Chuck Anderson, the head of an unaccredited school called the Endeavor Academy (EA) in the Wisconsin Dells, is dead. He was 83.
Often referred to as a “cult leader” by his critics, Anderson’s followers called him instead their “Master Teacher” (MT).
The self-styled “miracle worker” (see photo left) was a former real estate broker from Chicago. He died quietly while watching television last month on the evening of May 13th, according to “Janice” a spokesperson for the group.
There is no official announcement of Anderson’s death at either the EA Web site or its sister site the “Miracle Healing Center.”
EA adherents consider death a “transition,” but it seems that they may be experiencing some difficulty making the transition to a group without its MT.
Groups called “cults,” defined by a charismatic living leader who becomes the focus and locus of power, frequently crumble after that leader is gone.
This strange announcement was posted at a discussion board about consciousness and mysticism four days after Anderson’s death. “Our beloved Teacher and friend, Dear One, left the body on May 13. Many of you also know Dear One as a teacher of teachers and a beloved friend. We invite you to join us this evening in not just talking about Dear One but BEING with him in a brand new hologram of light that he continues to offer – even now – to everyone.”
Has MT gone from dearly departed to disembodied deity?
Anderson was extolled by his disciples as “a continuing union with the mind of Jesus of Nazareth through the Holy Spirit…a Teacher of God…the Awakener” and “Light Transmitter.”
His teaching “credential” was supposedly “the transmission of the power of Resurrected Mind.”
MT based his teachings on a book titled “A Course in Miracles,” (ACIM) an essentially benign work that according to its author Helen Schucman, originated from a divine source she named as Jesus.
The Foundation for Inner Peace and Penguin Books sued Anderson claiming that he and EA had violated their ACIM copyright. Ultimately though MT prevailed, when the First Edition of the book was declared public domain.
Accoording to a 1991 report filed by Kalie Picone Anderson promised that he would “enlighten everyone that follow[ed] him” and one day they would “get out of here….flash[ing] out…together.'”
However, MT is gone and his followers have been left behind.
A cadre of loyalists are appaarently intent upon soldiering on and preserving his legacy, administering an MT video library, not to mention the residue of cash and assets strewn in the wake of their “Awakener.”
Darla Hughes, a prominent leader at EA said that there are now many “master teachers” who are “graduate ministers” (see photo right) and that no single leader would replace MT. She and her husband Alden Hughes continue to facilitate workshops.
Ms. Hughes explained that “there is no such thing as death.”
In an expression of what can be seen as either denial or devotion the EA teacher went on to say, “[MT] is still alive in me and I experience him every day.”
Visitors to the EA Web site are greeted by the audio taped voice of Anderson followed by a haunting video invitation to become his pupil.
But what is Chuck Anderson’s real legacy? A man that appeared to yearn for enduring recognition.
MT apparently relished the spotlight, as seen through his stream of self-produced videos, which featured Anderson in the starring role of “Light Tranmitter.”
However, other than his own productions MT achieved little recognition, with the exception of a 1999 CBS “48 Hours” segment titled “The Academy: Miracle or Cult?”.
This became both Anderson’s proverbial and literal “Andy Warhol 15 minutes.”
MT was featured in a critical book by Australian Ian Hamilton, one of his former students. The book is titled “Awake among the Sleeping,” EA was also linked to a well publicized suicide in Australia.
CultNews reported in 2006 that Anderson managed to get attention through a public speaking engagement in California at a “Wellness Weekend,” which featured Deepak Chopra.
But a source said that the octogenerian “wasn’t allowed to go near [Chopra] the whole time.”
A critic of the 2006 CultNews article admitted, “Master teacher is ego maniacal…with both an inferiority as well as a persecution complex…I have seen him do some creepy things.”
“Creepy things”?
Another former EA student elaborated in some detail.
“We all know…that Charles is a fraud,” she said. “I’ve seen Chuckie beating up his people, screaming at them and making absolutely no sense in the process. I’ve seen him raving insanely at other teachers (Not associated with EA) who all out-classed him simply by not defending themselves.”
She added, “I’ve seen otherwise rational people sit, against their wills, and listen to his mad-gabbing for years at a time simply because they couldn’t understand him and thought he knew something they didn’t”
The same former student leveled serious sexual harassment and abuse allegations against Anderson.
“I’ve seen [MT] molesting women on so many occasions I can’t count them, he is not subtle about it either, he puts his hands down their tops and plays with their breasts in public or he yanks at their hair or goes in for the kill and grabs at their sexual organs.”
CultNews received complaints from concerned families that compared MT’s “mind training” to “brainwashing.”
Enlightened being or dirty old man?
Master Teacher or master manipulator?
In the end what will be Chuck Anderson’s epitaph?
I lived at Endeavor Academy from 1994 to 1999 and was known as ‘Ralph’.
It’s true that ‘Master Teacher’ considered himself totally unique (a light insertion from out of time), and thus felt he could do anything he wanted. As with any cult there are the obvious down sides, as have been pointed out in numerous places.
But there is also the good side which tends to be overlooked in these kinds of forms. Many spiritual teachings say we are all joined in spirit, and A Course In Miracles (Endeavor Academy follows the ‘Course’, or at least attempts to follow it) says we can actually experience this. The main focus at Endeavor it to ‘enter into light’ and experience ‘whole mind’. The emphasis is so strong on this that one cannot stay at Endeavor unless one learns to enter into the light. It is quite an experience! It is a high-bliss like experience.
The Course teaches those that have temporarily more should give to those that have temporarily less. He encouraged this a lot at Endeavor and helped many students in this way.
Experiencing these two things alone were worth the time at Endeavor.
But while ‘MT’ (Master Teacher) focused on getting everyone ‘into the light’ (and he was very good at it), he had a big ego and introduced many distortions into the Course that were at odds with ACIM (A Course In Miracles).
For example confrontation was an important tool that he and many other teachers used in teaching, but the Course clearly says this is an attack and teaches against it. If you see ‘error’ in another, you are seeing error in yourself, for your brother is you. Look past error to the truth, for if you confront it you are acknowledging the error and giving it power. If you look past it you are only acknowledging truth in yourself and in another as well.
He also taught that if you didn’t live at Endeavor Academy you were a ‘dead one’. It was ‘them’ (anyone outside Endeavor) vs. ‘us’ (those at Endeavor). ACIM teaches everyone is ‘us’, so look past differences and only see the ‘truth’ (God, Light, Love, etc.). In this way you only acknowledge truth in yourself and another, for both are one in truth. “I will make this day different Lord by seeing everything the same” (from ACIM). If this is practiced then Endeavor Academy becomes no different than any other place, for to see differences is to hide the light, but to see no differences is to see the light everywhere.
Endeavor Academy has many positive elements along with some limitations. It can be good for those who are not emotionally vulnerable (who have a strong constitution or intact ego). In many ways it was a wonderful experience for me. But finally the confrontation/attack was not acceptable to me anymore. It was definitely counter productive.
Love is expansive, but confrontation results in contraction. At least the bottom line at Endeavor was having everyone enter into the experience of whole mind where everything is one. That was their strong point. Confronting someone in order for them to experience wholeness is pushing someone in the opposite direction. In order to confront one has to acknowledge the other persons limitation, and thus both ‘become’ contracted! But if you see with the Holy Spirit’s eyes, you never acknowledge limitation but see past it to the light or wholeness. You only see the Christ in another, and this helps them to see the Christ in themselves. You also remain in Christ consciousness, thus joining together in truth. At least this is what ACIM teaches.
The Master Teacher was an awaken mind and is totally false that he was unrespectfull to woman, he was an awaken mind and tottally healed many people, “death does not exist” because the life of the spirit is eternal, because you are like God you Father, eternal, the body is only a tool for learning, but you are much more than a body. The Master Teacher was really an amazing mind. He tough people to deppend to his Inner Teacher. He was in total comunication with Christ mind and you can do so if you train your mind, you are also the Christ!! only need an spiritual awakening
Thank you for your clarifications on this, Ralph.
I am a student of ACIM and sometimes watch the video messages and listen to the tapes by Chuck Anderson/Master Teacher (www.acimi.com). There is much wisdom in these talks, and it seems that whole mind projected (speaking in lineair time story) a Master Teacher that in the 90s had some very direct statements about i.e. Kenneth Wapnick and the Foundation for a Course in Miracles. It seems Chuck and Kenneth took a different approach in teaching, and the conflict there is something I need to look at now in more depth. Well, the Holy Spirit will take care of that 😉
The videos in which Mr. Anderson is in his 80s are (to me) a perfect example of pure love.
About all the accusations concerning Endeavor Academy, I don’t know what is true or false. I just wanted to make clear that the talks help me in getting a clearer and more in depth ‘understanding’ of the course.
Kind regards from The Netherlands,
Annemarie Slee
Yes, the talks are wonderful and it is easy to see that he is made of pure love as the above poster said…it’s very new to me and yes, I came up on this years after he was gone, but you see..
finding out his name and who he was wasn’t that easy for me, as he’s just a Teacher of Teachers…which makes him a Master Teacher……knowledge and thoughts are free…and if you like what you’re hearing: then “Listen”…..if not, let it go and don’t criticize something that you’re just not understanding at the moment in your Earthly life! Haven’t we all changed and grown a lot if we look back upon our lives…honestly it’s funny to read ‘young’ souls sounding off on You Tube about how he’s talking nonsense….no sir, it’s not….it could sound like nonsense if you’re not listening! You must pay attention and use your mind…I really look fwd. to the Video of the Day…it’s really like going to church..the videos are cute and funny as is Master Teacher….he’s really funny….I like him..what a smart guy!!! I mean, bringing in Cosmology into ACIM and bringing the teachings of Jesus all together, finally makes sense to me! what’s up w/ “this is science” and this is religion!?? no, science is religion too..The Heavens………I think it’s great….it’s terrific for me right now, I’d never dream of criticizing…I have no idea about personally how he was…I’m sure he grew and learned over his years too! (Don’t we all?) So ……it’s really not about him as a human man anyway….and he’s absolutely not saying he’s a magical person, or anything………….he’s simply making us feel the teachings so we can feel closer to Jesus……I love it….I’ve always liked Jesus but don’t go to church and really don’t get the personal connection, just never did…..so every time I went to church, I’d just be depressed……b/c I was not connecting…however, now this is different..it is pure…just like Jesus hopefully didn’t have much Ego….I don’t feel that in the videos at all…it’s lovely…he cares and he cares from beyond time/Out of Time b/c he’s not here in body anymore but his teachings go on and I, for one, am very glad, grateful and super appreciative! There is nothing to lose and only peace and understanding to gain 🙂 It’s truly ALL GOOD….Listen………. 🙂 Amy
Thank you Ralph for explaining, the point is to ENTER INTO THE LIGHT
Thank you Ralph for your comment.
Here in the Netherlands there is a ‘teacher’ called Rananda who was once a student of Charles Anderson. Rananda’s real name is Robert Davies. Do you know him? Robert claims he is a “walk-in” of some sort….
The similarities are striking.
1) He has gathered people around him in a location where they live together. People serve him food and run for his requests. He presents himself as in infallible master.
2)The main focus is on ‘entering in to the light’ and ‘joining in the mind’
3) He also distorts the teachings by the emphasis to his own version of the ACIM. Mainly by being impatient, instilling subtle guilt onto the audience and warning people to not start telling stories. Otherwise he will get really mad.
3) Using attack and confrontation is very common to this teacher
4) He is also very explicit that being in his place is ‘being in the light’. And going back to your own life is ‘the world’…”Where people are not really sincere”…
5) and last… i was shocked to see that most women were emiciated or at least very skinny. They seem to detest being a woman and they do every effort to look their worst.
Really sad to see.
The good thing was: when they call in the Holy Spirit to step in the Light… the whole atmospere allows for deep mediation.
But hen again….their bodies are shaking and shocking. And they are screaming and shouting…. It does not look very tranquil or peacefull… No serenity really.
I suspect that these people are surrounded by parasites sucking on their life energy while they are working ‘really hard’ to prove that they are ‘in the Light’. To me it seems as if they found themselves in a huge pitfall to try to prove themselves to be worthy of the teacher. Generating a lot of energy for the teacher to live on.
Which would be a very good explanation for the overall unhealthy look this inhabitants/followers have.
What a crack up reading about Chuckie and his cult. The ego is so creative. “Yes today I will call my self THE MASTER TEACHER”. Just trying to imagine Jesus’ eye roll on that one. Who the hell appointed Anderson “The Master Teacher” At least Trump can claim that alot of people voted for him to be “The President”. I’ve been a student of The Course for over 30 years and I was never asked to vote for the next “MT”. If you don’t see the absurdity in someone claiming the status of the MT for ACIM then you are clueless.
I had some friends go there in the 1990s after people from there visited our city. They were retirement age and I often wonder what happened o them. They were a lesbian couple, one was an accountant. They had a center in a local strip mall, where we attended an ACIM group. Both of their names started with J. I quit going around other people from that group and avoided a local church that invited the GCP people to her church.
They just struck me as weird with all of the movement, knocking on their heads etc.