A course in miracles, sometimes referred to as The Course in Miracles, is a famous book written by Helen Schucman. The underlying premise is that any" miracle" is really just the supreme act of "seeing" with the "intellect." Schucman claims that this book was dictated to her, virtually word for word, through "inner meditation." This means that this book actually provides a way for individuals to meditate on the miracle of the Gospel.

The basis behind this "classical" approach is that all sins are equal, and therefore, they all deserve a "mercy." Therefore, a person should focus on the fact that whatever sin they have committed is equivalent to a sin against the consciousness of God. By meditating on these acts of "forgetting," we become conscious of the fact that all sin is atoned for in some manner - whether that is by receiving absolution, or forgiveness, or receiving mercy. In the course of this meditation, we come to realize that all our acts of "forgetting" are an act of atonement for something previous to the action. The "sins of Christ" atoned for our sin on the Cross, so that Christ's love will be poured forth upon those who receive his love.

Helen Schucman's teaching is based upon the notion that any teaching, whether it comes from a religious text, a therapist, a doctor, or from a teacher, is based upon a thought system which has been conditioned over years. These conditioning ideas are then projected into the subconscious mind, which provides the subconscious with the means to create change. The only way to achieve inner peace is to realize that all these conditioning ideas are wrong and that true peace is obtained when we free ourselves from these misconceptions. This requires that you first remove your misconceptions about mankind (how do they commit sins? ), accept the idea that there is a God, and look to Christ to receive inner peace and forgiveness so that you may enter into union with the Lord.

While Helen Schucman does present a method which will help you achieve some measure of this transformation, she does not offer a simple formula that you can apply to all situations. The way that this program works is based on the belief that the time-space and ego cannot co-exist and that only one option exists: ego must give way to love. The ego will attempt to tear down this new thought system, but only love will survive through time-space and ego. Through Christ, however, all fears of God and all fears of a man die, and the ego and the space between collapse into the nothingness of space.

The first part of the course in miracles is the introductory paragraph, which covers the history of salvation and the meaning of the Christian religion. It briefly reviews the three segments of the New Testament (the Gospels), introduces you to the three wise men (Matthew, Mark and Luke), gives a short account of the miracles done by Jesus, and closes with a biblical explanation of why you should believe in Jesus. The second part, known as the Intermission, consists of eleven chapters. It begins with an introduction to the three sections of the New Testament, reviews the meaning of the three books of the Bible, and then looks at the problem of man's sinfulness and salvation. After this lengthy intro, the reader is introduced to the twelve apostles, twelve keys of the Kingdom of God, and the secret prophecy of Peter, John and James.

The third section of the book, known as the exposition, is another lengthy expository text. It consists of only eleven short sentences, but it introduces each section of the New Testament (e.g., the Gospels) and then looks at the three sections of the Old Testament. It ends with a word to the reader (verse 16): "But to what end? Nothing further has been said." The workbook ends with a brief note that concludes the expository portion of the book, which again only offers a short thought on the meaning of the New Testament and the coming Kingdom of God.