The useful program of ACIM's teachings can be a point of contention. Although some persons record good transformations and personal growth from after the course, the others get the practices to be ineffective as well as harmful. The course's emphasis on forgiveness and enjoy is excellent, but authorities argue that it could be very simplified and naïve, declining to address the difficulties of human relationships and the requirement for boundaries and accountability. Also, the course's length and rigorous nature may be overwhelming for a lot of people, ultimately causing burnout or disillusionment. Authorities declare that the full time and work expected to accomplish ACIM could possibly be better used on more empirically supported healing practices or spiritual disciplines which have an established track record of effectiveness.

The broader influence of ACIM on the religious and self-help areas is also value considering. The program has encouraged an important subsequent and has been integrated into numerous New Age and spiritual movements. But, its effect can be seen as a double-edged sword. david hoffmeister Using one hand, it's offered a structure for people seeking spiritual development and inner peace. On one other give, their teachings may contribute to a tradition of religious skipping, wherever individuals use religious ideas to avoid coping with personal and cultural issues. This can lead to an application of escapism, where in fact the give attention to spiritual attitudes distracts from the prerequisite of participating with and approaching real-world challenges.

Furthermore, the industrial success of ACIM and its connected materials improves honest concerns. The proliferation of workshops, books, and seminars based on ACIM is seen as capitalizing on individuals' religious wants and vulnerabilities. Experts argue that the commercialization of spirituality can result in the exploitation of seekers, who may spend significant time and money in to methods that fundamentally do not provide on their promises. That commercialization also can subscribe to the dilution of the course's teachings, as different interpretations and adaptations proliferate, probably leading to confusion and misapplication of the principles.

Another important element to take into account could be the exclusivity and dogmatism that could occasionally accompany the ACIM community. While the course itself advances common love and forgiveness, just how it's taught and used by some adherents can result in an expression of spiritual elitism. This could create an "us versus them" mindset, wherever those who follow ACIM are regarded as enlightened, while those that do not are viewed as misguided or unenlightened. Such attitudes can be divisive and detrimental to the course's proposed objectives of peace and unity. Experts fight that true spiritual development should foster inclusivity and humility, rather than making a hierarchical variation involving the spiritually awakened and the unawakened.