The useful software of ACIM's teachings can be a place of contention. Although some people report good transformations and personal development from following a course, the others find the methods to be useless as well as harmful. The course's focus on forgiveness and love is remarkable, but experts disagree that it could be very easy and naïve, declining to deal with the difficulties of human associations and the need for boundaries and accountability. Moreover, the course's period and rigorous character could be frustrating for some individuals, leading to burnout or disillusionment. Experts suggest that enough time and energy expected to complete ACIM could possibly be greater spent on more empirically supported healing techniques or spiritual disciplines which have an established background of effectiveness.

The broader influence of ACIM on the spiritual and self-help communities can also be price considering. The class has encouraged a substantial david hoffmeister following and has been integrated into various New Age and religious movements. However, their influence is visible as a double-edged sword. On one give, it's provided a framework for people seeking religious growth and inner peace. On one other give, its teachings may subscribe to a tradition of religious bypassing, where people use religious concepts in order to avoid coping with personal and cultural issues. This may cause an application of escapism, where in fact the give attention to spiritual beliefs distracts from the necessity of engaging with and handling real-world challenges.

Furthermore, the industrial accomplishment of ACIM and their connected products raises honest concerns. The proliferation of workshops, books, and seminars predicated on ACIM is visible as capitalizing on individuals' spiritual wants and vulnerabilities. Authorities fight that the commercialization of spirituality can result in the exploitation of seekers, who might spend substantial time and money into methods that eventually do not provide on their promises. This commercialization can also contribute to the dilution of the course's teachings, as numerous interpretations and changes proliferate, potentially resulting in confusion and misapplication of the principles.

Yet another important element to consider may be the exclusivity and dogmatism that can sometimes accompany the ACIM community. As the class it self advances common enjoy and forgiveness, just how it's shown and practiced by some adherents may cause a feeling of religious elitism. This may build an "people versus them" thinking, wherever those that follow ACIM are viewed as enlightened, while those who don't are considered as misguided or unenlightened. Such attitudes could be divisive and counterproductive to the course's supposed goals of peace and unity. Authorities disagree that true religious growth must foster inclusivity and humility, as opposed to creating a hierarchical variation involving the spiritually awakened and the unawakened.