From the mental perspective, the origins of ACIM raise questions about its validity. Helen Schucman, the principal scribe of the text, stated that what were formed to her by an internal voice she determined as Jesus. This method of obtaining the text through inner dictation, called channeling, is often achieved with skepticism. Authorities argue that channeling could be understood as a mental sensation rather than genuine religious revelation. Schucman herself was a medical psychiatrist, and some claim that the style she heard might have been a manifestation of her subconscious brain rather than an external heavenly entity. Furthermore, Schucman stated ambivalence about the work and its roots, often wondering its authenticity herself. This ambivalence, along with the method of the text's party, casts doubt on the legitimacy of ACIM as a divinely encouraged scripture.

The content of ACIM also encourages scrutiny from a philosophical angle. The course shows that the world we see with your feelings can be an impression and that our true reality lies beyond this physical realm. This idealistic view, which echoes certain Eastern philosophies, problems the materialistic and scientific foundations of Western thought. Authorities fight that the claim that the physical earth can be an impression acim is not substantiated by empirical evidence and goes table to the scientific process, which relies on observable and measurable phenomena. The idea of an illusory earth may be convincing as a metaphor for the distortions of belief due to the vanity, but as a literal assertion, it lacks the empirical help needed to be described as a legitimate illustration of reality.

More over, the useful application of ACIM's teachings may be problematic. The class advocates for a significant kind of forgiveness, indicating that all grievances are illusions and should be ignored and only recognizing the natural unity of beings. As the exercise of forgiveness may indeed be therapeutic and major, ACIM's method might cause persons to restrain genuine feelings and ignore real injustices. By mounting all negative activities as illusions produced by the pride, there's a threat of minimizing or invalidating the lived activities of putting up with and trauma. This perception could be specially hazardous for individuals coping with significant dilemmas such as for instance punishment or oppression, as it may decrease them from seeking the mandatory help and interventions.

Yet another level of contention is just how ACIM has been marketed and commercialized. Because their distribution, ACIM has spawned an important market of workshops, seminars, and supplementary materials. Experts argue that this commercialization undermines the religious reliability of the teachings, turning what's proposed to be a sacred text into a profit-driven enterprise. The growth of ACIM-related services and products and companies has led some to problem the motivations behind their campaign and the reliability of people who state to instruct its principles. This commercial element can cause a barrier to true spiritual exploration, as persons might be much more dedicated to getting the next book or joining another class as opposed to interesting deeply with the teachings themselves.