A Course in Miracles:
A Brief Introduction

by Meg Warden

A Course in Miracles is 1400 pages of spiritual teaching designed for self-study. The course presents profound insights about our thoughts, beliefs, and feelings. These are combined with deep spiritual wisdom that is similar to eastern traditions presented in Christian terminology. The goal of the course is the awareness of our true spiritual nature. This goal is accomplished through “miracles.” In the course, a miracle is the healing that comes from Spirit and results in a shift of perception. What once caused fear, guilt or anger can then be seen with love and understanding.

The course teaches that our reality is infinite, eternal, formless, loving being that is an expression of God, the Source of all that is. The course teaches that we are an extension of this Source, collectively the “Son of God.” The reason that we do not fully realize this is because of our belief in separation from our Source. The course says, “Into eternity, where all is one, there crept a tiny, mad idea, at which the Son of God remembered not to laugh.” And indeed, we do take our separate consciousness seriously.

In believing we could separate, we imagined a world of separation on a grand scale. In this illusory world, we are born as individual bodies and we experience death. Instead of the joy of absolute oneness with God/Love, we live in a world of duality. It is the opposite of the infinite perfection that God created. It is a world of light and dark, good and evil, and time and space. Instead of knowing our infinite spiritual being, we form limited concepts of ourselves and suffer loss and lack. We are afraid and we attack each other and ourselves. We struggle through life, feeling inadequate and never finding the satisfaction we seek. But the course teaches that, ultimately, all this is but a dream and we are merely sleeping. The course is “a way” to wake up from this dream.

In beautiful poetic language, the course explains how our function in the world is to heal the separation and realize the truth about who and what we are. This healing is accomplished through the healing of our relationships. This always involves some form of forgiveness; however, the course defines forgiveness in its own way. Forgiveness is releasing false perceptions that are based on false beliefs about who and what we are.

According to the course, we always encounter ourselves in others. When we are upset with others, it is because we are distressed by our hidden concepts of ourselves and we are seeing those images in them. The miracle comes when we are finally willing to search our own minds instead of blaming others for our unhappiness. We then forgive the others for what we saw in them. As we choose to heal the separation thoughts in our own minds, we experience miracles in our relationships and discover the love that unites us.

Miracles take many different forms. In any situation where we feel some form of fear instead of love, we can seek a miracle. With fear as the foundation of the world’s thinking, our task is to recognize the need for love and seek inner healing. Through miracles, we heal our minds and see a very different world. In the course’s language, miracles enable us to see a “happy dream.”

Quotes from A Course in Miracles

The search for truth is but the honest searching out of everything that interferes with truth. Truth is. It can neither be lost nor sought nor found. It is there, wherever you are, being within you. Yet it can be recognized or unrecognized.

The course does not aim at teaching the meaning of love, for that is beyond what can be taught. It does aim, however, at removing the blocks to the awareness of love’s presence, which is your natural inheritance.

Your task is not to seek for love, but merely to seek and find all of the barriers within yourself that you have built against it.

Very simply, the purpose of psychotherapy is to remove the blocks to truth.

A therapist does not heal; he lets healing be.

All things you seek to make your value greater in your sight limit you further, hide your worth from you, and add another bar across the door that leads to true awareness of your Self.

Forget not, when you feel the need arise to be defensive about anything, you have identified yourself with an illusion. And therefore feel that you are weak because you are alone. This is the cost of all illusions. Not one but rests on the belief that you are separate.

Seek not outside yourself. For all your pain comes simply from a futile search for what you want, insisting where it must be found. What if it is not there? Do you prefer that you be right or happy?

This world is but the dream that you can be alone, and think without affecting those apart from you.

The mind which means that all it wants is peace must join with other minds, for that is how peace is obtained.

You have no idea of the tremendous release and deep peace that comes from meeting yourself and your brothers totally without judgment.

Forgiveness paints a picture of a world where suffering is over, loss becomes impossible and anger makes no sense. Attack is gone, and madness has an end.

Fear binds the world. Forgiveness sets it free.

For more information about A Course in Miracles go to one or more of the following:

A Course In Miracles: www.acim.org
Foundation for Inner Peace: www.facim.org/acim/theory.htm
Miracle Studies: www.miraclestudies.net


Home Hakomi Method Rubenfeld Synergy Method The Work of Byron Katie A Course in Miracles Meg Warden Sessions and Services	A Course in Miracles: A Brief Introduction by Meg Warden A Course in Miracles is 1400 pages of spiritual teaching designed for self-study. The course presents profound insights about our thoughts, beliefs, and feelings. These are combined with deep spiritual wisdom that is similar to eastern traditions presented in Christian terminology. The goal of the course is the awareness of our true spiritual nature. This goal is accomplished through “miracles.” In the course, a miracle is the healing that comes from Spirit and results in a shift of perception. What once caused fear, guilt or anger can then be seen with love and understanding. The course teaches that our reality is infinite, eternal, formless, loving being that is an expression of God, the Source of all that is. The course teaches that we are an extension of this Source, collectively the “Son of God.” The reason that we do not fully realize this is because of our belief in separation from our Source. The course says, “Into eternity, where all is one, there crept a tiny, mad idea, at which the Son of God remembered not to laugh.” And indeed, we do take our separate consciousness seriously. In believing we could separate, we imagined a world of separation on a grand scale. In this illusory world, we are born as individual bodies and we experience death. Instead of the joy of absolute oneness with God/Love, we live in a world of duality. It is the opposite of the infinite perfection that God created. It is a world of light and dark, good and evil, and time and space. Instead of knowing our infinite spiritual being, we form limited concepts of ourselves and suffer loss and lack. We are afraid and we attack each other and ourselves. We struggle through life, feeling inadequate and never finding the satisfaction we seek. But the course teaches that, ultimately, all this is but a dream and we are merely sleeping. The course is “a way” to wake up from this dream. In beautiful poetic language, the course explains how our function in the world is to heal the separation and realize the truth about who and what we are. This healing is accomplished through the healing of our relationships. This always involves some form of forgiveness; however, the course defines forgiveness in its own way. Forgiveness is releasing false perceptions that are based on false beliefs about who and what we are. According to the course, we always encounter ourselves in others. When we are upset with others, it is because we are distressed by our hidden concepts of ourselves and we are seeing those images in them. The miracle comes when we are finally willing to search our own minds instead of blaming others for our unhappiness. We then forgive the others for what we saw in them. As we choose to heal the separation thoughts in our own minds, we experience miracles in our relationships and discover the love that unites us. Miracles take many different forms. In any situation where we feel some form of fear instead of love, we can seek a miracle. With fear as the foundation of the world’s thinking, our task is to recognize the need for love and seek inner healing. Through miracles, we heal our minds and see a very different world. In the course’s language, miracles enable us to see a “happy dream.” Quotes from A Course in Miracles The search for truth is but the honest searching out of everything that interferes with truth. Truth is. It can neither be lost nor sought nor found. It is there, wherever you are, being within you. Yet it can be recognized or unrecognized. The course does not aim at teaching the meaning of love, for that is beyond what can be taught. It does aim, however, at removing the blocks to the awareness of love’s presence, which is your natural inheritance. Your task is not to seek for love, but merely to seek and find all of the barriers within yourself that you have built against it. Very simply, the purpose of psychotherapy is to remove the blocks to truth. A therapist does not heal; he lets healing be. All things you seek to make your value greater in your sight limit you further, hide your worth from you, and add another bar across the door that leads to true awareness of your Self. Forget not, when you feel the need arise to be defensive about anything, you have identified yourself with an illusion. And therefore feel that you are weak because you are alone. This is the cost of all illusions. Not one but rests on the belief that you are separate. Seek not outside yourself. For all your pain comes simply from a futile search for what you want, insisting where it must be found. What if it is not there? Do you prefer that you be right or happy? This world is but the dream that you can be alone, and think without affecting those apart from you. The mind which means that all it wants is peace must join with other minds, for that is how peace is obtained. You have no idea of the tremendous release and deep peace that comes from meeting yourself and your brothers totally without judgment. Forgiveness paints a picture of a world where suffering is over, loss becomes impossible and anger makes no sense. Attack is gone, and madness has an end. Fear binds the world. Forgiveness sets it free. For more information about A Course in Miracles go to one or more of the following: A Course In Miracles: www.acim.org Foundation for Inner Peace: www.facim.org/acim/theory.htm Miracle Studies: www.miraclestudies.net