A Course in Miracles - A New Age Religion

[Faheemkhatri4]

In a broad sense, A Course in Miracles indoctrinates its students in Eastern metaphysics and human potential psychicism while simultaneously insulates them against biblical revelation and true Christianity. a course in miracles It is this polarizing effect that can cause problems for some people.

The Course also has several themes common to spiritistic revelations, such as: spirit dictation to a disinterested or hesitant party; the use of forced production; and unbiblical content.
What is ACIM?

A Course in Miracles is a self-study spiritual thought system. It consists of three books: the Text which sets out the concepts that make up its thought system; the Workbook which provides practice-based instruction; and the Manual for Teachers which answers questions commonly asked by students. The course is not a religion, but it does describe itself as a "psychologically based spirituality."

In the world of New Age teachings, ACIM has gained prominence as an influential spiritual text. Its spiritual inspiration and intellectually sophisticated language – written in blank verse - have led it to be compared with some of the world’s great literature. Its thought system combines spiritual guidance with deep psychological understanding, including Freudian principles of denial and projection, as well as themes common to Neoplatonism, Christianity, and Gnosticism.

Its unique teachings are also influenced by a variety of other spiritual traditions, particularly Hinduism and Buddhism, as well as the ancient Christian concept of the body as an illusion (similar to the Buddhist ideas of maya and samsara). But it is distinguished from these other paths in its emphasis on forgiveness as an essential element of mind training, as well as its rejection of traditional theological dogma.

In addition, it shares some characteristics with spiritistic revelations, such as spirit dictation of its content; the wholesale denial of God’s Word and His Son; and encouragement of psychic guidance. In fact, one of its major purposes is to correct the mistaken idea that life as a body in this world is perfect. Rather, it is only an illusion, as compared to the perfection, peace, joy, freedom, and oneness that are our natural inheritance, outside the dream of this world.
Who is Helen Schucman?

The Course’s alleged author, Helen Schucman (1909–1981), was a clinical and research psychologist with Columbia University. She claimed to have received the material for the book from a voice she identified as Jesus. She transcribed these messages into a three-volume text, which became A Course in Miracles. She also wrote two supplemental pamphlets and a collection of poetry.

She was an atheistic psychologist, but the process of receiving and scribing the Course’s teachings led to a gradual conversion from her atheism to theistic spirituality. She was very ambivalent about the message of the Course and its methods, however, and would not allow her role as channel to be publicly known until after her death.

As a result, the true originator of the Course has been unknown to the majority of its followers for most of its history. One exception to this was in 1977, when New Age guru Marianne Williamson popularized the Course and drew such stars as Oprah Winfrey into her fold.

Although the Course makes many references to Jesus and other Biblical figures, it is not a religion in the traditional sense of the word. It is not a belief system, but rather a restatement of the core wisdom found in all major world religions. Its ecumenical nature is made clear in its statement that "a universal theology is impossible, but a universal experience is not only possible, but necessary." The Course also makes it clear that it is not presenting a path to salvation; instead, it is providing a mechanism for finding it. This is because the Course teaches that one can only find the path to God by going within and recognizing that what is outside of us is an illusion.
What is ACIM’s message?

Unlike most religious teachings, ACIM emphasizes forgiveness as the key to healing and freedom. Its goal is to reverse the world’s perception so that people realize that spirit is reality and that the physical world is a mass illusion (similar to the Buddhist notions of samsara and maya). Its teachings offer an alternative vision of reality that is based on love, unity and abundance, rather than fear, conflict, scarcity and death. It also teaches that the human experience is a continuous journey back to God, or Home.

The Course explains that most of the world’s problems are caused by our beliefs in separation from God. Fear is a result of our denial of Truth and can only be corrected at the level where it occurs, in the mind. It offers a path to the experience of miracles, which is an expression of Christ Mind. When you experience a miracle, it is an acknowledgment that only God is Reality and that you are One with Him. The miracle corrects the belief that you are a separate personal self, undoing your fear and demonstrating that God’s Love extends beyond your own perception.

Originally published in 1976, the Course has become a modern spiritual classic and has transformed the lives of millions of readers around the globe. Its message is universal because it combines profound spiritual teachings with far-reaching psychological insights. The text is written in a simple, everyday language that makes it easier for everyone to understand and practice. Moreover, it avoids personal pronouns for God and uses the term ‘It’ instead to encourage you to shift your awareness from a sense of self-identification with an individual body and world to a recognition of your Oneness with God.
Is ACIM a religion?

The Course is a mystical text that teaches spiritually inspired principles and techniques for changing one’s perception, beliefs and defense systems. Its language is poetic and deeply profound, blending spiritual inspiration with sophisticated psychology on such phenomena as belief and perception. It is not a religion, but it has spawned an entire movement of individuals who study the text in small groups, at offbeat churches and teaching centers, and through an informal network of self-appointed teachers.

Those who study the Course often call themselves students instead of followers, and they belong to a variety of religious traditions. Although it is a Christian teaching, ACIM does not endorse any denomination. In fact, it teaches that the physical universe is an illusion that God did not create, contradicting what many of the major religious traditions believe.

Because it does not adhere to any specific religious doctrine, the course has become popular among a number of spiritual groups that have been loosely classified as New Age movements. Its popularity has also been stimulated by a growing disillusionment with traditional Christianity and the search for alternative forms of esoteric and mystical knowledge in a nominally Christian Western world that is increasingly disillusioned with traditional orthodox theology and Christology.

While it is not a religious movement, A Course in Miracles has influenced the thinking of millions of people worldwide. While it may not fit into any existing religious tradition, the Course has a distinctively spiritual and mystical message that combines psychological principle with an entirely non-dualistic metaphysics. Its stance on forgiveness is highly relevant for a broad range of contemporary problems. But the Course is not without its critics. For example, the Course teaches that sin does not exist, which is inconsistent with the biblical view that God perceives sin and reacts to it.
Is ACIM a New Age movement?

A Course in Miracles, or ACIM for short, is a self-study spiritual thought system. It consists of three books: A Course in Miracles, which lays out its teachings; A Workbook for Students, which offers 365 meditation exercises based on the ideas from the main text; and a Manual for Teachers, which provides answers to frequently asked questions.

The work is credited to Helen Schucman, who claimed to have received it through a process of inner dictation, beginning in 1965 with the words, “This is a course in miracles, please take notes.” It was published by the Foundation for Inner Peace in 1976. A Course in Miracles is not affiliated with any religion, though it uses Christian terminology and evokes many spiritual themes, such as those found in Eastern mysticism. Its message directly challenges several elements of Christianity, including its doctrines on sin and the crucifixion.

It also suggests that the physical world is a mass illusion similar to the Buddhist and Hindu notions of samsara or maya, and that our experience of life in this material body is unreality. In addition, the Course emphasizes forgiveness as a moment-by-moment practice that transforms attitudes and behavior.

While the Course has not established its own centralized organization or hierarchy, it has spawned a diverse movement that includes thousands of small study groups and offbeat churches and centers, some communal experiments, and an uncountable number of individuals studying it on their own. Its popularity surged in the 1990s, with a large part of this increase fueled by the 1992 publication of Marianne Williamson’s A Return to Love. In addition to the work of Renard and Williamson, many New Age teachers have drawn on the Course, including Eckhart Tolle, Wayne Dyer, and Gabrielle Bernstein.