The Origin of "A Course in Miracles"

Rating:
Summary: Beautiful and bittersweet
Review: This audio tape is about 90 minutes long and covers the story behind the "scribing" of A COURSE IN MIRACLES. Kenneth Wapnick also discusses his close personal relationship with Drs. Helen Schucman and William Thetford, the two co-scribes of A COURSE IN MIRACLES. Mr Wapnick comments on the nature of the relationship between the two co-scribes, mentioning that it was in fact a difficult relationship and that A COURSE IN MIRACLES originated primarily as a way for them to relate more peacefully to one another.

Kenneth Wapnick comments that Helen had attempted a biography but never completed it, which leaves open the possibility of great distortions regarding Helen's personality and experience with Jesus as the author of A COURSE IN MIRACLES. Kenneth therefore has made this tape in an attempt to keep Helen and Bill's personalities and experiences within their true contexts. Kenneth notes that there was during her life, and remains to this day, an attempt by many to turn Helen Schucman into something of a "guru." Helen herself was always quite opposed to that.

Helen's lifelong fascination with religion is discussed within the context of her search for God. Her fascination with Roman Catholicism is also discussed.

Perhaps the most interesting part of this tape comes when Kenneth discusses Helen's highly symbolic dreams which led to the scribing of the Course. I found these dreams very inspiring. Helen's trip to Philadelphia with Bill Thetford is mentioned, and it is very interesting and comforting.

Kenneth concludes this tape my mentioning that he believes A COURSE IN MIRACLES should always be remembered in the context in which it came: a highly competitive hospital setting (Helen and Bill were both clinical psychologists) in the middle of New York City. Kenneth uses this to illustrate his point that people should not believe that in order to study A COURSE IN MIRACLES correctly, they should remove themselves from society or find some "peaceful" setting. Since the Course is aimed at "removing the blocks to the awareness of love's presence," one should take all their errors to the Course. The Course, therefore, allows us to be imperfect and does not teach that Salvation is achieved through going to any certain place or performing any certain ritual, or by behaving in a certain way, but by offering the "little willingness" to Jesus.

The reason I believe this tape is beautiful is because the story is so inspiring; the reason I believe it is bittersweet is because Drs. Helen Schucman and William Thetford had such a difficult relationship. What I may really find bittersweet, however, is that this tape serves to put an end to the idea that Helen and William were "special" people or gurus of some type, or ideal beings. They weren't. This is difficult for me, and many Course students, because I would like to think of Helen and William as being ideal beings. Remembering that they were not, however, only makes their story more amazing.

This tape was recorded before Kenneth's book ABSENCE FROM FELICITY was published, and may therefore be somewhat obsolete (many of the same stories are covered in ABSENCE FROM FELICITY). But this tape can give you something the printed page can't: Kenneth Wapnick's voice recounting time with his two close friends, his spiritual family.