What is Acimine?

 

Acim is an acronym for Alcoholic Detoxification, Innovation, Inner Bonding, Meditation, Ministry, and Miraculous Ministry. Helen Schucman is the founder of the Alcoholics Anonymous organization. Her book was originally entitled, "A Course in Miracles." It was released in 1976 and contains some interesting messages about the process of detoxification and how it can positively change the lives of addicts. Some of the messages in the book are quite controversial, especially the claim that alcoholism is in fact a disease and not just a habit.

ACIM is not really about religion but spirituality. It is said that by attending an ACIM class, you will receive instructions from your higher power which will enable you to turn your life around through the power of your will. The underlying theory is that the biggest" miracle" is simply the act of gaining a clear "awareness of the presence of love" in one's life. Schucman claimed that this book was dictated directly to her, word for word from God.

According to the course states, "There are many who question the efficacy of such kind of therapy. They believe that any kind of therapy that puts faith in the power of prayer, meditation, or good works is vain. However, the course states that anyone who has experienced the effects brought about by these techniques will testify that it works." ACIM is not a workbook that anyone should use as a reference manual on Alcoholics Anonymous. Rather, the course states that its purpose is to illustrate the impact that acim has on the lives of others and to offer an empowering experience to those who have gone through the program.

But what is Acim? According to the course, it is nothing more than "a new name for God's wisdom, consciousness, and presence in our lives". Dr. Larry Crabb, the creator of AA believes that acim presents the person with an opportunity to reclaim their sense of spirituality through the practice of meditation and prayer. The course also teaches that through acim, we can learn to let go of our personal ego and become more aware of the inter-relationship between our higher self and the universe. The course states that once these lessons are learned, one can use this awareness to help them get past problems like fear, addiction, depression, anger, shame, self-pity, and sorrow.

There is also a great deal of material that deals with the use of the ego, and how this ego can be replaced by the higher self. It is also suggested that this process is similar to changing the ego at the same time as this ego is replaced. This is why Dr. Marquis of Columbia University and the author of Breakthrough Meditation teach that it is possible to create your own personal higher power. However, he also warns that once you have created this higher power, you must learn how to direct its use. In other words, you must learn how to use this spiritual practice, such as AA, to help you overcome obstacles to your personal development and spiritual growth.

As far as the program itself goes, it is divided into ten sessions. Each session takes approximately forty-five minutes and is generally designed to last for five days. The first session covers basic concepts like "principle", "practice", "meditation", and "miracles". The second session consists of "acts". These acts cover everything from healing to acting to developing great leaders.