In addition to the Text and Workbook, a course in miracles includes two pamphlets and a prose poem. These additional materials offer further support for the ideas taught in the main three books of ACIM.
The first supplement, called Psychotherapy, discusses how the Course's theoretical principles of healing and forgiveness apply to psychotherapy. The second, called Song of Prayer, offers further teachings on prayer and forgiveness.
What is A Course in Miracles?
Identified by the New York Times as an “esoteric bible that has gone mainstream,” A Course in Miracles (ACIM) is a profound spiritual teaching with far-reaching psychological insights. First published in 1976, ACIM is presented as a self-study system of “spiritual psychology.” It contains three books: the Text which lays out its concepts; the Workbook for Students consisting of 365 daily lessons that emphasize experience over belief in a particular theology; and the Manual for Teachers which provides answers to questions commonly asked by students.
The Course was started by two Columbia University psychologists who were tired of the anger and division they saw in their lives and in their world. They agreed to find a way to bring peace and love into the world. Over seven years Helen Schucman, the book’s author, scribed the Course through a process of inner dictation from Jesus. It was not published until 1976 and today has been translated into more than twenty-five languages. There is no name on the cover of the book, as it is considered to be a work of God (the Holy Spirit).
Forgiveness and healing are at the heart of the Course’s message. While holiness can never really be hidden, it is often denied and the mind tries to establish its own reality by making things up. The miracle returns holiness to light, where it belongs, and teaches the recognition of truth over falsehood.
A miracle is an act of forgiveness. In the process of forgiveness, the ego is destroyed and it becomes impossible to make up lies. This, in turn, heals the world, for the holiness of God’s Creation cannot be denied.
The miracle also abolishes time by establishing an interval that is not subject to the usual laws of time. It does this by collapsing the larger temporal sequence, and thereby eliminating certain intervals within it. This is why we refer to the miracle as being timeless. Time is still there, but it has no meaning in a context where there are no conflicts between different levels of creation.
The Text
A Course in Miracles is a self-study system of "spiritual psychology" consisting of three volumes. It consists of a 669-page Text which provides the theoretical foundation for the course; a 488-page Workbook for Students, which contains 365 daily lessons that provide practical application of the Course's teachings; and a 92-page Manual for Teachers which addresses the questions most likely to arise in the minds of those studying the Course.
The Course is based on the belief that there are many paths to God and that everyone should be free to choose his or her own way. While it uses Christian terminology, the Course is ecumenical in its approach and emphasizes that all religions share core wisdom.
One of the most important aspects of the Course is its emphasis on forgiveness and healing. Forgiveness and healing are seen as the means through which the mind undoes its belief in separation. The Course also teaches that the real world is one of unity, love and abundance, not of fear, hatred and scarcity.
Unlike most other spiritual teachings, the Course does not advocate any particular religion or dogma. It does, however, teach that it is impossible to achieve freedom from the world's problems unless we accept God's Love as the only answer.
A supplement to the Course is the twenty-two page booklet called The Song of Prayer. This pamphlet discusses the Course's teaching on forgiveness and healing, and explains how the process of healing is a result of the mind's undoing of its beliefs in separation. It also discusses the concept of holiness, which is central to the Course's message of love and peace.
Another supplement to the Course is the Gifts of God Prose Poem, which contains the last dictated messages from Jesus to Helen Schucman. These messages were scribed between 1975 and 1977, after Schucman had already taken down the Text, Workbook, and Song of Prayer. It is an excellent introduction to the ideas that form the basis of ACIM and is recommended reading for those new to the course. It is written in iambic pentameter, the poetic language used in Shakespeare's plays.
The Workbook
The workbook consists of 365 daily lessons that help the student apply the principles of the Course to everyday life. The lessons are highly practical, and do not require a great deal of time or effort to study. They are designed to train the mind to change its beliefs about what the world is really all about. The workbook also includes a manual for teachers, which explains some of the terminology used in the Text and Workbook, as well as two supplement pamphlets, Psychotherapy and The Song of Prayer.
This twenty-two page booklet explains the teachings of the Course in the context of forgiveness and healing. It discusses what true forgiveness and healing are, and contrasts them with their opposites. It also describes the process by which the mind undoes its belief in separation. Many students of the Course find this pamphlet to be one of the most useful of all of the supplements.
This thirty-one page prose poem, written in Shakespearean iambic pentameter, is the last work dictated to Helen Schucman by Jesus. It was completed in 1977, and is included at the end of a collection of poetry, Gifts of God, to which The Song of Prayer is a supplement. It is an insightful capstone to the Course, and should be read by all who have studied it. It provides a clear and poetic summary of the course’s basic metaphysics, and is an incredibly thought-provoking addition to the overall body of ACIM. It is a beautiful and powerful piece of literature that will resonate with all Course students as an incredible addendum to the immense Course itself.
The Supplements
The course is a self-study spiritual thought system that has become one of the major influences in the world for those who think of themselves as "spiritual but not religious." It could be called the Bible of this movement and is a powerful influence on the rapidly increasing number of people who believe they are “spiritsual but not religious.” The New York Times recently wrote that ACIM might be referred to as an “esoteric bible that went mainstream,” and this seems a good description.
It uses Christian terminology and symbolism that are familiar to most westerners but evokes universal, non-dual spiritual themes as well as Eastern spirituality. It combines profound spiritual teachings with far-reaching psychological insights, and it has touched millions of people worldwide. It has a scripture-like status among many of its followers and has influenced a wide range of other spiritual teachings.
This is a book that teaches forgiveness. Its purpose is to prepare you to recognize your own innocence and thus find release from fear. The miracles it describes are a means of earning that release. They involve comparing what man has made with the higher level of creation and accepting the harmony of the one with the other, while rejecting the discordant. The miracles also help reduce the need for time, because they are more effective than revelation in removing fear.
It is not intended to replace any other spiritual teaching or religious practice. It does, however, recommend that you study it together with a group. It also calls for regular review of the text, a practice in which you read and meditate on one section each day. It suggests that this will help to reinforce the ideas presented and make them more memorable. It has an extensive commentary section that discusses the meaning of its concepts, as well as a manual for teachers, which gives answers to questions frequently asked by students. The workbook contains 365 daily lessons that emphasize experiential learning rather than belief in a theology. Unlike most religious texts, it has no denominational affiliation and has no formal structure for its followers.
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