From the mental standpoint, the beginnings of ACIM raise questions about its validity. Helen Schucman, the principal scribe of the text, stated that what were dictated to her by an inner voice she discovered as Jesus. This technique of receiving the text through inner dictation, referred to as channeling, is usually met with skepticism. Critics fight that channeling could be understood as a mental sensation rather than real religious revelation. Schucman himself was a clinical psychiatrist, and some declare that the style she noticed has been a manifestation of her unconscious brain as opposed to an external heavenly entity. Furthermore, Schucman stated ambivalence about the task and its roots, occasionally pondering its credibility herself. This ambivalence, along with the strategy of the text's party, portrays doubt on the legitimacy of ACIM as a divinely encouraged scripture.

The content of ACIM also encourages scrutiny from the philosophical angle. The class shows that the world we perceive with our senses is definitely an illusion and which our true reality lies beyond this physical realm. This idealistic see, which echoes certain Eastern ideas, issues the materialistic and scientific foundations of Western thought. Authorities disagree that the  david hoffmeister that the bodily earth is an illusion is not substantiated by empirical evidence and runs table to the scientific process, which relies on visible and measurable phenomena. The thought of an illusory earth may be engaging as a metaphor for the distortions of understanding brought on by the ego, but as a literal assertion, it lacks the empirical help required to certainly be a valid illustration of reality.

Furthermore, the sensible request of ACIM's teachings may be problematic. The class advocates for a revolutionary form of forgiveness, suggesting that grievances are illusions and must certanly be ignored in support of realizing the inherent unity of beings. Whilst the training of forgiveness can indeed be healing and major, ACIM's method may cause persons to curb genuine emotions and dismiss actual injustices. By surrounding all negative activities as illusions developed by the vanity, there's a threat of minimizing or invalidating the existed experiences of putting up with and trauma. That perspective may be especially hazardous for individuals working with significant dilemmas such as for instance abuse or oppression, as it might discourage them from seeking the necessary support and interventions.