A Course in Miracles Review

 

A Course in Miracles [ACIM] is a spiritual self-study curriculum that promotes a non-religious philosophy. It blends Christian terminology with Eastern mysticism, perennial philosophy, and modern psychological insights. It has become a phenomenon in the New Age world, influencing many of the writers on attitudinal healing like Marianne Williamson and Iyanla Vanzant, as well as spiritual teachers such as Jerry Jampolsky and Doreen Virtue. It also has found a wide audience in Unity churches and prisons, as it offers a practical approach to releasing fear, letting go of guilt, and accepting love.

ACIM was "scribed" between 1965 and 1972 through a process of inner dictation which Helen Schucman experienced as being from Jesus. She was a research psychologist at Columbia University and an associate professor of medical psychology, and she worked with William Thetford, her department head and co-scribe of the Course. They re-typed the original manuscript, often referred to as the Urtext several times, removing the personal material. Eventually the first professionally printed edition of the Course was published in 1975 by the Foundation for A Course in Miracles, a not-for-profit organization that still holds the copyright for the book.

One of the chief teachings of the Course is that we are not, and never have been, separate from God. It states that "the world of separation and attack is a delusion of the mind." The Course teaches that we have free will and can choose not to participate in this false reality. It is our responsibility to remove the blocks to recognizing the truth and returning to love, which is our natural inheritance.

To achieve this, the Course encourages Acim videos us to accept psychic guidance and teaches that our goal is to be the love that heals. It is based on the principle that forgiveness and love are the only answer to any problem. Forgiveness of others and of ourselves is essential for the completion of this purpose. To do this we need to learn to let go of fear, which is the most powerful block to forgiveness.

To help us in this, the Course explains that the world we see is a reflection of the true world of Spirit, which is all-loving, all-powerful and all-present. Its goal is to lead us back to that reality, which we have never really left. This can be done by correcting our beliefs and perceptions, including the belief that the world is a dangerous and hostile place. The Course offers a practical method for doing this: Its three volumes are the Text, the Workbook for Students, and the Manual for Teachers. Each of these contains a series of daily lessons that teach the practical applications of the Course's theoretical framework. It is in these lessons that the Course aims to change our lives for good. The book also includes two supplements: Psychotherapy and The Song of Prayer. In addition, a number of workshops and lectures are offered by the CIMS and other groups.