Roy Masters (commentator)


Roy Masters is the host of a talk radio counseling show Advice Line. He is an author and creator of a type of mindfulness meditation exercise, which has appeared in his books and recordings. Masters is the founder of the Oregon non-profit organization, the Foundation of Human Understanding.

Early life in Britain

Roy Masters was born Reuben Obermeister in London in 1928 to a Jewish family of diamond cutters. Like his father, Boris, Masters uses the common anglicisation of his original surname.
Masters' father died in 1943, when Masters was 15 years old. His family could only afford education for his older brother, so Masters did not attend college. He was sent to Brighton, England to apprentice in diamond cutting at his uncle's company, Monnickendam Ltd.

Career

Diamond cutting

Masters claims to have served in the Royal Sussex Regiment of the British Army during World War II; however, he was only 11 years old when the United Kingdom entered the war. Following the war, he apprenticed in diamond cutting. He pursued his trade in many places, including Amsterdam; Brussels; Belgium; and Johannesburg in 1947, where he spent two years.
In 1949, Masters immigrated to the United States. In his early twenties, he traveled across America, lecturing on the topic of diamond cutting in 40 different states. He was invited to participate in radio and TV interviews on the subject, and briefly hosted a daily radio show called Story of Your Diamond.
Masters met and married his wife Ann in Birmingham, Alabama, and they eventually moved to Houston, Texas. He developed an interest in hypnosis, and sold his diamond cutting business to start a new company, the Institute of Hypnosis.

Lessons in hypnotism

During his early years in Brighton, Masters saw a stage hypnosis presentation where the hypnotist easily induced volunteer subjects to do strange and outlandish things. Masters remembered pondering the question: "Why can't hypnotism be used to make people act sensibly, rather than foolishly?"
Upon further exploration of hypnotism in the 1950s, Masters repudiated hypnotherapy, but he soon opened the Institute of Hypnosis in Houston. There, he saw as many as 30 clients a day for consultation, where he says he "unhypnotised" them instead of hypnotizing them.
Masters called hypnosis a "duplication of life's errors":
About his changing professions from diamond cutting, Masters said in an interview "I had my own business, but I left that lucrative work because I had a calling for this kind of work. I'm more interested in what I'm doing now than anything else."
Masters set the precedent for the legality of non-medical practice of hypnosis when he was charged with practicing medicine without a license at age 30. He was sentenced to serve 30 days in jail.

The Foundation for Human Understanding

Masters lived in Los Angeles, California, buying a house trailer and living in Venice, CA in 1961. He later profited from his investment in gold at its price highs in 1980 and purchased Tall Timber Ranch in Selma, Oregon, and relocated his family to Grants Pass, Oregon, where he moved the non-profit Foundation of Human Understanding. He produced an observational or meditation recording titled How Your Mind Can Keep You Well, which became the title of his radio show and one of his books.

Talk radio show

In 1961, Masters started a talk radio counseling show, which is currently broadcast under the name Advice Line, as a syndicated program. He hosts the show, which has been on the air continuously since its start.

Media appearances

Masters has appeared on CNN's Crossfire, Larry King Live, The Sally Jessy Raphael Show, The Sean Hannity Show, and The Drudge Report.

Publications