As a long time friend of Sydney Banks, Elsie Spittle was in the unique position, along with her husband Ken, to have known Syd before he had his extraordinary experience. They saw the powerful change that came over him and then, through the forty or so years that followed, witnessed the unprecedented impact his work had on thousands of people and how that has evoked a quiet but powerful evolution in the field of psychology.

Here are some of Elsie’s recollections…

What happened to Sydney Banks in 1973 almost defies description. An ordinary working man, with minimal education, had an extraordinary Enlightening experience; an experience of such depth that it will take the world eons to catch up with his uncovering of three foundational Principles that create the human experience—Divine Mind, Divine Consciousness, and Divine Thought.

This profound experience transformed a humble, modest, insecure man into one who had the utmost certainty that the Three Principles he’d uncovered had the power to change the fields of psychology and psychiatry, and in doing so, to help alleviate the needless suffering of humanity. He stated this without equivocation shortly after his epiphany. Syd’s prediction is currently manifesting in the world today.

This remarkable statement, coming from a man who had no background in mental health, led his close friends to wonder how this was possible. How could Three Principles discovered by an unknown welder offer a new paradigm in understanding mental health?

And yet the change in Syd himself spoke to the hope these Principles offer the world. His whole being changed, not only in regard to his presence—the way he walked, the way he held himself–but also in terms of how he talked. His voice was different; deeper and with a resonant tone. More significantly, the caliber of his statements baffled those closest to him and those he worked with. He had limited education and was not a reader of spiritual, philosophical or psychological books. Where did the wisdom that he began sharing come from?

His wit and view of life changed completely. He went from being serious and occasionally frustrated with his work situation, to being in love with the world, and understanding his family, friends, and work mates in a way that brought many of them closer to him. Others shied away, fearful of the new, confident Syd.

Ten months after his momentous insight, Syd left his work as a welder and followed his wisdom, which told him it was time to offer his discovery more formally to the world. He and his family moved to the place where his transformational experience had occurred: Salt Spring Island. Word of this mysterious man, who had the power to guide people to their own wisdom and thus to a healthier psychological state, rippled out into the larger community. Soon, people from all parts of the globe began to arrive where Syd lived. Gurus from India, leaders of self-awareness groups, business executives, mental health professionals, and ordinary people longing for peace of mind began to seek Syd out to learn the spiritual secret to finding our true nature. Many came, few heard. Still, the few who heard prompted more and more interest, until the new paradigm of innate mental health spread out into the world.

Syd knew that what he had uncovered in his experience had profound implications for the field of psychology but wished to remain in the background, so he mentored a few key psychologists whom he felt had the wisdom and courage to introduce the Three Principles understanding to the mental health fields. He knew that with his books/DVDs/CDs available to the world, his own words would be heard directly by the public, in addition to the psychologists sharing their wisdom. He continued guiding key Principles leaders, sharing his insights until the end of his life. His utter dedication and greatest joy was assisting others to find their innate mental health; he never wavered from that mission, not for one moment.

A fascinating note is that Syd wasn’t looking for Truth; he had no idea there was anything to look for. He saw his life as “It is what it is and there’s not much we can do about it.” Truth found him. This speaks to one of the most important aspects of the Three Principles understanding: everyone already has mental health. We just don’t know it, until we know it. There’s no place to go. We already are what we seek.

To ensure that his legacy and the Principles remain as pure as possible in this world of form, Syd asked that a school be started, The Three Principles School, which is held on his beloved Salt Spring Island. It is the Three Principles Foundation’s honour to host this School.

Syd’s experience and it’s importance to the Three Principles he uncovered is documented in the film Genesis of the Three Principles: The Birth of a New Understanding.