A Course in Miracles by Ken Wilber

If you browse the religion and spirituality section of any bookstore, it can be discouraging to find how many books offer simplistic thought systems with a course in miracles minimal practices. By contrast, A Course in Miracles offers a sophisticated version of perennial philosophy and psychology, and remarkably, it has been highly successful.

But does it contain the ingredients of a cult?
A Brief History of Everything

A quick look through the religion and spirituality section of any bookstore can be a disquieting experience. So many of the best-selling books offer simple thought systems and disciplines with precious little in the way of authentic practices. It seems that superficiality sells. Is A Course In Miracles merely another example of this trend? Or does it offer something more substantial and sophisticated?

Ken Wilber is one of the most important philosophers and thinkers of our time. He is the author of Integral Theory (IT), which claims to be the definitive meta-theory that makes sense of all the different aspects of human and cosmic reality. He integrates ideas from neurobiology, Jungian archetypes, horticultural societies, hermeneutics, systems theory, post-structuralism, Zen koans, Vedantan Hinduism and capitalist economic systems, among other things. He presents all of these disparate ideas in his lucid and brilliant prose.

BHE is the most accessible book of his work and a good place to begin if you are new to his ideas. However, in his attempt to assimilate and integrate a myriad of thinkers and theories, he often falls into the trap of oversimplifying ideas. One example is when he distinguishes between ascending and descending paths, describing the ascending path as purely transcendent and the descending path as purely immanent. In this way he quickly lumps Christianity and many other traditions into one camp or the other.

Another problem with BHE is its reliance on dualism, which is not consistent with the nondual teachings of A Course in Miracles. The Course teaches that the mind is separate from the body and the spirit, but it also states that everything is interconnected and that there are higher levels of consciousness which are known as Spirit or Emptiness. Ultimately the goal of the course is to be fully integrated into these higher levels. This integration is not possible if you are stuck in the lower levels of consciousness. This is why it is so important to do the practice of forgiveness. It will help you to rise out of the level where fear and guilt are present.
Sex, Ecology and Spirituality

Ken Wilber is one of the most important thinkers of our time. He is an evolutionary theorist who combines Western science and Eastern spirituality in a comprehensive philosophy of human development. His books are widely read and respected, but they also generate criticism from people who find parts of his thinking flawed or offensive.

For example, critics have accused him of promoting a Eurocentric worldview and failing to recognize the importance of indigenous peoples and their cultures and religions. They have argued that his theory of consciousness is unfounded and is based on outdated assumptions about the origins of human beings. They have also criticized his treatment of women, which he seems to view as inferior to men.

However, the criticisms of Wilber do not entirely reflect his thinking. In fact, he has drawn on an enormous body of work from many traditions, including Asian religions. He has studied Hinduism, Buddhism and Vedanta, and he has even translated some of Sri Aurobindo’s works. It would be difficult for anyone to develop his ideas without such a broad base of knowledge.

Wilber’s own views on sexuality and ecology are controversial, but he makes clear that he does not intend to replace traditional Christian beliefs with his own doctrine. Instead, he wants to wake Christians up to the awesome mystery of God and shake them out of their ossified spiritual ruts.

A Course in Miracles, a modern spiritual classic, presents an alternative theology and path to peace. It challenges the beliefs and assumptions of millions of Christians by teaching that God is both Father and Son. The book also teaches that all things, including our bodies and the natural world, are expressions of Spirit. It suggests that a fundamental mistake of our age is mistaking sensory pleasure for Spirit and thus leads us to waste our lives on trivialities such as hedonism and sex.

Since 1976, the channeled writings of A Course in Miracles have touched millions of readers and seekers around the globe. In this slender volume, Frances Vaughan and Roger Walsh, two well-known spiritual and psychological scholars, have distilled the most poignant passages from these writings into an essential gleaning for all those interested in awakening to the mystery of love.
The 1-2-3 of God

When you walk through the religion and spirituality section of any bookstore, it can be a disquieting experience. So many of the popular books offer simplistic thought systems and a minimum of authentic practices. The truth is, superficiality sells. The remarkably popular A Course in Miracles is an exception to this rule. The Course offers a sophisticated version of both perennial philosophy and perennial psychology, and includes all seven of the central practices.

The Course is a self-study spiritual thought system that teaches that the way to love and inner peace is through forgiveness. It makes a fundamental distinction between the real and the unreal; between knowledge and perception. It also aims to remove the hindrances blinding us from the divine presence of Love’s awareness. In short, it is a course in transformation.

It is supported by a pantheistic worldview, the idea that all of reality is evolving into something better. This is a broad view that encompasses not only evolution of biological life, but also the evolution of consciousness and other forms of energy. This is a view that has roots in a number of philosophers, including Arthur Koestler’s concept of holons, Alfred North Whitehead’s process philosophy, and Hegel’s own thought.

Wilber’s own work is heavily influenced by this line of thinking as well. He has developed an Integral Theory that combines various spiritual traditions, with the goal of combining them into one cohesive whole. He has been characterized as a “guru” by some, though it is unclear whether or not he would agree with this description of himself.

With The 1-2-3 of God, Wilber brings his unique gift for lucid insight to the most essential question asked by spiritual seekers throughout history: What is the true nature of God? The answer, he says, is simple: Spirit at play in the material world. This is the core of A Course in Miracles, and he explores it with great clarity in this book. Also includes Levels of Consciousness reference card.
Eye to Eye

The age-old idiom “eye to eye” is a synonym for a shared understanding. But the Course takes this a step further, urging us to see each other and ourselves in the Light of God’s Love.

The author of A Course in Miracles, Helen Schucman, was born in 1909 and died in 1981. She was a child prodigy, earning the highest grades year after year in school and going on to study medicine, biology, and chemistry. Yet she felt dissatisfied and was deeply troubled by the constant moving of her family, which left her isolated from friends.

She began to experience a series of internal experiences including heightened dream imagery, psychic episodes, and visions. She also had a profound spiritual awakening in which she was led by an inner voice to the realization that the world is not what it seems.

Despite the fact that ACIM has been misused by cultic groups, it appears to have few of the negative features of most spiritual traditions on more formal measures of health and pathology (see Ken Wilber’s Anthony Typology). It is not without risk, but it can be a refreshingly safe path. This slender book provides the perfect gleanings to help readers find their way on this road. A Tarcher Cornerstone Edition, with a foreword by Frances Vaughan and Roger Walsh.