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 (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 consi ...
,
spiritual, and
self-help organizations.
Biography
Early life and education
Hinkins was born on September 24, 1934, and raised in the small
mining town of
Rains,
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 severa ...
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 organization and official program of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church). Its purpose is to assist the church's Aaronic priesthood-aged young men in their growt ...
and occasionally gave inspirational "three-minute talks". Hinkins described his childhood as "typical", distinguished only by an early belief that he could spot
auras, 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 and most populous city of Utah, United States. It is the seat of Salt Lake County, the most populous county in Utah. With a population of 200,133 in 2020, th ...
, 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 between ...
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, dissociat ...
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 S ...
, University of Southern California
, mottoeng = "Let whoever earns the palm bear it"
, religious_affiliation = Nonsectarian—historically Methodist
, established =
, accreditation = WSCUC
, type = Private research university
, academic_affiliations =
, endowment = $8.1 ...
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 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 (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 Ap ...
, the late Radhasoami Satsang Beas 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 ...
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.
Et ...
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 atte ...
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 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 consi ...
/ human potential training
Training is teaching, or developing in oneself or others, any skills and knowledge or fitness that relate to specific useful competencies. Training has specific goals of improving one's capability, capacity, productivity and performance. I ...
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, au ...
(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: ''Santa Mónica'') is a city in Los Angeles County, situated along Santa Monica Bay on California's South Coast. Santa Monica's 2020 U.S. Census population was 93,076. Santa Monica is a popular resort town, owing t ...
. 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 create ...
that is used to breed and train Arabian horses.
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 ...
, 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, 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 Hors ...
, 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, the sexual coercion of young male staffers, brainwashing 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. 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 ( : 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 prope ...
, Playboy
''Playboy'' is an American men's Lifestyle magazine, 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 H ...
, 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 U ...
and Vanity Fair. MSIA began to be referred to by some elements of the media as a cult. Cult expert and psychologist Steven Hassan, when asked by ABC News Nightline'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 broadc ...
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 Universit ...
. 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, the ...
, 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 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 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 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 Mah ...
's Eckankar, known prior to 1985 as "The Ancient Science of Soul Travel". One of the main allegers, religion academic David C. Lane, 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 ...
, 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's ''Glossographia'', and in 1731 taken up in Latin by German philosopher ...
(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 reverential ...
. 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, 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 group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or affinity (by marriage or other relationship). The purpose of the family is to maintain the well-being of its members and of society. Idea ...
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 ...
.[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, au ...
(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. With a readership of 46.6 million adults in 2009, ''People'' had the lar ...
'' 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