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John-Roger Hinkins (born Roger Delano Hinkins) (September 24, 1934 – October 22, 2014) was an American author, public speaker, and founder of the
Movement of Spiritual Inner Awareness The Movement of Spiritual Inner Awareness (or MSIA) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit religious corporation, incorporated in California on June 25, 1971. Before incorporation, the group was founded in California in 1968 by John-Roger (formerly Roger D ...
(MSIA), as well as several other
New Age New Age is a range of spiritual or religious practices and beliefs which rapidly grew in Western society during the early 1970s. Its highly eclectic and unsystematic structure makes a precise definition difficult. Although many scholars conside ...
, spiritual, and
self-help Self-help or self-improvement is a self-guided improvement''APA Dictionary of Physicology'', 1st ed., Gary R. VandenBos, ed., Washington: American Psychological Association, 2007.—economically, intellectually, or emotionally—often with a subst ...
organizations.


Biography


Early life and education

Hinkins was born on September 24, 1934, and raised in the small
mining town A mining community, also known as a mining town or a mining camp, is a community that houses miners. Mining communities are usually created around a mine or a quarry. Historic mining communities Australia * Ballarat, Victoria * Bendigo, ...
of
Rains Rains may refer to: Surname *Rains (surname) Places * Rains, South Carolina, an unincorporated community in Marion County, South Carolina * Rains County, Texas, a county in East Texas Entertainment * ''The Rains'', a 2016 zombie novel by Gregg Hu ...
,
Utah Utah ( , ) is a state in the Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. Utah is a landlocked U.S. state bordered to its east by Colorado, to its northeast by Wyoming, to its north by Idaho, to its south by Arizona, and to it ...
. He was brought up in the
Mormon Mormons are a religious and cultural group related to Mormonism, the principal branch of the Latter Day Saint movement started by Joseph Smith in upstate New York during the 1820s. After Smith's death in 1844, the movement split into several ...
faith, As a youth, he attended the local LDS church's
Young Men's Mutual Improvement Association The Young Men (often referred to as Young Men's) is a youth ministry, youth organization and Auxiliary organization (LDS Church), official program of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church). Its purpose is to assist the church ...
and occasionally gave inspirational "three-minute talks". Hinkins described his childhood as "typical", distinguished only by an early belief that he could spot
aura Aura most commonly refers to: * Aura (paranormal), a field of luminous multicolored radiation around a person or object * Aura (symptom), a symptom experienced before a migraine or seizure Aura may also refer to: Places Extraterrestrial * 1488 ...
s, colorful fields that some people believe surround the human body. After graduating from high school, Hinkins attended the
University of Utah The University of Utah (U of U, UofU, or simply The U) is a public research university in Salt Lake City, Utah. It is the flagship institution of the Utah System of Higher Education. The university was established in 1850 as the University of De ...
in
Salt Lake City Salt Lake City (often shortened to Salt Lake and abbreviated as SLC) is the Capital (political), capital and List of cities and towns in Utah, most populous city of Utah, United States. It is the county seat, seat of Salt Lake County, Utah, Sal ...
, where he earned a Bachelor of Science degree in
psychology Psychology is the scientific study of mind and behavior. Psychology includes the study of conscious and unconscious phenomena, including feelings and thoughts. It is an academic discipline of immense scope, crossing the boundaries betwe ...
in 1958 and a Secondary
Teaching credential A United States teaching credential is a basic multiple or single subject credential obtained upon completion of a bachelor's degree, from a college or university that holds regional accreditation, and prescribed professional education requirement ...
in 1960. While in college, he worked as a night
orderly In healthcare, an orderly (also known as a ward assistant, nurse assistant or healthcare assistant) is a hospital attendant whose job consists of assisting medical and nursing staff with various nursing and medical interventions. The highest ro ...
in the
psychiatric hospital Psychiatric hospitals, also known as mental health hospitals, behavioral health hospitals, are hospitals or wards specializing in the treatment of severe mental disorders, such as schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, eating disorders, dissociative ...
ward of a Salt Lake City hospital. He then moved to San Francisco to work as an insurance
claims adjuster A claims adjuster, desk adjuster, field adjuster, or general adjuster (claim adjuster, claims handler, claim handler or loss adjuster in the United Kingdom, Ireland, Australia, South Africa, the Caribbean and New Zealand) investigates insurance cla ...
. He received a Secondary Life Teaching Credential from the State of California, and performed post-graduate work at
University of California, Los Angeles The University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) is a public land-grant research university in Los Angeles, California. UCLA's academic roots were established in 1881 as a teachers college then known as the southern branch of the California St ...
,
University of Southern California The University of Southern California (USC, SC, or Southern Cal) is a Private university, private research university in Los Angeles, California, United States. Founded in 1880 by Robert M. Widney, it is the oldest private research university in C ...
and
California State University, Los Angeles California State University, Los Angeles (Cal State LA) is a public university in Los Angeles, California. It is part of the 23-campus California State University (CSU) system. Cal State LA offers 142 bachelor's degrees, 122 master's degrees, ...
. He then began teaching English at
Rosemead High School Rosemead High School is a secondary school located at 9063 East Mission Drive in Rosemead, California. It is a secondary school in the El Monte Union High School District. The campus, which is adjacent to a city park and pool, has 80 classrooms ...
in a suburb of Los Angeles. James R. Lewis, ''Seeking the Light: Uncovering the Truth About the Movement of Spiritual Inner Awareness and its Founder John-Roger'' (Los Angeles: Mandeville, 1998)


The Mystical Traveler

Hinkins relates having had a
near-death experience A near-death experience (NDE) is a profound personal experience associated with death or impending death which researchers claim share similar characteristics. When positive, such experiences may encompass a variety of sensations including detac ...
while undergoing surgery for a
kidney stone Kidney stone disease, also known as nephrolithiasis or urolithiasis, is a crystallopathy where a solid piece of material (kidney stone) develops in the urinary tract. Kidney stones typically form in the kidney and leave the body in the urine s ...
in late 1963, after which he fell into a nine-day coma. After this experience, Hinkins says he became aware of another "spiritual personality" that had superseded or merged with his previous personality. He began to refer to himself as "John-Roger" in recognition of this transformation. Hinkins has written that during the surgery he had an experience that all things were “in the Light” – that everything was completely safe, protected and perfect, and that following the surgery he began to experience this
higher consciousness Higher consciousness is the consciousness of God or, in the words of Dawn DeVries, "the part of the human mind that is capable of transcending animal instincts". While the concept has ancient roots, it was significantly developed in German ideali ...
expressing more and more into the
physical world The universe is all of space and time and their contents, including planets, stars, galaxies, and all other forms of matter and energy. The Big Bang theory is the prevailing cosmological description of the development of the universe. Acco ...
– i.e. that he could see and perceive everything taking place in this physical world as being perfect in some greater sense, “as being part of a greater whole, part of the
highest good ''Summum bonum'' is a Latin expression meaning the highest or ultimate good, which was introduced by the Roman philosopher Cicero to denote the fundamental principle on which some system of ethics is based — that is, the aim of actions, which, ...
”. He says that, following the experience, he was able to move back to this state of mind when faced with challenging and difficult times, and that he became “more understanding, kinder, and able to respond and act in a way that was based on the good of everyone, not on his own personal perspective." John-Roger Sanderson, Pauli, ''When Are You Coming Home? A Personal Guide to Soul Transcendence” (Los Angeles: Mandeville, 2004), p. 70,71. Hinkins termed this consciousness the "Mystical Traveler Consciousness" and says that he was given the "keys" or began to "anchor" the Consciousness on the planet after the surgery. John-Roger, "Fulfilling Your Spiritual Promise" (Los Angeles: Mandveille, 2006), p. 221. He further says there has always been someone on the planet "anchoring" the consciousness to assist individuals spiritually, and has made this idea a tenet of
Movement of Spiritual Inner Awareness The Movement of Spiritual Inner Awareness (or MSIA) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit religious corporation, incorporated in California on June 25, 1971. Before incorporation, the group was founded in California in 1968 by John-Roger (formerly Roger D ...
(MSIA), the spiritual movement he founded. According to Hinkins, he was passed the "keys" by the previous receptor of the Consciousness,
Sawan Singh Sawan Singh (1858-1948), also known as The Great Master or Bade Maharaj ji, was an Indian Saint or ''Sant''. He was the second spiritual head of Radha Soami Satsang Beas (RSSB) from the death of Jaimal Singh in 1903 until his own death on 2 Apr ...
, the late
Radhasoami Satsang Beas Radha Soami Satsang Beas (RSSB) is a spiritual organization in Radha Soami movement. It is headed by Gurinder Singh. The main centre of RSSB is located on the banks of the Beas River in the northern Indian state of Punjab. Establishment of t ...
master who died in 1948, while he was on the "inner spiritual planes". Hinkins held the "keys" to the Consciousness from December 1963 until they were passed to John Morton, the current Spiritual Director of MSIA, in December 1988. Hinkins maintains that humans are locked in an eternal cycle of
reincarnation Reincarnation, also known as rebirth or transmigration, is the philosophical or religious concept that the non-physical essence of a living being begins a new life in a different physical form or body after biological death. Resurrection is a ...
and
karma Karma (; sa, कर्म}, ; pi, kamma, italic=yes) in Sanskrit means an action, work, or deed, and its effect or consequences. In Indian religions, the term more specifically refers to a principle of cause and effect, often descriptivel ...
, and can only escape by ascending from Earth's negative
realms A realm is a community or territory over which a sovereign rules. The term is commonly used to describe a monarchical or dynastic state. A realm may also be a subdivision within an empire, if it has its own monarch, e.g. the German Empire. Etym ...
into "a totally positive state of being" called "
soul In many religious and philosophical traditions, there is a belief that a soul is "the immaterial aspect or essence of a human being". Etymology The Modern English noun ''soul'' is derived from Old English ''sāwol, sāwel''. The earliest attes ...
consciousness Consciousness, at its simplest, is sentience and awareness of internal and external existence. However, the lack of definitions has led to millennia of analyses, explanations and debates by philosophers, theologians, linguisticians, and scien ...
." This, according to his teachings, is nearly impossible without the assistance of the Mystical Traveler Consciousness he believes he embodies. He has written that "Initiates of the Mystical Traveler Consciousness are those that I am specifically taking home to God."


MSIA

In 1968, five years after his coma, Hinkins began to hold
seminar A seminar is a form of academic instruction, either at an academic institution or offered by a commercial or professional organization. It has the function of bringing together small groups for recurring meetings, focusing each time on some parti ...
s as an independent
spiritual teacher This is an index of religious honorifics from various religions. Buddhism Christianity Eastern Orthodox The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Protestantism Catholicism Hinduism Islam Judaism ...
in homes of friends in Santa Barbara and
Thousand Oaks Thousand Oaks is the second-largest city in Ventura County, California, United States. It is in the northwestern part of Greater Los Angeles, approximately from the city of Los Angeles and from Downtown. It is named after the many oak tree ...
. The demand for his seminars grew, until in 1971, Hinkins resigned from his secular job as a high school English teacher and formally incorporated the Church of the Movement of Spiritual Inner Awareness. MSIA is a nondenominational and ecumenical church, the stated purpose of which is to "teach Soul Transcendence, which is becoming aware of yourself as a Soul and as one with God, not as a theory, but as a living reality." MSIA currently has participants in over 30 countries, with its largest following in the United States, Australia, Colombia, Brazil, and Nigeria respectively.Lewis, James R. & Petersen, Jesper Aagaard, ''Controversial New Religions'' (New York: Oxford University Press, 2005), p. 337. The church was estimated in 1993 to have 4500 members. Controversy has surrounded MSIA: it has been accused of being a cult by some former members and by the Cult Awareness and Information Centre, and claims have been made that Hinkins had unethical sexual relationships with members. MSIA has also been accused of being an "offshoot" of
Lifespring Lifespring was an American for-profit human potential organization founded in 1974 by John Hanley Sr., Robert White, Randy Revell, and Charlene Afremow. The organization encountered significant controversy in the 1970s and 1980s, with various a ...
, a private, for-profit,
New Age New Age is a range of spiritual or religious practices and beliefs which rapidly grew in Western society during the early 1970s. Its highly eclectic and unsystematic structure makes a precise definition difficult. Although many scholars conside ...
/
human potential Human potential is the capacity for humans to improvement, improve themselves through studying, training, and Practice (learning method), practice, to reach the limit of their ability to develop aptitudes and skills. "Inherent within the notion of h ...
training Training is teaching, or developing in oneself or others, any skills and knowledge or Physical fitness, fitness that relate to specific practicality, useful Competence (human resources), competencies. Training has specific goals of improving on ...
company founded in 1974. According to Nan Kathryn Fuchs, a long-time devoted member of MSIA and a minister who served on the Ministerial Board for a number of years, Hinkins' teachings changed substantially in tone when Russell Bishop introduced his version of Lifespring Training to a group of MSIA ministers and John-Roger adopted the method, calling it " Insight Training Seminars". Russell Bishop ran the new Insight Seminars. Regarding this time, Nan Fuchs wrote, "As the money began to roll in, John-Roger became more inaccessible, and his aphorisms changed from 'Help yourself so you can help others' to 'Use everything to your advantage'. He certainly has."


Other organizations founded

In addition to MSIA, Hinkins has founded several other non-profit organizations. In 1976, he founded Koh-e-nor University, later renamed the
University of Santa Monica The University of Santa Monica is a private unaccredited graduate school in Santa Monica, California, offering masters of arts in spiritual psychology. History The university was founded in March 1976 by Roger Delano Hinkins, an educator, a ...
(USM), a private, unaccredited institution offering a master's degree in Spiritual Psychology. Prior to his death, Hinkins served as the chancellor of the University. In 1977 Hinkins founded the Peace Theological Seminary & College of Philosophy (PTS). An educational non-profit organization, PTS offers undergraduate workshops, courses and retreats, and postgraduate programs centered on the teachings of MSIA. The school, which is ecumenical and non-denominational, offers Masters and Doctorate degrees in
Spiritual Science Anthroposophy is a spiritualist movement founded in the early 20th century by the esotericist Rudolf Steiner that postulates the existence of an objective, intellectually comprehensible spiritual world, accessible to human experience. Followers ...
. Its headquarters is home to th
Peace Awareness Labyrinth and Gardens
Hinkins received his doctorate in Spiritual Science from this organization, and is its President. In 1978 Hinkins created the Insight organization with friend and fellow MSIA Minister Russell Bishop.
Insight Seminars Insight Seminars is an international non-profit organization headquartered in Santa Monica, California. The first seminar was led in 1978 by founders John-Roger and Russell Bishop under the name Insight Training Seminars. Insight has held seminars ...
is an international non-profit educational organization headquartered in
Santa Monica, California Santa Monica (; Spanish language, Spanish: ''Santa Mónica'') is a city in Los Angeles County, California, Los Angeles County, situated along Santa Monica Bay on California's South Coast (California), South Coast. Santa Monica's 2020 United Sta ...
. Hinkins serves as Insight Seminars' Chairman of the Board. In 1979, Hinkins founded the Heartfelt Foundation, a volunteer-driven, 501(c)(3) non-profit organization dedicated to serving and assisting people in any form of need. In 1982, Hinkins founded the Institute for Individual and World Peace (IIWP), a volunteer-driven 501(c)(3) non-profit organization dedicated to studying, identifying, and presenting the processes that lead to peace. IIWP owns and operates th
Windermere Ranch
a 142-acre property in the
Santa Ynez Mountains The Santa Ynez Mountains are a portion of the Transverse Ranges, part of the Pacific Coast Ranges of the west coast of North America. It is the westernmost range in the Transverse Ranges. The range is a large fault block of Cenozoic age created ...
that is used to breed and train
Arabian horse The Arabian or Arab horse ( ar, الحصان العربي , DIN 31635, DMG ''ḥiṣān ʿarabī'') is a horse breed, breed of horse that originated on the Arabian Peninsula. With a distinctive head shape and high tail carriage, the Arabian is ...
s.


Author and filmmaker

Hinkins is the author of over 55 books. His most recent books are 'The Rest of Your Life' (2007), 'Timeless Wisdoms: Volume One' (2008) and 'Timeless Wisdoms: Volume Two' (2008). He has given more than 6000 seminars over the last forty years, most of which have been recorded either in audio or video format by NOW Productions. Hinkins also produces his own national cable TV show, 'That Which Is', and has appeared on other television and radio programs, including CNN's
Larry King Live ''Larry King Live'' was an American television talk show hosted by Larry King on CNN from 1985 to 2010. It was the channel's most watched and longest-running program, with over one million viewers nightly. Mainly aired from CNN's Los Angeles s ...
,
The Roseanne Show ''The Roseanne Show'' was a syndicated talk show hosted by American actress Roseanne Barr following the end of her long-running sitcom. The show featured Roseanne interviewing a mixture of quirky guests along with Roseanne's signature style o ...
, and
Politically Incorrect ''Political correctness'' (adjectivally: ''politically correct''; commonly abbreviated ''PC'') is a term used to describe language, policies, or measures that are intended to avoid offense or disadvantage to members of particular groups in socie ...
. In 1988, Hinkins partnered with actor
Jsu Garcia Jesus "Jsu" Garcia (), also credited as Nick Corri (born October 6, 1963), is an American film and television actor and producer. Together with author John-Roger, he runs the production company Scott J-R Productions. Early life Garcia was bor ...
to create 'Scott J-R Productions', a film production company committed to creating "spirit-filled" films. Their first full-length feature was 'My Little Havana', followed by 'Spiritual Warriors', based on Hinkins' book 'Spiritual Warrior: The Art of Spiritual Living'.


Notable followers and associates

Several well-known individuals and public figures have worked with, or, with varying levels of dedication, have been associated with Hinkins since the 1970s. The most prominent of these is
Arianna Huffington Arianna Stassinopoulos Huffington (née Ariadnē-Anna Stasinopoúlou, el, Αριάδνη-Άννα Στασινοπούλου ; born July 15, 1950) is a Greek-American author, syndicated columnist and businesswoman. She is a co-founder of ''Th ...
. Other notable students of Hinkins are the
Beach Boys A beach is a landform alongside a body of water which consists of loose particles. The particles composing a beach are typically made from rock, such as sand, gravel, shingle, pebbles, etc., or biological sources, such as mollusc shell ...
'
Carl Wilson Carl Dean Wilson (December 21, 1946 – February 6, 1998) was an American musician, singer, and songwriter who co-founded the Beach Boys. He was their lead guitarist, the youngest sibling of bandmates Brian and Dennis, and the group's ''de ...
, actress Jaime King-Newman, actress
Sally Kirkland Sally Kirkland (born October 31, 1941) is an American film, television and stage actress and producer. A former member of Andy Warhol's The Factory and an active member in 1960s New York avant-garde theater, she has appeared in more than 250 fi ...
, an MSIA minister since 1975, actress
Leigh Taylor-Young Leigh Taylor-Young (born January 25, 1945) is an American actress who has appeared on stage, screen, podcast, radio and television. The most famous films in which she had important roles include '' I Love You, Alice B. Toklas'' (1968), '' The Hor ...
, also an MSIA minister since 1975, actor
Jsu Garcia Jesus "Jsu" Garcia (), also credited as Nick Corri (born October 6, 1963), is an American film and television actor and producer. Together with author John-Roger, he runs the production company Scott J-R Productions. Early life Garcia was bor ...
, and author and management consultant David Allen. Author
Peter McWilliams Peter Alexander McWilliams (August 5, 1949 – June 14, 2000) was an American self-help author who advocated for the legalization of marijuana.Rosenzweig, David (June 17, 2000"Peter McWilliams; Backed Medical Use of Marijuana"''Los Angeles Times ...
was also an MSIA minister but later repudiated MSIA and made a series of personal allegations against MSIA leader John-Roger in his book '' Life 102: What to Do When Your Guru Sues You.''


Accusations of cultism, criminal conduct and abuse

In the 1980s and early 1990s, several former members of MSIA accused Hinkins of various crimes and
abuses Abuse is the improper usage or treatment of a thing, often to unfairly or improperly gain benefit. Abuse can come in many forms, such as: physical or verbal maltreatment, injury, assault, violation, rape, unjust practices, crimes, or other t ...
, including high-tech
charlatanism A charlatan (also called a swindler or mountebank) is a person practicing quackery or a similar confidence trick in order to obtain money, power, fame, or other advantages through false pretenses, pretense or deception. Synonyms for ''charlatan ...
, the sexual coercion of young male staffers,
brainwashing Brainwashing (also known as mind control, menticide, coercive persuasion, thought control, thought reform, and forced re-education) is the concept that the human mind can be altered or controlled by certain psychological techniques. Brainwash ...
and
intimidation Intimidation is to "make timid or make fearful"; or to induce fear. This includes intentional behaviors of forcing another person to experience general discomfort such as humiliation, embarrassment, inferiority, limited freedom, etc and the victi ...
, and
plagiarism Plagiarism is the fraudulent representation of another person's language, thoughts, ideas, or expressions as one's own original work.From the 1995 '' Random House Compact Unabridged Dictionary'': use or close imitation of the language and thought ...
. These allegations, as well as the revelation of the high-profile
Arianna Huffington Arianna Stassinopoulos Huffington (née Ariadnē-Anna Stasinopoúlou, el, Αριάδνη-Άννα Στασινοπούλου ; born July 15, 1950) is a Greek-American author, syndicated columnist and businesswoman. She is a co-founder of ''Th ...
's association with the group, led to a series of investigations by publications such as
People A person (plural, : people) is a being that has certain capacities or attributes such as reason, morality, consciousness or self-consciousness, and being a part of a culturally established form of social relations such as kinship, ownership of pr ...
,
Playboy ''Playboy'' is an American men's lifestyle and entertainment magazine, formerly in print and currently online. It was founded in Chicago in 1953, by Hugh Hefner and his associates, and funded in part by a $1,000 loan from Hefner's mother. K ...
, the
Los Angeles Times The ''Los Angeles Times'' (abbreviated as ''LA Times'') is a daily newspaper that started publishing in Los Angeles in 1881. Based in the LA-adjacent suburb of El Segundo since 2018, it is the sixth-largest newspaper by circulation in the Un ...
and Vanity Fair. MSIA began to be referred to by some elements of the media as a
cult In modern English, ''cult'' is usually a pejorative term for a social group that is defined by its unusual religious, spiritual, or philosophical beliefs and rituals, or its common interest in a particular personality, object, or goal. This ...
. Cult expert and psychologist
Steven Hassan Steven Alan Hassan (pronounced ; born 1953) is an American author, educator and mental health counselor specializing in destructive cults (sometimes called exit counseling). He has been described by media as "one of the world's foremost experts ...
, when asked by ABC News
Nightline ''Nightline'' (or ''ABC News Nightline'') is ABC News' late-night television news program broadcast on ABC in the United States with a franchised formula to other networks and stations elsewhere in the world. Created by Roone Arledge, the progra ...
's
Ted Koppel Edward James Martin Koppel (born February 8, 1940) is a British-born American broadcast journalist, best known as the anchor for '' Nightline'', from the program's inception in 1980 until 2005. Before ''Nightline'', he spent 20 years as a broad ...
if MSIA qualified as a cult, responded:


Charlatanism

Dissidents in the organization say Hinkins employed
covert listening device A covert listening device, more commonly known as a bug or a wire, is usually a combination of a miniature radio transmitter with a microphone. The use of bugs, called bugging, or wiretapping is a common technique in surveillance, espionage and ...
s at MSIA's Santa Monica headquarters to support his claim of possessing
extrasensory perception Extrasensory perception or ESP, also called sixth sense, is a claimed paranormal ability pertaining to reception of information not gained through the recognized physical senses, but sensed with the mind. The term was adopted by Duke Universi ...
. One disenchanted member claimed "What people thought was J-R's clairvoyance was just his cunning and deceitful information gathering." Former MSIA member Terry O'Shaughnessy described to the Los Angeles Times how, in the course of installing sound equipment he and a co-worker found tiny microphones hidden in every room of the Insight headquarters. He later discovered that the microphones all fed into a switch arrangement in John-Roger's personal office, and learned they had been installed by members of John-Roger's personal staff. O'Shaughnessy's wife, Susan, recounted that former MSIA member Michael Hesse told her he had installed recording devices on the telephones at the Insight headquarters. "I realized that so much of what I thought was psychic power was good old electronics," she said. Insight facilitators reported that John-Roger monitored Insight training seminars via remote controlled video cameras connected to his private office.


Sexual coercion

Susan and Wendell Whitmore, who joined MSIA in the early '70s, finally decided to leave MSIA in 1983 after several male staff members confessed during an informal group discussion that Hinkins had used spiritual threats and promises to coerce them into having sex with him. The Whitmores claim that MSIA members had been led to believe that Hinkins had taken a
vow of celibacy Celibacy (from Latin ''caelibatus'') is the state of voluntarily being unmarried, sexually abstinent, or both, usually for religious reasons. It is often in association with the role of a religious official or devotee. In its narrow sense, th ...
, and therefore did not question the series of attractive young men that stayed in his house. "He always had someone sleeping in his bedroom at night, supposedly to protect his body while he was out of it," says Whitmore. Former MSIA members charge that staffers who submitted to their leader's sexual advances were promoted to positions of authority and were praised by Hinkins for their spiritual qualities. Ex-MSIA member Victor Toso, said that although he was not homosexual, he consented to Hinkins's requests for sex because he feared being expelled from the MSIA staff. "Whenever we fell out of line, having another sexual encounter with him was sort of required to seal us back in the brotherhood," said Toso.


Intimidation

Wesley Whitmore, Wendell's twin brother and also former MSIA staffer, recalls that in "contrast to his public behavior, Hinkins in private was often angry, vindictive and bizarre, occasionally shouting that he was under attack from negative forces." He and his wife said that their devotion to Hinkins kept them from addressing these issues.LA Times, 1988 According to Susan Whitmore, MSIA defectors hesitated to challenge Hinkins publicly even after leaving the movement "because we were made to be afraid." She claims that Hinkins would declare that people who questioned him had placed themselves "under the Kal (a devil-like spirit) power and its field of negativity, known as the Red Monk," and would essentially be warning that members who associated with defectors risked spiritual disaster. The Whitmore alleges that one woman was told she had had a miscarriage because she had hugged one of the defectors. "The Red Monk . . . seemed to me to be a scare tactic to keep people from talking to each other," said David Welles, a chiropractor who worked at the John-Roger Foundation's holistic health center before leaving the movement in 1984. The Whitmores also claim that after they left MSIA, their cars were vandalized, they received obscene letters accusing them of homosexuality, and phone calls in which threats were made on their lives. Similarly, Eve Cohen, the daughter of ex-MSIA ministers Matthew and Ellen Cohen, and at the time a teenager, received a letter graphically alleging that her father had had sexual acts with other men. The letter claimed to be from a friend of Eve's in Los Angeles. Several other former MSIA members also claim to have been harassed during the time of the Red Monk scare: former Insight facilitator Jack Canfield and East Coast organizer Michael Bookbinder said they were subjected to threatening phone calls and bizarre, harassing letters. They believe that the calls and letters came from church insiders and, in certain cases, John-Roger himself. Religion academic and writer
David C. Lane David Christopher Lane (born April 29, 1956 in Burbank, California) is a professor of philosophy and sociology at Mt. San Antonio College, in Walnut, California. He is notable for his book ''The Making of a Spiritual Movement: The Untold Story ...
claims that in the fall of 1983, after he called Hinkins, who at that time he considered to be a friend, to get his response to the allegations of plagiarism, sexual manipulation, and charlatanism that had been raised by other friends, he was subjected to a series of threats, including several made against his life and the lives of his friends/informants. His home was subsequently ransacked and a number of his research files were stolen. He claims that documentary evidence implicates John-Roger with the robbery, as well as with implementing a
smear campaign A smear campaign, also referred to as a smear tactic or simply a smear, is an effort to damage or call into question someone's reputation, by propounding negative propaganda. It makes use of discrediting tactics. It can be applied to individual ...
including threats against Lane and other of his critics. This included setting up a front organization called the "Coalition for Civil and Spiritual Rights", an act which was eventually traced directly back to Hinkins.


Plagiarism

Claims of
plagiarism Plagiarism is the fraudulent representation of another person's language, thoughts, ideas, or expressions as one's own original work.From the 1995 '' Random House Compact Unabridged Dictionary'': use or close imitation of the language and thought ...
have also been levied against Hinkins, in connection with both MSIA's core teachings and as other publications. Many of these have centered on the reportedly close similarity between certain MSIA materials and doctrine and that of
Paul Twitchell Paul Twitchell (born Jacob Paul Twitchell) (died September 17, 1971) was an American author and spiritual teacher who created and directed the development of the new religious movement known as Eckankar. Twitchell described himself as "The Maha ...
's
Eckankar Eckankar is a new religious movement founded by Paul Twitchell in 1965. Its membership today is primarily in North America, Europe, Asia and Africa. The spiritual home is the Temple of ECK in Chanhassen, Minnesota. Eckankar is not affiliated ...
, known prior to 1985 as "The Ancient Science of Soul Travel". One of the main allegers, religion academic
David C. Lane David Christopher Lane (born April 29, 1956 in Burbank, California) is a professor of philosophy and sociology at Mt. San Antonio College, in Walnut, California. He is notable for his book ''The Making of a Spiritual Movement: The Untold Story ...
, has published evidence that Hinkins took without attribution key spiritual teachings from Twitchell, who, Lane further claims, took them in turn from
Radha Soami Satsang Beas Radha Soami Satsang Beas (RSSB) is a spiritual organization in Radha Soami movement. It is headed by Gurinder Singh. The main centre of RSSB is located on the banks of the Beas River in the northern Indian state of Punjab. Establishment of t ...
, a movement with which Lane was at the time actively involved. Hinkins, himself, admits that he had some level of involvement with the group: around the time of his surgery and religious experience, he had been exploring a variety of different spiritual teachings, and these explorations included Eckankar. Religion scholar James R. Lewis, in his book on Hinkins and MSIA, quotes a conversation in which Hinkins acknowledges that he studied with Eckankar, had a private interview with Twitchell, and received information from the group stating that he was an initiate, but denies being formally initiated into the group. Nonetheless, side-by-side text comparisons of materials published by Lane appear to clearly show that Hinkins copied nearly verbatim, Twitchell's idiosyncratic
cosmology Cosmology () is a branch of physics and metaphysics dealing with the nature of the universe. The term ''cosmology'' was first used in English in 1656 in Thomas Blount (lexicographer), Thomas Blount's ''Glossographia'', and in 1731 taken up in ...
(as found in Twitchell's 1971 ''The Spiritual Notebook'') in his own 1976 publication ''The Sound Current''. Hinkins also appears to have clearly plagiarized in his work ''Affirmations'' (1981) from Florence Scovel Shinn's book, ''The Game of Life and How to Play It'' (DeVorss & Company, 1925).Lane, David. "The J.R. Controversy: A Critical Analysis of John-Roger and M.S.I.A." in Understanding Cults and Spiritual Movements. Vol. 1, No. 1. Del Mar: Del Mar Press, 1984.http://www.culthelp.info/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=828&Itemid=10&limit=1&limitstart=5 In 1994,
Peter McWilliams Peter Alexander McWilliams (August 5, 1949 – June 14, 2000) was an American self-help author who advocated for the legalization of marijuana.Rosenzweig, David (June 17, 2000"Peter McWilliams; Backed Medical Use of Marijuana"''Los Angeles Times ...
, a former high-level member of MSIA, published '' Life 102: What to Do When Your Guru Sues You'', which charged that Hinkins had repeatedly abused his power as a
guru Guru ( sa, गुरु, IAST: ''guru;'' Pali'': garu'') is a Sanskrit term for a "mentor, guide, expert, or master" of certain knowledge or field. In pan-Indian traditions, a guru is more than a teacher: traditionally, the guru is a reverentia ...
. McWilliams claimed, among other things, that he was the sole author of the highly successful ''Life 101'' and several subsequent books purportedly coauthored by Hinkins (as "John-Roger"), who was his spiritual adviser and church leader at the time. Hinkins countered with a libel lawsuit. Ultimately, McWilliams agreed to abandon the copyright to ''Life 102: What to Do When Your Guru Sues You'' to Hinkins to settle the suit.


Defense against cult charges

James R. Lewis, an academic who researches
new religious movements A new religious movement (NRM), also known as alternative spirituality or a new religion, is a religious or spiritual group that has modern origins and is peripheral to its society's dominant religious culture. NRMs can be novel in origin or th ...
, conducted a study of Hinkins and the Movement of Spiritual Inner Awareness. Lewis stated that he did not consider MSIA a cult.Lewis's book was published by Mandeville Press, the publishing organ of MSIA. Lewis has been accused by skeptical societies and anti-cult groups of serving as an apologist for several cults, including the
Family Family (from la, familia) is a Social group, group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or Affinity (law), affinity (by marriage or other relationship). The purpose of the family is to maintain the well-being of its ...
and
AUM Shinrikyo , formerly , is a Japanese doomsday cult founded by Shoko Asahara in 1987. It carried out the deadly Tokyo subway sarin attack in 1995 and was found to have been responsible for the Matsumoto sarin attack the previous year. The group says tha ...
.James R. Lewis - religious cults, sects and movements
Apologeticsindex.org. Retrieved on 2013-07-17.


Later life and death

Shortly after the publicized scandals that rocked MSIA during 1988 Hinkins announced that he had passed the "keys" to the Mystical Traveler Consciousness to protégé John Morton. He continued to participate in MSIA and PTS annual events until his death at the age of 80, on October 22, 2014, at his home in Los Angeles, California, from pneumonia.


List of works


Books

* Answers to Life's Questions (2000) * Answers to Life's Questions, Spanish Edition: Preguntas y Respuestas para la vida (2001) * Awakening Into Light (1976) * Blessings of Light (1981) * Buddha Consciousness (1976) * The Christ Within, Disciples of Christ with the Cosmic Christ Calendar (1994) * The Christ Within, Spanish Edition: el Cristo Interno, Los discipulos De Cristo y el Calendario del Cristo Cosmico (1995) * The Consciousness of a Soul (1993) * Consciousness of Wealth (1976) * Divine Essence (Baraka) (1973) (1982) (2000) * Divine Essence, Portuguese Edition: Divine Essence (2004) * Do It! Let's Get Off Our Buts (with Peter McWilliams) (1992) * Dream Voyages (1977) (1992) * Dream Voyages, Spanish Edition: Viajes Durante Los Suenos (1991) * Dream Voyages, French Edition: Voyages Dans Les Reves (1997) * The Dynamics of the Lower Self (1976) * The Dynamics of the Lower Self, Spanish Edition: La Dinamica Del Ser Basico (1982) (1995) * Forgiveness: The Key to the Kingdom (1994) * Forgiveness, Spanish Edition: Perdonar, La Llave del Reino (1995) * Forgiveness, Portuguese Edition: Title in Portuguese? (2004) * Forgiveness, French Edition: Le Pardon, La Clé Du Royaume (1997) * Fulfilling The Spiritual Promise (2006) * Fulfilling The Spiritual Promise e-book, Kindle: Fulfilling The Spiritual Promise (2009) * Fulfilling The Spiritual Promise e-book, pdf: Fulfilling The Spiritual Promise (2009) * Fulfilling The Spiritual Promise e-book, Sony: Fulfilling The Spiritual Promise (2009) * God Is Your Partner (New Edition) (1990) (2007) * God Is Your Partner e-book, Kindle: God Is Your Partner (2009) * God Is Your Partner e-book, pdf: God Is Your Partner (2009) * God Is Your Partner e-book, Sony: God Is Your Partner (2009) * God Is Your Partner, Spanish Edition: Dios es Tu Socio (1991) (1994) (1996) (1998) * Inner Worlds of Meditation (1976) * Inner Worlds of Meditation, Spanish Edition: Mundos Internos de la Meditacion (1988) (1996) * Interviews with John-Roger and John Morton (1999) * Journey of a Soul (New Edition) (1975) (2000) (2001) * Journey of a Soul, Spanish Edition: El Camino del Alma (1991) (1997) * Living Love from the Spiritual Heart (2006) * Living Love e-book, Kindle: Living Love (2009) * Living Love e-book, pdf: Living Love (2009) * Living Love e-book, Sony: Living Love (2009) * Living Love, Spanish Edition: Amor Viviente (2006) * Loving Each Day (1998) (2000) * Loving Each Day, Spanish Edition: Amando Cada Dia (1993) * Loving Each Day for Moms and Dads (2001) * Loving Each Day for Moms and Dads, Spanish Edition: Amando Cada Dia para Mamas y Papas * Loving Each Day for Peacemakers (2002) * Loving Each Day for Peacemakers, Spanish Edition: Amando Cada Dia Para los que hacen la Paz (2003) * Manual on Using the Light (1976) * Manual on Using the Light, Spanish Edition: Manual para el uso de la Luz (1995) * Momentum: Letting Love Lead (with Dr. Paul Kaye) (2003) * Momentum e-book, Kindle: Momentum: Letting Love Lead (with Dr. Paul Kaye) (2009) * Momentum e-book, pdf: Momentum: Letting Love Lead (with Dr. Paul Kaye) (2009) * Momentum e-book, Sony: Momentum: Letting Love Lead (with Dr. Paul Kaye) (2009) * Momentum, Spanish Edition: Momentum: Dejando que Guie el Amor (2003) * Music is the Message (1980) * Passage Into Spirit (1984) (2000) * Passage Into Spirit e-book, Kindle: Passage Into Spirit (2009) * Passage Into Spirit e-book, pdf: Passage Into Spirit (2009) * Passage Into Spirit e-book, Sony: Passage Into Spirit (2009) * The Path to Mastership (1976) (1982) * The Power Within You (1976) (1984) * The Power Within You, Spanish Edition: La Fuente De Tu Poder (1991) (1998) * The Power Within You, French Edition: Le Pouvoir Intérieur (1997) * Psychic Protection (1997) * Psychic Protection, Spanish Edition: Posesiones Proyecciones Y Entidades (1995) * Relationships: Love, Marriage and Spirit (1986) (2000) * Relationships e-book, Kindle: Relationships: Love, Marriage and Spirit (2009) * Relationships e-book, pdf: Relationships: Love, Marriage and Spirit (2009) * Relationships e-book, Sony: Relationships: Love, Marriage and Spirit (2009) * Relationships, Spanish Edition: Relaciones: El Arte de Lacer (1990) (1998) * The Rest of Your Life: Finding Repose in the Beloved (with Paul Kaye) (2007) * The Rest of Your Life e-book, Kindle: The Rest of Your Life (2009) * The Rest of Your Life e-book, pdf: The Rest of Your Life (2009) * The Rest of Your Life e-book, Sony: The Rest of Your Life (2009) * The Rest of Your Life, Spanish Edition: The Rest of Your Life: Finding Repose in the Beloved (with Paul Kaye) (2009) * Serving and Giving (2009) * Sex, Spirit & You (1977) (1985) (1987) (2000) * Sex, Spirit & You e-book, Kindle: Sex, Spirit & You (2009) * Sex, Spirit & You e-book, pdf: Sex, Spirit & You (2009) * Sex, Spirit & You e-book, Sony: Sex, Spirit & You (2009) * Sex, Spirit & You, Spanish Edition: Sexo El Espiritu Y Tu (1986) (1993) (1994) * The Signs of the Times (1981) * The Sound Current (1975) * The Spiritual Family (1976) (1997) * The Spiritual Family, Spanish Edition: La Familia Espiritual (1999) * Spiritual High (1976) (1994) * Spiritual High (New Edition) (2005) * Spiritual High e-book, Kindle: Spiritual High (2009) * Spiritual High e-book, pdf: Spiritual High (2009) * Spiritual High e-book, Sony: Spiritual High (2009) * The Spiritual Promise (1973) * The Spiritual Promise, Spanish Edition: La Promesa Espiritual (1990) * Spiritual Warrior: The Art of Spiritual Living (1998) * Spiritual Warrior: The Art of Spiritual Living (New Edition) (2008) * Spiritual Warrior e-book, Kindle: Spiritual Warrior (2009) * Spiritual Warrior e-book, pdf: Spiritual Warrior (2009) * Spiritual Warrior e-book, Sony: Spiritual Warrior (2009) * Spiritual Warrior, Spanish Edition: Guerrero Espiritual (1998) * Spiritual Warrior, Spanish Edition: Guerrero Espiritual (New Edition) (2008) * The Tao of Spirit (1994) * The Tao of Spirit, Small Edition: The Tao of Spirit, Volume 1 (1997) * The Tao of Spirit, Small Edition: The Tao of Spirit, Volume 2 (1997) * Timeless Wisdoms: Volume 1 (2008) * Timeless Wisdoms e-book, Kindle: Timeless Wisdoms (2009) * Timeless Wisdoms e-book, pdf: Timeless Wisdoms (2009) * Timeless Wisdoms e-book, Sony: Timeless Wisdoms (2009) * Timeless Wisdoms: Volume 2 (2009) * Walking with the Lord (1991) * Walking with the Lord, Spanish Edition: Caminando con el Senor (1992) * The Way Out Book (1980) * The Way Out Book, Spanish Edition: El Camino de Salida (1995) * Wealth & Higher Consciousness (1988) * Wealth & Higher Consciousness, Spanish Edition: Abundancia y Conciencia Superior (1993) (1997) * What's It Like Being You? (with Paul Kaye) (2004) * What's It Like Being You? e-book, Kindle: What's It Like Being You? (2009) * What's It Like Being You? e-book, pdf: What's It Like Being You? (2009) * What's It Like Being You? e-book, Sony: What's It Like Being You? (2009) * What's It Like Being You?, Spanish Edition- Como se siente ser tu? (2007) * When Are You Coming Home? (with Pauli Sanderson) (2003) * When Are You Coming Home? e-book, Kindle: When Are You Coming Home? (2009) * When Are You Coming Home? e-book, pdf: When Are You Coming Home? (2009) * When Are You Coming Home? e-book, Sony: When Are You Coming Home? (2009) * When Are You Coming Home?, Spanish Edition - Cuando regresas a Casa? (2007) * You Can't Afford the Luxury of a Negative Thought (New Edition) (with Peter McWilliams) (1995) * You Can't Afford the Luxury of a Negative Thought, Spanish Edition: No Se Puede Dar El Lujo De Tener Un Pensamiento negative (with Peter McWilliams) (1991) (1994) * You Can't Afford the Luxury of a Negative Thought, Spanish Edition: Un pensamiento Positivo: El Lujo Que Puedes Darte (2004) * You Can't Afford the Luxury of a Negative Thought, Workbook Edition: Focus on the Positive: The You Can't Afford the Luxury of a Negative Thought Workbook (1991) * You Can't Afford the Luxury of a Negative Thought, Workbook Edition, Spanish: In Spanish: Concentrese en lo Positivo (1991) (1994) * Awakening Into Light, Spanish Edition: Despertar dentro de la Luz * Buddha Consciousness, Spanish Edition: La Consciencia del Buda * The Consciousness of a Soul, Spanish Edition: La Consciencia del Alma * Consciousness of Wealth, Spanish Edition: Un Consciencia de Riqueza * The Cosmic Self * Baraka, Spanish Edition: Baraka * Baraka, Indonesian Edition: Esensi Ilahi * Do it! Let's get off our butts, Spanish Edition: Hagalo Basta de Peros * Do it! Let's get off our butts, Portable Edition: Do It! Let's Get Off Our Buts * Forgiveness, Indonesian Edition: Kerelaan Mengampuni * God Is Your Partner, Portuguese Edition: Dios es meu Socio * Interviews with John-Roger and John Morton, Spanish Edition: Entrevistas con John-Roger y John Morton * Life 101 (
Peter McWilliams Peter Alexander McWilliams (August 5, 1949 – June 14, 2000) was an American self-help author who advocated for the legalization of marijuana.Rosenzweig, David (June 17, 2000"Peter McWilliams; Backed Medical Use of Marijuana"''Los Angeles Times ...
with John-Roger) * Life 101, Spanish Edition: Vida Optima (
Peter McWilliams Peter Alexander McWilliams (August 5, 1949 – June 14, 2000) was an American self-help author who advocated for the legalization of marijuana.Rosenzweig, David (June 17, 2000"Peter McWilliams; Backed Medical Use of Marijuana"''Los Angeles Times ...
with John-Roger) * Life 101, Portable Edition: The Portable Life 101, 179 Essential lessons (
Peter McWilliams Peter Alexander McWilliams (August 5, 1949 – June 14, 2000) was an American self-help author who advocated for the legalization of marijuana.Rosenzweig, David (June 17, 2000"Peter McWilliams; Backed Medical Use of Marijuana"''Los Angeles Times ...
with John-Roger) * Meditations for the Awakening Heart * Passage Into Spirit, Spanish Edition: Pasaje Al Espiritu * The Path to Mastership, Spanish Edition: El Sendero a La Maestria * Q & A from the heart with John-Roger / Journal * Relationships: Love, Marriage and Spirit, Indonesian Edition: Membina Hubungan * Spiritual Exercises: A Journal of Soul Transcendence * Spiritual Warrior, Portuguese Edition: O Guerrero Espiritual * Spiritual Warrior, French Edition: Le Guerrier Spirituel: L'Art de Vivre la Spiritualite * Spiritual Warrior, Indonesian Edition: Ksatria Rohani * The Tao of Spirit, Spanish Edition: El Tao del Espiritu * Wisdoms of the Spiritual Heart * You Can't Afford the Luxury of Negative Thought, Workbook Edition: A Guide to Positive Thinking * Wealth 101 * We Give To Love


Audio

* The Anointed One, CD set (2006) * Health from the Inside Out, CD set (2006) * Inner Worlds of Meditation, CD (1998) * Inner Worlds of Meditation (incl. Master Chohan), CD set (1997) * Joyful Meditations, CD set (2005) * Living In Grace, CD set (2005) * Momentum, CD set (2005) * Money, The Great Mirror of Consciousness, CD set * Turning Points to Personal Liberation, CD set (2006)


Video

* Journey To The East, DVD set * Moments of Peace, Video (1999) * Spiritual Warriors Movie, DVD, UPC: 700261245539


Related organizations founded by John-Roger

* Peace Theological Seminary & College of Philosophy (PTS) *
University of Santa Monica The University of Santa Monica is a private unaccredited graduate school in Santa Monica, California, offering masters of arts in spiritual psychology. History The university was founded in March 1976 by Roger Delano Hinkins, an educator, a ...
(USM) * Institute for Individual and World Peace (IIWP) *
Insight Seminars Insight Seminars is an international non-profit organization headquartered in Santa Monica, California. The first seminar was led in 1978 by founders John-Roger and Russell Bishop under the name Insight Training Seminars. Insight has held seminars ...
* Heartfelt Foundation * Mandeville Press


References


External links

General * Hinkins
website
*''
People Magazine ''People'' is an American weekly magazine that specializes in celebrity news and human-interest stories. It is published by Dotdash Meredith, a subsidiary of IAC (company), IAC. With a readership of 46.6 million adults in 2009, ''People ...
'' article on Hinkin

Organizations controlled and/or started by Hinkins
Heartfelt Foundation

Institute for Individual & World Peace

Insight Seminars

Mandeville Press
MSIA publisher
The New Daily Herald
MSIA newsletter
MSIA

Peace Theological Seminary & College of Philosophy

University of Santa Monica
{{DEFAULTSORT:Hinkins, Delano 1934 births 2014 deaths Former Latter Day Saints Founders of new religious movements Movement of Spiritual Inner Awareness People from Carbon County, Utah People involved in plagiarism controversies University of Utah alumni