A Course in Miracles is a spiritual teaching that emphasizes forgiveness. It teaches a different way of looking at the world and its problems. It also teaches that happiness is the goal of life.
The Course was received by two Columbia University psychologists through a process of inner dictation beginning in 1965. Its language is poetic and combines spiritual inspiration with deep psychological understanding of beliefs and defense systems.
It is not a religion
A Course in Miracles (ACIM) is not a religion, but it has become a community with a wide variety of opinions. Some people want the Course to be easily accessible and comprehensible, while others prefer the complexity of its thought system. Regardless of your preferences, the Course is a spiritual document that will help you find joy and peace.
The Course describes a world without suffering, where every grievance has been washed away and everyone is seen as your brother. It also promotes forgiveness, patience, and tolerance.
The three volumes of ACIM, which include the Text, Workbook for Students, and Manual for Teachers, were allegedly dictated to Helen Schucman through a process of inner dictation. The resulting set of spiritual teachings has been widely read and studied, both by individuals and by groups. Some have even formed churches based on the Course.
It is not a set of rules
The Course teaches that the miracle is a spiritual experience, not a physical one. It also acknowledges that God cannot intervene in the world unless He is allowed to do so by the minds who hold it. This is because the world is a psychological space, not a physical one.
The book is based on the premise that there is a way to achieve happiness. It focuses on forgiveness and other forms of healing, not on material goods or wealth. The goal is to release the fear and guilt that hold us back from joy.
The Course is intellectually sophisticated, packing such concepts as guilt, forgiveness, and true perception into its concept of the miracle. It reaches into the field of depth psychology, describing a vast unconscious filled with pure, unformed miracle-working potential that has been repressed and thus tends to show up only in distorted form. It also extends into the area of mysticism, recognizing that the miracle worker’s loving perception of the receiver is central to the miracle.
It is not a philosophy
Unlike Christianity, which claims to be the only way, A Course in Miracles is more humble. Its claim is that the only thing that can make you sick or unhappy is your belief that life is a problem. Its teachings are designed to change your beliefs and thereby transform you into a loving human being.
The Course teaches that you can learn to Acim heal the world by forgiving everyone, including yourself. It also teaches that the only real sin is refusing to forgive. It claims that wars, murders, calamities, and pain are all figments of your own imagination.
The Course was authored by Helen Schucman, a Columbia University psychologist, who received it through a process of inner dictation starting in 1965. It was later compiled and published by the Foundation for Inner Peace in 1976. The Course has no centralized leadership or directives, but it does have a large community of practitioners who study and practice its ideas. Its community is diverse and its practices are widely varied.
It is not a book
Despite its claim not to be a religion, A Course in Miracles has become the basis for a variety of organized groups. Among these is the Foundation for Inner Peace, which has published multiple editions of the Course. These include the text, workbook for students, and manual for teachers (including clarification of terms). In addition to its ecumenical language, the Course also uses Christian vocabulary and identifies Jesus as the symbolic figure who represents the Course’s teachings.
It is important to recognize that ACIM is not a New Age spirituality, but rather a reiteration of the core wisdom found in all major world religions. However, the figurative and sometimes difficult mystical language in the Course can make it hard for many people to understand. This is where a paragraph-by-paragraph translation can be very helpful. The goal of this type of translation is to bring the spiritual content of the Course into everyday language, so that more people can benefit from its loving message.
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