Thus, while Andrew Cohen’s acts of outrageous
integrity became a common fixture in our
community, redemption rarely if ever followed,
and it gradually became apparent that the guru’s
renewed good graces came at an entirely
different sort of price. This new “currency of
forgiveness” was cold, hard cash.
The Currency of Forgiveness
The practice of donating money to atone for
mistakes had begun in California in the mid-
1990s, and at that time it had been accepted by
all and never questioned. What I witnessed at
Foxhollow, and what others have also reported,
are clear indications of Cohen’s recognition that
he was going to have to venture beyond a purely
voluntary basis for the collection of donations if
his organization was to thrive: Money, not spirit,
was the new coin of the realm.
Andrew let it be understood that his good favor
could be had for a price. It is a testament to the
faith that so many of us had in Andrew that,
despite the questionable nature of these new
financial arrangements, we complied—some of
us taking on enormous and ill-advised
borrowing. Here are two brief summaries of
financial exploitation:
Student A stated that as a result of “doing
poorly” in his teacher’s eyes and feeling under
great pressure to do more for EnligthenNext, he
offered a check of $3,000 to Cohen as a sign of
his remorse. Cohen stormed into the student’s
room, threw the check on the floor, and
demanded angrily, “Do you think you can buy
me off for a lousy three grand?” Having
previously heard Cohen say that any long-term
student who blows it will owe $20,000 in
“karmic retribution,” this student scraped
together what he had and borrowed the rest to
present the expected amount. This student, after
he left EnlightenNext, asked for his donation
back, a request that was declined.
Student B related how she ran away from
Foxhollow but was found and brought back by
another student. She wasn’t allowed to live in
Foxhollow, however, but off-campus with other
women who were deemed to be doing poorly.
In the meantime, she was told how she had made
a terrible mistake in trying to leave, and that to
make her way back she had to give everything.
Gradually, she came to understand that
everything was meant to specifically include her
$60,000 IRA, and after a time she did turn it
over to EnlightenNext. But she was told again
that everything means everything, which led her
to offer any future inheritance from her family.
Subsequently, she was allowed to return to
Foxhollow shortly thereafter, she left
EnlightenNext prior to receiving an inheritance.
My Fall From Grace
By mid-1999, I was beginning to wake up to the
reality of the life I was living. That summer, I
rankled Andrew with my failure to congratulate
him for a recently published book. I had also
organized a 5-day holiday for myself and four
other students, something that was rarely done—
vacations were normally taken in conjunction
with work for Andrew, such as setting up a
retreat. This one had no purpose other than to
go away for a while. My new expression of
independence didn't sit well with Andrew.
Then, after a retreat in France, Andrew casually
revealed to a group of four close male students a
deeply personal story that I had told him in
confidence. Andrew frequently revealed
information shared with him in confidence,
particularly delicate information of a sexual
nature. I was mortified when he revealed that I
had twice in my life paid for sex. I was forced
to admit to what I had done during my vacation
some twenty years prior.
But my embarrassed admission was not the end
of it. I was urged to elaborate on the experience
and then was accused of being too revealing.
Next, Andrew convened several meetings of
these four male students with me on the subject
of my sexuality. Men I considered my brothers
shouted in my face and abused me verbally.
Later, a fellow student slapped me in the face.
She didn’t have to tell me that the blow was
from Andrew.
Around the World in 100 Days
I was then ordered to go to London, where I felt
disoriented once I was stripped of my
responsibilities. I behaved like a jilted lover—
pouting, raging, and sending expensive bouquets
with letters of apology to Andrew. When
International Journal of Cultic Studies ■ Vol. 5, 2014 33
integrity became a common fixture in our
community, redemption rarely if ever followed,
and it gradually became apparent that the guru’s
renewed good graces came at an entirely
different sort of price. This new “currency of
forgiveness” was cold, hard cash.
The Currency of Forgiveness
The practice of donating money to atone for
mistakes had begun in California in the mid-
1990s, and at that time it had been accepted by
all and never questioned. What I witnessed at
Foxhollow, and what others have also reported,
are clear indications of Cohen’s recognition that
he was going to have to venture beyond a purely
voluntary basis for the collection of donations if
his organization was to thrive: Money, not spirit,
was the new coin of the realm.
Andrew let it be understood that his good favor
could be had for a price. It is a testament to the
faith that so many of us had in Andrew that,
despite the questionable nature of these new
financial arrangements, we complied—some of
us taking on enormous and ill-advised
borrowing. Here are two brief summaries of
financial exploitation:
Student A stated that as a result of “doing
poorly” in his teacher’s eyes and feeling under
great pressure to do more for EnligthenNext, he
offered a check of $3,000 to Cohen as a sign of
his remorse. Cohen stormed into the student’s
room, threw the check on the floor, and
demanded angrily, “Do you think you can buy
me off for a lousy three grand?” Having
previously heard Cohen say that any long-term
student who blows it will owe $20,000 in
“karmic retribution,” this student scraped
together what he had and borrowed the rest to
present the expected amount. This student, after
he left EnlightenNext, asked for his donation
back, a request that was declined.
Student B related how she ran away from
Foxhollow but was found and brought back by
another student. She wasn’t allowed to live in
Foxhollow, however, but off-campus with other
women who were deemed to be doing poorly.
In the meantime, she was told how she had made
a terrible mistake in trying to leave, and that to
make her way back she had to give everything.
Gradually, she came to understand that
everything was meant to specifically include her
$60,000 IRA, and after a time she did turn it
over to EnlightenNext. But she was told again
that everything means everything, which led her
to offer any future inheritance from her family.
Subsequently, she was allowed to return to
Foxhollow shortly thereafter, she left
EnlightenNext prior to receiving an inheritance.
My Fall From Grace
By mid-1999, I was beginning to wake up to the
reality of the life I was living. That summer, I
rankled Andrew with my failure to congratulate
him for a recently published book. I had also
organized a 5-day holiday for myself and four
other students, something that was rarely done—
vacations were normally taken in conjunction
with work for Andrew, such as setting up a
retreat. This one had no purpose other than to
go away for a while. My new expression of
independence didn't sit well with Andrew.
Then, after a retreat in France, Andrew casually
revealed to a group of four close male students a
deeply personal story that I had told him in
confidence. Andrew frequently revealed
information shared with him in confidence,
particularly delicate information of a sexual
nature. I was mortified when he revealed that I
had twice in my life paid for sex. I was forced
to admit to what I had done during my vacation
some twenty years prior.
But my embarrassed admission was not the end
of it. I was urged to elaborate on the experience
and then was accused of being too revealing.
Next, Andrew convened several meetings of
these four male students with me on the subject
of my sexuality. Men I considered my brothers
shouted in my face and abused me verbally.
Later, a fellow student slapped me in the face.
She didn’t have to tell me that the blow was
from Andrew.
Around the World in 100 Days
I was then ordered to go to London, where I felt
disoriented once I was stripped of my
responsibilities. I behaved like a jilted lover—
pouting, raging, and sending expensive bouquets
with letters of apology to Andrew. When
International Journal of Cultic Studies ■ Vol. 5, 2014 33
