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Chapter 73 Sælid Gilhus and Kolstø Theosophically Inspired Movements in Norway

Ingvild Sælid Gilhus and Janemil Kolstø✝

Compared to the situation in, e.g., Denmark and Sweden, few organisations outside the fold of the Theosophical Society but based on a more general Theosophical discourse seem to have established themselves in Norway (with the exception of Anthroposophy, which is discussed in a separate chapter). These groups, furthermore, are very small. The only available research on these concerns the Norwegian branch of Summit Lighthouse, and that of Share International.

Summit Lighthouse

Summit Lighthouse has had activities in Norway since 1985. There have been groups in Oslo and Bergen, and there has also been a group in Stavanger. The first Summit Lighthouse group was established in Oslo after Elisabeth Clare Prophet visited the city in 1985 and gave a lecture. In the spring of 2000 there were three to five active members in the group in Bergen and ten to fifteen in Oslo (Aasheim 2000). At the most, approximately 100 people have been on the group’s mailing list. The movement was thus diminutive at the time when the most substantial research was carried out, and as of early 2014, the member- ship and level of activity of the Norwegian groups of Summit Lighthouse seem to have been reduced even further. The members of the groups usually met about once a week. The activities consisted of what were called divine services, which included decreeing (a ritual in which one confirms a wished-for result), the use of mantras, medita- tion, and prayer. The groups used to meet at places rented for this purpose, but later they met in private houses in Bergen and Oslo. The rooms where the divine services were held had pictures of the masters , Saint Germain, El Morya, Kuthumi, and Maha Chohan. There was a chart on the altar, which was said to represent the divine self. There were also pictures of Mark and Elizabeth Clare Prophet. The premises included a library with flyers, brochures, books, tapes, CDs, and other materials relevant to the movement (Aasheim 2000). In addition to divine services, the activities of the groups consisted of invit- ing and listening to lecturers from abroad – mainly from Sweden and USA. In

© koninklijke brill nv, leiden, 2016 | doi 10.1163/9789004325968_075 604 Sælid Gilhus And Kolstø connection with these lectures, the groups advertised in the local newpapers and distributed leaflets in places associated with the broader milieu (Aasheim 2000). In other ways as well, Summit Lighthouse had some connections with the broader New Age milieu in Norway. Before they came to Summit Lighthouse, some of the members had been affiliated with other alternative religious groups; some continued to keep in touch with the broader new religious milieu, for instance by subscribing to the periodical Alternativt nettverk/Visjon or by visiting the annual alternative fairs (Alternativmessen) (see the chapter on New Age in Norway). Summit Lighthouse groups have also participated with a stand at these fairs. Some of the members participated in the organisation’s annual summer conference in Montana (Aasheim 2000). Summit Lighthouse is seldom referred to in Norwegian newspapers, but Elizabeth Clare Prophet and the movement’s end-time expectation in 1990 elicited some limited interest (Aasheim 2000: 25–52). The organisation remains unknown to most people in Norway.

Share International

Share International in Norway is a relatively small and loose network of indi- viduals. Local discourses are centred on the emergence and presence of a transcendent being named , portrayed as a superhuman Master of Wisdom, and his spokesperson, British esotericist (b. 1922). Some of Creme’s writings have been translated into Norwegian and are avail- able online and at gatherings. Commitment is fostered in weekly transmission meditation sessions and monthly information meetings. Affiliates also arrange stands in outdoor public spaces and at various alternative conventions. Gen­ erally, there seems to be a slight division between those interested in Creme’s millenarian and Theosophically-based conception of the world and those who are more interested in transmission meditation. The national website is a central rallying point. Earlier, the website pre- sented contact information to groups in Arendal, Bergen, Haugesund, Oslo, and Steinkjer, and to interested individuals in Lillestrøm, Sortland, Stavanger, Tønsberg, and Volda. In 2009, only groups in Bergen, Haugesund, and Oslo reported communal activity. In Bergen and Haugesund, meditation was then practised once a week, whereas in Oslo there were meditation activities three times per week. The largest hub group was in Haugesund (eight regular mem- bers), followed by Oslo (five), and Bergen (four). Precise demographics are difficult to determine, due to the lack of membership records and the presence