ACIM vs New Age

Although A Course in Miracles is often quoted and mixed with New Age spiritualities, they are really not the same. ACIM with its pure non-dualism does not compromise on its unique and consistent principles with the mostly existential theories of New Age movement.

For instance, ACIM clearly states that the consciousness is the domain of the ego, yet the collective consciousness is believed by many in the New Age circles to be God or Spirit.

I believe I am quite qualified to point out the obvious differences between ACIM and New Age spiritualities, having been the co-founder and editor of a well-regarded metaphysics magazine before giving it up to become a student of ACIM.

The glaring differences made it impossible for me to continue the metaphysics magazine which was deeply rooted in New Age spiritualities. Now, I no longer have to question why "highly-regarded" New Age teachings are often conflicting with one another.

Yet, the purpose of this article is not to belittle New Age spiritualities or reinforce any separation between ACIM and New Age communities. I was from the New Age community and mingled with many well-known teachers in the past. Among them are some of the most wonderful and loving people I have known. I deeply appreciate that phase of life for it highly accelerated my transition to ACIM.

I figured I would have taken a much longer journey on the path of non-duality to reach pure non-duality have I not spent so much time and effort on the New Age spiritual buffet line to realize that they do not work for me.

But if a certain New Age spiritual path rings true for any reader, please by all means stick to what works for you. ACIM is not for everyone at the same time and as ACIM says, "There are many thousands of other forms, all with the same outcome." (M-1.4)

This is not a scholastic study but merely to point out the glaring differences so that the New Age community can see that ACIM principles do not fit into their teachings and that ACIM students could better focus on their path and not straddle on both sides.

*Note: I am only listing the common New Age beliefs since there are many schools of thoughts in the New Age movement. Please do not take it to represent every New Age spirituality. Also note that some New Age spiritualities actually do embrace part of ACIM principles.

Many people in the New Age movement switched from religions because they realize that religions do not make any sense to them. Likewise, I can only say that I began to understand ACIM because I came to a realization that New Age teachings and the worl no longer made any sense to me.

I have concluded that a loving and perfect God could not have created this insane and imperfect world where man is killing man and everything dies or decays. God is dead, almost literally, but simply because God is not found within this illusion. So perhaps until one has arrived at this conclusion one day, it is likely difficult for him or her to accept the radical teachings of ACIM.

And as I have pointed out in the differences above, if one truly understands ACIM, he or she could not possibly be mixing it up with any New Age spirituality or religion. While there are some similarities at the surface, they are just not the same at the core.