A Course in Miracles

 

A Course in Miracles is a 1976 book that has had a profound effect on thousands of people. It was dictated to Helen Schucman, word for word, via a process of inner dictation.

It is a self-study spiritual thought system that uses Christian terminology but is ecumenical in its teachings. It emphasizes experience over belief in a theology.

The Text

The Course consists of three books: the Text, the Workbook for Students, and the Manual for Teachers. It also includes two supplements: "Psychotherapy: Purpose, Process, Practice" and "The Song of Prayer."

The book’s name, A Course in Miracles, refers to its curriculum, which is presented both at the theoretical and practical levels. It is an intellectually sophisticated teaching that combines spiritual inspiration with deep psychological understanding of such phenomena as belief and defense systems, perception and identity.

While the Course uses Christian terminology, it is ecumenical in nature and does not endorse any particular religion. Its goal is the reclaiming of a natural inheritance of love, which requires forgiveness and the renunciation of the concept of separation. The Course emphasizes that happiness is a natural consequence of undoing the illusion of separation. It teaches that true happiness cannot be obtained through the attainment of external possessions or experiences, but rather by a change in one’s internal perceptions and beliefs.

The Workbook

The Workbook is a practical guide to applying the concepts laid out in the Text. Comprised of 365 daily lessons, the Workbook helps you learn to change your perception and heal your relationships. It also trains you to release fear, allowing love to emerge in your life.

It uses Christian terminology as Is acim dangerous symbols but is clearly ecumenical in its teachings, stating that it is not a religion and that there are thousands of spiritual paths which all lead to the same goal. In fact, the Course states that a universal theology is impossible, but a universal experience is not.

It is recommended that you work through the course with a group and/or a facilitator. It can be helpful to keep you on track, support your growth and provide valuable input that you may have missed while reading the text. This is not required but highly recommended. Having someone to discuss the lesson with and receive their perspective can be very beneficial in helping you understand ACIM's Mind Healing message.

The Manual for Teachers

A Course in Miracles, also called ACIM, presents a purely non-dualistic philosophy of forgiveness. It teaches that the world we see is only an illusion, that God’s love extends everywhere, that guilt and sin are misperceptions, and that our choices can be changed.

Book 3 of the Course, the Manual for Teachers, discusses how a student can teach the principles of the Course to others. This teaching takes two forms, discussed as distinct but related: the first is that of a healing practitioner, a Course in Miracles version of a Christian Science healer. The healer is envisioned as going to people who are sick, and offering them healing through the power of forgiveness.

The second form of teaching is that of the spiritual shepherd, mentor or guide, a Course in Miracles version of an Alcoholics Anonymous sponsor. This form of teaching is envisioned as accepting particular pupils, and helping them on the Course’s path until they become teachers themselves.

The Goal

The Course envisions a group of students who practice in community and extend their miracles to the world. It has many features of a monastic system and asks for total dedication. Its goal is enlightenment, which it calls salvation from illusion.

The Course teaches that forgiveness is the key to freedom from guilt and suffering. It teaches that the real world, which reflects truth, is one of love, unity and abundance. It also teaches that the ego’s world of fear, separation and death is an illusion. Its teaching is based on a unique thought system and focuses on forgiveness as its central idea. The Course is ecumenical and asks its students to honor other paths as other forms of the universal Course. It envisions a community of teachers and healers that serve as tent poles for the Course system, supporting it in its growth and stability, while encouraging new students to join them. It is this community that can help spark a local spiritual tradition rooted in the Course’s principles.