A Course in Miracles is a self-study spiritual thought system that consists of three books: the Text, the Workbook for Students and the a course in miracles Manual for Teachers. It teaches that the way to universal love and peace is by undoing guilt through forgiveness.

The Course was scribed by Helen Schucman, a clinical psychologist, through a process of inner dictation she identified as coming from Jesus. The Foundation for Inner Peace is its publisher and copyright holder.
What is A Course in Miracles?

A Course in Miracles is a three-volume, self-study spiritual thought system that teaches the forgiveness of sin. It could be considered the Bible of the “spiritual but not religious” movement that has influenced tens of millions of people around the world. Its principles have been applied to a wide range of social and religous issues. It is the primary text used in our Tabula Rasa Mystery School because it embodies the perennial wisdom that underlies all non-dual spiritual teachings.

The Course uses Christian terminology as symbols that are familiar in the Western world, but it expresses a universal spirituality and evokes themes common to all religions, especially Eastern mysticism. It emphasizes experience rather than belief in a theology, and states that there are thousands of spiritual paths that lead to God.

Its alleged authorship has made it controversial. Some believe that Helen Schucman was guided to write the book by an unidentified entity. Others argue that the book was dictated to her, word for word, via a process called inner dictation.

Although ACIM teaches that the greatest miracle is regaining awareness of love’s presence in one’s life, it also focuses on healing relationships and addressing other social issues. Its language and format are unique, combining spiritual inspiration with profound psychological insights about such subjects as guilt and perception.

While the Book of Miracles may not make complete sense in this material realm, it is a powerful and transformational tool for remembering God. Its message is that the mind can be trained to shift from fear-based thoughts and behaviors to a new paradigm of love and peace. The goal is to reclaim the true purpose of human beings, which is to serve and love.

The curriculum consists of a Text that lays out the basic concepts, a Workbook for Students, a book of 365 daily lessons for practicing the principles, and a Manual for Teachers, which offers answers to questions frequently asked by students. Students are encouraged to read the lessons at a pace that feels comfortable for them. Some choose to read a section a day, while others find it helpful to do a chapter or even the whole book each day.
The Text and Workbook

A Course in Miracles Inner Peace (or ACIM) is a set of three books – a Text, Workbook for Students and Manual for Teachers – that teach that the way to inner peace and the remembrance of God is through forgiveness. It teaches that guilt comes from misjudging others and from identifying with the fearful ego rather than the loving Christ. It also teaches that love is the only remedy for fear and that all of life is a call to love.

The Course, first published in 1976 by the Foundation for Inner Peace, has sold over 3 million copies in 25 languages. The Text consists of 622 pages outlining the concepts upon which the rest of the Course is based. The Workbook consists of 365 lessons presented in a practical format, encouraging students to apply the teachings through daily practice. The Manual for Teachers includes a question-and-answer format that provides additional clarification of the ideas presented in the Text and Workbook. The supplements – Psychotherapy: Purpose, Process and Practice and Prayer, Forgiveness, Healing – provide further applications of the Course’s teachings in the areas of psychotherapy and spirituality.

While the Course is based on traditional Christianity, it is non-sectarian and expresses a universal spirituality. The Course does not claim to be the only path or even the only truth, but it is intended to facilitate our awakening to a new reality. Its language is that of traditional Christianity, but it has been translated into many languages.

The Course has been used by individuals from all walks of life, religious and secular, in their search for healing and inner peace. It has been used to find freedom from fear, release relationships from conflict, and to help individuals discover their true life purpose. It is a call to wake up and see the world with new eyes – that of love, forgiveness and oneness. It is a time to remember that we never lost peace, but have simply forgotten it through our belief in separation and the identification with the ego. Awakening to the truth is a return to the memory of our eternal connection to God and the recognition that we are truly one.
The Foundation for Inner Peace

The Foundation for Inner Peace is a nonprofit organization chartered under the State of New York’s charitable corporation laws. It was originally founded in 1972 by Judith Skutch and her husband, Robert, as the Foundation for ParaSensory Investigation. This early name reflected the Foundation’s educational interest and support of parapsychological research at the time. The Foundation grew to become one of the largest non-profits dedicated to the study of spiritualism in the world.

In 1975, Dr. Schucman transferred A Course in Miracles copyright and trademark to the Foundation for Inner Peace (FIP). The Foundation has been the publisher, disseminator, and copyright holder of the Course ever since. Almost three million copies are now in circulation worldwide. There are translations into Afrikaans, Bulgarian, Chinese-Simplified, Czech, Danish, Dutch, English, Finnish, French, German, Greek, Hebrew, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese, Russian, Swedish, and Spanish with twelve other languages in progress.

The Course teaches that our separation from God is only a misperception, or error. It offers a way to escape from this error by undoing the guilt that blocks love’s flow through us. By applying the teachings of the Course, we can experience the healing and freedom that comes from Quantum Forgiveness, the key to remembering that we are God’s beloved sons.

In the first few weeks of scribing, much of what Helen wrote down was very personal to her and Bill. It was as though they were sitting on her living room couch and having a conversation. This included questions and answers, and corrections to Helen’s mishearings. For example, some of what was written in the Urtext about sex and relationships did not belong in the published text. Helen was able to let go of her own ego judgments, however, and the pure teaching of the Course was left intact.

The Course is not a religion but a restatement of the core wisdom found in every major world religion. It uses Christian terms to make it more accessible, but its spirituality is universal and its approach is non-judgmental. It is intended to be a teacher of forgiveness, which is a necessary step in the awakening process.
The Translation Program

The Course, in its three volumes of Text, Workbook and Manual for Teachers, is a complete self-study spiritual thought system that teaches forgiveness as the way to inner peace and the remembrance of God. Its language is poetic and evocative, its thought system both intellectually sophisticated and spiritually inspirational. It has been translated into thirty-seven languages, and its teachings have touched the lives of millions of people worldwide.

The Foundation for Inner Peace has offered a free translation program since 1982 to support the growing numbers of people who wish to study the Course in a language other than English. It has been under the joint direction of Dr. Helen Schucman (channeler of the Course) and Dr. Kenneth Wapnick of the Foundation for A Course in Miracles (FIP).

As the course is so esoteric, it can be difficult to understand its meaning and apply its lessons to one's life. It is for this reason that many students need a place to go where the Course can be taught in simple, clear and direct terms, and where they can be helped to keep their study of it on track.

This is the purpose of the Foundation for Inner Peace, which has offered a full range of resources and services to support students of A Course in Miracles. These include a free online ACIM text made simple and Daily Lesson Insights, both of which are used as study aids by A Course in Miracles groups around the world.

In addition, the Foundation provides a free paragraph-by-paragraph translation of the Text, which is especially helpful for new students. It is available in several electronic formats, including downloadable PDF files. The Foundation also offers a number of workshop trainings and a retreat center in Crompond, New York.

A major emphasis in the Course is the need to change our beliefs about reality. The Course explains that this is not easy to do, but it is possible to do through the use of forgiveness. Forgiveness is the key to freedom and peace. In fact, the only true escape from the painful prison of the ego is through forgiveness.