A Course in Miracles a course in miracles book (ACIM) is a spiritual thought system that offers a universal curriculum of love. It consists of three volumes: the Text, Workbook for Students and Teacher’s Manual.

It was “scribed” by Helen Schucman through a process of inner dictation she identified as coming from Jesus Christ. It has since become a worldwide phenomenon.
The Text

A Course in Miracles, or ACIM as it is often abbreviated, is a three-volume curriculum comprising of the Text, Workbook for Students, and Teacher’s Manual. It is a spiritual thought system that presents a path of awakening and healing. Its language is poetic, and its thought structure combines spiritual inspiration with deep psychological understanding of such phenomena as belief and defense systems, perception and identity.

It teaches that the real world, which reflects truth rather than illusion, is one of unity, love, and abundance. It views evil and sin as misperceptions and calls for forgiveness and healing. It explains that true salvation lies in the letting go of the identification with an ego-self and remembering God’s Love, which is all-encompassing.

The text of the Course is a restatement of core wisdom from every major world religion and philosophies. It uses Christian terminology, but emphasizes that it is not a religion, and is ecumenical in nature. It teaches that it is one of many forms of “the universal course” and that all paths lead to God.

The Course is also very practical, and the daily Workbook lessons provide a step-by-step process for applying its teachings in your life. Its emphasis on practicing forgiveness focuses on the healing of relationships and making them holy. As you practice these lessons, you learn to recognize the illusory nature of the ego-self and the illusory character of the world that surrounds it. This makes the lessons not only spiritual but very practical and accessible to all. A great many people have found the Course to be helpful in their lives, and it has been widely adopted in many countries around the globe.
The Workbook

The Workbook of A Course in Miracles, also known as ACIM, consists of 365 daily lessons. It contains a wide variety of practice exercises, aimed at shifting your perceptions from fear to love, that facilitate healing and peace.

The book is nonsectarian and draws from a variety of spiritual traditions, including Christianity, Eastern mysticism, perennial philosophy, and modern psychological insights. It is written on an intellectual level, often using poetic language and blank verse, making it reminiscent of some of the world’s greatest literature. Its thought system is sophisticated, integrating spiritual inspiration with profoundly deep understanding of the dynamics of belief systems and defense mechanisms.

Helen Schucman began the Course in the early 1970s, after a series of vivid dreams led her to a room where a voice spoke to her. The Voice urged her to write down what it said. She did, but initially kept her work secret for fear of disapproval from colleagues in academia. Eventually she gave it to her friend, William Thetford, who did the first major edits. It was published in 1975.

A number of different versions have since been produced. In 1999, the Foundation for Inner Peace took over from Schucman as publisher and disseminator of the Course, as well as copyright and trademark holder. Currently there are over a million copies of the book in circulation. Translations into Chinese, Dutch, French, German, Hebrew, Italian, Japanese, Portuguese, Russian and Spanish are available.

In spite of the fact that it is written on an extremely high intellectual level and combines theological, metaphysical, and psychological concepts, it can be read and used by anyone. Anyone who is willing to open their mind to its loving message of forgiveness can receive its benefits.

One thing that makes the Workbook unique among spiritual practice books is its emphasis on a consistent, disciplined daily application of its lessons. It instructs students to "regard these practice periods as dedications to the way, the truth and the life" and to refuse to allow themselves to be sidetracked by detours or illusions. The Workbook also warns against trying to impose your own ideas or interpretations on the lessons.
The Teacher’s Manual

The course consists of three books: the Text, which contains the teaching; the Workbook, which offers 365 lessons; and the Manual for Teachers, which provides answers to questions that might arise during study. Its theory focuses on forgiveness, and its goal is to help students find peace within themselves. While it uses Christian terminology, the course is ecumenical in its approach and reflects the core wisdom found in every major world religion.

A Course in Miracles is a self-study curriculum that presents a spiritual path based on contact with the Holy Spirit or internal teacher. It mixes Christian vocabulary with Eastern mysticism, perennial philosophy, and modern psychological insights. It is an intellectually sophisticated thought system, and its language is often poetic, especially in the blank verse of the Workbook. It is also a demanding discipline, and anyone who chooses to study it must be prepared for an intellectual challenge.

Helen Schucman received the writing of A Course in Miracles through a process of inner dictation beginning in 1965, while she was a clinical psychologist at Columbia University. She worked on it with her then husband, William Thetford, who was a professor of medical psychology. Their first major edit was completed in 1972-3, after which the original typewritten manuscript of the ACIM Text was sent out to several parties for further editing. It was eventually published as a four-volume book set in 1975, with volume 1 comprising the Text and volumes two and three the Workbook and Teacher’s Manual respectively.

Among the most significant features of the Course is its emphasis on forgiveness, which it teaches as the way to happiness. It explains that we live in a world that appears to be divided into opposites, but this illusion is not real. The opposite of love is fear, but what cannot have an opposite is love, which is our natural inheritance. The Course says that happiness comes from the release of all fears that block our awareness of it.

The Teacher’s Manual includes a section known as the Clarification of Terms, which provides a glossary-like explanation of important words and phrases from both the ACIM Text and the Workbook. It is a very useful tool for students, and BetterListen! offers it as a free download.
The Audiobook

A Course in Miracles, or ACIM as it is often abbreviated, is a three-volume set of books consisting of the Text, Workbook for Students, and Manual for Teachers. It is a spiritual thought system that emphasizes the healing of relationships through forgiveness and teaching that love is all there is.

During a ten-year period, psychologist Helen Schucman experienced what she called “inner dictation” from a voice she identified as coming from Jesus Christ. She and her colleague William Thetford, a distinguished research and clinical professor of Medical Psychology at Columbia University, served as scribes, writing down the words as they were given to her. Upon completion of the work, the pair published it privately in 1976 as Foundation for Inner Peace. It has since gone on to be published and distributed worldwide, with over one million copies in circulation.

Since then, it has become a universal curriculum for spiritual seekers of all backgrounds and religious beliefs. It has helped thousands of people find true happiness and genuine fulfillment. The profound teachings and practical guidance found in the book have impacted and inspired millions, with no advertising or promotion.

The ACIM Text and Workbook present a metaphysical framework for understanding the nature of reality and for learning to let go of fear and guilt. The Course’s language is poetic and written in blank verse, and it is intellectually sophisticated, addressing such issues as belief systems, personal identity, and the dynamics of perception.

While the Course is Christian in origin, it states explicitly that it is not a religion and that it does not teach the only way to God. It also emphasizes that it is only one version of a universal spiritual curriculum, of which there are many.

With a full range of narrators and two supplements, this audio edition offers the flexibility to listeners to explore and apply these life-changing principles at their own pace. Jim Stewart narrates the Text and the Workbook, while Brad Cahill narrates the Teacher’s Manual. In addition, each chapter includes an introduction, notes and references, and questions for reflection.