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lifetruetome
has anyone noticed this:

[www.gopetition.com]

UM followers hiding behind support of women's issues. I would love a UM woman student to say what she classifies as "abuse". The women I have worked with who had suffered DV and "abuse" hid under tables and got hit over the head with hammers ended up in hospitals and fled to refuges. I wouldn't have thought a man cuddling you without permission is as bad as being "beaten up". Of course there are scales of abuse, ie emotional, physical etc, but I wouldn't throw around the word "abuse" unless I had proof that a woman was being abused, otherwise the word "abuse" looses its true meaning and that doesn't help the real victims of DV or sexual assaults. If any UM woman student out there has truely suffered at the hands of a man by "abuse" then please go and have proper counselling tell the police and get an Intervention Order and work with the appropriate authorities. I am confused by what UM and Serge mean by the term "abuse". Please I would love a UM'er or Serge to explain.

I have seen first hand what :"abuse" does to women and it isn't pretty, normally drugs and alcohol are used to help numb the pain. Would a UM student help a woman who is experiencing abuse even if this woman was using "drugs and or alcohol" as a result of their life dilema? Would Serge open up his houses to these women, even if they had substance issues? Please unless the UM group as a whole is actually going to go and practically help women (and children by default) who are being abused could they stop hiding behind real issues such as domestic violence etc.

The more they say, the more it looks like they are hiding and ignoring the true abuse that is going on.
I agree with your lifettruetome that abuse of women, or men ( which fails ever to get a mention) should not be tolerated and where it truly exists it must be addressed.
However I don’t think the abuse Serge and the students are speaking about meets the criteria that even the author of the protest letter speaks of.

The Australian press (Courier Mail, News Corp*) has made claims this weekend that women who seek truth and a loving way of life are gormless, mindless followers and that we don’t have the intelligence to choose how we live. The blatant approval of sexual abuse in the article is simply shocking. The author states that one of the healing techniques offered by female practitioners caused women “to not allow their partners to touch [their breasts] without permission”.

There in-lies a deep fracture in the Media and how it portrays women as a whole. Less concerning is the drivel of two men’s opinion thinly veiled as ‘journalism’ – more devastating is the impact of this tirade of derogatory and misogynistic attitude towards women by mainstream media.

What is interesting and worrying about this is that none of them, and especially the author of this seems to understand that in a normal, healthy consensual relationship people dont stop to ask if they can touch a certain part of the body. It is implicit in the act of physical intimacy. Every one seems to understand this fully to the point it does not need to be spelled out in the courier mail article...except, it seems, the cult members whose view of the world has been twisted like a pretzle. This is how odd their view of the world is, that they can take a normal human relationship aspect and twist it into an attack on them and a media enquiry.

What is even more worrying is that not one cult member has mentioned the headline fact of that article, which I will re-iterate: Serge was a bankrupt at a time when he claims to have been living a life of comfort and wealth. i.e., he is a liar. They also seem to fail to notice that he has taken their money and turned it into a small property empire while telling them he was a virtually begging bowl saint. So, they can ignore his lies and then go on a rant about something they fail to understand because Serge has convinced them that a man touching breasts during intimacy is tantamount to sexual abuse. Something is very not right here with this thinking but I guess that is afterall the reason we are all here.

What's more, the author is quite nasty and actually uses derogatory terms to demean men, which is interesting when she claims that they are the ones being abused.
The irony is that the real abuse on many levels emanates from the cult members. They are blind to it just as they choose to remain blind to Serge's fabrications and their own involvement in the cult.

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Rock Biter
I'm an ex-cult member still overcoming the effects of belonging to the cult. Its disturbing to write those words. I've always prided myself on my critical reflexive thinking. All my critical reflexive thinking and training did me no good though. I still became ensnared. Almost to the point of losing my beautiful precious wife and everything I love, my children, home friends. The problem is that all the intelligence in the world wont cover up the deepest of insecurities that become the fodder for cult leaders peddling salvation. Having been in and now thank God and thanks to my amazing wife out I would like to try to help others that may, with every good intention, stray into this perverse evil. Why perverse? Becauee it preys on the innocence of the child inside. The child that always wanted to be loved and the child that desperately wanted to make sense of the madness. As long as you believe that you need some kind of redemption, some kind of plan to 'improve', to feel love, God, enlightenment, 'gentleness', 'harmony' or just want to at last feel OK and not frightened then people like Serge will always be able to peddle themselves as 'healers', 'saviours', 5th initiatiates' or whatever, showing you the way out. At a price. And not only cash. The price is recognition that he is the saviour. An egoistic trip disguised, so deeply disguised in words and 'gentleness'. The trouble is that when we so desperately want something we only hear what we want to hear and see what we want to see. But the very wicked thing, conscious or not, about universal medicine is the way that it teaches you that not only is this the only path but that you are very special and have already achieved some kind of step towards your self by coming along. The shared self-congratulations is sickening. And worse still that there are pranic forces at work that wish to drag you back into the old non-esoteric life - to suck on your energy. And this is the really wicked part, that those pranic forces operate through those that are closest to you, your wife and/or children. No Universal Medicine doesn't teach you to leave your family. It teaches you that they are pranic. And since as a cult member that you spend all of your waking life focused on the practices (gentleness, watching emotions etc) this means that all of your waking life you are also training your mind to be sensitive to the division between fiery and pranic energy - a constant never-ending reminder of how special you are and how pranic those around you. At the same time members of the cult celebrate each time someone 'chooses' them Selves despite the pranic manipulations of others especially their partners, children others. Cult members share excitedly news of another inevitable break up of a marriage - one of only two paths either the other partner becomes a cult member too or the relationship dissolves. My God those that separate must become a true part of the loving embrace of the other followers! Courageous enough to follow themselves! And in the meantime they leave their pranic families (lovingly), leave their pranic friends (lovingly) and inevitably associate only with other cult members, a natural process. Cult members congratulate themselves and each other about this. "My only friends are doing the 'work'". Of course the key part of this membership is to attend over and over again, workshops, talks, EDG's, group sessions, chakra punctures, breast massages, for thousands and thousands of dollars. All the while feeling great! Gentle, loving. As long as they keep on belonging to the cult. I haven't seen a single person on this quest for the Self that can actually just maintain any of this self-loving, ironically, by them selves! So the truly wicked part is that the combination of what is being both formally and informally endlessly reiterated is that the real problem is that your partner and families, because they are not doing the work, are pranic and even jealous seeking to bring you down. Difference is not embraced! The truly wicked part is that all relationships have problems because all human beings are flawed even if only in their exoteric personalities! But instead of relating and working through the lessons that difference brings, the beautiful lessons of liberation, Serge teaches that you need to be wary of pranic forces and as a last resort you have to leave to save your esoteric soul and in leaving continue to pay and pay and pay and recognise and recognise and recognise how special and wonderful he is. No one 'hides behind Serge'. Thats a lie. Instead the 'in truth' teachings of Serge drives a wedge into the 'flaws' in any relationship essentially blaming the other in a very loving way for their inability to see the truth of their pranic lives. I want to say publicly here and now that my intelligence didn't save me. My incredible amazing beautiful wife treefern saved me. And it breaks my heart the way that I treated her in all the damned years that I was in that damned cult.

Thank you for this. So very happy you and your wife are able to enjoy a normal, loving relationship again. The story you have both chosen to share here publicly is inspiring and brings hope to many others.

I wonder what UM adherents would make of these statistics?

More than 40% of domestic violence victims are male, report reveals

[m.guardian.co.uk]

Furthermore, let's see Serge's defenders address the issue of psychological and emotional abuse suffered by partners of UM cult members.

'When I attain perfection I will expect it of all others' one of my favourite quotes and as only Allah/God is perfect then I'm not likely to gain it in either this lifetime or any yet to come. I love my husband very much all the partners writing on this site do none of us are perfect but love and a commitment to each other means accepting the flaws.

As lifetruetome says and thank you for pointing that out, if you are in an abusive relationship...get out....get help and report it.

I feel very humbled by not only my husbands post but also the responses from all of the wonderful people on this site. Thank you from the bottom of my heart.

I knew my husband was wanting to contribute but has been going through the throws of anger/guilt and fear over just how easy it was to become ensnared in the cruel Universal Medicine CULT headed by Serge Benhayon. His heartfelt writing was an eye opener even to me who had no REAL idea of the depths that the UMers go in their quest to make Serge happy. It would seem to me that having marriages break up over the practises of Universal Medicine only serves one purpose and that is to validate Serge leaving his first wife Deborah. To have and it is my guess more like hundreds of relationships broken where women/men are alone also serves Serges cracked ego, in the sense that he can then say, only his relationship with (poor) Miranda is perfect. On the point of Miranda and abused women...there is also a very damaging type of emotion control that is also very abusive. The story goes that Miranda moved into the Benhayon household sometime in her early teens, correct me if I wrong here, she was handed over by her father to Serge a father figure, (yes) then married the man. What life skills has this poor girl got, what living has she done, what experiences has she had....other than those with 2 fathers? Yes she may now have fine clothes, plenty of expensive shoes and travel 1st class around the world several times a year, she may be venerated as Serges wife the woman HE makes love to. No career, no accomplishments that she can call her own, no way to stand on her own two feet and be her own person and who decided all this initally...Serge and you don't call that abuse or worry about her in any way UMers?

HowDoesItHappen, your deep sadness breaks my heart.
It is vitally important that you spend time and talk to the sane people of the world and there are many more of them out there than the insane UMers. It is also very helpful to go and speak to a good counsellor one who is not involved in any way with UM. I am still in active counselling and feel quite strong and able once again. Having the message given to you that you aren't good enough because you are too 'pranic' to be with can be very demoralizing. HowDoesItHappen I AM pranic in the true sense of the word..Serge has changed the meaning of so may words to blow out peoples minds, Pranic energy means a Life Force Energy something akin to the Suns energy. I'm Pranic and Proud!
Hang in there.

Thank you all once again.

Treefern you are a genius (maybe we should all follow you??:))

"pranic and proud" !!!

Quote
lifetruetome
has anyone noticed this:

[www.gopetition.com]

UM followers hiding behind support of women's issues. I would love a UM woman student to say what she classifies as "abuse". The women I have worked with who had suffered DV and "abuse" hid under tables and got hit over the head with hammers ended up in hospitals and fled to refuges. I wouldn't have thought a man cuddling you without permission is as bad as being "beaten up". Of course there are scales of abuse, ie emotional, physical etc, but I wouldn't throw around the word "abuse" unless I had proof that a woman was being abused, otherwise the word "abuse" looses its true meaning and that doesn't help the real victims of DV or sexual assaults. If any UM woman student out there has truely suffered at the hands of a man by "abuse" then please go and have proper counselling tell the police and get an Intervention Order and work with the appropriate authorities. I am confused by what UM and Serge mean by the term "abuse". Please I would love a UM'er or Serge to explain.

I have seen first hand what :"abuse" does to women and it isn't pretty, normally drugs and alcohol are used to help numb the pain. Would a UM student help a woman who is experiencing abuse even if this woman was using "drugs and or alcohol" as a result of their life dilema? Would Serge open up his houses to these women, even if they had substance issues? Please unless the UM group as a whole is actually going to go and practically help women (and children by default) who are being abused could they stop hiding behind real issues such as domestic violence etc.

So, according to UM cult members, the factual statement that Serge's followers are predominately women, and the accurate description of just a few points of their bizarre belief system constitutes 'abuse of women in/by the media'?!

What about when they condemn and ridicule accepted scientific thought (like evolutionary biology, for example) religious beliefs, and lifestyle choices (anything beyond the strict UM regiment) in their condescending blogs and
cartoons? Does that constitute 'abuse'?

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lifetruetome
Treefern you are a genius (maybe we should all follow you??:))

"pranic and proud" !!!

Hmmmm

Now that is a tempting offer, unfortunately my family can sing, our accountant is honest and I don't lie.

If I can have a toy boy on the side with my Latte and Mars Bar Cheesecake, I'll certainly give it some thought;)

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Eric Dobbs
The Maestro Chris James spreads himself far and wide leaving the Poisonous Universal Medicine calling card wherever he goes. It's simple to find out his schedule , just go his website and the countries , venues and contacts are all there. Methinks these people who employ mr James need to know about his very strong connection with his mentor Serge Benhayon. I must say here that Chris James and his sessions were my partner's sad introduction into this dangerous Cult. I do believe Chris James is a recruitment officer of sorts . Eric

I just wanted to post these details again. - E

You have to worry about everything that Universal Medicine does. They change people´s personalities. Sometimes they seem to be under drugs, but they are brainwashed. No one has to be caught in a room or anything, they do their own brainwashing, while on the other side they change all the usual habits, which keep families and friends together. That seperates the minds and later on the sotiol contacts, that save people not to get cougth by brainwashing organisations. I saw people getting addicted to all the rules of Uni Med. And I´ve been to some sourses to check it up. It is unnatural, how hard they try to do everything Serge Benhayon says and get lost.

Hello, this is my first post here since I was prompted to seek other UM critics after reading David Leser’s article in the SMH Good Weekend. Sorry if I state anything obvious in the post. This thread is over 100 pages long(!) and I don't have time to read the whole thing. Thank you, however Herbert and friends for starting this and forming a support community.

I was only briefly involved with UM about seven years ago. I received several treatment sessions from Serge, including an ‘ovarian reading’, attended a yoga ‘study’ meeting and finally an esoteric healing workshop held over a weekend at Lennox Head, before quitting.

On quitting, I was aware UM was a harmful group, but knew of no one I could report it to? To my knowledge, UM operates within the law –precariously close to its outer edges (sexual misconduct? therapeutic misconduct). It is not part of any registered profession, and is therefore not subject to the ethical guidelines mandatory to other therapeutic professions. At that stage I didn’t have enough information to form a support group and no contacts with people who were disillusioned.

I can definitely understand how people fall under the UM/Benhayon spell, with it’s mix of cathartic healing practices, the fast talking guru who seems sensitive and caring, his complex philosophies that borrow heavily from established traditions, as well as the aura of respectability he has cultivated through his recruitment of healthcare practitioners and a largely female membership.

However, I also have a major in Religious studies and my special areas of study were Eastern religions, new religions and cults. While I’m open minded regarding healing practices and spirituality, thanks to my studies, I could also recognize that UM has all the hallmarks of a harmful group, and I feared those dynamics and Serge’s practices were potentially extremely damaging to those involved – psychologically, emotionally, financially, spiritually and to interpersonal relationships. It appears my fears were well grounded.

In the interests of exposing the workings of the group as much as possible, I thought I’d post my experience here and possibly on the other blogs. Perhaps my perspective might answer some questions for those who are mystified by this group. I’m just sorry I didn’t know how to get my story out sooner, and not living in that part of Australia, wasn’t able to keep an ear to the ground, so to speak. Although I was involved seven years or so ago, I think my experience is still relevant and may help provide a sort of barometer for the way the group has developed since.

I also think it might be best if I broke the story up into separate posts in order to address certain issues individually.

I was introduced to UM by two trusted health practitioners local to Lismore. One is still firmly entrenched in the group, which is a pity because he had great integrity and I got the impression Serge was leaning on this guy’s good reputation, along with that of many others, to boost his own credibility – hence his recruitment of respectable medical professionals. (This isn’t a new phenomenon either – I know of a very harmful yoga guru who structured his group in a spookily similar way. That particular guru was responsible for the death of his much younger wife.)

The treatment sessions consisted of me laying on a treatment table with Serge standing or seated and placing his hands on parts of my body for periods of time over the course of an hour. He did not touch any genital areas, but the touching was mostly of the torso. At times he talked and asked questions, at other times he was silent. Gradually I would physically respond to the ‘treatment’, spontaneously twitching and shaking with greater intensity until I was hyperventilating, thrashing around and at times speaking in tongues. As a willing participant in those sessions I didn’t attempt to suppress my reactions, but allowed them to occur. It was an extremely intense physical and emotional experience.

I can’t remember the explanatory palaver Serge came up with for these reactions in detail, except that he talked a bit about past lives, how I was some sort of exiled warrior and also that I was a reincarnated archangel or monad or salami sandwich or something. I’d been burned at the stake and my angel wings had been cut off by the evil powers that be in medieval times. Whatever. Either way I continued for several sessions because the catharses, initially at least, made me feel better. I felt I could breathe easier and was more relaxed after them.

I had some doubts about the philosophy, but Serge has done his homework – borrowing from established traditions – to give just enough credibility to his ramblings to stop me from writing it all off as rubbish. I don’t deny he’s a brilliant man and some of his remarks were truly inspired.

Next, he invited me to a yoga study group, telling me it was just him and a few people getting together to talk about the Patanjali sutra. At that point he was clearly trying to recruit me, due to my professional background which I don’t wish to disclose here. He’d told me of course I should continue the treatments and began inviting me to various UM events. He wasn’t aware of my major in Religions though, lol.

‘Him and a few people’ at the yoga study, turned out to be about sixty people crammed into a meeting venue near Byron Bay on a hot night. Before the meeting, Serge and his goddesses were manning a table with a big pile of Alice Bailey books (Ponder This), and they were selling dozens of them, as well as those laminated symbols. I was amazed at the buying frenzy that took place, people buying those books as if they were the last publication on earth. Serge the master sales guru. I didn’t buy a book because Serge had smoothly sold me one the day before. The core crew were there, including the older woman who would place her hands on you and burp raucously as your bad energy exited your body. LOL! I’d love it if someone updated me on the belching.

The yoga study turned out to be Serge ‘channelling’ the Patanjali sutra. In other words a monologue from Serge that had little to do with the original text. At that point I was getting the distinct idea that Serge had designs on guruism, but I was fascinated by his Esoteric Healing method and wanted to know more – particularly how to generate these strong physical and emotional catharses, so I’d signed up for the weekend workshop.

Before that though, was the ovarian reading, which is when the alarm bells really went off.