"I AM" Activity
Ascended master teachings religious movement / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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The I AM Movement, also referred to as the I AM Temple,[1][2] is the original ascended master teachings religious movement founded in the early 1930s by Guy Ballard (1878–1939) and his wife Edna Anne Wheeler Ballard (1886–1971) in Chicago, Illinois.[3][4] It is an offshoot of theosophy and a major precursor of several New Age religions including the Church Universal and Triumphant.[5]
The movement had up to a million followers in 1938[6] and is still active today on a smaller scale. Upon Ballard's death, several members founded their own splinter groups, adding their own beliefs and teachings to those of the original movement.[7]
According to the official website of the parent organization, the Saint Germain Foundation, its worldwide headquarters is located in Schaumburg, Illinois, and there are[when?] approximately 300 local groups worldwide under several variations of the names "I AM" Sanctuary, "I AM" Temple, and other similar titles.[8] As of 2007, the organization states that its purpose is "spiritual, educational and practical", and that no admission fee is charged for their activities.[9]
The term "I AM" is a reference to the ancient Sanskrit mantra So Ham and the divine biblical name "I Am that I Am".[10]