Cultic Studies Journal, Vol. 6, No. 2, 1989, Page 68
much more sleep than he was used to in ISKCON, finally seemed to be growing tired. The
deprogrammers suggested a nap, and this time Ken readily agreed.
Ken's attempt to nap ultimately failed. He complained of being too restless. “My mind is
racing ...there's just so much that I want to know.” The deprogrammers put the VCR back
into action. We watched and discussed Greg Stern's appearance, opposite ISKCON devotees
and apologists, on several other talk shows. As the Krishnas sidestepped questions and
occasionally lied, Ken actively pointed out what was going on, or what the Krishnas might
have been thinking.
Ken challenges the deprogrammers. It was almost 5:30 p.m. At this point, Brian and
Stephanie came back in, and began to discuss Rehab with Ken. Brian's wife talked at length
about her own experiences in Iowa. Throughout the deprogramming, Ken pointed out
discrepancies between his own experiences and the experiences of other former devotees,
as related by Greg or the other deprogrammers. Once they no longer believed Ken to be
hiding his true feelings from them, the deprogrammers generally listened to Ken's
disagreements without defensively trying to talk him out of them. Now, apparently in
response to the underlying suggestion that he attend Rehab, Ken began to criticize some of
the anti-ISKCON material he had seen over the past few days. He noted that different
temples have different standards, and that cold showers are not required in all the temples.
As for himself, he had taken cold showers his first year as a devotee, but then when he “fell
back into maya” he started taking warm showers. Ken still used ISKCON terms to describe
some of his behaviors and experiences. I began wondering if Ken was “backsliding” here.
Ken did almost all of the talking now on the “other side” Brian's wife was doing most of the
conversing. In the middle of this sometimes heated debate, the phone rang, and I went out
to the kitchen with Greg. Curt, Greg, and I discussed Ken's progress as the debate in the
den continued. Ken's conversation was a mixture of self-disclosing and citing doctrine. Ken
asked Stephanie about her experiences in the Unification Church. Stephanie described her
experiences in Rehab in glowing terms, emphasizing the relaxed atmosphere and the degree
of autonomy there.
The deprogrammers respond. As Ken showed increasing interest in the Moonist doctrine
and how it compared with ISKCON's theology, Brian began to note some of the differences
in the two cults' views of women. Although both denigrate women, in the Moonists, women
can be aggressive and can be elevated within their own ranks until they have a lot of power.
Theologically, this is because the “spiritual family” concept in Moon thought is strong, and
the pure mother has an important, if subservient, role within the family. In ISKCON, women
have only a subservient role. Their status is even more inferior than that of Moonist women.
At this point, Sandy reentered the conversation. Curt and Ken talked in greater detail about
Jayatirtha's expulsion from ISKCON. Curt noted that, although ISKCON did finally remove
Jayatirtha, it was not in response to corruption but rather in response to the adverse
publicity and embarrassment being caused by Jayatirtha. Curt then read a litany of criminal
charges (taken from newspaper) against Krishnas, and a few articles in which justice
officials noted that convictions are difficult to obtain because ISKCON moves the accused
Krishnas out of the law enforcement agency's jurisdiction, or they change their names,
malting them difficult to track. He implied that ISKCON was guilty of far more crimes than
the conviction rates of its members actually indicate. After reading the long list Curt seemed
to challenge Ken.
“But these are all coincidences, huh?” In a confrontational tone that surprised me, Curt then
told Ken that he could have been an unknowing accomplice to drug smuggling, if he had
gone to India. Ken noted that he was supposed to go to India in the near future. Curt then
told Ken about a local devotee who was arrested for smuggling drugs in typewriters. On her
was a letter from her temple describing how to pack the typewriter so that they would not
much more sleep than he was used to in ISKCON, finally seemed to be growing tired. The
deprogrammers suggested a nap, and this time Ken readily agreed.
Ken's attempt to nap ultimately failed. He complained of being too restless. “My mind is
racing ...there's just so much that I want to know.” The deprogrammers put the VCR back
into action. We watched and discussed Greg Stern's appearance, opposite ISKCON devotees
and apologists, on several other talk shows. As the Krishnas sidestepped questions and
occasionally lied, Ken actively pointed out what was going on, or what the Krishnas might
have been thinking.
Ken challenges the deprogrammers. It was almost 5:30 p.m. At this point, Brian and
Stephanie came back in, and began to discuss Rehab with Ken. Brian's wife talked at length
about her own experiences in Iowa. Throughout the deprogramming, Ken pointed out
discrepancies between his own experiences and the experiences of other former devotees,
as related by Greg or the other deprogrammers. Once they no longer believed Ken to be
hiding his true feelings from them, the deprogrammers generally listened to Ken's
disagreements without defensively trying to talk him out of them. Now, apparently in
response to the underlying suggestion that he attend Rehab, Ken began to criticize some of
the anti-ISKCON material he had seen over the past few days. He noted that different
temples have different standards, and that cold showers are not required in all the temples.
As for himself, he had taken cold showers his first year as a devotee, but then when he “fell
back into maya” he started taking warm showers. Ken still used ISKCON terms to describe
some of his behaviors and experiences. I began wondering if Ken was “backsliding” here.
Ken did almost all of the talking now on the “other side” Brian's wife was doing most of the
conversing. In the middle of this sometimes heated debate, the phone rang, and I went out
to the kitchen with Greg. Curt, Greg, and I discussed Ken's progress as the debate in the
den continued. Ken's conversation was a mixture of self-disclosing and citing doctrine. Ken
asked Stephanie about her experiences in the Unification Church. Stephanie described her
experiences in Rehab in glowing terms, emphasizing the relaxed atmosphere and the degree
of autonomy there.
The deprogrammers respond. As Ken showed increasing interest in the Moonist doctrine
and how it compared with ISKCON's theology, Brian began to note some of the differences
in the two cults' views of women. Although both denigrate women, in the Moonists, women
can be aggressive and can be elevated within their own ranks until they have a lot of power.
Theologically, this is because the “spiritual family” concept in Moon thought is strong, and
the pure mother has an important, if subservient, role within the family. In ISKCON, women
have only a subservient role. Their status is even more inferior than that of Moonist women.
At this point, Sandy reentered the conversation. Curt and Ken talked in greater detail about
Jayatirtha's expulsion from ISKCON. Curt noted that, although ISKCON did finally remove
Jayatirtha, it was not in response to corruption but rather in response to the adverse
publicity and embarrassment being caused by Jayatirtha. Curt then read a litany of criminal
charges (taken from newspaper) against Krishnas, and a few articles in which justice
officials noted that convictions are difficult to obtain because ISKCON moves the accused
Krishnas out of the law enforcement agency's jurisdiction, or they change their names,
malting them difficult to track. He implied that ISKCON was guilty of far more crimes than
the conviction rates of its members actually indicate. After reading the long list Curt seemed
to challenge Ken.
“But these are all coincidences, huh?” In a confrontational tone that surprised me, Curt then
told Ken that he could have been an unknowing accomplice to drug smuggling, if he had
gone to India. Ken noted that he was supposed to go to India in the near future. Curt then
told Ken about a local devotee who was arrested for smuggling drugs in typewriters. On her
was a letter from her temple describing how to pack the typewriter so that they would not
