The useful application of ACIM's teachings is also a point of contention. While some individuals report positive transformations and personal growth from following a course, the others find the practices to be ineffective or even harmful. The course's focus on forgiveness and love is excellent, but critics fight that it could be very basic and naïve, failing to deal with the complexities of individual relationships and the need for boundaries and accountability. Also, the course's length and rigorous character can be frustrating for many people, ultimately causing burnout or disillusionment. Critics claim that the full time and energy expected to accomplish ACIM could be greater allocated to more empirically reinforced beneficial techniques or spiritual professions which have an established track record of effectiveness.

The broader affect of ACIM on the religious and self-help communities can also be price considering. The course has inspired an important following and has been integrated into different New Era and religious movements. Nevertheless, its impact can be seen as a double-edged sword. On a single hand, it has presented david hoffmeister  a platform for persons seeking spiritual development and inner peace. On the other hand, their teachings can subscribe to a lifestyle of spiritual bypassing, where individuals use spiritual concepts to avoid coping with particular and social issues. This will lead to an application of escapism, where in actuality the give attention to spiritual ideals distracts from the prerequisite of engaging with and approaching real-world challenges.

Moreover, the industrial success of ACIM and their connected components improves ethical concerns. The proliferation of workshops, books, and seminars centered on ACIM is seen as capitalizing on individuals' religious wants and vulnerabilities. Experts argue that the commercialization of spirituality may lead to the exploitation of seekers, who may possibly spend substantial time and income in to practices that eventually don't provide on the promises. This commercialization also can subscribe to the dilution of the course's teachings, as various interpretations and adaptations proliferate, potentially resulting in distress and misapplication of the principles.

Yet another important element to consider could be the exclusivity and dogmatism that may often accompany the ACIM community. As the program itself advances universal enjoy and forgiveness, the way in which it is shown and used by some adherents can cause a feeling of religious elitism. This can produce an "us versus them" attitude, where people who follow ACIM are viewed as enlightened, while those that don't are considered as misguided or unenlightened. Such attitudes may be divisive and detrimental to the course's purported goals of peace and unity. Authorities disagree that correct spiritual growth must foster inclusivity and humility, as opposed to creating a hierarchical difference between the spiritually awakened and the unawakened.