ACIM is a spiritual discipline that consistently focuses on mind training. The idea is that we, as humans, have separated ourselves from our Creator or God and we have designed our own process devoid of God. We call that the ego or the separated thought system. We are taught that we can, at any moment that we choose (free will), tap into the mind of our Creator or God. We do that by asking the Holy Spirit for guidance. There is a strong emphasis on constant vigilance of the ego thought system or, if you will, noticing when we are entering into thoughts that are fear based.

We also are taught that the whole material universe is a dream that we perpetuate from the idea that we are somehow stuck in an existence separate from our Creator or God. The word "miracle" is a term for a collapse of time, which is achieved when we ask the Holy Spirit for help. Time being here only a means for us to learn. The world being here only for us to learn.

The Course, ACIM, is very patient and very loving as it gently, but consistently, guides us to ask for guidance from the Holy Spirit in all things that we do. Holy Spirit and God are Love. When we enlist the help of Holy Spirit we engage in our Higher Self or Higher Mind and in that mind state we are capable of making decisions that are grounded in Love. ACIM is a spiritual thought system which directs to look within ourselves for our answers. It does not direct us to eat, dress, or engage in special rituals. It is quite practical and it's teaching can be used at anytime by anyone. Y

The question alone puts one at a disadvantage since ACIM itself proclaims that words are symbols of symbols and therefore twice removed from reality. ACIM is a literary masterpiece! If it was a candy bar it would be "indescribably delicious." Now, why would that be? Because it answers, in 1248 pages, which includes the Text, Workbook and Manual for Teachers, the questions that most, if not all of us, have been asking for most of our lives: "Who am I?" and its corollary "What is my purpose here?" It brings glimpses of varying duration, of the inner peace we all crave but view as likely unachievable. The Course is not so much to be understood but to be experienced as it peels back the layers of self-deception we meticulously built as a fortress around the ego.

For the typical student of ACIM, the answers to those questions have not been satisfactorily answered by most conventional or mainstream religious practices. Indeed, one of the most attractive qualities of ACIM is the marked absence of explicit or implicit religious dogma. It is intended to be a course in mind-training or spiritual-psychotherapy, but most students see it as their chosen spiritual path – one that resonates with the echo of a long forgotten song, a familiar, yet unacknowledged wisdom that was always there but just out of reach. Y

We face two constants in life, change and choice. Change is constant in our perception of the world around us in every second of every day. Choices also occur for each of us in every second of every day.

ACIM is a choice to live your life in love and not fear. This is a philosophy where we each choose to see love and to know in our hearts that fear does not exist. For me this is the foundation of ACIM. God has no qualification one must meet to feel love – to be love. The Course helps us see that love is in everything, in everyone. We only need to choose love. I strongly believe in this ideology. How could God be judgmental over children created in his image? Why would I believe I needed to meet a standard, God’s standard or a judgment standard, when I have been created with love in the image of God?

What about sin? What if sin did not exist? What if sin is a fear based concept? If sin does not exist then we are not being judged by God. We would all be guaranteed Heaven no matter what our behavior here. We would all be responsible for our actions and forgiveness by God would be: automatic, complete, instant and forever. I believe Heaven is guaranteed. I believe God does not judge us. We are responsible for all of our actions.

We are not able to go "above" for forgiveness. Forgiveness is within. If we can forgive ourselves we can see all our brothers in forgiveness. Embracing this forgiveness we would avoid hurtful fearful behavior in ourselves and towards our brothers. I believe ACIM is a path to see and embrace the beauty and love we all share. Y

One of the first things I say is that ACIM is about working on changing your mind. This is about shifting your thought system so you can better perceive the world. Frequently we think we are in lack. Most people are more able to tell you what is wrong then to tell you what is right. ACIM is about giving up judgment. I often mention that people do not need to believe in God, they just have to practice the lessons and read the Text. I often use many of the ideas from ACIM that have been helpful in my life.

• We do not know what is in our own best interest.
• We give things all the meaning they have.
• Everything is neutral.
• There is no order of difficulty to miracles.
• We can not understand ourselves alone.
• Every relationship offers us an opportunity to heal and learn.
• Every loveless thought must be undone.
• Giving and receive are one in the same.

ACIM is also poetic and has beautiful expressive words to help us understand the information we need to understand. It gives us many opportunities to gladden ourselves. It show how the ego works and how it keeps us distracted from our healing. There are many quotes from the Bible ACIM has helped to make better "Many are called but few are chosen" should be, "All are called but few choose to listen.” This quote helps me to not think limited thoughts about people. No judgment, no guilt and no blame, is helping me to take more responsibility in my life. Y

ACIM is a spiritual teaching based on the teaching of Jesus Christ. It shows the reader how to deal with this experience we call life in a way in which we can find joy, love, peace and understanding. It uses the concept of “forgiveness” as the tool to achieve this result.

Forgiveness, for the Course, is a way of “letting go” of the painful experiences in life and coming to an understanding that it’s our thinking that needs to change.

In the Course a change of mind is considered a miracle. A miracle can happen at any time or any place. The Course points out that our real purpose in life is to extend ourselves in love. Love is a state of thinking in which the reader comes to understand they are most wonderful. They are at the center of everything and only their negative thinking creates a painful experience.

The Course identifies the “ego” as the source of our negative thinking. Our ego is to be forgiven, as are all of our negative thoughts. We come to an understanding that the ego is simply our fear, trying to direct our lives. We have allowed this fear to “run our lives” because this is how we’ve been trained to do it. When we come to a point where the pain is too much to bear and we begin to look for a way to relieve the pain, we discover there are many tools available to us. The Course is one of these tools.

Many people who come to the Course, find it confusing at first, but if they stay with it, they will eventually come to understand the Course is talking about a part of themselves they have not seen before, but may have suspected is really there. Y

ACIM is a metaphysical masterpiece that shows us how to undo the ego as we encounter the experiences of our daily life. This essential spiritual philosophy is presented in one book with three sections: the Text, the Workbook and the Manual For Teachers. The Text provides the theoretical background of the Course’s fundamental teachings. The Workbook provides a daily healing lesson that allows us to experience the affects of practicing these principles. Finally, the Manual For Teachers sets out to guide for those who chose to formally teach ACIM.

The fundamental teaching of ACIM is forgiveness. We must forgive the world that we made. Yes that’s right folks, we made it all up!

Privileged with this knowledge it is our responsibility to ask for miracles. And what is a miracle? A miracle is a change in perception. That’s right, it is not necessarily bringing the dead back to life (though we don’t doubt that can be done). It is asking the Holy Spirit to give us a new perception on something in our life because the current perception is causing us pain. We don’t like pain and so with a little bit of willingness we ask the Holy Spirit to relieve us of our perception.

Does the miracle happen right away? Sometimes, but often it takes time. For the really big stuff of life it may be a process that reveals itself over years – nonetheless, we ACIM students are a hardy bunch and the experience of miracles past, which brought us peace and love, readies us for miracles now. May the Course be with you as you start your miraculous path. Y