The realistic application of ACIM's teachings can be a point of contention. Though some people report good transformations and personal growth from following class, the others get the techniques to be useless or even harmful. The course's focus on forgiveness and enjoy is remarkable, but authorities disagree that it could be overly simplified and naïve, failing to address the complexities of individual relationships and the requirement for boundaries and accountability. Additionally, the course's size and rigorous nature may be overwhelming for some people, resulting in burnout or disillusionment. Authorities claim that enough time and energy needed to accomplish ACIM could possibly be better used on more empirically reinforced healing techniques or religious disciplines that have a proven background of effectiveness.

The broader influence of ACIM on the spiritual and self-help communities can be worth considering. The course has influenced a significant subsequent and has been integrated into various New Era and spiritual movements. But, their influence is seen as a double-edged sword. Using a course in miracles one give, it has offered a structure for people seeking religious growth and inner peace. On another give, its teachings may subscribe to a lifestyle of religious skipping, wherever people use religious concepts in order to avoid working with particular and cultural issues. This can cause an application of escapism, where in fact the concentrate on religious beliefs distracts from the prerequisite of engaging with and handling real-world challenges.

Moreover, the commercial accomplishment of ACIM and their connected resources improves ethical concerns. The growth of workshops, publications, and seminars centered on ACIM can be seen as capitalizing on individuals' religious wants and vulnerabilities. Experts fight that the commercialization of spirituality may cause the exploitation of seekers, who may spend significant time and income into methods that eventually do not supply on the promises. This commercialization can also subscribe to the dilution of the course's teachings, as numerous understandings and adaptations proliferate, potentially leading to confusion and misapplication of the principles.

Another important element to consider is the exclusivity and dogmatism that will occasionally accompany the ACIM community. While the course it self promotes common love and forgiveness, the way in which it's taught and used by some adherents may result in an expression of spiritual elitism. This can develop an "us versus them" mindset, wherever those that follow ACIM are regarded as enlightened, while those that do not are considered as misguided or unenlightened. Such attitudes can be divisive and counterproductive to the course's proposed targets of peace and unity. Authorities disagree that correct religious growth should foster inclusivity and humility, rather than developing a hierarchical distinction between the spiritually awakened and the unawakened.