The History of A Course in Miracles

The story of how A Course in Miracles came into being is as remarkable as the Course itself — a tale of two unlikely collaborators and an inner voice that wouldn't be ignored.

The Beginning

In 1965, Dr. Helen Schucman, a research psychologist at Columbia University's College of Physicians and Surgeons, began hearing an inner voice that said, "This is a course in miracles. Please take notes." Over the next seven years, she would take down what became the three volumes of the Course.

Helen was, by her own account, an unlikely scribe. She described herself as an atheist and was skeptical of the material even as she wrote it. But the voice was clear, persistent, and loving — and the resulting work has a consistency and depth that spans over 1,200 pages.

Helen and Bill

Helen's colleague Dr. William Thetford played a crucial role. It was Bill who suggested "there must be another way" to relate to their contentious work environment — a moment Helen identified as the catalyst for the Course's beginning.

Bill typed Helen's shorthand notes and provided the support she needed to continue the often-difficult process. Their collaboration, despite its many challenges, is itself a demonstration of the Course's teachings on forgiveness and holy relationships.

Publication

The Course was first distributed informally through photocopied manuscripts. In 1975, Judith Skutch Whitson encountered the manuscript and recognized its significance. She founded the Foundation for Inner Peace, which published the first edition in 1976.

Since then, the Course has been translated into 27 languages and has sold millions of copies worldwide. It is studied in living rooms, churches, retreat centers, and online communities around the globe.

Kenneth Wapnick

Dr. Kenneth Wapnick, a clinical psychologist, was one of the first people to read the manuscript. He became its most dedicated scholar and interpreter, founding the Foundation for A Course in Miracles (FACIM) and writing extensively on its teachings until his death in 2013.

Wapnick's interpretation, which emphasized the Course's non-dual metaphysics, remains one of the most influential approaches to the material.

*For the complete Course text, visit acim.org. This is original commentary and does not reproduce copyrighted Course material.*