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Veteran member of the ex-premie hate group, Cynthia Gracie of Vermont USA, borrowed Margaret Singer's list of conditions to demonstrate that Prem Rawat operates a cult. However, as M. Barrister shows in the commentary below, almost all of these points have NO RELATIONSHIP to Prem Rawat (Maharaji) and Knowledge. According Margaret Singer's defining criteria it would seem that every group can be a cult.
"Keep the person unaware of what is going on and how she or he is being changed a step at a time."
THAT SOUNDS LIKE LIFE TO ME. IS ANYONE AWARE OF THE SUBTLE CHANGES THAT TAKE PLACE DAY AFTER DAY? IS AN EMPLOYEE AWARE ON THE FIRST DAY WHAT THEY WILL BE ON THEIR LAST?
"Potential new members are led, step by step, through a behavioral-change program without being aware of the final agenda or full content of the group."
MAHARAJI'S AGENDA IS COMPLETELY TRANSPARENT: APPRECIATE THIS LIFE, WHAT YOU ARE LOOKING FOR IS WITHIN.
"The goal may be to make them deployable agents for the leadership, to get them to buy more courses, or get them to make a deeper commitment, depending on the leader's aim and desires."
LEADERSHIP? BUY COURSES? - THIS IS TOTALY UNRELATED TO THE SMALL, VOLUNTEER BASED ORGANIZATIONS THAT SUPPORT PREM RAWAT'S WORK.
"Control the person's social and/or physical environment; especially control the person's time."
DOESN'T APPLY TO MAHARAJI AND KNOWLEDGE. SOCIAL AND PHYSICAL ENVIRONMENT IS BEYOND ANYONE'S CONTROL
"Through various methods, newer members are kept busy and led to think about the group and its content during as much of their waking time as possible."
DOESN'T APPLY TO MAHARAJI AND KNOWLEDGE, SEE ABOVE.
"Systematically create a sense of powerlessness in the person."
DOESN'T APPLY TO MAHARAJI AND KNOWLEDGE: KNOWLEDGE EMPOWERS.
"This is accomplished by getting members away from the normal social support group for a period of time and into an environment where the majority of people are already group members."
THAT WOULD APPLY TO ANY GATHERING FROM EDUCATIONAL TO ENTERNTAINMENT, GOING CAMPING, ETC .
"The members serve as models of the attitudes and behaviors of the group and speak an in-group language."
THIS WOULD APPLY TO ANY GROUP FROM THE MILITARY TO MEDICAL TEAMS, SKY DIVERS TO SURFERS.
"Strip members of their main occupation (quit jobs, drop out of school) or source of income or have them turn over their income (or the majority of) to the group."
DOESN'T APPLY TO MAHARAJI AND KNOWLEDGE. SOME SAY THE ASHRAM DID THIS DURING THE 1970s, BUT THE MAJORITY OF EX-PREMIES ENOYED THE ASHRAM.
"Once stripped of your usual support network, your confidence in your own perception erodes."
DOESN'T APPLY TO MAHARAJI AND KNOWLEDGE. KNOWLEDGE IS ALL ABOUT PUTTING TRUST IN YOUR OWN EXPERIENCE.
"As your sense of powerlessness increases, your good judgment and understanding of the world are diminished. (ordinary view of reality is destabilized)"
DOESN'T APPLY TO MAHARAJI AND KNOWLEDGE. ANYWAY, SOME PEOPLE's WORLD VIEW WOULD BENEFIT FROM A CHANGE.
"As group attacks your previous world view, it causes you distress and inner confusion; yet you are not allowed to speak about this confusion or object to it -- leadership suppresses questions and counters resistance."
DOESN'T APPLY TO MAHARAJI AND KNOWLEDGE. AT MANY EVENTS, PEOPLE ARE INVITED TO SPEAK OPENLY, ASK QUESTIONS AND EXPRESS WHATEVER THEY WISH.
Webmaster's comment: Knowledge is not necessarily related to your world view. Many of the people I know who practice Knowledge have a world view that is totally different from mine, and I accept that. The practice of Knowledge produces inner clarity. Distress is a product of circumstances, NOT the practice of Knowledge.
"This process is speeded up if you are kept tired -- the cult will keep you constantly busy."
DOESN'T APPLY TO MAHARAJI AND KNOWLEDGE BUT SOUNDS LIKE BEING A PARENT.
"Manipulate a system of rewards, punishments and experiences in such a way as to inhibit behavior that reflects the person's former social identity."
DOESN'T APPLY TO MAHARAJI AND KNOWLEDGE BUT SOUNDS LIKE CHILD REARING.
"Manipulation of experiences can be accomplished through various methods of trance induction, including leaders using such techniques as paced speaking patterns, guided imagery, chanting, long prayer sessions or lectures, and lengthy meditation sessions."
DOESN'T APPLY TO MAHARAJI AND KNOWLEDGE, BUT SOUNDS LIKE EDUCATION. MAHARAJI RARELY TALKS FOR MORE THAN AN HOUR AND MOST PREMIES DON'T EXCEED AN HOUR A DAY OF MEDITATION.
"Your old beliefs and patterns of behavior are defined as irrelevant or evil. Leadership wants these old patterns eliminated, so the member must suppress them."
DOESN'T APPLY TO MAHARAJI AND KNOWLEDGE BUT SOUNDS LIKE AA OR ANY OTHER SELF-IMPROVEMENT.
"Members get positive feedback for conforming to the group's beliefs and behaviors and negative feedback for old beliefs and behavior."
SOUNDS LIKE ANY SELF-IMPROVEMENT FROM LOSING WEIGHT TO STAYING SOBER.
"Manipulate a system of rewards, punishments, and experiences in order to promote learning the group's ideology or belief system and group-approved behaviors."
DOESN'T APPLY TO MAHARAJI AND KNOWLEDGE BUT SOUNDS LIIKE CHILD REARING, EMPLOYER INCENTIVE SCHEMES ETC.
"Good behavior, demonstrating an understanding and acceptance of the group's beliefs, and compliance are rewarded while questioning, expressing doubts or criticizing are met with disapproval, redress and possible rejection."
DOESN'T APPLY TO MAHARAJI AND KNOWLEDGE BUT SOUNDS LIKE EDUCATION
"If one expresses a question, he or she is made to feel that there is something inherently wrong with them to be questioning."
DOESN'T APPLY TO MAHARAJI AND KNOWLEDGE BUT WOULD APPLY TO ANY SITUATION WHERE SUCCESS REQUIRES FOLLOWING INSTRUCTIONS.
"The only feedback members get is from the group, they become totally dependent upon the rewards given by those who control the environment."
DOESN'T APPLY TO MAHARAJI AND KNOWLEDGE PEOPLE WITH KNOWLEDGE GET FEEDBACK FROM THE WHOLE WORLD.
"Members must learn varying amounts of new information about the beliefs of the group and the behaviors expected by the group."
DOESN'T APPLY TO MAHARAJI AND KNOWLEDGE THE MESSAGE HASN'T CHANGED - WHAT YOU ARE LOOKING FOR IS WITHIN.
"The more complicated and filled with contradictions the new system is and the more difficult it is to learn, the more effective the conversion process will be."
DOESN'T APPLY TO MAHARAJI AND KNOWLEDGE THE MESSAGE HASN'T CHANGED - WHAT YOU ARE LOOKING FOR IS WITHIN.
"Esteem and affection from peers is very important to new recruits. Approval comes from having the new member's behaviors and thought patterns conform to the models (members). Members' relationship with peers is threatened whenever they fail to learn or display new behaviors. Over time, the easy solution to the insecurity generated by the difficulties of learning the new system is to inhibit any display of doubts -- new recruits simply acquiesce, affirm and act as if they do understand and accept the new ideology."
DOESN'T APPLY TO MAHARAJI AND KNOWLEDGE. THOSE WISHING TO LEARN THE TECHNIQUES OF KNOWLEDGE WATCH VIDEOS AND HAVE LITTLE OR NO INTERACTION WITH PEOPLE WITH KNOWLEDGE.
"Put forth a closed system of logic and an authoritarian structure that permits no feedback and refuses to be modified except by leadership approval or executive order."
SOUNDS LIKE THE BUSINESS OR EDUCATIONAL PROCESS.
"The group has a top-down, pyramid structure."
MOST GROUPS DO FROM PACKS OF ANIMALS TO HEART SURGERY TEAMS.
"The leaders must have verbal ways of never losing."
DOESN'T APPLY TO MAHARAJI AND KNOWLEDGE THE MESSAGE HASN'T CHANGED - WHAT YOU ARE LOOKING FOR IS WITHIN - YOU ARE WELCOME TO YOUR VIEWS. WHETHER OR NOT ANYONE WANTS TO LISTEN TO THEM IS A MOOT POINT.
"Members are not allowed to question, criticize or complain -- if they do, the leaders allege that the member is defective -- not the organization or the beliefs."
THIS WOULD APPLY IN MOST ORGANISATIONS AND WOULD BE DEPENDENT ON THE QUESTIONS, CRITICISM OR COMPLAINT. Again, what leaders?
Those wishing to learn the techniques of Knowledge are encouraged to ask questions and get their questions answered.
"The individual is always wrong -- the system, its leaders and its belief are always right."
THIS WOULD APPLY TO ANY EDUCATIONAL OR PHILOSOPHICAL GROUP. THE CATHOLIC CHURCH ISN'T GOING TO CHANGE BECAUSE A MUSLIM HAS COMPLAINTS AND VICE VERSA.
With Knowledge, there is no system of beliefs and no "leaders" per se.
"Conversion or remolding of the individual member happens in a closed system."
DOESN'T APPLY TO MAHARAJI AND KNOWLEDGE. EVERYONE IS ON THEIR OWN.
"As members learn to modify their behavior in order to be accepted in this closed system, they change -- begin to speak the language -- which serves to further isolate them from their prior beliefs and behaviors."
THIS WOULD APPLY TO ANY GROUP.
IN CONCLUSION THE CONDITIONS SET OUT WOULD APPLY TO MOST BUSINESS OR SOCIAL GROUPS. IN OTHER WORDS, EVERY GROUP IS A CULT. M Barrister
How about some honesty! When will Cynthia Gracie and other members of the ex-premie group admit that those who practice Knowledge are not involved in any kind of cult? Will they continue to produce this kind of fiction to support their belief system and justify their malice?
Cynthia Gracie has reported on public forums that she is a diagnosed sufferer of the debilitating mental illness, Multiple Personality Syndrome (MPD), and that she suffered severe abuse as a child. I wish her good health and a complete recovery. Unfortunately, members of the hate group with which she associates only encourage her to spew out an a torrent of misdirected anger at Maharaji, his family and people who support his work, and for quite some time she has been masquerading as an editor at an on-line encyclopedia for the purpose of inserting negative material into an article about Prem Rawat.
I hope that in the process of recovering from her
illness, that she is able to accept the beauty in life and turn away from
misdirected anger. I hope that she is able to cease her association with
the ex-premie hate group, and instead, channel her energy into some truly
productive and beneficial endeavor.
Posted by: Cynthia
04/04/2004, 05:21:05
You know I love to swear because it's a sort of a release. Shit, I love swearing.
I am tempted so often here to tell someone off by saying 'you're a fucking braindead idiot, but I'm learning to bite my tongue or restrain my hands on the keyboard. I'm not perfect and I may do it again, but lately I'm the one who has felt so bad later for having done it.
One way that I relieve any frustrations I may have towards posters here that come to intrude is to swear at my monitor! Or, I chop wood or do some other physical exercise (while swearing) and it does relieve any anger I may be feeling. You know I love to swear because it's a sort of a release. Shit, I love swearing.
I don't want to be engaged in verbal abuse in my life anymore because I've had had enough of it. I'm trying to learn.
Sincerely, I hope that Cynthia is able to live
up to the positive sentiments expressed in the last line of this post.
The web master.
