SRF Lake Shrine occupies a distinctive place within the spiritual work of Self-Realization Fellowship, the organization founded by Paramahansa Yogananda. Dedicated in 1950, it was conceived as a setting where people from around the world could come for spiritual experience in a peaceful environment. That founding vision gives the center its identity: not simply as a place of meditation, but as a retreat-oriented sanctuary shaped by contemplation, quiet, and a broad, welcoming spiritual purpose. Its character is also tied to an unusually layered history.
Long before its dedication as Lake Shrine, the property was part of the colorful early story of Southern California filmmaking. In the early 1920s, the then-famous Inceville Motion Picture studio used the area for silent movie production, linking the grounds to a much earlier chapter in the region’s cultural life. That blend of spiritual intention and historic resonance lends the site a sense of continuity, as though it has been repeatedly reimagined as a place set apart from ordinary pace.
At present, the Temple and Retreat are closed until further notice as fire recovery work continues. Visitor advisories remain in effect, making the current moment one of restoration rather than regular public access. Even so, the center’s essential significance remains clear: a long-established meditation destination within the Self-Realization Fellowship tradition, shaped by Yogananda’s original vision and by a history that reaches back nearly a century.
SRF Lake Shrine
17080 Sunset Blvd
Pacific Palisades, CA 90272
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