A Course Chronology Notes from David Hoffmeister

Spring 1965	In the spring of 1965, just before setting out for a difficult departmental meeting, Bill makes an impassioned speech to Helen in which he says, "There must be another way. Our attitudes are so negative that we cannot work anything out." To Bill's surprise, Helen agrees, without reservation, to help him find "another way."
Summer 1965	A dramatic progression of waking dreams for Schucman ensues, culminating with her experiencing a Voice which speaks clearly in her mind. The Voice, which Helen references with a capital "V", explains to her the visions she has been receiving.
October 1965	One day in October 1965, Helen heard the Voice say: "This is a course in miracles; please take notes." With Thetford's support and assistance in transcribing her shorthand notes, Schucman takes down, over several years, some 1,500 typewritten pages which becomes A Course in Miracles.
1969	A lengthy process of retyping the Course begins. Bill Thetford is adamant that no changes be made other than correcting the typing errors and removing specifically personal material. Jesus designates Bill to be the one in charge of all changes. At least one copy is given to Fr. Benedict Groeshel, CFR, (Also known as "Father Michael"), a graduate student of Helen and Bill's.
Spring 1972	Dictation of the third volume, Manual for Teachers, begins.
September 1972	The retyping of the text is completed. The transcribing of the third and final volume, the Manual for Teachers, is completed.
Fall 1972	In the months following the completion of A Course in Miracles in 1972, at least four people are given allegedly unrestricted copies: Cal Thatcher, a close friend of Helen's; Fr. Benedict Groeshel, CFR, student of Helen's; Hugh Lynn Cayce, son of psychic Edgar Cayce and Kenneth Wapnick, a clinical psychologist, who had recently converted to Catholicism and is informed of Bill and Helen through Father Groeshel.
November 1972	Helen and Bill meet Ken Wapnick for the first time . He leaves shortly afterward for Israel to spend some quiet time before entering the monastery.
May 1973	Ken Wapnick returns from Israel, meets with Helen and asks to see Helen's manuscript.
Fall 1973	Ken requests permission from Helen to re-edit the Course. During the editing: 25% of the first 5 chapters is deleted; paragraphs are rearranged; chapter and section titles, previously inserted by Bill and Helen during their re-typing, are changed; punctuation is changed; CAPITALIZATION, previously included for emphasis, is changed to lower case and, in only a few cases, replaced with italics. The 53 miracle principles are changed to 50. Descriptions of the miracle principles are re-arranged and in some cases obtained from other areas of the text. 127 references to "Soul" are changed to 12. The word "Soul" is either deleted or changed to another word such as: creations, you, spirit.
Spring 1975	Helen, Bill and Ken meet Judy Skutch, president of the Foundation for Parasensory Investigation, during a meeting which has been previously arranged to discuss holistic healing. Judy is shown the newly revised "Course in Miracles".
Summer 1975	Judy Skutch receives permission from Helen and Bill to share copies of the Course with close friends. Judy gives copies to several close friends, among them are Jerry Jampolsky and Jim Bolen.
Fall 1975	The Foundation for Parasensory Investigation changes its name to the Foundation for Inner Peace.
September 1975	Criswell Edition is printed and distributed.
October 1975	Application for a copyright is made. FIP intends to register the copyright with "Jesus" as the author. When informed that a copyright could not legally be granted to a non-physical author, FIP does not list the name of Jesus, but instead lists "Anonymous (Helen Schucman)".
December 1975	Copyright is granted.
June 1976	First Edition abridgment is printed.
February 1981	Helen Schucman dies in New York City.
1985	Second Edition is published.
1987	In the 1987 Video, produced by the FIP, promoting and describing the Course, Ken Wapnick says on camera: "One of the things I was most impressed with about the course was that Jesus was the author of it. I just could not believe that anyone else could have written it. It was very clear to me that Helen could not have written it and I just could not imagine it having any other source than Jesus himself."
1987	In "How it Came", a 1987 video produced by FIP Judith Skutch relates: "At this point it seemed clear that I had to study this document and while studying it, I shared it with a lot of people. I made many trips to California and while I was there I told a whole community of people I worked with the story of the Course. Naturally they all wanted to see copies. I was kept busy running off Xerox copies and at $.05 a copy of a 1000 page document, it was very expensive." October 2003 Judge Sweet Invalidates Criswell ACIM Copyright. 2005- the second part of the case has been decided and the servicemarks on "A Course In Miracles" and "ACIM" are no longer valid. This means that anyone can use them without putting a registered mark (r) after them and citing the "owners" and including other legal disclaimers and restrictions. Any group, church or person can now call themselves an "A Course In Miracles" school or teacher. Any group, church or person can now say they are teaching an "A Course In Miracles" class. Any web site or email group can call itself an "A Course In Miracles" group freely. Thanks to everyOne who played their part perfectly in the script that was already written, and thanks to the Holy Spirit & Jesus Christ for the Guidance that has brought A Course In Miracles to the world as a modern day contemporary scripture that is so helpful for the Awakening Mind. In Eternal Love & Gratitude, David Original Guidelines Given By Jesus 1. A Course In Miracles was copyrighted when it was first published in the 1970s in order to keep its thought-system intact during the first 3 decades of its birth and distribution to the world. 2. A Course In Miracles was intended to be a self-study course. Only Jesus & the Holy Spirit can reveal the meaning of the Course to the student's mind. Only God knows the readiness of the student to receive this revelation. 3. A Course In Miracles was only to be published by those who devoted their lives to its guardianship. 4. A Course In Miracles was not to be commercially advertised. It has and will make its own way around the world. Freely you have received, now freely give. 5. Free copies of A Course In Miracles were to be provided to those people who could not afford the cost of the Course. This function was originally the responsibility of the publisher, and now is up to everyone who hears and Answers the Call. A Course In Miracles is now offered freely on the Internet for those who wish to read and/or print a copy of the book for their study and use. 6. No one was to make any money from A Course In Miracles. Revenues and donations are always to be used for sharing and extending the Course with the world and experiencing the Inner Peace of the Kingdom of Heaven within. http://a-course- in-miracles. net