Indigo kids

Indigo kids: Does the science fly?

By Sharon Jayson, USA TODAY - 05-31-05

James Twyman is convinced that there's a new generation of special children among us who are psychically sensitive and spiritually evolved.

Those who follow metaphysics and ancient spiritual teachings have for years quietly nurtured the belief in these kids, known as Indigo children for the deep blue color of the "auras" psychics say they see around them.

Skeptics point out that there's no scientific research backing up the existence of these children, and Twyman, 43, knows that's true.

"Certainly in the scientific realm, this is just a bunch of New Age nonsense," says Twyman, a writer and musician known as a "peace troubadour" in his hometown of Ashland, Ore. "But I think anyone with an inquisitive and rational mind can look at many children out there today and say there's something about them."

Twyman was so inspired by Indigo children that he has co-written and produced a movie called Indigo about a girl with intuitive abilities.

In the film, a fictional girl called Grace has psychic and healing powers. She senses harmful situations before they happen and feels an instant kinship with other Indigos.

Tammy Glover says she sees evidence of the phenomenon in her daughters, ages 9 and 3, who she says have talked about past lives and seem to know things before they happen.

Glover says her preschooler, for example, described a bathing suit in detail that Glover had purchased for her, even though she says she never told the child she was going to buy her anything.

"I'm absolutely a believer," she says.

Glover's daughters are both in the movie, which was filmed in Ashland using local actors, including Neale Donald Walsch, author of the best-selling Conversations with God (Penguin Group) books.

In a one-day event in late January, more than 600 churches, movie theaters, schools and bookstores screened Indigo in the USA and Canada. The independent film took in almost $1.2 million, Variety says. Now the movie is available on DVD at mainstream video and other stores.

The movie, along with several new books and Indigo-focused Web sites, is bringing the Indigo phenomenon to the attention of the general — and often skeptical — public.

Even among believers, Indigo kids are known to exhibit some unruly behaviors similar to attention deficit hyperactivity disorder; they are often diagnosed with ADHD.

Some mental health experts fear that parents may embrace the Indigo label because they don't want to believe their children have behavior problems associated with ADHD, such as resistance to authority and trouble with school rules.

"The odds are that mixed in that group are a number of children who are very, very bright and astute and alert and very sensitive to picking up cues in other people," says David Stein, a psychology professor at Longwood University in Farmville, Va.

But "I would not call them Indigo children. I would simply say it's a bright child who misbehaves."

David Cohen, a clinical social work professor at Florida International University in Miami, agrees.

"The view in medicine is that ADHD is a defect. It's a disorder," he says. "If you're a parent, the idea of 'gifted' is much more appealing than the idea of a disorder."

March data from the National Center for Health Statistics say 6% of children ages 3-17 had ADHD in 2003.

But believers say Indigos are special kids who have been misunderstood.

"These are sensitive, gifted artists who are non-conformists and don't fit in, and that's what gets them sent to the school psychologist," says Doreen Virtue, author of the 2003 book The Crystal Children: A Guide to the Newest Generation of Psychic and Sensitive Children (Hay House Inc).

Teresa Zepeda's daughter Crystal is among the case studies in Virtue's book. Zepeda, of San Antonio, says Crystal healed herself of an earache when she was 6. Zepeda says she told her to "lie down, put her hand on her ear and ask God and Jesus to heal her."

Indigos may have existed in many generations. But in the past, parents may have discouraged kids from developing psychic talents, says Wendy Chapman, director of a Web site called MetaGifted.org.

Twyman believes Indigo kids will play a significant role in the evolution of humanity. "It's such an important time in human evolution and our history that we need wise souls," he says. "Maybe it's possible these children are coming to save the planet."

Meghan McCandless, now 11, stars in the Indigo movie, but her family is not convinced Indigos really exist.

"We are from fundamentally different places spiritually," says Cameron McCandless, Meghan's mom. "There has never been any shred of evidence that I've seen to support the existence of Indigo or that phenomenon. However, there are people that we respect and admire who believe in that."

Are you parenting an Indigo child?

Are you parenting an Indigo child?

Geneveive Richards

What is an Indigo child? The term "Indigo Child" was coined by psychic and synesthesiac Nancy Ann Tappe, who classified people's personalities according to the color of their auras. Usually each universal age is accompanied by a life color, and during each such age there is a prevalence of people born during that time with that corresponding life color.

At the moment, most adults are either blue or violet, the two colors with the qualities most needed in this the violet age of transition. During the next age, the Indigo Age, Indigo colors will be the norm and as a result more and more children are being born with that life color. Thus Indigo children are the current generation being born today and most of those who are 8 years old or younger.

Wendy H. Chapman, a teacher with 14 years experience in gifted education and the founder of Metagifted Education Resource Organization, says that Indigo children "have very unique characteristics that set them apart from previous generations of children. Indigo children are the new generation of children who are very talented or gifted in one or more ways, on a higher level of spiritual understanding right from the start."

She also says that these are children who are often rebellious to authority, non-conformist, extremely emotionally (and sometimes physically) sensitive or fragile, highly talented or academically gifted and often metaphysically gifted as well, usually intuitive, often labelled ADD, either very empathic and compassionate OR very cold and callous, and are wise beyond their years.

Tappe agrees that these children are easily recognizable, usually by their unusually large, clear eyes. She also says that they are extremely bright, precocious children with an amazing memory and a strong desire to live instinctively.

Not only is their behavior different to children of previous generations, but their diet and feeding habits are different. Many Indigo children are very fussy eaters and many are allergic to wheat products, sugar, excessive dairy, and even fruit juice. They will also not want to eat very much.

Julie B. Rosenshein, LCSW, is a psychotherapist and Indigo consultant who works with ADD, Indigo and highly sensitive children and adults. She says that "most Indigos are actually allergic to many of the foods they eat such as wheat, dairy, sugar, and food dye/additives." She suggests that you have your child tested by an allergist to find out what foods need to be eliminated from their diet. Make a game of going to the health food store and trying the wonderful products available at the stores (i.e. substituting soy milk for regular milk, or Stevia for regular table sugar.

Try to buy organic produce and meats when possible and limit intake of sodas (with sugar or any other artificial sweeteners) and fruit juice unless freshly squeezed at home. Many children have dips in their blood sugar levels which can be helped by eating mini protein based meals throughout the day, avoiding cakes, cookies, breads, and simple carbohydrates that give them a quick energy high followed by a low shortly after.

This is a problem that Marcelle Falconer, mother to Maxine, 2, can identify with. She says that she believes Maxine to definitely be an Indigo child. Maxine displays several Indigo traits the most striking of which is her attitude towards food and eating.

As an infant Maxine was an extremely poor eater – she point blank refused to eat and would not even open her mouth unless she was hungry. Marcelle took her to several doctors for allergy tests and other forms of treatment and it was found that she is allergic to dairy and wheat and is also asthmatic. Nowadays, Maxine, likes to choose her food and is very specific about what she will and will not eat, which is a huge step up from hardly eating at all.

Falconer says that before she understood about Indigo children she found trying to discipline her daughter very frustrating. Maxine just didn't listen and would constantly challenge authority. Falconer says "she just refused to do what I wanted her to, she would throw tantrums and point blank refused to do what I asked. I then read the Lee Carroll and Jan Tober book and from then on started to explain why I wanted her to do what I asked. Now she responds immediately; but it has to be said, only as long as she thinks my reason is sufficient. She also doesn't really seem to need other people. She will quite happily entertain herself for hours on end and is always doing her own thing."

Maxine is also an extremely strong-willed child. Everything is "no, Maxine do" – from choosing her clothes and dressing herself each day to choosing her own dinner. As Falconer says, being the parent of an Indigo is never dull. "She definitely keeps us on our toes," she adds.

How to recognize an Indigo child
According to Lee Carroll and Jan Tober, authors of The Indigo Children, common traits of Indigo children include:

1. They come into the world with a feeling of royalty (and often act like it).
2. They have a feeling of "deserving to be here", and are surprised when others don't share that.
3. They have difficulty with absolute authority (authority without explanation or choice).
4. They simply will not do certain things; for example, waiting in line is difficult for them.
5. They get frustrated with systems that are ritually orientated and don’t require creative thought.
6. They often see better ways of doing things, both at home and in school, which makes them seem like "system busters" and non-conformists.
7. They seem antisocial unless they with their own kind.
8. They will not respond to "guilt" discipline ("Wait until your father gets home and finds out what you did").

How to parent an Indigo child and get the most from your gifted child
Wendy H. Chapman has compiled a guide for parents and teachers, here are some of her suggestions:

1. Respect them
2. Give choices
3. Give them freedom to develop, balanced with supervision and safety limits.
4. Do set limits to protect them, but not arbitrary ones.
5. Tell reasons and explain why.
6. Give them complete explanations to the level they will be able to understand.
7. Do not talk down to them.
8. Be honest with your children. Tell the truth. They will know if you are not.
9. Don't try to manipulate them. It won't work.
10. Don't use guilt, fear or hate as a controlling tool.
11. Be fair and also be consistent. If you say no, make sure you have a good reason and don't give in.
12. Admit when you make mistakes.
13. Respect any psychic skills they develop, even if you do not understand them.
14. Be open to learning from them

Indigo Documentary Production Crew in Mesa!, Tuesday May 24th

TUESDAY May 24th 7 pm Interfaith Unity Church

1731 West Baseline, Mesa 480-946-9481

Indigo Documentary Production Crew in Mesa!

In January the movie Indigo was seen by over 100,000 at churches and theatres across the country. It's time now for the Indigo Documentary! The production is being produced by The Beloved Community who has as its associates, Neale Donald Walsch(Conversations with God), Doreen Virtue, James Twyman and many, many others. As part of the documentary that is currently in production, the crew is on the road! The Peace Bus is loaded with cameras and recording gear and is currently on a tour of western states. The Phoenix area has a stop May 24th with a scheduled visit at Interfaith Unity Church, 1731 West Baseline at 7pm.

If you feel your are an "indigo", or are the parent of one, or know one or have had experiences with an Indigo, please bring yourself and the Indigo person if you can Tuesday, May 24th, at Interfaith Unity Church. Release forms will be available. You or your Indigo could be featured in the upcoming Indigo Documentary Production scheduled for release in late January, 2006.

Tuesdays is Youth Celebration night at the Church. A soup, salad and bread meal prepared by the youth is available to all who attend for $6. Please RSVP if you plan on joining us for supper.

Interfaith Unity Church 1731 W. Baseline, Mesa. 480-946-9481 directions also available on the website. www.interfaithunity.com.

What's an Indigo Child?

by Wendy H. Chapman

Indigo Children are the current generation being born today and most of those who are 8 years old or younger. They are different. They have very unique characteristics that set them apart from previous generations of children. The name itself indicates the Life Color they carry in their auras and is indicative of the Third Eye Chakra, which represents intuition and psychic ability. These are the children who are often rebellious to authority, nonconformist, extremely emotionally and sometimes physically sensitive or fragile, highly talented or academically gifted and often metaphysically gifted as well, usually intuitive, very often labeled ADD, either very empathic and compassionate OR very cold and callous, and are wise beyond their years. Does this sound like yourself or your child?

Thank you for the information...Alycee B.

Enlightened Generation

Enlightened Generation

A New Age belief system identifies some children with special abilities as “indigos” because of the color of their aura.

By JACOB HACKMAN March 13, 2005

(source: Columbia Missourian: http://columbiamissourian.com/features/story.php?ID=12678)

Barbara Condron knows this world is heading toward peace and happiness, and she knows how it’s going to get there — through the grace of an emerging generation of children born in the late 1980s and early 1990s.

Condron is a member of the faculty at the College of Metaphysics in Windyville and author of “How to Raise an Indigo Child: 10 Keys for Cultivating Your Child’s Natural Brilliance,” in which she describes children who seem to have greater capacities of intuition, talent, intelligence and creativity than their peers.

Traits of Indigo Children and ADHD Molly Leach, center, attends an applied metaphysics class with Beth Mize, right, and Laura Davis at the School of Metaphysics in Columbia. Molly, 12, has been identified as an indigo child and is the youngest student to be enrolled in the applied metaphysics course. (ELI LOPATIN/Missourian)

This “exceptional human function,” as Condron describes it, is often explained by psychologists, writers and parents as spiritual energy from the divine or a residual knowledge from past lives. Social change and the evolution of the human mind have also contributed to the almost mystical qualities of indigo children, Condron says.

“I see the indigo child as an evolution of what 20 years ago was called a talented and gifted child,” Condron says. “There’s a kind of consciousness change that’s taking place all over the planet.”

Condron’s 10-year-old son, Hezekiah, is an indigo, she says. She describes him as very attentive and keen when he’s interested, strong-willed and respectful. She has also noticed his ability to comfort people suffering physical and emotional pain.

“Indigo souls are souls that are highly intelligent,” she says. “They are quick thinkers. They have a very strong will, and they have an awareness of why they exist in the world.”

The indigo name was coined by author Nancy Ann Tappe and describes the color of the child’s aura. Tappe started noticing indigo-hued auras in the 1970s and applied the label in the early 1980s. Over time, Tappe observed an ever-expanding number of indigo children, and is quoted in “The Indigo Children” as saying that “90 percent of children under 10 are indigos.” (Condron believes all children born since 1995 are indigos.)

The belief in indigo children is relatively confined to New Age spiritualism, which practitioners distinguish from traditional religion in several ways. One main difference is the way each views the future. Both may see great evil in the world, but while traditional religions tend to believe the world will be destroyed for this evil, spiritualists believe that humans have the ability to create a peaceful world.

The indigo belief is still relatively unknown, but it recently received international attention with the release of “Indigo,” a film about a 10-year-old indigo who heals and reunites her troubled family. The independent film was shown in more than 700 theaters worldwide. The Rev. Marci DeVeir, founder of the Interfaith Center on Broadway, heard about the film on the Internet and arranged a screening at the Missouri Theatre. The Interfaith Center also hosted a seminar on indigo children Feb. 8.

The child in the film, Grace, exhibits most of the classic indigo traits such as a strong will, confidence and intuition. She also has extraordinary psychic and healing powers. Grace predicts a blowout immediately before it happens, heals a woman’s breast cancer by touch and figures out the twisting, whodunit plot before the adult characters. She is also connected to other indigo children worldwide by a telepathic “grid.”

Although Grace’s more incredible powers aren’t often highlighted in discussions about indigo children, Sheila Benjamin, a teacher at the College of Metaphysics, believes the movie is an accurate representation.

“We all have the power but haven’t awakened it in ourselves,” Benjamin says.

The seminal text on the indigos was published in 1999 by Lee Carroll, the author of 11 metaphysical self-help books, and Jan Tober, a former jazz singer and lecturer; both claim to be channelers for a spiritual entity called Kryon.

“The Indigo Children” opens with the bold assertion that these children represent “the most exciting, albeit odd, change in basic human nature that has ever been observed and documented in any society with the tools to do so.” The book features copious essays by psychologists, counselors, practitioners of alternative medicine and natural health, and grown indigos.

In the book, Carroll and Tober address that many of the traits that define indigos are the same as those that accompany a diagnosis of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder,and there is a significant overlap in the defining behaviors of indigos and children with ADHD.

ADHD is the most commonly diagnosed childhood disorder, according to the National Institute of Health. Children with ADHD are inattentive, hyperactive and impulsive, says Melissa Stormont, an associate professor in the MU College of Education. The majority of experts believe that ADHD represents a human trait on a continuum, Stormont says. Many people have some problem with either inattention, impulsivity or hyperactivity, but 3 to 5 percent of children, about one in every classroom, have problems severe enough that they require therapy, medication or both to control their behavior.

DeVeir, of the Interfaith Center, says she sees how the gifts of indigo children can be mistaken for ADHD. “It shows up a lot of times as just a lot of high energy, and they do sometimes have trouble focusing on a particular project because they’ve got so much information coming to them so quickly,” she says.

Author Robert Todd Carroll, in his book “The Skeptic’s Dictionary,” says that it’s more soothing for parents to see their child as an indigo than as having ADHD.

“The label implies imperfection,” Carroll says. “Some may even take it to mean the child is ‘damaged.’ Given the choice, who wouldn’t rather believe that their children are special and chosen for some high mission rather than they have a brain disorder?”

Walter Coplen, of Coplen, Wright and Associates Inc. in Columbia, has been a licensed professional counselor for 10 years. He also has a decade of experience in psychiatric hospitals and residential centers. He thinks labeling children with ADHD as indigo children is problematic. Children with ADHD seem to be very intelligent, Coplen says, and they often have more intelligence than emotional maturity. But Coplen says that ADHD is a product of social and environmental factors as well.

“Every child is special, but I would hate to put a label such as this on any child saying that they are more special than another child,” Coplen says. “I just think that it’s trying to peg a situation that isn’t that easily pegged, and I don’t think that scientific research would validate their findings.”

But those who hold New Age beliefs close to their hearts aren’t waiting for science to validate their faith anymore than are those who practice traditional religion. DeVeir believes indigo children are sprouting up around the globe, and she is confident in their purpose, and while Barbara Condron is reluctant to place additional burdens on her son, she believes Hezekiahhas the potential to be a great orator, leader or even the next Steven Spielberg.

“I think the success of what will happen to these children is up to society,” she says.

Neale Donald Walsch Authors New Book and Makes New Movie

Ashland, Oregon - First published in 1995, "Conversations with God" enjoyed three years on the New York Times bestseller list and sold over 7 million copies in 34 languages.The author, Neale Donald Walsch, has over the past 10 years received multiple offers from producers (and one major studio) to turn his book and life story into a film. He turned them all down because he did not want his story to be "Hollywood-ized." Then while working on "Indigo," he knew he had found the right producer. Auditions for his new movie will begin just a few months after his new book, "What Does God Want," becomes available in book stores.

In a recent phone interview from his Ashland home, Walsch discussed the movie in which he played a leading role, Indigo, the Conversations with God movie about to be made, also locally, and his new book, What Does God Want?

"This is the most astonishing startling book that I've written," said Walsch, "because it answers the most critical question 'What does God want?' "

Ashland resident Stephen Simon, the director/producer of Indigo, which premiered around the world on January 29, as well as the producer of Academy Award Winning Film What Dreams May Come, will orchestrate the telling of Walsch's personal story, Conversations with God..

It was while filming Indigo that, Walsch observed Simon as having "an extraordinarily high level of artistic integrity, vision, and willingness to collaborate" and finally agreed to have the Conversations with God (CWG) story told on the big screen.

The film follows the relationship that develops between Walsch's character, Ray, a man whose life and family have dissolved due to a fateful mistake, and his ten-year-old granddaughter Grace, played by Meghan McCandless, with whom Ray goes on the run to protect her from a would-be kidnapper. Along the way, he discovers the power of his granddaughter's psychic gifts, which forever alter the lives of everyone she encounters.

Walsch said he saw Indigo as an opportunity to use another medium to send an important message.

"As with all good stories there is a message behind the story itself. And the message here is we should be paying more attention to all of our children, and we should not make the mistake of assuming that children who have special gifts or unusual proclivities are somehow abnormal or handicapped," Walsch said with his usual quiet conviction.

"I think it is sad that many children with heightened sensitivities and with deeper awareness of the environment are often labeled as having some sort of disorder - ADD or whatever they want to call it," continued Walsch..

"The larger message is there is more going on here than meets the eye, there is more for us as human beings to understand and that there is something we don't know about life, the knowing of which that will change everything..." Walsch said touching on themes that run through his books.

Indigo wasn't his first work in drama. Over the past 30 years, he's worked as a performer, director, or technician on over 100 stage plays, and has acted on television and in films as well. He's also billed in the Indigo credits as the co-writer of the film, although he pointed out in the interview that James Twyman (International peace troubadour) wrote the script and that he, only because of his extensive theatrical experience, helped with the dialogue.

While Indigo won a people's choice award at the Santa Fe Film Festival last year, it wasn't exactly well-funded. The movie was made on a $500,000 budget and relied greatly on donations and volunteers.

Asked if he had any doubts if the film would succeed, Walsch replied without hesitation: "No. Never. The cast and crew were extremely remarkable and dedicated. There was not one day that we thought there'd be a conflict or brick wall that would stop us."

Clearly the path chosen by the film makers was the right one, with the right message, just as has been true for Walsch's books.

Over the past decade, Walsch has written the CWG series, with the third book Friendship with God and Communion with God, also rising to the New York Times list.

The messages in the CWG books can be reduced to four sentences wrote Walsch:
1. We are all one.

2. There's enough.

3. There's nothing we have to do.
4. Ours is not a better way, ours is merely another way.

"The living of these four sentences could change the world," he notes on his Website.

What God Wants, his most recently completed book is set to be released in March and may now be pre-ordered from Amazon.com or other online bookstores.

And what does God want? Walsch said you'll have to read the book but to be prepared: "This book is dangerous. It explores with startling freshness the most important question you could ever ask, and offers with breathtaking courage the most extraordinary answer you could ever imagine."

"The greatest danger facing the world today is our misunderstanding and our misuse of God..." reads a message from the author on his Website. "There are people and institutions in the world, long in place and long in power that want neither of these outcomes to occur. They would rather that you put this book down right now. It's up to you."

His description also reads that the book's message is to ask the question about God that will "strengthen us by uniting humanity as it has never been united before," as opposed to answering questions about gay marriage or the quarrel between red and blue that divides.

The greatest danger facing us now, his new book claims, is "the assumption that we have all the answers. It is the tendency we have to run from change, to cling to old ideas about God and about Life."

A bold messenger for troubled times, Walsch takes a new approach to the subject of religion, offering inspiring and controversial insights to mankind's greatest question.

The movie Conversations with God will become a feature film with the Spiritual Cinema Circle. Auditions are expected to be held in August in Ashland.

For more information on Walsch or to order his book, What Does God Want? visit (www.cwg.org)

To view some wonderful photos of Walsch and the others filming Indigo here in the Rogue Valley, to find out when the movie will be released on DVD, and to learn more about the phenomena of the Indigo children, visit www.indigothemovie.com

By
Cindy Blankenship Staff Writer / SouthernOregonNews.com

A new spirit in filmmaking, 'Indigo' movie will be screened in local churches for world premiere

Meghan McCandless as Grace and Charlie Bass as Nicholas, make a connection as Indigo children in the film "Indigo," which opens worldwide Jan. 29 in theaters and places of worship.

• Information: www.indigothemovie.com.

By Bonnie Britton
bonnie.britton@indystar.com

January 22, 2005

In Hollywood, Stephen Simon is known as the guy who produced "Somewhere in Time," "Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure" and "What Dreams May Come."

But others know him as the guru of spiritual cinema, a man who moved from Tinseltown to Ashland, Ore., to make and distribute shorts, documentaries and feature films that he calls spiritual, not religious.

His latest project, "Indigo," opens Jan. 29 at about 100 AMC theaters and 500 churches and organizations in 49 states, 35 countries and on six continents. None of the three AMC theaters here is showing the movie, but St. Luke's United Methodist Church, Unity of Indianapolis and The Church Within are.

Shannon Gross, a member of the "Indigo" organizing committee at St. Luke's, said, "One of our intentions is to generate a demand for 'Indigo' in Indiana's movie theaters." The 7 p.m. show is a sell-out.

"Indigo" is about a family that nearly disintegrates and is healed through the psychic powers of its youngest family member. Indigo children have been identified exhibiting special powers or gifts of compassion, perception and healing, and pleading for world peace.

"Perhaps these children are a modern-day example of the ancient biblical text 'and a little child shall lead them,' " said Jane Cutler, a clinical social worker and member of St. Luke's organizing committee.

This spiritual genre of film, such as "Indigo" and its method of distribution, is creating a buzz similar to, but on a smaller scale than, Mel Gibson's overtly religious "The Passion of The Christ."

Simon said Hollywood doesn't recognize spiritual cinema as a genre yet, but it will.

"It's the wave of the future for this kind of filmmaking that has a loyal and passionate following," according to Simon, who directed "Indigo."

Simon, always interested in spiritual films, said it took him 20 years and $80 million before he could make "What Dreams May Come," starring Robin Williams. "Indigo" was shot for $500,000.

"Hollywood doesn't understand these kinds of films," he said. "It became very apparent to me there was no way to do a new kind of film in a new kind of system and do it in the belly of the beast, so to speak."

When a spiritual film does get made in Hollywood, he said, it takes star power. "We were told when we were making 'What Dreams May Come' that we had to get Robin Williams or Tom Hanks. John Travolta got 'Michael' and 'Phenomenon' made. Meg Ryan got 'City of Angels' made. 'Sixth Sense' wouldn't have been made if Bruce Willis hadn't been in it. There are wonderful creative people that do lend their presence to these films and get them made, and I see no reason that won't continue."

Most spiritual cinema films made by Simon or others don't have big stars, big budgets or big special effects. Five or 10 of the 50 upcoming films from Spiritual Cinema Circle, a DVD club co-founded by Simon, will feature name actors. "The Book of Stars," coming out in February, stars Delroy Lindo, Mary Stuart Masterson and Jena Malone.

A 2006 project will be based on Neale Donald Walsch's best-selling "Conversations with God" series. (Walsch, one of the stars of "Indigo," co-wrote the film with James Twyman, and was responsible for recruiting Simon.)

"I think spiritual cinema is a return to storytelling. That's something that's just lost in Hollywood," said Simon.

From 70,000 to 90,000 people are expected to see the premiere of "Indigo," a far cry from a Hollywood opening weekend with a $20 million gross.

"Our numbers are minuscule. Twenty million (dollars) at the box office would probably translate into 3 to 4 million admissions. We are not in the mainstream film business, we're in the niche business."

That's why, besides making movies, Simon felt the need to enter the DVD business with Spirtual Cinema Circle.

"We are the premier distributor of spiritual cinema," said Simon. "We have quickly become the key distributor for movies with meaning."

Spiritual Cinema Circle subscribers in 60 countries pay $21 each month to receive four spiritual films (short, feature/documentary) on DVD. They're not the kind of DVDs that fill the shelves of Blockbuster. Instead, they're such movies as "Farther Than the Eye Can See," a documentary about the first attempt by a blind man to scale Mount Everest, and "Right Here, Right Now," a short film from India, directed by Pan Nalin, about how actions affect each other.

The subscription film club (www.spiritual cinemacircle.com) was founded last March by Simon and authors Gay and Kathlyn Hendricks. It was designed to reach 60 million Americans.

Unity of Indianapolis is one of many churches throughout the world showing Spiritual Cinema Circle films. A new projector installed at the back of the 468-seat church (the seats are movie-style, but without cupholders) got a recent fine-tuning on a cold Friday night. Before the Rev. Gloria Moncrief mastered the controls, the tiny audience (screenings used to be held in homes) saw a color short film in black-and-white, another partially green-tinted, and finally, the feature in color.

She's promised the system is ready for "Indigo." She's also excited about spiritual cinema.

"I came from Overland Park, Kan., where we met in small groups to watch films. We did 'The Matrix,' and there were not a lot of other films to choose from. Now we have a source for these films. They're sometimes good, sometimes not so good. They provide an evening of discussion and learning."

The emergence of spiritual cinema is good news for Kehaulani Haydon. The local filmmaker attended a Stephen Simon seminar in Chicago, and "sat there almost in tears the entire time because I felt like I had finally found a group of people interested in producing the kind of movies I was interested in producing."

She has written a couple of films, including one called "Karma Corn," and another called "Hometown Gravity," based on local singer/songwriter Jennie DeVoe's song. She's working with a producer in Chicago who is part of that city's spiritual cinema group.

"To me, it's not about saying I'm starting this spiritual production community, it's about making good films that mean something."

Call Star reporter Bonnie Britton at (317) 444-6258.

RE: Indigo Movie Volunteer

January 29th 2005, World Indigo Day, is soon upon us.

What an amazing journey this is. Never before has an independent, non-distributed film had such a grass roots national and international premiere that spans 30 countries and 6 continents! Over 60,000 people will view Indigo during this two day event.

To pull this off, we NEED your help. Since this is a special showing, the AMC Theatres require volunteers to help usher in ticket holders. You can be part of this historical event at the AMC Theatre where you purchased your ticket by volunteering.

Volunteering consists of ...

Being at your AMC on Sat., Jan. 29, 2005, 10:00am - 1:00pm
Checking off names from a list of ticket holders
Distributing relevant flyers (to be provided)
Participating in a volunteer training call (dates/times TBA)

Please note: you will need a cell phone to contact our office should any questions arise.

IN RETURN, each volunteer will receive a free "INDIGO - BEHIND THE SEEN DVD", as well as a free copy of James Twyman's "The Best So Far" CD Beyond the goodies, it's a great way to new make new friends and acquaintances in the spiritual community.

Also, ONE volunteer at each AMC Theatre location will be asked to be the recipient of the INDIGO movie DVD, and deliver it to the theater for a test run 2-5 days prior to the Jan. 29th showing.

If you are interested in taking an active part of history in the making, email ...

indigovolunteers@belovedcommunity.org

with "YES" in the SUBJECT LINE, and include the following information in your message...

Your First & Last Name
Street Address
City, State, Zip Code
Phone Number(s)
AMC Theatre Name, City, State

You will receive confirmation from us as soon as possible.

Thank you for you enthusiasm and support! What a way to start off 2005!


The Beloved Community and INDIGO staff

If you do have questions or comments, go to the web site
http://www.emissaryoflight.com and click on Contact Us.

For the Phoenix Arizona area....The Indigo Movie!

For the Phoenix Arizona area:
The Indigo - The Movie is being presented at 7:00 pm on Saturday, January 29, 2005 and Sunday, January 30, 2005, at the Unity of Phoenix • 1500 East Greenway Parkway • Phoenix, AZ.

You're invited to a premiere showing, hosted by Unity of Phoenix, of the feature film INDIGO, produced by Stephen Simon (What Dreams May Come and Somewhere in Time) and James Twyman (Emissary of Light), and starring Neale David Walsch (Conversations with God). For more information about the movie, please visit www.indigothemovie.com.

Tickets are $10 per person and can be purchase here:
a. Online at the Unity's web site (www.unityphx.org/bookstore/reservetkts.html), or
b. By calling the Divine Idea Bookstore at 602.978.3337.

:-)