The realistic request of ACIM's teachings can be a point of contention. Though some people record good transformations and personal growth from following the course, others find the methods to be ineffective as well as harmful. The course's emphasis on forgiveness and enjoy is admirable, but experts argue that it may be excessively easy and naïve, declining to address the difficulties of individual relationships and the requirement for limits and accountability. Also, the course's length and intensive nature can be overwhelming for some individuals, ultimately causing burnout or disillusionment. Critics declare that enough time and work required to accomplish ACIM could be greater allocated to more empirically supported therapeutic techniques or spiritual professions which have an established background of effectiveness.

The broader influence of ACIM on the religious and self-help areas can be worth considering. The course has inspired a substantial following and has been integrated into david hoffmeister numerous New Age and spiritual movements. However, its effect is visible as a double-edged sword. On one hand, it has offered a platform for persons seeking religious development and internal peace. On another hand, their teachings may donate to a lifestyle of religious skipping, wherever persons use religious methods to prevent coping with particular and cultural issues. This could cause an application of escapism, where in fact the focus on religious beliefs distracts from the prerequisite of engaging with and addressing real-world challenges.

More over, the commercial accomplishment of ACIM and its related products raises ethical concerns. The expansion of workshops, publications, and seminars centered on ACIM is visible as capitalizing on individuals' spiritual wants and vulnerabilities. Authorities fight that the commercialization of spirituality may cause the exploitation of seekers, who may invest significant time and income in to methods that fundamentally don't offer on the promises. That commercialization also can contribute to the dilution of the course's teachings, as numerous understandings and adaptations proliferate, perhaps resulting in frustration and misapplication of the principles.

Still another important aspect to think about is the exclusivity and dogmatism that could sometimes accompany the ACIM community. While the class itself encourages universal love and forgiveness, the way it's taught and used by some adherents may result in an expression of spiritual elitism. This will produce an "us versus them" mindset, where people who follow ACIM are seen as enlightened, while those that do not are considered as misguided or unenlightened. Such attitudes can be divisive and counterproductive to the course's purported goals of peace and unity. Critics fight that correct spiritual growth must foster inclusivity and humility, rather than making a hierarchical difference between the spiritually awakened and the unawakened.