A Course in Miracles – Forgiveness Exercise

Forgiveness is a key theme of A Course in Miracles. In this episode Robert and Emily explore the Course’s forgiveness teachings and offer a composite forgiveness exercise based on Lesson 68.

As the Course states, the world is a hiding place made by the ego to separate itself from God. This separateness can only be corrected by sharing the function that God gave to His Son.
What is A Course in Miracles?

Identified by the New York Times in 2019 as “an esoteric bible that has gone mainstream,” A Course in Miracles (ACIM) is both an important spiritual text and a major influence on the rapidly growing number of people who think of themselves as “spiritual but not religious.” Its alleged authorship and its challenge to Western religious tradition make ACIM both popular with those seeking alternative spiritual guidance and troubling to many Christians.

First published in 1976, A Course in Miracles is a self-study system of spiritual psychology contained in three books: The Text, which lays out the concepts that make up the Course’s thought system; the Workbook for Students, with 365 daily lessons emphasizing experience over belief in a theology; and the Manual for Teachers, which addresses how the thought system of the Course can be extended to others. The Course is not a religion but is rather a teaching which emphasizes forgiveness as the way to healing and freedom.

Forgiveness is a central theme of A Course in Miracles. The idea is that we can learn to release our ego identification with everything that seems difficult or unpleasant in life, including our relationships, our jobs, and our health problems. We can then turn our difficulties over to God or universal energy, as it is called in the Course, with the understanding that we can’t solve them ourselves.

A Course in Miracles offers a new perspective on the nature of reality, human suffering, and the path to happiness. The underlying premise is that we all share the same goal of finding peace and joy, but that our current perception is so distorted by the fear, anger, and resentment we have acquired over time that we cannot see this goal clearly.

The Course offers a practical, step-by-step approach to changing this misperception through a process of forgiveness. The Course teaches that we can be healed by learning to forgive, and it defines forgiveness as the willingness to recognize our mistaken perceptions and allow them to be replaced with the correct ones.

In the decades since it was published, A Course in Miracles has been read and studied by millions of people. It has become a modern spiritual classic and has changed the lives of countless people. Its message of forgiveness has been applied to every aspect of life, from personal relationships to global conflicts.
The Language of A Course in Miracles

Forgiveness is a key principle of A Course in Miracles. It is important to remember that all negative experiences, including attacks on ourselves, are merely a reflection of our beliefs and perceptions. It is always tempting, when studying a spiritual path, to make the teachings fit one’s own ideas rather than taking the time to truly understand them. This is especially true with A Course in Miracles, which seems at times to be dense, esoteric and difficult to understand.

It is also easy to take offense at the Christian language and the presence of Jesus in the material. For this reason, many newer students of A Course in Miracles may not find it helpful. However, for the dedicated student, the ego will eventually surrender in the face of the Holy Spirit and the truth that is being presented. The daily workbook lessons offer a systematic, step-by-step approach to applying the principles of the course. They do not require a great deal of time or long practice periods, but they do require a commitment to question every value that is held and to allow the Holy Spirit to help you see things differently.

The ego’s attack against the truth is usually in the form of a fear that it will be exposed. It creates a false sense of danger to the self and others. This false threat is used to reinforce the belief that the world is separate from God and that it is not safe to love and share with others. This is the foundation of a belief system that is in opposition to God’s Will.

In order to change this, the ego must renounce its belief that the world is real and that it is hostile to God. It must also reassess its own place in the world. The ego wants to be in charge, but it must give its power over to the Holy Spirit in order to have peace.

Once the ego relinquishes its control, it will be easy to see that there is nothing real about the world and that forgiveness is necessary. The Holy Spirit can help you see that there is no hierarchy of illusions and that all upsets are equally illusory. Forgiveness allows you to recognize this truth and to release the fear of being exposed.
The Thought System of A Course in Miracles

Forgiveness is a central theme of A Course in Miracles. The Course is an intellectually sophisticated spiritual teaching that combines spiritual inspiration with deep psychological understanding of such phenomena as belief and defense systems, perception and identity. It is taught that everything that seems to happen to you in the world around you is merely a reflection of your current beliefs and understandings. Therefore, the first step in forgiveness is to recognize that the problem always lies within yourself.

The Course teaches that the true nature of reality is one of unity, love and sinlessness. It describes the world of truth as a place of perfect peace and complete abundance. The world of illusion, the one that you experience through your body, is a place of separation, fear and conflict. It is a place where you must make the choice between the ego and the Holy Spirit.

According to the Course, all negative emotions and feelings are a result of your choosing the ego over the Holy Spirit. These choices are made either consciously or unconsciously. The ego is the part of the mind that believes in guilt and punishment, while the Holy Spirit is the part of the mind that knows that what you really want is peace and happiness.

A major principle of the Course is that you cannot have both the ego and the Holy Spirit in your mind simultaneously. If you choose the ego, you must be willing to forgive all of your beliefs that are in opposition to the teachings of the Holy Spirit. This is why the Course emphasizes forgiveness.

The spiritual principles of A Course in Miracles are consistent with the teachings of most of the major religions in the world. Its language is Christian, but it is ecumenical in its approach to religious and spiritual thought. It does not claim to be the only way, but rather that it is a path for all people to find their own way to God.

The Course consists of three parts: a 669-page Text, a course in miracles which provides the theoretical foundation upon which its thought system is based; a 488-page Workbook for Students, containing 365 daily lessons that are designed to train the student’s mind along the lines set forth in the Text; and a 92-page Manual for Teachers, which answers some of the questions that are likely to be asked by those who study the Course.
The Reality of A Course in Miracles

The goal of the Course is to shift our identification from ego to God, and forgiveness is one of its main teachings. However, the concept of forgiveness in the Course differs from that taught by most religions and spiritual teachings. In this episode, Robert and Emily explore the difference and offer a composite forgiveness exercise from the Workbook lesson 68.

The first step in learning to forgive is to recognize that your problem is not a physical one. It is a psychological one that needs to be dealt with at the level of your mind. Forgiveness means letting go of your belief that bodies are real and the physical world is a reality. Then, you can let the Holy Spirit take over the role of the ego at the level of your mind, and it is this change in perception that allows true forgiveness to take place.

A Course in Miracles (ACIM) was published in 1976, and it has become an influential spiritual classic with a following worldwide. Its enigmatic nature and claim of a hidden curriculum has attracted those who have sought to find alternative spiritual guidance. At the same time, its challenging stance on Western religious tradition has made it controversial and problematic for some Christians.

While the Course uses Christian terminology and evokes a number of universal spiritual themes, including Eastern mysticism, it is not a religion. It is a self-study spiritual thought system that consists of three books: the Text, which defines its basic concepts; the Workbook for Students, which provides daily lessons with an emphasis on experience over the beliefs of a religion; and the Manual for Teachers, which provides answers to questions about the Course’s principles and applications.

In its simplest form, ACIM is a restatement of the core wisdom found in every major world religion. It is also a practical application of this wisdom, and it has been used by thousands of people around the world to achieve spiritual transformation. The daily Workbook lessons do not require a lot of time or long practice periods, but they do challenge students to question every value they hold as to what this world is all about.