David Spangler facts for kids

David Spangler, born on January 7, 1945, is an American writer and thinker who explores spiritual ideas. He helped develop the Findhorn Foundation in Scotland, a place for spiritual learning. Spangler is known as one of the people who helped start the modern "New Age" movement. However, he has also shared his concerns about how parts of this movement have changed, especially when they became too focused on money or sensational stories.

Early Life and School

Spangler was born in Columbus, Ohio in 1945. When he was six years old, his family moved to Morocco in North Africa. His father worked there for U.S. Army Intelligence. They lived in Morocco for six years. In 1957, when David was twelve, they moved back to the United States.

He attended Deerfield Academy in Massachusetts. This was a Protestant school. His time there was interrupted when his family moved to Phoenix, Arizona. He finished high school in Phoenix. Later, he went to Arizona State University. He studied biochemistry but also explored many other subjects that interested him.

The Findhorn Foundation

In 1970, Spangler traveled to Britain. He visited the spiritual community of Findhorn in northern Scotland. He believed that spiritual contacts had told him he would find his "next cycle of work" in Europe.

When he arrived at Findhorn, he learned something surprising. One of the founders, Eileen Caddy, had a vision three years earlier. She saw that a "David Spangler" would come to live and work with them. Eileen, her husband Peter Caddy, and their friend Dorothy Maclean had been waiting for him. They had read a small booklet he wrote.

After Spangler arrived, he was offered a leadership role. He became a joint director of the community with Peter Caddy. He stayed at Findhorn until 1973. Then, he returned to the United States with other people, including Dorothy Maclean. Together, they started the Lorian Association. This was a non-profit group for their spiritual and educational work.

Beyond the "New Age"

Since then, Spangler has continued to teach and write many books about spirituality. He is seen as one of the key figures who started the modern New Age movement. However, he quickly noticed some problems with it. He felt it was becoming too focused on money, trends, and uncritical worship of gurus. He wrote about these concerns in his book Reimagination of the World. He wrote this book with William Irwin Thompson, a cultural historian.

Some people have mistakenly thought Spangler was a "channeler" for spirits. This was partly because of "transmissions" he received at Findhorn in the 1970s. These became part of his first book, Revelation: The Birth of a New Age. Spangler himself has said it took him years to find the right words. He needed to clearly explain the insights and experiences he had been having since he was a child.

Recent Work

In recent years, Spangler has focused on what he calls "Incarnational Spirituality." This idea suggests that our everyday lives, our physical bodies, and our experiences can be spiritual and sacred. It's not just about things beyond this world.

Spangler explains Incarnational Spirituality as exploring and celebrating each person's unique spiritual and creative abilities. Practicing it means honoring the sacredness of each person. It also means using our powers of blessing, creating, working together, and lovingly engaging with life. It is not a religion. Instead, it is a way to understand how we connect to the world. It shows how we can grow and shape ourselves and our world through our intentions, presence, participation, and service.

In 2010, his memoir Apprenticed to Spirit was published. A memoir is a book about a person's own life. This book describes his early years, his spiritual training, and his time with Findhorn. It also covers his work with the Lorian Association and the development of Incarnational Spirituality.

Spangler is currently a director of the Lorian Center for Incarnational Spirituality and the Lorian Association (www.lorian.org). Through Lorian, he publishes a free monthly essay called David's Desk. He also publishes a quarterly journal called Views from the Borderland. This journal shares his insights and experiences from his clairvoyant research.