What is Eckankar?

Answer

Eckankar is a New Age religion that was founded in 1965 by journalist Paul Twitchell. Before establishing Eckankar, Twitchell was involved in yoga, self-realization groups, and Scientology.

In their own words, “The ECK is spirit. It is the force that sustains and supports all life throughout the worlds or SUGMAD [God]. . . . In ECKANKAR, contemplation is the spiritual exercise that opens the door to expanded awareness. And the Inner Presence of the Living ECK Master [Sri Harold Klemp] is the Spiritual Guide.” According to founder Paul Twitchell, the ECK Master, or Mahanta, is “omnipotent, omniscient, and omnipresent” (ECKANKAR: A Way of Life).

Eckankar, as stated on its official website, allows followers to “explore their own spiritual experiences.” It is also known as “the Ancient Science of Soul Travel,” which teaches that a person’s soul can transcend the physical universe and visit the spiritual world where God resides. Based in a suburb of Minneapolis/St. Paul, Minnesota, Eckankar claims to be one of mankind’s oldest religions. It has an estimated following of 40,000 to 60,000 members.

The following are the fundamental beliefs of Eckankar:

God: An impersonal, amoral, pantheistic spirit. Twitchell described God (“Sugmad”) in his book The Tiger’s Fang as ignorant, internally inconsistent, in need of wisdom and education, negative, unawakened, wondering, poor, unhappy, not content with his creation, and in need of assistance. Twitchell also said, “You will never find God by searching for Him. He is here and now within you!” One can only wonder why anyone who perceives God in this manner would seek to find Him in the first place.

Sin: Simply karma that must be purged through the process of reincarnation and the work of the ECK.

Salvation: While Eckankar believes it offers the most direct path to God, it also teaches that all religions are created by the ECK.

Jesus Christ: Twitchell stated

That “Kal [the devil] is the Jehovah of the Jewish faith and the Father of the Christian teachings… Therefore, we truly see Jesus as a son of Kal Niranjan, king of the lower worlds.”

The fall, the second coming, heaven, and hell: All are considered Christian myths from the perspective of Eckankar.

There is no guidance within Eckankar regarding moral issues like abortion, sexuality, or other significant matters. Determining what is “right” is left to the individual. The spiritual practices of Eckankar include trances, meditation, soul travel with “spirit guides” (demons), E.S.P., telepathy, mind reading, clairvoyance, and connecting to the “cosmic consciousness.” According to Eckankar, the human soul is on a spiritual journey to explore and enhance the true self, thus realizing its own inner divinity.

It is evident that Eckankar is a false religion established by Satan and deeply rooted in Hinduism and other Eastern religions. Satan is described as our “adversary, the devil, [who] walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour” «Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour: », (1 Peter 5:8). When someone engages in any form of occult practice, they open the door of their soul to the devil and his demons. This is why God is firm in His Word about abstaining from activities promoted in Eckankar. “Let no one be found among you… who practices divination or sorcery, interprets omens, engages in witchcraft, or casts spells, or who is a medium or spiritist or who consults the dead. Anyone who does these things is detestable to the Lord” (Deuteronomy 18:10-12a). Not only do such practices put us at risk of encountering demons, they are detestable to God as they replace worship of Him, the true and living God.

With the worship of self.

There is nothing new here. The New Age philosophy of Eckankar is nothing more than Hinduism in another package. Its real purpose is the exaltation of the self, the same old lie Satan has been propagating since the Garden of Eden when he tempted Adam and Eve by telling them, “You shall be as God” «for God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil. », (Genesis 3:5). Eckankar may appear peaceful and loving on the outside, but it harbors occult doctrines and practices, rejects the truth of God as revealed in the Bible, and denies that Jesus Christ is the only way of salvation. Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father, except by Me” «Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me. », (John 14:6).