Cultic Studies Review, Vol. 2, No. 3, 2003, Page 84
small fraction of its peak membership while retaining significant properties. CUT continues
to rationalize Elizabeth Prophet‘s dementia as a metaphor of ―forgetfulness‖ as it struggles
to sustain the interest of current members and to attract new support during a ―second life
cycle.‖
Despite my criticisms, I recommend this book by Bradley Whitsel as a must read for anyone
interested in the nature and history of Church Universal and Triumphant.
*The Festinger, et al study in When Prophecy Fails assigned aliases to the group characters, but my
research indicates that that the group was a ―space brother‖ cult featuring Dorothy Martin (aka Sister
Thedra, died 1992). Martin was a medium (not unlike Elizabeth Clare Prophet) who channeled
Sananda and other Ascended Masters (she called them Space Brothers) who commandeered a space
ship that was to materialize and save the group from a predicted catastrophic flood during 1956.
Martin left ―Lakeland‖ (Chicago) soon after the negative publicity and failure to recruit any new
members caused the group to disperse. Martin, who used several aliases, first resettled in Arizona
where she briefly studied with the then very new Scientology movement, and she continued her
idiosyncratic Sananda cult activities in Arizona and Mt. Shasta, CA till her death.
Joseph P. Szimhart
Fuerstein, Georg. Holy Madness: the shock tactics and radical teachings of
crazy-wise adepts, holy fools, and rascal gurus The Mystery of Light: The
life and teaching of Omraam Mikhaёl Aïvanhov
Holy Madness. Arkana: Penguin Books USA Inc., 375 Hudson St., New York, NY
10014, 1992 [1991 edition by Paragon House], 296 pages, ISBN 0-14-019.370-7
(pbk.).
Mystery of Light. Integral Publishing, P.O. Box 1030, Lower Lake, CA 95457, 1998,
246 pages, ISBN 0-941255-51-4 (pbk.)
This review of Holy Madness has lingered in my mind for ten years after I first read the
1992 Arkana edition by Georg Feuerstein, Ph.D.. My interest renewed recently when a client
asked me about an obscure, Bulgarian spiritual teacher, Omraam Mikhaёl Aïvanhov (1900-
1984). In my research I discovered that Feuerstein wrote a promotional biography about
Aïvanhov published in 1998 by a company founded by the author. Feuerstein is an
internationally known researcher and promoter of Yoga as well as an historian of religion
with thirty books to his credit. He runs his Yoga Research and Education Center recently
relocated to the Mt. Lassen area of Northern California (http://www.yrec.org). His
interest in gurus goes further than merely academic—he indicates a youthful pattern of
serious seeking for a teacher in his own right. His connection with Aïvanhov stems from his
chance encounter with a book he read by the deceased Bulgarian in 1989 and liked very
much. As a result of Feuerstein‘s quest for more books he met one of Aïvanhov‘s disciples,
Therese Boni, who helped guide the biography, The Mystery of Light, and became his
―spiritual friend.‖
During 1984 Aïvanhov was on a speaking tour around the USA. Feuerstein had heard
nothing of him at that time, but had he known, he says, ―I would gladly have journeyed
from my home in Northern California to see him.‖ (Mystery, xv). In 1984 I had heard
nothing of Aïvanhov either, but I had seen posters in Santa Fe, New Mexico, my home at
the time, advertising his lecture tour. Santa Fe then, as it has been for a century, was a
Mecca for artists as well as for a polyglot of spiritual seekers, traveling gurus, and New Age
groups. When I arrived there in 1975 fresh out of art school, I became one of Santa Fe‘s
seekers, looking especially into the Theosophy schools that had influenced many pioneer
modern artists. Subsequently I read works from the Philosophical Research Society, the
Agni Yoga Society, the ―I AM‖ Activity, the Rosicrucians, the Summit Lighthouse and other
small fraction of its peak membership while retaining significant properties. CUT continues
to rationalize Elizabeth Prophet‘s dementia as a metaphor of ―forgetfulness‖ as it struggles
to sustain the interest of current members and to attract new support during a ―second life
cycle.‖
Despite my criticisms, I recommend this book by Bradley Whitsel as a must read for anyone
interested in the nature and history of Church Universal and Triumphant.
*The Festinger, et al study in When Prophecy Fails assigned aliases to the group characters, but my
research indicates that that the group was a ―space brother‖ cult featuring Dorothy Martin (aka Sister
Thedra, died 1992). Martin was a medium (not unlike Elizabeth Clare Prophet) who channeled
Sananda and other Ascended Masters (she called them Space Brothers) who commandeered a space
ship that was to materialize and save the group from a predicted catastrophic flood during 1956.
Martin left ―Lakeland‖ (Chicago) soon after the negative publicity and failure to recruit any new
members caused the group to disperse. Martin, who used several aliases, first resettled in Arizona
where she briefly studied with the then very new Scientology movement, and she continued her
idiosyncratic Sananda cult activities in Arizona and Mt. Shasta, CA till her death.
Joseph P. Szimhart
Fuerstein, Georg. Holy Madness: the shock tactics and radical teachings of
crazy-wise adepts, holy fools, and rascal gurus The Mystery of Light: The
life and teaching of Omraam Mikhaёl Aïvanhov
Holy Madness. Arkana: Penguin Books USA Inc., 375 Hudson St., New York, NY
10014, 1992 [1991 edition by Paragon House], 296 pages, ISBN 0-14-019.370-7
(pbk.).
Mystery of Light. Integral Publishing, P.O. Box 1030, Lower Lake, CA 95457, 1998,
246 pages, ISBN 0-941255-51-4 (pbk.)
This review of Holy Madness has lingered in my mind for ten years after I first read the
1992 Arkana edition by Georg Feuerstein, Ph.D.. My interest renewed recently when a client
asked me about an obscure, Bulgarian spiritual teacher, Omraam Mikhaёl Aïvanhov (1900-
1984). In my research I discovered that Feuerstein wrote a promotional biography about
Aïvanhov published in 1998 by a company founded by the author. Feuerstein is an
internationally known researcher and promoter of Yoga as well as an historian of religion
with thirty books to his credit. He runs his Yoga Research and Education Center recently
relocated to the Mt. Lassen area of Northern California (http://www.yrec.org). His
interest in gurus goes further than merely academic—he indicates a youthful pattern of
serious seeking for a teacher in his own right. His connection with Aïvanhov stems from his
chance encounter with a book he read by the deceased Bulgarian in 1989 and liked very
much. As a result of Feuerstein‘s quest for more books he met one of Aïvanhov‘s disciples,
Therese Boni, who helped guide the biography, The Mystery of Light, and became his
―spiritual friend.‖
During 1984 Aïvanhov was on a speaking tour around the USA. Feuerstein had heard
nothing of him at that time, but had he known, he says, ―I would gladly have journeyed
from my home in Northern California to see him.‖ (Mystery, xv). In 1984 I had heard
nothing of Aïvanhov either, but I had seen posters in Santa Fe, New Mexico, my home at
the time, advertising his lecture tour. Santa Fe then, as it has been for a century, was a
Mecca for artists as well as for a polyglot of spiritual seekers, traveling gurus, and New Age
groups. When I arrived there in 1975 fresh out of art school, I became one of Santa Fe‘s
seekers, looking especially into the Theosophy schools that had influenced many pioneer
modern artists. Subsequently I read works from the Philosophical Research Society, the
Agni Yoga Society, the ―I AM‖ Activity, the Rosicrucians, the Summit Lighthouse and other
