Three Types of Course Students

I have observed at least three different types of Course students:

Casual – These students come to the Course with firmly established beliefs, which can be anything from traditionally religious to eclectically New Age. They do not study the Course in depth. Rather, they take from it that which validates what they already believe and disregard that which conflicts with what they already believe. They often lead others to the Course by showing them the books or inviting them to study groups.

Practical – These students use the Course to better their life in the world. They tend to enjoy the Workbook and have a hard time with the Text. They love the effect that practicing the Course has on their relationships most of all. They are not so much seeking for Truth, but rather seeking to dream a better dream.

Awakening – These students love the whole Course and are hungry for it. They want the Truth because it is the Truth. They see the Course as the path to lead them there. They do not always recognize this about themselves and try to be more like the practical students, but “something” keeps nudging them deeper into the Course. They tend to be the most conflicted students, simultaneously uncomfortable and dedicated. They have much more profound experiences than either the casual or practical students and therefore experience a degree of inner peace the others do not.

Which type of student are you?

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Comments

Anonymous said…
I must be the Awakening student because I cannot stop focusing on the Course and its Truth. It seeps deeper and deeper into my mind. I want to continue on this path. It is the only path that has made any sense to me, at all, during this long period of seeking that preceded my finding the Course (ACIM). I am hungry for it and you are providing healthy morsels of Course that I can digest well. Thanks, Liz for being a Teacher of teachers.
12:04 PM
Carrie Genevachild said…
A casual, eclectically New Age student gave me just the nudge I needed to get back to the Course.

A practical student asked endless questions, enabling me to teach myself the Course.

Yeah, "something" keeps nudging me deeper into the Course.
3:46 PM
Laura aka ZenDiva4u said…
Using your definitions, I would consider myself to be an Awakening student because even though I feel a sense of peace and tranquility from reading the course, I also feel conflicted about my perception of being in the world and having to contend with worldly concerns.
9:21 AM
Anonymous said…
I had an experience as the result of the 12 steps of recovery and forgiveness for a woman whom I thought was a "bitch" that radically changed my p.o.v. about "God" and"religion" and started to seek more answers than the 12 steppers were giving me. I happened to meet a woman that lent me her copy of Marianne Williamson's A Return To Love and it resonated deeply with me so I eventually brought The Course, but still had a hard time understanding the text, as apparently a lot of people do. So I would be hungry to learn and put these to use in my life to learn more how "God" works. I also like the teachings of Eckhart Tolle and Jiddu Krishnamurti. Thank you for posting your blogs I am getting a lot out of them.
6:33 AM
hannah said…
i am an awakening student, but practical still has a pull that is being released .. very uncomfortably ;)
5:37 PM
Paula said…
I'm an extremely uncomfortable awakening student. I have big issues with the world and also with awakening so I experience sharp shifts between fabulous peace and then a face full of blah when I come down from it. I spend most of my days studying the Text, doing the Workbook lessons, bringing the Holy Spirit into each moment with me, reading this Blog, chatting to myself a lot, and communing with God. I hang out with myself so much that I find others company to be an intrusion on my time with God/Self. This is my usual day now since 2 years ago. I think if someone else were to describe me from my outer appearance they would say I'm one super angry depressed person on a bad day and an absolute joy to be around on my good days. I experience so much pain/conflict that it gets so unbearable that I just have to drop it all and pass it over to the Holy Spirit because I've realised there is no other solution. This also makes me angry. Lol! One part of me is happy to be led and the other part is kicking up a filthy stink all over the place! I'm laughing about it though I have no idea why because the whole process is just like, what is going on?!
4:16 AM
hannah said…
i changed my mind.. just us casuals here, dammit! casual SOUNDS so comfy. nah, i DO remember my youth, lol.. it wasnt this brand of difficult, but it was life on earth.. comfy here and there ;) god, wonder if id go back and undo my ACIM time if i could?
4:55 AM
ACIM Mentor said…
Paula, you have aptly described the process. The good news is your discomfort means you are "getting it". If this was just an intellectual exercise for you, you would not be uncomfortable. Just know that in time peace will come to stay.

I was really angry for 9 years after picking up ACIM. But I had experiences of true joy in the midst of that.
11:41 AM
Paula said…
Liz, each day I wake up and I'm looking around at the world and I am very uncomfortable in realising that I really don't know what I am supposed to be thinking, doing or saying. I am in a stupefied state right now. It's very awkward and depressing. I quite literally am not doing anything (or it feels that way) and all I can do is sit with it. It's awful. I'm having a hard time looking on it with peace in mind and I'm waiting for guidance, but I don't think I'm ready to listen. I'm like a stunned deer in headlights. So uncomfortable and feeling defeated. Have you any words that may ease my seeming pain? I even thought of stopping the Course but there is nothing else left for me now because I've seen the way out and to dive back into the world and try to forget all of this would be impossible.
9:24 PM
ACIM Mentor said…
Paula, you can put ACIM aside for a while and not fall of the path. You are on it for life now, whether you can see it or not.

There is no "supposed to" with regard to what you think, do, or say. That implies a "right" or "wrong" way, which implies that guilt is possible. This may be what is paralyzing you. There is what is helpful, but you can only be guided by the Holy Spirit when you are moving - thinking, doing, saying. So don't censor yourself. Live naturally and bring the Holy Spirit with you. You will probably be in a neutral state most of the time. But when your peace is disturbed or you are confused it is time to turn to the Holy Spirit - "how should I think about this?" "what, if anything, should I do here?" "what, if anything, should I say here?" The "should" in these statements mean in regards to what is helpful for your peace of mind, not what is "right" or "wrong".
8:09 AM
hannah said…
that last sentence is helpful to my peace of mind! thanks liz and paula
8:35 AM
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