A Course In Miracles is a self-study spiritual thought system, a teaching that claims to provide a way to see everything differently. It mixes Christian terminology with Eastern mysticism, perennial philosophy and modern psychological insights, to create a unique spiritual path that has gained wide-spread popularity. ACIM could be called the Bible of the “spiritual but not religious” movement, which has grown in size and scope over the last few decades.
In 1965, Helen Schucman, a psychologist at the height of her career in Columbia University’s College of Physicians and Surgeons, began to have a series of inner visions and heightened dreams. After a particularly intense period in which she felt that the world was ending, she turned to her friend and fellow psychologist William Thetford for help. He introduced her to a process that would eventually lead to the creation of A Course In Miracles (ACIM). It was authored without human intervention, by an internal voice that Helen describes as “the voice of Christ.” The voices were recorded on tapes that were later edited.
The work was published by the Foundation for Parasensory Investigation, a small group of Helen’s friends and associates. They released the first print edition of the course in 1975 as a four-volume set, volume one being the Text, and volumes two and three comprising the Workbook and Manual for Teachers, respectively. The Course has since become a modern spiritual classic, with an estimated worldwide readership in the millions.
A course in miracles is a remarkably readable and accessible book, written in a poetic form of blank verse that has led many readers to compare it to world literature. Its thought system is intellectually sophisticated, with a deep understanding of beliefs and defense systems, perception and identity. It also demonstrates a clear and profound understanding of such topics as personal responsibility, forgiveness, the Holy relationship, living in an illusory world, and the healing power of love.
While the work is filled with spiritual wisdom, it is also practical. Its daily Workbook lessons, which are designed to be completed as a one-year study program, are the engine room of its teaching process. The work’s principles are often applied to life situations in a way that is highly creative and innovative. For example, the popular quote “love simply is, and to ask for anything more than that is to limit it” is a direct quotation from the Course’s Text.
The most difficult aspect of ACIM is the shift in perspective that it offers. The work points out that the “real” world, which reflects truth, cannot be seen through the eyes of the body, but must be seen with the spiritual vision of the mind. The ego’s desire to control the world through power, fear and greed is ultimately demolished by this new perspective. By practicing the Course’s principles, we learn that the only true “miracle” is freedom from the ego and its desire to control the world.
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