FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions

The below Q&A is meant to help orient you to the Course, to the Center for Miraculous Living, and the services we provide. If you have questions that are not answered here, feel free to reach out directly on our Contact page. You can also visit the Practical Miracles blog where you will find short articles on various aspects of the Course’s path and many of its core teachings. They just might provide the answers you seek.

“The course does not aim at teaching the meaning of love, for that is beyond what can be taught. It does aim, however, at removing the blocks to the awareness of love’s presence, which is your natural inheritance. The opposite of love is fear, but what is all-encompassing can have no opposite.

This course can therefore be summed up very simply in this way:

Nothing real can be threatened. Nothing unreal exists.

Herein lies the peace of God” (CE In.1-2).

ABOUT A COURSE IN MIRACLES

• What is A Course in Miracles?

The Course is a spiritual path leading to the healing of our perception and the extension of that healing to others. The outcome of such healing is a new way of seeing called true perception or vision, which allows us to distinguish between the real and the unreal, between truth and illusion. We also learn to easily distinguish between the ego and its thought system of fear and separation and the Holy Spirit and His thought system of love and the undoing of separation. The healing of our own perception happens primarily through forgiveness. And, the extension of this healing to others is, at its heart, an expression of love, or a miracle.

Forgiveness and the giving and receiving of miracles are central to the path of the Course, but they are not the only means offered in the Course for our healing. Other means include: thoroughly studying its transformative teachings, regularly applying those teachings in our day-to-day lives (mainly through the Course’s Workbook), facing one’s ego and taking responsibility for what it does, and bringing the darkness (all dark thoughts, fears, illusions, etc. of the ego) to the light (to the Holy Spirit, to truth, to what is real) so the light can shine the darkness away.

In form, A Course in Miracles is a three-volume book with all three volumes now bound together and sold as one.

1. Volume one is the Text—the longest of the three at over 900 pages—which contains the bulk of the Course’s teachings and is the “theoretical foundation” [CE W-In.1:1] of the Course.
2. Volume two is the Workbook for Students, consisting of 365 lessons for applying the ideas (teachings) of the Course. In other words, the Workbook instructs us to use the ideas in our daily lives instead of simply having an intellectual understanding of them.
3. Volume three is the Manual for Teachers, focused primarily on those ready to embrace the role of miracle worker or teacher—fulfilling their function of extending and demonstrating to others the ideas they studied in the Text and then applied in the Workbook.

• Is A Course in Miracles a Christian path?

This is one of the most common questions people ask—and understandably so. The Course uses the language of Christianity: Jesus, the Holy Spirit, God, salvation, the Son of God, the Atonement. But it uses these terms in ways that are quite different from traditional Christian theology.

The Course does not require belief in any particular doctrine, membership in a specific church, or the need for a religious background. It is not affiliated with any denomination or religious institution. At the same time, it is not a rejection of Christianity. Many students come to the Course from a Christian background and find that it deepens and transforms their relationship with Jesus and with God in ways they didn’t expect (like myself, Billy). Others come with no religious background at all and find it equally accessible.

There are some in the Course community (Billy included) who see the Course as a correction, enhancement, and furthering of the way of Jesus, so it is more aligned with his original teachings and more universal rather than exclusive. The Course seems especially suited and helpful for Christians or former Christians who want a way to follow Jesus that gets to the heart of his teachings but without Christianity’s baggage, bad press, judgmentalism, and obsession with sin and the afterlife—a path that takes Jesus’ message to an advanced level that would have been impossible before now. Of course, it’s not a requirement that anyone view the Course in this way. It is simply a useful and, for some, comforting idea to consider.

The Course itself says it is “one version of the universal course” [CE M-1.4:1]—one path among many that lead to the same destination. As such, it does not need to be tied to one specific religion or tradition. What makes it distinct is not its religious language but its specific curriculum: a rigorous thought system and a daily practice of forgiveness designed to undo the ego and restore the mind to peace.

• What is the ego in A Course in Miracles?

In the Course, the ego does not refer to what most people mean by the word—it is not simply pride, selfishness, or an inflated sense of self. The ego is the part of our mind that believes in separation (separation from God, other people, and our true nature) and fabricates a false identity built entirely on that belief.

The ego is the source of all false perception based on fear, judgment, attack, and defense. It is the voice that tells us the world is dangerous, that we need to protect ourselves, and that others are the cause of our suffering. The Course calls it a “thought system”—a complete and internally consistent framework for interpreting everything we see.

Importantly, the Course does not ask us to fight the ego, suppress it, or feel ashamed of it. The ego is simply undone through forgiveness—through the consistent practice of choosing the Holy Spirit’s perception over the ego’s. As we forgive, the ego’s grip on the mind loosens gradually, naturally, and without struggle.

• What edition or version of A Course in Miracles does the Center use and recommend?

We at the Center use A Course in Miracles: Complete and Annotated Edition (CE), published by the Circle of Atonement. All citations on this website reference the CE. The CE is based on the original dictation of the Course as transcribed by Helen Schucman, restored as closely as possible to what she first recorded. Many students find it more intimate in tone and slightly more accessible in language than the earlier, more edited, Foundation for Inner Peace (FIP) edition, which had been the standard and only published version since 1976.

These two editions of the Course are not the only ones. There are actually seven editions of A Course in Miracles from seven different publishers—each representing varying degrees of editing. For a very good overview of all seven versions, you might want to follow this link to a page on Britney Shawley’s Miracles of Mind website. She does an amazing job of explaining each version, what makes them similar, and how they differ.

Each edition contains the same three volumes—the Text, Workbook for Students, and Manual for Teachers—and the same core teachings. Any can be used effectively for study. If you are just beginning, we recommend the CE since it restores guidance given to Helen and Bill (the scribes of the Course) that often sheds light on some of the Course’s more abstract concepts, includes additional teaching that was removed, and restores the original wording and order of the earlier material, allowing “the Course’s true meaning and character to shine through a little more clearly” [CE Front-3.10:2]. The CE is also available for free in a searchable online version found at acimce.app.

ABOUT MIRACULOUS FORGIVENESS

• What is Miraculous Forgiveness, and how is it different from ordinary forgiveness?

Ordinary forgiveness—the kind practiced by most—says, “What you did was wrong, but I am going to let it go and forgive you anyway.” It is generous yet still begins with a judgment. It assumes guilt, assigns blame, and then chooses to overlook it. This kind of forgiveness is better than holding a grudge, but the Course teaches that it doesn’t go far enough.

Miraculous forgiveness starts from a different premise entirely. It recognizes that what we believe we see in others—their guilt, their darkness, their attack—is a projection of the ego’s false perception. By practicing the Course’s approach to forgiveness, we learn to look beyond our false perception to the truth of who the other person actually is: a spiritual being, temporarily lost in the same mistaken identity we share.

One principle that the Course makes explicit when it comes to miraculous forgiveness (and any version of forgiveness) is “giving is receiving.” Stated one way, “To give and to receive are one in truth. I will receive what I am giving now” [CE W-108.8:2-3]. The kind of forgiveness we give, we receive. To the degree that we view others under the shadows of their past actions, we will believe that our past actions define us. A change in how we see another (more gracious or more contemptuous) becomes a corresponding change in how we see ourselves.

With miraculous forgiveness, our experience of this principle is often quite striking. As we perceive another free of the shadows of the past and in the light of their creation by God, we perceive ourselves in that same light. Miraculous forgiveness is an experience of release, and forgiver and forgiven are released together. This is why forgiveness is the central method of the Course’s path—not as a moral duty, but as the most direct route to the healing of our minds and the undoing of separation.

• What is meant by a “miracle” in A Course in Miracles?

According to Merriam-Webster, a miracle is “an extraordinary event manifesting divine intervention in human affairs.” Miracles are traditionally thought to transcend the laws of nature—the healing of an incurable condition, walking on water, raising the dead. The Course does not deny that such miracles occur, but its view of miracles is less supernatural and more psychological and relational.

The Course describes a miracle in two ways:

• A miracle is a correction of our own faulty perception. This is the internal or psychological aspect of a miracle. It corrects the ego’s way of seeing (false perception) and brings about a completely new way of seeing called “true perception.”
• A miracle is an expression of love from one person to another. This is the interpersonal, or relational, aspect of a miracle. It heals the mind of the miracle receiver and, in turn, the mind of the miracle worker. Such expressions of love are often the result of miraculous forgiveness.

In a sense, every genuine act of forgiveness is itself a miracle that then leads to a miracle. Forgiveness is a miracle in the first sense of the word, in that it corrects the forgiver’s false perception through the experience of true perception. Forgiveness then leads to a miracle in the second sense of the word, since it leads to an expression of love to the one forgiven. And because a miracle heals the mind of everyone it touches through changing how we see, everything we see changes.

ABOUT THE CENTER AND ITS SERVICES

• Do I need prior experience with A Course in Miracles to work with you?

No prior experience is necessary. Our offerings are designed to meet you wherever you are on the path—whether you are just discovering the Course for the first time or have been a student for many years and are looking to deepen your commitment and practice.

Everything we offer is focused on the path of the Course and its ideas and practices. We recognize there are many valid paths suited to the needs of those walking them. A Course in Miracles is simply ours. If you are drawn to it—whether out of curiosity, dissatisfaction with other paths, or a growing sense that there must be a better way to live—we can help.

• Who can benefit from the Center’s offerings?

Our services are designed for anyone seeking to more faithfully follow the path of A Course in Miracles, from those who are brand new to the Course to more advanced students looking for structured support and companionship.

There are many who come to us not yet committed to the Course but drawn by a sense that something is missing. People who have felt let down by traditional religion. People who have pursued happiness through personal achievement, material things, or external validation—and found that even when they get what they wanted, it doesn’t quite satisfy. If you have reached the point of concluding that there must be a better way to live, a better way to relate to others, a better way to find lasting peace—you are just the kind of person we are here to serve.

• What services does the Center offer, and how do I get started?

The Center offers four main avenues of support:

Miracle-Minded Therapy — One-on-one sessions drawing on Billy’s background as a Licensed Clinical Social Worker, years of study of the Course, his training in Miracle-Minded Therapy, and completion of the Miracle Ministry Academy. This kind of therapy is suitable for almost anyone interested in therapy who also wants the therapist and the therapy approach itself to be rooted in the teachings and practices of the Course. It would also be good for individuals who want personal, focused support in applying the Course’s ideas (primarily, its approach to forgiveness) to their specific relationships, struggles, and life circumstances.

ACIM Study Group — Available virtually or in-person in Monroe, Louisiana. The Study Group is a structured, ongoing opportunity to read, discuss, and apply the Course in community with other students. The Course’s path is explicitly not a solitary one, and Study Groups certainly reflect that.

Experiential Workshops — Offered in-person and online, workshops go deeper into specific aspects of the Course’s teachings—miraculous forgiveness, holy relationships, determining one’s special function, and more. These are immersive, practice-centered experiences rather than lectures.

Bi-Weekly ACIM Teachings on YouTube — Free video teachings on core Course ideas, available to anyone. This is a good starting point if you want to get a feel for the Center’s approach before committing to the other services we offer.

To get started, the best first step is to click here to go to our Contact page and subscribe to our email list using the form provided. You can also ask us any questions you might have and we will respond as soon as we are able. Together, we will find the right fit for you.

• Is the Center affiliated with a particular organization or teacher?

The Center is an independent ministry. Billy has benefited from the wisdom and experience of many ACIM organizations and teachers. The Center is not affiliated with any organizations but its primary companions and points of reference are the teachers and resources of the Circle of Atonement, a non-profit organization founded by Robert Perry and dedicated to A Course in Miracles .

Billy Ledford has drawn on the Circle’s scholarship and community since 2008 and continues to do so. The Circle’s commitment to “the words on the page”—taking the Course’s actual claims seriously rather than softening or blending them with other teachings—is a value the Center shares. If you would like to explore the Circle of Atonement’s resources, follow this link to their website.

• Do I need to purchase A Course in Miracles to work with you?

You do not need to own the book before reaching out or attending a first session or workshop. However, for ongoing study and practice, having your own copy of the Course is strongly recommended. The Workbook lessons in particular are meant to be used daily over the course of a year, and having the book in hand makes that practice far more accessible.

The Center uses and recommends the Complete and Annotated Edition (CE), available through the Circle of Atonement’s online store (click on this link from here) or through Amazon. The full text of the CE is also freely available online at acimce.app if you’d like to explore before purchasing.