Cultic Studies Journal, Vol. 12, No. 2, 1995, page 50
Shaw interviewed both cult apologists and anticult activists in his quest for which cults to
join. Some anticult people including ex-members cautioned him about the dangers of such a
project. He heard frightening stories about mind control and cult researchers who ended up
as members. On the other hand, he heard that cults have a very low rate of recruitment
and that the vast majority of new members defect after a few months to a year. To his
advantage, Shaw had a good foothold in reality both as a seasoned journalist and a married
individual. Also, he did not stay with one cult at a time but joined several during the same
period. His intense, if brief, yearlong journey as a spy in guruland resulted in this book, one
that I enjoyed reading and would recommend to anyone interested in this topic.
The second group after Holy John that Shaw writes about is Chrisemma. The group name is
a combination of the names of the leaders, Emma Lea and Chris Orchard. When Shaw
joined, the cult was barely three years old and had approximately 20 participants. Chris did
the talking while Emma sat silent, even though both were “Enlightened Masters.” Some of
the members were followers of Osho-Rajneesh who died in 1990, but, according to Shaw,
most of the members are “guru junkies.” Chris had been a devotee of Sri Chinmoy until
1990 when he discovered “self-realization” in Emma. In her, Chris saw the very form of
God. Chris‟s celibacy ended when sex with Emma became a spiritual act. The introverted
Emma, on the other hand, came to enlightenment, she says, at the age of three when she
discovered the “Truth of Being Alone.”
Shaw joined with the Chrisemma group on Sundays to hear long hours of Chris‟s spiritual
advice, usually love and sex among his flock. The typical member sits and takes in all
information with a detached, bored attitude, no matter how shocking Chris might be in what
he says. Chris both lectures and answers questions. Emma‟s role, if she has one, is simply
to exhibit “emptiness” or a death of attachment to the physical and emotional world. The
group publishes a periodical called The Final Discovery, through which Chrisemma
advertises itself and its mission. The mission is to teach unconditional love as a road to
enlightenment and to attract devotees to worship Chris and Emma unconditionally. Chris
teaches that “I want you to treat me like God. Like I‟m the only being in existence. And I
don‟t want to have to do anything to get that respect.”
Shaw experienced Chrisemma as a new and changing cult. During the year or so in which
he monitored the group, Shaw notes that the fees went from 10 to 40 British pounds, with
less frequent meetings with Chris. The group (all 20 or so) moved from Totnes in Devon to
Bristol, and changed its name to the Chris Orchard Foundation. The laid-back living-room
atmosphere changed into a more posh setting. Emma still sits silent, but her role seems to
have “withered.” Chris‟s charisma rules the meetings because he has been able to convince
devotees that he has succeeded in killing his attachment to the world, its rules, and perhaps
to Emma as well. Unlike the other cults Shaw joins, Chrisemma does not cultivate ecstasy
rather it encourages sublime boredom.
In Chapter 2 Shaw takes us into Emin, an obscure cult that has perhaps 2,000 or more
members spread around Britain, North American, Europe, Australia, and Israel. Shaw
discovers Emin at a New Age conference, The Festival of Mind, Body, and Spirit. The Emin
booth advertised the “Eminent Theatre Journey,” and sold a book called The Second Chance
at Life. The booth also displayed brochures and an idiosyncratic Tarot deck used by the
group. When Shaw inquired about the meaning of “Eminent Theatre Journey” and other
esoteric terms in the Emin brochure, a young Emin member gave a response typical of any
member of a New Age group: “You have to do it to understand it.” So Shaw arranged to
attend a meeting.
The Emin Centre turned out to be a rented hall in a gloomy old Welsh Chapel school. The
group sets up its props and posters, breaking them down after each meeting. One of the
props is a large painting of a woman with angel wings and one exposed breast. Meetings are
Shaw interviewed both cult apologists and anticult activists in his quest for which cults to
join. Some anticult people including ex-members cautioned him about the dangers of such a
project. He heard frightening stories about mind control and cult researchers who ended up
as members. On the other hand, he heard that cults have a very low rate of recruitment
and that the vast majority of new members defect after a few months to a year. To his
advantage, Shaw had a good foothold in reality both as a seasoned journalist and a married
individual. Also, he did not stay with one cult at a time but joined several during the same
period. His intense, if brief, yearlong journey as a spy in guruland resulted in this book, one
that I enjoyed reading and would recommend to anyone interested in this topic.
The second group after Holy John that Shaw writes about is Chrisemma. The group name is
a combination of the names of the leaders, Emma Lea and Chris Orchard. When Shaw
joined, the cult was barely three years old and had approximately 20 participants. Chris did
the talking while Emma sat silent, even though both were “Enlightened Masters.” Some of
the members were followers of Osho-Rajneesh who died in 1990, but, according to Shaw,
most of the members are “guru junkies.” Chris had been a devotee of Sri Chinmoy until
1990 when he discovered “self-realization” in Emma. In her, Chris saw the very form of
God. Chris‟s celibacy ended when sex with Emma became a spiritual act. The introverted
Emma, on the other hand, came to enlightenment, she says, at the age of three when she
discovered the “Truth of Being Alone.”
Shaw joined with the Chrisemma group on Sundays to hear long hours of Chris‟s spiritual
advice, usually love and sex among his flock. The typical member sits and takes in all
information with a detached, bored attitude, no matter how shocking Chris might be in what
he says. Chris both lectures and answers questions. Emma‟s role, if she has one, is simply
to exhibit “emptiness” or a death of attachment to the physical and emotional world. The
group publishes a periodical called The Final Discovery, through which Chrisemma
advertises itself and its mission. The mission is to teach unconditional love as a road to
enlightenment and to attract devotees to worship Chris and Emma unconditionally. Chris
teaches that “I want you to treat me like God. Like I‟m the only being in existence. And I
don‟t want to have to do anything to get that respect.”
Shaw experienced Chrisemma as a new and changing cult. During the year or so in which
he monitored the group, Shaw notes that the fees went from 10 to 40 British pounds, with
less frequent meetings with Chris. The group (all 20 or so) moved from Totnes in Devon to
Bristol, and changed its name to the Chris Orchard Foundation. The laid-back living-room
atmosphere changed into a more posh setting. Emma still sits silent, but her role seems to
have “withered.” Chris‟s charisma rules the meetings because he has been able to convince
devotees that he has succeeded in killing his attachment to the world, its rules, and perhaps
to Emma as well. Unlike the other cults Shaw joins, Chrisemma does not cultivate ecstasy
rather it encourages sublime boredom.
In Chapter 2 Shaw takes us into Emin, an obscure cult that has perhaps 2,000 or more
members spread around Britain, North American, Europe, Australia, and Israel. Shaw
discovers Emin at a New Age conference, The Festival of Mind, Body, and Spirit. The Emin
booth advertised the “Eminent Theatre Journey,” and sold a book called The Second Chance
at Life. The booth also displayed brochures and an idiosyncratic Tarot deck used by the
group. When Shaw inquired about the meaning of “Eminent Theatre Journey” and other
esoteric terms in the Emin brochure, a young Emin member gave a response typical of any
member of a New Age group: “You have to do it to understand it.” So Shaw arranged to
attend a meeting.
The Emin Centre turned out to be a rented hall in a gloomy old Welsh Chapel school. The
group sets up its props and posters, breaking them down after each meeting. One of the
props is a large painting of a woman with angel wings and one exposed breast. Meetings are
