Jon Marc Hammer (Jayem)

Did Jayem (JM) really meet Jesus in his living room? According to Jon Marc Hammer (Jayem) that’s exactly what happened back in 1987.

Not surprisingly this former Vietnam War veteran was deeply alarmed when Jesus first appeared out of a field of light in his apartment.

Eventually, after several visits, JM began to trust this regular visitor really was Jesus. He then began to write down, tape-record and share the channelled material.

Jon Marc and A Way of Mastery

The conversations between Jeshua ben Joseph(Jesus) and Jayem continued for 10 years and the result of this relationship was The Way of Mastery.

This spiritually acclaimed course, with its ACIM principles, has become one of the most respected spiritual courses to be published since A Course in Miracles itself.

Those who study The Way of Mastery say the principles echo and deepen the teachings of ACIM. Whereas ACIM is quite intellectual, A Way of Mastery builds on the themes of the Course in an easier style. Like ACIM it develops ideas around forgiveness, feeling and communion with God.

Jon Marc Hammer and ACIM

It’s an irony that despite holding a prominent place in the ACIM Community, Jayem has never read ACIM itself.

He tried on several occasions, especially when Jeshua revealed he was also the author and source of A Course in Miracles. However, Jayem could only get as far as the introduction “Nothing real can be threatened. Nothing unreal exists.” before being overtaken by a heavy tiredness - it was later explained that he was being prevented from reading it.

Despite this lack of theoretical grounding in ACIM, whilst channelling Jeshua to audiences he was able to quote chunks from the Course.

Quoting material that he had never read, helped to convince him that he was indeed channelling Jesus and not sourcing the material deep inside his sub-conscious mind as he sometimes feared.

Jon Marc meets Jesus

Until his encounter with Jesus, in his later 30’s, Jon Marc (his name comes from his initials JM) absorbed himself in spiritual practises of the East. He was a yoga teacher, an avid enthusiast of meditation and held degrees in religion and philosophy.

By his own admission he ‘appeared’ to be spiritual, however he confesses this was really only skin deep.

His life completely transformed when Jeshua first started communicating with him in 1987.

Describing the experience he tells how it was just another work day in the frantic life of a 37 year old. Ironing a shirt, making a smoothie and rushing out the door with a briefcase in hand he was stopped in his tracks by a compelling voice instructing him to meditate.

Putting down his briefcase and ignoring the part of his mind that was telling him he was crazy, Jon Marc went into the living room and did an open eyed meditation.

 A pin prick of light appeared, blinking his eyes it didn’t go away and as the pin prick grew an image appeared or someone he recognised.

Walking towards him he said “I am the one the world knows as Jesus, you are familiar with me as Jeshua and rest assured you’ll be hearing from me again, this is part of the work I’m doing”, the light and image then receded and disappeared.

The Way of Mastery is born

Waking regularly at 3 o’clock in the morning these conversations continued.

For the first two years he refused to share his experiences with any other than a handful of close friends.

The feelings of intense peace and love he felt whilst in Jeshua’s presence were in complete contrast to the feelings of fear, trepidation and unworthiness when alone. Jon Marc has described these early years in the book The Jeshua Letters.

As his confidence grew Jayem began to channel Jeshua in front of groups. Many ACIM students, attracted by the principles of love and forgiveness, visited these sessions and Jon Marc began to record the material he was channelling.

This original material eventually built up into The Way of Mastery, a three year course comprising of 35 lessons taking the reader through a process of self-love, forgiveness, acceptance and peace. It is currently available through the Shanti Christo Foundation.

Does JM still channel Jesus?

For ten years JM channelled Jeshua, but in 1999 telling him that his work was done, Jeshua ceased to transmit through him.

Jayem still feels Jeshua’s presence, however the relationship has changed and he is no longer able to directly channel him. instead JM goes within himself to find the answer.

The similarities with Helen Schucman

It’s strange to think that the diverse characters of Helen Schucman and Jayem both channelled the same source.

Helen Schucman, along with Bill Thetford, scribed A Course in Miracles during the 1960’s and 70’s and the story of how they met and how they came to write this spiritual classic makes interesting reading.Comparing Helen and Jon Marc in the early stages it’s easy to see they experienced similar reactions. Both of them were scared they were losing their minds and fearful of being judged, they both resisted their tasks.

However the biggest contrast is in how they later developed. Helen Schucman, with her sharp, intellectual mind never fully reconciled her role and always held a level of resentment of being the scribe of A Course in Miracles.

On the other hand Jayem completely embraced his role, developed his personal spirituality. Although he is not an ACIM purist, JM is generally recognized as one of the key ACIM teachers and has gone on to become a renowned healer, teacher and speaker across the world.

Jayem’s background

In his time he has been a chiropractor, truck driver and Vietnam War Veteran, he says his life truly began in 1987 when Jeshua first appeared.

Born in 1951 in Iowa in the middle of farm country, Jon Marc was an identical twin. Sadly his brother died three days before he was born. Moving to Seattle, where he went to school, Jayem then went to fight in Vietnam, before studying for a philosophy degree.

He has two daughters, who fully support him and his spiritual lifestyle, and five grand-children all of whom still live in the Seattle area. Jayem helped to set up the Shanti Christo Foundation - this not-for-profit organization is dedicated to distributing The Way of Mastery materials.

In 2005 he was led to move to Bali where he developed the Alam Cintra Ashram Here people from all over the world visit to take part in healing retreats and workshops.

Jayem also travels the world as a teacher and delivers workshops which centre on his central message of breathing and connecting with the Holy Spirit.

His writing

Jayem has written several books including:

• The Way of Mastery
• The Jeshua Letters
• Cosmic Chocolate Orgasm
• Recline in my Soul; Jeweled Words Kissing the Heart to Heaven.

More recently his fascination with Aramaic has led him to translate parts of the Bible from the original script, in particular the Beatitudes. For example many will have heard of the Beatitude“Blessed are the poor in spirit; theirs is the Kingdom of God”

This has been translated as

“Restored and healed shall be they that make their Home in the breathing of living energy suffusing all creation, expanding their luminous sphere. The fertile soil of the Queendom shall birth their clear guidance!”

Sources and Information

Jon Marc Hammer (interview)
Shanti Christo Foundation
The Jeshua Letters
Way of Mastery