The useful request of ACIM's teachings is also a point of contention. Though some people report positive transformations and particular development from after the program, others discover the techniques to be useless or even harmful. The course's focus on forgiveness and love is admirable, but critics disagree that it can be excessively easy and naïve, declining to deal with the difficulties of individual relationships and the requirement for boundaries and accountability. Moreover, the course's period and intense character can be overwhelming for some people, leading to burnout or disillusionment. Experts claim that the full time and effort needed to complete ACIM might be better allocated to more empirically reinforced healing methods or spiritual professions that have a proven history of effectiveness.

The broader affect of ACIM on the religious and self-help areas can be value considering. The course has inspired a significant following and has been incorporated into numerous New Age and spiritual movements. Nevertheless, their effect is seen as a double-edged david hoffmeister  sword. On one hand, it has offered a construction for persons seeking religious growth and internal peace. On the other give, their teachings may donate to a tradition of spiritual bypassing, wherever persons use spiritual ideas to avoid working with particular and social issues. This can lead to a form of escapism, where in fact the focus on spiritual beliefs distracts from the necessity of engaging with and addressing real-world challenges.

More over, the commercial achievement of ACIM and their connected products improves moral concerns. The growth of workshops, publications, and seminars predicated on ACIM is visible as capitalizing on individuals' religious wants and vulnerabilities. Authorities disagree that the commercialization of spirituality may result in the exploitation of seekers, who may spend substantial time and income in to practices that finally don't supply on their promises. This commercialization may also donate to the dilution of the course's teachings, as different interpretations and changes proliferate, possibly ultimately causing frustration and misapplication of the principles.

Yet another important element to consider is the exclusivity and dogmatism that will sometimes accompany the ACIM community. While the program it self promotes universal love and forgiveness, the way in which it is shown and practiced by some adherents can lead to a feeling of spiritual elitism. This may create an "us versus them" attitude, wherever people who follow ACIM are seen as enlightened, while those that do not are seen as misguided or unenlightened. Such attitudes could be divisive and detrimental to the course's purported objectives of peace and unity. Experts argue that true spiritual development should foster inclusivity and humility, rather than developing a hierarchical distinction involving the spiritually awakened and the unawakened.