A Course in Miracles Original Text PDF

A Course in Miracles is a modern spiritual classic. It has profoundly impacted people around the world. It's a self study curriculum that helps one shift their perception.

Many people are surprised to learn that there is more than one edition of ACIM. This "Original Edition" contains the Text as completed by Helen Schucman and Bill Thetford in 1972 before substantial edits were made.

The Basics

The bestselling a course in miracles ACIM course teaches that the world is not as it seems. It is a self-study educational program for retraining the mind to view reality differently, and thus transforming your life. It is spiritual, rather than religious, in its perspective, although it uses Christian terminology. Its underlying ontology is rooted in ancient refrains, echoing the world’s most hallowed traditions.

First published in 1976, A Course in Miracles (ACIM) has since grown to touch the lives of millions around the world and has become a modern spiritual classic. This website provides free access to a new edition of this beloved work that includes the full text of the Original Edition, which was completed by Helen Schucman and Bill Thetford in 1972 prior to significant editing.

The original manuscript has been transcribed, edited, and formatted for publication by a team of academic scholars led by Robert Perry. In addition to the original text, this version includes all footnotes and an Appendix of 33 cameo essays that provide additional commentary on challenging passages in the Text. The Complete and Annotated Edition is also available with an optional CD that offers readings of the text along with audio recordings of the same.

A Course in Miracles is also available in a convenient Pocket Edition Text volume, which consists of the unabridged Text portion of the ACIM Original Edition as it was completed by Helen Schucman and Bill thetford in 1972 before significant editing. It is the perfect companion to the Pocket Edition Workbook/Manual and will fit easily into a backpack, briefcase, or lady’s purse. The text is printed on sturdy paper and designed to withstand rough treatment.

The Authors

In 1965, Columbia University clinical psychologist Helen Schucman heard an inner voice that would spark a course in miracles. As she transcribed the shorthand notes that emerged, she was urged to share them with others. The result was A Course in Miracles, an enduring spiritual masterpiece that has touched millions of lives.

The Course was written over seven years, with the help of scribes including Bill Thetford and Ken Wapnick. It was edited by Robert Perry and published by the Foundation for Inner Peace in 1976. Since then, it has been translated into more than 25 languages and has sold millions of copies. Although the book is billed as nondenominational, it clearly identifies itself as Christian. Nevertheless, one need not be Christian or even accept traditional doctrine to find value in the material.

While the material is not a traditional textbook, it has been arranged as a self-study curriculum to teach forgiveness and release fear. The course is based on the idea that the world we see is a projection of our own minds, and that we can shift our perceptions to experience reality differently. It also teaches that we can heal relationships and heal the world by releasing our limiting beliefs.

The conversational tone of this Original Edition invites the reader into a conversation with the Author, and even advanced students have found new clarity and understanding from studying it. In addition to the text as it was written by Schucman and Thetford, this version contains extensive footnotes to clarify challenging passages, and 33 cameo essays that outline ways to apply the Course to your life.

Designed for rough treatment, this book is made of sturdy paper and has a laminate cover that resists spots and spills. It is sized at 8" x 5 " and less than 1" thick so that it can go anywhere with you. It is the perfect companion to the ACIM Pocket Edition Workbook/Manual. The only changes we have made to the text are to correct obvious typographical errors, and to standardize punctuation and capitalization. Nothing has been added to or omitted from the original manuscript.

The Text

A Course in Miracles is a spiritual masterpiece that has been embraced by millions of people around the world. It is often described as a self-study educational program for retraining the mind and transforming your life. It is spiritual, rather than religious, in its perspective. While it uses Christian terminology, its underlying ontology is reminiscent of ancient refrains that echo throughout the world's most hallowed traditions.

While the first edition of A Course in Miracles was heavily edited and has become known as "the blue book", there is an earlier version, which has been referred to as "the original edition". This version was completed by Helen Schucman and William Thetford in 1972 before substantial edits were made. It was subsequently published by Course in Miracles Society.

The Pocket Edition Text volume includes the full unabridged Course in Miracles text as it was completed by the original authors. This book is designed to go anywhere with you -- it's only 8" x 5 " and less than 1" thick. It is made to withstand rough treatment and will hold up well in the gym bag, briefcase or lady's purse.

This unabridged text includes extensive footnotes that clarify challenging passages as well as 33 cameo essays that outline ways to apply the lessons of the course. It is the perfect companion to the ACIM Workbook/Manual and is a welcome addition to any student of A Course in Miracles.

The Appendices

If you’ve been studying A Course in Miracles for some time, you may know that there is more than one version of this book. The version that most people are familiar with is the blue offical edition published by FIP, but there’s an even earlier version that is sometimes called the “Original Edition.” This edition is a transcript of the original dictation of A Course in Miracles and was completed in 1972 before significant edits were made to it. The original edition contains much material that has been edited out of the blue official version of the book, including explanations of sex, relationships, and the nature of reality, among other things.

These early chapters of the text also contain a great deal more teaching than what is found in the later published versions of the Course, especially the first four chapters. The CE includes the full text of the dictation and a number of appendices, including extensive footnotes to clarify challenging passages and 33 cameo essays that outline ways to apply the course’s teachings to daily life. The CE edition is the best way to experience the original content of A Course in Miracles and gain a deeper understanding of its teachings.

While A Course in Miracles is a spiritual teaching, it’s also written on a very high intellectual level. It incorporates sophisticated metaphysical, theological, and psychological concepts into its three books, and many of these can be difficult to understand for readers who are not already familiar with these topics. While A Course in Miracles does not insist that everyone must study it in this way, it does imply that anyone who wants to learn more about God and his creation should read and apply its lessons.

The Complete and Annotated Edition (CE) is a new translation of A Course in Miracles that returns to the source materials of the scribe Helen Schucman’s shorthand notes, and attempts to restore some of the lost material that was included in the blue official edition but was later removed. This edition also contains the introductory material, the introduction to the Workbook for Students, and an extensive set of footnotes that clarify confusing passages, define religious terms, identify unclear pronouns, point out allusions in general culture, and provide biblical references and quotes.