36 International Journal of Cultic Studies ■ Vol. 5, 2014
About the Author
William Yenner was first introduced to
meditation in Rishikesh, India in the 1970s and
was later a committed practitioner of Buddhist
Vipassana meditation. His involvement with
Andrew Cohen and Cohen’s EnlightenNext
community spanned 13 years.
His story is typical of that of many longtime
students of Cohen’s. At the outset, it was
characterized by idealism and inspiration. In the
middle, devotion and hard work prevailed as he
helped build the organization. And in the end,
he was left disillusioned and disappointed after a
series of debilitating, abusive experiences.
Following his departure, and in order to secure
the return of a large monetary donation that he
had been pressured to give to Cohen, a gag order
prevented his writing or speaking publicly about
his experiences in Cohen’s community. That
gag order expired in the summer of 2008
following that, he began the work of writing and
editing American Guru (2009). This paper is
based on that volume.
Yenner currently lives in Western
Massachusetts, owns a property management
business, and travels often.
About the Author
William Yenner was first introduced to
meditation in Rishikesh, India in the 1970s and
was later a committed practitioner of Buddhist
Vipassana meditation. His involvement with
Andrew Cohen and Cohen’s EnlightenNext
community spanned 13 years.
His story is typical of that of many longtime
students of Cohen’s. At the outset, it was
characterized by idealism and inspiration. In the
middle, devotion and hard work prevailed as he
helped build the organization. And in the end,
he was left disillusioned and disappointed after a
series of debilitating, abusive experiences.
Following his departure, and in order to secure
the return of a large monetary donation that he
had been pressured to give to Cohen, a gag order
prevented his writing or speaking publicly about
his experiences in Cohen’s community. That
gag order expired in the summer of 2008
following that, he began the work of writing and
editing American Guru (2009). This paper is
based on that volume.
Yenner currently lives in Western
Massachusetts, owns a property management
business, and travels often.
