Psychic Observer | National Spiritual Science Center Historical Society

May 1, 2026May 29, 2026

Pinehurst Sanatorium: A Place of Psychic Research

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, 2026May 29, 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, 2026May 29, 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, 2026May 29, 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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