels of divinity or consciousness, and that all people are equal in value and importance to one another. This emphasis on non-judgment and universal love is also echoed in other New Age teachings, but it's not always followed by an outward commitment to progressive social change or ecological action.
Because of its rejection of hierarchies and insistence on love as the only true power, ACIM has become a major force within the so-called "spiritual but not religious" (SBNR) movement. It has influenced countless individuals, and the Course is a cornerstone of several churches, which differ from traditional Christianity in that they are self-governing and not affiliated with any church hierarchy. It has also helped to inspire other popular authors and teachers like Marianne Williamson, Eckhart Tolle and Gary Renard, who use some ACIM principles but are not primarily referred to as Course teachers. However, a strict idealist philosophy that demands that the only correct interpretation of one's experiences is the Course's own can easily lead large numbers of students into an intellectual cultic straightjacket, and prevent them from addressing the urgent issues of our time. The more tolerant, flexible and skillful teachers of ACIM have been able to demonstrate that it is possible for people to inwardly espouse the tenets of this highly challenging course while outwardly maintaining engagement with society and seeking solutions to its problems. This is a crucial part of ACIM's legacy. Hopefully, more of its adherents will come to realize this fact in the future.
Who is ACIM for?
A Course in Miracles, or ACIM, has become a bible of the so-called spiritual but not religious (SBNR) movement that has slowly grown over the last few decades. It has also had some effect on traditional religions, including the Evangelical branch of Christianity. While it is marketed as a self-study curriculum, it is so complex and requires such discipline that most students sooner or later join a study group and/or one of the handful of accredited ACIM churches. It is thus hard to know exactly how many people have been influenced by ACIM, although it is estimated in the millions worldwide.
A main reason for its popularity is that it is a restatement of the core wisdom found in all major world religions, but without claiming to be "the only way." This makes it attractive to persons who are interested in spiritual growth and who have been turned off by the narrow egoic perspectives of traditional religions. un cours en miracles
Its ecumenical appeal is further enhanced by its claim that it is not a new religion, but merely a new interpretation of the ancient ones. It also avoids the trap of becoming a theological religion by emphasizing that it is not a book about God or Jesus, but simply about healing through forgiveness.
Helen Schucman started transcribing the Course in 1965, and by 1972 had completed a typewritten version of it that she called the ACIM UrText. William Thetford, her university colleague, did additional editing of the text. When this was combined with Schucman's original notes and Kenneth Wapnick's further editing, a four-volume book-set of ACIM was published in 1975 under the name A Course in Miracles.
Since then, over three million copies of the Course have been sold, mostly without paid advertising, to men and women of every walk of life and of every major religion in the world. The Foundation for Inner Peace, which holds the copyright, promotes it as a nondenominational, "universal" spiritual teaching.
There are, however, serious criticisms to be made of ACIM, particularly with regard to its idealist metaphysics. It denies obvious empirical-level realities such as physical laws, illness, tragedy and death and posits an unrealized goal state that is essentially an exalted heaven-realm rather than the transcendent, beyond-the-heaven-realm awakening of Infinite Divinity to which most mystical traditions (including India's Vedic) point.
There are also criticisms of ACIM's gnostic theology, which appears to be dualistic or, at best, what Indian mystics would call qualified non-dualism. Finally, some of its psychology is a bit questionable. For example, the ACIM premise that fear, guilt and separative ego are unreal is based on dualism; it is not supported by modern scientific research. However, such criticisms can only be made by persons who have actually studied the Course and its related books in depth.
What is ACIM about?
A Course in Miracles, or ACIM, is a self-study spiritual thought system and curriculum. It includes a Text, a Workbook for Students, composed of 365 daily lessons, and a Manual for Teachers, which offers answers to questions commonly asked by students. It is not a religion, although it uses Christian terminology, and its underlying ontology evokes universal spiritual themes, including Eastern spirituality. It is, however, a form of nondualistic thought, and it makes no claim to be the only way to Truth, freedom, peace, and love.
A Columbia University psychologist, Helen Schucman, claimed to receive the Course through a process of inner dictation from "Jesus." The Course began in 1965 and lasted seven years until it was completed. Her notes were transcribed and typed, and the first edition was published in 1976. Her name does not appear on the cover, and she claims no authorship, instead referring to herself as the scribe of the Course. She also credits "the voice" as the author of the text.
The Course's heady mix of reinterpreted Christian language, modern psychological thought, and Eastern metaphysics creates a new kind of spiritual teaching. It could reasonably be called the Bible of the so-called spiritual but not religious movement (SBNR), a shift in social and religous perspective that has slowly grown over the last few decades, particularly in North America and Western Europe.
Despite its heady, esoteric ideas, ACIM has proven to be popular among many seekers of all stripes. It has attracted a substantial following, and is widely practiced in thousands of study groups worldwide. Although no one tracks the number of ACIM "students," it is estimated that there are tens of millions around the world who have read or studied it.
While there are other ways to approach the Course, most of its readers have found it helpful to study with a group or to join an organization dedicated to its principles. These groups and organizations, such as the Foundation for Inner Peace and the International ACIM Association, promote the Course in their communities. The Course also has an extensive network of workshops and seminars, many of which are led by experienced teachers.
In addition to the Workshops and Seminars, the Foundation for Inner Peace publishes a series of free Q & A's and Daily Lesson Insights, which are great companions to the ACIM Text. These help explain the deeper meaning behind the lessons and how to apply them in our daily lives. Many ACIM study groups use these questions and answers as a part of their weekly meetings. These materials are available on the Foundation for Inner Peace website. A complete copy of the Course, A Course in Miracles Original Edition, is available through the Foundation. This version contains the same material as the printed book, but without the introductory chapters.