Gerald Heard
Gerald Heard (1889-1966) was an historian, science writer, educator, and philosopher. Heard wrote many articles and authored over 35 books. Heard’s work was a forerunner of, and influence on, the consciousness-development movement that has spread in the Western world since the 1960s.
Heard was born of Irish ancestry in London. He was educated in theology at the University of Cambridge. After working in other roles, he lectured from 1926 to 1929 for Oxford University's extra-mural studies program. Heardtook a strong interest in developments in the sciences. From 1929 to 1930 he edited "The Realist," a monthly journal of scientific humanism (its sponsors included H.G. Wells, Arnold Bennett, Julian Huxley, and Aldous Huxley). In 1927 Heard began lecturing for South Place Ethical Society, and from 1932 to 1942 he was a council member of the Society for Psychical Research.
Embarking as a book author, Heard wrote The Ascent of Humanity which was published, an essay on a philosophy of history; it was awarded the British Academy’s Hertz Prize. From 1930 to 1934 he served as a science and current-affairs commentator for the BBC. In 1937 he emigrated to the United States, accompanied by Aldous Huxley, to accept the chair of historical anthropology at Duke University. In the U.S., Heard's main activities were writing, lecturing, and the occasional radio and TV appearance. His pattern was set as an informed individual who recognized no conflict among history, science, literature, and theology.
Heard left this post at Duke, settling in California. In 1941 he began founding, soon building, Trabuco College as a facility where comparative-religion studies and practices could be pursued.
Like his friend Aldous Huxley, the essence of Heard’s mature outlook was that a human being can effectively pursue intentional evolution of consciousness. He maintained a regular discipline of meditation, along the lines of yoga, for many years. In 1963, what some consider to be Heard's opus, a book titled The Five Ages of Man, was published.