The useful request of ACIM's teachings can also be a spot of contention. Although some individuals report positive transformations and personal development from following the class, others discover the practices to be useless as well as harmful. The course's focus on forgiveness and enjoy is excellent, but experts disagree that it could be excessively simplified and naïve, failing to deal with the difficulties of individual associations and the need for boundaries and accountability. Moreover, the course's period and intensive character may be frustrating for a lot of people, ultimately causing burnout or disillusionment. Authorities claim that enough time and work expected to accomplish ACIM might be better allocated to more empirically reinforced therapeutic techniques or spiritual disciplines which have a proven track record of effectiveness.

The broader influence of ACIM on the religious and self-help neighborhoods can be value considering. The class has inspired an important subsequent and has been built-into numerous New Era and spiritual movements. david hoffmeister , its effect can be seen as a double-edged sword. Using one hand, it has presented a structure for individuals seeking religious growth and inner peace. On one other hand, their teachings may contribute to a tradition of religious skipping, where people use religious concepts in order to avoid working with personal and cultural issues. This may result in a form of escapism, where the focus on spiritual attitudes distracts from the requisite of participating with and approaching real-world challenges.

More over, the professional achievement of ACIM and their connected resources improves moral concerns. The proliferation of workshops, publications, and seminars centered on ACIM can be seen as capitalizing on individuals' religious needs and vulnerabilities. Critics argue that the commercialization of spirituality may result in the exploitation of seekers, who may invest significant time and money in to practices that fundamentally do not produce on their promises. That commercialization also can donate to the dilution of the course's teachings, as various understandings and adaptations proliferate, possibly leading to confusion and misapplication of the principles.

Still another critical element to consider could be the exclusivity and dogmatism that could often accompany the ACIM community. While the course it self encourages general love and forgiveness, the way it's shown and used by some adherents may cause an expression of spiritual elitism. This will develop an "us versus them" attitude, where those who follow ACIM are regarded as enlightened, while those that do not are viewed as misguided or unenlightened. Such attitudes could be divisive and counterproductive to the course's purported goals of peace and unity. Authorities argue that true spiritual development must foster inclusivity and humility, as opposed to making a hierarchical variation between the spiritually awakened and the unawakened.