Some recentish articles:

July 21, 2015: Arsonist jailed for attack on Chelmsford Brahma Kumaris meditation centre
[www.essexlive.news]

March 17, 2016: Arsonist Fails in Bid to Have His Jail Term Slashed ; Sentence Justified for Man Who 'Took Revenge' against Faith Group
[www.highbeam.com]

Two months later, he committed suicide in jail.
[jmscult.com]

June 25, 2016: Kevin Rowland Left Religious Sect Because of Apocalyptic Beliefs
[www.tv3.ie]

Many of us get involved with meditation* seeking healing.

(Or yoga or "mindfullness").

The problem arises when meditation students are not told fully and beforehand the name of the group, the name of the leader and the actual beliefs of that group.

When we are in crisis, we are in disarray. No matter how street smart and intelligent we are, depression, bereavement, leaving home, will leave
us painfully confused.

We are so glad to encounter anyone or any meditation
that gives relief that we are usually too relieved to imagine investigating
the full beliefs and background of the meditation teacher and group.

Kevin Rowland: Classic Interview

A huge in-depth interview with Dexys' frontman from 1999
Jon WildeNov 8, 2012

[sabotagetimes.com]

Dexys Midnight Runners frontman Kevin Rowland left a religious movement after objecting to apocalyptic teachings.

[www.contactmusic.com]

Quote

"It was 1991 and I was really down," he tells British newspaper The Times. "I was trying to give up drugs, I was trying to feel better, and then I saw a poster in Willesden (northwest London) offering meditation. I went to a stress management course in this building that seemed really peaceful and clean, which was appealing because I was living in a dump at this point. I was in trouble."

And Kevin says that although the group's focus on meditation was initially helpful to him at a time when he was struggling to quit drugs, he failed to embrace their belief in a forthcoming apocalypse and had to leave.

Kevin adds, "I got some help, and one of the ways I was trying to find help was the Brahma Kumaris. At first I thought it was amazing. I loved the meditation. But then they taught me all this stuff about the world being about to end.

"I don't really want to talk about the Brahmas because they did my head in. I was already a guilt-ridden Catholic and this just doubled the load."

In 2008 the group, whose leaders dub it a 'World Spiritual University', boasted 825,000 members in more than 100 countries

A discussion of a breakaway sect created by a former Brahma Kumaris practitioner

[forum.culteducation.com]

Some material about Sat Yoga by a former Brahma Kumaris member "ex-" can be
found here:

[forum.culteducation.com]

Hi.

I agree that much of the first post is silly exaggerated nonsense that is not helpful in accurate criticism of the group, however, the basic facts of their beliefs are fair enough.

For example, the BKs really do teach that all of history, actually time and space, is a 5,000 year loop that repeats identically for eternity; and they have taught for decades that they will be responsible for, literally, inspiring or "giving courage to the scientists" to use nuclear weapons to eradicate what they see as an impure and totally degraded humanity that will lead - along with consequent natural disasters - to the death of 7 billion plus non-BKs ... so that they can inherit and rule a Golden Age heaven on earth for the next 2,500 years.

A Golden Age that since the 1970s they have been claiming will start in 2036.

Of course, they have had problems with failed predictions of "Destruction" (End of the World) in the past many times, and consequently had to revise their teachings, and are clearly in the process of re-writing them year again now. "Destruction" has now become, for the sake of outsiders, "Transformation" ... but the facts of it remain the same.

And, no, they have no suggestions how they will be able to survive a nuclear winter, the sinking of all other continents except for India (also on the cards), and rebuild a high tech heaven on earth made out of gold and jewels, complete with mind controlled, super-sonic flying machines etc etc etc ... by 2036.

Those really are the core facts of their inner teachings and, consequently, I am amazed how they manage to be accepted by the United Nations and other respectable governments and NGOs around the world. People really don't seem to be able to see or accept how crazy they are.

Of course, it's not what you get taught on day one of the slow cooking process with which they indoctrinated adherents.

What is clear about their End of the World (then repeat) theory is, however, that it has been a *very* good earner for them. And each crisis such as Covid-19, Y2k, 9/11, Asian Tsunamis etc, have very good at "shaking the tree", making adherents fearful, in order for them to exploit the events as a sign of the end coming ... and rear a whole load more financial and property donations.

If anyone wants to ask any specific questions about BKism, I am happy to answer them as time allows.

One development that I would like to raise about their evolution that I have not read in academia about either them or similar cults, is a recent tendency of their to usurp academia and academic process/journals, in order to publish

flattering,
non-critical,
widely factually erroneous, and
misleading

accounts of their religion.

I do not know if it is happening within other cults but what I have seen - what I know to have been a concerted effort - is for followers within academic circles, or specifically pursuing academic endeavours, wilfully and misleadingly publish papers about the cult not disclosing their interests.

For a couple, they have taken their cult involvement and turned into a, by my standards, pretty crappy PhD ... by doing what is basically nothing more than high class proselyting. Often using non-BKs as front people or seemingly neutral collaborators by co-publishing with them.

This has led to widely erroneous and factually incorrect information being established as a baseline for them, and all clearly documented controversies being written out or covered up.

And is beyond what the support of the habitual cult apologists has achieved.

“On what basis does the author substantiate their claims about ex-BKs underwear drawers?”

It seems to be an assumption based on the idea that those in self discipline or restraint will go wild with abandon after a while, perhaps an eager fantasy of the writer.

Agreed, the comments are completely pointless aside from giving me the full belly laughs on reading.

“Are you intelligent?
Prove it!“ - sounds like someone from the spiritual “university” is out and about on recruitment mode.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 05/24/2020 04:53AM by facet.

Funny enough, I did one read of a porno fantasy involving Brahma Kumaris in India so perhaps they have reach "kinky nun" fantasy level for Indians, I don't know but I thought that post was ridiculous. I'd say most people who leave BKism maintain some kind of interest in "spiritual" matters after they leave and regain their center.

Many retain elements of the faith and practise even after they leave, or becoming "half and half" dropping back in when they need it. Unfortunately it's a relatively small and insignificant religion from a real world point of view, and so it has not really been studied properly by independent academia.

Until they do something really bad, cults don't tend to make the headlines. The BKs tend to keep their malfeasances well covered up and below the radar.

Something else to consider is that how and by whom BKism is practised in the West is different from how and by whom BKism is practised in India and Asia and that sort of Victoria Secret fantasy is just not a possibility for most of their Asia female following. In the US, it may be a different matter.

I don't see where the "intelligent" quote comes from except Corboy's

Quote

When we are in crisis, we are in disarray. No matter how street smart and intelligent we are, depression, bereavement, leaving home, will leave
us painfully confused.

which I think is fair. I think general consensus is a certain degree of intelligence is required to be sucked in and trapped but, as Corboy writes, it happens at fairly well established moments of weakness.

My position is, for criticisms to be powerful, they must be highly valid, accurate, and supportable in some way with witness statements or evidence.

It's not helpful just to spout nonsense, or make up stuff, just to make the cult look "bad" or "evil". It's actually counter-productive and discrediting of critics.

In a way, the excesses of the media, and the early and aggressive counter-cult movement, have only caused the pendulum to swing in the favor of cultic groups.

Simple smear campaigns, especially those based on fictitious accounts, don't work.

Ditto, for a long time, perhaps as long as religion has been organized, the game has been stacked against the ex-, the outcast, the leaver, or the apostate; and especially since the rise of pro-cult apologetic academia who have cast them as being unreliable, because of a tendency to exaggerate.

I don't agree with the apologists. I think they deliberately threw the babies out with the dirty bath water and that ex-s have a lot to teach and that much of the academia that has been done about, in this case, the Brahma Kumaris is absolutely and objective false.

Academics (that are not actually BKs in themselves - some are and so prejudiced and blinkered) have been deliberately seduced and misled by the group for decades.

One of the most recent books 'Understanding the Brahma Kumaris' by Prof Frank Whaling is a perfect example of this. It should be called 'MisUnderstanding the Brahma Kumaris' it is so bad.

> I don't see where the "intelligent" quote comes
> from except Corboy's
>

Quote

When we are in crisis, we are in disarray.
> No matter how street smart and intelligent we are,
> depression, bereavement, leaving home, will leave
> us painfully confused.

> which I think is fair. I think general consensus
> is a certain degree of intelligence is required to
> be sucked in and trapped but, as Corboy writes, it
> happens at fairly well established moments of
> weakness.

Yes for this quote, thank goodness for the ability of discernment.

Recently I considered too that along with what corboy says may be the determiner that many of us do not perceive ourselves as unteachable at some point, where as some cult group leaders may (at least on an inner level) perceive themselves as all knowing nothing left to learn. I am still in the middle of confirming this one for myself though through research. Cult leaders do seem to use the fact that others are dedicated to self growth, or knowledge and prey on this. You highlight it more to me in your mention of the albeit incorrect use of the word “university’ by BKs to establish themselves at one point.

I like that you raise how it is not beneficial to simply share nonsense about cults, it is just as bad as spreading of rumours to discredit someone or something because it, or they, are seen as a threat or out of the rumour spreaders control. Facts over fiction any day.

There is a saying along the lines isn’t there? That when someone can not control someone the last resort is false rumours.. whilst the need of getting rid of cults is fully appreciated here there is definitely a way of going about it that you pinpoint well. I’ll remember it.