Niscience is a religious movement of the United States. Its parent organization, the Ann Ree Colton Foundation of Niscience, was founded in 1953 by Ann Ree Colton. It is characterized as a combination of Christianity and New Age spirituality, and combines the teachings of Jesus Christ with an engagement with meditation.
Overview
The Ann Ree Colton Foundation of Niscience, located in Glendale, California, was co-founded in 1953 by Ann Ree Colton and her husband Jonathan Murro.
The Niscience website states that Niscience is based upon the teachings of "Jesus, the Bible, and other sacred scriptures of the East and the West.
After Colton's death in 1984 Murro ran the foundation until he committed suicide in November 1991. After his death the Los Angeles Times, describing Niscience as "an obscure Glendale-based religious group", wrote that "several former members--including one who had sat on the board of directors--recently sent open letters to church adherents, calling Niscience an oppressive, deceptive cult, and urging members to leave. Membership reportedly numbers several hundred."