The Course in Miracles

 

The course in miracles is an enormously influential spiritual text. It is widely read, interpreted, and practiced by people of all religious backgrounds. Its profoundly poetic language and mystical allusions have led some readers to compare it with the world's great literature. Its thought system is intellectually sophisticated and combines spiritual inspiration with deep psychological understanding of such phenomena as belief and defense systems, perception and identity.

The Course teaches that "this world is a dream, and all that you see here is but the fading apparition of an illusion." In this context it describes wars, crimes, accidents, calamities and pain as simply false perceptions that have no real cause. It teaches that the only way to escape from this world is through forgiveness and the experience of love.

Unlike traditional Christianity, the Course rejects any notion of hell or eternal punishment. It emphasizes that this world is the result of a mistaken interpretation of reality, which the Course refers to as "the delusion of separateness." It also asserts that the only thing that is real are the minds that inhabit human bodies and other forms, even though they are often filled with fear and guilt.

Helen Schucman, A course in miracles who received the material of the course through a process of inner dictation over several years, was not an atheist, but her intellectual problems with channeling and the biblical references to Jesus caused her to hide her identity and restrict access to the manuscript. The Foundation for Inner Peace was established to hold the copyrights and to publish ACIM.

Many scholars have argued against the claims of the course and others have embraced it with tremendous devotion. The course is widely available in book form and has become a modern spiritual classic. It has influenced millions of people around the world. It has also spawned a minor industry, including workshops and discussion groups.

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