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'''A Course in Miracles''' is a complete self-study spiritual thought system. As a three-volume curriculum consisting of a [[Text]], [[Workbook for Students]], and [[Manual for Teachers]], it teaches that the way to universal love and peace—or remembering God—is by undoing guilt through forgiving others. [[The Course]] thus focuses on the healing of relationships and making them holy. A Course in Miracles also emphasizes that it is but one version of the universal curriculum, of which there are "many thousands." Consequently, even though the language of the Course is that of traditional [[Christianity]], it expresses a non-sectarian, non-denominational spirituality. A Course in Miracles therefore is a universal spiritual teaching, not a religion.
'''A Course in Miracles''' is a complete self-study spiritual thought system. As a three-volume curriculum consisting of a [[Text]], [[Workbook for Students]], and [[Manual for Teachers]], it teaches that the way to universal love and peace—or remembering God—is by undoing guilt through forgiving others. [[The Course]] thus focuses on the healing of relationships and making them holy. A Course in Miracles also emphasizes that it is but one version of the universal curriculum, of which there are "many thousands." Consequently, even though the language of the Course is that of traditional [[Christianity]], it expresses a non-sectarian, non-denominational spirituality. A Course in Miracles therefore is a universal spiritual teaching, not a religion.
''The Course'' has been characterized as a Christianized version of non-dualistic [[Vedanta]] where the physical world is just an illusory [[chimera]] that can only offer violence, sorrow and pain. However the unreal "physical" world of separate perceptions is to be differentiated from the "real world," which is seen devoid of dreams of revenge, hatred and attack. Students of ''the Course'' seek the ultimate goal of existence in a radically different mode of being than that found in this world. This mode of being is attained by unified vision with the Holy Spirit, or that part of the mind that sees all actions as rooted in love, or calls for love (fear).
''The Course'' has been characterized as a Christianized version of non-dualistic [[Vedanta]] where the physical world is just an illusory [[chimera]] that can only offer violence, sorrow and pain. However the unreal "physical" world of separate perceptions is to be differentiated from the "real world," which is seen devoid of dreams of revenge, hatred and attack. Students of ''the Course'' seek the ultimate goal of existence in a radically different mode of being than that found in this world. This mode of being is attained by unified vision with the Holy Spirit, or that part of the mind that sees all actions as rooted in love, or calls for love (fear).
==Overview of origins==
The ''Course'' was originally scribed in a collaborative venture by Schcman and Thetford. In the early form of ACIM (commonly known as the "Urtext"), the "Voice" described them as scribes taking down the words of Jesus. According to [[Kenneth Wapnick]], Jesus was a symbol of God's love and not the historical Jesus of Nazareth". [http://www.nysd.uscourts.gov/courtweb/Pdf/D02NYSC/00-07413.PDF]
The ''Course'' was originally scribed in a collaborative venture by Schcman and Thetford. In the early form of ACIM (commonly known as the "Urtext"), the "Voice" described them as scribes taking down the words of Jesus. According to [[Kenneth Wapnick]], Jesus was a symbol of God's love and not the historical Jesus of Nazareth". [http://www.nysd.uscourts.gov/courtweb/Pdf/D02NYSC/00-07413.PDF]
The teachings of the book have been supported by such mainstream commentators as [[Oprah Winfrey]] in her interviews with author [[Marianne Williamson]], and are supported by some "new age" churches such as the Association of [[Unity Church]].[http://www.apologeticsindex.org/362-marianne-williamson], [http://unity.org/helpsite.html], and [http://www.unity.org/Contact/JunJul06.pdf]
The teachings of the book have been supported by such mainstream commentators as [[Oprah Winfrey]] in her interviews with author [[Marianne Williamson]], and are supported by some "new age" churches such as the Association of [[Unity Church]].[http://www.apologeticsindex.org/362-marianne-williamson], [http://unity.org/helpsite.html], and [http://www.unity.org/Contact/JunJul06.pdf]
== Drafting ''the Course'' ==
In 1965, Helen Schucman, an [[associate professor]] of medical [[psychology]] appointed to the faculty of the College of Physicians and Surgeons of the [[New York-Presbyterian Hospital]], experienced a series of particularly vivid dreams. Soon thereafter, she began to hear a "Voice" she identified as Jesus.
In 1965, Helen Schucman, an [[associate professor]] of medical [[psychology]] appointed to the faculty of the College of Physicians and Surgeons of the [[New York-Presbyterian Hospital]], experienced a series of particularly vivid dreams. Soon thereafter, she began to hear a "Voice" she identified as Jesus.
http://www.nysd.uscourts.gov/courtweb/pdf/D02NYSC/03-04125.PDF which would speak to her whenever she was prepared to listen. Schucman reported that she heard from the Voice the words, "This is a course in miracles. Please take notes." Schucman then began to write down what she described as a form of "rapid inner dictation."
http://www.nysd.uscourts.gov/courtweb/pdf/D02NYSC/03-04125.PDF which would speak to her whenever she was prepared to listen. Schucman reported that she heard from the Voice the words, "This is a course in miracles. Please take notes." Schucman then began to write down what she described as a form of "rapid inner dictation."
Between 1965 and 1972, Schucman filled nearly thirty stenographic notebooks with words she received from the Voice. The collaborative venture between [[Helen Schucman]] and [[William Thetford]] would ultimately evolve into the ''the Course''. Eventually the manuscript totaled 1,500 pages and was placed into black thesis binders. Schucman and Thetford did not want their co-workers, professors in the psychology department at [[Columbia University Medical Center]], to know about the existence of the Course. They were embarrassed and considered it their "guilty secret." This process was a collaborative venture between Schucman and William Thetford, a psychology faculty member at [[Columbia University]] who was her superior and colleague. Schucman and Thetford worked together in private offices in "an air of secrecy," as they both believed that their professional reputations at Columbia would be adversely affected if their professional peers found out about the ''Course''. Thetford was encouraging, and in their spare time at work, Thetford typed as Schucman dictated aloud from her notes as well as directly. Revisions were made including, for example, the omission of various references to their personal lives. The manuscript went through two additional drafts, one edited by Schucman alone {{fact}}, and the subsequent one edited by both of them. In the third draft, the manuscript was split into chapters and sections, to which they added titles and headings. This material eventually became the ''Text''.
Between 1965 and 1972, Schucman filled nearly thirty stenographic notebooks with words she received from the Voice. The collaborative venture between [[Helen Schucman]] and [[William Thetford]] would ultimately evolve into the ''the Course''. Eventually the manuscript totaled 1,500 pages and was placed into black thesis binders. Schucman and Thetford did not want their co-workers, professors in the psychology department at [[Columbia University Medical Center]], to know about the existence of the Course. They were embarrassed and considered it their "guilty secret." This process was a collaborative venture between Schucman and William Thetford, a psychology faculty member at [[Columbia University]] who was her superior and colleague. Schucman and Thetford worked together in private offices in "an air of secrecy," as they both believed that their professional reputations at Columbia would be adversely affected if their professional peers found out about the ''Course''. Thetford was encouraging, and in their spare time at work, Thetford typed as Schucman dictated aloud from her notes as well as directly. Revisions were made including, for example, the omission of various references to their personal lives. The manuscript went through two additional drafts, one edited by Schucman alone {{fact}}, and the subsequent one edited by both of them. In the third draft, the manuscript was split into chapters and sections, to which they added titles and headings. This material eventually became the ''Text''.
=== Editors ===
=== Editors ==
When Schucman experienced some personal difficulties and hesitance after hearing the "inner voice," Thetford, her work supervisor and friend, contacted [[Hugh Lynn Cayce]] at his [[Association for Research and Enlightenment]] in [[Virginia Beach, Virginia]], to seek his advice and counsel, and Schucman met with Cayce before she began to record the Course.
When Schucman experienced some personal difficulties and hesitance after hearing the "inner voice," Thetford, her work supervisor and friend, contacted [[Hugh Lynn Cayce]] at his [[Association for Research and Enlightenment]] in [[Virginia Beach, Virginia]], to seek his advice and counsel, and Schucman met with Cayce before she began to record the Course.
Wapnick reviewed the draft and discussed with Schucman further revisions that were needed to place the book in final form. Over the next thirteen months, Wapnick and Schucman edited the manuscript again, substantially rearranging and deleting material, altering chapter and section headings, and correcting various inconsistencies in paragraph structure, punctuation, and capitalization. This editing process was completed in approximately February 1975.
Wapnick reviewed the draft and discussed with Schucman further revisions that were needed to place the book in final form. Over the next thirteen months, Wapnick and Schucman edited the manuscript again, substantially rearranging and deleting material, altering chapter and section headings, and correcting various inconsistencies in paragraph structure, punctuation, and capitalization. This editing process was completed in approximately February 1975.
== Distribution ==
The Foundation for Inner Peace (or FIP), was originally called the Foundation for Para-Sensory Investigations, Inc. (FPI)., and was founded on October 21, 1971, by Robert Skutch, and Judith Skutch Whitson. [[Robert Skutch]] and [[Judith Skutch Whitson]] were married at the time of its inception, and have since become directors. Robert Skutch was a businessman and writer, who had been a writer for many years of television plays and advertising copy. Judith Skutch Whitson was a teacher and lecturer at [[New York University]] on the science of the study of [[consciousness]] and [[parapsychology]]. On May 29, 1975, [[Douglas Dean]], a physicist engineer, introduced Schucman, Thetford and Wapnick to Judith Skutch Whitson. Soon thereafter, they introduced her to the Course and the four of them met regularly to study, discuss, and share their common enthusiasm for it. At some point in 1975, Schucman appears to have authorized Skutch Whitson and Ken Wapnick to initiate the process of copyrighting ACIM and to assume responsibility themselves for the resulting copyright.
The Foundation for Inner Peace (or FIP), was originally called the Foundation for Para-Sensory Investigations, Inc. (FPI)., and was founded on October 21, 1971, by Robert Skutch, and Judith Skutch Whitson. [[Robert Skutch]] and [[Judith Skutch Whitson]] were married at the time of its inception, and have since become directors. Robert Skutch was a businessman and writer, who had been a writer for many years of television plays and advertising copy. Judith Skutch Whitson was a teacher and lecturer at [[New York University]] on the science of the study of [[consciousness]] and [[parapsychology]]. On May 29, 1975, [[Douglas Dean]], a physicist engineer, introduced Schucman, Thetford and Wapnick to Judith Skutch Whitson. Soon thereafter, they introduced her to the Course and the four of them met regularly to study, discuss, and share their common enthusiasm for it. At some point in 1975, Schucman appears to have authorized Skutch Whitson and Ken Wapnick to initiate the process of copyrighting ACIM and to assume responsibility themselves for the resulting copyright.
In 1995, FIP entered a five year printing and distribution agreement with [[Penguin Books]] for $2.5 million which expired in December of 2000. Currently some copies of some of the earlier draft versions of the book are available both online and through private publishers.
In 1995, FIP entered a five year printing and distribution agreement with [[Penguin Books]] for $2.5 million which expired in December of 2000. Currently some copies of some of the earlier draft versions of the book are available both online and through private publishers.
==Litigation ==
Due to a suit by Penguin Books and FIP, brought against the Church of the Full Endeavor for their limited independent publication of selected portions of ''The Course,'' it was found that the contents of the FIP first edition, published from 1976 through 1992, as well as the contents of all earlier draft copies, are public domain. The evidence in this case turned on the discovery of an early recorded statement by Judith Skutch Whitson that, "(Prior to 1976) we printed hundreds of copies of (the Criswell edition of ACIM on a Xerox machine). (The Urtext draft of the Course is now available online. See below.) However, those parts of the FIP second edition which were added in the second hard-bound edition remain under copyright. Items still under copyright include the verse numbering system and the Clarification of Terms section. Also, as a result of the earlier litigation, later in 2005, the [[United States Patent and Trademark Office]] canceled both the Servicemark on "A Course in Miracles" and the Trademark on the acronym, "ACIM"., http://www.nysd.uscourts.gov/courtweb/pdf/D02NYSC/04-03256.PDF, U.S. District Court Southern District Of New York, Judgment, Case: Civil 4126 (RWS) ruling (#04-03256) final judgment
Due to a suit by Penguin Books and FIP, brought against the Church of the Full Endeavor for their limited independent publication of selected portions of ''The Course,'' it was found that the contents of the FIP first edition, published from 1976 through 1992, as well as the contents of all earlier draft copies, are public domain. The evidence in this case turned on the discovery of an early recorded statement by Judith Skutch Whitson that, "(Prior to 1976) we printed hundreds of copies of (the Criswell edition of ACIM on a Xerox machine). (The Urtext draft of the Course is now available online. See below.) However, those parts of the FIP second edition which were added in the second hard-bound edition remain under copyright. Items still under copyright include the verse numbering system and the Clarification of Terms section. Also, as a result of the earlier litigation, later in 2005, the [[United States Patent and Trademark Office]] canceled both the Servicemark on "A Course in Miracles" and the Trademark on the acronym, "ACIM"., http://www.nysd.uscourts.gov/courtweb/pdf/D02NYSC/04-03256.PDF, U.S. District Court Southern District Of New York, Judgment, Case: Civil 4126 (RWS) ruling (#04-03256) final judgment