A Course in Miracles Intro
The Course in Miracles is an intellectually sophisticated work that combines spiritual inspiration with a thorough understanding of such topics as belief and defense systems. It was received by Helen Schucman through a process of inner dictation and was published in 1976.
Devan brings a fresh perspective of wholly-spiritual knowledge into homes, hearts and minds everywhere. He will teach you how to gain the experience of transcending the world (Ascension) while also gaining personal-happiness and peace of mind along the way.
What is a Course in Miracles?
Described by the New York Times as an “esoteric bible that has gone mainstream,” A Course in Miracles (ACIM) is one of the most widely read spiritual books of our time. First published in 1976, this three-volume book is a self-study system of “spiritual psychology” that combines profound spiritual teachings with far-reaching and practical psychological insights.
The Course teaches that the greatest miracle is unlearning fear and opening to love. It focuses on forgiveness as the means to do this and offers a whole new way of seeing the world and ourselves. Its language is poetic, often written in blank verse, and the thought system is at once spiritually inspired and intellectually sophisticated.
In its approach to healing, the Course is ecumenical, avoiding specific religious doctrines. It uses Christian terminology, but emphasizes the unity of all religions and draws on universal spiritual themes such as Eastern mysticism. It makes no claim to be the only path to God, and it explicitly states that it is simply a restatement of “the core of wisdom found in every major world religion.”
Despite its complex nature, the Course is very accessible to students who read it at a pace that feels right for them. Many choose to read a chapter or section a week, while others take on the entire workbook each day. Whether the Course is read individually or in community, it can have a dramatic impact on one’s life. It has been a significant influence on those who identify as “spiritual but not religious,” and the number of people who have been affected by its message is estimated in the millions worldwide. It has also led to the development of numerous communities and organizations dedicated to ACIM.
What is the purpose of this course?
As the Course states in its preface, it is "a manual for teachers." Its purpose is to teach you how to use your mind in ways that will bring you peace and lead to a life of miracles. This is accomplished by teaching you to shift your perspective and the beliefs that underlie it. It will also help you experience the reality of love, which is all-encompassing and cannot have an opposite. It is also the means to transcend the world, which will bring you into a completely different life and experience within this Spiritual-Universe.
When Helen Schucman first published a course in miracles, in 1976, it had a tremendous impact. Many argued with it, but others accepted its authority and devoted their lives to it. It has since become one of the most influential modern spiritual texts, reaching into the hearts of millions of people around the globe.
In addition to its core teachings, the Course lays out an extensive curriculum for teaching you to shift your beliefs and change your perspectives. It consists of a number of readings, applicable techniques, conversations and meditations. It trains the mind to be able to shift its perspective from the ego-centered worldview of this physical universe to that of the wholly spiritual one.
While it may seem like an impossible task, the Course provides an accelerated training program. It focuses on forgiveness and the healing power of love, which is all-powerful and can heal anything that needs to be healed. It will also bring you in touch with your intuition, spiritual guidance (also referenced as the Holy Spirit) which is your most trustworthy guide on this journey.
What is the goal of this course?
The goal of this course is for you to enter the experience of transcendence ("ascension"), leaving behind everything you think of as physical reality in order to be fully part of the wholly spiritual universe. This is an intense course designed for those who are really serious about this goal and willing to invest the time and energy required to achieve it.
The curriculum is very intellectually sophisticated and combines spiritual inspiration with deep psychological understanding of such phenomena as belief systems, defenses and the nature of perception. It is a system of thought that is highly poetic and mystical, utilizing blank verse and allusions to the world's great literature, but is very practical in its application. The daily Workbook lessons offer a step-by-step approach for applying the teachings of the Course, and are designed to be completed in only a few minutes each day.
There is a lot of confusion in the world regarding what this course is all about, and some people mistakenly believe that it is a course on "how to manipulate the spiritual universe in your favor." Nothing could be further from the truth! This course is all about training the mind to enter into an experience of the wholly spiritual universe through an exchange of love.
Our goal is to help you to become as successful as possible in the process of learning this course, and our success depends entirely on your willingness to apply the principles that it teaches, no matter how difficult they may seem. If you are truly willing, we will support your efforts to succeed by providing the best materials, videos, conversations and mentoring available anywhere on the internet.
What is the structure of this course?
The Course consists of three parts: the Text, the Workbook, and the Manual for Teachers. The Text provides the theoretical framework of the course, and the Workbook offers 365 daily exercises that provide the practical application of the theory. It is through doing the exercises that the goal of the course, peace of mind and remembrance of God, becomes possible.
The language of the Course is poetic and often written in blank verse. Its intellectually sophisticated thought system combines spiritual inspiration with profound psychological understanding of such subjects as belief and defense systems, perception and identity.
This structure makes the Course highly accessible to a wide audience, and it has attracted many secular students. However, because the Course also uses Christian vocabulary and attempts to sound like a religious teaching, it has been misunderstood and misused. Some of its misuses are rooted in fear. This is because the Course claims that our misunderstanding is caused by choosing and believing wrong-minded, loveless thoughts of the fearful ego rather than right-minded, loving thoughts of the Holy Spirit.
The goal of the Course is to undo guilt through forgiveness and return to our natural state of innocence, which the Bible calls Heaven. The Bible tells us that only when we realize the truth about ourselves and God will our fear of judgment be replaced by trust and joy. In this way, the world will come closer to the vision of the Heaven that God has for it. This is why it is so important to study and practice the Course in community. Creating a community of Course students can help us to become instruments of God for the healing of the world.
What is the outcome of this course?
Whether it be ACIM or another spiritual path, the outcome of any study is solely up to the student. It is up to each one of us to listen for the call of Love and let go of fear. This is not easy to do, especially when ego and fear have a stronger hold on us than our true Essence and Love.
When the Course was written, it envisioned many different outcomes for its students including the attainment of peace and forgiveness. Many ACIM students have reported gaining the ability to heal relationships and experience a deeper level of happiness. Others have experienced transcendence, leaving behind the physical world entirely and living in the wholly spiritual universe.
However, it is important to understand that the goal of the course is not to make you a better person or give you more “spiritual gifts.” The goal is to help you let go of the fears and attachments that keep you from experiencing the love and joy you were created to share with all creation.
There is a large community of people who are studying A Course in Miracles, with groups meeting in homes and churches around the world. There are also many dedicated teachers, counselors and ministers who work with students to help them find their inner freedom.
While the Course uses Christian terminology, it is ecumenical and states that it is only one version of the universal curriculum of which there are many thousands. The course warns against using the Course as a substitute for religious practice, saying that it will only lead to "dis-ease." For this reason, it is important to always remember to keep a healthy balance of both spiritual study and personal prayer.