Ascended master and 1960s: Difference between pages

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'''Ascended Masters''', in various descendants and offshoots of [[Theosophy]], <ref>Partridge, Christopher ed. ''New Religions: A Guide: New Religious Movements, Sects and Alternative Spiritualities'' Oxford University Press, USA 2004. Describes the Theosophical Society and religious organizations based on a belief in Ascended Masters, such as The I AM Activity, The Bridge to Freedom and The Summit Lighthouse. pages 330 - 334</ref> are held to be a group of spiritually-enlightened beings, who in past incarnations were ordinary humans, but who have undergone a process of spiritual transformation. The term "Ascended Master" was first introduced to the public in 1934 with the publication of ''Unveiled Mysteries'' <ref>King, Godfre Ray. ''Unveiled Mysteries''. Chicago, Illinois: Saint Germain Press 1934 page vii: "The time has arrived, when the Great Wisdom, held and guarded for many centuries in the Far East, is now to come forth in America, at the command of those Great Ascended Masters who direct and protect the evolution of mankind upon this Earth."</ref> by [[Guy Ballard]] in [["I Am" Religious Activity of the Saint Germain Foundation|The "I AM" Activity]]. <ref>Saint Germain Foundation. ''The History of the "I AM" Activity and Saint Germain Foundation''. Schaumburg, Illinois: Saint Germain Press 2003</ref> This term was further popularized by [[The Bridge to Freedom]] (1951), <ref>''The Bridge to Freedom Journal'' 1951 - 1961 Reprinted by Ascended Master Teaching Foundation 1989</ref> [[The Summit Lighthouse]] (1958), <ref>Lewis, James R. ''Church Universal and Triumphant in Scholarly Perspective'' Center For Academic Publication 1994.</ref> [[The Temple of The Presence]] (1995), <ref>''White Paper - Wesak World Congress 2002''. Acropolis Sophia Books & Works 2003.</ref> and various other organizations. <ref>Braden, Charles S. ''These Also Believe'' MacMillan Publishing Company 2000. pages 257 - 307</ref>
{{Decadebox|196}}
 
The '''1960s''' [[list of decades|decade]] refers to the years from [[January 1]], [[1960]] to [[December 31]], [[1969]], inclusive. '''The Sixties''' has also come to refer to the complex of inter-related cultural and political events which occurred in approximately that period, in Western countries, particularly [[United Kingdom|Britain]], [[France]], the [[United States]] and [[Germany|West Germany]]. Social upheaval was not limited to just these nations, reaching large scale in nations such as [[Japan]], [[Mexico]] and [[Canada]] as well. The term is used both nostalgically by those who participated in those events, and pejoratively by those who regard the time as a period whose harmful effects are still being felt today. The decade was also labeled the '''[[Swinging London|Swinging Sixties]]''' because of the libertine attitudes that emerged during this decade.
==Beliefs about Ascended Masters==
{{cquote2 |quotetext=If you can remember anything about [[1960s|the sixties]], you weren't really there. |personquoted=[[Paul Kantner]]}}
As with the [[Seventies]], popular memory has conflated into the Sixties some events which did not actually occur during this time period{{Fact|date=February 2007}}. For example, although some of the most dramatic events of the [[American Civil Rights Movement (1955-1968)|American civil rights movement]] occurred in the early 1960s, the movement had already begun in earnest during the [[1950s]]. On the other hand, the rise of [[feminism]] and [[gay rights]] began in the 1960s and continued into the next few decades. [[Homosexuality|Homosexual]] acts between consenting adults in private were legalized in [[England]], [[Canada]], and [[Wales]] in [[1967]]. The "Sixties" has become [[synonym]]ous with all the new, exciting, radical, subversive and/or dangerous (depending on one's viewpoint) events and trends of the period, which continued to develop in the [[1970s]], [[1980s]] and beyond. In [[Africa]] the 60s were a period of radical change as countries gained independence from their European colonial rulers, only for this rule to be replaced in many cases by civil war or corrupt dictatorships.
 
==Social and Political Movements==
Originally presented by [[H. P. Blavatsky]] in the [[1870s]], the "Masters of Wisdom", <ref>Blavatsky, Helena Petrovna ''The Secret Doctrine: The Synthesis of Science, Religion, and Philosophy''. Theosophical Publishing House 1888. Volume I Introductory page xxxviii: "In Century the Twentieth some disciple more informed, and far better fitted, may be sent by the Masters of Wisdom to give final and irrefutable proofs that there exists a Science called ''Gupta-Vidya''; and that, like the once-mysterious sources of the Nile, the source of all religions and philosophies now known to the world has been for many ages forgotten and lost to men, but is at last found."</ref> [[Mahatma|"Mahatmas"]] or "Elder Brothers" <ref>Leadbeater, C.W. ''The Masters and the Path''. Adyar, India: Theosophical Publishing House 1929 (Reprint: Kessinger Publishing 1997).</ref> were further developed by [[C. W. Leadbeater]], [[Alice Bailey]], [[Helena Roerich]], [[Manly P. Hall]], and many others in [[Theosophy]] based organizations, especially in the [[United States]]. They believe that Ascended Masters are individuals who were formerly embodied on the Earth and learned the lessons of life during their incarnations. They gained mastery over the limitations of the [[Plane (metaphysics)|matter plane]]s, balanced at least 51% of negative karma, and fulfilled their Dharma (Divine Plan). An Ascended Master, in such an understanding, has become God-like and a source of unconditional Love to all life, and through the Ascension has united with his or her own God Self, the "I AM" Presence.
The decade started with the election of President [[John F. Kennedy]] in 1960, who promoted the space program, math and science education, tax cuts and the [[Peace Corps]]. It continued with president [[Lyndon B. Johnson]]'s projects of the Great Society and the [[Civil Rights Acts]]. It is marked by tragedy with [[John F. Kennedy Assassination|Kennedy's assassination]] in 1963, and by the assassinations of [[Malcolm X]] in 1965, [[Martin Luther King, Jr.]] and [[Robert F. Kennedy]] in 1968. The decade ends with the collapse of Johnson's presidency due to public opposition to the Vietnam War and the inauguration of [[Richard Nixon]] in 1969.
 
===Assassinations===
It is further claimed by various groups and teachers that the Ascended Masters serve as the teachers of mankind from the realms of Spirit, and that all people will eventually attain their Ascension and move forward in spiritual evolution beyond this planet. <ref>[http://www.templeofthepresence.org/glossary.htm ''Glossary of Ascended Master Terminology''] Definition of "Ascended Masters" from The Temple of The Presence</ref> According to these teachings, they remain attentive to the spiritual needs of humanity, and act to inspire and motivate its spiritual growth. In many traditions and organizations, they are considered part of the Spiritual Hierarchy for Earth, and members of the Great Brotherhood of Light, also known as the Great White Lodge or [[Great White Brotherhood]]. <ref>Luk, A.D.K.. ''Law of Life - Book I''. Pueblo, Colorado: A.D.K. Luk Publications 1989, pages 23 - 27.</ref>
* US President [[John F. Kennedy]] is assassinated on [[November 22]], [[1963]] in his car during a parade
* [[Malcolm X]] is assassinated on [[February 21]], [[1965]]
* The assassination of [[civil rights]] leader [[Martin Luther King, Jr.]] on [[April 4]], [[1968]].
* The assassination of presidential candidate Senator [[Robert F. Kennedy]] on [[June 6]], [[1968]].
 
===The Vietnam War===
==Origins==
A mass movement began rising in opposition to the [[Vietnam War]], ending in the massive [[Moratorium]] protests in [[1969]], and also the movement of resistance to [[Conscription in the United States|conscription]] (“the Draft”) for the war. The [[antiwar movement]] was initially based on the older 1950s [[Peace movement]] heavily influenced by the [[Communist Party USA]], but by the mid-1960s it outgrew this and became a broad-based mass movement centered on the universities and churches: one kind of protest was called a "''[[sit-in]]''." Other terms included ''[[the Draft]]'', ''[[draft dodger]]'', ''[[conscientious objector]]'', and ''[[Vietnam veteran|Vietnam vet]]''. [[Voting|Voter]] age-limits were challenged by the phrase: "If you're old enough to die for your country, you're old enough to vote."
''[[Esotericism]]'' is defined as the belief that secret societies and Mystery Schools <ref>Knoche, Grace F. [http://www.theosociety.org/pasadena/mysterys/mystsch.htm Mystery Schools Through the Ages]. Due to societal persecution and suppression, these were secret schools for the study of the Mysteries of the Inner Nature of man and of surrounding nature. By understanding these Mysteries, the student perceived his intimate relationship with Divinity, and strove through self-discipline and devotion to become at one with his Inner God.</ref> possess advanced spiritual knowledge. Such beliefs are extremely ancient. <ref>see for instance pp. 117 -118, Antoine Faivre:'' Renaissance Hermeticism and the Concept of Western Esotericism'', in R, van den Broek and W. J. Hanegraaff (eds) '' Gnosis and Hermeticism from Antiqity to Modern Times'' SUNY press, Albany NY, 1998</ref> This idea was re-introduced in the West by the [[Rosicrucians]] in the seventeenth century.
 
===Civil Rights===
The founder of the [[Theosophical Society]], [[H. P. Blavatsky]], in the late nineteenth century brought attention to the idea of secret initiatory knowledge, by claiming her ideas were based on traditions transmitted to her by occult means from a group of highly evolved humans which she called the Mahatmas or Masters. These Mahatmas, she claimed, were physical beings living in the Himalayas, usually understood as Tibet.
Stimulated by this movement, but growing beyond it, were large numbers of student-age youth, beginning with the [[Free Speech Movement]] at the [[University of California, Berkeley]] in [[1964]], peaking in the riots at the [[1968 Democratic National Convention]] in [[Chicago]] and reaching a climax with the shootings at [[Kent State University]] in [[1970]], which some claimed as proof that ''"police brutality"'' was rampant. The terms were: ''"[[The Establishment]]"'' referring to traditional management/government, and ''"pigs"'' referring to police using excessive force. [[Marijuana]] and other drugs were also popular in the 1960s.
:".. they are living men, born as we are born, and doomed to die like every mortal. We call them “masters” because they are our teachers; and because from them we have derived all the Theosophical truths... They are men of great learning, whom we call Initiates, and still greater holiness of life." <ref>Blavatsky, H. P. (1968 [1889]). ''The Key to Theosophy''. London: Theosophical Publishing House.</ref>
 
===New Left===
While some of her critics believe the Masters are pure fantasy, other writers suggest that her changing stories were meant to hide the identities of real human teachers guiding her work. <ref>Johnson, K. Paul (1994). ''The Masters Revealed''. Albany, NY: SUNY Press.</ref> In assessing the veracity of Blavatsky's claim regarding the existence of these Masters, it is worth noting that at least twenty-five other people left a written account of having met the Mahatmas themselves during Blavatsky's lifetime. <ref> [http://blavatskyarchives.com/mastersencounterswith.htm "A Casebook of Encounters with the Theosophical Mahatmas"] A compilation of printed and online sources describing encounters with the Theosophical Mahatmas during the 1880s and 1890s, compiled and edited by Daniel H. Caldwell, Blavatsky Study Center (2003) </ref> Blavatsky claimed that she personally met numerous Masters on countless occasions, and was also the guest of the Master [[Kuthumi|Koot Hoomi]] while visiting the "Little Tibet" region of Kashmir. <ref>Cranston, Sylvia. ''H. P. B. : The Extraordinary Life & Influence of Helena Blavastsky''. Chapter 8 "Tibetan Sojourn Part 3 Pages 99 - 109. New York, New York: G. P. Putnam's Sons 1993.</ref>
The rapid rise of a "[[New Left]]" employed the rhetoric of [[Marxism]] but had little organizational connection with older Marxist organizations such as the [[Communist Party USA|Communist Party]], and even less connection with the supposed focus of Marxist politics, the organized labor movement, and consisted of ephemeral campus-based [[Trotskyism|Trotskyist]], [[Maoism|Maoist]] and [[anarchism|anarchist]] groups, some of which by the end of the 1960s had turned to [[terrorism]].
 
==Technology==
After Madame Blavatsky's death in 1891, the Mahatma concept was developed by her successors in the Theosophical Society leadership, [[Annie Besant]] and [[Charles Webster Leadbeater|Charles W. Leadbeater]], who described the Masters in great detail and added Jesus to their number. In Leadbeater's book, ''The Masters and the Path'' (1925), the Masters are presented as ageless and superphysical, albeit still limited by human bodies. Other branches of theosophy developed the theory slightly differently, notably [[Alice Bailey]] from whose book ''Initiation, Human and Solar'' (1922), Leadbeater may have borrowed some of his details.
The [[Soviet Union]] and the [[United States]] were involved in the [[space race]]. This led to an increase in spending on science and technology during this period. The space race heated up when Soviet [[cosmonaut]] [[Yuri Gagarin]] orbited the Earth and President Kennedy announced [[Project Apollo]] in 1961. The Soviets and Americans were then involved in a race to put a man on the Moon before the decade was over. America won the race when it placed the first men on the Moon: [[Neil Armstrong]] and [[Buzz Aldrin]], in July 1969.
 
American automobiles evolved through the stream-lined, [[jet]]-inspired designs for sportscars such as the [[Pontiac GTO]] and the [[Plymouth Barracuda]], [[Ford Mustang]], and the [[Chevrolet Corvette]].
==Comparison of unascended and Ascended Masters==
 
* 1960 - The first working [[Laser]] was demonstrated in May by [[Theodore Maiman]] at [[Hughes Research Laboratories]].
There is considerable difference between the concept of Masters in nineteenth century [[Theosophy]] (as described by Blavatsky, [[Henry Steel Olcott|Olcott]], [[Alfred Percy Sinnett|Sinnett]], and others) and the current concept of Ascended Masters. <ref>Prophet, Elizabeth Clare and Prophet, Mark L. ''Saint Germain on Alchemy: For the Adept in the Aquarian Age''. Livingston, Montana: Summit University Press 1986.</ref> The believers in "Immortal Saints and Sages" <ref>Vyasa, Krishna-Dwaipayana. [http://www.sacred-texts.com/hin/maha/index.htm Mahabharata]. Chapter 23 - Arjuna's Quest: Indra addresses Arjuna saying: "This area is the abode of Immortal Saints and Sages. War and war-weapons are just unknown here."</ref> claim that these individuals have gone through the Initiations of the Transfiguration, Resurrection, and the Ascension <ref>Besant, Annie. [http://www.anandgholap.net/Initiation_Perfecting_Of_Man-AB.htm ''Initiation: Perfecting of Man'']. London: Theosophical Publishing House 1912</ref> to become "Ascended Masters". The twentieth century teachings of the Ballards, Prophets, and others claim that although [[Morya]] and Koot Hoomi (Kuthumi) were Adepts and Masters of the lower matter planes and the elemental forces of nature, they had not become Ascended Masters until 1898, while [[Serapis]] and the Maha Chohan, who were interacting with Theosophists during Blavatsky's time, already were Ascended Masters. <ref>Luk, A.D.K.. ''Law of Life - Book II''. Pueblo, Colorado: A.D.K. Luk Publications 1989, pages 241 - 254.</ref>
* 1961 - First human spaceflight to orbit the Earth: [[Yuri Gagarin]], [[Vostok 1]].
* 1962 - First trans-Atlantic satellite broadcast via the [[Telstar]] satellite.
* 1962 - The first computer video game, [[Spacewar!]], is invented.
* 1963 - The first [[Geosynchronous satellite|geosynchronous communications satellite]], '''[[Syncom#Syncom2|Syncom 2]]''' is launched.
* 1964 - [[Touch-Tone]] telephones introduced.
* 1964 - The first successful [[Minicomputer]], [[Digital Equipment Corporation]]’s 12-bit [[PDP-8]], is marketed.
* 1965 - [[Sony]] markets the [[Videocassette recorder#History|CV-2000]], the first home video tape recorder.
* 1966 - The [[Soviet Union]] launches ''[[Luna 10]]'', which later becomes the first [[space probe]] to enter orbit around the [[Moon]].
* 1967 - First [[heart transplantation]] operation.
* 1967 - [[PAL]] and [[SECAM]] broadcast color TV systems start publicly transmitting in Europe.
* 1968 - First humans to leave Earth's gravity influence and orbit another world: [[Apollo 8]].
* 1968 - The [[The Mother of All Demos|first public demonstration]] of the [[computer mouse]], the [[paper paradigm]] [[Graphical user interface]], [[video conference|video conferencing]], [[teleconference|teleconferencing]], [[email]] and [[hypertext]].
* 1969 - [[Arpanet]], the first [[Internet]] was invented.
* 1969 - First humans to walk on the Moon: [[Apollo 11]].
* 1969 - [[Charge-coupled device]] (CCD) invented at AT&T [[Bell Labs]], used as the electronic imager in still and video cameras.
 
==Popular Culture==
An unascended Master has, according to these later teachings, overcome the limitations of the [[Plane (metaphysics)|lower matter octaves]] (physical, emotional, mental), yet has chosen to postpone the final Initiation of the Ascension to remain in time and space to externalize and focus the Consciousness of God for the evolutions of the Earth. <ref>Hall, Manly P. ''The Adepts in the Western Esoteric Tradition, Part Three - Orders of Universal Reformation''. Philosophical
Research Society 1949.</ref> If a person takes a Bodhisattva vow, that one may choose to remain with the humanity of this Earth as an unascended Master in one of the lower Spirit/Matter Octaves, as was the case with [[Mahavatar Babaji|Babaji]]. <ref>Yogananda, ''Autobiography of a Yogi''. Self Realization Fellowship 1926</ref> It is believed by proponents of these beliefs that if enough mastery and externalization of the Divine Nature has been developed, such an Adept becomes an Initiate of one of the Brotherhoods or Sisterhoods of Light under the auspices of the Great White Brotherhood. <ref>Hall, Manly P. ''The Secret Teachings of All Ages'' "An Encyclopedic Outline of Masonic, Hermetic, Qabbalistic and Rosicrucian Symbolical Philosophy Being an Interpretation of the Secret Teachings Concealed within the Rituals, Allegories and Mysteries of all Ages" H.S. Crocker Company, Inc. 1928</ref> It is claimed that there can be a high degree of attainment within the lower body vehicles of expression (physical, emotional, mental, memory), yet that Adept may still not be Ascended (not primarily expressing through the Higher Bodies). <ref>Hall, Manly P. ''The Adepts in the Esoteric Classical Tradition, Part Two - Mystics and Mysteries of Alexandria''. Philosophical Research Society 1988. page 67</ref>
 
The overlapping, but somewhat different, movement of youth cultural radicalism was manifested by the [[hippies]] and the [[counter-culture]], whose emblematic moments were the [[Summer of Love]] in [[San Francisco]] in [[1967]] and the [[Woodstock festival|Woodstock]] Festival in [[1969]]. The sub-culture, associated with this movement, spread the recreational use of [[cannabis]] and other drugs, particularly new semi-synthetic drugs such as [[LSD]]. The era heralded the rejection and a reformation by [[hippies]] of traditional Christian notions on spirituality, leading to the widespread introduction of Eastern and ethnic religious thinking to western values and concepts concerning ones religious and [[spirituality|spiritual]] development.
One such teaching claims that examples of unascended Masters are: [[Yogananda]], Mataji, <ref>''Pearls of Wisdom'' Volume 20 Number 21 Livingston, Montana: Summit University Press 1997.</ref> and [[Lao-tzu]]. <ref>''Pearls of Wisdom'' Volume 32 Number 29. Livingston, Montana: Summit University Press 1997. Lao-tzu was physically embodied in 6th century B.C. as a Chinese sage and mystic, and is traditionally accepted as the founder of Taoism.</ref> The belief is that they have un-Ascended bodies that are not flesh and blood of the lowest of the sub-plane substance of the physical octave, but of the "finer matter" that composes the upper [[Etheric plane|etheric]] sub-planes of the physical octave, as well as the emotional (astral) octave, and the mental octave. <ref>Hall, Manly P.. ''The Adepts in the Esoteric Classical Tradition, Part One - The Initiates of Greece and Rome''. Philosophical Research Society 1936.</ref>
 
[[Psychedelic drugs]], especially [[LSD]], were popularly used medicinally, spiritually and recreationally throughout the 1960s. [[Psychedelia]] influenced the music, artwork and movies of the decade.
==The Great White Brotherhood==
 
===Music===
In some versions of the Theosophical belief systems, the Masters are collectively called the "[[Great White Brotherhood]]". The use of the term "white" refers to their advanced spirituality (i.e., that they have a white colored [[aura]]) and has nothing to do with race. The early versions of Blavatsky's writings described the Masters as ethnically [[Tibetan people|Tibetan]] or [[India]]n ([[Hindu]]), not [[European]]. <ref>Sinnett, Alfred Percy. ''[http://en.wikisource.org/wiki/The_Occult_World/Occultism_and_Its_Adepts#Page_24 The Occult World]''. Boston: Colby & Rich, 1882.</ref>
Popular music entered an era of "all hits" as numerous singers released recordings, beginning in the [[1950s]], as [[phonograph record|45-rpm]] "singles" (with another on the [[B-side|flip side]]), and [[radio station]]s tended to play only the most popular of the wide variety of records being made. Also, bands tended to record only the best of their songs as a chance to become a hit record. The developments of the ''[[Motown Sound]]'', ''"[[folk rock]]"'' and the ''[[British Invasion]]'' of bands from the [[U.K.]] ([[The Beatles]], [[The Dave Clark Five]], [[British Invasion|and so on]]), are major examples of American listeners expanding from the [[folksinger]], [[doo-wop]] and [[saxophone]] sounds of the [[1950s]] and evolving to include [[psychedelia]] music.
 
The rise of an [[alternative culture]] among affluent youth, creating a huge market for [[Rock and roll|rock]] and [[blues]] music produced by drug-culture, influenced bands such as [[The Beatles]], [[The Rolling Stones]], [[The Grateful Dead]], [[Jefferson Airplane]], [[Janis Joplin]], [[Jimi Hendrix Experience]] and [[The Doors]], and also for radical music in the [[folk music|folk]] tradition pioneered by [[Bob Dylan]], [[The Mamas and the Papas]], and [[Joan Baez]] in the United States, and in England, [[Donovan]] was helping to create folk rock.
Belief in the Brotherhood and the Masters is an essential part of the [[syncretism|syncretistic]] teachings of various organizations that have continued and expanded the Theosophical philosophical concepts. <ref>''I AM Ascended Master Dictation List'' Saint Germain Press Inc., 1995, Listing of those who are claimed to be Ascended Masters by The I AM Activity</ref> <ref>Schroeder, Werner ''Ascended Masters and Their Retreats'' Ascended Master Teaching Foundation 2004, Listing of those who are believed to be Ascended Masters by The I AM Activity and The Bridge to Freedom</ref> <ref>Luk, A.D.K.. ''Law of Life - Book II''. Pueblo, Colorado: A.D.K. Luk Publications 1989, Listing of those who are claimed to be Ascended Masters by The I AM Activity and The Bridge to Freedom</ref> <ref>Booth, Annice ''The Masters and Their Retreats '' Summit Lighthouse Library June 2003, Listing of those who are believed to be Ascended Masters by The I AM Activity, The Bridge to Freedom, and The Summit Lighthouse</ref> <ref>Shearer, Monroe & Carolyn ''I AM Adorations, Affirmations & Rhythmic Decrees'' Acropolis Sophia Books and Works 1998, Listing of those who are claimed to be Ascended Masters by The I AM Activity, The Bridge to Freedom, The Summit Lighthouse, and The Temple of The Presence</ref> Examples of those believed to be Ascended Masters are [[Jesus]], [[Confucius]], [[Gautama Buddha]], [[Mary the Mother of Jesus]], [[John Paul II|Pope John Paul II]], <ref>Serapis. [http://www.ascension-research.org/Pope-John-Paul-the-Great.html Ascension of John Paul the Great.] The Temple of The Presence organization claims that Serapis Bey announced on May 1, 2005: "John Paul II has entered into the Oneness of the Eternal Life with his own God Presence.</ref> [[Kuan Yin|Kwan Yin]] the compassionate Bodhisattva, as well as [[alchemy|alchemist]] [[Comte de Saint-Germain]], [[Vaivasvata Manu]] and [[Kuthumi]], (one of Helena Blavatsky's "Mahatmas"). It is believed that all of these put aside any differences they might have had in their Earthly careers, and unite instead to advance the spiritual well-being of humanity. <ref>''The Great White Brotherhood in the Culture, History and Religion of America''. Summit University Press 1975.</ref>
 
Significant events in music in the 1960s:
==Notes==
*The [[Beatles]] went to [[United States|America]] in 1964, bringing the [[British Invasion]].
<references/>
*The [[Monterey Pop Festival]] in 1967 was the apex of the so-called [[Summer of Love]].
*The [[Woodstock Festival]], and four months later, the [[Altamont Free Concert]] in [[1969]].
 
== References =Film===
Popular American movies of the 1960s include ''[[Psycho]]'', ''[[Breakfast at Tiffany's]]'', ''[[To Kill a Mockingbird]], [[My Fair Lady]], [[The Pink Panther]], [[Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb]]; [[The Sound of Music]]; [[Doctor Zhivago]], [[Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid]]; [[Bonnie and Clyde]]; [[Cool Hand Luke]]; [[The Graduate]]; [[Rosemary's Baby]]; [[Midnight Cowboy]]; [[Head (film)|Head]]; [[Medium Cool]]; [[2001: A Space Odyssey]]; [[Easy Rider]].''
 
In Europe, [[Art Cinema]] gains wider distribution and sees movements like [[French New Wave|la Nouvelle Vague]] (The French New Wave); [[Cinéma Vérité]] documentary movement in Canada, France and the United States; and the high-point of Italian filmmaking with [[Michelangelo Antonioni]], [[Federico Fellini]] and [[Pier Paulo Pasolini]] making some of their most known films during this period. Notable films from this period include: ''[[8½]]''; ''[[L'avventura]]''; ''[[La notte]]''; ''[[Blowup]]''; ''[[Satyricon (film)|Satyricon]]''; ''[[Accattone]]''; ''[[The Gospel According to St. Matthew (film)|The Gospel According to St. Matthew]]''; ''[[Theorem (film)|Theorem]]''; ''[[Breathless (1960 film)|Breathless]]'';''[[Vivre sa vie (film)|Vivre sa vie]]''; ''[[Contempt (film)|Contempt]]''; ''[[Bande à part]]''; ''[[Alphaville]]''; ''[[Pierrot le fou]]''; ''[[Week End]]''; ''[[Shoot the Piano Player]]''; ''[[Jules and Jim]]''; ''[[Fahrenheit 451 (1966 film)|Fahrenheit 451]]'';''[[Last Year at Marienbad]]'';''[[Dont Look Back]]''; ''[[Chronique d'un été]]''; ''[[Titicut Follies]]''; ''[[High School (film)|High School]]''; ''[[Salesman (film)|Salesman]]''; ''[[La Jetée]]''; ''[[Warrendale]]''
* Braden, Charles S. ''These Also Believe'' MacMillan Publishing Company 1960 (Reprint 2000). The classic study of minority religions in the United States of America. ISBN 0-02-514360-3
* Partridge, Christopher ed. ''New Religions: A Guide: New Religious Movements, Sects and Alternative Spiritualities'' Oxford University Press, USA 2004. Describes the Theosophical Society, The I AM Activity, The Bridge to Freedom and The Summit Lighthouse. ISBN 0-19-522042-0
* Hall, Manly P. ''The Secret Teachings of All Ages'' "An Encyclopedic Outline of Masonic, Hermetic, Qabbalistic and Rosicrucian Symbolical Philosophy Being an Interpretation of the Secret Teachings Concealed within the Rituals, Allegories and Mysteries of all Ages" H.S. Crocker Company, Inc. 1928 (Reprint: Tarcher 2003) ISBN 1-58542-250-9
* [[Joscelyn Godwin|Godwin, Joscelyn]] (1994). ''The Theosophical Enlightenment''. SUNY Press. ISBN 0-7914-2152-X
* Leadbeater, C.W. ''The Masters and the Path''. The Theosophical Publishing House 1925 (Reprint: Kessinger Publishing 1997). ISBN 1-56459-686-9
* Cranston, Sylvia. ''H. P. B. : The Extraordinary Life & Influence of Helena Blavastsky''. G. P. Putnam's Sons 1993 ISBN 0-9662115-1-0
* Saint Germain Foundation. ''The History of the "I AM" Activity and Saint Germain Foundation''. Saint Germain Press 2003 ISBN 1-878891-99-5
* King, Godfre Ray. ''Unveiled Mysteries''. Saint Germain Press 1934. ISBN 1-878891-00-6
* King, Godfre Ray. ''The Magic Presence''. Saint Germain Press 1935. ISBN 1-878891-06-5
* Saint Germain. ''I AM Discourses''. Saint Germain Press 1935. ISBN 1-878891-48-0
 
The sixties were about experimentation. With the explosion of light-weight and affordable cameras, the underground [[Experimental film#The New American Cinema and Structural-Materialism|avant-garde film]] movement thrived. Canada's [[Michael Snow]], Americans [[Kenneth Anger]]. [[Stan Brakhage]], [[Andy Warhol]], and [[Jack Smith (film director)|Jack Smith]]. Notable films in this genre are: ''[[Dog Star Man]]''; ''[[Scorpio Rising (film)|Scorpio Rising]]''; ''[[Wavelength (1966 film)|Wavelength]]''; ''[[Chelsea Girls]]'';''[[Blow Job (film)|Blow Job]]''; ''[[Vinyl (1965 film)|Vinyl]]''; ''[[Flaming Creatures]]''.
==External links==
 
Significant events in the film industry in the 1960s:
* [http://www.ts-adyar.org/ Theosophical Society], The original source of information about the Masters (Before the term "Ascended" was used)
*Removal of the [[Motion Picture Association of America]]'s [[Production Code]] in [[1967]].
* [http://www.ascension-research.org/ Ascension Research Center], The largest and oldest Internet reference source on the Ascended Master Teachings
*The decline and end of the [[Studio system|Studio System]].
*[http://www.saintgermainfoundation.org/ The Saint Germain Foundation ], Original publisher of Ascended Master Teachings beginning in 1934
*The rise of '[[art house]]' films and theaters.
* [http://www.ascendedmaster.org/ Ascended Master Teaching Foundation] Publications of The Bridge To Freedom 1951 - 1961
*The rise of independent producers that worked outside of the Studio System.
* [http://www.tsl.org/ The Summit Lighthouse], Founded by Mark Prophet in 1958, contains information about the Teachings of the Ascended Masters
*Move to all-color production in Hollywood movies.
* [http://www.templeofthepresence.org/ The Temple of The Presence], Ascended Masters, Archangels, and Elohim on the Incarnation of the "I AM" in every individual
*The invention of the [[Nagra]] 1/4", sync-sound, portable open-reel tape deck.
*[[Expo 67]] where new film formats like [[Imax]] were invented and new ways of displaying film were tested.
*Flat-bed film editing tables appear, like the [[Steenbeck]], they eventually replace the [[Moviola]] editing platform.
*The [[French New Wave]].
*[[Direct Cinema]] and [[Cinéma vérité]] documentaries.
 
==International issues==
[[Category:Theosophy]]
===In the United States===
[[Category:New religious movements]]
* President [[John F. Kennedy]] and Vice President [[Lyndon B. Johnson]] take office in [[1961]]; Kennedy establishes the [[Peace Corps]].
[[Category:Esoteric cosmology]]
* Substantial American forces first arrive in [[Vietnam]] in [[1961]].
[[Category:Metaphysics]]
* 1963 - After Kennedy's assassination, [[Lyndon Johnson]] becomes president, and presses [[civil rights]] legislation; college attendance soars.
[[Category:Spiritual evolution]]
* U.S. President [[Richard Nixon]] is inaugurated in January [[1969]]; promises "peace with honor" to end the [[Vietnam War]]; price [[inflation]] soars; Nixon imposes [[wage and price controls]].
[[Category:Spirituality]]
 
[[Category:Theosophical philosophical concepts]]
===In Canada===
*[[Canada]] celebrated its 100th anniversary of [[Canadian Confederation|Confederation]] in 1967 by hosting [[Expo 67]], the World's Fair, in [[Montreal]], [[Quebec]].
* The [[Quiet Revolution]] in [[Quebec]] modernized the province into a more secular society. The [[Jean Lesage]] [[Quebec Liberal Party|Liberal]] government created a [[welfare state]] (''État-Providence'') and fermented the rise of active [[nationalism]] among [[Francophone]] Quebecois.
* On [[February 15]], [[1965]], Canada got the new [[Flag of Canada|maple leaf flag]], after much acrimonious debate known as the [[Great Flag Debate]].
* In 1960, The [[Canadian Bill of Rights]] becomes law, and Universal Suffrage, the right for any Canadian citizen to vote, is finally adopted by [[John Diefenbaker]]'s [[Progressive Conservative Party of Canada|Progressive Conservative]] government. The new election act allows [[first nations]] people to vote for the first time.
 
===In the UK===
* [[British Prime Minister]] [[Harold Macmillan]] delivers his [[Wind of Change speech]] in [[1960]].
 
===In Europe===
* [[Pope John XXIII]] calls the [[Second Vatican Council]] of the [[Catholic Church]], continued by [[Pope Paul VI]], which met from Oct. 11, 1962 until Dec. 8, 1965.
* The May 1968 student and worker uprisings in France.
* Mass socialist or Communist movement in most European countries (particularly France and Italy), with which the student-based new left was able to forge a connection. The most spectacular manifestation of this was the [[May 1968|May]] student revolt of [[1968]] in Paris that linked up with a general strike of ten million workers called by the trade unions&mdash;and for a few days seemed capable of overthrowing the government of [[Charles de Gaulle]]. De Gaulle went off to visit French troops in Germany to check on their loyalty. Major concessions were won for trade union rights, higher minimum wages and better working conditions.
* University students protested in their hundreds of thousands in [[London]], [[Paris]], [[Berlin]] and [[Rome]] with the huge crowds that protested against the Vietnam War.
 
===In Mexico===
The peak of the student and [[New Left]] protests in [[1968]] coincided with political upheavals in a number of other countries. Although these events often sprung from completely different causes, they were influenced by reports and images of what was happening in the United States and France.
Students in [[Mexico City]] protested against the authoritarian regime of [[Gustavo Díaz Ordaz]]: in the resulting [[Tlatelolco massacre]] in which hundreds were killed.
* The [[October 2]], [[1968]] [[Tlatelolco Massacre]] in [[Mexico City]], of student protesters and uninvolved bystanders, by the Mexican military and police.
 
===In the Commonwealth===
[[Australia]] and [[New Zealand]] committed troops to the Vietnam war with controversy and war protests.[[Canada]] celebrated its 100th anniversary of confederation in 1967 by hosting [[Expo 67]], the World's Fair, in [[Montreal]], [[Quebec]].
 
===In Eastern Europe===
In Eastern Europe students also drew inspiration from the protests in the West. In [[Poland]] and [[Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia|Yugoslavia]] they protested against restrictions on free speech by [[Communist]] regimes.
 
In [[Czechoslovakia]] [[1968]] was the year of [[Alexander Dubček]]’s [[Prague Spring]], a source of inspiration to many Western leftists who admired Dubček's "socialism with a human face". The [[Warsaw Pact]] invasion of Czechoslovakia in August ended these hopes and also fatally damaged the chances of the orthodox [[communist party|communist parties]] drawing many recruits from the student protest movement.
* The popular uprising in [[Czechoslovakia]], known as [[Prague Spring]], which was ended by a [[Soviet]] invasion
 
===In Africa===
The transformation of [[Africa]] from [[colonialism]] to [[independence]] dramatically accelerated during the decade.
 
===In China===
In the [[People's Republic of China]] the mid-1960s were also a time of massive upheaval and the [[Red Guards (China)|Red Guard]] rampages of [[Mao Zedong]]'s [[Cultural Revolution]] had some superficial resemblances to the student protests in the West. The [[Maoist]] groups that briefly flourished in the West in this period saw in Chinese Communism a more revolutionary, less bureaucratic, model of [[socialism]]. Most of them were rapidly disillusioned when Mao welcomed [[Richard Nixon]] to China in [[1972]]. People in China, however, saw the [[Nixon visit to China 1972|Nixon visit]] as a victory in that they believed the United States would concede that [[Maoism|Mao Zedong-thought]] was superior to [[capitalism]] (this was the Party stance on the visit in late 1971 and early 1972).
 
===In South America===
The [[Argentinian]] revolutionary [[Che Guevara|Ernesto "Che" Guevara]] travelled to [[Africa]] and then [[Bolivia]] in his campaigning to spread worldwide revolution. He was killed in 1967 by Bolivian government forces, but in the process became an iconic figure for the student left.
 
==People==
===Writers, artists and intellectuals===
{{col-begin}}
{{col-2}}
* [[Edward Albee]]
* [[Muhammad Ali]]
* [[Louis Althusser]]
* [[Michelangelo Antonioni]]
* [[Isaac Asimov]]
* [[J. G. Ballard]]
* [[Amiri Baraka]]
* [[Brigitte Bardot]]
* [[Roland Barthes]]
* [[Gwendolyn Brooks]]
* [[Syd Barrett]]
* [[Joan Baez]]
* [[Peter Blake (artist)|Peter Blake]]
* [[Stan Brackage]]
* [[Basil Bunting]]
* [[William S. Burroughs]]
* [[Truman Capote]]
* [[Andy Capp]]
* [[Rachel Carson]]
* [[Claude Chabrol]]
* [[Noam Chomsky]]
* [[Eric Clapton]]
* [[Arthur C. Clarke]]
* [[John Coltrane]]
* [[Sam Cooke]]
* [[R. Crumb]]
* [[Miles Davis]]
* [[Simone de Beauvoir]]
* [[Jacques Derrida]]
* [[Philip K. Dick]]
* [[Bob Dylan]]
* [[Federico Fellini]]
* [[Betty Friedan]]
* [[Milton Friedman]]
* [[Allen Ginsberg]]
* [[Jean-Luc Godard]]
* [[George Harrison]]
* [[Václav Havel]]
* [[Robert A. Heinlein]]
* [[Joseph Heller]]
* [[Jimi Hendrix]]
* [[Frank Herbert]]
* [[Abbie Hoffman]]
* [[Jane Jacobs]]
* [[Jasper Johns]]
* [[Janis Joplin]]
* [[Ken Kesey]]
* [[Allan King]]
* [[Martin Luther King Jr.]]
* [[John Knowles]]
* [[Stanley Kubrick]]
{{col-2}}
 
* [[Philip Larkin]]
* [[Timothy Leary]]
* [[Harper Lee]]
* [[Donovan Leitch]]
* [[John Lennon]]
* [[Phil Lesh]]
* [[Roy Lichtenstein]]
* [[Norman Mailer]]
* [[Louis Malle]]
* [[Albert and David Maysles]]
* [[Paul McCartney]]
* [[Marshall McLuhan]]
* [[Joni Mitchell]]
* [[Jeanne Moreau]]
* [[Jim Morrison]]
* [[Michael Novak]]
* [[Pier Paolo Pasolini]]
* [[D. A. Pennebaker]]
* [[Thomas Pynchon]]
* [[Lou Reed]]
* [[Alain Resnais]]
* [[Jean Rhys]]
* [[Dick Rivers]] (French singer)
* [[Jacques Rivette]]
* [[Éric Rohmer]]
* [[George Romero]]
* [[Jean Rouch]]
* [[Bertrand Russell]]
* [[Carl Sagan]]
* [[Jean-Paul Sartre]]
* [[Charles Schulz]]
* [[Dr. Seuss]]
* [[Jean Shepherd]]
* [[Susan Sontag]]
* [[Ringo Starr]]
* [[John Steinbeck]]
* [[Gloria Steinem]]
* [[Karlheinz Stockhausen]]
* [[Tom Stoppard]]
* [[Hunter S. Thompson]]
* [[Francois Truffault]]
* [[Gore Vidal]]
* [[Kurt Vonnegut]]
* [[Andy Warhol]]
* [[Alan Watts]]
* [[Bob Weir]]
* [[Brian Wilson]]
* [[Frederick Wiseman]]
* [[Tom Wolfe]]
* [[Frank Zappa]]
{{col-end}}
 
== Sport ==
 
There were six [[Olympics]] held during the decade. These were:
 
[[1960]] XVII Summer Olympics — {{flagicon|Italy}} [[Rome]], [[Italy]] <br>
[[1960]] VIII Winter Olympics — {{flagicon|USA}} [[Squaw Valley]], [[USA]] <br>
[[1964]] XVIII Summer Olympics — {{flagicon|Japan}} [[Tokyo]], [[Japan]] <br>
[[1964]] IX Winter Olympics — {{flagicon|Austria}} [[Innsbruck]], [[Austria]] <br>
[[1968]] XIX Summer Olympics — {{flagicon|Mexico}} [[Mexico City]], [[Mexico]] <br>
[[1968]] X Winter Olympics — {{flagicon|France}} [[Grenoble]], [[France]]
 
There were two [[FIFA World Cup]]s during the decade:
 
[[1962 FIFA World Cup]] — {{flagicon|Chile}} [[Chile]] (winner {{flagicon|Brazil}} [[Brazil]]) <br>
[[1966 FIFA World Cup]] — {{flagicon|England}} [[England]] (winner {{flagicon|England}} [[England]])
 
The ten [[European Cup]] winners during the decade were:
 
[[1960]] - {{flagicon|Spain}} [[Real Madrid]] <br>
[[1961]] - {{flagicon|Portugal}} [[Benfica]] <br>
[[1962]] - {{flagicon|Portugal}} [[Benfica]] <br>
[[1963]] - {{flagicon|Italy}} [[A.C. Milan]] <br>
[[1964]] - {{flagicon|Italy}} [[Internazionale]] <br>
[[1965]] - {{flagicon|Italy}} [[Internazionale]] <br>
[[1966]] - {{flagicon|Spain}} [[Real Madrid]] <br>
<code>*</code>[[1967]] - {{flagicon|Scotland}} [[Celtic F.C.]]
[[1968]] - {{flagicon|England}} [[Manchester United]] <br>
[[1969]] - {{flagicon|Italy}} [[A.C. Milan]] <br>
 
<code>*</code> First British club to win the European Cup, Celtic triumphed over Internazionale 2-1 in a stunning victory. See [[European Cup 1966-67]] or [[Lisbon Lions]].
 
The ten [[Formula One]] World Championship Winners were:
 
[[1960]] — {{flagicon|Australia}} [[Jack Brabham]] <br>
[[1961]] — {{flagicon|US}} [[Phil Hill]] <br>
[[1962]] — {{flagicon|England}} [[Graham Hill]] <br>
[[1963]] — {{flagicon|Scotland}} [[Jim Clark]] <br>
[[1964]] — {{flagicon|England}} [[John Surtees]] <br>
[[1965]] — {{flagicon|Scotland}} [[Jim Clark]] <br>
[[1966]] — {{flagicon|Australia}} [[Jack Brabham]] <br>
[[1967]] — {{flagicon|New Zealand}} [[Denny Hulme]] <br>
[[1968]] — {{flagicon|England}} [[Graham Hill]] <br>
[[1969]] — {{flagicon|Scotland}} [[Jackie Stewart]]
 
==External links==
*[http://www.public.iastate.edu/~rjackson/webbibl.html The 1960s: A Bibliography]
*[http://kclibrary.nhmccd.edu/decade60.html American Cultural History 1960–1969]
*[http://archives.cbc.ca/IDD-1-69-1587/life_society/60s/ CBC Digital Archives — 1960s a GoGo]
*[http://www.thesixtiesdiary.com San Francisco — diary of the 1960s by Peter Vincent]
*[http://www3.iath.virginia.edu/sixties/ The Sixties Project]
*[http://www.thezoneradio.net/ The Zone Radio Station — The 60's Show & more]
*[http://www.babyboomersuk.com The Baby Boomer Years] — Reminisce with other UK baby boomers.
*[http://www.lib.virginia.edu/small/exhibits/sixties/ The 60's: Literary Tradition and Social Change], exhibit at the [[University of Virginia]], Library, Special Collections.
*[http://www.landyvision.com/ Elliott Landy's Photographs of the 1960s]
*[http://www.americansixtiesradio.com/ American Sixties Radio]
*[http://www.britishsixtiesradio.com/ British Sixties Radio]
*[http://www.radioyeye.com/ Radio Yé-Yé: Sixties Music from France]
[[Category:1960s| ]]
 
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[[la:Decennium 197]]
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