05/18/2026
Dr. Jean Houston — scholar, philosopher and researcher in human capacities — devoted her life to awakening humanity to our spiritual magnificence. Her influence is felt across the New Thought movement and in countless lives. She made her transition on May 16 at the age of 87.
In 1965, Houston and her husband, Dr. Robert Masters, founded The Foundation for Mind Research. She also founded of the Mystery School, now called the Renaissance of Spirit, a school of human development. Since 2003, Houston worked with the United Nations Development Program, training leaders in human and cultural development as well as social artistry.
Together with other international agencies and companies, Houston worked in more than 100 countries. She held a B.A. from Barnard College, a Ph.D. in psychology from the Union Graduate School and a Ph.D. in religion from the Graduate Theological Foundation.
Houston is regarded as one of the principal founders of the Human Potential Movement, noted for her ability to combine history, culture, new science, spirituality and human development. She wrote 26 books and the foreword to the 1997 edition of “The Science of Mind.”
Her life’s work mirrored the goal of Centers for Spiritual Living — to awaken humanity to our spiritual magnificence. Houston’s ultimate advice for this journey was simple: “Go back to oneness.”
