From the emotional standpoint, the origins of ACIM increase issues about its validity. Helen Schucman, the principal scribe of the text, claimed that the words were dictated to her by an inner voice she determined as Jesus. This process of obtaining the text through inner dictation, referred to as channeling, is usually met with skepticism. Experts disagree that channeling can be recognized as a psychological sensation rather than true spiritual revelation. Schucman herself was a clinical psychologist, and some suggest that the style she noticed might have been a manifestation of her unconscious mind rather than an additional heavenly entity. Moreover, Schucman expressed ambivalence about the work and its roots, often questioning their reliability herself. That ambivalence, in conjunction with the technique of the text's reception, portrays doubt on the legitimacy of ACIM as a divinely influenced scripture.

This content of ACIM also invites scrutiny from a philosophical angle. The course shows that the entire world we comprehend with this feelings is an impression and that our correct truth lies beyond that physical realm. This idealistic see, which echoes certain Eastern ideas, issues the materialistic and scientific foundations of Western thought. Critics argue that the claim that the bodily world is definitely an dream a course in miracles isn't substantiated by empirical evidence and runs counter to the scientific process, which depends on observable and measurable phenomena. The idea of an illusory world may be powerful as a metaphor for the disturbances of belief caused by the pride, but as a literal assertion, it lacks the scientific help necessary to certainly be a valid representation of reality.

Moreover, the useful request of ACIM's teachings may be problematic. The course advocates for a radical type of forgiveness, indicating that all grievances are illusions and must certanly be neglected and only knowing the inherent unity of all beings. While the training of forgiveness can certainly be therapeutic and transformative, ACIM's method may cause persons to curb genuine feelings and ignore true injustices. By mounting all bad experiences as illusions produced by the pride, there is a risk of reducing or invalidating the lived experiences of suffering and trauma. That perception can be specially dangerous for people working with serious problems such as for instance punishment or oppression, as it can decrease them from seeking the required help and interventions.

Still another level of argument is the way in which ACIM has been advertised and commercialized. Since their book, ACIM has spawned a substantial market of workshops, seminars, and supplementary materials. Authorities argue that commercialization undermines the spiritual strength of the teachings, turning what is supposed to become a holy text in to a profit-driven enterprise. The expansion of ACIM-related services and products and solutions has led some to problem the motivations behind their campaign and the credibility of those who state to instruct their principles. That commercial part can cause a buffer to genuine spiritual exploration, as individuals might be much more dedicated to buying the following book or joining another course rather than engaging profoundly with the teachings themselves.