Wow - Thanks Corboy. Even after 4 years post LE and psychopathic naturopath, I'd like to print your post and mail it to him and his cronies, all who have become Falun Gongers.

Good stuff.

One voice of dissent on Wikipedia: it has been accurate on the subjects I read there that I am already knowledgeable about. I don't distrust it as much as some of the people here seem to. I would still say that it is important to keep in mind that the information does not have a verified origin, and shouldn't be taken as fact for something important without additional verification.

David R. Hawkins is another New Age guru based in Sedona, AZ.

Hawkins' web site: www.veritaspub.com
Wikipedia entry: [en.wikipedia.org]
Skeptic's Dictionary: [skepdic.com]
and: [skepdic.com]

Hawkins claims applied kinesiology (muscle testing) can calibrate the consciousness level of anything and everyone in the universe. Not surprisingly, one of his books "calibrated" .2 away from Jesus Christ and Buddha. Further, his "Ph.D." to claim this is science came from the diploma mill Columbia Pacific University (the same place author John Gray got his degree).

See also "Dowsing for God" - a critique of Hawkins' work:
[www.energygrid.com]

That said, I think Sedona is a very beautiful place, and love to visit there :D

Sedona is indeed a beautiful place to visit, but its spiritual underbelly is not a pretty thing. The place is full of bizarre new age communes, cults, and conmen.

Hawkins is one more screwball crackpot to add to the mix. He uses his phony "testing" techniques to convey his support to any group, church or teaching which in return supports him and his own "work". His connection to the cultic Unity Church, A Course in Miracles, and the general new age/new thought movement deserves deeper investigation.

I've been to new age drum circles run by white Indian shamans, concerts at Gabriel of Urantia's music studio, worked for hire in the Dahn Yoga kitchen, coffee-klatched with course in miracle devotees, engaged in commerce with Hawkins' acolytes, been counseled by witches, and revealed my deepest secrets to 12-step gurus. I've been reiki'd, energized, and audited, all without ever realizing there was any cult involvement. (Well, I had my suspicions, but now, thanks to the RR forum, I know!)
Needless to say, I could have become spiritually confused. Thanks to the forum, I'm spiritually disillusioned instead.
Blindness has its advantages. Sedona makes a great movie set, and the camping and fishing there used to be great. They've pretty much taken all the amenities away, as far as I'm concerned, and replaced it with pseudo-spiritual commerce.
Where do the sane people live?

I've been through a lot of the same. Once I was full of enthusiasm for the various groups, teachings and leaders in Sedona and elsewhere, but one by one I saw their feet of clay, and walked away from it all. The upside is the ability to break free of the spell of others and see them for who and what they really are. Today, I embrace certain philosophies, free of leaders, teachings or metaphysical influences. This is for me the silver lining beyond any disillusionment. I'm much older and I hope a little wiser. And the best book I've ever read was The Guru Papers, by Kramer and Alstad. It gave me back my own mind.

Bonnie,

You mentioned you worked for hire in the Dahn Yoga kitchen. There have been stories about drugs being introduced into the food to control members, have you ever seen this firsthand?

I read a story about Julia Siverls (she died on a 20 mile training hike in the desert without proper supplies or supervision) and a few other former Dahn members having drugs in their systems. This was supposedly used to control and give the members a feeling of euphoria.

The masters told us it was the vortex energy and chon chi kyun(heaven ,earth energy).

I worked there in the pre-dahn days for a very short time.
No drugs, great desserts, people seemed very nice, no sign of cult activity.
I heard the moonies were coming and never went back.

Corboy;
Thanks for the post and the link; very interesting viewpoint from the former new-age teacher.
*******************
I just read more about Dahn Yoga, and want to clarify:
I was being flippant when I listed my new age cult experiences.
I was at the retreat for 2 days shortly before Dahn Yoga took over.
I don't know who was running it at the time, but the kitchen was vegetarian, and the new owners were alledgedly going to have meat on the menu.
I spent the night in a monk type cell, and couldn't breathe. There were no windows. It didn't seem very healthy or relaxing to me.
At the time, no one put anything but vegetables into the food, as far as I could tell. I did not stay, and never went back. I don't remember the dates of my stay.

Thanks, Bonnie.

You heard the Moonies were coming? Dahn Yoga is the new Moonies complete with all of the criminal activity from green card marriages to money laundering to believing Ilchi Lee is god.

Dahn Yoga coming to a city near you. (Only if there is money to squeeze out of unsuspecting yoga practitioners.) BeWare!!!