"I AM" Activity

The I AM Movement, also referred to as the I AM Temple, is the original ascended master teachings neo-Theosophical religious movement founded in the early 1930s by Guy Ballard (1878–1939) and his wife Edna Anne Wheeler Ballard (1886–1971) in Chicago, Illinois. It is an offshoot of theosophy and a major precursor of several New Age religions including the Church Universal and Triumphant.^: 330

The movement had up to a million followers in 1938^: 191 and is still active today on a smaller scale. Upon Ballard's death, several members founded their own splinter groups, adding their own beliefs and teachings to those of the original movement.

The parent organization of the movement is the Saint Germain Foundation, which maintains its worldwide headquarters in Schaumburg, Illinois. In 2007, the Foundation's website said the movement was represented internationally by 300 local groups, operating under names such as such as "'I AM' Sanctuary" and "'I AM' Temple." As of 2025, the website describes "hundreds" of Sanctuaries and Temples, in major cities throughout the United States, Canada, Western Europe, and Australia; additional groups are located in Latin America, India, and Africa. The organization has stated that its purpose is "spiritual, educational and practical", and that no admission fee is charged for their activities.

The term "I AM" is a reference to the ancient Sanskrit mantra So Ham and the divine biblical name "I Am that I Am".^: 6