Rating: 
Summary: A way out of the Confusion
Review: I am not one of those people who write book reviews just to get my picture on the about me page on amazon. In fact this is the only review that I have ever written. I was prompted to write it because, as I read the some of the more negative reviews of this book, it was quite obvious that most of these people, who wrote these reviews, had not read this book. I don't know why they felt the need to write the derogatory things about this material that were written, but I'm certain that they did not read this book, before writing there review of it. I have read this material; I have studied it for over a year. At first glance the concepts it spoke of seemed at the very least, unlikely. They certainly did not match up with the formula consensus reality had given me to work out the problems that I encountered in my life. That really didn't matter to me by that time because the old formulas had not served me that well anyway. If you are happy with everything about your life this is not a book that you should be reading. If by chance, there are aspects of your life that seem to trouble you, then this is a book that you should be reading. If a year ago you had told me that one simple book held the key to every single problem that I was faced with in my life, I would have laughed in your face, and thought that you must be a fool to say such a thing. Yet after a year of working with the concepts that this book teaches, I feel more strongly about there ability set things right in my life than ever. I came into this encounter with this material a jaded skeptic, who believed in nothing. I had tried, and rejected nearly every path, seeing truth in none of them. Yes, each seemed at first to be truth, but the initial lift that they gave proved not to stand the test of time. This material is different, It seeks to correct the errors in thinking that are currently causing the conflicts, and disappointment in our lives before they can happen. It also shows the folly of approaching the idea of love from the conventionally acceptable way. That is, reserving love only for those we have judged worthy of it. It has taught me that this is not love at all, it is only judgment. This is not a book that you can sit down and read in a night, or even in a week. The concepts that it teaches are so fundamentally different from the ones that are currently causing all the problems in your life, that it will take some time for you to readjust them. Perhaps years, After all how long has it taken you to get to this point where you truly longed to find a better way. Did you really expect it would happen over night? I gave this book 5 stars only because I wasn't given the option of giving it 1,000 stars. If this book can help someone as lost as I was, it can most likely help you too. But only if you actually read it!
Rating:
Summary: Nothing Real Can Be Threatened...
Review: This is the ultimate path. This is the toughest course on Earth. It makes you take a hard, deep look at yourself and your values. The Course exposes the meaningless attachments and judgements that we use to separate ourselves from God our Father and the rest of our Brothers. While Jesus does not proclaim himself a divinity unto himself, he does say that he is the Son of God, and that SO ARE YOU. This is the part of Jesus' teachings that The Christians try to deny. This is what The Course teaches.
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Summary: New Age Mysticism
Review: The Course in Miracles has become a cornerstone of the New Age teaching and doctrine. Read almost any new age or self help book and you are bound to find a quote from its pages. Basically the Course is a return to the early mystical interpretation of Gnostic Christianity with a contemporary spin to it. The Course is suppose to be a series of channeled insights given to Helen Schuman in 1965 from Jesus Christ over a period of about ten years. At the heart of the book is the teaching that the world as we know it, filled with sickness, sin and suffering are nothing but illusions that we have created and we are actually still in heaven with God and this life is a dream. Like the mystics of old, this book defies logic. It contains a labyrinth of circular logic and gross contradictions making it all but impossible to construct a coherent teaching from this book, although many are attempting to. There is no story line so the book cannot be read like a novel. Rather, like all good mystical teachings, reading this book is more like what you would experience if you were to spin around and around for about five minutes. Soon nothing looks quite the same and you can't make sense of anything but it doesn't matter, you are laughing too hard and having fun. Such is the intent of the mystics. Mysticism defies logic. It is enlightenment though circular logic that leaves one very dizzy but deliriously happy because it liberates us from the confines of linear thinking. I personally use this book from time to time just for that reason. When I am stuck with a problem and can't see my way through it, I will occasionally flip through its pages until I find something relevant and begin reading. Soon I find myself laughing at my problem or situation. And just like any good inspirational book, this book has numerous thought provoking one liners that will definitely give you a good whack in the side of the logical head. Although I enjoy reading randomly selected passages from it every now and then, I don't recommend that you spend money for this book. If you want to extract the essence of this book I would highly recommend that you read author and lecturer Marianne Williamson's "A Return to Love" which presents CIM in a beautiful and insight full way. Otherwise I recommend that you go to the nearest playground and spin around and around until you fall down on the ground laughing hysterically, it will have the same affect.
Rating:
Summary: A priceless diamond
Review: I love it! Reading the course and understanding the principals has brought so much healing to my life and has removed so much dysfunction! I found it, or should I say it found me at a time when I really needed some emotional healing and it was like digging for marbles and pulling out a diamond! It is not necessary to read this book from front to back, just jump in and give it a try. If you like it you will eventually read it all and understand the principals. I have found resistance from Christians about this but it is important to know that ACIM is not a religion (though churches have formed based on the principals), it is more of a psychology book which includes God, just like AA or any 12 step. You cannot dismiss the universal truths in this book just because it doesn't align perfectly with your religion. Like AA says, "take what you need, leave the rest." The point Christians make however is that God warned that "a lie mixed with the truth is the most deceitful kind of lie" and this book contains all truths but denies that Jesus is Christ and that he died on the cross in sacrafice for our sins. ACIM says that the crucifiction is just symbolism. I don't know the answer to that one but with anything you just have to follow your heart. If you feel right about something, do it, if not, don't.
Rating: 
Summary: Course in Miracles
Review: I have tried to read this book three times. If I had learned anything from the first 2 readings it would have been to trust my intuition to not read it a third time. Maybe I just don't get it, but it seems as if its an attempt at hypnosis with the emphasis being on "we are not hypnotized". I love to read new age spirital books, but this book, while lengthy and complex, (I give the author points for the sheer volume of it) still leaves me feeling like it's not real bright. The main premise being, "Love is the opposite of Fear". Personally I don't agree with that, isn't love the opposite of hate or apathy perhaps? In any event I felt the book was simply not worth the read. Sorry.
Rating:
Summary: Some Very Powerful Ideas! But Dense Reading
Review: I found reading and studying the Course In Miracles, along with reading assorted literature partly based upon it, to be quite valuable. Some of the ideas are very powerful. I felt some deep insights happen in my heart when I read the Course. I recommend the book. But it is VERY densely written, and sometime reminds me of Hegel and Aristotle. I don't think our self-discovery and transformation has to be that hard.Another book that I discovered and which has also TRANSFORMED MY LIFE is "Working On Yourself Doesn't Work" written by a couple, Ariel and Shya Kane, who both reached a state of Well-Being and Enlightenment about 15 years ago. This is their first book and it is SIMPLE and FROM THE HEART...and it has touced my heart - both in deeply spiritual ways; as well as in very practical ways. As a result of reading and thinking about the Kane's book - My life is happier and fuller; and I have also discovered more success in my work life as well as harmony and love in my personal life, more that I thought was possible. The Kanes also teach about Living In The Now. But instead of being long and dense, their writing is simple and brief and to the point. Their book has stories, metaphors and analogies, as well as clearly explaining their "Principles of Transformation". Anyone who likes the "Course In Miracles" should like "Working On Yourself Doesn't Work". The only stumbling block may be that, in comparison, it seems too simple... But at heart - it is about LIVING IN THE PRESENT; Letting Go of the Past and the Future. It includes some of the same message ( with differences of course). But IF you are seriously interested in Being Happy in THIS Life - then you have to read "Working On Yourself Doesn't Work: A Book about Instantaneous Transformation."
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Summary: What a blessing this book can be.
Review: What can I say? The book somehow simply IS. It invites you to come to it. It speaks of spiritual principle without ever telling you how to be or what to believe. Its message is simple: allow God to turn you from fear to love. Most of the 600+ page text expounds the simple idea that forgiving each other is the way to be freed from the pain we feel in life. If one adopts the 365 page workbook into one's spiritual practice, profound changes in one's life will occur. I wish the book to be the blessing in your life it has been and continues to be in mine.
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Summary: I LIKE RODNEY DANGERFIELD - BUT WHY, I DON'T KNOW!
Review: Got your attention. All you can really do in a review is tell about what you experienced. This course is supposed to have been written by Jesus. And it has been torn apart by the illustrious critics, Ken Wilber and Mike Murphy of Esalen fame. They scream (perhaps too loudly) that it is false. You will eventually hear this anyway, so let me be the bearer of bad news. They state that the scribe's semantic structure matches that of Jesus! Helen Schucmann(?) has written poems that sound just like the course! So the course, therefore, is bogus. Also, they claim that Helen was reared in a New Age Bookstore. AND that she used to go out on a cliff and pray for a "Course in Miracles"! That she was not simply a college worker who suddenly heard a voice. The voice of Jesus. I followed the course for 69 days. It is rough. And my ability, as the course describes, to see auras around objects rapidly increased. But I needed to anchor myself in sitting meditation in order to contact God. So I quit. I have heard that the results are tremendous. It takes 1 year. There are 365 lessons. You will not finish the course if you listen to critics! This is a given. Or if you question the course itself. You will need to jump! And be very dedicated. If it is any consolation, Methodist Churches (some!) teach this course in church. Just don't get caught up in the DEBATES. Intellectuals never seem to make the grade. If anybody criticizes another spiritual path, they are mere "pundits" or theologians who have far to go. CULTS are paths that state that "Our path is the only path". That's a cult. And they need critics. This is not a cult. I got very good results. I learned (not completely!) how to forgive and a little about how I project my own faults onto others. The "Special Relationship" sounded nuts to me. But I found out that all religions agree. If you concentrate all your love on one person, you are excluding the rest of mankind. And it is not really love. It's attachment. And as the course emphasizes over and over again, this attachment can be reversed into love if we understand that we become attached to others because we want what we project onto them. Strength, kindess, whatever. We covet it and use them as an object. I hold no opinion on this. Please decide for yourself. One thing I do know. Keep your mouth shut up about your spiritual practice! When times get rough, you WILL remember! The critics! This applies to any spiritual path. Good luck. And watch the sceptic inside you for the duration of the course.
Rating:
Summary: A Great Treasure For Those Who Are Ready
Review: There has been a great deal written about ACIM and it all pales in comparison with the experience of the Course itself. That would include this introduction! ACIM is not for everyone. As the Course says, many are called but few choose to respond. If you're ready, your soul will be hungry and ACIM will come to you. Read the Introduction carefully and see how it resonates with your Spirit. There should be no doubt if you're ready. ACIM requires dedication and commitment. There is so much information in each paragraph of text that frequently one must stop and contemplate each sentence in turn! It is counter-productive to read on past sections one has not internalized, so patience is a must. There is a meditation sequence that requires a minimum of one year to complete. Even if you are an experienced meditator, you will probably take a quantum leap in your spiritual awareness and for the first time comprehend the true nature of meditation. This meditation is required in order to grasp the underlying message of the Course and the ability to put oneself instantly into the Presence of God is emphasized throughout the text. ACIM is a two-way street. Along with the peace and confidence that accompanies learning to see the world through the eyes of Christ comes the awesome responsibility of becoming a Teacher of God.
Rating:
Summary: The Mountaintop of Spiritual Instruction
Review: I came out from under the influence of traditional Christianity when I was 17-years-old. In the last 33 years I have enthusiastically studied virtually all the major religions and many minor ones, particularly their metaphysical and mystical elements. I have learned a great deal from all of them. When I was first introduced to the Course, I rejected it prematurely because of the Christian terminology. When I picked it up again in 1992 my eyes were opened to the real meaning of the terms and the Course has been my spiritual handbook ever since. I have found no important spiritual elements missing in the Course, but on the other hand, have found important elements in the Course that are missing in so many other good spiritual paths. All in all, the Course is the most WELL-ROUNDED spiritual guidebook on this planet, in my opinion, and will definitely save a practicing student many many years in their growth. There are many paths that lead to Truth and am delighted the Course finally found me when I was ready.
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