A Course in Miracles Foundation For Inner Peace
A Course in Miracles is a complete self-study spiritual thought system that teaches the way to universal love and inner peace through undoing guilt by forgiving others. Its heady mix of reinterpreted Christian language, modern psychological thought and Eastern metaphysics is unlike any other teaching the world has ever known.
The Text
A Course in Miracles is a three-volume curriculum consisting of a Text, Workbook for Students, and Manual for Teachers that teaches that the path to universal love and peace (or remembering God) is through undoing shop acim guilt by forgiving others. The Course, which has been translated into more than twenty-seven languages, is also unique among spiritual teachings in its emphasis on the healing of relationships and in its understanding of human psychology, particularly the dynamics of belief systems and defense mechanisms.
The first edition of the Course was published in 1976 by the Foundation for Inner Peace, a non-profit organization founded to publish and distribute the book. Since then, more than 3 million copies have been sold worldwide without any paid advertising, reaching people from all walks of life and every major religion.
A unique, universal, self-study spiritual thought system, the Course was compiled from 1965 to 1972 by Helen Schucman and Bill Thetford, two Columbia University professors of Medical Psychology. The Course was channeled through the mediumship of Helen, who believed that it was received from an “angel teacher” identified as Jesus Christ.
Kenneth Wapnick, a clinical psycholo-gist and the cofounder of the Foundation for Inner Peace, was the first person to read and critique the manuscript of the Course. He subsequently worked closely with Helen and Bill to prepare the text for publication and has been instrumental in shepherding the Course through its numerous translations. He is also responsible for the editing of the most recent edition, which includes removing some material that he feels does not advance the message of the Course.
While the Course has been used by a wide variety of people, it is most widely known as the Bible for the “spiritual but not religious” movement that has grown over the last few decades and now encompasses millions of individuals. Although the Course uses Christian terminology, it is clearly ecumenical in its approach and states that it is only one version of a universal curriculum that exists in many thousands of forms. It does not claim to be superior to any other teaching and merely offers a different way of looking at reality.
The Workbook
A Course in Miracles (ACIM) is a three-volume spiritual thought system that offers a complete course of healing through forgiveness. Its language reflects a reinterpretation of Christianity but it teaches an non-denominational spirituality. The workbook explains the need to forgive all guilt and fear, thus freeing us to recognize love as our natural inheritance. As a spiritual discipline, it encourages forgiveness of others and ourselves on a continuous basis. It urges a radical shift of perception, recognizing spirit as the only reality and the physical world as a mass illusion (similar to the Buddhist and Hindu notions of samsara and maya).
The Course was compiled and scribed through a process of inner dictation by Helen Schucman, a Columbia University psychologist, during 1965-72. She was assisted by William Thetford, a colleague and tenured Associate Professor of Medical Psychology. It was completed in 1976 and published by the Foundation for Inner Peace. It has since been sold without paid advertising, in more than three million copies worldwide.
Its thought system is intellectually sophisticated, blending a profound understanding of traditional Christian language and doctrine with modern psychological concepts, such as beliefs and defense systems, perception and identity, and healing. Several prominent spiritual teachers have used ideas from ACIM without being identified as teachers of the Course, including Eckhart Tolle, Wayne Dyer, and Gabrielle Bernstein.
While the Course is largely theoretical, its daily Workbook lessons are practical and provide a framework for applying the principles of the Text. The lessons offer a step-by-step approach to undoing our beliefs in the separation from God and allowing us to remember that we are part of a loving plan.
The book also contains a Manual for Teachers, a question-and-answer format that addresses many of the questions that students frequently raise. This section provides clarification of the terminology used in the Text and Workbook, as well as answers to questions about specific teachings or concepts. In addition, the Manual discusses a variety of practical applications of the Course’s teachings and includes an extensive glossary of terms.
The Manual for Teachers
A Course in Miracles (also called ACIM) is a three-volume book set that has become a worldwide phenomenon. It is a self-study course in spiritual transformation that teaches how to undo guilt by forgiving others. The teachings of the Course are based on the principle that love is all there is and that forgiveness is the way to experience that love. The Course is a non-denominational spiritual teaching, though it uses Christian language.
The first two volumes of the Course are a Text and a Workbook for Students. The third volume, the Manual for Teachers, provides instructions on how to teach the principles of the Course. It also explains the role of the teacher and his relationship to the student.
Although this third volume contains much of the same material as the Text and Workbook, it is written to help teachers understand their role in helping the student to learn the Course. It also provides guidelines for teaching the material in a way that will most effectively reach the student.
Several sections of the Manual discuss the teacher’s role as healer. These chapters depict the teacher as one who heals by correcting the error in a person’s mind that has caused physical illness in the body. In these chapters, the teacher of God is described as one who “is called to serve his brothers as a healer and a teacher” (Manual, p. 6; M-2.6:4).
Another major theme in this book is the teaching that forgiveness leads to peace. The Course teaches that this is a universal law that all will come to know if they are willing to let go of fear and choose love. The Course does not teach that its is the only path to truth, but instead says it is one of many thousands of forms of the universal course (Manual, p. 8; M-23.1:2).
The book has been translated into twenty-seven languages and has been published in both hardback and paperback editions. The Foundation for Inner Peace has provided a translation program since 1982 to facilitate the translation and dissemination of this work, under the direction of Dr. Kenneth Wapnick and Dr. William Whitson until their respective deaths.
The Teachings
Unlike any other spiritual teaching, ACIM emphasizes forgiveness as a practice for changing beliefs and perceptions. It teaches that the world of love, joy and abundance is reality and that the physical world is a mass illusion (similar to Buddhist notions of samsara and maya). The Course calls this shift from fear-based thinking to a thought system based on love a miracle.
It does not identify itself as a religion, but it is ecumenical in nature and stresses that the true path to God lies outside of any religion. It does use Christian terminology, but states that it merely offers a restatement of the core wisdom found in all major religious traditions. It teaches that there is only one way to God, which is the route of love.
The Course also emphasizes a shift from the body and mind to Spirit, and urges that we forgive all that is unloving in the world. This is a challenging concept for many people, because it means giving up our attachment to the body and letting go of the ego’s identification with self.
This course is a very rich and profound work, with some passages being poetic and written in blank verse. It is also intellectually sophisticated in its understanding of such concepts as the nature of guilt and belief systems, and it combines spiritual inspiration with deep psychological insight.
There are many different editions of the Course available, and which one you choose will depend on your experience level and what your personal preferences are. Generally, the earlier editions of the text tend to be more literal, while the later ones are more open-minded. Some of the differences between editions are because the original editors removed certain passages that they felt were not important or that did not align with their interpretation of the material.
The Foundation for Inner Peace has overseen the translation and publication of the Course in more than 25 languages. The organization has also established an Academy and Retreat Center in Crompond, New York, which offers workshops and courses for students of the Course. It is a non-profit, and all donations are tax deductible.
