Alexander Everett
Encyclopedia
Alexander Everett was a British self-improvement and personal development
consultant. He was the founder of the company Mind Dynamics
, and author of the motivational books The Genius Within You and Inward Bound. Everett's coursework and teachings had an influence on the human potential movement
.
Though Mind Dynamics only existed for a few years, it greatly influenced many other forms of companies and self-improvement groups known as Large Group Awareness Training
. After Mind Dynamics folded due to the death of its co-owner, William Penn Patrick, and due to investigations on its parent company, Holiday Magic, by the United States government on allegations of pyramid scheme
s, Everett formed another course called Inward Bound, which he taught in the United States, Europe and Asia.
's book The Perennial Philosophy
. Everett became involved with Christian Science
, the Unity School of Christianity, and Rosicrucianism. He also traveled the world in a quest for spirituality
and education, visiting Greece, India, and Egypt. Everett also studied Theosophy
with Rudolf Steiner
.
He later settled down in Britain for a while, forming a preparatory school
, Pendragon School at Bexhill-on-Sea
, in 1950 in Sussex, England. While teaching at the school in Sussex, Everett contracted polio, and was told by his physicians that he would never walk again. Everett believed that he healed himself using the Unity School of Christianity's "Prayer of Faith", by Hannah More Kohaus. In 1953, Everett founded and became the headmaster of Shiplake College
at Henley-on-Thames, Oxford, England. Everett later acknowledged that the Unity Church had an impact on his development of self-improvement courses including Mind Dynamics, and he incorporated Unity techniques such as the use of silence, focusing on the intuitive inner voice, and affirmations into these practices.
where his initial intent was to become a minister in the Unity School of Christianity. He worked for the Unity Church for a short time in Kansas City
. In 1963, Everett gave up his path to becoming a minister, and instead helped establish a preparatory school in Fort Worth, Texas
, Fort Worth Country Day School
, where he was also an instructor. There he also encountered José Silva
, founder of the Silva Mind Control method, and began to study techniques of mind control
, self-hypnosis
, and meditation
.
Everett utilized the techniques learned in José Silva's Mind Control methodology, as well as concepts from Edgar Cayce
, to form the Mind Dynamics
course in 1968. Everett and his Mind Dynamics course was the subject of Jess Stern's book, The Power of Alpha Thinking (1969). One of the many influential graduates included Dr. O. Carl Simonton of the Simonton Cancer Center. Mind Dynamics was a precursor to other groups that used similar techniques. Alexander was often referred to as "The Teacher of Teachers" and "The Father of the Human Potential Movement" ... as his employees included Werner Erhard, founder of "est" Erhard Seminars Training
and the Landmark Forum; John Hanely, founder of Lifespring
; James H. and Janet Quinn, founders of LifeStream; Randy Revell, founder of Context Trainings; Tom and Jane Willhite, founders of PSI World; Robert White, founder of ARC and Life Dynamics; Howard Nease, founder of Personal Dynamics; Bill Schwartz, founder of the Meditation Institute of Milwaukee; Stuart Emery, founder of Actualizations, and Russ and Carol Bishop with Insight
. The first form of Mind Dynamics was non-confrontational, did not involve direct interaction with course participants, and participants did not share of their own personal experiences in the coursework. In 1970, Everett moved the headquarters of his company from Texas
to San Francisco, California
, and the company was bought out by William Penn Patrick
in the same year. Patrick was the owner of Holiday Magic
, a cosmetics company, and Leadership Dynamics
, a similar company to Mind Dynamics that used more confrontational techniques. Though Mind Dynamics was structured as a for-profit, self-improvement company, it was also described as a spiritual discipline. Everett stated that one of the goals of Mind Dynamics was to "get people to a higher dimension of mind".
Werner Erhard
was a student of Everett's, and became an instructor in his own right in the Mind Dynamics training. After reaching the level of instructor, Erhard was also chosen by Everett to be responsible for Mind Dynamics course development. Alexander Everett offered Erhard a vice-presidency in the company and a larger salary, but Erhard instead took his staff including Laurel Scheaf and Gonneke Spits to form Erhard Seminars Training
. Everett was present in the hotel ballroom when Werner Erhard led his last Mind Dynamics course, and announced to the audience that he would be soon forming a new company. Though Everett publicly went up on stage and stated his support for Erhard and was sorry to see him go, privately he was furious with Erhard for planning his exit and new company behind Everett's back. John Hanley, who later went on to form Lifespring
also was influenced by Mind Dynamics and Everett. The course spread to Australia and Europe, but was shut down in 1973 along with Leadership Dynamics and Holiday Magic, when William Penn Patrick died in a plane crash. Patrick's companies were being investigated by the United States government on allegations of pyramid scheme
s. However, the Mind Dynamics course still had a huge effect on the New Age
movement.
s and philosophies in Russia and India. He formed a personal development program named Inward Bound in 1977 and stayed active in the self-improvement industry. Everett also formed a course called "Samata".
The Inward Bound course was a two-day seminar that had similar characteristics to his previous coursework, and also incorporated concepts from the Unity Church
. Everett continued to teach Inward Bound for over twenty-five years, and gave lectures annually in the United States, Europe and Asia. He also wrote a book on the course, entitled Inward Bound. Everett authored and recorded two audio seminars, "The Genius Within You", and "Inner Wealth" with the Nightingale-Conant Corporation. His final spiritual course "Love, Life and Light" was taught annually over the final 12 years of his life. He recorded these teachings in a 20-hour CD-ROM entitled, "Cosmic Consciousness http://www.experienceinnerpeace.com". Everett died on January 16, 2005, in Oregon
.
Personal development
Personal development includes activities that improve awareness and identity, develop talents and potential, build human capital and facilitates employability, enhance quality of life and contribute to the realization of dreams and aspirations...
consultant. He was the founder of the company Mind Dynamics
Mind Dynamics
Mind Dynamics was a seminar company, founded by Alexander Everett in Texas in 1968. Mind Dynamics later led to two other companies, est and Lifespring....
, and author of the motivational books The Genius Within You and Inward Bound. Everett's coursework and teachings had an influence on the human potential movement
Human Potential Movement
The Human Potential Movement arose out of the social and intellectual milieu of the 1960s and formed around the concept of cultivating extraordinary potential that its advocates believed to lie largely untapped in all people...
.
Though Mind Dynamics only existed for a few years, it greatly influenced many other forms of companies and self-improvement groups known as Large Group Awareness Training
Large Group Awareness Training
Large-group awareness training refers to activities usually offered by groups linked with the human potential movement which claim to increase self-awareness and bring about desirable transformations in individuals' personal lives...
. After Mind Dynamics folded due to the death of its co-owner, William Penn Patrick, and due to investigations on its parent company, Holiday Magic, by the United States government on allegations of pyramid scheme
Pyramid scheme
A pyramid scheme is a non-sustainable business model that involves promising participants payment or services, primarily for enrolling other people into the scheme, rather than supplying any real investment or sale of products or services to the public...
s, Everett formed another course called Inward Bound, which he taught in the United States, Europe and Asia.
Early life
Born in England in 1921, Everett was initially inspired by Aldous HuxleyAldous Huxley
Aldous Leonard Huxley was an English writer and one of the most prominent members of the famous Huxley family. Best known for his novels including Brave New World and a wide-ranging output of essays, Huxley also edited the magazine Oxford Poetry, and published short stories, poetry, travel...
's book The Perennial Philosophy
The Perennial Philosophy
The Perennial Philosophy is a 1945 book by Aldous Huxley, published by Harper & Row in the US. It was published in the UK in 1946 by Chatto & Windus.-Social and political context:...
. Everett became involved with Christian Science
Christian Science
Christian Science is a system of thought and practice derived from the writings of Mary Baker Eddy and the Bible. It is practiced by members of The First Church of Christ, Scientist as well as some others who are nonmembers. Its central texts are the Bible and the Christian Science textbook,...
, the Unity School of Christianity, and Rosicrucianism. He also traveled the world in a quest for spirituality
Spirituality
Spirituality can refer to an ultimate or an alleged immaterial reality; an inner path enabling a person to discover the essence of his/her being; or the “deepest values and meanings by which people live.” Spiritual practices, including meditation, prayer and contemplation, are intended to develop...
and education, visiting Greece, India, and Egypt. Everett also studied Theosophy
Theosophy
Theosophy, in its modern presentation, is a spiritual philosophy developed since the late 19th century. Its major themes were originally described mainly by Helena Blavatsky , co-founder of the Theosophical Society...
with Rudolf Steiner
Rudolf Steiner
Rudolf Joseph Lorenz Steiner was an Austrian philosopher, social reformer, architect, and esotericist. He gained initial recognition as a literary critic and cultural philosopher...
.
He later settled down in Britain for a while, forming a preparatory school
Preparatory school (UK)
In English language usage in the former British Empire, the present-day Commonwealth, a preparatory school is an independent school preparing children up to the age of eleven or thirteen for entry into fee-paying, secondary independent schools, some of which are known as public schools...
, Pendragon School at Bexhill-on-Sea
Bexhill-on-Sea
Bexhill-on-Sea is a town and seaside resort in the county of East Sussex, in the south of England, within the District of Rother. It has a population of approximately 40,000...
, in 1950 in Sussex, England. While teaching at the school in Sussex, Everett contracted polio, and was told by his physicians that he would never walk again. Everett believed that he healed himself using the Unity School of Christianity's "Prayer of Faith", by Hannah More Kohaus. In 1953, Everett founded and became the headmaster of Shiplake College
Shiplake College
Shiplake College is an independent school in Shiplake, by the River Thames just outside Henley-on-Thames, England. The school, with just over 350 pupils, admits day boys from 11-18 and boarding boys from 13-18. Day and boarding girls join the College in the Sixth Form.The College offers small class...
at Henley-on-Thames, Oxford, England. Everett later acknowledged that the Unity Church had an impact on his development of self-improvement courses including Mind Dynamics, and he incorporated Unity techniques such as the use of silence, focusing on the intuitive inner voice, and affirmations into these practices.
Mind Dynamics
In 1962, Everett immigrated to the United States, and first traveled to KansasKansas
Kansas is a US state located in the Midwestern United States. It is named after the Kansas River which flows through it, which in turn was named after the Kansa Native American tribe, which inhabited the area. The tribe's name is often said to mean "people of the wind" or "people of the south...
where his initial intent was to become a minister in the Unity School of Christianity. He worked for the Unity Church for a short time in Kansas City
Kansas City, Kansas
Kansas City is the third-largest city in the state of Kansas and is the county seat of Wyandotte County. It is a suburb of Kansas City, Missouri, and is the third largest city in the Kansas City Metropolitan Area. The city is part of a consolidated city-county government known as the "Unified...
. In 1963, Everett gave up his path to becoming a minister, and instead helped establish a preparatory school in Fort Worth, Texas
Fort Worth, Texas
Fort Worth is the 16th-largest city in the United States of America and the fifth-largest city in the state of Texas. Located in North Central Texas, just southeast of the Texas Panhandle, the city is a cultural gateway into the American West and covers nearly in Tarrant, Parker, Denton, and...
, Fort Worth Country Day School
Fort Worth Country Day School
Fort Worth Country Day School is a public K-12 school in Fort Worth, Texas.The school broke ground in 1963. Nine months later, the school opened on September 9, 1963 with grades one through nine. 210 students were initially enrolled. The Sid Richardson Gymnasium opened in 1967. Eight additional...
, where he was also an instructor. There he also encountered José Silva
José Silva (parapsychologist)
José Silva was an American self-taught parapsychologist and author of the "Silva Method" and the "Silva UltraMind ESP System", intended to help people increase their IQ, develop psychic skills, and to develop the ability to heal both themselves and others remotely, using forces unknown to...
, founder of the Silva Mind Control method, and began to study techniques of mind control
Mind control
Mind control refers to a process in which a group or individual "systematically uses unethically manipulative methods to persuade others to conform to the wishes of the manipulator, often to the detriment of the person being manipulated"...
, self-hypnosis
Self-hypnosis
Self-hypnosis is a form of hypnosis which is self-induced, and normally makes use of self-suggestion . Listening to pre-recorded audio or other media is often mistaken for self-hypnosis, but is just another form of hypnosis....
, and meditation
Meditation
Meditation is any form of a family of practices in which practitioners train their minds or self-induce a mode of consciousness to realize some benefit....
.
Everett utilized the techniques learned in José Silva's Mind Control methodology, as well as concepts from Edgar Cayce
Edgar Cayce
Edgar Cayce was an American psychic who allegedly had the ability to give answers to questions on subjects such as healing or Atlantis while in a hypnotic trance...
, to form the Mind Dynamics
Mind Dynamics
Mind Dynamics was a seminar company, founded by Alexander Everett in Texas in 1968. Mind Dynamics later led to two other companies, est and Lifespring....
course in 1968. Everett and his Mind Dynamics course was the subject of Jess Stern's book, The Power of Alpha Thinking (1969). One of the many influential graduates included Dr. O. Carl Simonton of the Simonton Cancer Center. Mind Dynamics was a precursor to other groups that used similar techniques. Alexander was often referred to as "The Teacher of Teachers" and "The Father of the Human Potential Movement" ... as his employees included Werner Erhard, founder of "est" Erhard Seminars Training
Erhard Seminars Training
Erhard Seminars Training, an organization founded by Werner H. Erhard, offered a two-weekend course known officially as "The est Standard Training"...
and the Landmark Forum; John Hanely, founder of Lifespring
Lifespring
Lifespring was a for-profit private company, founded in 1974. The company promoted itself through books and word of mouth advertising. By 1989, officials stated that over 300,000 people had enrolled in the company's seminars...
; James H. and Janet Quinn, founders of LifeStream; Randy Revell, founder of Context Trainings; Tom and Jane Willhite, founders of PSI World; Robert White, founder of ARC and Life Dynamics; Howard Nease, founder of Personal Dynamics; Bill Schwartz, founder of the Meditation Institute of Milwaukee; Stuart Emery, founder of Actualizations, and Russ and Carol Bishop with Insight
Insight
Insight is the understanding of a specific cause and effect in a specific context. Insight can be used with several related meanings:*a piece of information...
. The first form of Mind Dynamics was non-confrontational, did not involve direct interaction with course participants, and participants did not share of their own personal experiences in the coursework. In 1970, Everett moved the headquarters of his company from Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
to San Francisco, California
San Francisco, California
San Francisco , officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the financial, cultural, and transportation center of the San Francisco Bay Area, a region of 7.15 million people which includes San Jose and Oakland...
, and the company was bought out by William Penn Patrick
William Penn Patrick
William Penn Patrick was an American entrepreneur and businessman. He was the owner of Holiday Magic, Leadership Dynamics, and Mind Dynamics. Patrick was a proponent of the sour grapes philosophy, and has been widely quoted as stating: "Those who condemn wealth are those who have none and see no...
in the same year. Patrick was the owner of Holiday Magic
Holiday Magic
Holiday Magic was a multi-level marketing organization, founded in 1964, by William Penn Patrick in the United States. Originally the organization distributed goods such as home-care products and cosmetics....
, a cosmetics company, and Leadership Dynamics
Leadership Dynamics
Leadership Dynamics, also known as Leadership Dynamics Institute , was a private, for-profit company, owned by William Penn Patrick. The company focused on executive training, personal development and self-improvement...
, a similar company to Mind Dynamics that used more confrontational techniques. Though Mind Dynamics was structured as a for-profit, self-improvement company, it was also described as a spiritual discipline. Everett stated that one of the goals of Mind Dynamics was to "get people to a higher dimension of mind".
Werner Erhard
Werner Erhard
Werner Hans Erhard is an author of transformational models and applications for individuals, groups, and organizations...
was a student of Everett's, and became an instructor in his own right in the Mind Dynamics training. After reaching the level of instructor, Erhard was also chosen by Everett to be responsible for Mind Dynamics course development. Alexander Everett offered Erhard a vice-presidency in the company and a larger salary, but Erhard instead took his staff including Laurel Scheaf and Gonneke Spits to form Erhard Seminars Training
Erhard Seminars Training
Erhard Seminars Training, an organization founded by Werner H. Erhard, offered a two-weekend course known officially as "The est Standard Training"...
. Everett was present in the hotel ballroom when Werner Erhard led his last Mind Dynamics course, and announced to the audience that he would be soon forming a new company. Though Everett publicly went up on stage and stated his support for Erhard and was sorry to see him go, privately he was furious with Erhard for planning his exit and new company behind Everett's back. John Hanley, who later went on to form Lifespring
Lifespring
Lifespring was a for-profit private company, founded in 1974. The company promoted itself through books and word of mouth advertising. By 1989, officials stated that over 300,000 people had enrolled in the company's seminars...
also was influenced by Mind Dynamics and Everett. The course spread to Australia and Europe, but was shut down in 1973 along with Leadership Dynamics and Holiday Magic, when William Penn Patrick died in a plane crash. Patrick's companies were being investigated by the United States government on allegations of pyramid scheme
Pyramid scheme
A pyramid scheme is a non-sustainable business model that involves promising participants payment or services, primarily for enrolling other people into the scheme, rather than supplying any real investment or sale of products or services to the public...
s. However, the Mind Dynamics course still had a huge effect on the New Age
New Age
The New Age movement is a Western spiritual movement that developed in the second half of the 20th century. Its central precepts have been described as "drawing on both Eastern and Western spiritual and metaphysical traditions and then infusing them with influences from self-help and motivational...
movement.
Later years
After Holiday Magic, Leadership Dynamics and Mind Dynamics ceased operating, Everett left the United States in 1974 and studied Eastern religionEastern religion
This article is about far east and Indian religions. For other eastern religions see: Eastern_world#Eastern_cultureEastern religions refers to religions originating in the Eastern world —India, China, Japan and Southeast Asia —and thus having dissimilarities with Western religions...
s and philosophies in Russia and India. He formed a personal development program named Inward Bound in 1977 and stayed active in the self-improvement industry. Everett also formed a course called "Samata".
The Inward Bound course was a two-day seminar that had similar characteristics to his previous coursework, and also incorporated concepts from the Unity Church
Unity Church
Unity, known informally as Unity Church, is a religious movement within the wider New Thought movement and is best known to many through its Daily Word devotional publication...
. Everett continued to teach Inward Bound for over twenty-five years, and gave lectures annually in the United States, Europe and Asia. He also wrote a book on the course, entitled Inward Bound. Everett authored and recorded two audio seminars, "The Genius Within You", and "Inner Wealth" with the Nightingale-Conant Corporation. His final spiritual course "Love, Life and Light" was taught annually over the final 12 years of his life. He recorded these teachings in a 20-hour CD-ROM entitled, "Cosmic Consciousness http://www.experienceinnerpeace.com". Everett died on January 16, 2005, in Oregon
Oregon
Oregon is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is located on the Pacific coast, with Washington to the north, California to the south, Nevada on the southeast and Idaho to the east. The Columbia and Snake rivers delineate much of Oregon's northern and eastern...
.
External links
- Unique spiritual gifts of inner peace, Official Web site of Alexander Everett
- A Door to Mind Salesman, excerpt from Outrageous BetrayalOutrageous BetrayalOutrageous Betrayal: The Dark Journey of Werner Erhard from est to Exile was written by freelance journalist Steven Pressman and first published in 1993 by St. Martin's Press...