Avatar Course

Harry Palmer (born April 3, 1944) is the developer of the Avatar® self-development system of courses and later founded and owns Star's Edge, Inc., which franchises Avatar worldwide. He started development on Avatar in 1986, first releasing it on October 15, 1986.

In his literature, he is described as a "[w]riter, teacher, lecturer, scientist, programmer, environmentalist, businessman, spiritual leader, explorer ... truly a Renaissance man."

Published works

All of his works are published by his company, Star's Edge, Inc. Collectively, most of them make up what is known as the "Avatar Materials".

• The Thoughtstorm Manual: An Evolution In Human Thinking (ISBN 1-891575-03-1) - a group exercise handbook originally published pre-Star's Edge in 1986.
• Living Deliberately: The Discovery and Development of Avatar (ISBN 0-9626874-3-X) - a quasi-historical account (by own admission) of the story of how Harry Palmer developed the Avatar materials, including some biographical details. A free e-version is available on the Avatar website.
• Resurfacing: Techniques for Exploring Consciousness (ISBN 0-9626874-9-9) - the workbook associated with Part I of the Avatar courses that can be done solo
• The Avatar Master's Handbook (ISBN 0-9626874-8-0) - associated with Part IV of the Avatar courses
• Love Precious Humanity: The Collected Wisdom Of Harry Palmer (ISBN 1-891575-23-6)
• Inside Avatar The Book: Achieving Enlightenment (ISBN 1-891575-13-9)

Education and credentials

Harry Palmer received a Bachelor of Art in English from Ithaca College in 1969 and a Masters in Education from Elmira College in 1971, and was certified to teach English in secondary schools.

The academical credentials of Harry Palmer were investigated by the Florida Department of Health in 2005/2006. The Department found that he used the term "psychologist" illegally and made him sign a Cease and Desist Agreement.

Scientology mission

From 1974 until 1984, Palmer operated a Scientology mission for the Church of Scientology in Elmira, New York. He and the Mission left Scientology at this time, leading to a lawsuit from the Church for trademark violation, which the Church won on appeal.

In 1975 the Elmira Mission was incorporated under the name the Elmira Mission of the Church of Scientology and the following year it was granted a license to use all Scientology trademarks and service marks held and controlled by L. Ron Hubbard. In exchange for that right, Palmer paid 10% of its income as a tithe to Scientology.

Six years later Hubbard assigned his rights in all Scientology trademarks to Religious Technology Center (RTC), which had been organized especially to own and protect all Scientology trademarks. RTC immediately increased the licensing fee. On September 9, 1982 Palmer signed a new License Agreement requiring the Elmira Mission to pay 15% of its income as well as additional fees to RTC in order to continue using the Scientology trademarks.

When in November 1984 Palmer ceased making any payments to the Church of Scientology, the Church filed a lawsuit against Palmer and the Elmira Mission for trademark infringement. The Church won on appeal: "(1) even if local organization, a licensee, had not in fact reduced reputation associated with marks of international organization, mere possibility that local organization could during interval prior to trial depart from teachings of international organization was irreparable harm sufficient to support issuance of the injunction, and (2) international organization established probability of success on merits entitling it to preliminary injunction, by making unrebutted case that it owned trademarks and presenting evidence establishing customer confusion." Palmer then started work on Avatar. The lawsuit was settled in May 1987. The details of the settlement were sealed.

Avatar Course

Palmer introduced Avatar® on October 15, 1986. The "Avatar Course" is premised on the idea that a person's beliefs create their reality. It seeks to teach people how to create or "discreate" these beliefs as necessary, and to help create an "Enlightened Planetary Civilization"®.

Its mission statement:

The mission of Avatar in the world is to catalyze the integration of belief systems. When we perceive that the only difference between us is our beliefs and that beliefs can be created or discreated with ease, the right and wrong game will wind down, a co-create game will unfold, and world peace will ensue.

The Avatar Course is taught by licensed Masters in three sections. Section I is a two-day seminar that introduces the Avatar Course using Palmer's book Resurfacing: Techniques for Exploring Consciousness. After completing Section I, students are encouraged to take Sections II and III which take seven days. Avatar Masters use a technique called "Serious Drill" while teaching courses.

Star's Edge, Inc. claims that it offers a no-questions-asked refund to any student who claims to be dissatisfied.

If the student completes Section II the student is "encouraged" to move on to Section III, The Procedures. In this section, Stars Edge claims that students learn "a simple and effective technique for managing beliefs", the "Creation Handling Procedure" ("CPH").

The manuals used in Section II and III are kept confidential. Students must sign a confidentiality agreement prior to taking the course and must return the materials when the course ends. Section II and III cost $500 and $1500 respectively to attend.

Once Sections II and III are completed, all students are invited to take all additional sections of the Avatar Materials. Section IV, the "Avatar Masters Course" is described as teaching students additional components of the materials and to learn how to be an "Avatar Master." It costs $3000 and takes ten days to attend. Licenses to deliver the materials are usually withheld until the graduate completes at least one Intern Course.

The cost for each Intern Course is $600 and takes ten days. Star's Edge charges Avatar Masters a 15 - 25% royalty for every student the Master delivers to and pays a $300 commission to the Master for any Avatar students that pay for Section IV. Once students complete a delivery, the master files a Delivery Progress Report.[1]

Section V is the Wizards Course which costs $7500 to attend. The course culminates with a process called, "The Entity Handling Procedure", which aims to remove spiritual, psychological, and even physical problems or sufferings from the view they are beings from the astral plane (compare with Scientology's "Body Thetans"). The majority of Section IV and Section V courses are held in Orlando, Florida, and the details of the processes are treated as secret (proprietary).

Harry Palmer, Star's Edge versus Eldon Braun

In 2000, Harry Palmer sued Eldon Braun, a former Avatar licensee and Palmer critic, for copyright and trademark infringement, unfair competition, breach of contract, intentional interference with a business relationship, and libel. In 2005, Palmer was awarded $36,000 in damages for copyright infringement, $20,000 for libel damages, and $364,527.68 in attorney’s fees, and all other claims were dropped or dismissed.

The copyright claim was for a self-study course Braun developed called The Source Course which Braun billed as "an analog of the Avatar Course", "a refresher" for the Avatar Course, "a take-home manual" for graduates of the Avatar Course, and the "equivalent" of the Avatar Course materials. A preliminary injunction against the work failed, but the appeal concluded against Braun.

References

Further reading

Court material

• Church of Scientology International, Religious Technology Center and Scientology Missions International v. The Elmira Mission of the Church of Scientology a/k/a Church of Scientology, Mission of Elmira, a/k/a Dianetics Center, a/k/a Scientology Elmira, a/k/a Center for Creative Learning, Harry Palmer and Avra Honey-Smith — ruling in motion in case CIV-85-412T, United States District Court, W.D. New York, ruled August 1, 1985
• Church of Scientology International, Religious Technology Center and Scientology Missions International v. The Elmira Mission of the Church of Scientology a/k/a Church of Scientology, Mission of Elmira, a/k/a Dianetics Center, a/k/a Scientology Elmira, a/k/a Center for Creative Learning, Harry Palmer and Avra Honey-Smith — final ruling in case CIV-85-412T, United States District Court, W.D. New York, argued December 6, 1985, decided June 23, 1986
• U.S. 11th Circuit Court of Appeals (April 9, 2002): PALMER v BRAUN
• U.S. 11th Circuit Court of Appeals (July 13, 2004): Harry Palmer Star's Edge vs. Eldon Braun (PDF)
• UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT, MIDDLE DISTRICT OF FLORIDA (11/18/2005): Harry Palmer Star's Edge vs. Eldon Braun (PDF)
• Situation Report (Star's Edge response to Braun court case)

External links

Official Avatar Website

• Main Page - includes links to free materials (mini-courses)
• Short bio of Harry Palmer on Avatar website
• Avatar Course Student Experiences
• German version
• Dutch version

Pro-Avatar Sites run by Avatar members or pro-Avatar without verifyable ownership

• www.AvatarOverdrive.com - archived Avatar / Star's Edge materials since inception; bulletin board (guests welcome)
• "Speaking of Avatar®: In Dialogue with Ancient Spiritual Traditions" - Emma Bragdon, PhD (Transpersonal Psychology)

General Information, Articles, & Discussion

• "Spirituality and Cults: An Experiential Analysis" - a detailed analysis of the cult aspects of various groups including Avatar by former Avatar Master, Elliot Benjamin, Ph. D
• "E-Newsletter: On Avatar - Personal Experiences with the Avatar Program" - Elliot Benjamin, Ph.D. ICSA
• Article: "What is an Avatar Master?"

Avatar Critics

• A critical view of the Avatar system - on an exposeé-style website that covers Scientology and its offshoots ("squirrels")
• www.avatarcult.info - Dedicated website. Includes the secret "Entity Exorcism Procedure" from the Wizard course
• "Avatar: A Cult in the Company" - exposeé by Avatar Master turned critic about Avatar and cults in France
• "Harry Palmer & Scientology" - includes local newspaper exposeé of Harry Palmer's Scientology Mission / Avatar center, Elmira, NY
• Petition to investigate Harrp Palmer and Avatar / Star's Edge - includes viewable list with comments from people who have and haven't taken the courses