Pinehurst Sanatorium: A Place of Psychic Research

psychic research search of the soul

Where Mind, Body, and Spirit Were Tested

While searching through the Psychic Observer, I came across a 1970 article written by Dr. Samuel S. Rizzo. What caught my attention wasn’t just the topic of psychic research. It was the objective behind it.

This wasn’t just about psychic ability.

This was about finding the soul.

The article moved beyond simple discussion of altered states or psychic perception. It built toward something much bigger—the attempt to prove that the soul exists and could somehow be located, studied, and observed. Religion has spoken about the soul for centuries. Metaphysics has defined it in many ways. Science has largely avoided it. Yet the question of its location remains unsettled. Various systems offer different answers, placing the soul in different locations or defining it in different ways. Among these, Kabbalistic teachings present a structured distinction that separates the soul from the spirit.

Neshamah — Soul
Ruach — Spirit
Nefesh — Physical/Living Body

I agree with the Kabbalah.

Rizzo’s investigation was structured, working with individuals exhibiting altered states of consciousness—many of them already classified as mentally ill—who were observed, questioned, and documented. What they said, what they knew, how they behaved, all of it became part of the record.

The objective was clear: to determine whether anything emerging through these states could point to the existence and location of the soul.

Within that framework, institutions like Pinehurst Sanatorium became more than places of care. They became environments where this kind of research could take place—a controlled setting with a consistent population where these states could be observed over time.

This was not an isolated effort. The work reflected a broader collaboration involving researchers and others working across both scientific and spiritual lines of inquiry. At the same time, it highlighted a significant obstacle: funding. Research of this nature required financial backing, and that support was not easily secured. Medical cooperation was limited, and investment in this area remained uncertain, placing the work in a space that was both controversial and difficult to sustain.

Rev. Starlene Joyner Burns, President & Founder
National Spiritual Science Center Historical Society
Spiritual Science Researcher
A Spiritual Science Reflection, © All Rights Reserved

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April 1, 2026April 15, 2026

Diane Nagorka: A Legacy of the National Spiritual Science Center

Introducing Rev. Diane S. Nagorka

Portrait of Rev. Dr. Diane S. Nagorka

Some figures quietly shape institutions in ways that are not always fully understood until years later. Rev. Diane S. Nagorka was one of those figures within the National Spiritual Science Center.

Trained under Rev. Alice Wellstood Tindall, Diane emerged from the early Spiritual Science training program at a time when the work in Washington, DC was expanding and evolving. Over the years she served as assistant, assistant pastor, and eventually pastor, helping guide the center through periods of transition, growth, and continued teaching.

Together with Rev. Henry J. Nagorka, she helped develop the educational structure that became known as the School of Spiritual Science. Their work brought together ministerial training, healing instruction, psychic development, and academic study within a single framework of disciplined spiritual practice.

Diane was also widely known as a psychic counselor and teacher. Many who encountered her described her as direct, disciplined, and deeply committed to the responsibilities that came with spiritual work. That reputation earned her a nickname remembered by many: “the tough psychic.”

The National Spiritual Science Center operated for decades with a consistent rhythm of healing services, worship services, classes, lectures, and development circles. Through those years, Diane remained closely involved in the training and guidance of ministers, healers, spiritual practitioners, and students seeking deeper understanding of spiritual science.

This month, the National Spiritual Science Center Historical Society is introducing a new permanent historical page dedicated to Rev. Diane S. Nagorka. The page brings together research, archival material, and historical context documenting her role in the development of the center.

Historical preservation matters. Without it, the people who helped build institutions and shape teachings can easily fade from memory. Recording these histories ensures that future students and researchers can understand how the work developed and who helped carry it forward.

You can explore the new historical page here: Diane page

More reflections on the development of the National Spiritual Science Center will be shared in future posts as the Historical Society continues its archival work.

Photography credits: photographers unknown

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March 11, 2026April 15, 2026

Henry Nagorka and the Psychic Observer

The history of Spiritual Science in Washington DC includes individuals whose work extended beyond the church itself. One of those figures was Rev. Henry Nagorka, a minister who later became closely connected with the publication history of the Psychic Observer.

Rev. Nagorka completed his ministerial training under Rev. Alice Wellstood Tindall at the First Spiritual Science Church of Washington DC in 1967, graduating as a minister of Spiritual Science. Within a short time, his work expanded into the editorial side of the Psychic Observer, the publication Rev. Tindall acquired in 1968.

By 1969, the masthead of the publication listed Henry J. Nagorka as Managing Editor, marking the beginning of his long involvement with the journal and its Washington years.

This blog post introduces Rev. Henry Nagorka’s connection to the Psychic Observer and the Washington era of Spiritual Science.

The full historical page provides a deeper look at his editorial role, the transition of leadership within the publication, the ESPress printing operation, and the later merger of the journal with Chimes.

Read the full historical page:

Henry Nagorka and the Psychic Observer — The Washington Years

Historical research compiled by Rev. Starlene Joyner Burns — President & Founder, National Spiritual Science Center Historical Society

February 1, 2026April 23, 2026

Rev. Alice Wellstood Tindall — Founder, First Spiritual Science Church (Washington, DC)

Who She Was — Why Her Work Mattered

- Every movement has a beginning.
- But not every beginning is remembered accurately.

This month, the National Spiritual Science Center Historical Society is introducing a new permanent page honoring Rev. Alice Wellstood Tindall. She was one of many pioneers in the Spiritual Science movement and the individual who established the First Spiritual Science Church in Washington, DC.

Alice Tindall Enhanced 1951 PO, Mother Alice Tindall

For decades, Rev. Tindall’s role has been referenced, abbreviated, or quietly absorbed into later narratives. Yet her work shaped the foundation of Spiritual Science in DC. She served as a minister, healer, teacher, mental medium, exorcism healing practitioner, spiritual counselor, and publisher.

Her leadership extended beyond the sanctuary. She held national organizational roles and worked in publishing. Through print, she distributed disciplined Spiritual Science education to a wider audience.

This newly published page restores Rev. Tindall’s work to the historical record as she represented herself publicly. It reflects her ministry, her healing practices, and her ownership of The Psychic Observer: Journal of Spiritual Science. She purchased the paper in 1968 and began publishing it from Washington, DC in 1969. Surviving issues confirm that she remained actively engaged in publishing through at least 1973, the year preceding her death.

This page now serves as a root of the Spiritual Sciencece movement in Washington DC.

🔗 Read the full historical page:
Rev. Alice W. Tindall — A Pioneer of the Spiritual Science Movement

May her work be remembered and preserved.

Spiritual Science Research from Rev. Starlene Joyner Burns — President & Founder, National Spiritual Science Center Historical Society

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January 3, 2026January 22, 2026

From the Teachings of Spiritual Science

Black and white photo of a psychic development training session with participants seated around a table in focused meditation.

A Glimpse into Early NSSC Study and Practice

People traveled up and down the East Coast to study at the National Spiritual Science Center. During a time of spiritual awareness, transformation, and psychic awakening, students came from diverse religious backgrounds, while others were agnostic.

Here is a glimpse into those teachings.

Psychic Training Excerpt

First Steps in Psychic Development
by Rev. Diane S. Nagorka 1973, National Spiritual Science Center.

Count your blessings. Count them one by one—for your home as a haven for all souls; for your renewed self, filled with God’s healing love; for your oneness and wholeness in the Light.

Be still and let the Light bathe you. Bring your loved ones into the Light with you. Extend that love to those who are not your friends; they also need your blessings. Through serving all God’s children, we grow strong in Spirit and understanding.

Love your enemies, do good to them which hate you. Bless them that curse you, and pray for them which despitefully use you.
(Luke 6:27–28)

Speak the name of all those you wish to place in the healing Light. Bring to your mind’s eye the total person, remembering each is a perfect creation of a perfect God. God heals. It is this power, flowing through you as an individual and as a group, which restores harmony.

These teachings reflect their time. Spiritual development continues to evolve.

A Spiritual Science Reflection from Rev. Starlene Joyner Burns — President & Founder, National Spiritual Science Center Historical Society

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December 4, 2025January 31, 2026

When the Departed Speak: Understanding True Spiritual Communication

A dimly lit spiritual altar arranged for mediumship, featuring candles, sacred objects, and symbolic items used for connecting with the spirit world and understanding energetic shells and true spiritual communication.

When the Departed Speak

Understanding True Spiritual Communication

Most people assume that if a loved one has crossed over, they should still be standing close by—showing signs, visiting dreams, or leaving messages. It’s comforting for some to think that way.

But the majority of spirits do not linger simply because we miss them.

Most souls continue their journey back to the Creator God. They don’t stay stuck in emotional traffic trying to comfort the living or live through them. When genuine communication happens, it’s because the contact is purposeful and aligned with both spirits involved.

Can mediums reach your departed? They will connect to what’s with you—a shell holding on to the essence of your loved one, infused with your memories of them. In most cases, that is what responds first because it sits closest to the living and is easiest to access.

Before continuing, it’s important to understand that there are three very different forms of spiritual presence that people often confuse with one another:

1. The energetic shell or imprint
2. The soul that has moved on
3. The soul that chooses not to leave the earth plane

Mediums often connect with the first because it remains within reach. The second continues on its spiritual path. And only a small minority fall into the third category.

As a spiritual healer, I originally understood the term lost soul to refer to spirits who linger. Over time, through direct healing experience and later through a vivid dream, I came to recognize a deeper truth: there are no lost souls.

There are souls who choose to remain in this dimension. The phrase lost soul implies confusion or aimless wandering, when in reality some simply do not wish to leave the earth plane entirely. Because of this, I could only assist in liberating the ones who were spiritually ready to move on.

Many assume these souls stay out of fear or attachment to the life they once lived. But in practice, the majority are willing—sometimes even eager—to return to the Creator God and continue their journey beyond this world.

Why Would the Departed Stay Behind?

This is an honest question.

A soul that has completed its earthly work moves on. What remains is not the soul itself, but the emotional tether created by those who are grieving.

Love, grief, and longing can hold energy in place, and that attachment must be released. Releasing a loved one is not forgetting them. It is letting go of the emotional cord, so healing can begin, allowing memories of love and joy to remain without being trapped in grief.

A Spiritual Science Reflection by Rev. Starlene Joyner Burns, President & Founder, National Spiritual Science Center Historical Society.

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November 5, 2025December 3, 2025

What Are Prophetic Dreams? Warnings – Messages – Protection

When Dreams Speak

Everyone dreams, but not everyone remembers or understands what’s happening. Dreams aren’t random stories the brain plays at night. They’re spiritual communications and insights.

Psychology may analyze dreams through symbols and theories, but those who walk with Spirit experience them as sacred communication. Dreams can teach, warn, reveal, and protect. They’re one of the oldest ways the Divine speaks when we’re still enough to listen.

How Psychology Explains Dreams

Psychology breaks dreams into categories like lucid, recurring, and nightmares, describing how they happen, and sometimes why.

It helps us understand the mind’s activity, but Spirit goes deeper.

Spirit Speaks Through Dreams

In my experience, dreams go far beyond psychology. They carry direct messages from the Divine and reveal truth through confirmation in waking life.

This list doesn’t apply to every dream — each one should be analyzed to discern its meaning.

- Divine Message Dreams – Spirit or the Higher Self speaks through symbols, visions, and direction.
- Guidance Dreams – Offer guidance, correction, or reassurance.
- Prophetic Dreams – Show future events before they occur.
- Warning Dreams – Alert you to danger, deception, or spiritual warfare.
- Energetic Defense Dreams – Occur during lucid dreaming when the conscious mind becomes aware of an enemy attack.
- Truth-Revealing Dreams – Expose hidden motives, witchcraft, and reveal enemies.
- Visitation Dreams – Bring messages of good fortune, truth, or comfort from ancestors and loved ones.

Each one is a message from Spirit. Some dreams are fleeting. They entertain or drift through the mind, leaving little trace by morning.

But the dreams that carry purpose or a message, you won’t forget. They linger because they require action to manifest.

Spirit makes sure those stay with you until you do something about them.Final Thought

Dreams bypass logic and ego to reach the conscious mind.
The moment you wake, pause and ask:

“What is Spirit showing me?”

Your dream might be the very message your soul has been waiting to deliver.

In my experience, I’ve learned that not every dream is meant to be shared with others, especially if it involves them. Dreams, like psychic readings, can change the moment someone learns about them. Just as in a lucid dream, awareness can alter the outcome.

In life, the same truth applies — we all have the power to change our outcomes.

If the dream is about you, honor the message, even when it reveals truth. If it concerns someone you know, keep it to yourself unless they give you permission to share.

Respecting someone’s privacy is important because that person may symbolize an aspect or attribute of yourself within a dream. If you don’t understand your dream, find someone who does.

A Spiritual Science Field Investigation by Rev. Starlene Joyner Burns, President & Founder, National Spiritual Science Center Historical Society.

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October 6, 2025January 24, 2026

Can Psychic Ability Be Taught, or Is It an Inherited Gift?

Psychic & Mediumship: Inherent or Learned?

At the National Spiritual Science Center in Washington, DC, meditation was the cornerstone of spiritual development and enlightenment. It wasn’t just about quieting the mind — it was a discipline that helped students refine and strengthen their spiritual gifts and inner power.

Whether in healing, mediumship, clairvoyance, or other forms of psychicism, meditation provided the focus and clarity to unfold those gifts. Some students became more attuned as mediums. Others deepened as psychics, and still others grew as healers, But all shared the same foundation: a steady practice of meditation, discipline, and accountability.

Too often, people become uneasy when they hear the word mediumship. But fear usually comes from misunderstanding. And mediumship, at its core, is simply about communication with Spirit. For some, that may come as messages from loved ones who have crossed over; for others, it may come as guidance from the higher realms. In every form, it is a gift of spiritual connection.

These gifts can manifest whether we are trained or not. Training helps us use them wisely, giving structure and responsibility to what is already our inherent birthright.

Spiritual gifts vary. Meditation at the National Spiritual Science Center wasn’t presented as an instant awakening, but as a significant part of spiritual development. It was one part of a larger process that only deepened what students already carried within.

Those who meditated with clear purpose often found their sensitivity heightened — but meditation alone does not create spiritual gifts.

In the 1970s, The Psychic Observer & Chimes—published under the direction of Rev. Henry J. and Rev. Diane S. Nagorka, announced the establishment of the American Academy of Parapsychology through the National Spiritual Science Center. This collaboration of research and ministry reflected the Center’s long-standing commitment to understanding spiritual gifts as both natural and divine phenomena.

A Spiritual Science Reflection from Rev. Starlene Joyner Burns — President & Founder, National Spiritual Science Center Historical Society

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September 9, 2025January 24, 2026

What Is a Spiritual Minister?

Understanding the Role Beyond Religion

When You’re Called to Divine Service

Spiritual callings don’t always come through formal ordination, initiation, ancestral rites, or being told by a spiritual leader. They often arrive through a dream, a strong inner knowing, vision, or a profound moment of awakening — guided by the soul.

In 1997, my own calling came in a dream—one that left me in tears and full of questions. Not knowing where to turn, I reached out to a cousin I trusted — a devout Christian woman, passionate about her faith. She pointed me toward a church her godson pastored.

But what I experienced there didn’t align with the inner truth stirring within me.

The leaders practiced a form of “healing,” but something felt off. I wasn’t even a spiritual scientist at the time—I was still walking a Christian path. That experience, however, marked the beginning of my transition.

He preached, saying those seeking positions just wanted to be “superstars” — implying folks had to start at the bottom and earn their place. I truly believed the church would be welcoming, but I quickly learned that Christian churches often weren’t. What he said reflected how many churches operate — you don’t grow because you’re called, you grow by playing into hierarchy and favoritism. Perplexed, I didn’t know what my next move would be, so I left it to my inner God.

And that week, Spirit answered.

A newsletter arrived from a metaphysical church I had previously visited. It listed a class: Platform Healing. I read the description and said to my inner God, “It’s a start.” That newsletter became my confirmation.

I enrolled, completed the course, and served in that church as a spiritual healer for 1+ years. Eventually, like all souls called to grow, it was time for me to walk my own path.

What Is a Spiritual Minister?

In spiritual science, a minister is not simply a title — it is a role of service grounded in universal principles, personal development, and conscious spiritual alignment.

A spiritual minister does not represent a single religious tradition. Instead, they serve from a place of inner attunement, metaphysical understanding, and respect for the God within each soul.

We recognize that people are gifted in many ways:

- Clairvoyance (clear seeing)
- Clairaudience (clear hearing)
- Clairsentience (clear feeling)
- Prophecy, spiritual healing, intuitive knowing, or divine wisdom

These gifts are sacred inheritances entrusted by God — carried through the bloodline and safeguarded by the Divine and ancestral angels.

When trained and developed consciously, these gifts are used with integrity, responsibility, accountability, and always harmlessly.

Why Traditional Religion Often Suppresses Spiritual Gifts

Religious institutions may preach about gifts of the spirit, but often limit them to what’s sanctioned by hierarchy. When spiritual gifts appear outside of that control — in independent healers, dreamers, seers, and intuitives — they are sometimes dismissed, demonized, or labeled “dangerous.”

But spiritual gifts are not meant to be contained by dogma.
They are assigned by the Divine before birth — and they require only discipline, humility, love, and discernment.

Why the World Needs Spiritual Ministers Now

As people walk away from traditional religion, many are not rejecting God — they are reclaiming their spiritual autonomy.

Spiritual ministers serve those who:

- Are spiritually gifted but misunderstood
- Seek metaphysical healing and growth
- Desire sacred rituals rooted in spiritual science
- Wish to walk their path without fear or guilt
- Want teachers and guides who see beyond doctrine

Spiritual ministers meet people where they are and help them connect with their higher self and inner God.

A Note on Labels

Though I’ve sometimes used the term “non-denominational” for familiarity, it doesn’t truly represent what I do. Spiritual ministry is a path of service, soul development, and conscious alignment — not a label for convenience.

Many Expressions, One Source

Spirituality has many expressions. The Science of the Spirit teaches that God is within all things, and that spiritual growth is personal, evolving, and eternal.

As spiritual ministers in the metaphysical tradition, we honor that diversity — and encourage each soul to develop its gifts with purpose, responsibility, and love.

Close Reflection

There are places the soul can visit that no plane, boat, or footpath can reach. The temple in Spiritland is one such place — existing in the unseen, reachable only through meditation, stillness, and divine alignment. It is not a physical sanctuary, but a sacred vision available to those who seek truth, knowledge, and wisdom on the astral plane.

🕊️ If you’ve ever felt called, gifted, or disconnected from traditional religion, you are not alone — and you are not lost. Your gifts are real. Your path is sacred. And your journey is valid.

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A Spiritual Science Reflection by Rev. Starlene Joyner Burns — President & Founder, National Spiritual Science Center Historical Society

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August 11, 2025April 25, 2026

DC Spiritual Science Healing: The NSSC Way

Spiritual Healing

Spiritual healing, as practiced at the National Spiritual Science Center (NSSC) before its closing, was both simple and profound. Unlike many other systems I studied, the NSSC healing modality used a unique approach to moving energy along the chakras. Their process directed the flow upward, toward the Inner God.

This approach was designed to align the seeker with Spirit, creating a channel for divine energy to work through the healer. The healer acts as a conduit, holding focused intention while the energy moves through the body, going where it is needed most.

At NSSC, healing was an integral part of Sunday services. Each service began with a 30-minute healing period, with two trained healers ready to serve. It was considered an honor to take part in this sacred work, offering seekers a direct experience of Spirit before the message even began.

When I’m working with someone in the NSSC way, I often feel subtle vibrations — sometimes gentle, causing me to work close, sometimes strong, causing me to work at arm’s length. The strength of their aura field determines everything.

Healing sessions at NSSC were typically short, concentrated five-minute periods. These opened the door for Spirit to do its work without overwhelming the seeker.

While the energy flows into the healee, approving it is the role of the healee’s soul.

The NSSC method is one of many five-minute spiritual healing modalities used in metaphysical churches and centers today. NSSC not only taught the methodology but also the theory, which is needed to do spiritual healing.

Need distant healing? Submit a healing request.
God’s divine healing energy meets you where you are.

See video for a glimpse of physical spiritual healing in action.

A Spiritual Science Reflection by Rev. Starlene Joyner Burns — President & Founder, National Spiritual Science Center Historical Society

Note: To keep this space free of spam, comments are closed. If you’d like to respond, you’re welcome to reach out by email.

Where Mind, Body, and Spirit Were Tested

Introducing Rev. Diane S. Nagorka

Who She Was — Why Her Work Mattered

A Glimpse into Early NSSC Study and Practice

Psychic Training Excerpt

When the Departed Speak

Why Would the Departed Stay Behind?

When Dreams Speak

How Psychology Explains Dreams

Spirit Speaks Through Dreams

Spirit makes sure those stay with you until you do something about them.Final Thought

Psychic & Mediumship: Inherent or Learned?

Understanding the Role Beyond Religion

When You’re Called to Divine Service

What Is a Spiritual Minister?

Why Traditional Religion Often Suppresses Spiritual Gifts

Why the World Needs Spiritual Ministers Now

A Note on Labels

Many Expressions, One Source

Close Reflection

Spiritual Healing

Need distant healing? Submit a healing request.God’s divine healing energy meets you where you are.

Need distant healing? Submit a healing request.
God’s divine healing energy meets you where you are.