John-Roger

"After changing his name to John-Roger, Hinkins continued his metaphysical quest for the truth. He had left the Mormon Church in the 1950's and experimented with a number of different spiritual groups. In the early 1960's, Hinkins enrolled in the correspondence courses of the Ancient and Mystical Order Rosae Crucis (AMORC) and also occasionally attended the Agasha Temple of Wisdom. Both groups claim remote Egyptian connections but also insist that they are connected to Christianity. In 1967, Hinkins became involved in Eckankar, a religious group heavily influenced by the Radhasoami tradition and founded by Paul Twitchell. John-Roger began sharing his spiritual experiences, or "Light Studies," with others, and in 1968 broke away from Eckankar and began teaching seminars in Santa Barbara, California...

"Today, half of MSIA followers live in the United States, and about forty percent of them live in California (Ibid). Those who live outside of California and overseas typically start "holding home [MSIA] seminars in their country of residence"...

"In 1971, the Church of the Movement of Spiritual Inner Awareness was officially established..."

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