What is Eckankar?

Eckankar is a modern, non-denominational new religious movement that defines itself as the 'Path of Spiritual Freedom'. Established in the United States in the mid-20th century, the faith teaches that every individual is a soul (the True Self) existing as a spark of God. The primary purpose of Eckankar is to guide individuals on a personal spiritual journey of self-realization and God-realization through direct, personal experiences with the divine.

Eckankar was founded in 1965 by an American author and spiritual seeker named Paul Twitchell. Twitchell claimed to have gathered ancient, long-hidden spiritual truths from a lineage of immortal spiritual masters known as the Vairagi Masters. He compiled these teachings into a unified framework, serving as the first Living ECK Master until his death in 1971.

The current spiritual leader of Eckankar is Harold Klemp, who has served as the Living ECK Master (also referred to as the Mahanta) since 1981. Klemp is responsible for guiding the global community of practitioners known as ECKists, both through written spiritual discourses and what the faith describes as inner, spiritual guidance on the higher planes of consciousness.

The foundational theology of Eckankar centers on the belief that God communicates with humanity through the 'ECK' - the Divine Spirit, which manifests audibly as Sound and visibly as Light. Core beliefs include karma and reincarnation, teaching that the soul cycles through many human lives to learn spiritual lessons. Ultimate liberation is achieved by balancing one's karma and learning to consciously travel to higher spiritual realms.

In Eckankar, Soul Travel is a core spiritual practice described as a conscious shift in awareness from the physical body into higher, non-physical states of reality. Unlike classic astral projection, Eckankar teaches that Soul Travel is an expansion of consciousness that allows a person to perceive themselves as pure soul, bypass the emotional and mental traps of the mind, and directly experience the wisdom of the divine planes.

The spiritual and administrative heart of the global Eckankar movement is the Temple of ECK, located on a 174-acre campus in Chanhassen, Minnesota. Dedicated in 1990, this golden, pyramid-like structure serves as a physical sanctuary, a major global pilgrimage site for ECKists, and the operational hub where the organization's spiritual discourses and educational materials are published and distributed internationally.

Eckankar has historically faced criticism from religious scholars and skeptics regarding the originality of its foundational texts. In the late 1970s and 1980s, researchers like religious studies professor David C. Lane alleged that founder Paul Twitchell extensively plagiarized sections of his books from various sources, including the Radhasoami movement, Sant Mat, and Scientology. The church generally addresses these criticisms by stating that Twitchell was a master compiler of universal, timeless truths that belong to all humanity.

Sociologically and legally, Eckankar is classified as a recognized, non-profit religious organization and a new religious movement, rather than a cult. While critics point to the singular spiritual authority given to the Living ECK Master, the organization operates transparently, does not isolate its members from society, encourages personal responsibility, and explicitly states that individuals are entirely free to join or leave the path at their own discretion.