Helen Schucman Life, A Course in Miracles Scribe
Jewish Atheist Takes Dictation from Jesus Christ in New Age ACIM
Nov 16, 2009
Helen Schucman’s life story, including how she came to act as a scribe for A Course in Miracles, taking dictation from a voice within herself that identified itself as Jesus Christ, is fascinating to many for a number of reasons, the most significant being that she considered herself an atheist.
Schucman’s life journey from childhood faith, to adulthood atheism, to reluctant scribe for a highly influential New Age spiritual text, which has sold nearly 2 million copies and has been translated into 18 languages, is worth exploring.
Helen Schucman’s Childhood: Interest in Catholicism and Judaism
Helen Schucman’s parents were half Jewish, but neither practiced the faith. Schucman’s mother resented her Jewish heritage and dabbled in a variety of other spiritual paths, while her father had no interest in religion at all.
During her childhood, Schucman became interested in Christianity. She was fascinated by the elements of the faith that she was exposed to through her nanny, who was a Catholic.
Schucman also became interested in Judaism. She asked her father to teach her about her Jewish roots, but her father was not very interested in entertaining his daughter’s questions. For a while, Schucman thought of herself as a Jew.
Schucman’s additional experiences with Christianity in her late adolescence and early teens influenced the direction of her life. Schucman’s visit to Lourdes, a place of Christian pilgrimage, made a profound impression on her. The family’s maid, who was a Baptist, also played an influential role in her life. The woman read the Bible with Schucman regularly. After some time, at the encouragement of the maid, Schucman was baptized when she was 13-years-old.
However, despite Schucman’s fascination with religion early in life, her rational mind got in the way of her faith. She reasoned away her spiritual experiences. Soon after her baptism, she stopped going to church. She commented, “There was no use. I did not have faith.”
Helen Schucman's Adulthood: Giving Up on God
As Helen Schucman got older, she became more suspicious of religious faith. She experienced some health difficulties in her early adulthood; this spurred emotions of anger and blame that were directed toward god.
Schucman directed much of her quest for spirituality into learning. She was a talented student, who had an interest in philosophy and logic. She earned a PhD and worked as a professor of medical psychology at Columbia University’s College of Physicians and Surgeons. She described herself as “psychologist, educator, conservative in theory and atheistic in belief.”
Helen Schucman's Turning Point in Life: Reluctant Scribe for Spiritual Text, ACIM
The major turning point in Helen Schucman’s life came after she and a colleague, Dr. William Thetford, reached a difficult point in their work relationship. She and Thetford had very different personalities that continually clashed. Thetford finally got so fed up with all the hostility between them that he spoke candidly with Schucman about his frustration. He expressed that he disliked the aggression and competitiveness that colored their work experience and hoped there was a better way of working together and living peacefully.
After this discussion with Thetford, Schucman's inner reality began to transform. She began experiencing various mystical phenomenon, including psychic experiences, extremely vivid and symbolic dreams, and religious visions. She also began to experience an inner voice that was associated with Jesus. After several months, the voice prompted Schucman to begin taking dictation.
Schucman was very troubled during this period. She was concerned her professional reputation would be compromised when her colleagues and others found out about her psychic and spiritual experiences. At times, she was genuinely worried that she was going insane. Yet, she felt compelled to take dictation from the inner voice. Her own words express her inner sense of purpose:
"I am used to doing pretty much what I want to. And I do make my own decisions. But for some reason or other it never occurred to me not to [act as scribe for ACIM]. I thought that this should be done. I made every effort to keep it without me. I did not want to intrude on it. And I felt that it was a matter of personal integrity not to. I really did not interfere with it."
From 1965 until 1972, Schucman took dictation from the voice. Thetford typed up all of her notes. Throughout this process, Schucman experienced periods of bitterness, anger, and confusion. She said, “I think the thing that I found upsetting about it was that it went against everything I believe.”
What Does A Course in Miracles Teach and When Was It Published?
In 1975, Schucman allowed the publication of A Course in Miracles. She gave the copyright to the Foundation for Inner Peace, which was established to publish and distribute the book. ACIM achieved success quickly, spreading through New Thought and New Age circles.
A Course in Miracles teaches that people are not separate from from God. It is people’s perception, directed by their ego, which makes separation seem real. ACIM is primarily a course that teaches how to look within to restructure thoughts, overcoming ego thoughts by turning them over to the Holy Spirit and asking for guidance to recognize and remember the connection to God and to experience everlasting peace and happiness.
Helen Schucman's Later Life: Continued Ambivalence About ACIM
After the publication of ACIM, Helen Schucman remained in the background. She did not convert her role as scribe for ACIM into any substantial financial reward or seek recognition for it. She was only known to a small group of people. She continued to feel ambivalent about the course, both because of the way she channeled the material and because the material went against her atheistic beliefs.
In 1980, Schucman was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. She distanced herself even more from A Course in Miracles. In 1981, she died. It was only after her death that details of her life story were made public.
Sources:
About the Scribes (ACIM.org)
Helen Schucman (Answers.com)
Helen Schucman and Religion (A Course in Miracles News)
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