This forum seems to be focusing more on attacking each other for 'evidence' of each other's knowledge or beliefs. Such an attacking environment is going to make it more difficult for vulnerable people to feel able to disclose their experiences. Given the atmosphere of secrecy within the Eden Medical Centre, this anonymous forum provides a welcome opportunity for apprentices and patients to share their experiences and try to make sense of them. Let us focus our attention on supporting this process.

Kurukulla – thank you for your posting listing each of our quotes regarding Christopher’s sexually inappropriate behaviour. It highlights just how many of us have personal or secondary experience of abuse.

Dorje and Atlantic – thank you for providing contact details for contacting the police, MP and insurance brokers, to enable each of us to act on our experiences, if we choose to.

If people feel able to disclose their experiences to the police/authorities – please do so. I am sure the case will gain strength in numbers.

Cirrus – I think we have had similar experiences, as apprentices of Christopher with experiences of sexually inappropriate behaviour which was presented as part of our teaching / healing.
I too didn’t tell anyone, but Stephanie, it felt like those experiences were part of an intense ‘special’ relationship with Christopher which others, including other apprentices, would not understand. The culture of secrecy is part of the problem and is one of the hallmarks of a cult.
I think because the training / healing is about pushing boundaries and facing fears, when immersed in life at the clinic it is really difficult to say ‘no, that’s wrong’. It’s much easier to be swept along. Only later, after moving on and reflecting on our experiences, are we able to decide for ourselves whether those experiences are abusive or not.

Cornwell – I am sorry that your legitimate questions have been lost in the arguments. You asked the apprentices about the methods used and whether they were harmful. You also expressed an interest in why and when each of the apprentices left.
I did not have any medical training when I began as an apprentice. I provided massages and acupressure, based on the teaching and supervision of Christopher and Stephanie. The herbs and medicines used were always provided by Christopher or Stephanie. I doubt the medicine included marijuana, as Christopher warned me of the dangers of the drug. I have no reason to believe that any of the treatments were harmful. Perhaps the other apprentices here can shed more light.

As to when and why I left – I left a few years ago for a number of reasons. I had a personal experience of Christopher being sexually abusive. Christopher presented it as part of my healing to overcome my fears, after a previous sexual abuse. At the time I stopped Christopher’s advances and after the event remained very uncertain about whether Christopher’s intensions were to assist in my healing or to fulfil his own sexual urges, or both. It took me a long time to disclose the experience. A year later, when I told my boyfriend what happened, his anger and concern shocked me. It made me realise how inappropriate Christopher’s behaviour was. I also realised I was investing a lot of time, energy and money in a training which would not provide any recognised credentials or qualifications. I left due to my concerns about the cult-like nature of the place, a number of bad experiences of Christopher and my desire for a stable, professional career.

I agree, and support those who seek a just legal challenge.

Jeff Bowe:

No contact information will be disclosed.

If you wish to contact someone use the private messaging system provided or an email entry in that member's profile.

Landmark Education, a large group awareness training (LGAT) company once sued me, in part over this message board.

They sought contact information.

None was provided and a federal judge protected this board.

Landmark later dismissed its own lawsuit.

See [www.culteducation.com]

Please try to get along without reducing this thread to personal battles and arguments.

To whom it may concern:

This thread and this message is not about promoting personal beliefs, either about claimed miraculous cures or a specific religious practice.

This thread is about Christopher Hansard, not Buddhism, mysticism, so-called "New Age" beliefs and/or whatever individual beliefs people have chosen to accept.

It is legitimate within the context of discussing Hansard, to bring up the question of those that have previously seemingly endorsed and/or provided a platform for him.

It is also legitimate by extension to bring up the issue of others associated with his practice.

Having said this, hopefully no one will needlessly smear anyone.

Moderator

With respect, I was not engaging in 'battles', but reasonably correcting a completely unacceptable distortion and misrpresentation of my posting by Gondolf and Mariah. I am disappointed by a decision, which in effect protects those who misrepresent and distort the comments of other contributors. I hope you may understand how it could be seen that unless some form of accountability is applied then, in a sense, deformation is not only tolerated, but endorsed.

Jeff Bowe:

No contact information will be disclosed.

This is the policy of the Ross Institute regarding this message board. And no exceptions will be made.

Your discussion of Buddhism as it relates to the claims of Hansard is appropriate.

The best antidote to free speech is more free speech.

You have the ability to correct any potentially misleading impression made by others commenting at this board by posting comments and corrections yourself.

You seem quite good regarding this.

I want to thank Lily for her open frank account. My heart goes out to you.

I too relate to her feelings that this forum is more open to attacking each individual's personal experiences, than letting people be vulnerable and express their experiences and come to some personal resolution and clarity.

After all this is a forum to educate people about CULTS.
And the atmosphere and 'training' at the Eden Medical Centre with Christopher Hansard and Stephanie Wright was that of a cult.

Personally overcoming and healing abuse of cults is often very hard and complex so please respect those who open their hearts and express their experiences on this forum.

Their accounts of sexual abuse and misconduct once again show us that Christopher Hansard is no where fit to be practising and all authorities should be notified as mentioned many times previously in this forum.

With regards to Christopher Hansard's training, 'story' being legitimate I too am open to seeking the truth with that, and in time will tell you all I know about this which may help in uncovering the truth.

Lily

Thank you for coming forward. In light of the negative twist this forum has taken it took alot of courage. Your post is clear and insightful.

I feel it is important for those of us who have direct experience of Christopher Hansard, Stephanie Wright and working at Eden share our stories to build a picture of what it was like to be there and how complex it was.

There was a climate of fear hidden behind a facade of 'compassion'. I am sure some people who were never there will find it hard to believe and that is why it is important that we can share this imformation, not to shatter illusions or discredit personal experience but to share truth.

I am curious Lily, you say you confided in Stephanie Wright of the sexual inappropriate behaviour you experienced with Christopher Hansard. Would you mind sharing what her reaction and advice was? Clearly not to speak out or warn the other apprentices of his 'techniques'?

Rosemary, thank you too for coming forward to join in the debate. It is hard to realise that one has been 'fool' enough to have found themselves involved in what was essentially a cult. It is harder still to speak out and share that with honesty in a public forum.

In the absence of Christopher Hansard being willing to share the truth about his background and training with us, be accountable in any way for the many allegations of abuse to women or to be responsible for his actions it seems we are left to put the pieces together ourselves. He seems to think, rather like a child who closes their eyes to hide, that if he decides to walk away, move on and pretend it never happened then maybe it never did....

He admits that he created something that was "unskilful and unhealthy" and we have each asked him numerous times to offer an explanation to us and he has at every opportunity declined. Surely if he had a shred of decency, compassion or integrity he would have had the respect to offer us the truth?

I know he is not notorious for 'walking his talk' but may I once again remind him of the supposed 'last lesson' he offered in a letter to us all...

"That is of accepting responsibility, living transparently and living truth."

Oh how the mighty have fallen......

In UK law we are innocent until proved guilty. If Hansard can point out any facts to his story, how ever small, that can give even the slightest possibility of a hint of truth.....he gets away with it! Then Dur Bon stands even when he falls.

The history and the proof of his abilities or are important for that reason. That is why people keep asking for clarification.

James

Dear Moderator -

Did you receive my long post to the forum re: Christopher Hansard, questioning his 'story' past - and giving my ideas and all I know about his teacher and 'clan'?

After typing it. I pressed submit, then the site asked for details for me to log on which the site doesn't usually ask - hence my concern that my post got through ok. Hope it did as I obviously don't want to type that all again!

Many thanks