Alexander Everett - Mind Dynamics

Mind Dynamics

In 1962 Everett moved to the United States, first settling in Kansas where he initially intended to become a minister in the Unity School of Christianity. He worked for the Unity Church for a short time in Kansas City. In 1963, Everett gave up his path to becoming a minister, and instead helped establish a preparatory school in Fort Worth, Texas, Fort Worth Country Day School, where he also worked as an instructor. There he also encountered José Silva, founder of the Silva Mind Control method, and began to study techniques of mind control, self-hypnosis, and meditation.

Everett utilized the techniques learned in José Silva's Mind Control methodology, as well as concepts from Edgar Cayce (1877-1945), to form the Mind Dynamics course in 1968. Jess Stern wrote a book, The Power of Alpha Thinking (1969), on Everett and his Mind Dynamics course.

The students of Mind Dynamics included Dr. O. Carl Simonton of the Simonton Cancer Center.

Mind Dynamics proved a precursor to other groups that used similar techniques. Alexander was referred to as "The Teacher of Teachers" and "The Father of the Human Potential Movement" ... as his employees included Werner Erhard, founder of "est" Erhard Seminars Training and of the Landmark Forum; John Hanley, founder of Lifespring; James H. and Janet Quinn, founders of LifeStream, LifeResults, LifeSuccess and New Perspectives; Randy Revell, founder of Context Trainings; Tom and Jane Willhite, founders of PSI World; Robert White, founder of ARC and Life Dynamics; Howard Nease, founder of Personal Dynamics; Bill Schwartz, founder of the Meditation Institute of Milwaukee; Stewart Emery, founder of Actualizations Workshop, and Russ and Carol Bishop with Insight Seminars. The first form of Mind Dynamics was non-confrontational, did not involve direct interaction with course participants, and participants did not share their own personal experiences in the coursework. In 1970, Everett moved the headquarters of his company from Texas to San Francisco, California. William Penn Patrick bought out the company in the same year. Patrick owned Holiday Magic, a cosmetics company, and Leadership Dynamics, a similar company to Mind Dynamics that used more confrontational techniques. Though Mind Dynamics was structured as a for-profit, self-improvement company, it was also described as a spiritual discipline. Everett stated that one of the goals of Mind Dynamics was to "get people to a higher dimension of mind".

Werner Erhard was a student of Everett's, and became an instructor in his own right in the Mind Dynamics training. After reaching the level of instructor, Erhard was also chosen by Everett to be responsible for Mind Dynamics course development. Alexander Everett offered Erhard a vice-presidency in the company and a larger salary, but Erhard instead took his staff (including Laurel Scheaf and Gonneke Spits) to form Erhard Seminars Training. Everett was present in the hotel ballroom when Werner Erhard led his last Mind Dynamics course and announced to the audience that he would be soon forming a new company. Though Everett publicly went up on stage and stated his support for Erhard and expressed his sorrow to see him go, privately he was furious with Erhard for planning his exit and new company behind Everett's back.

John Hanley, who later went on to form Lifespring, also was influenced by Mind Dynamics and Everett.

The Mind Dynamics course spread to Australia and Europe, but shut down in 1973 along with Leadership Dynamics and Holiday Magic, when William Penn Patrick died in a plane crash. The United States government investigated allegations of Patrick's companies operating as pyramid schemes. Nevertheless, the Mind Dynamics course still had a huge effect on the New Age movement.