Anyone had experience with A COURSE IN MIRACLES?

[raccoon]

My friend has been attending the classes for years. She swears by it.

I've been several times, and I don't care for it. The way the book is written drives me bananas; it's as if the writer were trying to make it hard to understand. But my main problem with it was it seems to promote the "law of attraction" crap, that whatever happens to us, good or bad, we attracted it by our thoughts. (Which I think is an absolute crock.) Maybe that's just what some of the attendees were saying, but that's what I took away from it.


Your thoughts?

[Ian David]

1. You friend needs a course in common sense. n/t

[lunatica]

2. flamebait

If you don't understand it what are you criticizing?

[SidDithers]

3. It's wooish newage bunk...

sold to people with more money than intelligence.

Sid

[Nikki Stone1]

5. Wow, we actually agree on something! :)

I remember when this was really popular, about 10-15 years back Back then, you could sell people on this idiocy because the economy was good.

[OneGrassRoot]

6. See, miracles do exist. ;) n/t

[Nikki Stone1]

11. ROFL!

:rofl:

[SidDithers]

10. I think you'd find we have much more in common than different...

That's a point that often gets lost here amongst the squabbling - that, generally, we liberals / progressives / democrats want many of the same things for our fellow citizens, even though we sometimes disagree on how to get there.

Sid

[Bluenorthwest]

4. She's been going for years. What has she to show for it

in terms of miracles?

[raccoon]

7. She's retired, does pet- and house-sitting, lives a modest

lifestyle, seems pretty happy.

She's not wealthy--or to all appearances doesn't seem to be.

[piratefish08]

8. her life sounds pretty miraculous.

[StarfarerBill]

13. And if she didn't give her time and money to this snake oil?

Do you think she'd still be as happy (wealth is moot since it has no bearing on true happiness)?

[GoneOffShore]

9. Run for the nearest exit -

Sew your wallet closed.

It's New Age Woo of the worst sort.

[sam sarrha]

12. it was channeled to the authors by spirits.. like God to Moses/Abraham, the Koran to Muhammad, i

read some of it.. didn't take. i did a personal quest for about 7 years evaluating numerous groups, systems. i traveled around joining them, living with them, practicing them.. i was kidnapped by the Moonies for 2 weeks. i came to a fairly ethereal conclusion about the world and how it worked...

essentially.. there are "Things" that happen.. 'cause and effect', every cult wants to lay claim to them as results/proof of their own validity.. decades later, i ran into a Tibetan Monk, Chant Master of the Dalai Lama's Monastery. i studied 3 meetings a week for 4 years at a Chinrezig Center, meditated daily, read a lot, mantras... i became a Buddhist 10 years ago, it fit.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Course_in_Miracles

[Starry Messenger]

14. I have relatives into all that stuff

Run screaming when you try to tell them your troubles and they ask you why you wanted to pull negativity into your life.

[gmoney]

15. well, law of attraction may be another name for positive attitude

If something "happens" to us, about the only thing we control is our attitude about it and our response to it. So, if we look at an event as a colossal insurmountable problem, then it goes into our mental inventory as a terrible thing that happened to us. But, if we approach the event confident that it's something we can deal with, and that maybe something good can even come out of it, and once it's dealt with, we put it behind us. In that sense our thoughts about the event have determined whether it was a good or bad thing that happened to us.

Now, sitting on the couch chanting "I wish for a pony, I wish for a pony" (or whatever you wish for -- love, money, health, donuts) probably isn't going to bring these things to you. And if you sit on the couch saying "I'm never going to get a pony" you probably won't. But if you get off the couch, and do the work and figure out what it takes to make it happen, you might catch a break or two and if you stick with it, eventually you'll have your pony. It's not a miracle in the magical sense, but as a friend once said to me "name something you can't do." What one person can do, another person can, too. (That friend has worked his ass off, surrounded himself with the best people he could find , promoted his business, and is now 10 times more successful than me -- and while he's a talented guy, I'd say 95% of the difference between us was his great attitude versus my fortress of cynicism and negativity.)

Not being familiar with the "course of miracles" thing specifically, I don't know if that promotes a Polllyanna/Pangloss attitude, or more of a "problems are just opportunities in work clothes" attitude.

I think a positive attitude comes more naturally to some people than others, probably based largely on your family surroundings during your early years, and that it's doubly hard if your brain chemistry isn't cooperative and you're "naturally" depressive. But there are also plenty of cases where people overcome those disadvantages through willpower and dedication and turn their lives around "miraculously" to great achievements, or even the simple achievement of enjoying ones life every day, rain or shine.

[BoneDaddy]

22. Also

What we think, determines how we feel and ultimately is a huge part of what we do. Rational Emotive Behavioral Therapy for short.

Now, this can be taken to extremes and some law of attraction people take this beyond reason.

But truthfully how you think and approach life can drastically change the way it works for you and you can influence it.

We all know people who expect the worst in life and view the universe as a hostile place and their life pretty much follows suit. The reverse if true as well.

Science is pretty much proving that how and what we think influences our hormonal and immune system. Stress is a major component of illness. This is irrefutable.

[havocmom]

16. I know a business that insisted all employees do a course like that one

The business was solid #1 when the new boss came on and started forcing employees to do this stuff. Now it is #3 with an anchor. The company work force has been cut over 66% and their rep within the industry (clients) in their area is at an unbelievable low.

While I do believe in 'miracles' (amazing things which we do not understand just yet, and good coincidences) it would seem these courses are helpful only for putting a 'don't worry, be happy' mind set in the attendees, and money in pockets of the facilitators.

Being happy is great, but being blindly happy is not especially practical. Think about the good stuff any of us has actually accomplished; was the trigger for our efforts that we were already happy and willing to just hope for the best, or was it a bit of discomfort, dissatisfaction, dare I say, even unhappiness?

People who want others to focus more on 'miracles' over critical thought, planning, effort, action are people who want easy prey.

[get the red out]

17. Tried to read it years ago

But then realized that the people who had highly recommended it to me were incredibly suspect in numerous ways. Not that everyone who gets involved in the "Course in Miracles" is suspect, but this couple turned out to be rather nefarious and cult-like in the way they approached things.

I am immediately suspicious of anyone or anything that tries to tell me what to think spiritually. I just see it as way too individual of an experience. But I am obviously the rebellious sort to dare say I have some belief in the spiritual yet not tow the mainstream religious lines.

[liberal_at_heart]

18. My dad has taken some of these classes

He is free to believe whatever he wants to believe but what infuriates me is that he spends so much money on stuff like this. My father is retired and living off of Social Securtiy which is not much money. And he spends alot of money. He tithes to his church. He donates to tv evangelists. He buys all their books. He goes to seminars. Between my husband and I we have three parents who have no retirement, one of which is in trouble for back taxes so he won't even be able to get Social Security, one who sends most of his money to crooked evangelists, and another who has so much credit card debt she may lose her house. I have a son with autism and don't know for sure if he will be able to take care of himself when he is grown. Now, I love my father and my in-laws but my children come first and if our parents' irresponsible behavior gets them in trouble I may not be able to help them.

[Douglas Carpenter]

19. I have a friend who won't shut up about it,,,

frankly, I have not heard anything that strikes a chord with me. The premise that everything we see and everything we know is all a dream and none of it is real ...simply does not seem to me to be true.

As I understand it from my friend, this belief system strongly discourages the entire concept of trying to make the world a better place. I cannot see how such a belief can appeal to any progressive or encourage people to make a positive contribution for the cause of justice and peace.

[Stevenmarc]

20. The miracle is that the one running it found enough stupid people to buy into it

Although here in this country we seem to have very little shortage of stupid.

[Vinnie From Indy]

21. lol!

The biggest scam since no proof of income mortgages.

[juno jones]

23. It has some valuable things to say.

Life is a hell of a lot easier if you are relatively happy and don't lash out at others at random based on how shitty of a day you're having. Greases the social wheels nicely.

However, an unresonable expectation of that happiness (as in prosperity gospel, miraculous healing, etc) is an onerous burden placed on thought and belief.


Perhaps you should do some research about it on google. If it's relatively benign, perhaps you can live with that as part of her personality. If the control over her by teachers and sect is more cultic, you might want to arm yourself with the facts.

IIRC, course in miracles is pretty standard new age stuff and not as evil as scientology or as batshit as raelians. Harmless unless lots of money is involved. Thing is, most of the 'secret stuff' is all public domain. Has been for ages. Fads like the 'Secret' amuse me since I've been watching this sort of thing for ages and they really add nothing new to it.

[edhopper]

24. About as useful as taking

"A Course on Miracle-Whip" to learn Haute Cuisine.

[MineralMan]

25. Is that still around? I knew a very annoying person who

studied that. Did I say that the person was very annoying? If not, I should say that the person was very annoying.

[kwassa]

26. I've met Marianne Williamson

I lived in LA in the epicenter of the new age industry. Marianne was the best known lecturer on the Course, and has had books of her own that were major best sellers, such as Return to Love.

I was involved in a metaphysical church that had a similar orientation, and she was invited to speak there several times. I met a number of famous people there.

Here is a famous quote of hers that is often mistakenly attributed to Nelson Mandela:

Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness, that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small doesn't serve the world. There's nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It's not just in some of us; it's in everyone.