Over the last month and a half local AMORC members have been responding to our online survey, and now the results are in.

Thank you to all who took the time to complete the online form or for speaking with me over the phone. The feedback we got is invaluable. You helped us to see what is most important to you as a spiritual seeker and as a member of AMORC. [You can still take the survey here.]

So, what did everyone say?

To date, 42 members responded to the survey. Most of them were members who have not attended convocation in 6 months or more. More than, anything else those who answered the call indicated that a sense of community is the most important single quality that ESP can provide.

This makes a lot of sense when you consider that it can be challenging for spiritual seekers to find other like-minded people. One of the most common things we hear at the social hour after convocation is that people appreciate having a place where they can discuss their interests in public (other than on the internet).

Members also valued “new insights and teachings” that ESP provides, whether that was the discourse lectures at convocation or other topics at workshops or special events.

That’s one of the reasons we have created this blog– so that we can provide even more teachings and insights and connections between members.

As you may know, we hold convocation at two locations, the Kenton Masonic Lodge and the Frog Pond Grange (best name ever!) in Wilsonville. One location is very large and vaunted and the other is small and down-home. So, we wanted to know what was most important in a ritual meeting location.

Members overwhelmingly said that wherever we meet, they wanted a place that felt mystical. Over half of the respondents said that they had had a “few” or “many” mystical experiences while at a convocation ritual or other AMORC events.

While some preferred that events were within a 20-minute commute, the general atmosphere of otherworldliness was paramount. Other issues like parking, transit access, and other access issues were not significant factors.

That said, most of the respondents said that the Wilsonville location was the most convenient and weekend afternoons were the best time for their schedule.

However, many who responded are not in the Portland Metro Area. We have over 170 members who are spread out across Oregon and Southwest Washington. That’s a significant geographic area. We’ve been trying to figure out a way that we can better serve our members who are too far to come to regular convocation and other events.

A significant number of respondents expressed interest in the idea of online chat/video chat or home-based discussion and meditation events. This is an idea we’ve been mulling over. Ideally, we might lead a discussion at the home of someone who can’t usually get to Portland, and from there we could bring in additional members through Skype, Facetime or Facebook. Such discussions and meditations would be lead by a senior Pronaos member.

If you would like to be involved in a home visit or an online chat, please email us at oregon[at]amorc.rosicrucian.org.

With this in mind, we are also working on putting together a carpool network whereby members could provide rides to other members in their area who might have transportation or access challenges. Email us about that as well. It would be a great way to meet other spiritual seekers and build the strength of our egregore.

As we continue to work on more projects like this, it’s important to remember that we are not merely solitary mystics. Even though AMORC pioneered home-study mystery schools, all these decades ago, we are part of a larger group of seekers. From the ascended masters who came before us to the other members of our Pronaos, the collective meditation of all seekers empowers our work.

So, we ask all members, if nothing else, to please visualize the success of our Pronaos and all beings as we seek to build unity, harmony, and peace in our group and the world.

Members have had so many beautiful experiences with AMORC as a community that brings people together and invokes spiritual awakening (see comments below). We want to keep this spirit alive and growing. That’s our intention in this coming new year, to grow and build our community in a way that benefits all people all over the world.

Peace Profound
ESP Engagement Coordinator

Members were asked what they valued most about AMORC:

“Peace, philosophy, ancient history. My parents were members when I was a child, and I spent a lot of time at the museum and park in San Jose.”

“Psychic development leading to self-mastery and fulfillment via experiments and techniques.”

“I have enjoyed the feeling of being linked to a long-term tradition, the learning of, and slow unfolding of my natural powers (which I had some sense of), and the structure of the lessons themselves.”

“The access to a huge amount of high-quality information, the many wonderful members that I have had contact with, the spiritual purpose and mission of the order (as I understand it), the love of truth, and integrity.”

“I find the teachings the best of the spiritual reality in the way they are presented. The training is better than what I got in college. When I was in Dallas, I went to All Angels Episcopal Church- the founding minister was a Rosicrucian.”

“I have been a seeker since childhood and an AMORC member for the past 35 years. The AMORC teachings have answered all of my questions and some questions for which I was unaware.”

When asked about your most enjoyable experience with AMORC:

“(The) World Peace Convention where I let down the psychic guard I didn’t know I had up and reveled in being with fantastic mystical human beings.”

“It was my first Regional Conclave in Oklahoma City it was hosted by the Lodge (Amenhotep). I was still a fairly new member, being able to meet a Grand Lodge Officer was incredible. Then at another Regional Conclave a few years later I was privileged enough to meet the Grand Master Chris Warren, as well as other important AMORC members.”

“1st Degree Initiation. It was amazing. I changed to become more spiritual.”

“2004 Peace Conference in San Jose. Group meditations in auditorium led to profound experiences.”

“New Years (spring-easter) event. 6-10 people. Good ambiance, food, and conversation. A particularly zealous new member had questions which led to a strong feeling of brotherhood as answers were addressed and ideas exchanged.”

“Peace Ceremony on Summer Solstice 2018 at Maryhill Stonehenge monument with the Portland & Seattle Pronaos, about 50 people, l really enjoyed a couple of days with all of us together!”

“My experiences are from way back in the ’70s at a Lodge in Pittsburgh. Every week was incredibly magical and powerful. During one of the Lodge Convocations, I had a Mystical experience. The Ritual Team was already in place, the Colombe had come with that wonderful incense, and the music was playing.

Then came the vowel sounds, performed by the Ritual Team. As the vowel sound was intoned by one member of the Ritual team, with my eyes closed, I saw a luminous, sparkling golden spiral coming toward me. It was a powerful experience which is difficult to describe. Also, during the social hour every week, I had the privilege of talking with other AMORC members which I always enjoyed tremendously.

There also was a wonderful library there, from which members could borrow books written by AMORC members. There was an average of 40 people at the Lodge each week and was one of the few events in my life that I actually wanted to attend on a regular basis. I looked forward to every meeting.”

“A picnic, garage sale or holiday gathering encouraging fraternal connections.
Initiations at Grand Lodge. Travel in as a group in a Van, women sharing hotel a room, men also sharing a room, meals shared expenses paid by each member.”