What Does the Book of Acim Involve?

 

Acim: A Course in Miracles by Helen Schucman is actually a 1976 book written by Helen Schucman herself. Helen Schucman claims that this book was dictated to her by Christ himself. As Schucman correctly states, "The underlying premise is that what makes a miracle happen is really the act of receiving a full awareness of the presence of God in one's life." In addition to this, the "course" is also supposed to help an individual develop his or her "magical thinking." It is also claimed to have a strong influence on people who practice yoga and other forms of spiritual disciplines.

The basic idea behind the "acim" concept is that there is something more going on in the lives of those who have a deep level of atonement to God. According to this concept, atonement or faith is more about perception than actual belief. This is why it can be used in conjunction with "the divine presence" to "receive revelation." However, atonement doesn't necessarily require belief; it just needs the individual to "feel" the presence of God and be aware of it. The "acim principle" thus works under the assumption that a higher, divine power is present in the lives of all humans, which includes those who do not profess belief in God.

The acim method is based around three major steps, each of which leads to the next. These steps are: having the courage to confront evil in one's life, then putting into place a plan for the completion of this task, and finally working diligently to make sure that this plan is accomplished. The worksheet provided for this course has four main sections. These are: The First Step is described how a person must "courageously" confront evil in one's life and work to fulfill the plans that have been laid out for completion. People who complete this step to receive the divine blessing of having at least one miracle performed for them.

The Second Step deals with having the right perception (mind) of what needs to be done and having a new thought pattern regarding this. By this time, people have usually been carrying out some kind of an inner meditation to receive new thoughts and thus have a new perception of the situation. Those who have completed this step to receive their first miracles. However, it must be kept in mind that all these benefits will only be felt if and when people put their total energy into working towards their goals.

The third step is where most miracles will take place, because this is where the acim principle will be most fully applied. The person completes this step by receiving a new set of scriptural laws that he/she can then use to perform at least one miracle during each session. The principles that are part of these laws include: the power of positive thinking, the power of intuition, and the power of the will. Most miracles are related to curing people, opening the heart to God, changing one's life, and forgiving others. Because the acim principle requires faith in order to work, people must believe in themselves enough to complete this process.

Having finished this first stage, people should begin the second stage by reading the acim worksheets of the entire series of the Book of Acim. Then they must apply their new perception and thought system to the situations presented therein. By working this way, it will be easier for them to make the necessary changes needed to meet their goals. This part of the method also involves applying the principles of God's word through prayer. Anyone who completes this first part of the method receives four miracles: healing of disease, the coming of peace, the raising of the dead, and the triumph of God's Word.