Samuel L. Lewis

[1] His most enduring legacy may be the creation of the Dances of Universal Peace, an early interspiritual practice that has spread around the world in the 50 years since his death.

Lewis showed a keen interest in religion and spirituality at an early age and, to his parents' dismay, he later rejected their encouragements to become a businessman.

[1] Additionally, Lewis was an adherent and promoter of the General Semantics approach to psychology, language, and translation begun by Alfred Korzybski.

In 1960–62, while visiting Pakistan, he reported that he was publicly recognized as a Murshid by Pir Barkat Ali, founder of Dar ul Ehsan.

[7] In 1967, whilst recovering from a heart attack in a hospital Lewis reported that he heard the voice of God say, "I make you spiritual leader of the hippies.

"[8] For the remainder of his life, Lewis traveled California, developing and teaching new forms of walking meditation as well as the Dances of Universal Peace, which draw on concepts from the many spiritual traditions he had encountered.

When Samuel Lewis died, he asked that his body be buried at the interspiritual community of Lama Foundation, near Taos, New Mexico.