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A Course in Miracles: Discerning the Teachings

Writer's picture: Alison SarahAlison Sarah

Updated: Oct 16, 2024

On the path of inner discovery, each path offers a part of truth and contributes to the awakening of our consciousness. As the proverb says so well, all roads lead to ROMA (AMOR), this ultimate destination that we all share.

If all roads lead there, some are faster than others.




The teachings of Arten and Pursah, from the book " And the Universe Disappears" , remind us of an essential key to the Course in Miracles: the shortening of time. The Course invites us to transcend the world of forms, where we are trapped by the illusion of linear time. By connecting directly to what we are from all eternity, it becomes possible to dissolve years, even lifetimes of learning, in a single moment of acceptance. This process of awakening, although sometimes slow, can be radically accelerated through the practice of true forgiveness as taught in the Course. Instead of seeking to improve our character in time, the Course invites us to lay aside the illusion of time itself, bringing us back to the eternal moment where Love is already fully revealed within us.

For those who wish to study the course, it can be difficult to navigate the mass of information offered today. From a place of openness, let us take a moment to observe the teachings we encounter and discern those that resonate with the deep essence of the Course in Miracles. Here, it is not a question of judging or criticizing other types of teachings, but simply of saving time for those who wish to do so.


God experiences himself through us


In some spiritual teachings, the idea that God experiences Himself through us may seem appealing, but A Course in Miracles invites us to see beyond this belief. God does not need to experience Himself, because He is already the totality of Love. What we experience in the world is an illusion of separation, not a divine exploration.

However, even in dreams there are moments of beauty and grace that remind us of the memory of God. These moments, when love and peace are manifested, allow us to touch with our finger the reality of what we really are. They are not experiences of God in us, but reminders, reflections of the infinite Love that awaits us beyond illusion.


"God knows nothing of this world, for it does not exist for Him. He does not keep it in His Mind because He does not share it with you." (T-11.VIII.1:3-4)

God does not express Himself through the illusions of the world, nor does He validate them by experiencing them. Rather, He knows that we are already complete, perfect, and united with Him, beyond the dream of separation. The idea that God needs to “experience Himself” through us implies that the illusion has a divine reality or purpose, whereas the Course teaches us that the world of form is a projection of our thoughts of separation, not a creation of God.

The Course therefore encourages us to let go of this belief and to recognize that our true function is not to be a vehicle for some divine exploration, but rather to awaken from this dream. We are not here to make the illusion more real or meaningful, but to transcend it:


"God knows nothing of illusions. But the Holy Spirit, as the Mediator between illusions and truth, can use them, but He never confuses them with truth." (T-17.I.5:1-2)

By embracing this understanding, we free ourselves from the idea that we are actors in a divine plan of experimentation, and we remember that our only true function is to awaken to the reality of the Love that we are. God does not need to experiment, for in His fullness, all is already accomplished.


The present moment


The Course in Miracles emphasizes the present moment as a space of liberation, not material creation. Unlike some New Age teachings that encourage using the present moment to manifest future realities or materialize personal desires, the Course emphasizes that the only true purpose of the present moment is to remind us that the ego and the physical world are only illusions.


The present moment is the moment when we can practice forgiveness, which means letting go of all identification with the past, judgments, and illusions of separation. Here lies the key to awakening: recognizing that everything that seems to be happening in the world is a projection of our mind.


Manifestation Laws


In most contemporary teachings, manifestation is often presented as the ability to create one's reality through intention or thoughts. For the Course, this remains part of the dream, an additional illusion reinforcing separation. The desire to control or manifest something in the world comes from the ego, the I that wants something, that seeks to maintain the belief in an external world and to reinforce the idea of individuality.


Any attempt to manifest change in the external world only prolongs the illusion . The true manifestation is that of inner peace and love through forgiveness. The goal is not to transform the external world, but to transform our mind by abandoning the illusion that this world is real.


The manifestation of Being


The concept of “manifesting Being” must be interpreted differently within the Course. Being does not seek to manifest itself in form or the material world, for Being is beyond the world of forms. The Course teachings remind us that Being is already complete and perfect, and does not need to “manifest” itself through body or matter to be real. This idea of manifesting Being is often a dilution of the Course message, as it suggests that Spirit or Being might have a need for experimentation in the material world, which is contrary to the teaching of unity and wholeness.


Timelines chosen or not?


The teachings about timelines and choosing experience can be confusing. Many spiritual approaches teach that we can choose different timelines, creating parallel realities based on our thoughts or decisions.


"Time does not exist. The only interval is that which seems to separate this moment from that in which the last illusion, which is only forgiveness, is recognized for what it is. Every other illusion will be forgiven in this. Time has only one end: the completion of forgiveness." (T-26.V.3:3-6)

This shows that the only real choice is forgiveness, which transcends all illusions of timelines and parallel realities. The Course emphasizes that time is a tool of the ego to maintain separation, but that we can free ourselves from it by choosing peace and recognizing the unreality of the world and time.


A fundamental aspect is that everything we experience - including life, death and even what we call the afterlife - is part of a collective dream.


This notion emphasizes that our reality, however tangible it may seem, is ultimately a projection of our thoughts and beliefs. This includes our conceptions of time and space, which are shaped by our individual and collective


Forgiveness, in this context, becomes a powerful tool. By choosing to forgive, we free ourselves from the negative thought patterns and traumatic illusions that keep us here. This can enable us to change our timeline, access other possibilities and never again experience the same cycles of suffering. However, it's important to recognize that this change isn't automatic. Forgiving does not necessarily imply that the outcome will always be positive.


Indeed, we lack the Holy Spirit's global vision, which understands the whole divine plan and the deeper reasons behind each experience. So, even with forgiveness, there may be elements of our journey that we still need to go through. Sometimes, what seems like pain or hardship can serve a greater purpose in our spiritual evolution.


This reminder encourages us to approach forgiveness with a certain humility. It's not simply a matter of sweeping our wounds under the carpet, but of recognizing that each situation is unique.


If the world is a projection, do I choose what I experience?


Yes, the world is a projection of our beliefs, but the Course explains that this choice is often made at an unconscious level. We do not consciously choose every experience we have; they are a reflection of our unconscious beliefs, often based on guilt and fear. The real choice lies in how we respond to these experiences: with the ego or with the Holy Spirit.


We do not control the details of the dream because it is only a projection. However, we have the power to choose how we perceive this projection, and that is where the true power of transformation lies.


Is the body a manifestation of divinity that wishes to experience?


The Course teaches that the body is a projection of the separate mind, a tool that the ego uses to maintain the idea of separation and limitation. Contrary to some teachings that assert that the body is a divine manifestation or a vehicle for the soul, the Course affirms that the body has no reality in itself. It is neutral and of no intrinsic value unless it is used for a purpose beyond itself.


The Holy Spirit, however, can reinterpret the use of the body. Rather than seeing it as an end in itself or a vehicle for the ego, the Holy Spirit uses the body as a tool for teaching forgiveness, communication, and the expression of love. In this perspective, the body becomes a means to overcome illusions of separation:


"The Holy Spirit sees the body only as a means of communication, a tool of forgiveness, and not an end in itself." (T-8.VII.2:7)

When we choose to let the Holy Spirit guide our perception of the body, it ceases to be a place of pain, conflict, or attack, and becomes an instrument through which we can remember that love and unity transcend all form. The Holy Spirit does not make the body a direct expression of divinity, for the divine Being does not need bodily experience to realize Himself. Instead, He uses it to guide us toward peace and reconciliation with our true identity, which has nothing to do with the body, but everything to do with the spirit.


In this, the body is reinterpreted not as an end, but as a mere temporary means to learning the truth of forgiveness and unity, until the illusion of the body completely disappears in the full realization of the Love that we are.


The Search for Personal Enlightenment


Some spiritual teachings encourage the pursuit of enlightenment as a personal or individual goal to achieve. This creates the idea that enlightenment is something difficult or reserved for a select few who follow a certain path. Conversely, the Course teaches that enlightenment is our natural state, already present within each of us, and that there is nothing to seek. The process is not a quest to obtain something, but rather a recognition of what is already there, a lifting of the veils of illusion.



Working with energies


Approaches to working with energies, whether through energy healing, chakra work, or clearing blockages, are commonly used in the modern spiritual setting. However, for the Course, any work on the body's energies or on energy blockages may reinforce the belief that the body is real and that there is something to be "healed" or "corrected." One may lose sight of the fact that the Course teaches that the body and its energy systems are illusions, manifestations of the belief in separation.


The real work is done at the level of the mind. When the mind is healed through forgiveness, the need to “unblock” energies in the body disappears, because you realize that the body itself is an illusion.


"Magic is the use of remedies which, though they have no real power, are employed with the idea that they have curative power. It is not medicine that cures, but the belief that the body is a separate reality in need of healing. True healing takes place only in the mind." (T-2.IV.2:6-8)

Magic seeks to solve problems where they do not exist, in the body and in the world, rather than in the mind where only true healing can take place.


Memories of the soul


Some spiritual traditions speak of soul memories, past lives, or karmic experiences that need to be released. However, here these concepts are seen as temporal illusions. The soul, or true Being, is eternal and beyond all memory or experience. Believing that the soul is subject to karma or carries memories of the past is again an illusion of the ego, as it maintains the idea of separation in time.


Any idea of soul memories or karma is a construct of the separate mind. The only "memory" that matters is that of oneness with God.


The idea of “healing the character”


In many spiritual belief systems, the emphasis is on improving or healing the “self” or character we play in this life (e.g., healing trauma, improving skills, relationships, or developing self-esteem). However, CEM teaches that this “self” is not real and that trying to fix it only reinforces the illusion. True healing is not about the personality or ego, but about returning to the true Spirit, which is already complete.


The Use of Rituals for Spiritual Transformation


Rituals, whether shamanic, energetic or spiritual, are often used in various spiritual systems as a means to achieve transformation or healing. However, in the course rituals are seen as attempts to empower forms or actions in the material world. Any true transformation or healing comes not from ritual, but from a change of perception in the mind. Rituals, while they may be seen as symbolic, risk reinforcing the idea that form has real power.


"Magic is a means of exchanging one illusion for another. However, illusions never bring true healing, because they do not touch the cause of suffering. The miracle, on the other hand, only unveils what is already there, transforming the perception of fear into love." (T-1.VII.1:1-3)

The search for life's mission


Many spiritual approaches emphasize finding one's "life mission" or unique purpose on Earth. This can create the impression that each individual has a specific role to play in this world, reinforcing the ego by giving it special meaning or importance. This idea of a personal mission can distract from the ultimate truth that we are all one and our only "mission" is to forgive and return to unity consciousness. Belief in a personal mission reinforces the idea that this world is real and that we have a special function in it (i.e., some have more important roles to play than others).


The law of attraction


The Law of Attraction is a classic example, teaching that we can attract what we desire through our thoughts and emotions. This law reinforces the idea that the world and material objects have reality and importance, and that we should try to manipulate them for our happiness.


The course teaches that happiness does not come from obtaining external possessions or situations, but from recognizing that we are already complete and that inner peace comes from forgiveness and letting go, not from controlling the material world.





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