The world headquarters and Temple of Eck, Eckankar's Spiritual Center, are in Chanhassen, Minnesota,[12][13][14] on a 174-acre (70 ha) campus with 2 miles (3.2 km) of contemplation trails open to the public.

[15][16] The Eckankar "EK" symbol appears on the Available Emblems of Belief for Placement on Government Headstones and Markers by the United States Department of Veterans Affairs.

[18][19] Some scholars believe that Eckankar beliefs draw in part from the Sikh and Hindu religions,[20] in particular the Radha Soami movement.

[23] One of the basic tenets is that soul (the true self) may be experienced separate from the physical body and, in full consciousness, travel freely in "other planes of reality."

It is pronounced like the English word "hue" (or "hyoo") in a long, drawn-out breath and is sung for about twenty minutes to half an hour.

[25] ECKists believe the practice allows the practitioner to retreat from the overwhelming input of the physical senses and emotions and regain the Soul's spiritually higher viewpoint.

Eckankar claims that only a man can be the LEM as the Soul needs the atom structure of a male body in the physical world to become the spiritual leader, a choice made before birth[by whom?].

[9]: 177 Some of the key beliefs taught in the Shariyat-Ki-Sugmad include "Soul Travel", karma, reincarnation, love, "Light and Sound", and many other spiritual topics.

[9]: 186–187 The beliefs that individuals are responsible for their destiny and that their decisions determine their future are important concepts to Eckankar.

Eckankar students meet in open public services and classes to discuss personal experiences, topics, books, and discourses.

[31][32] In his book, Introduction to New and Alternative Religions in America, written in 1977, David C. Lane writes: This lineage, known as the Vairagi masters in Eckankar, allegedly traces its genealogy back through some 970 Living Eck Masters to Rama, an avatar of Vishnu in Hinduism.

In other versions, the teachings go even further back to Gakko, a spiritual essence that traveled from the city of Retz on the planet Venus to Earth six million years ago ...

In addition, Sudar Singh and Rebazar Tarzs are not genuine historical personages but literary inventions developed by Twitchell to conceal his past associations.