Seeking the Light: Uncovering the Truth about the Movement of Spiritual Inner Awareness and Its Founder John-Roger

When I met Jim Lewis in 1996, he was introduced to me as a scholar who was doing field research on the Movement of Spiritual Inner Awareness as a "New Religious Movement." My immediate reaction was, "Oh-oh," in the wake of some difficult past experiences with journalists and former colleagues who ended up misquoting me and others or using remarks out of context. I have read Jim Lewis's account of MSIA with great satisfaction and admiration, both because of its clarity and quality and also because of Jim's mastery of research and reportage. It is, simply put, a very good read, even for someone who has studied and practiced teachings through MSIA since 1976, as I have. If you are at all curious about what all the talk about John-Roger has been about, or if you are looking for an experience-based, genuine teaching to "lean into" but are wary of hucksters, ego-maniacs, and others scary points of call, I highly recommend Dr. Lewis's book as a good starting point. If you are doing research on the various so-called new religious movements of the latter 20th Century, you couldn't find a better mentor or example to emulate. And if you are a parent or member of the clergy (I am both), whose child or parishoner has pursued an interest in MSIA, this book should do much to allay your fears and perhaps offer some reassurance.With his impeccable credentials and breadth and depth of study in both Western and Eastern practices, Jim Lewis is someone who can tell you what some of us have known for many years but could not put so well on paper for a general readership. Here is a scholar not afraid to immerse himself in his subject, allow himself to actually experience what he studies, and then stand back and faithfully report his findings in an appropriately objective way that also expresses great humanity. As a fellow educator, researcher, and writer with a 30-year background in "New Age" and esoteric/mystical practices here in the West, I take my hat off to Dr. Lewis. Jim, you set a high standard for all of us, and I am especially grateful as a student in MSIA to be able to encounter this subject area through a more objective viewpoint. This book is a great gift and makes a great gift. Thank you.

I found Seeking the Light to be both interesting and helpful because apparently Dr. Lewis looked at the controversy and decided its sensationalism had no place in a balanced work. He presents a clear account of the historical facts ... . What I appreciated was learning of the long and deep spiritual roots of the practices presented through MSIA, and the history of the organization that seemed to me to neither play up or play down any part of the story. It is a fascinating objective academic study, not a tabloid tell-all. Pick apart the book on its literary merits. Leave the personalities and the politics out of it. I liked the book. I found value in it. I think people who are interested in non-traditional religions - or just in an interesting story of a contemporary spiritual movement will like it too. It's readable. The author is well versed in both the field of spirituality/religion and the specifics of this organization. He presents the story with taste, humor and clarity. What more can one ask of any book?