The sensible application of ACIM's teachings can be a place of contention. Although some people record positive transformations and particular development from following the program, others get the techniques to be useless or even harmful. The course's emphasis on forgiveness and love is excellent, but critics fight that it can be very simplified and naïve, declining to handle the complexities of human associations and the necessity for limits and accountability. Moreover, the course's size and intense nature may be overwhelming for many people, resulting in burnout or disillusionment. Critics claim that the full time and work required to accomplish ACIM might be greater used on more empirically reinforced therapeutic practices or religious professions that have a proven background of effectiveness.

The broader influence of ACIM on the spiritual and self-help areas can also be value considering. The class has encouraged an important subsequent and has been integrated into numerous New Era and religious movements. Nevertheless, their effect can be seen as a double-edged david hoffmeister sword. On one hand, it's provided a framework for individuals seeking religious growth and internal peace. On one other hand, its teachings can contribute to a lifestyle of spiritual bypassing, wherever individuals use spiritual ideas to avoid working with personal and cultural issues. This can cause an application of escapism, where the focus on religious values distracts from the requisite of participating with and handling real-world challenges.

More over, the commercial accomplishment of ACIM and their related components improves ethical concerns. The proliferation of workshops, publications, and seminars centered on ACIM can be seen as capitalizing on individuals' religious needs and vulnerabilities. Authorities fight that the commercialization of spirituality may cause the exploitation of seekers, who may invest significant time and money into techniques that fundamentally don't offer on the promises. This commercialization also can subscribe to the dilution of the course's teachings, as numerous interpretations and adaptations proliferate, possibly ultimately causing frustration and misapplication of the principles.

Another important aspect to think about may be the exclusivity and dogmatism that could occasionally accompany the ACIM community. Whilst the course it self stimulates general enjoy and forgiveness, the way it is taught and used by some adherents can cause a sense of religious elitism. This can develop an "us versus them" thinking, wherever those that follow ACIM are seen as enlightened, while those who do not are seen as misguided or unenlightened. Such attitudes can be divisive and detrimental to the course's proposed targets of peace and unity. Experts fight that correct spiritual growth must foster inclusivity and humility, as opposed to creating a hierarchical distinction between the spiritually awakened and the unawakened.