Some of the groups below were founded in as early as the 1930s and 50s. Their belief system includes a mix of Eastern philosophy, Christian doomsday (judgment day), and UFOs. It was a popular combination that began in the early 1900s and peaked in the 1970s, and 80s, the golden era for various fringe sects, including Morningland.
THE AETHERIUS SOCIETY
Were Morningland’s founders Daniel Sperato (Master Donato) and Patricia (Sr Donato) inspired by this Los Angeles-based group founded in 1954? This image above resembles Morningland, their “healing” ceremony, the artwork, imagery, and even the OM sign with a triangle (in ML the om was inside the triangle).
The group was all about UFO, yoga, Eastern philosophy, cosmic brotherhood, spiritual healing, chakras, and kundalini. It was founded by Dr. King, who was called a Cosmic Avatar as he allegedly heard the following words: “Prepare yourself! You are to become the voice of Interplanetary Parliament.” (Their site). These same words echoed in other groups that followed. Even their philosophy found its echo in Morningland:
The Aetherius Society believes Jesus and Buddha were from Venus but Krishna was from Saturn—the “most advanced planet,” and that all the “great religions” are from one “cosmic source.” The Society believes that these “advanced beings [were] coming to help us and give certain teachings in some cases … to help humanity without interfering with us too much.” The Society believes a messiah will one day visit earth in a flying saucer. (ICSA)
That last sentence sounds a lot like what Sri Donato said in the 1980s, that Christ will come to Earth in a saucer to judge mankind. She and Donato allegedly took a lot of phrases and concepts from other sources. Perhaps this was one of them.
UNARIUS ACADEMY OF SCIENCE
Another possible and strong inspiration for Patricia and Daniel. Unarius (Universal Articulate Interdimensional Understanding of Science) was established near San Diego CA in 1954 by a married couple, Ernest and Ruth Norman. Ernst was into channeling, palmistry, future telling, just like Donato. Additionally, Ernest wrote about the Space brothers, and the White Brotherhood of wise elders who watch over us on Earth. There was a decent amount of talk about that in Morningland, without giving credit as to where these ideas came from.
After Ernest’s death in 1971, Ruth claimed she was the archangel Uriel, and she was a link between Earth and the rest of the cosmic intelligence. Similarly, both Daniel and Patricia Sperato claimed to have a direct link to the extraterrestrial intelligence (or “the Upstairs” as they called it). Sri Donato was said to be a great Seraphic angel, while one of her Gopis was working for archangel Michael – just to illustrate the similar vocabulary and mentality.
Through a series of mental communications in 1973, Uriel first contacted the spiritual leaders of thirty-two planets as part of the Master Plan to rejoin these worlds with planet Earth to form and Interplanetary Confederation. Earth has been invited to become the thirty-third linking member of the confederation, a galactic “United Nations” of planets whose purpose is the betterment of humankind throughout the Milky Way Galaxy (Unarius)
BROTHERHOOD OF THE WHITE TEMPLE
Here’s a possible idea for the White Brotherhood that Ernest Newman from Unarius wrote about. And another possible inspiration for Morningland’s founders. Brotherhood of the White Temple was founded in 1930 by Maurice Doreal in Colorado. He was interested in the occult, UFO, Atlantis. In 1953 he “predicted that the biblical Battle of Armageddon would begin very soon, and residents stored foods against the coming hard times.” This was an era in the 50s when many feared the atomic bomb attacks and sought to build shelters, which they stacked with food. After his death, his writings are held as “the truth” and key dogma (Encyclopedia.com). He talked about Christ as consciousness, which could have influenced the groups above, including Morningland’s founders. From their website:
In obedience to the commands of the Avatar Harjas, the World Teacher of the Golden Age, we are calling all Sincere Students Of Truth who desire to enlist under “The Banner Of Shamballa” as workers to prepare the way for the “Lord Of The World”, the Avatar Harjas, who is the incarnation of the Christ-Consciousness in this present Age.
GLOBAL COMMUNITY COMMUNICATIONS ALLIANCE, former Aquarian Concept Community
Founded by this couple in 1989 in Arizona, this group paralleled Morningland and Sri Patricia/Sri Donato. Co-founder Tony Delevin renamed himself as Gabriel of Urantia (their site), and claimed he receives direct transmission from celestial beings. Sounds familiar? Sri Donato claimed the same thing. Intergalactic stuff, Morning Star, Bright Star,…. sounds very Morningland or Unarian or Aetherian as well. Only this leader is more upfront about who he thinks he is. From their website,
The universe directive from Christ Michael, Creator and Sovereign of the Universe of Nebadon, authorizing His Chief Administrator, Gabriel, the Bright and Morning Star of Salvington, to adjudicate the Lucifer Rebellion, beginning with our planet Urantia. Under this Mandate is the authority to reinstate Divine Administration on the planet through the highest spiritual complementary-polarity couple on the planet”
In less fancy words, he believes Jesus told him to cast out Lucifer and establish a divine order on this planet. He and his wife are allegedly key pieces for this mission. Sri Donato had very similar ideas about herself and Morningland. Allegedly, Gabriel even said it out loud, “Everything I do is justified, I am the mandated ruler of the world” (Cult Education). Isn’t’ that what cultic (should I say narcissistic?) leaders say and believe about themselves?
ENLIGHTEN NEXT
Founded in 1988, EnlightenNext (old crumbling website) was a cultic organization, founded by self-styled guru Andrew Cohen, as seen in a short documentary HOLY SHIT, WE ARE IN A CULT. EnlightenNext members were intelligent and rational individuals that had positive and wonderful experiences with regular meditations and leading a spiritual lifestyle. They were instructed to attribute their experiences to the ‘guru’ and become hooked. Cohen exercised unhealthy control over his followers’ lives and relationships.
Morningland presented itself as a meditation, enlightenment and self-actualization focused group. The Gopis focused on presenting Morningland as a Yoga and Buddhism-inspired place, which resembled this group. But in its core, Morningland more closely resembles the groups mentioned above.
LOVE HAS WON
Founded in 2006, Love Has Won was yet another modern New Age cult that combined the ideas of the fifth dimension, extraterrestrials, gathering the 144,000 chosen ones for a group ascension, etc (source). Here are some excerpts from Denverpost.com:
Amy Carlson, who has three children, met a man online and left her family in Texas for him. It was an abrupt departure. That man referred to himself as Father God and told Carlson she was Mother God. Soon, Carlson started talking about spaceships and ascension while she was with him. Carlson parted ways with the man after a couple of years and a succession of other men became Father Gods to Carlson’s Mother God.
Her beliefs became more strange and she became more entrenched as a cult leader. Early on, Carlson and her followers identified as the Galactic Federation of Light. “If you don’t know, we are in a full-blown planetary ascension and this is basically a full evolution of consciousness,” she says. “Humanity as a collective is evolving from a third dimension to the fifth dimension.”
Sound familiar?
Mantika, June, 2023
