A Course In Miracles, often abbreviated as ACIM, is a supposedly "channeled" book-set consisting of a 669-page Text, a 466-page Workbook (with 365 daily lessons), and a 92-page Manual for Teachers. The Course is a self-study spiritual thought system that has become a worldwide phenomenon and, according to its proponents, has already touched the lives of millions of people. It has been promoted as a form of spiritual psychotherapy, with a wide range of psychological insights and teachings. Its alleged authorship and its challenge to religious tradition have made it popular with those seeking alternative spiritual guidance and troubling to many conservative Christians.
The Course was apparently dictated to Helen Schucman, a Columbia University psychology professor, through a process of "inner dictation" starting in 1965. At the time, she was deeply troubled by the increasing hostility and division in her academic and professional circles, which she attributed to the influence of Christian fundamentalism. Her experiences led her to seek a way out of the madness through what she came to understand was divine intervention. The voice that spoke to her told her that he was Jesus Christ and that the purpose of the Course was to teach forgiveness and help heal the world.
While the Course uses A course in miracles much Christian terminology and some of its symbols, it also evokes universal, non-dual spiritual themes including Eastern spirituality. It is not a religion, but rather a course in recognizing God's love for everyone. It also teaches that healing, and therefore peace, are the natural consequences of a true recognition of God's love.
In a sense, it is a course in awakening to the truth that the only real threat to our well-being is our fear of losing our individual identities and thus our separation from one another and from God. Forgiveness is the only means by which this separation can be reversed. In the Course, forgiveness is the only true salvation.
The Course's aphorisms, philosophies, and teachings are expressed in an intellectually sophisticated style that has led many readers to compare it with the world's great literature. The language is poetic, written in blank verse, and often references a variety of biblical and philosophical sources. Its philosophically advanced teachings are combined with deep psychological insight into such issues as belief and defense systems, perception and identity, and the nature of love.
After a decade of preparation, the Course was first published in June 1976 by a group called the Foundation for Parasensory Investigation, headed by two friends of Helen Schucman. The first printing was a three-volume set, with volumes one and two comprising the Text and volume three consisting of the Workbook and Teacher's Manual. Since then, more than three million copies of the Course have been sold without any paid advertising, to people from all walks of life and every major faith. It is now widely available in electronic and hardcover editions.
