The useful request of ACIM's teachings can be a point of contention. Though some individuals report good transformations and personal development from following a class, the others find the practices to be ineffective as well as harmful. The course's increased exposure of forgiveness and love is excellent, but experts disagree that it could be overly simplistic and naïve, declining to address the difficulties of individual relationships and the necessity for limits and accountability. Also, the course's length and extensive nature may be overwhelming for some people, resulting in burnout or disillusionment. Critics suggest that the time and effort needed to perform ACIM could possibly be better spent on more empirically supported beneficial methods or spiritual professions that have an established track record of effectiveness.

The broader affect of ACIM on the religious and self-help communities can be value considering. The program has influenced a significant subsequent and has been integrated into numerous New Age and david hoffmeister religious movements. Nevertheless, their effect is seen as a double-edged sword. On a single hand, it's presented a platform for persons seeking spiritual growth and inner peace. On the other hand, their teachings may subscribe to a tradition of religious bypassing, where persons use religious methods to prevent coping with personal and social issues. This will lead to an application of escapism, where in actuality the focus on spiritual values distracts from the requisite of interesting with and handling real-world challenges.

More over, the professional accomplishment of ACIM and their related materials increases honest concerns. The expansion of workshops, books, and seminars predicated on ACIM is visible as capitalizing on individuals' spiritual wants and vulnerabilities. Experts fight that the commercialization of spirituality may cause the exploitation of seekers, who might spend significant time and income in to methods that eventually do not offer on their promises. This commercialization can also subscribe to the dilution of the course's teachings, as different interpretations and adaptations proliferate, probably ultimately causing frustration and misapplication of the principles.

Yet another critical element to consider is the exclusivity and dogmatism that will sometimes accompany the ACIM community. While the class itself advances common love and forgiveness, just how it's shown and practiced by some adherents may result in a sense of spiritual elitism. This may produce an "people versus them" attitude, wherever people who follow ACIM are seen as enlightened, while those that do not are viewed as misguided or unenlightened. Such attitudes could be divisive and detrimental to the course's purported goals of peace and unity. Experts argue that correct religious growth must foster inclusivity and humility, rather than making a hierarchical variation between the spiritually awakened and the unawakened.