"The Holy Spirit is the IDEA of healing. Being thought, the idea GAINS AS IT IS SHARED."
As we allow ourselves to be healed, we become healed, and in turn become healers. We are able to give the miracles we have received, and we can give healing to others.
"I will be healed as I let him teach me to heal."
"No one can give what he has not received. To give a thing requires first you have it in your own possession."
"Those who are healed become instruments of healing." (note that an instrument is used by something HIGHER than the instrument - in this case the Holy Spirit).
"A miracle is a service. It is the maximal service that one soul can render another."
We're asked in ACIM to perform healing WITH the Holy Spirit. That means he is included in the healing process, and is actually the way by which the healing occurs. This is because HE is the only healer and therapist. Only HE understands miracles. He is the answer to the separation and KNOWS HOW to heal everything. You DO NOT know how to heal!
"the healer ALWAYS heals BY Him"
"The human therapist can only LET HIM FULFILL HIS FUNCTION."
"help is His function"
"its presence becomes manifest THROUGH you. Do His work, for you SHARE in His function."
"he (you) LETS HEALING BE"
"the nature of miracles you do not understand" "Nor do you DO them."
"HE (you) can point to darkness, but he (you) CANNOT bring light OF HIMSELF"
"What He enables you to do is clearly NOT of this world"
"what the Holy Spirit enables you to do is clearly beyond ALL of them"
In effect, we act like a kind of portal or window THROUGH which the Holy Spirit's radiance of healing power extends. The light of God comes from God through him, through us, to others. We are not able to GENERATE this light ourselves.
We of ourselves really have NO power at all. But when we OPEN ourselves to him, and allow him to work WITH AND THROUGH us, we GAIN the power of God. And this power works ON ITS OWN, because love automatically extends and shines.
It's kind of like, the radiant shining light of God, which has healing power in it, shines from God THROUGH you, to others. Which is why "Miracles are a universal blessing from God through me (Jesus, as an example of a brother), to my all brothers". The light of God is God's light, which shines through you, and extends to others, healing them.
"The Holy Spirit is the mechanism of miracles" or the way by which this miraculous power is bridged to you from God, so that it can be GIVEN TO OTHERS through you.
This is because in your creation, you are given the gift of giving, which means that God gives himself to create you, and creates you to BE a giver, so that HE can be given THROUGH you along WITH you, to co-create. He has given you something which you are meant to GIVE to others, to share with them, in order to have it.
"You CAN LEARN to bless, and CANNOT give WHAT YOU HAVE NOT. If, then, you OFFER blessing, it MUST have come FIRST TO YOURSELF. And you must also have ACCEPTED IT AS YOURS, for how else could you GIVE IT AWAY? This is WHY your miracles offer YOU the testimony that YOU are blessed."
"Your hands will heal, and give the gifts that you accept of me."
Healing miracles are a mirror of this creative dynamic, on Earth, whereby you give what you receive. And WHAT you receive (God's blessing/miracle) has within it the power to heal others, WITHOUT you having to know how it does it.
It's kind of like you are passing along or allowing to extend THROUGH you a power which you did not generate on your own, you did not author, but which you allow to TRANSFER as a form of communication. God shines through you, FOR you, and therefore FOR your "patient".
"The power of one mind CAN shine into another, because all the lamps of God were lit by the same spark."
Your function is, in effect, to participate in the Holy Spirits's healing work, by sharing his function, allowing HIM to PASS ON his healing (of you) through you to others. In this, you don't really get to claim any credit for being a healer, or special, or the source of the healing.
HE heals YOU, FOR you. And you in turn allow him to heal others, FOR you, FOR them. Because he is the help that God has appointed and given. He is supposed to be the one who DOES the miracles.
"The Holy Spirit does NOT work by chance, and the healing that is of HIM ALWAYS works. And unless the healer ALWAYS heals BY Him, the results WILL vary."
"And that is why the Holy Spirit IS the only therapist."
"The Holy Spirit is the radiance that you must let to banish the idea of darkness."
"The Holy Spirit is the way in which God's will can be done on earth as it is in Heaven."
"The text explains that the Holy Spirit is the Answer to all problems you have made."
"All power in Heaven and earth is therefore given him and he will share it with you when you have completed yours."
This means that in truth the Holy Spirit is the ONLY therapist, because ONLY he knows everything to be able to be certain how to heal everything. He is the GUARANTEE that the separation WILL be undone, because he has the power TO undo it entirely, given him by God. The Holy Spirit DOES NOT FAIL, and when He heals, IT ALWAYS WORKS. Your role then is really to LET HIM DO THE HEALING.
"The Holy Spirit is the ONLY therapist. He makes healing PERFECTLY clear in ANY situation in which He is the guide. ***The human therapist can only LET HIM FULFILL HIS FUNCTION. He needs no help for this.*** He WILL tell you EXACTLY what to do, to help ANYONE He sends to you FOR help, and will speak to him through you, IF YOU DO NOT INTERFERE. Remember that you ARE choosing a guide for helping, and the wrong choice will NOT help. But remember also that THE RIGHT ONE WILL. Trust Him, for help is His function, and He is of God."
"We once said that the Holy Spirit is the Answer. He is the answer to EVERYTHING, because He knows what the answer to everything IS."
When I heal with the Holy Spirit, I am not really doing anything. I am specifically instructed what to do, to fulfill my part of the function I am sharing with him. I may be told to place my hand on a specific part of the body. I may be told when the healing is done. I may be asked to move to a different position.
But more often I will be asked to "rest" or "relax". In effect I am really being told to just take a chill pill and sit on the sidelines while I let HIM USE ME and work through me. He works through my body and through my hands. The more that I don't try to do anything at all, the less obstructing I am. I pretty much just relax and rest and just let him get on with it.
I have NO CLUE how he does what he does. I do not know what he is doing, only that he is doing it. My body shakes and my hands tremble and there is an intensity and various back-and-forth motions and so on. But these happen on their own, caused BY him, or as side effects of what HE is doing.
This means that I have to be willing to trust and to sort of "get out of the way", and to "not interfere". And you can be sure that at times my ego does try to BECOME the healer. The ego in me starts trying to say things to make healing happen, which really has little to no effect anyway. Or I start thinking that I need to force or push, or to hold my hand differently, or to think forgiveness thoughts, or to start doing affirmations, or say lofty things, and none of this is necessary. I am told to relax or even to stop.
In particular Jesus instructs me by saying "let me". Which I've come now to learn to mean, allow him to use the Holy Spirit through me to perform a healing on a person FOR me and FOR them, without me doing anything other than being used as a kind of vessel. It may still entail me "laying on hands" and spending some time involved in the process, but my participation is minimal.
It does take the willingness to allow something OTHER than yourself to DO stuff through you and through your body. This may be unsettling at first, learning to trust to allow some unseen force to make stuff happen IN your body and THROUGH it. To see that, even if you are standing there doing nothing of your own volition, your body is moving, even BEING moved by some unseen power.
Trusting that it WILL move on its own, without your intention to move it. And then seeing it consistently do so, without interference or motivation or control on your part. I am now at a point where I can let the Holy Spirit literally move my body parts ON HIS OWN. He can actually make my arms and hands move around with no motor intentions of my own.
"For you can be AWARE of what you cannot see, and it can become compellingly real to you, as its presence becomes manifest THROUGH you. Do His work, for you SHARE in His function. As your function in Heaven is creation, so your function on earth is healing. God shares His function with you in Heaven, and the Holy Spirit shares HIS with you on earth."
"The therapist does not heal; he LETS HEALING BE. HE can point to darkness, but he CANNOT bring light OF HIMSELF, for light is NOT of him. But being FOR him, it MUST be for his patient."
"Concern yourselves not with the EXTENSION of holiness, for the nature of miracles you do NOT understand. Nor do you DO them. It is their extension, far beyond the limits you perceive, that demonstrates you did NOT do them. Why should you worry how the miracle extends to all the Sonship, when you do not understand the miracle itself?"
So here Jesus is clear, you don't even really DO miracles yourself. That is to say, you do not originate or source the power or the light that produces healing. You do not "use your own power". You are not the "battery" that charges someone. Instead, the Holy Spirit temporarily USES your system to infuse your battery with HIS power so that it extends beyond yourself to someone else. HE brings the power from God, and you allow it to extend.
This is also reflected here, where Jesus tells us that the miracle extends through you WITHOUT your help, because it's really something that's being given BY GOD. "Miracles mean life and God is the giver of life." "Miracles are a universal blessing from God." Their RADIANCE or GIVING to another is essentially AUTOMATIC, because you give it freely through sharing and letting it go. Ie not inhibiting it or stopping it from FLOWING THROUGH you.
"The ONLY way to heal is to be healed. The miracle extends WITHOUT your help. But you ARE needed that it can BEGIN. ACCEPT the miracle of healing, and it WILL go forth, because of what it IS. It is its NATURE to extend itself the instant it is born. And it is born the instant it is offered and RECEIVED. No-one can ask ANOTHER to be healed. But he can let HIMSELF be healed, and thus offer the other what he has received. Who can bestow upon another what he does not HAVE? And who can SHARE what he denies HIMSELF? The Holy Spirit speaks to YOU. He does not speak to someone ELSE. Yet BY your listening, His Voice extends, BECAUSE you have accepted what He says."
Essentially then you are to receive help and healing from the Holy Spirit to get your own mind into a state where it is more trusting of HIS help. Where you are willing to RECEIVE miracles for yourself, which you are willing to SHARE with others. You become infused with healing and love and power. And HIS light now shines out from you ON ITS OWN. This light "performs" the healing in another. The light comes from God and you just allow it to pass through you. You become a kind of CHANNEL or MEDIUM THROUGH which love, light, life, healing etc is communicated to your brother.
"We have said that the Holy Spirit is the MOTIVATION for miracles. This is because He ALWAYS tells you that ONLY the mind is real, because only the mind CAN BE SHARED."
"You CANNOT choose to escape His care, because that is not His will. But you CAN choose to accept His care, and use the infinite power OF His care for all those He created BY it."
"The Holy Spirit is invisible, but you CAN see the results of His Presence, and through them, you will learn that He is there. What He enables you to do is clearly NOT of this world, for miracles violate every law of reality, as this world judges it. Every law of time and space, of magnitude and mass, of prediction and control, is transcended, for what the Holy Spirit enables you to do is clearly beyond ALL of them. Perceiving His RESULTS, you will understand where He MUST be, and finally KNOW what He is."
What I have learned now is to let Jesus and/or the Holy Spirit perform the healing. As in "You will see healing through your hands through me." This means acknowledging that the healing power or force or love which CAUSES the healing, the remedy, is something given by God and passes TO me and THROUGH me. I can let it pass through me when I have been willing to receive it for myself, because that means I am unblocking myself and getting MY blocks out of HIS way, so that HE can shine THROUGH me.
This means also recognizing I am NOT SPECIAL as "a healer". I have NO CLUE how to heal anyone to be honest. I don't know how bodies work, what makes emotions work, or the intricacies of the actual mind or how to make it sane. I cannot claim selfish credit for the healing that takes place, beacuse I am not the one doing it. Yes i am involved, yes I am facilitating, yes I am using my hands, yes I am maintaing a relaxed and non-interfering state of mind, but I am not the CAUSE of the healing. All "glory" for that goes to God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit.
At least, for now anyway. We are told that eventually we will become far more directly in-touch with all power in heaven and earth, that "I am not afraid but all powerful", and that by acknowledging that "all power is of God is to gain all power." But right now my experience is that I a pretty much powerless to do anything OF MYSELF, I don't HAVE any special powers, and I don't know HOW to heal. But I do know how to trust the Holy Spirit and Jesus to do healing through me.
"A better and FAR more helpful way to think of miracles is this: You do NOT understand them, either in part OR whole. Yet you have DONE them. Therefore, YOUR understanding CANNOT be necessary. Yet it is still impossible to accomplish what you do not understand. And so there must be Something IN you that DOES understand."
"As God communicates to the Holy Spirit in you, so does the Holy Spirit TRANSLATE His communications THROUGH you, so YOU can understand them."
"The Holy Spirit will teach me this, if I will let Him."
"I do NOT feel guilty, because the Holy Spirit will undo ALL the consequences of my wrong decision IF I WILL LET HIM. I WILL to let Him by allowing Him to decide for God for me."
"You understand that you are healed when you give healing. You accept forgiveness as accomplished in yourself when you forgive. You recognize your brother as yourself, and thus do you perceive that you are whole. There is no miracle you cannot give, for all are given you. Receive them now by opening the storehouse of your mind where they are laid, and giving them away."
"But YOU must see the works I do through you, or you will not perceive that I have done them unto YOU. Do not set limits on what you believe I can do THROUGH YOU, or you will not accept what I can do FOR you. For it is done ALREADY, and unless you give ALL that you have received, you will not know that your Redeemer liveth and that YOU have awakened WITH Him. Redemption is recognized ONLY by sharing it."
A Course in Miracles: The Book
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[BOOKMARK,about-the-acim-book] [PREVIOUS,top] [NEXT,whats-inside-acim] Part 1About the BookThe ACIM book comprises a theoretical Text, a practical Workbook with 365 lessons, and a Manual for Teachers. The course is:
Let's take a look at some of the facts about this deeply spiritual and transformative book. |
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[BOOKMARK,acim-editions] Official ACIM EditionsA Course in Miracles First Edition
A Course in Miracles Second Edition
A Course in Miracles Third Edition
Physical Book Specs
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[BOOKMARK,whats-inside-acim] [PREVIOUS,about-the-acim-book] [NEXT,acim-audience] Part 2What's inside the BookA Course in Miracles - the Official Foundation for Inner Peace 3rd Edition, combines all the major portions of scribed material into one volume:
Let's take a look inside. |
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[BOOKMARK,inside-cover] ACIM Book CoverThe cover of A Course in Miracles print editions have traditionally been a dark blue background with metallic gold text. 
ACIM is available in hard-back, soft-back and paper-back versions, all of which feature a blue and gold coloring, with the inscription "Foundation for Inner Peace" near the bottom of the front cover. When the second edition combined the volumes into a single book, the cover and spine were redesigned. The three main books (text, workbook, manual) are listed on the cover, but not the clarification of terms (which is included at the end of the manual). A small logo of a star (or representing the Holy Spirit) was added to the cover also. In the third edition, more details were added including:
[BOOKMARK,inside-preface] PrefaceThe preface was added in the second edition of A Course in Miracles. It provides an introduction to the book, due to requests for one by the course community. The preface contains three sub-sections:
Each section briefly describes an aspect of the course, as follows: 1. How it cameWritten by Helen Schucman, this section briefly describes how Helen Schucman and William (Bill) Thetford were struggling in their professional relationships and felt that "there must be a better way". This willingness to find a better way together, led to the beginning of transmissions from Jesus to Helen, dictating the Course material. 2. What it isWritten by Helen Schucman, this section provides a brief overview of the structure of the book, describing the text, workbook and manual for teachers and their purposes. It touches upon the curriculum of the course, the theory of the text, and the practical application of the workbook. 3. What it saysDictated by Jesus, this section begins to present some of the general themes of the course in terms of its theology and message. It begins with the now well-known and very abstract truth: "Nothing real can be threatened. Nothing unreal exists. Herein lies the peace of God." There is a brief discussion of the difference between the worlds of knowledge and perception, which have given rise to heaven and its opposite. It touches upon the basic idea of how the world appears to change as our perceptions of it change. There is also brief mention of minds joining, special relationships, and the body. It finishes with a brief introduction to the idea of christ vision or true perception, coupled with forgiveness. [BOOKMARK,inside-text] TextThe "Text" portion of A Course in Miracles was originally a separate book volume when the first edition was printed. It was later combined into the unified volume in the second edition. The text provides a mostly theoretical, metaphysical and psychological presentation.
A vast majority of ACIM's theology is presented in the Text, and lays a theoretical foundation for being able to better apply the workbook lessons which follow. As the introduction to the workbook states: "A theoretical foundation such as the text provides is necessary as a framework to make the exercises in this workbook meaningful." This suggests that the text should be read and understood first. Jesus covers a wide range of subjects in the Text ranging from miracles to forgiveness to relationships, from the body to the world, all manner of aspects of perception and mind, and provides extraordinary insight and depth into the functioning of our minds. He also details how we arrived in our present condition, and how we can return home to God. The text is incredibly deep and profound and life changing and provides a metaphysical framework for the workbook and further transformation. [BOOKMARK,inside-workbook] Workbook for StudentsThe ACIM "Workbook", also known as "the lessons", features a lesson for each day of the year. There are in total 365 lessons, all of which include additional descriptive material, meditations and practices. The lessons may involve a few minutes of application and may be repeated a variable number of times throughout the day and as needed. The intention is that you:
In addition to the lessons, the workbook includes an introduction and several additional pieces of material which act as introductions to later sections of the workbook. The workbook also revisits and summarizes earlier lessons in "review" periods to help cement and generalize the learning. The workbook is intended for the development of Christ Vision, which A Course in Miracles refers to as a highly spiritual state of perception, establishing your function of forgiveness, teaching and miracle-working, while also paving the way to returning home to God. As it states: "The workbook is divided into two main sections, the first dealing with the undoing of the way you see now, and the second with the acquisition of true perception." ... and ... "The purpose of the workbook is to train your mind in a systematic way to a different perception of everyone and everything in the world." [BOOKMARK,inside-manual] Manual for TeachersThe manual for teachers recognizes that after a period of learning and transformation, a student may become equipped to teach and help others. While many aspects of the course appear to be a "self study" or experienced in private, other aspects call for providing services to others. Content includes:
It also speaks on topics answering some common questions, such as whether reincarnation is real or helpful, the meaning of healing, etc. [BOOKMARK,inside-clarification] Clarification of TermsThe clarification of terms in ACIM is a short section attempting to clarify and distinguish what certain terms in the course mean. It provides some extra background and context to put these terms into perspective. Originally this document was called the "Use of terms". The clarification covers these topics:
[BOOKMARK,inside-psychotherapy] Psychotherapy: Purpose, Process and Practice
The supplement is presented in such a way as to be of interest to someone in a therapeutic role, such as a psychotherapist, but can be applied to any relationship in which there is an aim to provide help and healing. It has the following sections:
The psychotherapy pamphlet talks about the various roles of the two individuals, how one helps and teaches and heals the other, and how they might work together for a common goal. It also suggests that psychotherapy is the only therapy due to everything being in the mind. [BOOKMARK,inside-song-of-prayer] The Song of Prayer
This supplement describes how we are in a constant state of prayer, always asking and always receiving. It describes how the spiritual quality of this prayer ranges from requests which are heavily identified with forms, objects and worldly problems, to a very high form of communication with God which paves the way to communion. The aim of "singing a higher song" spiritually is to raise one's mental giving and receiving to "tune" closer to God. This results in receiving higher spiritual gifts and support as well as a more spiritual outlook. The Song of Prayer is divided into three main sections, a kind of "how to do it" on each of these subjects:
[BOOKMARK,inside-gifts-of-god] The Gifts of God
Helen Schucman also published some of her poetry in a book called The Gifts of God. Although the book is described as poetry, it include a portion of material which distinctly appears to be further dictation from Jesus. The material uses iambic pentameter and expresses in the same way as the rest of the ACIM material. The Gifts of God is named as such because it talks about gifts received from and given to God. The material is not included in any official edition of ACIM, but can be purchased from the ACIM.org website. It includes the following sections:
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A small pamphlet was scribed and later published, titled "Psychotherapy: Purpose, Process and Practice". This pamphlet, also referred to as a supplement, can be purchased individually 
The Song of Prayer supplement is also available 
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[BOOKMARK,acim-audience] [PREVIOUS,whats-inside-acim] [NEXT,where-to-buy-acim] Part 3ACIM Audience and CommunityThe official editions of A Course in Miracles have sold over 3 million copies worldwide. Along with several unofficial editions, ACIM has spread to a worldwide community of individuals and organizations. Read on to learn more about its audience and reception. |
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[BOOKMARK,acim-worldwide] Worldwide AudienceIt is estimated that editions of A Course in Miracles published and sold by the Foundation for Inner peace total near to 3 million copies, as of 2020. But there are also other unofficial editions for sale, and also a variety of freely available editions. The list includes:
It's very difficult to estimate the audience size, but there could be as many as 5-10 million individual readers/listeners of the course. We must also consider that the number of people actively still using or studying the course is likely far less, perhaps less than half. But A course in Miracles still likely has a reach of at least a few million active users. A Course in Miracles has found its way around the world and is now available in almost every country. |
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[BOOKMARK,acim-curriculum] The Universal CurriculumIt's worth mentioning what A Course in Miracles itself might say about its audience. The course teaches that before the world seemed to come into being, all souls lived happily in heaven with God. "The separation" or "fall of man" resulted in the making of the physical universe and its contents. This places every separated soul in a position of needing salvation. God responded to the separation with the creation of the Holy Spirit and the initiation of His Atonement Plan. The goal of the plan is to eventually return everyone back to Heaven, with no exceptions. This means that for all separated individuals, which includes everyone on Earth, there is one Truth to learn (the Truth of God), which is accepted in the Atonement. Therefore the same truth is to be learned by all individuals. This leads to a universal curriculum in which everyone must eventually learn the same truth. However, the path by which an individual comes to that same truth may be unique depending on their current beliefs, yielding an "individualized curriculum" for each person. The plan of The Atonement is to bring about the atonement of each individual, leading to the return of all souls to Heaven. Regardless of what beliefs, religions, opinions, attitudes, states of mind, preferences or conditions any individual is currently experiencing, all individuals are a part of the mandatory curriculum and are learning whatever is necessary to eventually awaken to the reality of God. This means that even those who do not study A Course in Miracles - as given in the book, are still participating in the universal curriculum, no matter their present path or interests, because all roads lead to God. As ACIM says: "It is crucial to say first that this is a required course. Only the time you take it is voluntary. Free will does not mean that you establish the curriculum. It means only that you can elect what to take when. It is just because you are not ready to do what you should elect to do that time exists at all." "Their readiness will bring the lesson to them in some form which they can understand and recognize. Some see it suddenly on point of death, and rise to teach it. Others find it in experience that is not of this world, which shows them that the world does not exist because what they behold must be the truth, and yet it clearly contradicts the world. And some will find it in this course, and in the exercises that we do today." Whether or not a person is well suited to gaining from A Course in Miracles, depends on their readiness, baggage, beliefs and history. Some are more willing than others. Some would see the course as a serious danger, even accusing it of being evil. Some would be completely disinterested. And some would never even encounter it in their lifetime. ACIM itself is not for everyone, but the universal curriculum is. ACIM is just one form of the curriculum designed for a particular audience, who will encounter it if that is part of the plan. Others will take different routes on the journey home. For this reason you will naturally see that those who believe things highly contrary to what A Course in Miracles claims, will be most offended or adamant about its wrongful nature, while those who can relate to it and benefit from it, will be more open and ready to receive it. In the big picture, this means that all criticism of the course is really just an interplay of egotism between certain individuals and the course's representation of the truth. which they are not yet willing to be open to. Some may accept parts of it, some may accept parts and recoil and rebound. Others may avoid it entirely. But everyone will go home in the end. If we give due credit to Jesus, author of A Course in Miracles, recognizing his mastery and perfection, and trusting his word, then we can see that reactions agains the course are almost certainly egoic in origin, and faulty at best. Essentially everyone should accept its truth, but many will likely find other paths which lead to the eventual same goal. God guarantees that everyone will return to Him sooner or later, it's just a matter of willingness and their individualized curriculum. |
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[BOOKMARK,acim-translations] Language TranslationsOriginally A Course in Miracles was dictated in English, leaning towards American English, since its scribe, Helen Schucman, spoke American English. Jesus delivered the words in the language which its scribes and the later audience were able to understand. The Course has now been translated into more than 25 languages with more languages to follow. The list includes:
Some translations are of the 2nd Edition of ACIM, while others are the 3rd edition. ACIM is also available in translated languages in e-book format for Kindle etc. Translations of unofficial versions may also be available. TIP: It's possible to freely translate an online ACIM website page, using a translator service such as translate.google.com. Simply choose the source and destination languages, enter the full url of an ACIM website page, and it will provide a link which, when clicked, will take you to a translated version of that website. If you apply this to a website which hosts A Course in Miracles online, you can read the whole course in over 100 languages. Note that the translation may or may not be accurate in capturing the meaning of the words. |
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[BOOKMARK,acim-reception] Reception"The Course in Miracles" has been generally well received and is respected for its depth, clarity, insight, beauty and transformative power. This is not to say it is popular with everyone. Indeed some groups would consider the book to be evil or wrong, depending on their current belief system. A Course in Miracles uses a somewhat Christian language, and there is some overlap with Christianity in many areas, just as there is also some overlap with Christian Science, Buddhism, Hinduism etc. But there are also areas where it diverges profoundly, often opposing common beliefs. There are subjects in ACIM which are similar to subjects in a variety of religions, such as God, Jesus, Holy Spirit, sin, forgiveness, love, peace, etc. Different people find it more or less relatable depending on their current state of mind and preferences. Some criticism has been made that the course is too long, too wordy, too difficult to understand, too dense, too hard to apply, too hard to relate to etc. Some people do not like the language or how it is written. The course may not be for everyone in its current book form, but for some it is very accessible. Some have accused ACIM of stealing existing or long-held beliefs and theologies present in other doctrines and religions, suggesting that it does not offer anything new. This is partly because there is always some truth in every life path or belief system, so it's natural for there to be some overlap. ACIM doesn't really claim to be 100% unlike anything that has ever been said before, although in some areas it is highly original and groundbreaking. But it does claim to be giving the whole truth and nothing but the truth. Any individual or organization will have to decide for themselves whether ACIM is right for them.
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[BOOKMARK,acim-community] ACIM CommunityThe proliferation of A Course in Miracles around the world has naturally led to the formation of various groups and organizations. ACIM is not a religion, it is a spiritual path which you can participate in individually or as a group. And its aim is to restore openness, sharing and communication. "Miracles are given by those who temporarily have more to those who temporarily have less." "A miracle is a service. It is the maximal service that one soul can render another. It is a way of loving your neighbor as yourself." Various ACIM study groups have sprung up in various communities and countries. Some students meet periodically online or in person to share discussion and application of ACIM principles, to study the material and to share a connection. Indeed ACIM encourages all special relationships to become holy relationships and tells us: "Those who are to meet will meet, because together they have the potential for a holy relationship. They are ready for each other." ACIM students also congregate on all social media platforms including facebook, pinterest, reddit, twitter, youtube, forums etc. There are also groups who meet or participate in courses over "zoom" and through other media, as well as through online radio and podcasts. There have also been movies made about the course and a wide variety of course-related books have been published. The ACIM community is growing. There are A Course in Miracles conferences of various kinds every year, including meetups, workshops, training courses and various other events held periodically by various groups and individuals. Many cities host one or more ACIM study groups. It is also easy to meet and talk with other ACIM students on social media channels. Some ACIM organizations and non-profits have also been established, some of which offer courses, church-like gatherings, and in some cases ordained ministerial training. Phone support, websites and various other forms of interaction have all sprung up to support and build the growing A Course in Miracles community. Ultimately every soul God created is a worthy member of God's Family, whether they are using A Course in Miracles or not. |
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[BOOKMARK,where-to-buy-acim] [PREVIOUS,acim-audience] [NEXT,bottom] Part 4Where to buy ACIMMost editions of A Course in Miracles are available at Amazon. You can simply search for the book titles. Alternatively, and perhaps of more financial benefit to the publishers, you can also purchase most editions from the publisher's websites. You can also find versions of ACIM in various bookstores. Below we'll take a look at some of the more popular editions. |
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[BOOKMARK,buy-acim-choosing] Choosing an EditionWhen A Course in Miracles was first scribed, Helen Shucman wrote down the words Jesus dictated into note books, using her own shorthand. Later "The Notes" were typed into plain English with the help of Bill Thetford. This formed an early version commonly referred to as "The Urtext". The urtext was then considered to contain some material which was somewhat personal, various typing errors and so on, so further editing took place. Various material was removed and/or changed, especially in the earlier chapters. Chapters and section headings were inserted and this eventually formed the "Hugh Lynn Cayce" edition, so named due to a version given to the Edgar Cayce foundation and uncovered in the ACIM copyright trial. Some consider this version to be where Helen and Bill had finished editing. Ken Wapnick later arrived and felt the Course needed further editing. More material was removed and changed and cleaned up. This eventually became the Criswell edition, which then become the Official First Edition. The Foundation for Inner Peace published an initial run of 5000 copies of the 1st edition, with the 1975 copyright, in mid 1976. There was then a legal court case in which the copyright of ACIM was brought into question, mainly due to general distribution of course material prior to the 1975 copyright. The copyright was then voided, making the first edition public domain. This then led to further editing, which accomplished a few things:
This became the official 2nd edition, sold by the Foundation for Inner Peace. In years to follow, a final 3rd edition was published as a result of further edits, including two of the supplements. Meanwhile, relating to events in the court case, the Notes and Urtext were photocopied and leaked on the internet. Also later editions such as the Criswell and first edition were typed and posted online. Efforts by various individuals and organizations resulted, legally or otherwise, in the publishing of the earlier material in book form. Since that time, various editions of ACIM based on available materials have been published in print, and are available for sale. This includes the Original Edition, Urtext Manuscripts, Sparkly Edition and the newer Complete and Annotated Edition. RecommendationIf you are newer to the course, I would recommend either the Foundation for Inner Peace 3rd Edition, or the Circle of Atonement Complete and Annotated edition. The Circle of Atonement edition has a lot more material, but it includes material which was edited out by FIP. This includes many references to souls, discussions about sex and various other matters. The material reads more conversationally than in the FIP edit, but may not be as "clean and to the point" or "sanitized" as the FIP edit. More experienced students may benefit from extra insight gained from the earlier material. The urtext is a popular go-to, since the notes are not easily human readable. But now that the "Complete and annotated edition" and "The complete authentic original edition" are or will be available, which are based on a new translation of the notes, these are fast becoming more popular renditions of Jesus's original dictation. |
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[BOOKMARK,buy-acim-popular] Popular ACIM EditionsSeveral editions of A Course in Miracles are now available for purchase as physical print books. To follow are the more popular books. Most are available at the publisher's websites, otherwise all are available at Amazon.
A Course in Miracles Combined Volume"A Course in Miracles Combined Volume" published by the Foundation for Inner Peace. This is the current official version as published by the original publisher, originally authorized by Helen Schucman. It includes all material except "The Gifts of God", and is quite highly edited.
A Course in Miracles Complete and Annotated Edition"A Course in Miracles, Complete and Annotated Edition" published by the Circle of Atonement. This is a modern new edit, combining as much material as possible from The Notes, and some from the urtext. It provides a version as close to the original scribing as possible, but does not include supplements.
A Course in Miracles Urtext Manuscripts"A Course in Miracles Urtext Manuscripts" published by Miracles in Action Press. This is a a complete set of all urtext material including all supplements. A new edit based more firmly on the Notes will soon be available, titled "A Course in Miracles - The authentic original edition".
A Course in Miracles Original Edition"A Course in Miracles Original Edition" published by the Course in Miracles Society. This is the same as the Hugh Lynn Cayce edition, the final version following editing by Helen and Bill prior to the official FIP versions. This edition also includes some additional material from the urtext, but contains no supplements.
A Course in Miracles Sparkly Edition"A Course in Miracles Sparkly Edition" published by the Thetford Foundation is similar to the Original Edition, minus some urtext material, and has some capitalization/punctuation changes. The version is called "Sparkly" due to it sparkly cover. It also contains no supplements. |
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[BOOKMARK,buy-acim-free] Free Online EditionsMost versions of the course are available online with free access. These are usually hosted as a set of web pages on a website, or as a downloadable pdf. One of the most extensive archives of ACIM material available for free is at the Miracles in Action Press website. You can browse based on the edition of the ACIM material, and also by the volume (Text, Workbook etc). Material hosted includes pdf facsimiles, transcribed e-texts, the Urtext Manuscripts book in pdf form, html versions of various editions, and also a concordance. It includes documents on the Notes, Urtext, Hugh Lynn Cayce/Original, Criwsell and FIP editions. There are also other websites hosting A Course in Miracles as web pages. A few of the better ones include:
You can find ACIM online by Googling ACIM online or A Course in Miracles online. Most of the online websites have a search feature built in. TIP: You can also use Google in combination with one of these websites to find content. For example, if you type site:a.courseinmiracles.com forgiveness into Google, you will see Google's search results for the terms you enter, confined to that website. You can also put terms in quotes like site:a.courseinmiracles.com "forgive your brother" for narrower results. Note that Google might not include every single page in their search results. You can also find various editions in PDF form, by Googling ACIM pdf or ACIM urtext pdf etc. Note that these will either be transcribed versions, or might be a collection of facsimiles of photocopied pages, which can be harder to read. |
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[BOOKMARK,buy-acim-other] Other EditionsA well as print books and online versions, ACIM has been published via many types of media. You can experience it in book form, for example as an ebook on a device like Kindle or via Apple Books. You can also experience it as audio recordings in various ways. There are official and unofficial audio book recordings of various versions. You can also find these converted into videos on YouTube, sometimes where a person is visibly reading the book and other times just as audio with pictures. On YouTube there is a wealth of ACIM material including collections of videos from a variety of organizations and individuals, either reading the ACIM books or talking about ACIM topics. There are videos for every workbook lesson from several sources. If you are on social media platforms such as Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter, Reddit etc, you are likely to encounter ACIM quotes and memes and various visual expressions of A Course in Miracles which are socially shared. You can also find ACIM distributed in software app form, with apps for iOs and Android, a well a for desktop PC's (windows). These are available from ACIM.org and others, and on the app stores. It's also worth mentioning again that ACIM has been translated into over 25 languages and a vast majority of these are available at the ACIM.org website, which is the official website of the Foundation for Inner Peace. |
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[BOOKMARK,bottom] [PREVIOUS,where-to-buy-acim] Part 5ConclusionA Course in Miracles is a truly profound and potentially life changing book.
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