13 VOLUME 8 |ISSUE 1 |2017
fear, death threats, bribes, and dirty tricks to silence his critics, he
rallied his own devoted Internet defense workers. They created
propaganda websites that devotees from around the world
accessed again and again, around the clock, successfully demoting
the critical website far down the page in any potential Web search
by outside researchers.
Our son and some collaborators also sent out a mass postal mailing
to all disciples still in the group, who were forbidden from using
the Internet. However, many letters were intercepted, and the
guru warned that anyone opening the letters would be expelled.
The group’s watchers and reporters did their jobs diligently,
intercepting and throwing out letters and reporting anyone who
read them.
Our Son Convinced Us
Finally, amidst the death threat, police complaint, and the still-
raging Internet war, our son managed to convince us. He dragged
us out of the group after almost a quarter of a century of belief in
the guru and living in the spiritual community.
The undisputed celibacy and holiness of the guru was now being
deeply scrutinized and questioned by several outside observers. As
the first waves of revelations of pedophilia among Eastern gurus
and Christian priests appeared in the media, our son’s message was
more widely accepted. The guru made one final, desperate attempt
to save himself: He said he would pay for our son’s entire college
education if his critical site was totally shut down! Even without
being absolutely convinced (at that time) of the terrible sexual
abuse, this whip-and-carrot tactic—a death threat on the one hand
and a bribe on the other—finally convinced us to leave. We saw
at close range the guru’s true personality, and this was shocking
enough. The attempted cover-up (rendered impossible by the
Internet) ultimately led to a growing public perception of the
actual sex life of a hypocritical and self-proclaimed celibate guru.
Unfortunately, the powerful psychological and social-influence
processes used to varying degrees in all human groups (including
cults) are still poorly understood by many. Members are often
recruited with misleading or deceptive information. Recruiters are
often well-intentioned, respectable, and even quite exceptional
people who are themselves deceived. They are often under the
influence of a charismatic or narcissistic leader, or friend or family
member. Once inside a group, to fit in, we may ignore or suppress
our own inner doubts in order to avoid cognitive dissonance,
the discomfort of holding contradictory beliefs, or of acting in
ways that contradict our instincts or beliefs. This powerful social
influence process is functioning in all groups, to varying degrees—
from political parties, corporations, and Christian congregations, to
gangs, and terrorist groups such as ISIS. Unfortunately, even today,
many still blame the victims: “If they were stupid enough to join a
cult, then it was their own fault! And if they made a mistake joining,
why don’t they just leave?!”
During the time our story took place, there was very little
understanding or awareness of these forces, and few safety nets or
exit counselors available for those daring or forced to leave. Many
former members, living with repressed shame and guilt, had to
hide their former lives in order to function in society and get jobs
and have normal romantic relationships.
Recently, due at least in part to the revelations by our son and a few
collaborators, and continued today by several social media sites,
the ultimate bombshell exploded. One of the highest ranking and
most respected Inner Circle girls finally admitted, after many years
of total denial, that even she had not escaped the sexual designs
of the celibate guru (she had joined as a teenager). The remaining
followers today are faced with the shocking realization that, living
as celibates and forsaking family life and good paying jobs, often
without social and medical insurance or pensions, they had been
duped by their “God-Realized” guru for decades.
The cognitive-dissonance process is very powerful (as we have
personally experienced) and has compelled many disciples
and admirers to rationalize, suppress, and deny even the most
shattering personal testimonials. Some disciples still continue to
believe in the leader’s mythical legacy. Some joined so young, or
have been in for so long and become so invested, that they cannot
conceive of any other life and this keeps them in, in spite of all the
evidence.
A few years after we left, the now-distraught and often-depressed
guru suddenly and unexpectedly died. The spell was now broken!
The hypocrisy had been revealed. All the guru’s subjects are now
free to see the truth on the Internet and other media if they so
choose. Of course, as we know, doing this is not easy for those who
entered at a young age. Many are now old, often estranged from
family and socially isolated, and they have few other life or job
options to return to. How much choice exists for some people, and
how free are their choices in reality? We were some of the lucky
ones, and we have much to be grateful for. n
Note
[1] The term lower vital refers to “…the small greeds, small desires,
small passions … which make up the daily stuff of life for the
ordinary sensational man” (see Letters on Yoga, Vol. 1, p. 327).
About the Author
Russell H. Bradshaw, EdD [AB (Wesleyan
University), EdM, EdD (Harvard University),
Cand. Polit. (University of Oslo)] recently
retired as Associate Professor at Lehman
College, City University of New York. He
has taught psychological and historical
foundations of education and directed the
MA program in Teaching Social Studies: 7–12.
Dr. Bradshaw’s master’s and doctoral dissertations described
alternative-living and child-care arrangements in Sweden (Samhem
and Kollektivhus). During his undergraduate studies he received
a stipendium to live in Samoa and wrote his honors thesis on
religion’s effect on cultural stability and change in Western Samoan
villages. Dr. Bradshaw’s continuing interest in alternative living and
child-care solutions led him to an intensive experience of a Hindu-
based religious cult in New York City. Dr. Bradshaw has received
fellowships and grants from Wesleyan, Harvard, and Uppsala
(Sweden) universities and from the City University of New York.
He and his wife Gunilla currently live in Norrtälje, Sweden, where
they are continuing their work for ICSA’s New York City Educational
Outreach Committee. n
fear, death threats, bribes, and dirty tricks to silence his critics, he
rallied his own devoted Internet defense workers. They created
propaganda websites that devotees from around the world
accessed again and again, around the clock, successfully demoting
the critical website far down the page in any potential Web search
by outside researchers.
Our son and some collaborators also sent out a mass postal mailing
to all disciples still in the group, who were forbidden from using
the Internet. However, many letters were intercepted, and the
guru warned that anyone opening the letters would be expelled.
The group’s watchers and reporters did their jobs diligently,
intercepting and throwing out letters and reporting anyone who
read them.
Our Son Convinced Us
Finally, amidst the death threat, police complaint, and the still-
raging Internet war, our son managed to convince us. He dragged
us out of the group after almost a quarter of a century of belief in
the guru and living in the spiritual community.
The undisputed celibacy and holiness of the guru was now being
deeply scrutinized and questioned by several outside observers. As
the first waves of revelations of pedophilia among Eastern gurus
and Christian priests appeared in the media, our son’s message was
more widely accepted. The guru made one final, desperate attempt
to save himself: He said he would pay for our son’s entire college
education if his critical site was totally shut down! Even without
being absolutely convinced (at that time) of the terrible sexual
abuse, this whip-and-carrot tactic—a death threat on the one hand
and a bribe on the other—finally convinced us to leave. We saw
at close range the guru’s true personality, and this was shocking
enough. The attempted cover-up (rendered impossible by the
Internet) ultimately led to a growing public perception of the
actual sex life of a hypocritical and self-proclaimed celibate guru.
Unfortunately, the powerful psychological and social-influence
processes used to varying degrees in all human groups (including
cults) are still poorly understood by many. Members are often
recruited with misleading or deceptive information. Recruiters are
often well-intentioned, respectable, and even quite exceptional
people who are themselves deceived. They are often under the
influence of a charismatic or narcissistic leader, or friend or family
member. Once inside a group, to fit in, we may ignore or suppress
our own inner doubts in order to avoid cognitive dissonance,
the discomfort of holding contradictory beliefs, or of acting in
ways that contradict our instincts or beliefs. This powerful social
influence process is functioning in all groups, to varying degrees—
from political parties, corporations, and Christian congregations, to
gangs, and terrorist groups such as ISIS. Unfortunately, even today,
many still blame the victims: “If they were stupid enough to join a
cult, then it was their own fault! And if they made a mistake joining,
why don’t they just leave?!”
During the time our story took place, there was very little
understanding or awareness of these forces, and few safety nets or
exit counselors available for those daring or forced to leave. Many
former members, living with repressed shame and guilt, had to
hide their former lives in order to function in society and get jobs
and have normal romantic relationships.
Recently, due at least in part to the revelations by our son and a few
collaborators, and continued today by several social media sites,
the ultimate bombshell exploded. One of the highest ranking and
most respected Inner Circle girls finally admitted, after many years
of total denial, that even she had not escaped the sexual designs
of the celibate guru (she had joined as a teenager). The remaining
followers today are faced with the shocking realization that, living
as celibates and forsaking family life and good paying jobs, often
without social and medical insurance or pensions, they had been
duped by their “God-Realized” guru for decades.
The cognitive-dissonance process is very powerful (as we have
personally experienced) and has compelled many disciples
and admirers to rationalize, suppress, and deny even the most
shattering personal testimonials. Some disciples still continue to
believe in the leader’s mythical legacy. Some joined so young, or
have been in for so long and become so invested, that they cannot
conceive of any other life and this keeps them in, in spite of all the
evidence.
A few years after we left, the now-distraught and often-depressed
guru suddenly and unexpectedly died. The spell was now broken!
The hypocrisy had been revealed. All the guru’s subjects are now
free to see the truth on the Internet and other media if they so
choose. Of course, as we know, doing this is not easy for those who
entered at a young age. Many are now old, often estranged from
family and socially isolated, and they have few other life or job
options to return to. How much choice exists for some people, and
how free are their choices in reality? We were some of the lucky
ones, and we have much to be grateful for. n
Note
[1] The term lower vital refers to “…the small greeds, small desires,
small passions … which make up the daily stuff of life for the
ordinary sensational man” (see Letters on Yoga, Vol. 1, p. 327).
About the Author
Russell H. Bradshaw, EdD [AB (Wesleyan
University), EdM, EdD (Harvard University),
Cand. Polit. (University of Oslo)] recently
retired as Associate Professor at Lehman
College, City University of New York. He
has taught psychological and historical
foundations of education and directed the
MA program in Teaching Social Studies: 7–12.
Dr. Bradshaw’s master’s and doctoral dissertations described
alternative-living and child-care arrangements in Sweden (Samhem
and Kollektivhus). During his undergraduate studies he received
a stipendium to live in Samoa and wrote his honors thesis on
religion’s effect on cultural stability and change in Western Samoan
villages. Dr. Bradshaw’s continuing interest in alternative living and
child-care solutions led him to an intensive experience of a Hindu-
based religious cult in New York City. Dr. Bradshaw has received
fellowships and grants from Wesleyan, Harvard, and Uppsala
(Sweden) universities and from the City University of New York.
He and his wife Gunilla currently live in Norrtälje, Sweden, where
they are continuing their work for ICSA’s New York City Educational
Outreach Committee. n
