Buy the ACIM Book Online
The Psychology of A Course in Miracles
acim bircanin is an alternative spiritual discipline that emphasizes forgiveness as a moment-by-moment practice that can transform attitudes and behaviors. It promotes the view of spirit as the only reality and of the physical world as a mass illusion, similar to the Buddhist concept of samsara and the Hindu idea of maya.
Spirituality
A Course in Miracles (ACIM) is a supposedly channeled book-set consisting of a 669-page Text, a 466-page Workbook of 365 daily lessons and a 92-page Teacher's Manual. First published in 1976, it quickly gained popularity and a substantial following among those who joined acim study groups worldwide.
The teachings of ACIM represent a synthesis of reinterpreted Christian language, modern psychotherapy and Eastern metaphysics. The most distinctive feature is the ACIM's relentless emphasis on forgiveness as a moment-by-moment practice that transforms attitudes, feelings and behaviors. This is a unique feature of the ACIM that sets it apart from most other spiritual paths.
However, the idealist philosophy that underlies ACIM's message may also lead large numbers of its readers to become apathetic about the pressing social and ecological crises that face us. This is especially true for those who follow the more radical stances of ACIM's leading teachers such as Kenneth Wapnick, who has controlled the ACIM copyright since 1983. He has resisted allowing Study Groups to use ACIM materials in ways that are more inclusive of other spiritual traditions.
For example, ACIM's posited goal state of the refined soul as part of an exalted heaven-realm populated by "a multitude of other souls like yourself" is a far cry from the supreme awakening to Infinite Divinity described in the teachings of the Buddha and the Upanishadic sages. And it is quite distinct from the pure nondual teaching of Indian Advaita that counsels that everything, even this seemingly illusory human situation, emanates out of the all-glorious, eternally loving Divine Reality known as Brahman or God.
The noxious exclusivist stance that the "Voice" takes in claiming that one should really only study ACIM is another major problem with this teaching. It's this kind of straitjacket attitude that has often resulted in persons who have been deeply involved with ACIM for several years or, as is often the case, two or three decades, being closed off to more mature, balanced and truly wise spiritual teachings. That's a real shame.
Psychology
The psychology of acim bircanin is a profoundly challenging message, offering a complete reversal of ordinary perception and an insistence on forgiveness as the key to transforming behavior. It also teaches that the physical world we see is a mass illusion, similar to the Buddhist and Hindu notions of samsara and maya. As a result, its teachings are often radical and confront many of our most precious preconceived ideas.
The Course is an intellectual as well as an experiential teaching. Its 650-page Text provides the philosophical foundation, while its 500-page Workbook prescribes daily transformative discipline and includes 365 meditations. It is accompanied by a 90-page Manual for Teachers, adding a variety of insights for advanced practitioners. The Standard edition is published by the Foundation for Inner Peace and is available in 26 languages. It is considered an underground best seller despite a number of challenges to its copyright.
The course has been influential in promoting spiritual ideas and practices such as reiki, meditation and yoga. It has also been used as the basis for several books, including those by Eckhart Tolle, Wayne Dyer and Gabrielle Bernstein.
Education
While a number of spiritual teachings emphasize the importance of forgiveness, ACIM is unique in its relentless emphasis on forgiveness as a moment-by-moment practice that transforms attitudes and behavior. It also calls for a radical reversal of perception, encouraging acceptance of spirit as the only reality and of the physical world as a mass illusion (similar to the Buddhist and Hindu notions of samsara and maya). Its heady mix of reinterpreted Christian language, modern psychological theory, and Eastern metaphysics has made it an underground best-seller.
While it is difficult to track the number of Course students, there is little doubt that ACIM has become a major influence on the growing numbers who think of themselves as “spiritual but not religious.” Several prominent New Age authors and teachers -- including Marianne Williamson, Wayne Dyer, and Eckhart Tolle -- have used the ideas promoted by the Course.