Foundation for Inner Peace: Encyclopedia - Foundation for Inner Peace

Foundation for Inner Peace

Foundation for Inner Peace. Founded in 1972 by Judith and Robert Skutch and chartered under the State of New York's nonprofit organization laws, the Foundation for Inner Peace was initially called Foundation for ParaSensory Investigation. This early name reflected the Foundation's educational interest and support of parapsychological research in academia at the time.

On May 29, 1975, Judith Skutch first met Dr. Helen Schucman, Dr. William Thetford, and Dr. Kenneth Wapnick the three primary transcriber-editors of A Course In Miracles. They first met in Thetford's office at the Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons in New York City. Schucman and Thetford served as medical psychologists on the staff of this College. After exploring many common interests, these three revealed to Skutch their well-kept secret regarding a document that Schucman had first penned in shorthand, and which Thetford had then assisted Schucman in transcribing into a typewritten manuscript to be called A Course in Miracles, (or ACIM). Wapnick then assisted both Thetford and Schucman in some further editing of this material, in order render it in a more orderly, publishable format. The material included a Text, a Workbook for Students, and a Manual for Teachers. Schucman described having first penned these notes via a channeling process known as inner dictation.

Over the next few weeks, the group was increasingly bound together by their common enthusiasm for these remarkable spiritual teachings. They soon began to meet regularly to study and discuss the teachings . Within months it became apparent to them that this document was meant to be shared with all who found it beneficial or of interest. Accordingly, the decision was collectively made, and internally guided to publish ACIM through the existing Foundation. The decision, also through guidance, brought the Foundation a new and more appropriate name: "Foundation for Inner Peace" (or FIP). It was a decision also reflective of FIP's new role as trustee and publisher of ACIM, and the fact that Helen, through her own inner guidance which she had in fact identified as the historical Jesus, had turned the care and copyright of ACIM over to the newly established FIP. (The copyright has since been transferred to the Foundation for A Course in Miracles, chaired by Dr. Kenneth Wapnick.)

The first edition of ACIM, published by the FIP in the late summer of 1975, was actually a reduced-size, soft cover offset production of the manuscript, about 300 copies in all. The demand for the ACIM books became so great, however, that a standard three volume hard cover edition of 5,000 copies was published in June 1976. Demand continued unabated and continues, with about a million and a half copies now in print worldwide, and with a single volume edition of ACIM now available.

In 1982 due to growing interest in ACIM abroad, FIP established a translation program. The first translation, a Spanish edition published in 1993, was sequentially followed by editions in German, Portuguese, Hebrew, Russian, Chinese, Italian, Dutch, and Danish. There are currently eleven other languages in FIP's translation program, while still others will be included as they become necessary.

In 1978, FIP moved its offices from New York City to Tiburon, California. In addition to its primary activity of publishing and disseminating ACIM, FIP has also published two works penned by Schucman that were similarly scribed or chanelled, namely: "Psychotherapy: Purpose, Process and Practice" and "The Song of Prayer". Also published by FIP is a collection of her inspired poems titled "The Gifts of God." Original documentaries and readings from the Course on video and audio cassettes, Workbook lesson cards, and a complete concordance to the Course have also been compiled and published by FIP and its associates.

In 1978 also, Schucman scribed a personal message of guidance for FIP that came from Jesus. In it the goal was given that the Foundation was not only to publish and disseminate A Course in Miracles, but also to discuss it. Kenneth Wapnick was designated as the group member who would be primarily involved with discussing the Course's message as part of FIP's overall activities. In order to facilitate the specific function designated to him, Kenneth and his wife Gloria subsequently founded the Foundation for A Course in Miracles (FACIM) in 1983. They relocated in Roscoe, New York in 1988 and established an Academy and Retreat Center. In 2001, FACIM moved its Teaching Center and operations to Temecula, California, an inland city midway between Los Angeles and San Diego. FACIM therefore was first conceived as, and has always functioned as, a school for ACIM.

In early 1995, FACIM established the "Institute for Teaching Inner Peace through A Course in Miracles" as an accredited teaching institute. The Institute, incorporated under the New York State Education Law, has been chartered by the Board of Regents of the University of the State of New York.

Historically and as can been seen, lines between FIP and FACIM have always been fluid, which reflect their shared purpose and common origins, and which form the background for their close association.

As a result and in an arrangement begun several years earlier, in 1999 FIP assigned and conveyed ACIM's copyright and service mark to FACIM, after requirements and approval for this transaction had been satisfied.

Foundation for Inner Peace - Related Links

• A Course In Miracles
• Foundation for A Course In Miracles

Adapted from the Wikipedia article "Foundation for Inner Peace", under the G.N U Free Docmentation License. Please also see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki