The Brotherhood of the Sun, 1969-1985: A Memoir

In his 600-page autobiography, Sunburst, Return of the Ancients, Norman Paulsen, who was born in Santa Barbara in 1929, stated that his life has been filled with religious visions.For five years beginning in 1947, Paulsen studied yoga and meditation with Paramhansa Yogananda in Los Angeles.By 1969 Paulsen himself had become the spiritual advisor to twenty young people who met regularly in a rented house in Santa Barbara.The group called themselves the Brotherhood of the Sun.In 1971 they purchased a ranch of top of Camino Cielo overlooking Santa Barbara where they began growing organic foods.They incorporated as a tax exempt religious organization and began to set up their own health food stores in the area.They called their farm Sunburst Farm and their products Sunburst Natural Foods which sold so well that they were able to purchase Tajiguas Ranch for $3.6 million dollars in 1976.They became neighbors to Ronald Reagan and John Travolta. 1 But, as is often the case, turmoil in Paradise began.In 1979 some members began to question Paulsen's authority, took legal action, and tried to claim their share of the corporation's assets.But Paulsen's attorney said they had no more claim on Sunburst's wealth than would a Roman Catholic layman on the Vatican's riches. 2 The group had 300 members at its zenith in 1977.But as more members left, the Brotherhood's enterprises began to collapse due to a lack of volunteer workers.As bankruptcy approached, the Brotherhood's assets were sold by the remaining group, who, with their leader, Paulsen,