Brief History of the Lightning Path
The Lightning Path emerged in the early 2000s as the result of an integrative research and personal awakening process undertaken by Dr. Michael Sosteric, a sociologist of religion. Motivated by the limitations of both institutional religion, popular “spiritual” discourse, and academic analysis in addressing the full scope of human suffering and spiritual potential, Sosteric sought to construct a scientifically grounded, psychologically informed, and spiritually coherent framework for human development, what he calls “The Lightning Path.”
Initial formulations of the Lightning Path drew from his own mystical explorations, classical Vedic concepts, contemporary trauma science, humanistic and (to a lesser extent) transpersonal psychology, and Marxist-inspired critiques of ideology and class. Over time, all this has evolved into a full-spectrum Human Development Framework encompassing personal healing, decolonial critique, and collective liberation.
Today, the Lightning Path is a living, open-source system of human understanding and development offered as part of a larger vision for planetary healing and emancipation through the construction of a truly grassroots spiritual infrastructure.
- https://repo.lightningpath.org
- https://www.lightningpath.org
- https://spiritwiiwki.lighttningpath.org
