of the citation from 'metroactive'--it was originally published in October, 2001 in East Bay Express.

[eastbayexpress.com]

[eastbayexpress.com]

This URl will give you a list of news flashes from East Bay Express in columnar format. Keep scrolling down and you will find Duby. Gives intriguing information about his background. All hail, Google!

anastasia_2023 and corboy,
Thanks for the posts. Today was an interesting day. Someone at BPI likes us. Today, we were sent a BPI e-mail titled “Bishops Meditation” which was sent to all the BPI Bishops. Guess they are getting to many Rev’s. Anyway, the e-mail outlined the BPI weekly agenda for the Bishops. It was every interesting reading and ended with “Keep on talking to new folks” giving an obvious focus on recruitment. Let us hope we get more in the future.

I understand the blowing up Roses to free energy and destroy images, pictures, feelings, memories. I read a Book on Bostwick teaching. It truly made me hurt for how this could negatively affect some people and make them very susceptible to belief change by others you normally would not trust. What funny is I live in Portland – the city of roses! I wish I could understand why Bostwick choose a beautiful flower to be a destructive image.

Anyway, I understand the biochemical changes meditation can produce. This is why I recommended you read – Why God Wont’ Go Away: Brain Science and the Biology of Belief. It talks about that. I also experience it often. I am taking a mediation class to understand it better and I am Catholic and pray daily. It cannot compare with the deep guided mediation that they do at BPI (or do I want it to) but when I pray each week, it does make me feel great. I also get a biochemical kick from working on things like this research or community things, wood working projects etc.

I am interested in documenting how the Berkeley Psychic Institute takes a person from a first contact for a Meditation I class and pulls them in deeper. For example getting them to sign up and donate time to doing free readings and such at their recruitment events like fairs and weekly free healings and stuff, oh ya plus tithing ($$) amounts for the Church of Divine Man – which I know they record. Attached to the note was a scanned image of a hand written note to a Bishop, it said , “Kathy, I needed to clear this debt out of my space, I hope to here more about our Cruise soon.” It sounds like Susan Bostwick is using Hubbard’s psychological methodology not only to get people to recruit, and tithe, but also to sell them on her travel packages. Sure sounds like manipulation to me.

Well I have to get my work work writing done so I will type to you all later. Thanks again for the post and keeping this thread alive. It is very helpful for my paper, which I will send to Rick once I am done.

Happy new year and be safe.

-d
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:)

Every organization, Cult or Corporation, has it published hierarchy and non-published hierarchy. After a very interesting phone call late last night, we learned that BPI is broken down into four main circles of influence (non-published organizational hierarchy) with three purposes. The following is an attempt to describe these but anyone with more information please feel free to correct.

1) The Family: This is the top of the heap and it is where Susan Bostwick her Daughter and an unnamed business associate resides. We are looking for this individuals name (yes, we think it is a man.) Can anyone help? It is our guess, he runs the Psychic Hotline and Travel Services, and we have heard Susan refer to him as a business partner.

2) The Inner Circle: These are the Bishops and Directors. In many case the Bishop is a Director or an associate-director. It seems each regional office is lead by a Director. They also seem to be men. This is the inner circle that Susan Bostwick and her Daughter use to run the organization/s. The titles of Bishop and Reverend are used for the roles in the Church of the Divine man and Director, associate-director, and teacher/instructor are used for roles in the Berkeley Psychic Institute. We are sure many other titles exist for the same people in their roles on the Psychic Hotline, Travel Services, Psychic Reader (new paper), etc. However, all money seems to role up to Susan.

3) The Worker bees: These individuals are used / guided by the Bishops and Directors to drive attendance to the Meditation classes, Healing classes – recruit. They are also used to staff the Psychics fairs, open houses – free labor. They also seem to be the ones selected for and partaking in the Clairvoyance training program. This is a multi-thousand dollar program. Our guess is these folks do not question the leadership much or they would not be selected. The Directors keep sign up sheets in the offices for up coming activates they also maintain a database of contact information at the offices. Some are working on Susan’s homegrown Graduate program in an attempt to gain more power and prestige in the organization. Similar to Scientology you have to pay your way up with classes, tithing, and commitment. In addition, worker bees have bought into the fact that the offices are safe places (space) to ground and meditate so they are at the offices, sometimes daily to “heal” themselves. The idea of results in utilization of the facility and justification for debt collection – tithing. Do not ask how we know this; let us just say we now have friends with-in BPI that is monitoring BPI from with-in, because they have become more aware, it is a cult that results in casualties.

4) The recruits: These individuals are taking classes or considering taking classes; but have not committed to the two-year Clairvoyance training program. Here the Directors are responsible for growing the organization; (getting people to take more $$ classes) they keep a detailed database with last contacts, birthdates, contact numbers, which class they have taken, and what they are trying to sell them next. The database also includes personal information about family’s responses to the group, personal problems the individuals have disclosed like sexual abuse by a parent, suicide attempts, or thoughts, cheating spouse, drug and alcohol problem, etc. With this Database the Bishops and Directors have access to all the information that has been disclosed so they can work together to move a recruit to a worker bee or which ones they consider candidates for the Clairvoyance program but need molding/shaping first. Very sick manipulative stuff.

I am Catholic and I get my share of guilt but we feel Berkeley Psychic Institute practices team work manipulation with a happy loving faces.

I think a geat study could be done on how Lewis Bostwick made up this religion and how it comepares to Scientologist in the way it manipulates people.

Also, Yes, you can find much on the Net about Berkeley Psychic Institute and the Church of Divine Man. Casualties of this the Psychic Institute and the Church of Divine Man exist and most want to forget it or embarrassed or scared and fearful. We must always remember that people that exit Cults have been hurt and are not often willing to publicize it. Nevertheless, as you have seen most that do publish are trying to make money selling services or running their own Church. What you never see is them performing public ad community service like most Church. Psychic Institute and the Church of Divine Man idea of community service is charging classes to help people help them self’s “buy” self-healing, meditation, channeling energy and working toward the Christ Force and oh ya buy expensive vacations. However, this logic fails are a caring organization. What do you do with the poor, the sick, and the needy – charge them for a class, invite them to your weekly potlucks? Moreover, for those that can afford the classes what is their future. Start own pseudo-hybrid where you decide responsibility and power and teach more people to the fine are of mental masturbation or continue to be in the servitude of one who did. Our hope is that the wounded will stand up and let their voices be heard. Sorry, for this last paragraph tirade.

-d
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All, thank you for the enlightening comments.

Out here in the Midwest, they don't use "church" references. The director decided when he opened MPI eight years ago not to categorize it as a Church.

No such database exists here, to my knowledge, and I was a building host several times during the Clairvoyant training. I think they're just plain lazy here, which is why they don't do that.

As far as cost, all the basic classes ar $175 for six weeks, which is pretty reasonable. The C.V. training is $3000 for a year, with $1900 due upon signing up, and monthly payments thereafter.
It's actually very do-able for most Chicagoans. Some people keep their same jobs during c.v. training, but most experience some type of breakdown or shift and change jobs. Some people have become incapacitated (to be continued)

While I was there, one person in the c.v. training ended up getting into trouble with the law, and one person ended up in a mental institution. The director and staff take no responsibility, phrasing it as "that person's mockup" (or goal as a spirit in a body, if you will).

Whatever.

Oh, and as far as time commitment goes, it's 7.5 work hours a month (flyering or what not) which is reasonable and yes, after about 3 months of c.v. training, we were farmed out to all the psychic fairs, etc. I myself often felt prostituted out because I was paying them to take this training, and yet I had to do at least two psychic readings a week (plus attend class). I often did more than two readings a week, because I noticed I would feel better afterwards (sometimes worse - and that would be explained by - "You're handling some energy, let's get someone to look at you"). So I also felt cared for. A cared-for prostitute, what a dichotomy.

One of my friends who's a psychologist had a reading there that upset her - they told her essentially that her boyfriend wasn't faithful. While that proved to later be true (!) interestingly, she was really upset the way that they provoked her with the information, then just sent her away all upset. There was no one to talk to afterwards that she could "process" with. Her experience was that they seemed to want to shuffle her out and the host/hostess was "kinda mean." I know what she's talking about - I think that's how they hook people, esp. people who've been abused. What they tell us on the inside is not to "heal" people and that neutrality is best. It can come across to others as uncaring, like it did for my friend.

I don't know how other psychics work but I suspect not like that.
Incidentally, another person who was heavily involved then left because they thought it was a cult, and he said he knew of someone who went to another psychic to ask about MPI, and this psychic said to her client "stay away from that place."
Great.

As far as their recruitment policies, I honestly never felt any pressure to join the c.v. training. But I'm also subject to their psych. influence. so I may have been pressured and not known it. What I mean is there was never any "hard sell." The director popped in one of the basic level classes, and gave a brief lecture about what happens in our lifetime as we get older, we "forget" why we came here and our space shrinks (aura) as we get older and get more inundated with other people's pictures.

I was fascinated by the lecture and honestly felt like the director was talking directly to me. Yet when I went and talked to him, he was brusque and didn't go out of his way to "recruit" me for the c.v. training. I have since talked to other people they said he didn't go out of his way to recruit them for the c.v. training, either.

Some people come and only take basic classes and then they disappear. Some people come and take everything except the teacher training, then disappear. Most people who have taken the teacher training stick around, I think, because they like the power.

Yes I do recall the director and teachers talking about why it's important to talk to new people, because it keeps things moving and fresh. I understand what they're talking about, because I myself learn more about myself the more people I meet. And it's kinda fun now that I have some authority and seniority to look at new people, and look at their pictures and help them out (oh yeah, that's just resistance you're clearing - I myself was once there). Kind of like in AA when the old-timers help the newcomers - you know, chuckling a little bit.

But I realize it's much more serious than that. I watch my former c.v. classmates who are still heavily involved in the activities at MPI (I pop in only every once in a while for a workshop here and there, and even that is stopping), and there's one in particular - we'll call her Samantha.

Samantha was rude one night to one of my other friends who's in the c.v. training. Samantha didn't know that she was being rude to one of MY friends.

I just scoffed and told my friend to ignore Samantha; I was struck by how this person, who used to be my classmate (and therefore holds the same power status as I) was letting power get to her.
She never would have treated ME like that (nor I her).

I have already decided not to do the teacher training because of the nasty people I'd have to work with, who boss me around like a child then if I get mad, I have to "clear my resistance to them". We're all expected to find our neutrality and "be neutral," even when others above us are blatantly rude, mean, abusive, whatever. Those that have been there longer have more power.

There are two teachers who left BPI because of all the crap going on there and they found their own path. I have a lot of respect and admiration for Michael Tamura, and am working out my own thoughts and feelings about what he's done with the teachings.
Neither he nor his wife have ever done me any harm personally, and I may or may not continue to take workshops from them. They don't affiliate with any type of institute. Michael was a student of Lewis's, and he has a book out called _You Are the Answer_.

As far as BPI hierarchy, yeah, I talked to them on their psychic hotline once and the reader happened to mention "Our CEO...blah blah blah" and referred to him as a man. That's all I know, I don't know who their CEO is.

Speaking of books, I will check out that one that you recommended re: biochemical changes & meditation, etc.
Thanks so much - it really helps to have a board like this to vent on while I go through this process.

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Move from other thread for message consistancy. -d
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Well I posted a reply but now I can't find it.

I took classes for two years at a sister school of the Berkely Psychic Institute (BPI) here in Chicago at MPI - Midwest Psychic Institute (now called InVision I believe).

Suffice to say that it started out positive, but turned out damaging.

In the past the Director has slept with the female students, often at the same time. There's a lot of jealousy and competition between the women as a result. I don't know if he still does date them. Who knows. The other teachers date students as well. There's no privacy, and everybody knows your "stuff".

There aren't a lot of men around taking classes or as teachers, except for the Director. I ofted felt "pimped out" doing psychic readings for the school, but never could put my finger on why.

If I didn't want to go there anymore, I was told I was in "resistance" and that if I "blew the picture" and cleared the resistance energy, I would be fine. Essentially what they were saying was "be a robot and don't have feelings about the crappy way we treat you and others".

I have very mixed emotions about the experience, cry a lot, and still feel loyal in some ways to the teachings, but am very confused. I have a Dr. I'm seeing, but I still feel like I'm missing something. There's nothing like that warm feeling that comes from feeling special like a "chosen one" for choosing to "turn on" my psychic abilities.

If there's anyone out there who knows what I'm talking about, pls. post or email me private. I am also available for phone interviews, as I'm intimately familiar with their teachings (having gone throught the Scientology-based training myself).

Ana

Sitting in a line doing readings at the Berkeley Psychic Institute in Santa Rosa, California 2007, February
One of the leaders says to me, "Clayton, you're on the hot seat"
I sit in front of a lady doing readings.
After a minute she says,, "I know what he know I can't control him"
( Holy Word, Cross, Church )
At a different church in Lake County, in 2003, another lady, christian prophet says,, "When you see leaders of My people falling dead, you won't rejoice, and you won't stop My hand" ( facing me when she said it )
Not to condemn the psychic school. This is just the maturity of the psychic school at this time. We all got to grow up at some time.
[www.gentilenation.com]