George King (religious leader)
George King | |
|---|---|
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| Born | January 23, 1919 Wellington, Shropshire, England, United Kingdom |
| Died | July 12, 1997 (aged 78) Santa Barbara, California, United States |
| Nationality | British |
| Occupation(s) | Writer and founder of the Aetherius Society |
| Years active | 1954–1997 |
| Known for | Aetherius Society |
| Notable work | Contact Your Higher Self Through Yoga (1955) The Twelve Blessings (1962) The Nine Freedoms (1963) |
George King (January 23, 1919, Wellington, Shropshire – July 12, 1997, Santa Barbara, California) was a British author, esotericist, and spiritual figure who founded the Aetherius Society, a new religious movement,[1] during the mid-1950s.
Biography
[edit]George King was born on January 23, 1919, in Wellington, Shropshire, England and brought up in a protestant family with strong occult interests.[2][3][4] His father (also called George King) was a school teacher and mother Mary a nurse and later small business owner. The family relocated on several occasions as his father sought better appointments, settling for a period in North Yorkshire. King was educated at Guisborough Grammar School. In 1937 King at the age of 18 left the family home and moved to London. Led by his belief in pacifism he became a conscientious objector during the Second World War, serving in the Auxiliary Fire Service. Later he worked as a chauffeur and security officer.
In 1954, he claimed that a voice told him "Prepare yourself! You are to become the voice of Interplanetary Parliament."[citation needed] Afterwards in 1955, he founded the Aetherius Society and published the book Contact Your Higher Self Through Yoga.
George King died in Santa Barbara, California, on July 12, 1997, at the age of 78, according to the Aetherius Society.[5] However, his death was not reported in major newspapers.
Reception and criticism
[edit]His claims have been denounced as pseudoscience by skeptics such as James Randi.[6]
Publications
[edit]Selected writings:[7]
- 1955. Contact Your Higher Self Through Yoga. Los Angeles: Aetherius Society.
- 1958. Life on the Planets. Hollywood, CA: Aetherius Society.
- 1961. You Are Responsible!. Hollywood, CA: Aetherius Society.
- 1962. The Twelve Blessings. Hollywood, CA: Aetherius Society.
- 1963. The Nine Freedoms. Hollywood, CA: Aetherius Society.
- 1964a. The Flying Saucers: A Report on the Flying Saucers, Their Crews and Their Mission to Earth. Hollywood, CA: Aetherius Society.
- 1964b. Contact Your Higher Self Through Yoga. Hollywood, CA: Aetherius Society.
- 1966. A Book of Sacred Prayers. Hollywood, CA: Aetherius Society.
- c. 1975. The Five Temples of God. Hollywood, CA: Aetherius Society.
- 1979. Operation Sunbeam: God's Magic in Action. Hollywood, CA: Aetherius Society. [First published in 1958.]
- 1982. Operation Space Magic: The Cosmic Connection. Hollywood, CA: Aetherius Society.
- 1987. Operation Space Power: The Solution of the Spiritual Energy Crisis. Hollywood, CA: Aetherius Society.
- 1988. Life on the Planets. Hollywood, CA: Aetherius Society. [First published in 1958.]
- 1989. Contact with a Lord of Karma. Hollywood, CA: Aetherius Society.
- n.d. The Practices of Aetherius. Hollywood, CA: Aetherius Society.
- 1996. With Richard Lawrence. Contacts with the Gods From Space: Pathway to the New Millennium. Hollywood, CA: Aetherius Society.
References
[edit]- ^ Smith, Simon G. (2003). "Opening A Channel To The Stars: The Origins and Development of the Aetherius Society". In Partridge, Christopher Hugh (ed.). UFO Religions. Routledge.
- ^ The King Who Came to Earth: A Biography. The Aetherius Society. 25 August 2019. ISBN 9781941482100.
- ^ Isaksson, Stefan (2000). "The Aetherius Society". In New religious UFO movements: extraterrestrial salvation in contemporary America.
- ^ Smith, Simon G. (2003). "Opening A Channel To The Stars: The Origins and Development of the Aetherius Society". In Partridge, Christopher Hugh (ed.). UFO Religions. Routledge. pp. 84–5.
- ^ Barrett, David (May 26, 2011). A Brief Guide to Secret Religions: A Complete Guide to Hermetic, Pagan and Esoteric Beliefs. Hachette UK. ISBN 978-1849018111. Retrieved 8 January 2018.
- ^ "An Encyclopedia of Claims, Frauds, and Hoaxes of the Occult and Supernatural". James Randi Educational Foundation. 2007. Retrieved 4 August 2014.
- ^ Saliba, John A. (1999). The Earth is a Dangerous Place: The World View of the Aetherius Society. Marburg Journal of Religion Vol. 4, No. 2 (December 1999).
External links
[edit]
- Official website maintained by the Aetherius Society