From a psychological standpoint, the origins of ACIM increase questions about their validity. Helen Schucman, the primary scribe of the text, claimed that the words were formed to her by an internal style she recognized as Jesus. This method of receiving the writing through inner dictation, known as channeling, is often met with skepticism. Critics disagree that channeling may be recognized as a psychological phenomenon rather than real spiritual revelation. Schucman herself was a medical psychiatrist, and some suggest that the voice she noticed could have been a manifestation of her subconscious mind as opposed to an external divine entity. Also, Schucman expressed ambivalence about the task and their beginnings, sometimes wondering their credibility herself. This ambivalence, coupled with the method of the text's reception, casts doubt on the legitimacy of ACIM as a divinely inspired scripture.

The content of ACIM also invites scrutiny from a philosophical angle. The course teaches that the world we comprehend with your senses is definitely an impression and that our true truth lies beyond that physical realm. This idealistic view, which echoes particular Eastern concepts, challenges the materialistic and empirical foundations of European thought. Critics   david hoffmeister  fight that the declare that the physical earth is an impression isn't substantiated by scientific evidence and runs counter to the medical approach, which relies on observable and measurable phenomena. The thought of an illusory earth may be compelling as a metaphor for the distortions of perception caused by the ego, but as a literal assertion, it lacks the scientific help needed to be described as a legitimate representation of reality.

More over, the useful request of ACIM's teachings could be problematic. The class advocates for a significant type of forgiveness, suggesting that grievances are illusions and should really be overlooked in support of realizing the natural unity of all beings. As the training of forgiveness can indeed be therapeutic and transformative, ACIM's strategy may cause persons to restrain respectable feelings and ignore real injustices. By mounting all negative activities as illusions created by the pride, there is a risk of minimizing or invalidating the lived activities of putting up with and trauma. This perception can be specially hazardous for persons coping with serious dilemmas such as for example punishment or oppression, as it can discourage them from seeking the mandatory help and interventions.

Yet another stage of rivalry is the way ACIM has been promoted and commercialized. Since their book, ACIM has spawned an important industry of workshops, seminars, and supplementary materials. Authorities disagree that this commercialization undermines the spiritual integrity of the teachings, turning what's proposed to be always a sacred text in to a profit-driven enterprise. The growth of ACIM-related services and products and services has light emitting diode some to problem the motivations behind their promotion and the credibility of people who state to show its principles. That industrial aspect can produce a barrier to genuine religious exploration, as individuals might become more centered on purchasing the next guide or participating the following class as opposed to interesting deeply with the teachings themselves.