A Course in Miracles: Combined Volume

This is my second time around the Course. I first completed the course back around 1982. And felt like I got a lot out of it, however I didn't keep up it's teachings, instead I got off on other teaching such as Conversion With God series, by Neal Walsh. But then about a month ago, I I started reading a book Titled: The Disappearance Of The Universe by Gary R. Renard a channel for two Ascended Master, which constantly referred back to the Course In Miracles. And this book also known as, (DU) for short, was an absolute enjoyable and enlightening book I've read in some time, also his other 3 books are right up there with several hundred other books I've read over the past 50 years. So i went on my favorite on-line ordering site Amazon and found out since my original Course in Miracles all 3 were separate hard back books, where now all 3 books are in one book, the 3rd edition added some more information that was not in the original sets. If your on a spiritual journey seeking enlightenment, then the Course In Miracles will Teach you Where you Came From, Why You are Here, and Where You Should Be Headed. It is not a religious book rather a course complete with truth about who and what we truly are. However it does explain very clearly what God is, and what He is Not. There are 3 books (1) A text, (2) A work book, and (3) A teachers manual. The work book is set up with 365 lessons. One a day for 1 year, to complete. The first time I did it I thought I'll never stay with it for a full year, however I did it and was amazed how fast that year few by. First time through I read the Text book through then I did the Work book, and then the Teachers Manual. But this time I'm doing the Work book, and reading the Text at the same time. And I'm enjoying the both books a lot more. They really do go together very well. The Course In Miracles will truly teach you about having a human body, and what it is and what it is not, and what your bothers and sisters are, and are not. That being said, I have been into this spiritual awaking process for over 50 years now. I started with the Edgar Cayce books and went from there through just about every spiritual teacher that came along, such as Seth, Conversations with God and so many more in between. I can honestly say that the Course In Miracles is the most informative and enlightening course that I've ever had the opportunity to learn all about spiritual awaking to oneness with your Higher Self or as some might call the Holy Spirit. If your new to spiritual learning then you might find the Course very challenging at times reading the text, I surely did. In fact as a Engineer back in the 1980's I travel most of the time around the US, so I spent a great deal of time living in Motels, and in the evening instead of sitting in the cocktail lounge, I would go to my room and start reading the text and some statement would just hit me totally wrong. And I would start cursing the passage, and would sling the book across the room smacking it against a wall, then after I'd sit there for a while I'd com down, and go pick the book up, and here's the amazing thing no matter how often I did it and I did do it a few times, the book was always perfect, I mean no damage to the book what so ever. That has to be some kind of Miracle itself. I always expected to see the spine broken or pages damaged, but never nothing. I would just stand there holding the book and shaking my head. That book was surely protected some how. I would like to say that God only knows, how that book was so protected. So to finalize let me say if you are truly a seeker of enlightenment than the Course In Miracles is the Course you want to take, for most it won't be easy, but if you can control yourself and stick with it the reward is beyond words, it will surely change your life forever. You just simply will never be the same. There are other books out there that claim to be taken from the Course Of Miracles, but please don't be fooled by them, because most of them stray from following the Course as it was originally published. They add their own twist to the teachings and do not follow the text correctly. My research and reading the books of the following authors are the best that I can tell you, are right on with the Course Gary R. Renard: (4) books Kenneth Wapnick has many books out that deal with the Course, they are excellent. He was the first teacher of the Course. And like Gary was an expert on the knowledge of the Course. They are both excellent teachers, however Kenneth just recently passed away. Their books make the Course so much easier to understand. Good luck, and God bless, if you decide to get the Course, I assure you , you'll never be sorry. PS.

The most shocking thing you'll notice if you open A Course In Miracles is the deceivingly pretentious introduction that never fails to spark intrigue. And by that I mean, ahem!... Check out the first five sentences... "This is a course in miracles. It is a required course. Only the time you take it is voluntary. Free will does not mean that you can establish the curriculum. It means only that you can elect what you want to take at a given time." Required? The only choice is when I take it at any-given-time? And yet, there is enormous wisdom in it. It takes browsing a few pages to realize that actually, it is required, because it is the only spiritual message there is. It is the same message we hear from anyone that has ever grown into spiritual high levels and tried to tell us how to join them. It is the way. Yes, there is a heavy "Christian" tone to the book. BUT, to my surprise, and unlike the stories I heard in both, catholic-elementary AND catholic-high-school (such was my luck) --- this book interprets things correctly. For example... take a contentious phrase, something like: "revenge is mine". Can you imagine how someone can 'interpret' that to a captivated audience of easily scared listeners? or, worse, can you imagine the reaction of someone who may be furious and stumbling on such a page? It could be dangerous. But the book makes the meaning clear, at least for me..... this is what it says (I paraphrase): Revenge is mine means you NEVER take revenge. You do the right thing, but you do not take revenge because the results of the actions of s/he, whom you perceive as your perpetrator, are NOT up to you, but up to a higher power. Phew! Early this year I took to A Course In Miracles again and found gems within it. I wanted to share some of the most interesting ones with you. Here they are: 1.- INFINITE PATIENCE DELIVERS IMMEDIATE RESULTS The first time I read this one I laughed. I mean, c'mon! Immediate results, oh yeah, ha ha ha. I decided I to put it to the test, that very day. I needed to open a new bank account, and I knew these things take forever. Also I kind of needed it to work because I was already late for work. So I wanted it to work. When the bank representative asked for the usual documents and apologized for the computer being slow, I took it as a sign. I said to myself: infinite patience delivers immediate results. Then... I said to him: "Take your time. No rush at all". (I was sweating inside) But I meant it. The account was open within 12 minutes (I tracked it). I've never seen that happen in a NYC bank before. I was early for work. You see, the thing with this spell is that it has magic in it: it removes "time" from the equation. The first part has the word "infinite" in it: We are outside of time, no beginning, no end, NO TIME. That in turn, is coupled with "patience", which is a human demonstration of infinity. The second part has the word "immediate" in it, which means NOW. NO TIME. And it is coupled with the word "result", meaning: something happens, NOW. NO TIME = INFINITY = NO TIME = SOMETHING HAPPENS NOW. And all we had to do was have an open mind and remember the affirmation. Stepping into the present with an open heart (as you would if you really wanted it to work), gives you an advantage... You are operating from infinity. Try it. You tell me. 2.- A MIRACLE IS A SHIFT IN PERCEPTION The power of an alchemist lies not in turning dust into gold. That is just a metaphor to show the strength of the mind that lies behind such a miracle. A real miracle is one that happens when in spite of desperation, hurt, defeat, bankruptcy, we still shift our perception from lack, to abundance. We have our feet on the ground, we know where we are, but we also trust the infinite force that is keeping us alive right now, and we know we are abundant, in this moment, because we are here. How is that for a miracle? The Course in Miracles re-defines the meaning of a 'miracle' as something quite mundane which we can do only if we are strong enough. Why do we need to be strong enough? Because changing our habits is not easy. Looking at a situation in a different light requires humility. We need to feel the fire of anger, let it go, and re-open our minds for new possibilities. The stuff of alchemists... 3.- I DON'T PERCEIVE MY OWN BEST INTERESTS This one blew my mind right of its skull. I mean, how true is that? Give it a minute, let it sink in. There is a story of that enlightened monk who, one night, gets a visit from the parents of the teen-age girl that lives next door. The parents are furious, and they accuse him of getting their daughter pregnant. They tell him he will have to look after the baby. And that they will tell everyone in the village. That he is a fraud. The monk says: Is that so? No reaction. He is aware that he does not perceive his own best interests. The baby is born. He takes care of it. And the monk's reputation is ruined, of course. A year later the parents come back and apologize, they tell him their daughter confessed that the child was fathered by the butcher. And, that they want the baby back. The monk says: Is that so? The baby goes back to his parents. The monk's reputation is restored. Further, perhaps he now becomes a legend. We are talking about it now. The story survives because there is truth in it. --- How does that introduction I told you about in the beginning continue? Check out the next two lines... "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." And removing the veils to our awareness is what we do in our practice every day. Here is to YOU, Dear Veils: Take your time to clear yourselves from my perception. Take all the time you need... I have infinite patience...

I have been a student of ACIM for 3 years now and it has profoundly changed my life. I grew up Catholic and went to Catholic school as well. Around 30 years of age was my first profound shift in spirituality as I started attending a non-denominational Christian church. I believe all my life I have been a Truth seeker. Growing up Catholic had introduced me to God but there were just too much that conflicted within me about it. This book has really transformed my understanding of God and my relationship with Him. I've read self-help books most of my life with trying to become a better person and fulfill my purpose. ACIM has healed so much hurt from my childhood. It has healed my relationships with my husband and children. As I have become more forgiving and loving I see how much joy there is to experience in life. Feeling less guilt, self-persecution, fears, blame as I discover the Truth of who I am, who my brother is, who my Father is. First time I tried to read this book it was a bit challenging but I followed other people's reviews and went to Gary Renard's books...Disappearance of The Universe. That really helped me. It got me motivated to go back again to ACIM. Since then life has changed so much for me. I will remain a student for life. I just bought another copy to start 2015. I had so many notes and highlights with my old one that I needed a fresh start once again. Looking back. I'd say I really felt more like a student the first year. Some things resonated so well and some things seemed like my mind didn't quite get yet. I'd say lots more intellect used in the beginning. But now, I feel the words jump out immediately. A paragraph or even a single phrase will be so profound for me. I didn't realize how fear driven I was. This book really helped me to step back and surrender all that I have been conditioned to believe beginning with a willingness. One of my favorite passages from the bible that has always comforted me is Jeremiah 29:11 For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. I will be found by you,” declares the LORD , “and will bring you back from captivity In 2008 I was at the height of my career and owning my own business. I was easily bringing in six figures. In 2010 I turned 40 and really wanted to know what peace and joy truly meant. I gave up my career to be home with my 4 kids and make the time to focus on my relationship with God. It has been a challenging shift to go from 2 incomes to 1 being a family of 6 but it has been well worth it! Each day with lessons from ACIM I have grown. I see how much healing in me has happened. I treat my kids and husband differently. I treat myself differently. I truly believe many past generations of unloving relationships and dysfunction have been healed. Love is overflowing. For all those who are seeking for Truth, whether through ACIM or through other means, I ask that you join me in praying to invite the Holy Spirit to guide us. With the power given us of free will, we choose to awaken from this slumber of pain and sorrow. Above all else we want to know the Truth. Help us understand what it means to believe "I am blessed as the Son of God" and be "...One with Him Who is our Source" God bless you.

No doubt in my mind that A Course in Miracles is not only the greatest gift to humanity ever written. It is Divine. It is Holy and It will deliver you from the fear of experiencing depths of suffering and chaos. To be delivered from fear is our greatest challenge. This book knows the way. To discover the holy Light within is our grand purpose in life. This book strips away the layers upon layers of limits and obstacles. ACIM reveals the Essence of your True Self. There is no other book in my experience that will bring about such profound healing and revelation. It is radical to the core, but when you choose to be open and willing to follow its direction and teachings, it will prove undoubtedly it's immeasurable and magnificent worth to you a thousand times over. You will not only awaken, you will be and see Light wherever you are, wherever you go.....your life will be so dramatically changed for the better that you will literally shift into a "reborn you"..... To awaken to your True Identity as Spirit, as a Son of God is a the most precious and loving Gift our Father could ever give to us. The experience and revelation of being born again is an ancient memory restored to our minds, a love unlike any other, a compassion born in new understanding, a desire for deeper knowledge and wisdom born from awakening aspects of ourselves otherwise hidden. So many limitless, endless lessons and experiences are received and given in ACIM that lead us to a greater awakening and knowledge of the human mind, spirit and body that truly astound and mystify us. A greater appreciation and love for all of life, for our planet, for all the known and unknown universes beyond our realms of experience are just one of the many profound learning experiences one gains by studying the Course. A Course in Miracles is a book. I reference daily for guidance, for comfort and most of all for Truth. It is Bang On every time whenever I am in need of answers. It Delivers Every time!!! It is the Holy Instant I call upon whenever I am in doubt or need. I recommend highly an actual copy of the book, rather than the kindle version for deeper study and meditation bc it is easier to flow through by page. I have both book and e book for traveling purposes. ACIM is always with me no matter where I am......God goes with me wherever I go....that's what I have been taught. And I have learned the lesson well enough to put all my faith in its immensely valuable teachings and lessons. May you be blessed to pick up a copy yourself or give a copy to someone that you love.,...there is no greater book in my personal opinion than A Course in Miracles to give to another as a gift.....you will give or receive the gift of awakening to the Eternal Life given you by God Himself. There is no gift in the world more precious than this.

Anything I can say about this book is a vast understatement. I found myself cheering its clarity and insight on every page. Brace yourself though because it doesn't fit comfortably into any of the popular social realms. Christians will probably appreciate the style, images, phrasing and overall message, but may disagree with certain claims. Atheists and agnostics will probably be put off by the style, images and phrasing, but will be more accepting, or perhaps unaware, of its differences with conventional Christian doctrine. I'll also add that this book is not by any means an attempt to find a compromise between extremes, and although the message is purely positive, it is not a "feel good" book. It exhaustively explores and gently deconstructs the ego nature of man and you can be sure that the ego doesn't like that :) Another warning is that this book consistently uses male pronouns, which could offend some. This may have been done for the sake of maintaining "flow" in the content. In any case, this is a small issue compared with what this book has to offer. Regardless of where you're coming from, you will probably have to drop your defenses as you approach this material. If you can do this, then in return you'll be rewarded with an extraordinary experience. This book very gently explains a system of thought which, although having a typically Christian style, resonates with the highest principles of all of the great religions. Some of the concepts presented in this book do ask for a "leap of faith", but not in the sense that you may be familiar with that phrase. Rather, it asks you to look at reality in a new way; i.e. in a way that doesn't necessarily agree with Newtonian physics. What else would you expect from a book entitled "A Course in Miracles"? Those who are comfortable with quantum physics may be more able to make this leap. To appreciate this book, one must at least temporarily accept this new framing of reality. Within this context, the content of this book is staggeringly, if not strangely, coherent. It's also entirely consistent from beginning to end, an amazing feat considering the shear size and breadth of the material. This aspect of the book is something that anyone can appreciate, irrespective of the validity of the content itself. This is similar to the way in which people appreciate art, i.e. as in a beautiful picture of a place which may or may not actually exist. That said, it may still be difficult for some to enjoy this even at the artistic level because the book does not present itself as fiction, and I am not proposing that it should. This is an incredibly compelling and thought provoking book and highly recommended for anyone who is willing to break away from the crowd.

Some posts claim that A Course in Miracles is somehow a Satanic attempt to mislead Christians. The Bible tells us specifically how to judge works such as A Course in Miracles -- by their fruits. "Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves. By their fruit you will recognize them. .. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit. ... Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them." Matt. 7:15-20. Some excerpts from the Course are set forth below so that you can judge its 'fruits' for yourself: "Let us ask the Father in my [Jesus'] name to keep you mindful of His Love for you and yours for Him. ... Thou shalt have no other gods before Him because there are none." A Course in Miracles (Text) p. 61. "You know not of salvation for you do not understand it. ... ask the Holy Spirit everything, and leave all those decisions to His gentle counsel." Text at 277. The Course instructs you to ask God every day: "Ask Him very specifically: What would You have me do? Where would You have me go? What would You have me say, and to whom?" Workbook for Students, Lesson 61. The Course also teaches you to pray daily: "Let every voice but God's be still in me. Father, today I would but hear Your Voice ... I would come to You, to hear Your Voice and to receive Your Word". Workbook for Students, Lesson 254. The Course teaches that: "Whenever you are tempted to undertake a useless journey that would lead away from light, remember what you really want and say: The Holy Spirit leads me unto Christ, and where else would I go?" A Course in Miracles, p. 257. "[L]et Christ's strength prevail in every circumstance and every place you raised an image of yourself before. For what appears to hide the face of Christ is powerless before His majesty, and disappears before His holy sight." A Course in Miracles, p. 667. The Course also tells us that: "The peace of God is shining in you now, and from your heart extends around the world. It pauses to caress each living thing, and leaves a blessing with it that remains forever and forever. What it gives must be eternal. It removes all thoughts of the ephemeral and valueless. It brings renewal to all tired hearts, and lights all vision as it passes by. All of its gifts are given everyone, and everyone unites in giving thanks to you who give, and you who have received." Workbook for Students, Lesson 188. ... "Seek you no further. You will not find peace except the peace of God. Accept this fact, and save yourself the agony of yet more bitter disappointments, bleak despair, and sense of icy hopelessness and doubt." Workbook for Students, Lesson 200. The above passages are part of the "'fruits" by which to judge A Course in Miracles. They are clearly not Satan’s teachings. If you are a Christian wondering about A Course in Miracles, then ask yourself, would Satan instruct you to ask God in Jesus' name to keep you mindful of God's love for you? That there are no gods but God? That nothing can withstand the Love of Christ for His Father, or His Father's Love for Him? That you should turn your decision about salvation over to the "gentle counsel" of the Holy Spirit? That anything that attempts to hide the face of Christ "is powerless before His majesty, and disappears before His holy sight."? Would Satan instruct you to ask God specifically every day for his guidance? To ask the Holy Spirit every day to lead you to Christ? To help Christ give His gift of light to all those who still wander in the darkness? Would Satan tell you that you will not find peace except the peace of God? That you must let Christ's strength prevail in every troubled circumstance you encounter rather than rely on yourself alone? Of course he wouldn't. If you still believe that these are Satan’s teachings, then Satan is opposing Satan and Satan's end has come. Mark: 3: 22-26 (Jesus’ exact response when the Pharisees accused him of being in league with Satan)

This huge soft cover book (A course in miracles by Helen Schucman and Bill Thetford) is actually three volumes in one and the entire focus is on teaching a spiritual philosophy promoted by the authors. This interesting and unusual book consists of self-study course of the main text, a student workout and a teacher’s guide. To be honest I am not sure what to think about this giant spiritual book which emphasizes that this course was designed to be at least a one year self-study course (365 lessons) and to do the exercises they suggest every day. From what I understand of this course after reading all 365 lessons is that; you are taught that to achieve the goal to be one with God you MUST forgive every single person who ever wronged you and reject your ego because it is not real and the only thing that is real is when you are one with God. I agree with some of the lessons taught in this book because in order to have true peace of mind you have to let go of fear, hate, revenge and anger because these feeling are part of your ego, which according to this book, is NOT REAL AND DO NOT ACTUALLY EXIST? The only thing real is that you are part of God. In fact, this book claims you are the “Son of God” and therefore, nothing can touch you. Like most people, I find it very difficult to forgive those who hurt innocent people like criminals of all kinds, bullies, traitors to our country, dictators who want to enslave people and other vicious thugs. This book teaches that all those things and in fact the entire universe is not real? Everything is an allusion if it is not in tune with God. The lesson I really do not agree with is Lesson 135, “If I defend myself I am attacked.” If it means getting physically attacked and just do nothing but allow the thug, criminal and sinner to keep punching, stabbing and shooting you I cannot accept this lesson. One does not give sanction to evil and as someone who has been in the people protection business for more than 40 years this lesson is ridiculous. In any case, I did enjoy reading this huge book and read every one of the lessons and did find a lot of interesting thought provoking material in this text. Rating: 4 Stars. Joseph J. Truncale (Author: The Monadnock Defensive Tactics (MDTS) SYSTEM)

Does A Course in Miracles really work? Isn't that possibly the heartfelt question, the bottom line request that a potential buyer and student might ask? One must have some understanding of just what the goals of the Course are before an honest answer to your question might be offered. Many interested individuals naturally lean towards the customary definition of the word "Miracles" but the goal is not healing of the body. There are a multitude of words within the Course book that are defined differently from what you'll find in Webster's dictionary. "Forgiveness" is perhaps the greatest of these. You'll soon realize that like "Miracles", "Forgiveness" has a whole new meaning. "Miracles" are shifts in perception in your mind not a restoration of sight or hearing etc. "Forgiveness" is not letting someone off the hook for what you think they did to you or failed to do for you. Rather it is realizing that what you see in others is always a projection of what you think you are yourself and a willingness to have the "Holy Spirit" change your perception. Again, even "Holy Spirit" has its own definition for although the Course uses Christian terminology, it is independent of any organized religion. So if you are interested in healing your thoughts rather than your body, in taking responsibility for your judgments rather than blaming others, and in establishing a whole new way of thinking about the world including yourself, then consider buying this book. In these goals A Course in Miracles is quite effective. I wrote this review at a time when I felt Guided by holiness. One might consider this mind state as a result of prolonged practice of forgiveness as redefined above. For most students it is indeed a lengthy process, a year minimum if you consider just the 365 lessons of the Workbook section of the book, usually much longer to comprehend the Text. (Took me many years, I was really miserable lol) The language differences are again apparent in that the third section, The Manual for Teachers, does not relate to the usual academic terms "Students and Teachers". Buy ACIM with the expectation of a long term commitment to a life altering experience, rather than a "Quick fix". What it did for me. I realize that God has nothing to do with the occurrences of earthquakes or bad weather, nor the uncertain healing of the kid I backed over in the driveway. In other words the book offers a solely constant loving God unrelated to the either way syndrome that "It was God's Will". What a sense of clarity, relief and peacefulness this learning brings. God is 100% loving, how could we assign traits otherwise? (The answer by the way is that we project our fears onto Him, love and fear cannot coexist.) The ardent study Course has given me a new perception of "Life and death." Since we are solely spiritual beings, death of nothing (the body) is nothing. I recall an instant at my grandmother's funeral when my mom consoled me that Gram's spirit was in Heaven now, not to cry. My response to an unsatisfactory answer, "Where the hell was her spirit while she was alive? (light smack on the back of my head, age 6) and where was it before she was born?" (I had to get the last word lol). I didn't realize it then but I was already being prepared for ACIM back then. I know now there is nothing to fear in life or in death as we perceive ourselves on earth. Think you want to buy this book? I'm sure glad I did. I hope my comments were helpful, even light hearted for there is nothing to fear. Experience Love and Peace. Get to know why the book is often called "earth shattering") Thank you for reading. Jim