Cultic Studies Journal, Vol. 14, No. 1, 1997, page 61
The destination was Australia. In the meantime we lived in Hawaii working on instructional
manuals. Louis soon had a group of women living around him. My husband and I tried to
live a semi-normal existence alongside the group. We had a baby. We did not participate in
the multisexual partners, but we knew it was happening and that fact began to erode an
already precarious relationship. Louis continued to pursue me, but now I had a small child
and so Louis began to lose interest in me sexually. But he used my competence and my
belief in the outer teachings, just as he used my and my husband‟s capacities to keep
students and to make money. We made money on his behalf and gave it all to him.
The property in California sold, and as the ashram‟s director, I handed the check for
$400,000 to Louis, as I had been instructed by him. At this same time I was expelled from
the Board of Directors, a move that allowed Louis to take complete control of the money
and a Board of Directors entirely devoted to him. He began to actively pursue the flight to
Australia. My husband worked long hours convincing the Australian government to allow us
to immigrate there. My husband and I were readily accepted, while Louis was not. The
Australian government had received a letter from a former student about the abuse
charges.
Meanwhile, I was becoming more and more involved in family life. My son was 1 year old.
Although the arranged relationship with my husband was strained and there was much
discontent, we had a family and our energy went into the family and into building our new
life in Australia. We moved to South Australia in 1984. I was secretly pleased that Louis
would not be allowed into Australia. I felt I could live there and lead a life based on the
more ethical philosophies that I had learned.
Louis was finally admitted to Australia in 1985. He chose to live as a hermit in a remote
area. My husband and I and our son lived about 2,000 miles away. Louis had his money and
was leaving us alone. We were slowly making money on our own. We decided to live in a
community of Louis‟s students who had not been involved in his inner teachings. These
were people with families, people who wanted to live a good life. I began to experience
relief and freedom from the years of suffering in California. I was not aware that Louis was
heading for broke as he had used up the $400,000 of church funds on bad stock market
dealings and frivolous spending (first-class air travel, first-class hotels, etc.). One day my
husband received a call from Louis asking if he could come to South Australia. Would we in
the community take care of him? My husband said yes. I think I would not have been able
to say no either, but I was not happy.
Recreating the System
Louis arrived in the South Australian community under the condition that he agree not to do
in the new community what he had done in California. He agreed not to have sex with his
female parishioners. He promised, and we believed him. Slowly he built up a life in the new
community in which he began to exert tremendous control. Louis began with weekly Sunday
meetings and individual classes and therapy sessions. The community began to revolve
around him and his teachings rather than around people‟s lives. He instructed people on
how to have and raise their children. He reproached people about their personal lives. He
shamed them into getting rid of their televisions, stopping outside recreation, taking their
children out of the public schools and putting them into home schooling. He began to
categorize people into the more evolved and the less evolved. The propensity to misuse his
position, to pit people against each other, to solicit funds in the name of the church began
to take hold once again.
By 1989 he had a group of women and men around him who once again believed what he
taught about meditation and sexual energy. He was starting the inner circle over again, this
time with families. Now the people getting involved had children and much more to lose.
The destination was Australia. In the meantime we lived in Hawaii working on instructional
manuals. Louis soon had a group of women living around him. My husband and I tried to
live a semi-normal existence alongside the group. We had a baby. We did not participate in
the multisexual partners, but we knew it was happening and that fact began to erode an
already precarious relationship. Louis continued to pursue me, but now I had a small child
and so Louis began to lose interest in me sexually. But he used my competence and my
belief in the outer teachings, just as he used my and my husband‟s capacities to keep
students and to make money. We made money on his behalf and gave it all to him.
The property in California sold, and as the ashram‟s director, I handed the check for
$400,000 to Louis, as I had been instructed by him. At this same time I was expelled from
the Board of Directors, a move that allowed Louis to take complete control of the money
and a Board of Directors entirely devoted to him. He began to actively pursue the flight to
Australia. My husband worked long hours convincing the Australian government to allow us
to immigrate there. My husband and I were readily accepted, while Louis was not. The
Australian government had received a letter from a former student about the abuse
charges.
Meanwhile, I was becoming more and more involved in family life. My son was 1 year old.
Although the arranged relationship with my husband was strained and there was much
discontent, we had a family and our energy went into the family and into building our new
life in Australia. We moved to South Australia in 1984. I was secretly pleased that Louis
would not be allowed into Australia. I felt I could live there and lead a life based on the
more ethical philosophies that I had learned.
Louis was finally admitted to Australia in 1985. He chose to live as a hermit in a remote
area. My husband and I and our son lived about 2,000 miles away. Louis had his money and
was leaving us alone. We were slowly making money on our own. We decided to live in a
community of Louis‟s students who had not been involved in his inner teachings. These
were people with families, people who wanted to live a good life. I began to experience
relief and freedom from the years of suffering in California. I was not aware that Louis was
heading for broke as he had used up the $400,000 of church funds on bad stock market
dealings and frivolous spending (first-class air travel, first-class hotels, etc.). One day my
husband received a call from Louis asking if he could come to South Australia. Would we in
the community take care of him? My husband said yes. I think I would not have been able
to say no either, but I was not happy.
Recreating the System
Louis arrived in the South Australian community under the condition that he agree not to do
in the new community what he had done in California. He agreed not to have sex with his
female parishioners. He promised, and we believed him. Slowly he built up a life in the new
community in which he began to exert tremendous control. Louis began with weekly Sunday
meetings and individual classes and therapy sessions. The community began to revolve
around him and his teachings rather than around people‟s lives. He instructed people on
how to have and raise their children. He reproached people about their personal lives. He
shamed them into getting rid of their televisions, stopping outside recreation, taking their
children out of the public schools and putting them into home schooling. He began to
categorize people into the more evolved and the less evolved. The propensity to misuse his
position, to pit people against each other, to solicit funds in the name of the church began
to take hold once again.
By 1989 he had a group of women and men around him who once again believed what he
taught about meditation and sexual energy. He was starting the inner circle over again, this
time with families. Now the people getting involved had children and much more to lose.
