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Religion 101: The Science of Being [1]
['This Content Is Not Subject To Review Daily Kos Staff Prior To Publication.']
Date: 2025-05-18
While we sometimes think of New Age Spirituality as a fairly recent phenomenon, it began more than a century ago. One of the notable figures in the early years of New Age Spirituality was Baron Eugene Fersen (1873-1956) who founded The Lightbearers.
Fersen was born in St. Petersburg, Russia, to Baroness Olga von Medem. In his early life, his mother gave him the name Svetozar, which is from svet, meaning “light or holy”, and zar, meaning “royalty.” Thus, Svetozar can be translated as “King of Light,” a name which Fersen wore as a symbol of his spiritual quest.
During World War I, he served as a volunteer orderly for the Serbian Red Cross. When the Russian Revolution and the Bolsheviks made it unsafe for him to return to St. Petersburg, he came to the United States in 1918. However, the U.S. Department of Justice formally investigated him for teaching “radical religious thinking.”
In 1921, he established The Lightbearers, a spiritual organization and in 1923, he published his first book, The Science of Being. According to the Science of Being website:
“The Science of Being is a practical guide that unveils the abundant mysteries of life. It does not teach man-made theories, it presents to humanity truth, facts, and a profound explanation of the Universal Laws, and how they operate through all living things. Once these teachings are applied, they create and multiply causes which manifests constructive and harmonic results in one's life physically, mentally, and spiritually. Science of Being is a complete science, a unique work, which from beginning to end shows perfect logic and unity. It unfolds gradually before the reader, all the so-called mysteries of human existence, which have been presented before at various periods of Humanity’s evolution in veiled form, in allegories, discernible only by those who could fathom their inner meaning.”
With regard to The Lightbearers:
“Religions have creeds, the 'word' means 'I believe', not 'I know', for they never dared to say I know. We know – we do not claim to know all, there is only One who knows all, the Eternal. No one else will ever know all, but we will always be in the process of knowing more of all. What we know we want to share, for we are not Lightkeepers, but Lightbearers.”
In 1923, he became a U.S. citizen and gave up any pretense of being heir to the Polish throne. At this time, he became Eugene Fersen rather than Baron Eugene. He envisioned his divine purpose and mission as teaching all humanity spiritual progress. He felt that spiritual wisdom should be available to all people without regard to class, education, gender, race, or other social distinctions.
Svetozar’s spiritual quest led him to acquire 2,000 acres near Archer Mountain in Washington. Svetozar and his followers felt that this area was a spiritual vortex.
With regard to Christianity:
“That is why when the disciples of Jesus, with the exception of John, deserted him, they went outside the inner circle of teachings and never got back. No matter how they regretted, how they tried to atone they could not, and this is why each of them died a violent death. Religions try to hold their deaths in martyrdom as a credit to them, but those deaths showed the Great Law had discredited them. The only one who remained faithful, John, died a normal death. There is proof that the Great Law credited John, but discredited the unfaithful. That is why the teachings of Jesus have been so perverted, because all except John had lost their place in the inner circle and could not regain it no matter how they tried. John begins his Gospel with the Word of the Eternal, not with Jesus. That is why the Religion of today is not the Religion of the Apostles, or of Jesus. The best that is in it can be traced to Paul, who was not a disciple of the living Jesus, but who never betrayed him. He never heard the Teacher, however, and could only repeat from hearsay.”
According to the website:
“At the time of his parting into the Great Beyond in July of 1956, Mr. Fersen had personally instructed well over 20,000 students; at that time more than 100,000 people worldwide had read or been exposed to the teachings in the Science Of Being. These teachings today are regarded as some of the most inspiring literary works in the study and education of Quantum Science, Spiritual Science, Human Enlightenment, and the study of the Human Soul.”
The list of famous people supposedly influenced by Fersen or his writings includes: Gandhi, Edgar Cayce, Margaret Sanger, Nikola Tesla, Samuel Clemens (better known as Mark Twain), Deepak Chopra, and many others.
Museum Exhibition
The Columbia Gorge Museum in Stevensville, Washington has a special exhibition on Baron Eugene Ferson. According to the Museum:
“Through paintings and other objects from his life, this exhibition will delve into the extraordinary journey of a Russian Baron who fled his homeland in the turbulent years leading up to World War I.”
Shown above is The Lightbearer, 1920, oil on canvas by Russian artist Princess Marie Eristoff-Kazak (1857-1934).
Shown above is detail from The Lightbearer
Shown above is Svetozar in St. Petersburg, a 20th century oil on canvas by Russian artist Feodor Zakharov (1882-1968).
According to the Museum:
“Svetozar’s family ties to nobility and military classes not only gave him access to higher education and travel, but provided him social standing among European artists, thinkers, and aristocrats of the late 19th century.”
Shown above is Svetozar’s Grandfather?, a 19th century oil on canvas by an unknown artist.
Shown above is Svetozar’s Grandmother?, a 19th century oil on canvas by R. Meyer.
Shown above is Cossack Uniform, c. 1890.
In 1928, he published Is There a God? This book is described as the authentic center for the truth, hidden keys and mysteries to the teachings of Svetozar.
Shown above is a 1914 Red Cross Cap.
Shown above is Honorary Certificate, 1915, lithograph on paper.
According to the Museum:
“As an only son of a widow of the noble class, Svetozar was barred from joining military service. Instead, he joined the Red Cross and served as a volunteer orderly during WWI.”
Shown above is Skirt Panel, c. 1880, silk, gold thread, imitation pearls. This was part of Olga Medem’s most prized pieces of clothing.
Shown above is detail from Skirt Panel.
Note: These photographs were taken on October 18, 2024.
More Religion
Religion 101: Ancient Greek religion
Religion 101: Talking with dead people (Spiritualism)
Religion 101: Hindu pilgrimages
Religion 101: Asceticism
Religion 101: Freethought and women's rights
Religion 101: Women and marriage under ancient Irish Brehon law
Religion 101: Zoroaster's Vision
Religion 201: Reincarnation
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