Avatar, also called the “Avatar Course,” is a self-development program founded by Harry Palmer in 1986, operated through his company Star’s Edge. Since its inception, Avatar has expanded globally, with its materials translated into over 30 languages and reportedly reaching over 100,000 participants in more than 150 countries.
Palmer was born in 1944 and after obtaining a B.A. in English from Ithaca College, he became a high school teacher. He completed a Master of Science in Education from Elmira College in 1971. Palmer also got involved with Scientology and obtained a mission franchise from Scientology under its expansion model at that time. In 1975, Palmer incorporated the Elmira Mission of the Church of Scientology, gaining a license to use Scientology trademarks and service marks controlled by L. Ron Hubbard.
In the early 1980s, Hubbard assigned his rights in all Scientology trademarks to Religious Technology Center and increased licensing fees for Scientology materials. Palmer paid the higher fees until 1984, but then stopped making payments. Scientology sued Palmer’s organization, winning its case on appeal in 1987. By that time, Hubbard had died and the new leadership of Scientology abolished the mission model. Palmer renamed his organization the Center for Creative Learning and began issuing his own materials that made extensive use of Scientology terminology.
The program, now called Avatar, is structured into several sections. The initial three sections are taught by licensed Avatar Masters, while Star’s Edge delivers the two advanced sections. The basic course, often described as a nine-day training, typically includes “ReSurfacing” (two days), “The Exercises” (five days), and “The Procedures” (two days). ReSurfacing focuses on disentangling individuals from old creations and rising into self-awareness, although critics contend it includes mind control, hypnotic exercises, confessional elements, and acts as a setup for further indoctrination. The Exercises involve meditations focused on objects, living things, and thought forms, often leading to distress and past pain. All advanced courses, including sections 2 and 3 of the Avatar Course, are presented as confidential, though their materials are registered with the U.S. Copyright Office as being in the public domain.
Beyond the core curriculum, the Avatar program includes advanced courses such as the Master Course, the Wizards Course, the Integrity Course, the Professional Course, and the Advanced Intern Program. The Wizards Course, introduced by Palmer in 1991, delves into concepts of collective consciousness, the occult, entities, and the mission of an Enlightened Planetary Civilization. This course also features a narrative about the history of consciousness in the Milky Way galaxy, which includes Palmer’s version of the “Wall of Fire” narrative from Scientology’s Operating Thetan III level.
The Integrity and Professional Courses have been described by ex-Avatar Masters as focused on “brainwashing” and “groupthink.” Ex-members of the Advanced Intern Program have reported severe financial hardship, long-term mental illness, and even hospitalization, with the group often blaming them for these outcomes.
Opponents of Avatar have labeled the organization a cult. There have been reports of members being encouraged to cut ties with family not affiliated with the church. Concerns have also been raised regarding Avatar’s alleged covert infiltration of public institutions, including schools in The Netherlands, where privately funded schools are reportedly run on Avatar principles, advocating controversial techniques like exorcism for ailments such as cancer and ADHD. Palmer has also been investigated over Avatar websites that refer to him as an “educational psychologist” even though he holds no degree in psychology.
Key Sources:
Blackstock, R. (2014, August 16). We’d like to welcome you to “enlightenment.” New Zealand Herald.
Holligan, B. A. (2018, March 31). Avatar: Scientology-style sect causes concern in Netherlands. BBC News.
Palmer, H. (1994). Living deliberately: The Discovery and Development of Avatar.
Palmer, H. (1997). The Avatar Master’s Handbook. Stars Edge International.
Sanou, H. (2018, April 6). Personal development sect Avatar “infiltrates” Dutch schools: media. DutchNews.nl.
Wynar, R. (2007, March 27). Scientology Lite at the University of Texas. Daily Texan.
Encyclopedia of Cults, Sects, and New Religious Movements 