Hello all,
I am concerned about an organization that might be a cult and some friends who are in it. I have my suspicions, and I'm wondering if there are any others who want to defect or have any information or experience. My friends are slowly dedicating mor time and giving up work to do the duty of this group. This is the link to their official website and explanation of the book: [www.dkb-mevlana.org.tr]

The organisation is called “The Knowledge Book” or Bulent Corak in Turkish. They are based in Turkey, and their leader is a woman called Mevlana who purports to be the reincarnation of the poet Rumi. The book was “channelled” to her in the 1980s by extraterrestrial beings and contains the knowledge to save humanity. This is “the last book” humanity will need and contains the “sacred energy” of the Torah, Bible, Quran and all Eastern philosophies combined, because they are just from the “religious dimension” and this book is from a higher dimension. They boast to have 6,200 members in Turkey alone and have an expansion in 39 countries.

I know a bit on how they operate from firsthand experience. For example, I am a Knowledge Book virgin. Somebody off the street hands me 3 sheets of paper stapled together – or the first 3 chapters of the book – and tells me that they have a gift for me. I read it. (You can find it in English here: [www.dkb-mevlana.org.tr]) Even though I don't understand it, they tell me there is much more to discover and they invite me to one of their meetings. These meetings are open to the public and held on a specific day of the week and are ongoing; they read and discuss the first chapter that was given out to help make sense of it. At these meetings, when I realise I am not alone in the room and other sane individuals are there, they invite me to a more private group once my interest is peaked. (I am offered to buy the full book for $140 and it is 'worth it' – it's like the Bible x2. I am told to read the book and just keep going, even though I don't understand it because understanding it is not necessary at first as all the revelations reveal themselves to you later once your consciousness assimilates it.) Now, once I have a vague interest in what I'm reading, I'm invited to the smaller, dedicated, group which must consist of 3 people and these people have to study together every Tuesday. We will talk together about what they have read and understood (or not). These people are then invited further to commit themselves to the group and to not only read the book but to write the book, which must be completed within 1 year. Writing the book is very important, as is re-reading it and making sure not a word is missed. I am now fully committed to the “programme” and I must adhere to certain rules and beliefs as stated on their website which can be viewed publicly here:

[www.dkb-mevlana.org.tr]

This is an exact rundown of everything I have just said but explaining what is expected of the members when they're in the program of study. They are obliged to create new members. Please read this text in full, though boring as it may be – it illuminates how manipulative it sounds.

Other things I find baffling:

- Certain practices are outlawed, such as literally reading or writing the book in the same house as another member, because it “messes with the energy”. This sounds like a mind-control tactic. Reiki and certain forms of massage/meditation/yoga are not to be practiced for the same reason.

- Everything the members do is to benefit humanity. They will be the saviours of humans, with all the sacred knowledge (all western and eastern philosophies before, remember?) and they literally obtain special energy by reading and writing the book and it automatically transfers on to others who are near a member. Therefore, they are “special” and benefit both themselves and everyone else just by being a member.

- The writer or medium is of Turkish descent and speaks as heavily influenced by Islam and the Quran. The Torah, Bible, and Quran are mentioned many times in the Knowledge Book (because she is familiar with them) but Hinduism, Buddhism, Taoism, etc. are referred to as “all the Eastern philosophies and religions” perhaps because she is not familiar with them. How would extraterrestrial beings be so familiar with the western religions in depth but not the eastern?

- The incoherent nature of the words in the book reads like some kind of factual poetry, where certain words are considered important and are capitalized for no good reason. Therefore, they stick in the mind of the reader and are constantly referred to in everyday life. These words and phrases include “Essence”, “Totality”, “Cosmic Influences”, “Kosmos”, “Human Consciousness”, etc. These again, sound like thought-terminating cliches so that every situation, every ill-will, every good thing can be explained by a buzzword that seems like it makes sense in any context. This is why the book is not to be understood at first – because it makes no sense and is filled with buzzwords and jargon so that it is remembered and pops up in the mind in later everyday life.

- The rigidity gets worse as times goes on. It's all about dates, numbers, hours, and years. You must not travel out of your country when you've started a focal point group for more than (something like) 3 months per year, because you are duty-bound to hold your commitment to study the book; this directly puts a limit on travel plans. If you have a romantic relationship with a member, you must get married. You must study on Tuesdays, otherwise it's no good for the cosmic energy. You must have a public group on Saturdays. You must have a “meal of love” on the last Sunday of every month. You must write the book within 1 year. You must sign all the pages and call a special telephone number with all your personal details each time you start a meeting. You must not engage in practices like yoga which interfere with your energy. You must find a new member if one leaves the focal point group within 1 month. You must hand out a packet to a stranger every single week or for punishment, the next week, it's 2 packets. If you fail once you've started, you will not reach the higher Omega dimension... you are doomed to stay in the Salvation dimension (which is for merely religious people). You should come once per year to Turkey to meet with the head person, Mevlana, and have a party with other members. You are invited to translate the book into other languages and to travel to other countries to expand the group. An explanation right from the beginning, without any form of justification or logical thinking, shows the rigidity of entering into the program under the headline How to Proceed: [usa.theknowledgebook.net]

So far, I think that the group is not large enough or well-known enough for members or ex-members to speak out online, since the last time they were mentioned on cult forums online was in 2007. Amongst the billions of people on earth, they are only in the thousands. I am not sure what being dedicated to the book will mean for followers in their futures... 5, 10, or 20 years from now.

If anyone is a member or knows a member, what is your experience?



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 12/02/2022 02:33AM by corboy.

S

Aussie survivor tells: 4 warning signs of being in a cult
After escaping one of Australia's most infamous cults with her eight children, Claire Ashman doesn't want others to make the same mistake.

[au.be.yahoo.com]

Ashman's advice if you are worried about a friend or relative:

Quote


Vulnerability

“People need to understand that you don’t willingly join a cult,” says Claire. For some people, feeling lost or searching for some sort of meaning can lead them to meet someone who can see and exploit that.

“The thing is, it’s easy to join but you’ve got to remember cult leaders are the masters of manipulation, and you’re manipulated against your will but without knowing it,” says Claire.

For anyone who worries someone they love might be involved in a cult, Claire’s advice is simple.

“The biggest thing is don’t judge. Don’t tell them ‘You’re in a cult, you need to get out of it’ because that’s the worst thing you can say,” says Claire.

“It’s very important you still need to be in contact and let them trust you. They may not tell you very much, but at least you’re there because that’s very important.

“Often times people get drawn into these cults and they don’t realise and sometimes a light bulb can go on one day and they think, ‘Holy s**t, I don’t have any contact with any family members or friends, who can I call on?’ and they feel so alone and afraid they can’t take that step out.”

Edited 3 time(s). Last edit at 03/21/2017 09:14PM by corboy.

The worst groups do not tell you up front what is expected of you.

A good leader or group will tell you what is expected of you before you are
emotionally and socially invested in them.

[www.culteducation.com]

Quote

en warning signs regarding people involved in/with a potentially unsafe group/leader.

Extreme obsessiveness regarding the group/leader resulting in the exclusion of almost every practical consideration.

Individual identity, the group, the leader and/or God as distinct and separate categories of existence become increasingly blurred. Instead, in the follower's mind these identities become substantially and increasingly fused--as that person's involvement with the group/leader continues and deepens.

Whenever the group/leader is criticized or questioned it is characterized as "persecution".

Uncharacteristically stilted and seemingly programmed conversation and mannerisms, cloning of the group/leader in personal behavior.

Dependency upon the group/leader for problem solving, solutions, and definitions without meaningful reflective thought. A seeming inability to think independently or analyze situations without group/leader involvement.
Hyperactivity centered on the group/leader agenda, which seems to supercede any personal goals or individual interests.

A dramatic loss of spontaneity and sense of humor.

Increasing isolation from family and old friends unless they demonstrate an interest in the group/leader.

Anything the group/leader does can be justified no matter how harsh or harmful.

Former followers are at best-considered negative or worse evil and under bad
influences. They can not be trusted and personal contact is avoided.

Quote

Ten warning signs of a potentially unsafe group/leader.

Absolute authoritarianism without meaningful accountability.
No tolerance for questions or critical inquiry.

No meaningful financial disclosure regarding budget, expenses such as an independently audited financial statement.

Unreasonable fear about the outside world, such as impending catastrophe, evil conspiracies and persecutions.

There is no legitimate reason to leave, former followers are always wrong in leaving, negative or even evil.

Former members often relate the same stories of abuse and reflect a similar pattern of grievances.

There are records, books, news articles, or television programs that document the abuses of the group/leader.

Followers feel they can never be "good enough".

The group/leader is always right.

The group/leader is the exclusive means of knowing "truth" or receiving validation, no other process of discovery is really acceptable or credible.

Signs of a Safe Group and Leader

Quote

A safe group/leader will answer your questions without becoming judgmental and punitive.

A safe group/leader will disclose information such as finances and often offer an independently audited financial statement regarding budget and expenses. Safe groups and leaders will tell you more than you want to know.

A safe group/leader is often democratic, sharing decision making and encouraging accountability and oversight.

A safe group/leader may have disgruntled former followers, but will not vilify, excommunicate and forbid others from associating with them.
A safe group/leader will not have a paper trail of overwhelmingly negative records, books, articles and statements about them.

A safe group/leader will encourage family communication, community interaction and existing friendships and not feel threatened.

A safe group/leader will recognize reasonable boundaries and limitations when dealing with others.

A safe group/leader will encourage critical thinking, individual autonomy and feelings of self-esteem.

A safe group/leader will admit failings and mistakes and accept constructive criticism and advice.

A safe group/leader will not be the only source of knowledge and learning excluding everyone else, but value dialogue and the free exchange of ideas.


Develop a good BS Detector.

You can protect yourself from unsafe groups and leaders by developing a good BS detector. Check things out, know the facts and examine the evidence. A safe group will be patient with your decision making process. If a group or leader grows angry and anxious just because you want to make an informed and careful decision before joining; beware.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/21/2017 08:52PM by corboy.

Some advice:

If your leader or group expect you to travel to a foreign country, make certain that you yourself keep control of your passport and other identification papers. Likewise for your telephone and laptop.

This is especially important if you are travelling to an area where you will
encounter a language barrier.

No legitimate leader or group ever demands that you hand over your passport and electronics.

No matter what your leader or fellow disciples tell you, register with your nation's embassy or consulate upon arrival. In an emergency, your family and friends will want to know where you are. Do not let your travel guides
coax you to go anywhere that the British government website says to avoid.)

A leader who loves and cares about you will care about your well being and will
be GLAD that you register with the embassy or consulate of your nation upon arrival. Your friends and family will know where you are. A loving teacher will
have no objection to that.

The situation in Turkey is tense because of ISIS terrorism and the nearby war in Syria. Consult the travel advisories given by your nation's state department or
home secretary matter what your leader or your fellow disciples say.

Online advice to British nationals about traveling to Turkey:

[www.gov.uk]

Here is one bit of advice from the British government's website:

Quote


If you’re visiting Turkey as a tourist or on business, get an e-Visa online before you travel. Only use the official Republic of Turkey e-Visa website.

[www.evisa.gov.tr]

Avoid unauthorised websites as they may charge an additional fee. Some unauthorised websites have issued fake e-Visas.

(Corboy italics. Your nation wants to help you. Do not let anyone persuade you into an arrangement where you pay more than you have to.

If Mevlana loves you, she will not want you to pay more than you have to, either.)

This material was written for persons doing yoga retreats in foreign countries.

Perhaps some of it might be useful here.

[forum.culteducation.com]



Edited 4 time(s). Last edit at 04/01/2017 10:15PM by corboy.

Note: if you go to an event or convention sponsored by your leader, take note
if after arrival at your destination, you are told you need to dress in a particular way and must purchase the clothing and accessories after you've arrived.

1) Why were you not told you needed these items this before your departure? That way, you could have factored the cost of the event specific items into your
travel budget.

2) You could have obtained those items cheaply before your departure, had enough
time to comparison shop and reduce how much you pay.

When we are jet lagged and sleepy, we do not know how to hold our ground when bargaining.

3) If you find that all of your fellow participants must obtain those clothes
and items from the same local source, ask whether that local outlet has some
sort of tie to Mevlana.

It is worth asking these questions.

Another question:

What will be the cost of your lodging and your meals when in Istanbul.

Before departure, do you have free choice of deciding where to stay and how
much you want to pay? When you are at home on your computer, you can
bargain hunt and also get advice from travel forums.

If British disciples to Mevlana are told to stay at the same hotel, ask yourself
why this is. When you get home, do some research and find out if the hotel
charged reasonable rates compared with others in the area.

Meals. How much did you pay for meals? Did you have a choice where to go?

Were you so tired that you went only where you were told to go?

By contrast, people who go on an expedition to climb Mount Everest are told (by reputable tour guides) well before departure what kinds of equipment they must bring.

And they are given enough time in advance to shop for this equipment, compare prices and reduce the cost to themselves. '

When you visited Mevlana in Istanbul, did you know beforehand what your expenses
would be?

Did you stay within your expenses?

Were there unexpected expenses? Did you go over your budget by (say) 200 pound sterling?

Do not tell yourself that you can afford the extra amount.

Are you afraid to think in terms of money? That by itself is a warning.

A teacher who shows us freedom from fear will liberate you from fearing to
think and ask questions about money. Money is a marker for energy. If you're
scared to think clearly about money, you're a prisoner of fear, period.

Don't tell yourself that this is a sacred mission and that money does not matter.

A leader who loves you does not want you to get ripped off.

A good shepherd shears the sheep, but does not skin them alive.



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 04/02/2017 08:29AM by corboy.

This topic began on March 16 when 'gradient' posted her question about Mevlana and Knowledge Book.

Nineteen days later, today, April 4, this thread got 5,097 as of
5:52 AM Pacific Standard Time.

Nineteen days, 5,097 views.

That averages 268 views per day.

This "knowledge book" may have been around for awhile.

[www.freerepublic.com]

(Small excerpt)

Quote



Free Republic
Browse · Search News/Activism
Topics · Post Article
Skip to comments.

In Search of Authentic Islam
Global Village News and Resources ^ | May 31, 2004 | (name omitted for privacy-Corboy)
Posted on 6/19/2004, 1:48:49 AM by Mockingbird For Short

In Search Of Authentic Islam by Wim Ahlers (South Africa)

-----

Terrorism thrives in poverty, ignorance, superstition and fear; remove these, Ben Ali argues, and drain the swamps in which it breeds. ..."

To this extract on Tunisia, I am adding some ideas about Islam that also come from the Middle East, this time from Turkey, where a remarkable and difficult work of over a thousand pages, was revealed in the 1980s. It is called The Knowledge Book and provides some more alternative food for thought about Islam, but from a future perspective.

For those of you who haven't come across The Knowledge Book yet, this may be the moment to make its acquaintance. It has been around in many countries since the 1980s and has already been translated into more than twenty languages. The website address is www.dkb-mevlana.org.tr

My own association with 'The Knowledge Book' is a long story - suffice it to say that after working with it for a few years and finding it quite difficult in parts, I asked the organisation in Turkey for permission to write a story in which some of its ideas could be introduced to a group of enthusiastic fourteen-year olds who wished to change the world.

The teenagers in the story, all great friends and classmates from different races and religions, experienced serious conflict for the first time in their lives†when a traumatic shooting and killing in a nearby school triggered a religious conflict that demonstrated to them what had happened over the centuries to humanity & how religious conflicts could destroy friendships and eventually lead to war. Under the guidance of two teachers, they found the solutions to their differences in The Knowledge Book.

An important point of agreement was a new understanding of the purpose of the real Islam, which was that each individual on Earth should endeavour to become a Genuine Human Being. The Knowledge Book taught them how to achieve this spiritual goal and emphasised that all the revealed Sacred books that have been with humanity for thousands of years, were supposed to unite us, not to divide us; to teach us tolerance and love, not fear, murder and hatred. The Knowledge Book entreated these young people to keep their respective religions, but to go beyond religion and find the unity there. They were fascinated to find explanations of humanity's misunderstandings and misinterpretations of the Sacred Books in their studies.

The young and eager teenagers eventually confront five religious leaders with their new ideas: an Imam, a Rabbi, a Catholic Priest, a Methodist Minister and a Charismatic Pastor. After explaining to the clergy what they have come to accept as their new belief system beyond religion, with some guidance from two teachers, the youngsters ask the clergy for support as their parents and other grown-ups won't listen to them. Instead they tell them to keep quiet and to listen to their elders. They finally convince the clergy, which marks the beginning of their quest to change humanity and to change the world.

The story has been well received and is already being translated into Russian and Turkish.

Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 04/12/2017 11:44PM by corboy.

" The Turkish lira has lost a quarter of its value against the dollar since mid-2016."

(Quoted from the BBC article below)

Corboy question:

Those of you who visit Mevlana - are you allowed to pay her in Turkish lira?

Or are harder currencies required? Dollars, Pound Sterling, Euros?


Erdogan's Turkey

[www.bbc.co.uk]

Quote

Fear is felt on Istiklal Caddesi - or Independence Avenue - Istanbul’s main shopping street, which was until recently a symbol of the city’s vibrancy.

Hundreds of thousands of people thronged its cafes and shops each day, tourists riding the iconic rickety red tram past the foreign consulates and booksellers.

Today, it’s dotted with empty shops and bars, "for rent" signs filling spaces that would have been snapped up in days just a couple of years ago. Some avoid walking up the street entirely since a bomb exploded on it last year, killing four foreign tourists.

It’s a pattern repeated elsewhere. Leading foreign retailers, including C&A and Topshop, have pulled back from Turkey and the shopping malls that mushroomed in the past decade are no longer bustling.

Tourism, which makes up around 10% of the Turkish economy, is declining rapidly. In 2014 Turkey was the world's sixth most-visited country - with 42 million tourists.

That dropped to 25 million in 2016 as Western tourists stayed away because of security fears. Hotels have slashed rates in an effort to bring them back.

At Istanbul's Grand Bazaar, traditionally one of the world's most-visited tourist attractions, Erol Avci sits outside the carpet shop where he has worked for 39 years, desperate for custom.

“I started working here aged 18,” he says, “and this is the worst it's ever been. We're down by 80% and are not making any profit, so I'm not drawing a salary.”

His boss owns two of the shops they occupy - the third is rented and they're considering leaving it. Several others have already done so - empty shop-fronts now line some of the narrow lanes in this centuries-old maze of traders.

Quote

In the last week of the campaign, the governors of Istanbul and Ankara banned two large “no” rallies, claiming they couldn’t guarantee security. “Yes” rallies, however, went ahead – and free buses were provided to transport those who wanted to come.

On my 20-minute walk from my home to the BBC office in Istanbul, I counted 18 “yes” posters and one for “no”.

In some places “no” campaigners have been attacked and some people have been sacked for publicising their opposition.

Turkey arrests 1,000 in raids targeting Gulen suspects

[www.bbc.com]

[www.gov.uk]

Quote

British nationals made over 1.7 million visits to Turkey in 2016. It’s generally safe to travel to Turkey, but you should take additional safety precautions.

[www.gov.uk]

Be alert to your surroundings and remain vigilant in crowded places popular with foreign nationals, including during festival periods such as Christmas and New Year.

The situation has calmed following an attempted coup on 15 to 16 July 2016. But the security environment remains potentially volatile and a state of emergency is in place.

In some busy areas, especially Istanbul, the Turkish authorities are stopping members of the public to conduct ID checks. There’s also a larger than usual number of police checkpoints on main roads across Turkey. You should co-operate with officials conducting checks, and keep your passport and a printed copy of your e-visa or your residence permit with you at all times.

US State Department - Turkey Travel Warning
LAST UPDATED: MARCH 28, 2017

[travel.state.gov]

The Knowledge Book was first mentioned here on March 16th, 2017.

Today, 10 weeks later, this question has elicited 19,946 views.

Using some very crude math, 16,946 divided by 75 = 266 views per day.