Daniel Shaw
At the New York support group he
cofacilitates each month, Daniel Shaw,
LCSW, has become, quite unintentionally,
something of a big brother to some of
the group members. Like the admired
and loved older brother who protects
and encourages you, Dan is the type of
person who imparts courage to others
simply by being himself. “I decided at a
certain point that I would not be
ashamed [of previous cult involvement] I
would not hide.”
When he left Siddha Yoga (SYDA) in
1994, Dan contributed to a website,
eventually taking over responsibility
from the original founder, to expose the
truth about the group so that other
members might be able to use the
information to find their way out. A little
later, Dan wrote an essay, ultimately
titled “Traumatic Abuse in Cults: A
Psychoanalytic Perspective,” which is so
clear, accessible, and insightful that, if
you could read only one work on the
subject of cult mechanisms and effects,
this would surely be one of the best.
As a little boy growing up in the
Norwood section of the Bronx, New York,
Dan wanted to be an actor. Fascinated
then by film, theater, and music, he says,
“I still enjoy reading about films and film
artists, and viewing films, going back to
the silents. I am a serious listener to
music, especially the American
Songbook, and the history of jazz.” He
attended Northwestern University as an
undergraduate majoring in theater, and
upon graduation worked “...in New York
for about six years, studying with the
legendary Uta Hagen.”
Although everything seemed to set Dan
up for a life of free choice and personal
fulfillment, what happened was anything
but. In his own words,
Toward the end of the ‘70s I was
profoundly unhappy with the
instability of my career, and I
became quite depressed. During
this time, I learned of Siddha Yoga. I
had several actor friends who had
been involved there was a Siddha
meditation center near where I
lived in Manhattan, and in a few
months I was having very intense
meditation experiences... After a
few more professional and personal
disappointments, I resolved to
sublet my apartment and live in the
Manhattan branch of the Siddha
ashram....
After more than ten years, during which
Dan devoted his entire life to the group,
travelling internationally and taking on
much responsibility, he recounts that
In 1991, after a 6-month period of
suddenly being treated very badly
by Gurumayi, with many public
humiliations, forced confessions,
and scathing criticisms, I was told
by Gurumayi to move out of the
ashram and return to New York to
find work. Although at the time this
was a painful separation, I was now
40 years old and determined to
work out a new and successful
career path... I was also determined
to meet someone, and [I] fell in
love with the woman who is now
my wife.
He and his wife left Siddha Yoga in 1994
and began to create a life together.
Dan lives with his wife, “a therapist and
an artist my 16-year-old son, who has a
passion for competitive sports and my
13-year-old daughter, also a fierce
sportswoman.” And, oh yes, an
Australian Labradoodle named Daisy,
“the most pampered family member by
far.”
Dan sees patients in his private
psychotherapy practice. His latest book
is entitled Traumatic Narcissism:
Relational Systems of Subjugation.
More information about his numerous
publications, including this book,
lectures, and appearances are available
at danielshawlcsw.com ■
Edited by Mary O’Connell Profile On...
ICSA TODAY 22
At the New York support group he
cofacilitates each month, Daniel Shaw,
LCSW, has become, quite unintentionally,
something of a big brother to some of
the group members. Like the admired
and loved older brother who protects
and encourages you, Dan is the type of
person who imparts courage to others
simply by being himself. “I decided at a
certain point that I would not be
ashamed [of previous cult involvement] I
would not hide.”
When he left Siddha Yoga (SYDA) in
1994, Dan contributed to a website,
eventually taking over responsibility
from the original founder, to expose the
truth about the group so that other
members might be able to use the
information to find their way out. A little
later, Dan wrote an essay, ultimately
titled “Traumatic Abuse in Cults: A
Psychoanalytic Perspective,” which is so
clear, accessible, and insightful that, if
you could read only one work on the
subject of cult mechanisms and effects,
this would surely be one of the best.
As a little boy growing up in the
Norwood section of the Bronx, New York,
Dan wanted to be an actor. Fascinated
then by film, theater, and music, he says,
“I still enjoy reading about films and film
artists, and viewing films, going back to
the silents. I am a serious listener to
music, especially the American
Songbook, and the history of jazz.” He
attended Northwestern University as an
undergraduate majoring in theater, and
upon graduation worked “...in New York
for about six years, studying with the
legendary Uta Hagen.”
Although everything seemed to set Dan
up for a life of free choice and personal
fulfillment, what happened was anything
but. In his own words,
Toward the end of the ‘70s I was
profoundly unhappy with the
instability of my career, and I
became quite depressed. During
this time, I learned of Siddha Yoga. I
had several actor friends who had
been involved there was a Siddha
meditation center near where I
lived in Manhattan, and in a few
months I was having very intense
meditation experiences... After a
few more professional and personal
disappointments, I resolved to
sublet my apartment and live in the
Manhattan branch of the Siddha
ashram....
After more than ten years, during which
Dan devoted his entire life to the group,
travelling internationally and taking on
much responsibility, he recounts that
In 1991, after a 6-month period of
suddenly being treated very badly
by Gurumayi, with many public
humiliations, forced confessions,
and scathing criticisms, I was told
by Gurumayi to move out of the
ashram and return to New York to
find work. Although at the time this
was a painful separation, I was now
40 years old and determined to
work out a new and successful
career path... I was also determined
to meet someone, and [I] fell in
love with the woman who is now
my wife.
He and his wife left Siddha Yoga in 1994
and began to create a life together.
Dan lives with his wife, “a therapist and
an artist my 16-year-old son, who has a
passion for competitive sports and my
13-year-old daughter, also a fierce
sportswoman.” And, oh yes, an
Australian Labradoodle named Daisy,
“the most pampered family member by
far.”
Dan sees patients in his private
psychotherapy practice. His latest book
is entitled Traumatic Narcissism:
Relational Systems of Subjugation.
More information about his numerous
publications, including this book,
lectures, and appearances are available
at danielshawlcsw.com ■
Edited by Mary O’Connell Profile On...
ICSA TODAY 22
