The Founder/President of The Aetherius Society, English Yoga Master, Dr. George King (1919-1997) first paid a fleeting one-day visit to Detroit, Michigan in 1959. Later that same year, at a flying saucer convention in Los Angeles, he met his future wife, Monique, and her sister, Erain Noppe. Shortly afterwards, Charles Abrahamson joined them; the four Founder/Directors of The Aetherius Society had come together. The foundations of The Aetherius Society in ‘The New World’ could now be laid.

In 1960, Dr. King once again visited this region of the United States and in March and April gave several lectures and radio interviews in the Detroit area. It was here that Dr. King, through his advanced Mediumship abilities, received several messages, known as "Cosmic Transmissions". These were received from the enlightened Cosmic Master,The Master Aetherius and included The Initiation of Earth; This is The Law; and Discriminate. Others included a Transmission on the subject of Yoga, which referred to the importance of chromotherapy and homeopathy. It was at this lecture in 1960, that the late Edna Spencer was sitting in the front row with her tape recorder. No sooner had the lecture ended, than Edna shot up from her seat, enthusiastically offering to run the first Group of The Aetherius Society in this part of the world. Edna became known in Michigan because for many years she appeared as a regular guest on television as well as on many radio shows talking about subjects ranging from The Aetherius Society to UFOs. Dr. King later said it was important that the Society was established in this Midwest area; both Chicago and Detroit were possible locations at that time. 

Other people who were to help build the foundation stones of the Detroit Branch, as it was then known, were also at this lecture; Barbara and Bob Berndt recalled the tall interesting figure of Dr. King in his turtleneck sweater and typically English attire. They remember him talking with such authority about the Cosmic Mission, Operation Starlight in which nineteen mountains around the world were made forever holy. In Bob’s words: “Although we attended many metaphysical lectures, Dr. King was different from anyone we had heard previously. He had the answer right there. He knew where he was going and why he was headed there.” These dedicated people were soon to become an integral part of the Detroit Group, which later became the Michigan Branch.