ACIM Dialogue
We at the Circle are committed to fostering healthy, respectful dialogue about A Course in Miracles. We are interested in Dialogue between the Course and other perspectives.
We invite academics and authors from other fields to enter into dialogue with us about how the perspectives of A Course in Miracles relate to the perspectives of their field, discipline, or thought system. If you are an academic or author and wish to dialogue with us, please write us at greg@circleofa.org.
The goal of such dialogue is simply to learn more about how the Course and this field or thought system relate to each other, and to perhaps leave room for some cross-pollination. As such, both agreements and disagreements are relevant. We would like to emphasize the following values:
- Intellectual openness, which includes an understanding that none of our views represent the final truth, and a desire to discover more of the truth through this dialogue
- Respect toward the dialogue partner and his/her beliefs, which includes refraining from ad hominem attacks and speculations about the unsavory motives or biases behind the other's position
- Meditation and A Course in Miracles by Robert Perry & Roger Walsh. Meditation is one of the most universal, time-honored, and effective spiritual practices. Its effectiveness is now being confirmed by an ever-growing mountain of research data. Yet its place in A Course in Miracles seems far more questionable and hazy. To explore the relationship between the Course's methods of meditation and the methods of other spiritual traditions, we asked Roger Walsh to join Robert Perry for a dialogue on meditation. Besides being a student of the Course, Roger is a long-time practitioner and scientific researcher of meditation.
- A Course in Miracles and the Perennial Wisdom by Robert Perry & Jim Marion. How does A Course in Miracles relate to wider streams of spirituality around the world, both ancient and modern? Is it restating the ancient truths in new form or is it heading off in its own unique directions—or perhaps some of both? Mystic and public policy lawyer Jim Marion, author of Putting on the Mind of Christ, graciously agreed to explore these issues with Course interpreter Robert Perry.
- What is the Special Function? by Robert Perry & Mary Benton. Mary Benton wrote Robert saying that she didn't agree with how the special function was characterized in his book, Path of Light. Robert felt that that this question—what is our special function?—is so important and such a source of confusion for Course students, that he asked Mary if she would like to dialogue about it for the website.
- Was the Universe a Mistake? by Robert Perry & Jim Marion. In November of 2004, Jim Marion wrote me about his reactions to Path of Light. While his response was mostly favorable, he disagreed with the Course's view that the separation was a mistake. We had a brief dialogue about this, which he has graciously allowed me to post on the website.
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