Hi all -
Found a new cult called Avatar, which appears to be founded by Harry Palmer, a former Scientologist. I could not find it in the Group Information Database of The Ross Institute.
[
members.aol.com]
Origin and birth of Avatar
The originator of Avatar is an American, Harry Palmer, who enjoys being described as a "poet-engineer-beatnik" (Living Deliberately, Harry Palmer, 1994). After beginning engineering studies at Clarkson College of Technology in 1962, he decided to leave the university three years later. He took odd jobs then, becoming a cook, painting rooms of motels, visiting communes and packing food at co-operatives. In parallel, he studied Western psychology and Eastern philosophy, before receiving a Bachelor of Science diploma in 1969. He taught literature courses.
In 1972, he participated in a "spiritual guidance" meeting, namely Scientology (1). He then opened the Center for Creative Learning, a branch of the Church of Scientology in Elmira, New York. He directed it over about fifteen years, until the day when serious financial disagreements arose between Palmer and the local disciples and, at the same time, with the Church of Scientology. Palmer separated from Scientology and left with the obligation to no longer use the trademarks "Scientology" and "Dianetics."