I have found and am posting a number of quotations, attributed to Joel Kramer from his book The Guru Papers. (I copied these excerpts from a variety of web reviews of the book, and have not had a chance to verify their accuracy.)
Quotes attributed to Joel Kramer:
[
minet.org]
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Many gurus vociferously claim they
discourage worshipful attitudes in their followers, alas, to no avail.
In the realm of sexuality, the two prevalent ways control is exerted are
through either celibacy or promiscuity. Although seemingly opposite, both
serve the same function: [b:7cbe841bb0]they minimize the possibilities of people bonding
deeply with each other, thus reducing factors that compete with the guru
for attention.
Th deceit underlying most ploys is that the guru has no self interest at
all.[/b:7cbe841bb0] The traditional ideal of enlightenment allows this deceit free reign,
because the guru is placed in a category beyond the knowledge and judgment
of others. From here, gurus can rationalize any contradictory behavior.
Whatever the authority does is regarded as perfect or right.
Thus behaviors that would be questioned in others are made to
seem different or proper.
[b:7cbe841bb0]Even those on the lowest rung can feel superior to those who have not had
the intelligence to become members.[/b:7cbe841bb0]
As long as they are gaining in strength and membership, this attitude is
reinforced. Believing they are on the crest of a wave, the feeling within
the group and the leader is one of optimism and satisfaction. Their stance
towards outsiders is one of benign superiority. Others will catch up or
see the light in due time.
A time inevitably comes when the power and popularity of the group begins
to wane...the apocalyptic phase enters and the party is over.
Often, he consciously or unconsciously blames those around him for the
failure of his aspirations.
Though the guru needs his disciples even more attached to him, he becomes
more remote, sending his dictates down the line.
[b:7cbe841bb0]As the group's isolation increases, so does its paranoia towards outsiders.
those who drop out are often threatened. [/b:7cbe841bb0]
It is also very enlightening to observe how gurus treat and refer to those who leave their
fold
[
web.ionsys.com]
Quote
"As long as the guru still sees the possibility of realizing his ambitions, the way he exercises power is through rewarding the enthusiasms of his followers with praise and positions in his hierarchy. He also whets and manipulates desire by offering ‘carrots,’ and promising that through him the disciples’ desires will be realized, possibly even in this lifetime. The group itself becomes an echo of the guru, with the members filling each other’s needs. Within the community there is a sense of both intimacy and potency, and a celebratory, party-like atmosphere often reigns. Everything seems perfect; everyone is moving along the appropriate spiritual path. The guru is relatively accessible, charming, even fun. All dreams are realizable-even wonderful possibilities beyond one’s ken." (p.78)
"But a cult in decline has more trouble selling itself. . . Members and the guru become withdrawn and the focus gets more internal, insular, and isolating. . . The fun is over. The rewards are now put into the distant future (including future lives) and are achievable only through hard work. This not only keeps disciples busy and distracted, but it is necessary because the flow of resources that came with expansion has greatly diminished. This glorification of work always involves improving the leader’s property (the commune or ashram), increasing his wealth, or some other grandiose project." (p82)
[
www.ex-premie.org]
Quote
"...The ex-disciple’s world has turned on its head: What the guru and group presented as unconditional love was conditional upon accepting their authority; the egoless guru was found to be on a manipulative, even crass, power trip. [b:7cbe841bb0]For people who surrendered totally to a guru and thus experienced passion more deeply than ever before, seeing "The emperor wears no clothes" can be devastating. So it’s no wonder people have tremendous resistance to anything that causes them to doubt the veracity of the authority[/b:7cbe841bb0]." (p.152)