Theos-Talk Archives (November 1997 Message tt00137)

> Daniel,
> Thanks for responding to my question. I am familiar with the I AM movement and Summit
> Lighthouse, having read some of their books etc, but I have not heard about the "I AM
> temple" that Brenda is referring to. Brenda, is it simply the name for a meeting place,
> or "church", that is run by the I Am activity?

It is indeed. One of my fondest memories is a visit to one of their
"Temples" in an old converted Protestant church in central Connecticut
where they had this great, cheesy, electrified plastic altarpiece of the
"Chart of Your I AM PRESENCE." Talk about cool memorabilia! Have you
ever seen some of the kitschy stuff that Buddhist popularizers use? You
know, like the pretentious fibre optic Kannons that you can buy in any
decent Chinatown? Kinda like that, but better, because awkwardly
weirder, yet somehow true. Very '30's. I'd love to have one of those in
my art collection. The old ladies were so charmingly serious when they
looked at it. "Hail, Mighty I AM Presence! Blaze your Violet flame! I
Am, I AM, I AM, adoring Thee. Whirl Violet flame, whirl!"

They also had these great reproductions for sale of pictures of lots of
doe-eyed masters, blazing angels, and most importantly, St. Germain,
(some were done by Charles Sindalar, the guy most famous for painting
that cylindrical package of the Quaker Oat guy.) And all those great
green "I AM' books. Man, I want to take a trip to Mt.Shasta to look for
the masters! Don't you?

I do have quite a collection of those pictures, if anyone's interested.
Kooky. So many fond memories. What a wild ride! I AM THAT I AM! Strange
but true.

Mark
----------------------------------

> Caldwell/Graye wrote:
> >
> > > Is the I AM temple a new movement? Who brought forth the teachings they
> > >are using?
> > >
> > >Bjorn
> >
> > The original "I Am" movement dates from the 1930s. Guy Ballard and his
> > wife Edna were the founders of this group. While hiking around Mt.
> > Shasta (California), Mr. Ballard claimed he meet the Ascended Master
> > Saint Germain. Etc. Etc.
> >
> > A good 10 page overview of the movement is found in Gordon Melton's
> > ENCYCLOPEDIC HANDBOOK OF CULTS IN AMERICA. (2nd ed., 1992)
> >
> > A later offshoot of the "I AM" group was Elizabeth Clare Prophet's Church
> > Universal and Triumphant. See Melton's book for a 9 page review of this
> > cult.
> >
> > For another overview of the "I AM" group, read the chapter written by
> > Charles S. Braden in his 1949 book THESE ALSO BELIEVE.
> >
> > For a critical look at the Ballards, see Gerald B. Bryan's PSYCHIC
> > DICTATORSHIP IN AMERICA (1940).
> >
> > Daniel

--------
WITHOUT WALLS: An Internet Art Space
http://www.withoutwalls.com