Absence from Felicity : The Story of Helen Schucman and Her Scribing of a Course in Miracles

This biography of Helen Schucman—the scribe of A Course in Miracles, dictated by Jesus—focuses on the lifetime conflict between her spiritual nature and her ego, and the relationship of this conflict to her scribing of the Course. The book includes extensive excerpts from Helen's own recollections, the personal messages she received from Jesus, and her dreams and letters—all never before in print. Presented here as well is some of the personal instructional material from Jesus. This material constituted an integral part of the original dictation of the Course, which was later removed as directed by Jesus.Absence from Felicity highlights the process of the Course's scribing, Helen's personal experiences of Jesus, and her relationship with William Thetford, her close friend and psychologist-colleague at the Columbia-Presbyterian Medical Center in New York City, as well as her collaborator in the scribing of A Course in Miracles. The last part of the book contains reminiscences of Helen by Kenneth Wapnick, the author, which draw upon his intimate relationship with the scribe that spanned the last eight years of her life. Finally, in the context of Helen's experiences, there is a discussion of Jesus which focuses on the appearance and the reality of our relationship with him.