Harry Palmer (Avatar)

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Harry Palmer (born April 3, 1944) is the developer of the Avatar self-development system of courses and later founded and owns Star's Edge, Inc., which franchises Avatar worldwide. He started development on Avatar in 1986, first releasing it on October 15, 1986.

In his literature, he describes himself as a "[w]riter, teacher, lecturer, scientist, programmer, environmentalist, businessman, spiritual leader, explorer ... truly a Renaissance man."[1]

Contents

[edit] Published works

All of his works are published by his company, Star's Edge, Inc. Collectively, most of them make up what is known as the "Avatar Materials".

  • The Thoughtstorm Manual: An Evolution In Human Thinking (ISBN 1-891575-03-1) - a group exercise handbook originally published pre-Star's Edge in 1986.
  • Living Deliberately: The Discovery and Development of Avatar (ISBN 0-9626874-3-X) - a quasi-historical account (by own admission) of the story of how Harry Palmer developed the Avatar materials, including some biographical details. A free e-version is available on the Avatar website.
  • Resurfacing: Techniques for Exploring Consciousness (ISBN 0-9626874-9-9) - the workbook associated with Part I of the Avatar courses that can be done solo
  • The Avatar Master's Handbook (ISBN 0-9626874-8-0) - associated with Part IV of the Avatar courses
  • Love Precious Humanity: The Collected Wisdom Of Harry Palmer (ISBN 1-891575-23-6)
  • Inside Avatar The Book: Achieving Enlightenment (ISBN 1-891575-13-9)
  • The Book of Deep Desires and Secrets: The path to accomplishing ones deepest desires[citation needed]

[edit] Education and Credentials

Since a 1991 issue of the Avatar Journal, his company's literature and associated websites have claimed he was an Educational Psychologist, including claims that he received a Masters in Educational Psychology, alternatively having a major in in Educational Psychology from Elmira College. In his book Living Deliberately, he claims to have majored in Educational Psychology as part of the Triplum Program at Ithaca College. In fact he received a Bachelor of Art in English from Ithaca College in 1969 and a Masters in Education from Elmira College in 1971, and was certified to teach English in secondary schools. There was never a major or minor course of study in Educational Psychology at either college, and was never part of the Ithaca Plan (Triplum Program).[2]

The academical credentials of Harry Palmer were investigated by the Florida Department of Health in 2005/2006. The Department found that he used the term "psychologist" illegally and made him sign a Cease and Desist Agreement.[3] However, some web sites associated with Star's Edge still have not complied (as of the end of 2007). The federal and state authorities have decided not to pursue criminal charges against Harry Palmer at this time.

[edit] Scientology Background

Contrary to various claims downplaying his involvement in Scientology, including saying it was a brief time of research for a program for the school district he taught in, both Harry Palmer and his partner, Avra Honey-Smith, studied Scientology for many years, having achieved higher levels. From 1974 until at least 1984, Harry Palmer officially operated a Scientology mission for the Church of Scientology in Elmira, New York.[6][7]

In 1975 the Elmira Mission was incorporated under the name the Elmira Mission of the Church of Scientology and the following year it was granted a license to use all Scientology trademarks and service marks held and controlled by L. Ron Hubbard. In exchange for that right, Palmer paid 10% of its income as a tithe to Scientology.

Six years later Hubbard assigned his rights in all Scientology trademarks to Religious Technology Center (RTC), which had been organized especially to own and protect all Scientology trademarks. RTC immediately increased the licensing fee. On September 9, 1982 Palmer signed a new License Agreement requiring the Elmira Mission to pay 15% of its income as well as additional fees to RTC in order to continue using the Scientology trademarks.

When in November 1984 Palmer ceased making any payments to the Church of Scientology, the Church filed a lawsuit against Palmer and the Elmira Mission for trademark infringement.[4] The Church won on appeal and the details of the settlement were sealed.[5] It was during this time that the first of the Avatar-related materials were produced, including the Thoughtstorm Manual.

On February 28, 1998, in a court case he lost against former employees before the State Labor Board, Palmer stated that the center was "renamed on March 11, 1987, pursuant to Federal Court Order, the Center for Creative Learning".[6]

The original Avatar materials used extensive Scientology terminology, as it was sold to other Scientologists by Harry Palmer, claimed by him to achieve "end of case" and "covers the entire Scientology Bridge, the Buddhic path and beyond." Many of the terms are still used in Avatar today, such as "Rundown", "Identities", "handling", and have similar courses of the same names ("Integrity Course" and "Professional Course").[7]

In addition to this history, similarities in policies, structure, secrecy, and doctrine taught in higher levels have caused Palmer's Avatar Courses to be called "Scientology-Lite" in European news articles, a term originally coined by Texas columnist Roahn Wynar.[8][9]

[edit] Avatar Course

 This section is missing citations or needs footnotes.
Using inline citations helps guard against copyright violations and factual inaccuracies. (November 2007)

Palmer introduced Avatar on October 15, 1986. The "Avatar Course" is premised on the idea that a person's beliefs create their reality. It seeks to teach people how to create or "discreate" these beliefs as necessary, and to help create an "Enlightened Planetary Civilization".

Its mission statement:

The mission of Avatar in the world is to catalyze the integration of belief systems. When we perceive that the only difference between us is our beliefs and that beliefs can be created or discreated with ease, the right and wrong game will wind down, a co-create game will unfold, and world peace will ensue.

The Avatar Course is taught by licensed Masters in three sections. Section I is a two-day seminar that introduces the Avatar Course using Palmer's book Resurfacing: Techniques for Exploring Consciousness. After completing Section I, students are encouraged to take Sections II and III which take seven days. Avatar Masters use a technique called "Serious Drill" while teaching courses.

Star's Edge, Inc. claims that it offers a no-questions-asked refund to any student who claims to be dissatisfied.

If the student completes Section II the student is "encouraged" to move on to Section III, The Procedures. In this section, Stars Edge claims that students learn "a simple and effective technique for managing beliefs", the "Creation Handling Procedure" ("CHP").

The manuals used in Section II and III are kept confidential. Students must sign a confidentiality agreement prior to taking the course and must return the materials when the course ends. Section II and III cost $500 and $1500 respectively to attend.

Once Sections II and III are completed, all students are invited to take all additional sections of the Avatar Materials. Section IV, the "Avatar Masters Course" is described as teaching students additional components of the materials and to learn how to be an "Avatar Master." It costs $3000 and takes ten days to attend. Licenses to deliver the materials are usually withheld until the graduate completes at least one Intern Course.

The cost for each Intern Course is $600 and takes ten days. Star's Edge charges Avatar Masters a 15 - 25% royalty for every student the Master delivers to and pays a $300 commission to the Master for any Avatar students that pay for Section IV. Once students complete a delivery, the master files a Delivery Progress Report.

Section V is the Wizards Course which costs $7500 to attend. The course culminates with a process called, "The Entity Handling Procedure", which aims to remove spiritual, psychological, and even physical problems or sufferings from the view they are beings from the astral plane (compare with Scientology's "Body Thetans"). The majority of Section IV and Section V courses are held in Orlando, Florida, and the details of the processes are treated as secret (proprietary).

[edit] The Galactic Confederacy

Harry Palmer introduced the story about the history of consciousness in our galaxy at the first Wizards Course in 1991, which includes his version of Scientology's Galactic Confederacy, that earth was one of the planets seeded with life, and that we are in danger of destroying ourselves from a "blight bomb" that stops photosynthesis. The introduction and end comments indicate the story is not meant to be symbolic, but a representation of a true story.[8]

Other references to his extraterrestrial knowledge and experience are rare but present in other speeches and texts, such as an excerpt from "The Translurian Record"[9] and his claim to have read firsthand the equivalent of the "Prime Directive" of Star Trek.[10][11]

[edit] Harry Palmer, Star's Edge versus Eldon Braun

In 2000, Harry Palmer sued Eldon Braun, a former Avatar licensee and Palmer critic, for copyright and trademark infringement, unfair competition, breach of contract, intentional interference with a business relationship, and libel. In 2005, Palmer was awarded $36,000 in damages for copyright infringement, $20,000 for libel damages, and $364,527.68 in attorney’s fees, and all other claims were dropped or dismissed.

The copyright claim was for a self-study course Braun developed called The Source Course which Braun billed as "an analog of the Avatar Course", "a refresher" for the Avatar Course, "a take-home manual" for graduates of the Avatar Course, and the "equivalent" of the Avatar Course materials. A preliminary injunction against the work failed, but the appeal concluded against Braun.[10]

[edit] References

  1. ^ Who is Harry Palmer?. Retrieved on 2007-11-24.
  2. ^ Verifiable with respective registrars.
  3. ^ Photocopies of court documents and links to proof of claims can be found here.
  4. ^ Church of Scientology International, Religious Technology Center and Scientology Missions International v. The Elmira Mission of the Church of Scientology a/k/a Church of Scientology, Mission of Elmira, a/k/a Dianetics Center, a/k/a Scientology Elmira, a/k/a Center for Creative Learning, Harry Palmer and Avra Honey-Smith — ruling in motion in case CIV-85-412T, United States District Court, W.D. New York, ruled August 1, 1985
  5. ^ Church of Scientology International, Religious Technology Center and Scientology Missions International v. The Elmira Mission of the Church of Scientology a/k/a Church of Scientology, Mission of Elmira, a/k/a Dianetics Center, a/k/a Scientology Elmira, a/k/a Center for Creative Learning, Harry Palmer and Avra Honey-Smith — final ruling in case CIV-85-412T, United States District Court, W.D. New York, argued December 6, 1985, decided June 23, 1986
  6. ^ New York State Dept. of Labor, claim numbers 07-87-0419 & 07-88-0136 [1]
  7. ^ Original 1986 Avatar Course materials [2]
  8. ^ Excerpts on p.71-74 "Soul Snatchers: The Mechanics of Cults" by Psychiatrist and Professional Criminologist Jean-Marie Abgrall, Algora Publishing, New York, 2000. The full text can be found online after failed legal requests to remove due to copyright infringement.[3]
  9. ^ In his book, "Resurfacing", Palmer writes a passage "[f]rom the Translarian Record, an unfinished manuscript by the author, which chronicles the spread of sentient life throughout the Milky Way galaxy" and includes "Translarian" precepts that are found thrioughout the materials, indicating they are derived from or inspired by an extra-terrestrial source.
  10. ^ Professional Course, October 1995.[4]
  11. ^ In Palmer's "Seat of Being" speech at the Master Course on December 6, 2003, Palmer declared "if ... you find yourself on a planet across the galaxy — like I did — you’re going to have a pretty good idea of how to get Avatar started."[5]

[edit] Further reading

Court material

[edit] External links

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Scientology Portal
  • Official Avatar Website - includes links to free materials (mini-courses), short bio of Harry Palmer, Avatar Course student experiences, etc.
Pro-Avatar Sites run by Avatar members or pro-Avatar without verifyable ownership
General Information, Articles, & Discussion
Avatar Critics
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