David C. Lane

Last updated

David Christopher Lane (born April 29, 1956 in Burbank, California) is a professor of philosophy and sociology at Mt. San Antonio College, in Walnut, California. He is notable for his book The Making of a Spiritual Movement: The Untold Story of Paul Twitchell and Eckankar which exposed the origins of Eckankar and demonstrated the plagiarism of its founder, Paul Twitchell. He is also notable for introducing to a wider audience the teachings of Baba Faqir Chand, the Indian exponent of Surat Shabd Yoga from Hoshiapur in the book, The Unknowing Sage: The Life and Work of Baba Faqir Chand. Lane founded the journal, Understanding Cults and Spiritual Movements [1] in the 1980s which featured critical studies of John-Roger Hinkins and Movement of Spiritual Inner Awareness, Adi Da, and Sathya Sai Baba. His most recent book, The Sound Current Tradition (2022) was on Nada Yoga and Surat Shabd Yoga in new religions and was published by Cambridge University Press. He also co-authored an annotated bibliography on the Radhasoami Tradition with Mark Juergensmeyer for Oxford University Press (2018).

Contents

Education

Lane has a PhD and an MA in the sociology of knowledge from the University of California at San Diego, where he was also a recipient of a Regents Fellowship. Additionally, he has an MA in History and Phenomenology of Religion from the Graduate Theological Union in Berkeley, California and a BA from California State University, Northridge. Lane received his A.A. from Los Angeles Valley College and attended Notre Dame High School in his youth. Lane received an Honorary Doctorate (Honoris Causa) from the Dayalbagh Educational Institute, Agra, India (2021) for his work on the interface between neuroscience and consciousness.

Career

Lane was a lecturer in religious studies at California State University from 2001 to 2013 who specialized in the study of new religious movements including cults and the interface between science and religion.

Raised Catholic, Lane went on to be initiated in 1978 by Charan Singh (guru) of Radha Soami Satsang Beas. He later has become critical of some but not all of the teachings of Radha Soami Sant Mat. [2] Lane has been a strict vegetarian since the age of 16 and in a recent interview on Skeptiko [3] mentions that he meditates from 2 to 3 hours daily. [4]

He previously taught at the University of California, San Diego, The California School of Professional Psychology, the University of Humanistic Studies, Palomar College, Mira Costa College, and the University of London and other academic institutions. He has given invited lectures at the London School of Economics, California State University, Fullerton. In 2010 was a keynote speaker at the SPIRCON conference at the Dayalbagh Educational Institute in Agra, India, featured in the book Spiritual Consciousness. [5] In November 2014 Lane gave a plenary talk at QANSAS (Quantum and Nano Computing Systems and Applications) International Conference in Agra. The talk was entitled "The Oceanic Metaphor : Meaning Equivalence (M.E.), Probability Theory, and The Virtual Simulation Hypothesis of Consciousness." [6] [7] This talk was published as the book, The Oceanic Metaphor. [8] On October 12, 2015, Lane was the keynote speaker at California State University, Fullerton, sponsored by the Sociology Department, on the topic of the illusory nature behind religious visions and the Chandian Effect [9] which was published as a book. [10] Lane, along with Mark Juergensmeyer was the plenary speaker on August 24, 2018, at the Dayalbagh Educational Institute for the 200th birth anniversary of Shiv Dayal Singh, the founder of Radhasoami.

In an interview in the San Diego Reader published on June 22, 1995, Lane complained about receiving death threats from defenders of several new religious movements or cults. He has also been involved in a number of lawsuits due to his critical stance of these groups. [11]

Personal

David Lane is married to Andrea Diem (b. 1965), who is also a Professor of Philosophy at Mt. San Antonio. They have two sons, Shaun (b. 2000) and Kelly (b. 2006). Lane won the World Bodysurfing Contest in 1999 and the International Bodysurfing Contest eight times (1997, 1998, 2000, 2004, 2011, 2014, 2015, 2016). Lane is a strict vegan.

Bibliography

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Eckankar</span> Religious movement founded in 1965 by Paul Twitchell

Eckankar is a new religious movement founded by Paul Twitchell in 1965. The spiritual home is the Temple of ECK in Chanhassen, Minnesota. Eckankar is not affiliated with any other religious group.

Paul Twitchell was an American author and spiritual teacher who created and directed the development of the new religious movement known as Eckankar. Twitchell described himself as "The Mahanta, the Living ECK Master" from 1965 onward. These are terms without proven historical use prior to 1965 and his own usage. He also ascribed to himself the name Peddar Zaskq in his writings.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kirpal Singh</span> Indian guru (1894–1974)

Kirpal Singh was a spiritual master (satguru) in the tradition of Radha Soami.

Contemporary Sant Mat Movements, mostly among the Radha Soami tradition, are esoteric philosophy movements active in the United States, Europe, Australia, Latin America, and especially India. These movements assert that Sant Mat shares a lineage with Sikhism and contains elements of thought found in Hinduism, such as karma and reincarnation. They further assert that Sant Mat also contains elements found in Sufism and has inspired and influenced a number of religious groups and organizations. They refer to this spiritual path as the "Science of the Soul" or 'Sant Mat', meaning 'teachings of the saints'. More recently it has been described as "The Way of Life" or "Living the Life of Soul". It incorporates a practical yoga system known as Surat Shabd Yoga.

Surat Shabd Simran is a type of spiritual meditation in the Sant Mat tradition.

David G. Bromley is a professor of sociology at Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA and the University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, specialized in sociology of religion and the academic study of new religious movements. He has written extensively about cults, new religious movements, apostasy, and the anti-cult movement.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Radha Soami</span> Sant Mat based Spritual Movement or Faith

Radha Soami is a spiritual tradition or faith founded by Shiv Dayal Singh in 1861 on Basant Panchami Day in Agra, India.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shiv Dayal Singh</span> Founder and First Sant Satguru of Radha Soami Faith

Shiv Dayal Singh, known by the honorific "Param Purush Puran Dhani Huzur Soami Ji Maharaj" by his disciples and devotees, was an Indian spiritual guru and founder of Radha Soami, a 19th-century spiritual sect.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Anand Swarup</span> Fifth Sant Satguru of Radhasoami Faith and Founder of Dayalbagh

Sir Anand Swarup, also known as Param Guru Huzur Sahabji Maharaj, was the founder of Dayalbagh. He was the fifth revered leader, or Sant Satguru, of the Dayalbagh branch of the Radha Soami sect, who succeeded Sarkar Sahab in 1913. He also laid the foundation of Radha Soami Educational Institute, a co-educational middle school which opened in 1917 and later expanded and developed as Dayalbagh Educational Institute. He wrote many holy books on the Radha Soami sect, explaining the concepts of Surat Shabd Yoga and objectives of Radha Soami in general.

Sant Mat was a spiritual movement on the Indian subcontinent during the 13th–17th centuries CE. The name literally means "teachings of sants", i.e. mystic Hindu saints. Through association and seeking truth by following sants and their teachings, a movement was formed. Theologically, the teachings are distinguished by inward, loving devotion by the individual soul (atma) to the Divine Principal God (Parmatma). Socially, they are mostly ascetics except few householders. Sant Mat is not to be confused with the 19th-century Radha Soami, also known as contemporary "Sant Mat movement".

Julian P. Johnson (1867–1939) was an American surgeon and author of several books on Eastern spirituality. He spent much of 1932 to 1939 in India, was associated with the Radha Soami Satsang Beas spritual society and Surat Shabd Yoga, and wrote five books as a result of his experiences.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Movement of Spiritual Inner Awareness</span> 501(c)(3) non-profit religious corporation

The Movement of Spiritual Inner Awareness is a 501(c)(3) non-profit religious corporation, incorporated in California on June 25, 1971. Before incorporation, the group was founded in California in 1968 by John-Roger. The church has about 5,000 active students in 32 countries, mainly the United States.

John-Roger Hinkins was an American author, public speaker, and founder of the Movement of Spiritual Inner Awareness (MSIA), as well as several other New Age, spiritual, and self-help organizations.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mark Juergensmeyer</span> American sociologist (born 1940)

Mark Juergensmeyer is an American sociologist and scholar specialized in global studies and religious studies, and a writer best known for his studies on comparative religion, religious violence, and global religion. He is Distinguished Professor Emeritus of Sociology and Global Studies at the University of California, Santa Barbara, and William F. Podlich Distinguished Fellow and Professor of Religious Studies at Claremont McKenna College.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Baba Faqir Chand</span>

Baba Faqir Chand, was an Indian master of Surat Shabd Yoga, or consciously controlled near death experience. He was one of the first saints or gurus of Sant Mat tradition to openly speak and write against the deceptive and harmful practices of modern guruism and religious intolerance. As a highly pragmatic individual, Faqir also strove to explain the various practices and principles of Sant Mat based on his own experiences and in the context of modern science and psychology. He was also the first Sant Mat guru to talk about the phenomena consisting of a believer experiencing a subjective projection of a sacred or holy form of a guru or idol without the conscious knowledge of the person at the center of the experience, i.e., the guru. This was termed the 'Chandian Effect', and described by researcher David C. Lane. Faqir Chand claimed that he had no knowledge of his form manifesting before a person and helping them with their worldly or spiritual problems. He fervently expressed that in his experience, the real helper is one's own true self and faith. Mark Juergensmeyer, another researcher on new religious movements, intrigued by the uniqueness of Faqir Chand's experiences, also interviewed him. This insightful interview was included in Faqir's autobiography.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bhagat Munshi Ram</span>

Munshi Ram, Indian spiritual guru and follower of Faqir Chand.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Prem Saran Satsangi</span> Indian systems scientist (born 1937)

Prem Saran Satsangi is the current sant satguru of Radha Soami Sect, Dayalbagh or Radhasoami Satsang Dayalbagh who succeeded Param Guru Lal Sahab, seventh Sant Satguru in 2003. He is also the founder and first president of the System Society of India, a professional body of system scientists. He holds the Emeritus Chair from the East of the Integrated East-West Forum at The Science of Consciousness Conferences since 2012. He is the chairman of Advisory Committee on Education, Dayalbagh Educational Institute.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kamta Prasad Sinha</span> Fourth Sant Satguru of Radhasoami Faith and Founder Radhasoami Satsang Sabha

Kamta Prasad Sinha, also known as Param Guru Sarkar Sahab, was the fourth revered sant satguru of the Radhasoami faith. He was the Spiritual Guru and Head of Radhasoami Satsang, from 1907 to 1913. He succeeded Maharaj Sahab in 1907. He was succeeded by Anand Swarup. His discourses composed in form of Prose and Poetry in holy book known as "Prem Samachar" and "Four Letters".

Maharaj Sahab commonly known as Param Guru Maharaj Sahab, was the third revered Sant Satguru of the Radhasoami faith. He was the spiritual Guru and head of Radhasoami Satsang from 1898 to 1907.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Radhasoami Satsang Dayalbagh</span> Indian Spritual organisation

Radhasoami Satsang Dayalbagh is century old spiritual organization considered as one of the main sect of Radhasoami spiritual tradition with its Headquarter in Agra. Radhasoami Satsang was founded by the first sant satguru, Param Purush Puran Dhani Soami Ji Mahraj on Basant Panchami Day in 1861 in Agra. The permanent satsang headquarter " Dayalbagh" were established on Basant Panchami Day in 1915 by Fifth Sant Satguru Param Guru Sahab Ji Mahraj. Radhasoami Satsang Sabha is its the Chief Working Committee since 1910.

References

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.