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~UPDATED: We release a new list every year. CLICK HERE TO SEE Spiritual 100 List 2016 ~
100 Most Spiritually Influential Living people
We are delighted to share with you our 2013 list of the 100 Most Spiritually Influential Living People.This marks the third year that we are publishing our 100 list. We’ve done our best to consider as many people as possible and our spiritual database includes the names of over six hundred candidates from which we selected the list of the top 100, highlighting the most proactive individuals – ranging from political and religious leaders to spiritual writers, filmmakers and visionary artists.
This list is meant to serve as a positive guide to some of the leading modern teachers that are alive today, and we hope that you are as inspired as we are by their impact. We hope it helps our readers discover new authors and inspirational ideas.
This year’s list is more global and diverse than ever before. The youngest person on the list is Jeff Foster (32 years old) and the oldest person is Kyozan Joshu Sasaki (105 years old). We are also sad to report that Stephen Covey who was on last year’s list, passed away in July, 2012. There are several factors that were taken into account when compiling the list. The main three criteria are:
1) The person has to be alive
2) The person has to have made a unique and spiritual contribution on a global scale
3) The person is frequently googled, and is actively talked about on the internet; for writers, the book sales via Nielsen Data are also considered.
By taking into account the amount of times that a person is googled, the list gains a highly democratic parameter. In a sense, being googled is a form of digital voting, and illustrates just how often someone is being sought out. Additionally, we were highly selective in creating this list and did our best to remove candidates who spread messages that were hateful or intolerant.
Ultimately, this list is meant to celebrate the positive influence of contemporary spiritual teachers.
Watkins’ Mind Body Spirit magazine publishes the 100 Most Spiritually Influential Living People list on an annual basis and we welcome your feedback and suggestions in the comments below.
*Watkins’ Mind Body Spirit magazine is now available from WHSmith high street stores in the UK, as well as in Canada, Australia and over 700 Barnes & Noble and WholeFoods tores in the USA. You can also get a copy of the current issue (£4.95) or take out a subscription directly from Watkins Books.*
~UPDATED: We release a new list every year. CLICK HERE TO SEE Spiritual 100 List 2014 ~
2013 LIST AT A GLANCE: (scroll down for the top-10 in detail)
| 1. Dalai Lama | 35. Marianne Williamson | 68. Richard Rohr |
| 2. Thich Nhat Hanh | 36. Andrew Weil | 69. Jeff Foster |
| 3. Eckhart Tolle | 37. Elizabeth Gilbert | 70. Colin Wilson |
| 4. Deepak Chopra | 38. Steve Taylor | 71. Tony Parsons |
| 5. Rhonda Byrne | 39. Iyanla Vanzant | 72. Judy Hall |
| 6. Dr Wayne W Dyer | 40. Esther Hicks | 73. Pema Chödrön |
| 7. Paulo Coelho | 41. Mantak Chia | 74. John Bradshaw |
| 8. Oprah Winfrey | 42. Masaru Emoto | 75. Richard Bandler |
| 9. Nelson Mandela | 43. Erich von Däniken | 76. Liz Greene |
| 10. Byron Katie | 44. Lisa Williams | 77. Michael Newton |
| 11. Alice Walker | 45. Louise L. Hay | 78. Daisaku Ikeda |
| 12. Alex Grey | 46. James Redfi eld | 79. Jack Kornfi eld |
| 13. Doreen Virtue | 47. Stuart Wilde | 80. Vladimir Megre |
| 14. Richard Bach | 48. Mooji | 81. Rowan Williams |
| 15. Desmond Tutu | 49. John Gray | 82. Rupert Spira |
| 16. Francis Chan | 50. Ken Wilber | 83. John & Caitlín Matthews |
| 17. Sri Sri Ravi Shankar | 51. Krishna Das | 84. Kathy Jones |
| 18. Robin Sharma | 52. Drunvalo Melchizedek | 85. Huston Smith |
| 19. Kyozan Joshu Sasaki | 53. Dan Millman | 86. Debbie Ford |
| 20. Gregg Braden | 54. Adyashanti | 87. Rupert Sheldrake |
| 21. Neale Donald Walsch | 55. Graham Hancock | 88. Stanislav Grof |
| 22. Amma | 56. Bob Proctor | 89. Don Miguel Ruiz |
| 23. Andrew Cohen | 57. David R. Hawkins | 90. Lars Muhl |
| 24. Brian Weiss | 58. Daniel Gilbert | 91. Satish Kumar |
| 25. Matthew Fox | 59. Jack Canfi eld | 92. Gary Snyder |
| 26. Z’ev ben Shimon Halevi | 60. Caroline Myss | 93. Prem Rawat |
| 27. Alejandro Jodorowsky | 61. Philip Berg | 94. David Deida |
| 28. Peter Russell | 62. Seyyed Hossein Nasr | 95. Colette Baron Reid |
| 29. Starhawk | 63. Bruce Lipton | 96. Thomas Moore |
| 30. Michio Kaku | 64. Karen Armstrong | 97. Lorna Byrne |
| 31. Ram Dass | 65. Julia Cameron | 98. Bernie Siegel |
| 32. Diana Cooper | 66. Lynne McTaggart | 99. Anita Moorjani |
| 33. Pope Benedict XVI | 67. Dolores Cannon | 100. James van Praagh |
| 34. Vadim Zeland | ||
1- Dalai Lama. Born Lhamo Dondrub, Tenzin Gyatso is the 14th Dalai Lama. Tibetan Buddhists believe him to be a reincarnation of his predecessors and the Buddha of compassion. He is a vocal activist for Tibetan independence and has made an incredible contribution to global spirituality. He was awarded the Templeton Prize in 2012 and donated most of the prize money to the Save the Children fund in India. Time Magazine call him “The most influential person in the world”, while The Times commented “He draws crowds that no other spiritual leader or politician could hope to match…he seems to look at life in a different way to everyone else”. His latest books How to Be Compassionate: A Handbook for Creating Inner Peace and a Happier World and Towards The True Kinship Of Faiths: How the World’s Religions Can Come Together are now available in paperback.
www.dalailama.com :: Born in Taktser, Tibet :: 06/07/1935 :: Spiritual Leader
2 – Thich Nhat Hanh. Thich Nhat Hanh is a Vietnamese Buddhist Zen Master, poet, scholar and peace activist. During the war in Vietnam, he worked tirelessly for reconciliation between North and South Vietnam and his courageous efforts moved Martin Luther King to nominate him for the Nobel Peace Prize in 1967. He founded the Order of Interbeing and the Unified Buddhist Church, along with monasteries and spiritual centres in Vietnam, the USA and France. He lives in Plum Village, his meditation centre in France, and travels widely, leading retreats on the art of mindful living. His latest book Fear: Essential Wisdom for Getting through the Storm was published in November.
www.plumvillage.org :: Born in Thua Thien, Vietnam :: 11/10/1926 :: Spiritual Leader
3 – Eckhart Tolle. Eckhart’s profound yet simple teachings have helped countless people throughout the world find inner peace and greater fulfillment in their lives. At the core of the teachings lies the transformation of consciousness, a spiritual awakening that he sees as the next step in human evolution. His books, The Power of Now and the highly acclaimed follow-up A New Earth are two of the best-selling Mind, Body, Spirit books in the world. Tolle’s free online “un-course”—video teachings offered as reminders to the true source of peace and freedom within yourself – provides free resources to work towards a deeper level of consciousness.
www.eckharttolle.com :: Born in Lünen, Germany :: 16/02/1948 :: Modern Teacher and Writer
4 – Deepak Chopra. As a writer on Ayurveda, mind-body medicine and spirituality, Chopra has had huge success with titles such as Ageless Body, Timeless Mind and The Seven Spiritual Laws of Success. His latest books are Super Brain: Unleashing the Explosive Power of Your Mind, co-written with neurologist Rudolph E. Tanzi, and God: A Story of Revelation. Also new in paperback Is God an Illusion: The Great Debate between Science and Spirituality, in which Chopra pits his views against leading physicist Leonard Mlodinow.
www.deepakchopra.com :: Born in New Delhi, India :: 22/10/1946 :: Physician, writer and public speaker
5 – Rhonda Byrne. Well known for The Secret book and DVD, Byrne advocates the belief that we can all transcend our suffering by not falling prey to negative thoughts. She has been listed among Time Magazine’s list of 100 people who shape the world, and has also produced television shows. Her latest book, The Magic, was published in March 2012.
www.thesecret.tv :: Born in Australia :: 12/03/1951 :: Writer and TV/Film producer
6 – Dr Wayne W Dyer. Affectionately called the “father of motivation” by his fans, Dyer is one of the most widely known and respected people in the field of self-empowerment. His childhood was spent in orphanages and foster homes, and he has overcome many obstacles to make his dreams come true. Today he spends much of his time showing others how to do the same. His latest book, Wishes Fulfilled: Mastering the Art of Manifesting, was published in February 2012.
www.drwaynedyer.com :: Born in Detroit, Michigan, USA :: 10/05/1940 :: Author and Speaker
7 – Paulo Coelho. The Alchemist is one of the top selling books in history, with over 65 million copies sold in 150 countries. Coelho has sold more than 150 million books in over 150 countries worldwide, and his works have been translated into 71 languages.His new book Manuscript Found in Accra is published in April.
paulocoelho.com :: Born in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil :: 24/08/1947 :: Novelist
8 – Oprah Winfrey. Oprah might just be the most influential person in the world. She has discovered and advocated many spiritually influential thinkers—from Obama to Eckhart Tolle. Her multi-award-winning talk show became the highest-rated program of its kind in history. She now hosts Oprah’s Lifeclass (a self-help show), Super Soul Sunday (a spirituality show), and Oprah’s Next Chapter (an interview show) on her TV channel OWN: Oprah Winfrey Network.
www.oprah.com :: Born in Kosciusko, Mississippi, USA :: 29/01/1954 :: Talk Show Host, actress, producer and philanthropist
9 – Nelson Mandela. Mandela was an anti-apartheid activist and served 27 years in prison. After his release from prison in 1990, he led his party towards a multi-racial democracy and served as President of South Africa from 1994 to 1999; he advocates compassion and reconciliation and won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1993. He is active in fighting AIDS and racism, and his autobiography, Long Walk to Freedom is still an inspirational best seller.
www.nelsonmandela.org :: Born in Transkei, South Africa :: 18/07/1918 :: Political Activist
10 – Byron Katie. Katie refers to her method of self-inquiry as ‘The Work’ and promotes the idea that we can liberate ourselves from suffering by not believing/listening to negative thoughts. Katie exemplifies her methods as she has overcome paranoia, suicidal thoughts and severe depression. In addition to her bestselling books, she teaches her methods at free public events, in prisons, hospitals, churches, corporations, shelters for survivors of domestic violence, universities and schools, at weekend intensives, and at her nine-day “School for The Work”.
www.thework.com :: Born in USA :: 06/12/1942 :: Author and Speaker
For the full Spiritual 100 list 2013, see issue 33 of the Watkins Mind Body Spirit magazine.
~UPDATED: This is last year’s list. CLICK HERE TO SEE Spiritual 100 List 2014 ~
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All of us at Findhorn Press are delighted that Diana has, yet again made the Spiritual 100 List!
diana’s books are great to learn and gives you weak up call to your spiritual side keep the good work thank you
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To my knowledge … and to wikiepedias knowledge… David R Hawkins is dead.
Michael Beckwith who I can not find on the list at all… should be in the top 20 at least.
Peace and Love.
Yes, we were saddened to learn that David R Hawkins recently passed away. We even had an article penned by him in the magazine a month before he passed away.
I couldn’t agree more. He is the embodiment and teacher of a very high consciousness.
I would have had Bashar making the list, but maybe that’s just a personal bias.
Eckhart Tolle, Paulo Coelho, Dr Wayne W Dyer, and Deepak Chopra really deserves my deep acknowledgement. My congratulation to Watkins for this good way of spreading out these marvelous messages. Joston.
I am surprised that you have not included John de Ruiter in your list. Let’s see, enlightened, realized, awakened, prolific, kind, and he never makes it about himself or these traits. It’s all about everyone’s responsibility and calling to be what they know is true in their heart.
I wish you would have included Dr. Lance Secretan on this list. He more then meets the criteria.
Greetings! Great list, missing a very important spiritual being, one who has touched the lives of millions of people–Sadhguru. He is a yogi & mystic who founded Isha Foundation, an organization dedicated to human wellbeing since the early 1980s. Isha is run by over 2 million volunteers, with centers in over 165 cities worldwide. Isha Yoga has helped countless people overcome chronic ailments, relieve stress, find deep peace and joy, and above all, discover the path to their ultimate wellbeing.
So true. Sadhguru is one of the most incredible beings on this planet.
Great list. Thank you.
I think you have fergotten Marina Boruso; she develop and trasmit teaching of Eckart Tolle in italy and all Europe; she is the only ony who develop water meditation. Please do not forget the next time.
Thank you!
Rita Casadio
I agree with that Michael Beckwith should be on the list. he has not written dozens of books or on our TV screens every 5 min, but he certainly has a powerful message and I can assure that his influence spans the highest in spiritual realms. Many of those on your list would also agree. He is one of the few that one can watch his streamed services from Agape or be lucky enough to be in his presence on his rare travels and not be vibrating a few higher levels having experienced his message which comes from divine. I do have immense respect for all on the list and was also wowed by Amma whom I had the pleasure of seeing in Dublin. I have only recently got to know Wayne Dyer & Neale Donald Walsch material which is also very profound and I have been around the Mind,Body &Spirit world for 30 yrs, just never took the time for them until now. I’d also like to mention Louise Hay who has made her make too. Peace & blessings to all 🙂
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Steven Sadleir, www.selfawareness.com is an enlightened shaktipat master who I feel should be on this list.
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Great list…. but I am surprised that this does not contain world famous personalities like Jaggi Vasudev http://www.ishafoundation.org/. and Amma Bhagawan http://www.onenessuniversity.org/index.php/about-us/founders
These people are much more popular and have international following than several folks listed even under Top 25.
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Yogiraj SatGurunath Siddhanath?
I’m surprised not to find Jon Kabat-Zinn on the list!
Also, Chade Meng-Tan should be considered next time.
Let us not forget that all will show a single path
Single path toward a goal
Very cool! Too often (because I’m not terribly in the loop) there are only 3-5 influential names being tossed around to celebrate. It’s wonderful to see visually a good chunk of people spreading the love and goodness the world needs. I’m excited to learn more about who they are and what they’ve done for the global community.
Kalindi La Gourasana should be on this list. With over 100 disciples and a much larger congregation in 4 continents worldwide, an organization headquartered in Denver, CO that offers a Path to Ultimate Freedom, meditation workshops and transformational seminars since 1991, Kalindi and The Lady have made an indelible spiritual mark on the world.
Shri Asaram bapuji should be in the list.he has 40 million followers ,has 425 ashrams & many more.He is just not a normal saint he is a Brahmagyani Saint.Mr Editor do your Research please
Funny 🙂 in Self Realization all is One.=:) Sweet
How about Brene Brown?
S N Goenka really should have been on this list, but he is now deceased and so cannot appear on future lists. He has been responsible for hundreds of Vipassana meditation centres being built around the world and a very pure teaching.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/S._N._Goenka
No Jesus, Mooji, Gangaji, Papaji, Ramana , Krishnamurti, Gurdjieff ?
Mooji is further down on the list (#48 in 2013) and Gangaji was included in 2012 (#96) – and it’s just living spiritual teachers, otherwise those great teachers you mention should indeed be on there as well as many others.
Mooji, the venerable and gifted Master deserves to be either first or second on the list, most of them are authors, ask them to do satang’s and guide devotee’s towards truth.
for me its Dalai Lama and Mooji. Both have the divine presence.
Francis Lucille is the guy who should be on the list too, in my opinion.
Oprah Winfrey over Ram Dass? ?
When I originally commented I clicked the “Notify me when new comments are added” checkbox and now each time a
comment is added I get several e-mails with the same comment.
Is there any way you can remove me from that
service? Thanks!
Hi Graig, as this post is from 2013 we have just turned off comments, apologies for the annoyance!