Geraldine Innocente (aka Geraldine Innocenti) (March 29, 1916[1] - June 21, 1961[2]) was the founder of a New Age organization named The Bridge to Freedom which was established in 1951 (in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania) by herself and other students of the Ascended Masters, after she received what was believed to be an Anointing to become a Messenger for the Great White Brotherhood in 1944.[3][4][5] The Bridge to Freedom believes that its teachings have been transmitted to humanity by various Ascended Masters of the Great White Brotherhood. Ascended Masters are believed to be individuals who have lived in physical bodies, acquired the Wisdom and Mastery needed to become Immortal and Free of the cycles of "re-embodiment" and karma, and who have attained "Ascension". In this belief system, a Master is an individual who has passed the Fifth Initiation, whereas an Ascended Master is an individual who has passed the Sixth Initiation (the passing of which initiation is the same thing as attaining "Ascension"). "Ascension" is defined as the attainment of the complete, permanent union of one's purified outer self with one's "I AM" Presence. One's "I AM" Presence is literally each person's unique Individualization of God, and it is each person's True Identity.[6]

Geraldine Innocente died on June 21, 1961, by a presumed suicide, after taking an overdose of sleeping pills and tranquilizers.[2]

A detailed compendium/summary of the teachings received by The Bridge to Freedom was compiled and published by Tellis S. Papastavro[7] titled The Gnosis and the Law (1st printing, 1964; 2nd printing, 1972) (xvi, 504 pages). This book has been reprinted several times, and is still available for purchase from several sources.

References

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  1. ^ For some accurate biographical information on Geraldine, see The Initiations of the First Ray (1986) (beginning on page 20) by Werner Schroeder. Werner Schroeder (born June 27, 1927) is the founder and director of the AMTF (Ascended Master Teaching Foundation), which is located in Mt. Shasta, California.
  2. ^ a b Kenneth Paolini; Talita Paolini (2000). 400 years of imaginary friends: a journey into the world of adepts, masters, ascended masters, and their messengers. ISBN 0966621301., p. 237
  3. ^ Jones, Lindsay (2005). "Breakaway groups // I Am". Encyclopedia of religion (vol. 6) (second ed.). Detroit : Macmillan Reference USA. p. 4247. ISBN 0-02-865739-X.
  4. ^ The Bridge to Freedom Journal Book 1 1952. Reprinted: Mount Shasta, California: The Ascended Master Teaching Foundation 1989
  5. ^ Between the years 1979-1986 the organization originally known as The Bridge to Freedom operated under the name The New Age Church of the Christ (address: P. O. Box 333, Kings Park, Long Island, New York 11754), and from 1986 to the present (2023) the organization has been operating under the name The Bridge to Spiritual Freedom, Inc. This organization still exists, its most recent reported address being: The Bridge to Spiritual Freedom, Inc., P. O. Box 753, Payson, AZ 85547. The Bridge to Spiritual Freedom, Inc. has a website whose address is: http://www.pathofthemiddleway.org/. The complete texts of most of the organization's publications over the years are offered for free viewing and/or free downloading on this website.
  6. ^ King, Godfre Ray. The Magic Presence. Saint Germain Press 1935. page 89
  7. ^ Tellis S. Papastavro (September 26, 1890 - February 3, 1989)
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