I AM ACTIVITY
The I AM Movement, also referred to as the I AM Temple,[1][2] is the original ascended master teachings neo-Theosophical religious movement founded in the early 1930s by Guy Ballard (1878–1939) and his wife Edna Anne Wheeler Ballard (1886–1971) in Chicago, Illinois.[3][4] It is an offshoot of theosophy and a major precursor of several New Age religions including the Church Universal and Triumphant.[5]: 330
The movement had up to a million followers in 1938[6]: 191 and is still active today on a smaller scale. Upon Ballard's death, several members founded their own splinter groups, adding their own beliefs and teachings to those of the original movement.[7]
The parent organization of the movement is the Saint Germain Foundation, which maintains its worldwide headquarters in Schaumburg, Illinois.[8] In 2007, the Foundation's website said the movement was represented internationally by 300 local groups, operating under names such as such as "'I AM' Sanctuary" and "'I AM' Temple."[8] As of 2025, the website describes "hundreds" of Sanctuaries and Temples, in major cities throughout the United States, Canada, Western Europe, and Australia; additional groups are located in Latin America, India, and Africa.[9] The organization has stated that its purpose is "spiritual, educational and practical", and that no admission fee is charged for their activities.[8]
The term "I AM" is a reference to the ancient Sanskrit mantra So Ham and the divine biblical name "I Am that I Am".[10]: 6
Overview
The "I AM" Activity was influenced by the teachings of Helena Blavatsky and William Quan Judge, two of the founders of the original Theosophical Society. The movement also adopted elements of New Thought. To these spiritual movements, Ballard added a strong nationalistic flavor, claiming a new golden age would emerge in the United States.[7]
The Ballards also borrowed from William Dudley Pelley's spiritual writings, with Edna allegedly attending several classes offered by Pelley. While there are no indications that Pelley was a member of I AM, Ballard early on recruited several members of his fascist organization, the Silver Legion of America. ^[7][11][12]
The movement believes in the existence of a group called the "ascended masters", a hierarchy of supernatural beings that includes the original theosophical masters such as Jesus Christ, El Morya Khan, Maitreya, and in addition several dozen more beyond the original 20 Masters of the Ancient Wisdom of the original theosophists as described by Helena Petrovna Blavatsky.
These ascended masters are believed to be humans who have lived in a succession of reincarnations in physical bodies or cosmic beings (beings originated from the great central sun of light in the beginning of all times). Over time, those who have passed through various "embodiments" became highly advanced souls, are able to move beyond the cycles of "re-embodiments" and karma, and attained their "ascension", becoming immortal. Ascended masters are believed to communicate to humanity through certain trained messengers per Blavatsky, including Guy and Edna Ballard.[4][5]: 330 Because Jesus is believed to be one of the ascended masters, making the "Christ Light" available to seekers who wish to move out of darkness, many of the members of the "I AM" Activity consider it to be a Christian religion.[13]: 63 According to the Los Angeles Magazine, Ballard said he was the re-embodiment of George Washington, an Egyptian priest, and a noted French musician.[14]: 23
Ballard died in 1939. In 1942, his wife and son were convicted of fraud,[15][14]: 23 a conviction which was overturned in a landmark Supreme Court decision (United States v. Ballard), which ruled that the question of whether the religious beliefs that the Ballards espoused were true should not have been submitted to a jury.[15]
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