Frequently Asked Questions

MSIA is legally incorporated as a church, and its focus is Soul Transcendence, which is becoming aware of oneself as a Soul and, more than that, as one with God. Students in MSIA work with the Mystical Traveler, a spiritual consciousness that exists throughout all levels of God’s creation. It resides within each one of us and is a guide into the higher levels of Spirit, the greater reality of God. The Traveler can assist a person in clearing karma (balancing past actions), and its work is done inwardly, on the spiritual levels.

MSIA has no formal membership, dues, rules, or regulations. The real “movement of spiritual inner awareness” takes place within each person, and the organization exists only to support people in expanding their awareness of the Soul and God.

MSIA is a nondenominational, ecumenical church, and study in MSIA is often compatible with other religious faiths. Students in MSIA read Soul Awareness Discourses as their basic study.

Since June 25, 1971, MSIA has been recognized both as a church and as exempt from Federal income tax under section 501(c)(3). MSIA is a nonprofit religious corporation.

MSIA is the acronym for the Movement of Spiritual Inner Awareness. Actually, our full name is the Church of the Movement of Spiritual Inner Awareness, but we usually go by “MSIA” because it is easy to say: M-S-I-A.

People participate in MSIA to whatever degree they would like to. The main way to get involved in MSIA is to subscribe to Soul Awareness Discourses. Discourses form the core teachings of MSIA. They can be read just for the information or as a conscious process of study towards initiation in MSIA after two years of study. The Discourses are a requirement for participation in retreats and advanced classes sponsored by Peace Theological Seminary and College of Philosophy.

You can also attend MSIA events, seminars, and classes to support your spiritual study, and MSIA offers books, downloadable seminars, CDs, and DVDs to deepen your understanding of the Traveler’s teachings.

This web site has many ways to explore MSIA. You can watch video clips by John-Roger and webcasts with John Morton. You can learn how to do spiritual exercises (MSIA’s form of meditation/prayer), and download a free introductory book if you like.

We always recommend that you check things out and go by your own experience to see if the teachings work for you. Look at your life, both inner and outer, and see if you are feeling better, thinking more clearly, being more loving, and so on. You may also experience a greater awareness of the Divine in yourself and all of life.

John-Roger has said that “the Movement of Spiritual Inner Awareness isn’t one of those groups that says, ‘We’re it, and you’re not,’ for the simple reason that we say it’s a movement, not something that is stable. And if it’s moving, that means you have to stay on your toes or you’ll trip and fall. And so we want to give up anything that isn’t working.

“There is only ‘one way,’ and that is the way that works. And when it works, that’s your way. If it doesn’t work for you, then, by definition, that’s not the way for you. Can that way be any group? Yes, if that group works for you.

“So when you study in MSIA, find out what’s going on. Work it. Take the part that works for you and let the rest go. You’re free to do what you want. Why? Because that’s what you’re going to do anyway. You’ll do what works. And when something no longer works for you, move to what does work for you. You just keep going higher and higher.

“Don’t believe. Don’t be a fool. Why believe prior to your experience? Live your life based on your experience. That is the action of the Christ. It brings an experience: transformation, rejuvenation, resurrection. In MSIA, we call it awakening.”
– John-Roger

Soul Transcendence is becoming aware of yourself as a Soul and as one with God. The Soul is that essence of us that is a pure extension of God. The mind, emotions, and body are elements that the Soul has taken to itself in order to experience those levels of existence. In the course of your journey on earth, it is possible for you to learn not to be held in bondage or restricted by your body, emotions, or mind. And when these lower levels are transcended, that which is left is pure Soul. Eventually, as the journey back to God continues, Soul will also be transcended, and there will be only God.

MSIA teaches Soul Transcendence, which is becoming aware of yourself as Soul and as one with God. The Soul is that essence of us that is a pure extension of God. The mind, emotions, and body are elements that the Soul has taken to itself in order to experience those levels of existence. In the course of your journey on earth, it is possible to learn not to be restricted by the body, mind, or emotions. And when those lower levels are transcended, that which is left is pure Soul.

Soul Transcendence frees one from the cycle of incarnation. And eventually, as the journey back to God continues, Soul will also be transcended and there will be only God. Put another way, Soul Transcendence is to live and be in the presence of the living God and to know that. Working with the Mystical Traveler and doing spiritual exercises is a proven way to do this.

The core services of MSIA are the Traveler’s teachings that are in the Soul Awareness Discourses and initiation into the Sound Current of God. With these two things, a person has all they need to practice Soul Transcendence as a means to fulfill their spiritual heritage. If a person cannot afford Discourses, they can make an arrangement with the MSIA office that is tailored to their financial situation. And there is no charge at all for initiation. The blessings are free.

All the rest of the services offered by MSIA are “gravy”–a blessing to many, many people, yet not essential for a person’s path through the Mystical Traveler Consciousness. The money that is collected for Discourses and events goes to support the costs of running the Church, such as printing, shipping, property expenses, salaries, etc. MSIA is mostly a volunteer-run organization.

No, they are spiritual teachers. Each religious tradition has their way of describing their teacher. The word “guru” means teacher in the Hindu and Tibetan Buddhist traditions, just as in Judaism the term “rabbi” and in Islam the term “Imam” also mean teacher. In the east, this is considered a very high calling much as we in the west use the terms priest and minister. It is most appropriate to refer to John-Roger or John Morton as a spiritual teacher in the context of their MSIA ministries.

No. Some people define a cult as a group that tries to get you involved so that your life is under the authority of a central figure. This does not remotely describe the way that MSIA works. People are free to come and go in MSIA and to live their lives as they wish. We encourage people to test the teachings inside themselves and see if they work or not. No one involved with MSIA should “leave their brains at the door” when they participate, and one of MSIA’s primary tenets is to use everything for your upliftment, learning, and growth and to have the wit to drop that which does not work for you. The real teachings of MSIA take place inwardly, and the primary activities of MSIA are doing spiritual exercises and studying the Soul Awareness Discourses. These can take place if you are in Antarctica or in Los Angeles, and they are done at your own direction.

The idea of calling a spiritual group (or even a non-spiritual group) a “cult” has become very popular. One religious scholar said that a cult is a group that another group doesn’t like. Most, if not all, religious faiths in the world–whether established for thousands of years or just started last week–have been called cults by someone at some point. This has been especially true for newer religious groups like MSIA, which fall under what scholars call “new religious movements.” MSIA strongly supports the idea of religious freedom: people should have the right to practice their faith and beliefs as they see fit.

MSIA teaches to take care of yourself so you can take care of others and not to hurt yourself or others. If MSIA does not work for someone, we wish them the best on their spiritual path.

No. MSIA has been described as being similar or connected with various groups, i.e., Sant Mat, Christian Charismatics, Radha Soami, Eckankar, Science of Mind, and many other religious groups. In fact, however, MSIA is a new look at ancient teachings–teachings that may parallel many that are taught in other faiths. MSIA has something for everyone, which is perhaps why people have associated it with so many other religions. What makes MSIA unique is the Mystical Traveler Consciousness, which works directly with students in MSIA.

The Christ Consciousness is the spiritual line of energy undergirding MSIA. At the same time, MSIA has no argument with any other religious or spiritual tradition. There are people in MSIA from all backgrounds and traditions–from Judaism to Bahaism.

MSIA and the Traveler teach unconditional loving. Within that, there is acceptance for all spiritual paths and expressions. We teach that each person is going through the experiences that he or she needs in order to grow and to complete karma in this lifetime. There is also the potential for each of us to move into the Soul, into that which we truly are, and to live life from that level in joy and fullness.

Another thing MSIA teaches is checking things out. That means to be open to ideas and processes and to see which ones work for you. Sometimes this means looking behind the labels that might be placed on something and seeing what is applicable to your life and what brings you more upliftment.

Jesus Christ is the head of the Church of the Movement of Spiritual Inner Awareness, and the Traveler’s work through MSIA (Soul Transcendence) is based on Jesus’ work. Jesus was a Mystical Traveler, and he made it possible for all people to enter the Soul realm; before that time, this was available to only a few people. John-Roger’s and John Morton’s work of Soul Transcendence builds upon Jesus’ work and makes it possible for people to go above (transcend) the Soul realm, into the heart of God.

The Christ Consciousness is a universal consciousness of love and pure Spirit, which exists within each person through the Soul, and it is the spiritual line of energy supporting MSIA. At the same time, MSIA has no argument with any other religious or spiritual tradition, and many people who held the Traveler Consciousness throughout history are revered in various faiths (for example, Moses, Mohammed, Lao Tzu, Confucius, and St. Francis, to name just a few). There are people in MSIA from all backgrounds and traditions–Jewish, Protestant, Roman Catholic, Buddhist, etc. MSIA teaches unconditional loving. Within that, there is acceptance for all spiritual paths and expressions because we understand that each of us is going through the experiences that we need in order to grow and to complete karma in this lifetime. There is also the potential for each of us to move into the Soul and to live life from that level in joy and fullness.

One meaning of ecumenical, and the way that MSIA uses the word, is “worldwide or universal in extent, influence, or application.” Put another way, everyone on the planet is in his or her own movement of spiritual inner awareness, consciously or unconsciously. Each of us is a Soul, gaining experiences as we go home to God, and those in MSIA are consciously on the path of Soul Transcendence.

MSIA and Insight share a common founder: John-Roger. The two organizations are legally separate organizations with different purposes — MSIA teaches Soul transcendence — an inner spiritual study — and Insight is an educational personal development program that shows people how to live from their heart — the center of their authentic self — and provides tools for living happier, healthier, more fulfilling lives.

MSIA started in the late 1960’s and was formally organized as a nondenominational church in 1971. Insight had its beginnings in late 1977 when John-Roger and Russell Bishop met and looked at the idea of an awareness seminar as a format to assist people to better handle and enjoy their lives. Insight was created in 1978 as a nonprofit organization dedicated to assisting people in transforming themselves so that the greater transformation of the planet can take place.

In the early years of Insight, many MSIA students took Insight and were involved in the trainings. Eventually, the number of participants far exceeded the boundaries of those involved in MSIA. Over 1 million people around the world have attended Insight since it started, while MSIA’s current active students number around 5,000 worldwide.

John-Roger has continued to be involved with Insight over the years as an educator. MSIA considers Insight’s trainings, although more focused on the outer world, to be aligned with its teachings and the two jointly do events together on occasion, for example at MSIA’s annual conference.

While we may grieve for the loss of a friend or loved one, we also remember that no one passes from this life unless the higher self and Soul of the person agree to leaving at that time. So while a person’s physical death may sometimes seem to have extreme circumstances on the outside, we seek to remember the inner spiritual truth of the matter, that a person is really an eternal Soul. And so, even in our mourning because we may miss the person being in our lives physically, we also have a knowing that they have completed this life and are moving on with the next steps in their spiritual progression.

MSIA teaches life and living. Suicide violates the basic MSIA tenet of not hurting yourself and not hurting others. In addition, if an initiate commits suicide he/she can disconnect himself/herself from the initiatory tone. Generally, suicide is an avoidance of what is happening here in this world. It is a false escape, an attempt to get away from some lesson that is important to be learned or experienced. Of course, that lesson still needs to be learned or experienced even if a person commits suicide, so the Soul just gets to try it again at another time, often in situations that bring the lesson to them in a seemingly harder way.

The Traveler teaches longevity in order to clear and release as much karma as possible. If we cut that process short, we cut it short only in terms of this world now; we don’t really cut it short at all. But, in an even larger sense, not one Soul will be lost and God loves all of its creation. So, in time, the lessons will be learned and the Soul will return to God and all will be well.

While MSIA offers ministerial services, anyone who is talking or thinking about suicide should immediately seek licensed, qualified professional assistance.

If you have other basic questions about MSIA, you may find that they are answered elsewhere in this web site. We suggest that you experience MSIA firsthand by participating in whatever way you are most comfortable with. You can also contact us with further questions.

MSIA does not have any membership per se. The best way to get involved in MSIA is to subscribe to Soul Awareness Discourses. Discourses form the core teachings of MSIA. They can be read for the information or as a conscious process of study towards initiation in MSIA after two years of ongoing study. The Discourses are a requirement for participation in retreats and advanced classes sponsored by Peace Theological Seminary and College of Philosophy.

No. MSIA doesn’t interfere in people’s lives. The MSIA teachings are inner and are not about trying to enforce any outer behavior. People involved with MSIA live their own lives, and what they do in their personal lives is their business.

No. MSIA strongly holds that one’s spiritual life is a private and personal choice. Whether one shares about it with others is also an individual choice. Of course, people are welcome to share about MSIA with others, but it is always a personal decision to do so or not.

Sure. MSIA is often called “the Movement,” and people sometimes come and go because there is movement. Sometimes they come back and get involved again.

John Morton and John-Roger are not gurus, so you can’t have a guru/student relationship with either of them. They are wayshowers, and they point the way towards the Soul realm. You travel that path yourself; they do not do it for you. The relationship is not of this physical realm or level, and John Morton and John-Roger do not enter into your physical life or tell you what to do or not to do. They are there to point a way if you need to have a spiritual reference point. They are there to guide and assist you spiritually in developing a relationship with your inner self and with the Light and the Sound Current. Then, if you choose, you can use these to become more aware of God.

If you are a serious student of the inner teachings, we suggest that you choose one spiritual teacher to study with. It is fine to change your mind if what you are doing doesn’t work for you; however, it is not recommended that you have two spiritual teachers. Why is this? If you try to work with two spiritual teachers, you will probably split your energy and not give yourself a fair chance, and you may even become very confused. In addition, you are not giving the spiritual teacher that will be working with you a fair chance of working with you. You have our blessing and best wishes on your spiritual path with whomever you chose to be involved with.

No. MSIA does not sell its mailing list, nor do we give out names and addresses of its students or those on its mailing lists. Requests to be taken off the MSIA mailing list are handled immediately. People who are actively studying in MSIA may occasionally receive mailings from other organizations founded by John-Roger, but no solicitations from any other sources. All MSIA’s electronic mail subscriptions include clear instructions on how to cancel the service. Participation in MSIA is private, and we believe that every person’s right to practice their faith is sacred and personal.

We think that’s fine. All people who stop participating actively in MSIA are exercising their God-given freedom of choice and are likely to have other lessons to learn or karma to fulfill. MSIA offers loving support regardless of what people decide to do.

People participate in MSIA to whatever degree they would like to. The main way to get involved in MSIA is to subscribe to Soul Awareness Discourses. Discourses form the core teachings of MSIA. They can be read just for the information or as a conscious process of study towards initiation in MSIA after two years of study. The Discourses are a requirement for participation in retreats and advanced classes sponsored by Peace Theological Seminary and College of Philosophy.

You can also attend MSIA events, seminars, and classes to support your spiritual study, and MSIA offers books, downloadable seminars, CDs, and DVDs to deepen your understanding of the Traveler’s teachings.

This web site has many ways to explore MSIA. You can watch video clips by John-Roger and webcasts with John Morton. You can learn how to do spiritual exercises (MSIA’s form of meditation/prayer), and download a free introductory book if you like.

We always recommend that you check things out and go by your own experience to see if the teachings work for you. Look at your life, both inner and outer, and see if you are feeling better, thinking more clearly, being more loving, and so on. You may also experience a greater awareness of the Divine in yourself and all of life.

John-Roger has said that “the Movement of Spiritual Inner Awareness isn’t one of those groups that says, ‘We’re it, and you’re not,’ for the simple reason that we say it’s a movement, not something that is stable. And if it’s moving, that means you have to stay on your toes or you’ll trip and fall. And so we want to give up anything that isn’t working.

“There is only ‘one way,’ and that is the way that works. And when it works, that’s your way. If it doesn’t work for you, then, by definition, that’s not the way for you. Can that way be any group? Yes, if that group works for you.

“So when you study in MSIA, find out what’s going on. Work it. Take the part that works for you and let the rest go. You’re free to do what you want. Why? Because that’s what you’re going to do anyway. You’ll do what works. And when something no longer works for you, move to what does work for you. You just keep going higher and higher.

“Don’t believe. Don’t be a fool. Why believe prior to your experience? Live your life based on your experience. That is the action of the Christ. It brings an experience: transformation, rejuvenation, resurrection. In MSIA, we call it awakening.”

– John-Roger

The “Light” is another term for the Holy Spirit, one of the basic concepts used in the teachings of MSIA. The Light is the manifestation of God on this level. It’s what God uses when It wants to get something done here on Earth.

The MSIA prayer list is place where people can ask that the Light of the Holy Spirit (the “Light”) be sent to a person, animal, place, situation, etc. for the Highest Good. By submitting a name to the MSIA prayer list, there will be ministers and others praying, asking that the Light be sent for the highest good. The prayer list really helps many people in the inner worlds.

Sending the Light is a direct form of prayer to God that happens immediately when a name is added to the prayer list. It is very powerful. We’re doing it as a straight, direct contact with God, instead of interceding and using ourselves to explain everything to God, which dilutes the energy.

The thing that’s of value in sending the Light is the blessing the person gets in return is remarkable. It doesn’t come back in a way that you can predict; it comes back in a way that is beautiful.

John-Roger said this about sending the Light: “People come up to me and ask me to look in on somebody to send them the Light, and before they get halfway through, it’s all done. Because the Light knows what it is inside of them, and it just goes. I listen to them until they get through, and I say, ‘It’s gone, thank you.’ And I don’t do anything; I stay out of the way. It’s your consciousness of Light that does it. And there can’t be too much Light sent to a person. There can’t be too much or too often.”

The value in it is that it comes back to the person who sends the Light. That’s the greatest value. The person that’s having it sent to them may not even be aware that it was done for them, but the one who did it has done the greater love. And there’s great value there. I do it selfishly, for a very selfish reason. I gain value personally out of sending people the Light. I gain more than they ever get close to. So, I really don’t care if anybody else does it or not. If they want to, there’s enough value in it for everybody on the planet, but it they don’t want to, I’m sufficiently selfish enough to take the value myself. And I do that.

You can put a person, animal, place, situation, or anything else you want on the prayer list. It is best to be as specific as possible. For example, Aunt Betty Smith is better than “Aunt Betty.”

The actual MSIA prayer list is kept confidential to respect the privacy of those on it. It is sent to some MSIA ministers and students who maintain its privacy. However, anyone can send the Light to the prayer list itself (and many do). Sending the Light to the prayer list has tremendous value.

It is unnecessary to divulge the reason (problem, situation) for putting a name on the prayer list – for example, the reason could potentially be still on the list long after the Light had already cleared it. The name is enough. The Light will act for the Highest Good of the person, group, or place being prayed for regardless of the reason.

Not at all. You can put yourself on the prayer list for clarity on making a decision, or just because you want a blessing in your life. You can submit the name of a city where there is trouble or natural disaster, or situation that could use an extra boost of support. There is probably no wrong way or reason to make a submission to the MSIA prayer list for the Highest Good of all concerned.

You can submit it in the Prayer List section of this web site or e-mail it to: prayer@msia.org or call the MSIA office at (323) 737-4055, extension 305, or fax it to MSIA at (323) 737-5680.

More than daily. Whoever they are, when they ask for the Light to be sent, It happens immediately. If they ask again, it happens immediately. Say you’ve got a list of 4,000 people. All you have to do is just think of the list with the idea of sending the Light: it hits the list, and it’s gone. You don’t have to read 4,000 names. Or do anything else.

Ministers and other people are sending Light to the Prayer list every day. You don’t even need to know what people or situations are on the List to send Light to it. You can simply think of the List with the idea of sending List and it’s done.

A new prayer list is created each Monday.

Because Spirit will not usually look at a plan to see if an alternate can be instituted unless requested from this level of Spirit. In the cosmic sense, taking all eternity into consideration, all things are ultimately for the highest good because not one Soul will be lost. But very few of us function at that cosmic, ultimate level. On this level where most of us function, all things don’t necessarily happen for the highest good or in perfect timing. So it’s always appropriate to send the Light–for the highest good (which is something God knows and we, on our personality levels, don’t always know).

Sending the Light for the highest good increases the positive energy in a situation and increases the likelihood that, rather than a not-so-high good, the highest good possible will take place. Also, the spiritual worlds are quite polluted with all the extraneous thought-patterns that we are heir to. Our job is to TRANSMUTE these things that come in. When we get a down feeling or a negative thought–no matter if it’s ours or someone else’s or we don’t know where it came from–we transmute it in Light and put it back out as Light. Some of the metaphysical churches know this and are doing it. They have 24-hour prayer groups going, just blessing and putting out the positive energy. They’ll win. The way they’re going about it may take a long time, but that’s okay because they have a lot of people. Every little Light group around, no matter what you want to call it, asking for the Light of God for the highest good of mankind and praying and asserting goodwill and brotherhood, will help clean out the negative force that we feel.

Yes, it sure does. Thoughts are transmitted over long distances and we are affected on many different levels by them. Sending the thought “I love you” or “God bless you” can work wonders.

Then that will be exactly what will take place. If you have that type of concern, that’s exactly what will take place. But if your thought is that three people doing it is sufficient for any universe, that will be sufficient to do it. It’s done to you as you think in your heart.

Having a desire outcome is not in conflict with her highest good, as the Lord listens to that prayer for the highest good of your dog.

Just ask for the Light to be there for the highest good. YOU aren’t doing it; GOD is doing it. You are simply asking.

Let’s just say that we should all be Light columns first. Physically, mentally, emotionally, spiritually, we should be a Light column. Then, wherever we go, wherever we sit, wherever we talk, we should leave a column of our beingness of Light there. We should project it collectively into areas so that we’re just riveting everything together like a cobweb of Light forms, energies that are so intricately intertwined but as graceful as the most delicate lace. And even though they may look like a great whirlwind, sort of rough and crude, when you get into it, you find that it’s a filigree and each little strand is very fine.

I don’t know if you know it, but the steel that holds bridges up is made up of very small little strands that are woven together. It’s not one big single piece of steel, because that would snap. The single strands give it flexibility of movement. And that flexibility is strength. The rigidity collapses. That’s another way of saying that the law is rigid and grace is flexible.

The magnetic Light relates to and can operate only in the levels below Soul. The Light of the Holy Spirit exists on the levels of Soul and above. It can and does come into the lower levels, riding the magnetic Light as a vehicle. Some of the ways you can know the difference between the two is that the Holy Spirit will never inflict itself on anything or anyone. It comes only where invited, and it operates for the highest good of all concerned. When you are doing anything different from that trying to get someone to do something the way you want it done, trying to control the outcome of a situation, etc. you are dealing with the magnetic Light, and there are always strings attached. When you stay out of areas of control and ask always for the highest good, you are more likely to be dealing with the Light of the Holy Spirit.

The magnetic light is neither good nor bad. It’s what the spiritual Light rides on when it comes into this level. In that case, it’s being used for the highest good. It can also be used for less than the highest good when a person works only with it (and not the spiritual light) and is not concerned about the highest good.

John-Roger has said that the Mystical Traveler is freedom, expresses freedom, and gives freedom. That is its nature. Its nature is love, joy, and upliftment. It brings health, wealth, and happiness on the physical level, calm to the emotional level, peace to the mental level, ability to the unconscious level, and the fulfillment of all the dreams to the spiritual level. In the higher spiritual realms, it is It of Itself, the supreme God-form that manifests in and through all things.

John-Roger has also said it’s important to remember that the Traveler is not something separate from you. It’s a consciousness that is within each person on all the levels described above. Each person’s inner spiritual journey is an awakening to the Traveler on all the levels, up into the very heart of God. For more about how this loving consciousness assists people, we highly recommend John-Roger’s seminar called “When the Mystical Traveler Works with You.”

It doesn’t have to be called that. It was given a term so that it could be referred to in speaking and writing. Also, mystical means “having a spiritual meaning or reality that is neither apparent to the senses nor obvious to the intelligence,” and traveler refers to one who goes on a trip or journey. The Traveler exists on all levels of consciousness and can go (travel) with people into areas of consciousness that are not apparent to the senses or obvious to the intellect (mind).

To get an idea of how the Traveler works with people, you could think of climbing a mountain, say Mount Everest. If reaching the top of it were your goal, you might want to climb with the assistance, suggestions, encouragement, and guidance of someone who has already climbed it and knows the way. Similarly, the Traveler Consciousness is one who knows the way “up the mountain” to the Soul level and above and who can guide and assist you spiritually. Still, though, the climb is always yours. You are the one who does it. For more information on how the Traveler works with people, you might listen to John-Roger’s seminar called “The Divine Communion.”

You are wise to be wary of submitting yourself to any person. John Morton and John-Roger are not interested in having anyone submit to them. When a person participates in MSIA and works with the Mystical Traveler, that person is, if anything, “submitting” to themselves, to the Christ within, to the God within. And that is really a joyous surrender to love.

There’s really no way to “understand” the Mystical Traveler Consciousness and how that works, etc., from this physical level. That’s like trying to perceive the infinite with the finite mind. Where you’ll grow to know the Traveler is in your heart. When that love becomes more and more present for you, it will work for you, and then the understanding will come from an intuitive place, not from the mind. The Traveler lives in you, as you, as that divine part of you. So when someone “worships” the Traveler, they are worshiping the God that is ever-present. The worship never belongs to anyone’s physical form or personality, and if it is placed there, it is in incorrectly placed.

In his book called “Q&A from the Heart“, John-Roger has explained that “to be an initiate of the Traveler is to devote yourself to the God within you, to devote yourself to Spirit, to returning to your home, the Soul, from which you originally came before you incarnated onto this earth. It means devoting yourself to working out the karma you’ve accrued while being here and to releasing yourself from that karma through grace and your good works, so that you are free to rise into the heart of God.”

Angels do exist. Angels are non-physical beings who hold spiritual energy and do spiritual work on the different levels of existence. (Human beings are of a higher vibration than all angels except the Archangels.) One of their “jobs” is to praise God continuously; it’s very joyful.

A guardian angel has a specific job–to assist, guide, and protect a certain person. The guardian angel is one who will urge and direct; it works like a sort of reflective counselor. People who have been baptized within MSIA and certain faiths or groups have had a guardian angel placed with them at the time of baptism.

Do all things in God’s name. Place the Light ahead of you in all that you do. Ask always that your actions be for the highest good. You may accrue some karma, but, if you are working with the Mystical Traveler, it will be worked off that night in the sleep state and cleared instantly through the grace of the Traveler.

In MSIA, we teach that you can know God directly, and this is by your own experience. As Jesus told us, “The kingdom of heaven is within.” Spiritual Exercises are a method of going within and discovering God within you. As you discover deeper and deeper levels of that, you also awaken to the supreme God that is in and through all things. Then, by unconditionally loving and forgiving–yourself, others, and all situations–the past can be balanced as needed and you can expand the awareness of yourself as divine, as “made in God’s image”, and live here on Earth with that awareness.

This physical life is an illusion in the sense that there is a greater reality, which is that each of us is divine and can know this while we live here. Many things in this world direct us away from this knowledge and lead us to identify with our personality and physical body and to place our security in material things. But all physical things eventually pass away. Who we truly are–the Soul–is eternal.

Part of discovering the divinity within ourselves also involves seeing the illusions of this world for what they are. We can use and enjoy the personality and the things of the world, but we know we are much more and that our true “home” is in the Spirit.

Since not one Soul will be lost, who we truly are never dies. When a person dies physically, the Soul that was in that body goes to the spiritual level for which it has prepared itself. This varies tremendously from person to person, and we should really say, from Soul to Soul.

While we may grieve for the loss of a loved one, we also remember that no one passes from this life unless the higher self and Soul of the person agree to leaving at that time. We seek to remember that a person is really a Soul. And so, even in our mourning because we may miss the person’s presence in our lives physically, we also have joy that they have completed this life and are moving on in their spiritual progression.

After physical death occurs, there is often a time of readjustment and reeducation to Spirit, particularly if the person was not consciously aware of and working with Spirit in the earthly life. There is time for the Soul to become re-accustomed to Spirit, to gain the wisdom of the higher plan, and to rest and gain strength before further decisions are made about its future experiences.

When a person is studying in MSIA, there is a connection with the Mystical Traveler such that at the time of physical death, the Traveler meets the person and takes them to the highest level in Spirit that the Soul can maintain. And if a person has established himself or herself in the Soul realm or higher through initiation in MSIA, that Soul no longer needs to re-embody physically.

When a person has a near-death experience and almost dies, their consciousness leaves their body and they have awareness of the nonphysical levels. The reality of this is often very profound, something they cannot forget or deny even when their consciousness returns to this physical level. For this reason, a near-death experience can often give a person a much greater perspective, and they see that there is much more than just this physical life.

Everyone living on the Earth is here because they chose to be here. This decision was made by the Soul before it took on a physical body and incarnated on the planet. So, you are here because you chose to be here, and your only “obligation” is to keep breathing.

The Soul has come here in order to gain experience and to move toward its ultimate destiny, which is to know God in all things. So your real purpose for being here is to know God. What you do with your life is up to you.

Suffering is a point of view and a point of identification. We all have experienced suffering in our egos, personalities, and the lower levels (physical, astral, causal, mental, etheric). The Soul, however, does not suffer. Instead, it looks at every situation as an opportunity to get more experience. When we look at things from a level other than the Soul, or when we identify with something other than the Soul, we can experience suffering. When we identify with the Soul and look at things from the SOUL’S viewing point, we can have the joy of the Spirit in the midst of suffering on any other level.

Sometimes we go through these experiences to balance our past actions (clear karma). How we go through these experiences depends on our attitude and our spiritual altitude. The Soul knows that God isn’t doing anything to us but, out of great loving, is permitting us to learn from our experiences.

Lack of awareness. In our past lives, we have often had experiences that we’d rather not remember, so we block the memory. Also, it is usually unnecessary to remember our past existence. All we really have to do is start living NOW, start taking care of NOW. We bless the past with love and Light and let it drop away. It can be done that easily, and it’s your attitude that allows this to work or not.

If you do not have memory of the past, there is no need to seek it, as if you are somehow missing something. Instead, just love yourself in the present and be willing to move through your life in the knowledge that those things that are right and proper for you will occur.

Spiritual exercises are one of the primary ways that we learn to attune to and focus on God in MSIA. Spiritual exercises (s.e.’s) are an active technique of bypassing the mind and emotions by using a spiritual tone or vibration to connect to the energy that flows from God through all existence. S.e.’s assist a person to transcend illusions and limitations and move into the awareness of Soul.

A recommended chant for spiritual exercises is the “HU,” which is pronounced like the name Hugh or which can be said by pronouncing the sounds of the individual letters “H” and “U.” The HU tone is an ancient name of God and is a wonderful way of attuning to the higher vibrations of Spirit.

The ANI-HU is a variation of the HU chant. Pronounced (AN-EYE-HU), the ANI-HU is also an invocation to God, but it has an added dimension that brings in the quality of empathy and oneness with others. As you chant this tone, you will find that quality of empathy and connection with others is increased. For this reason, it is a beautiful chant to do in a group situation, as a continuous, rolling sound.

Most meditative techniques, as taught by other teachers and groups, are a passive process wherein you sit still and empty your mind and your consciousness of all thought and feeling. This approach seems to work to a point. Within MSIA we teach another dimension to the meditative process, which changes it from a passive technique of “emptying the mind” to an active technique of directing the mind and emotions. This is called “spiritual exercises,” which suggests the activity of exercises combined with the spiritual focus and thrust.

One of the values of doing spiritual exercises (s.e.’s) is that they give you a chance to attune yourself to the Spirit inside of you and become aware, once again, of the loving that is extended to you through Christ. All you have to do is follow the loving back into the heart of God, your home in Spirit.

One of the things that most of us do s.e.’s for is a greater sense of emotional, mental, and physical balance out here in the world, so that we can look at our spouse or boss or children or neighbors and say, “Hello, how are you?” and have a sense of caring in that question. Very often, the value of doing spiritual exercises is not found at the time you are doing them. It works much like when you run for exercise: you get the benefits after the running is over.

Do you get the idea that spiritual exercises also have a lot of joy and fun and upliftment to them? Their premise is uplifting. The end result here is upliftment, joy, expansion. The end result is at-one-ment with God.

Perhaps the easiest way to do s.e.’s is simply to be open to receive whatever is there for you at the time. You can call in the Light and ask to become attuned to the Traveler within you, and then chant the HU or ANI-HU with an attitude of “Lord, I am open to receive from you.” For more on s.e.’s, we highly recommend John-Roger’s book called Walking with the Lord or the CD set of the same name. They both have useful information on the details of doing s.e.’s, as well as inspiration for the inner journey.

The way you learn to hold spiritual energy is just to keep doing it and doing it and doing it. In the beginning, it may seem like you can’t hold the energy for very long, and that’s to be expected. As you continue doing spiritual exercises, you’ll be able to hold a little longer and a little longer. And as you can hold the energy for a longer period, more energy will come in. Then there will be another shift as you learn to handle more. It’s a continuous process–continuous growth. And being able to hold the spiritual energies is really a great, great blessing.

Most meditative techniques, as taught by other teachers and groups, are a passive process wherein you sit still and empty your mind and your consciousness of all thought and feeling. This approach seems to work to a point. Within MSIA we teach another dimension to the meditative process, which changes it from a passive technique of “emptying the mind” to an active technique of directing the mind and emotions. This is called “spiritual exercises,” which suggests the activity of exercises combined with the spiritual focus and thrust.

In his book called “Q&A from the Heart“, John-Roger has explained that “to be an initiate of the Traveler is to devote yourself to the God within you, to devote yourself to Spirit, to returning to your home, the Soul, from which you originally came before you incarnated onto this earth. It means devoting yourself to working out the karma you’ve accrued while being here and to releasing yourself from that karma through grace and your good works, so that you are free to rise into the heart of God.“

Students in MSIA are initiated through the Mystical Traveler Consciousness into the Sound Current. There are five initiations within MSIA: the astral (dealing with the imagination), the causal (dealing with the emotions), the mental (dealing with the mind), the etheric (dealing with the unconscious), and the Soul (which is who you truly are).

The astral initiation happens in the night travel (the dream state) after a person has in some way come in contact with the Mystical Traveler; it is not anchored physically at that time. For the four other levels of initiation, the person is given the name of God on that realm to chant inwardly. These initiation “tones” are charged with spiritual energy by the Traveler Consciousness for each person individually, and the Traveler assists the student in clearing enough karma on one level to be initiated into the next level. There are also twenty-seven levels of initiation above Soul realm, although there are no physical initiations given for those levels of initiations.

Before being initiated into the causal realm, a person needs to have studied Soul Awareness Discourses for at least two years. The Discourses are filled with useful and interesting information, and, more important, if a person is studying towards initiation and has written to the Traveler stating that, the Traveler works with the person to clear karma and to prepare them for initiation.

Discourses and spiritual exercises are two of the main ways (physically) that the Traveler works with people in MSIA. Doing spiritual exercises involves chanting “Ani-Hu” either silently or aloud. (“Hu” is an ancient word for God, and “Ani” evokes the quality of empathy.) “Hu” can also be chanted by itself, and both these tones can help bring you into attunement with Spirit. It’s a good idea to take time each day for this spiritual attunement through spiritual exercises and to use these two tones often during your first two years of study in MSIA. Building up a strong habit of chanting and spending time with the Spirit within you can do much to prepare a place for the tone that is given at the time of initiation. And for more on initiation, you could listen to John-Roger’s seminar called “Initiation, Molding the Golden Chalice“, which has excellent information.

The Sound Current is the basis of all life. It is the audible stream of energy that comes from the heart of God. The Sound Current is mentioned or studied in many religions. In the Christian Bible, it is referred to as “the Word.” There is a yoga tradition that focuses on the Sound Current called Shabda Yoga. In MSIA, the sacred tones chanted in spiritual exercises are in harmony with the Sound Current of God.