A Course in Miracles - Chicago Review

un curso de milagros is a three-volume book consisting of a Text, Workbook, and Teacher’s Manual. It was “scribed” by Helen Schucman, a Columbia University psychologist, over seven years beginning in 1965.

It transforms the traditional concept of a miracle by enriching it with new content. Its focus moves away from physical healing and focuses on healing minds and relationships.

The Course’s Miracle

A Course in Miracles is a spiritual teaching which emphasizes the importance of shifting our perceptions and beliefs from the ego’s version of reality to God’s truth. It teaches that this shift is the essence of what is commonly known as a miracle. In this weekly class, participants begin with a short meditation and then read and discuss one of the lessons from the book. We will explore the different interpretations of the lesson and look at a variety of spiritual and healing practices to help support this change.

In its introductory material, the Course defines a miracle as any shift in the perception of reality. It also states that this shift is not about magic tricks occurring in the world – it’s about changing our internal state and moving from the ego’s dream to the true reality. It’s not about how we can experience external changes – it’s about our inner transformation and moving from fear to love.

The Course also explains that the Holy Spirit brings miracles. It describes Him as an aspect of God that functions within this world to heal and teach. He is the Bringer of miracles and He works through the miracle worker to accomplish His goals. He guides the miracle worker in bringing about miracles, and He also enables the receiver to receive them.

Another key aspect of the miracle is that it includes psychological and interpersonal healings. These may occur in distinctly secular settings, as the example of Helen Schucman’s experience shows. The Course broadens the concept of a miracle by including these types of healing, and it enriches the concept by adding sophisticated concepts such as guilt, forgiveness, true perception, and the holy encounter.

The Course was “scribed” by Helen Schucman through a process she called inner dictation, which she identified as coming from Jesus. The Course consists of the Text, which is the theoretical basis for it, and the Workbook, which provides practice instructions. The Course also contains a Manual for Teachers, which provides answers to questions that may arise as students work with the materials. The Course is copyrighted by the Foundation for Inner Peace, and it is widely distributed worldwide.

The Miracle’s Form

When most people hear the word “miracle,” they probably think of a supernatural event, such as the healing of an illness. But the Course broadens the meaning of miracles to include psychological and interpersonal healings, even in distinctly secular settings (as we saw with Helen Schucman’s experience). It also shifts the focus away from the physical. The Course teaches that the body’s problems are rooted in sick perception, which is a projection of the ego. A miracle heals the ego by giving the receiver a new perception of himself or herself.

This is a fundamental concept in the Course, and it echoes many other spiritual teachings. Hinduism, especially Advaita Vedanta, which the Course owes a substantial debt to, views reality and illusion along these lines. In both systems, ultimate truth is beyond the reach of the physical world, and the material world is illusory. This is reflected in the Course’s use of the terms “form” and "content."

The Course suggests that a miracle usually occurs when a miracle worker provides a new perception of the receiver’s true nature. The miracle worker’s role is a spiritual one, and it involves being willing to see the other as divine. Hence, it is not surprising that the Course stresses the importance of sincere acts of service.

In the Course, the miracle worker is often referred to as “the Holy Spirit.” The Course sees this role as a psychotherapeutic one: it mediates between God and His sleeping Sons. Thus it is that the Holy Spirit brings miracles to this world, and the miracle is a manifestation of the Divine’s love for all of His creations.

The Course teaches that there is no order of difficulty in miracles, and that cancer, for example, is no more difficult to heal than a cold or an emotional wound. It is only our belief that a disease is more serious than another that makes it seem harder to cure. This view is reflected in popular images of miracles, wherein the Divine works through an agent, such as Jesus or a healer.

The Miracle’s Content

The Course, which was not authored by any single individual but was apparently received as an inner dictation and later scribbed by two Columbia University psychologists, extends the concept of miracle beyond the traditional sphere of the physical. It relates miracles to such areas as guilt, forgiveness and true perception. Its view of the world as a dream also raises questions about the nature and purpose of reality and explains the role that miracles play in it.

One of the most fundamental differences between the Course and traditional images of miracles is its definition of a miracle as a violation of natural law. This is a very broad and complex idea, requiring that we have an understanding of not just the law in question but of all of its implications (Hume 1748/2000). It is not clear whether this will work as an apologetic concept because it raises the bar quite high for what could be considered a miracle and would require a large amount of epistemic energy to authenticate.

However, the Course also teaches that a miracle is not a change in the laws of nature as we traditionally think of them, but rather a transition away from an awareness of an outer situation pervaded by disease, inequality and separation to a spiritual reality characterized by wholeness, equality and unity. It is an argument against the ego’s dominance over the mind and an affirmation of God’s love for us.

In the Course, miracles are seen as the action of the Holy Spirit working through a miracle worker. One of the basic dictums of the Course states that "Unless you let the Holy Spirit enter your mind and perform miracles through you, they will not occur" (Text, p. 67). The miracle worker’s role is not to attempt to perform the miracle but to allow the Holy Spirit to engineer it for him.

The Course argues that miracles, particularly healing miracles, demonstrate that the body is an illusion because they shift attention from the bodily level to the non-physical level. Consequently, the body does not actually heal but the underlying tension that causes it is resolved.

The Miracle’s Focus

In this case, the miracle is not a physical healing but a shift in perception and beliefs. It is a change from the ego’s version of reality to the truth. This change, the Course states, is what a miracle really is (Text, p. 576).

To accomplish this change, the Course suggests that a miracle worker be trained in a special skill called “forgiveness.” The Course also emphasizes that a miracle worker need not be religiously inclined. It says, “The Holy Spirit has no choice but to work through you” (Text, p. 572).

One can see why some people would find A Course in Miracles difficult to grasp at first. It combines sophisticated concepts from areas of spirituality and depth psychology, such as forgiveness and true perception. Its language and poetic format are often reminiscent of the world’s great literature. And it promises that those who study it can heal the sick and even raise the dead.

Yet at the same time, the Course is not a religion. It does not have an established church, no hierarchies or priesthood, and there are no formal teachings or doctrines to be studied or endorsed. Instead, it describes itself as a “thought system,” and encourages its students to extend its lessons to others.

It recommends that this extension be done in two ways: (1) by reading and practicing the Course’s lessons, which consist of a Text and a Workbook for Students, and (2) by becoming a teacher of the Course and leading others through its curriculum. The Manual for Teachers, which is available to any student of the Course, provides answers to questions that frequently arise.

Those who have become involved with A Course in Miracles have generally described it as life-changing. It has been embraced by mainline Christians, who see it as a way to restore their faith in the power of God. Its popularity and widespread use have created many questions about it, however. Among the most significant are: (1) Does A Course in Miracles really work? (2) If it does, what does it do?