Re: Victor Baranco, Lafayette Morehouse,Nicole Daedone, One Taste - cults?
Posted by:
corboy
()
Date: March 22, 2013 11:19PM
More information on purchasing power around 1970-1972.
In his biography, Sammy Hagar tells us his expenses in 1973 in the San Francisco Bay Area -- right where Baranco was purchasing houses and charging $200 a month room and board to those wanting to live in his communes--plus expecting them dibate labor fixing up his properties. (See above)
Hagar tells us:
Red:My Uncensored Life in Rock, by Sammy Hagar, p 48.
A year or so later, Hagar notes, "My house rent in Mill Valley was more than $200 a month, which in those days, was a lot of money." (pp 61-62)
This was 1973/74. Sammy Hagar is telling us that at that time $200 a month was a lot of money to spend renting an entire house in Mill Valley.
So in 1972, for Baranco to charge his devotees $200 a month rent for a room, not a house, but a room, albeit with meals included was yet more money--especially when he was expecting them to donate labor (sweat equity) to upgrade his other properties.
So they'd have been set up for cognitive dissonance. To justify the expense, they had to convince themselves that what Baranco was doing just had to be worth it--right?
In his biography, Sammy Hagar tells us his expenses in 1973 in the San Francisco Bay Area -- right where Baranco was purchasing houses and charging $200 a month room and board to those wanting to live in his communes--plus expecting them dibate labor fixing up his properties. (See above)
Hagar tells us:
Quote
"I got my $ 5,000. I rented a house for $ 80 a month in Mill Valley, 37 Montford Street, and I bought a car. Not just any car, of course but a Citroen Deux Chaveux...I sold my VW to a guy for fifty bucks (Hager tells us the VW van was almost dead and could barely move..The Citroen cost almost three grand. I rented the house and had, like $1, 500 in the bank. I was rich."
Red:My Uncensored Life in Rock, by Sammy Hagar, p 48.
A year or so later, Hagar notes, "My house rent in Mill Valley was more than $200 a month, which in those days, was a lot of money." (pp 61-62)
This was 1973/74. Sammy Hagar is telling us that at that time $200 a month was a lot of money to spend renting an entire house in Mill Valley.
So in 1972, for Baranco to charge his devotees $200 a month rent for a room, not a house, but a room, albeit with meals included was yet more money--especially when he was expecting them to donate labor (sweat equity) to upgrade his other properties.
So they'd have been set up for cognitive dissonance. To justify the expense, they had to convince themselves that what Baranco was doing just had to be worth it--right?
Re: Victor Baranco, Lafayette Morehouse,Nicole Daedone, One Taste - cults?
Posted by:
corboy
()
Date: July 20, 2013 08:26AM
July 19th 2013, a post was made by a new visitor to the Ross Instiute message board on this topic.
[forum.culteducation.com]
[forum.culteducation.com]
Re: Victor Baranco, Lafayette Morehouse,Nicole Daedone, One Taste - cults?
Posted by:
corboy
()
Date: July 20, 2013 08:30AM
All kinds of projects are out there.
[forum.culteducation.com]
These days one can be made to feel inferior if one doesnt want to follow a dare.
[forum.culteducation.com]
These days one can be made to feel inferior if one doesnt want to follow a dare.
Re: Victor Baranco, Lafayette Morehouse,Nicole Daedone, One Taste - cults?
Posted by:
corboy
()
Date: July 20, 2013 10:23PM
Some old but informative posts earlier in this thread
[forum.culteducation.com]
and this
[forum.culteducation.com]
[forum.culteducation.com]
and this
[forum.culteducation.com]
Re: Victor Baranco, Lafayette Morehouse,Nicole Daedone, One Taste - cults?
Posted by:
corboy
()
Date: July 20, 2013 11:13PM
Is confidentiality protected in these kinds of 'cutting edge' groups?
Are you given signed statements that your confientiality will be protected. That you will not be filmed or voice recorded without your permission?
Anyone who wants to educate themselves as to the kinds of questions to ask when researching any sort of in-group that claims it is cutting edge, and re-arranges sexual boundaries as a way to create a new society, should get and read People Farm by Steve Susoyev.
The events described happened thirty years ago and the group no longer exists.
Half the battle is learning to ask the right questions and this book will
educate researchers on exactly what questions can be asked.
Quote:
"A profound and ethically challenging tale. . . Reminds us of the corruptibility of good intentions."
— Gay & Lesbian Review Worldwide
[www.peoplefarm.com]
The events described happened thirty years ago, and the group no longer exists.
The author,Steve Susoyev, himself a former member, stated that his greatest ethical challenges was to write the history in a way that protected the privacy of the many members who had moved on to live new lives and did not want anyone to know their ties to this group.
That is why confidentiality is of the utmost importance and why professionals, including sex therapists, must take that into account--professionalism is very much more than as Nicole Daedone, founder of One Taste, stated in the Common Ground article, "begin(ing) with an idea that there was something wrong.'
Being a professional, including a professional sex therapist, means being trained to prevent things from going wrong--and that means protecting confidentiality so as to ensure that what is done in session and in our twenties can never at any time become a matter for regret in our forties or compromise our employability and social mobility.
A thought experiment for our readers:
Consider a political figure whom you admire, who has demonstrably done great good.
What if that man or woman had, in his or her twenties, become involved with something that seemed like a wonderful Breakthrough in Communal Living, and later realized that it was something very different?
Something that was tabloid fodder.
And because they'd been in that group, they could never pass a security clearance.
Or bear heavy media scrutiny.
And would have had to opt out of politics and never have become the person whose career you admire today..
For Mr Susoyev reported that friends who had been in the group with him had jobs and families years later, and begged him to protect their privacy.
What had seemed liberating in thier twenties, looked very very different when they were parents and had jobs
Are you given signed statements that your confientiality will be protected. That you will not be filmed or voice recorded without your permission?
Anyone who wants to educate themselves as to the kinds of questions to ask when researching any sort of in-group that claims it is cutting edge, and re-arranges sexual boundaries as a way to create a new society, should get and read People Farm by Steve Susoyev.
The events described happened thirty years ago and the group no longer exists.
Half the battle is learning to ask the right questions and this book will
educate researchers on exactly what questions can be asked.
Quote:
"A profound and ethically challenging tale. . . Reminds us of the corruptibility of good intentions."
— Gay & Lesbian Review Worldwide
[www.peoplefarm.com]
The events described happened thirty years ago, and the group no longer exists.
The author,Steve Susoyev, himself a former member, stated that his greatest ethical challenges was to write the history in a way that protected the privacy of the many members who had moved on to live new lives and did not want anyone to know their ties to this group.
That is why confidentiality is of the utmost importance and why professionals, including sex therapists, must take that into account--professionalism is very much more than as Nicole Daedone, founder of One Taste, stated in the Common Ground article, "begin(ing) with an idea that there was something wrong.'
Being a professional, including a professional sex therapist, means being trained to prevent things from going wrong--and that means protecting confidentiality so as to ensure that what is done in session and in our twenties can never at any time become a matter for regret in our forties or compromise our employability and social mobility.
A thought experiment for our readers:
Consider a political figure whom you admire, who has demonstrably done great good.
What if that man or woman had, in his or her twenties, become involved with something that seemed like a wonderful Breakthrough in Communal Living, and later realized that it was something very different?
Something that was tabloid fodder.
And because they'd been in that group, they could never pass a security clearance.
Or bear heavy media scrutiny.
And would have had to opt out of politics and never have become the person whose career you admire today..
For Mr Susoyev reported that friends who had been in the group with him had jobs and families years later, and begged him to protect their privacy.
What had seemed liberating in thier twenties, looked very very different when they were parents and had jobs
Re: Victor Baranco, Lafayette Morehouse,Nicole Daedone, One Taste - cults?
Posted by:
corboy
()
Date: July 20, 2013 11:16PM
One Taste Performance in Frisco 3 Day OMXperience
Posted by:
corboy
()
Date: April 03, 2014 11:34PM
Corboy note: What follows may not be safe for work and not for
minors. Graphic content.
[www.sfweekly.com]
The Snatch: Special "Orgasmic Meditation" Edition
A A A Comments (0) By Staff, SF Weekly Wednesday, Apr 2 2014
Over the weekend, people passed through the doors of the Oakland Scottish Rite Center and entered what is possibly America's most energetic conference this side of Comic-Con: OMXperience (OMX), a three-day orgasmic meditation (OM) conference that specializes in all things lady-business.
For those unfamiliar with OM, it is a meditation practice akin to yoga that focuses primarily on the clitoris. It's meant to improve sexual vitality and ultimately serve as a connection between two partners– for 15 minutes at a time.
While OM may seem to some just a highfalutin term for glorified masturbation, that's not the case, said OM founder Nicole Daedone. [www.sfweekly.com]
During her live demonstration Friday night on fellow instructor Justine Dawson
[www.sfweekly.com]
before a crowd of hundreds, Daedone stressed that OM is not sexual, but solely about connection. To say that things got operatic from that point on is an understatement. As described by Daedone herself, she played Dawson's clitoris like a fiddle. For those in the audience, it was more like Yo-Yo Ma going apeshit on his cello while covering Metallica. And with that image now firmly implanted, here we present the fundamentals of OM.
1. Three's a crowd: The practice of OM is intended for groups of two. One is the stroker and the other is the strokee.
2. Build a nest: No, seriously. Create for her what's called a "nest." It should include a mat or blanket, several pillows with a firm cushion, hand towel, gloves, lube, and, sexiest of all, a timer.
3. Strokers, prepare: Clip your fingernails, keep your clothes on and, for once, 15 minutes will do just fine. Remember strokers, this isn't an exercise in finger endurance. Keep it at 15 minutes and be gentle. Stroke no harder than you would your eyelid. Ladies on the other end need only be naked from waist to knees.
4. Play on: Daedone said to imagine Santana's skillful fingers while stroking the clitoris. It's supposed to feel like a surge from an electric socket.
And, like Santana, OM may be best when performed in front of an audience. Jonathan Ramos
minors. Graphic content.
[www.sfweekly.com]
The Snatch: Special "Orgasmic Meditation" Edition
A A A Comments (0) By Staff, SF Weekly Wednesday, Apr 2 2014
Over the weekend, people passed through the doors of the Oakland Scottish Rite Center and entered what is possibly America's most energetic conference this side of Comic-Con: OMXperience (OMX), a three-day orgasmic meditation (OM) conference that specializes in all things lady-business.
For those unfamiliar with OM, it is a meditation practice akin to yoga that focuses primarily on the clitoris. It's meant to improve sexual vitality and ultimately serve as a connection between two partners– for 15 minutes at a time.
While OM may seem to some just a highfalutin term for glorified masturbation, that's not the case, said OM founder Nicole Daedone. [www.sfweekly.com]
During her live demonstration Friday night on fellow instructor Justine Dawson
[www.sfweekly.com]
before a crowd of hundreds, Daedone stressed that OM is not sexual, but solely about connection. To say that things got operatic from that point on is an understatement. As described by Daedone herself, she played Dawson's clitoris like a fiddle. For those in the audience, it was more like Yo-Yo Ma going apeshit on his cello while covering Metallica. And with that image now firmly implanted, here we present the fundamentals of OM.
1. Three's a crowd: The practice of OM is intended for groups of two. One is the stroker and the other is the strokee.
2. Build a nest: No, seriously. Create for her what's called a "nest." It should include a mat or blanket, several pillows with a firm cushion, hand towel, gloves, lube, and, sexiest of all, a timer.
3. Strokers, prepare: Clip your fingernails, keep your clothes on and, for once, 15 minutes will do just fine. Remember strokers, this isn't an exercise in finger endurance. Keep it at 15 minutes and be gentle. Stroke no harder than you would your eyelid. Ladies on the other end need only be naked from waist to knees.
4. Play on: Daedone said to imagine Santana's skillful fingers while stroking the clitoris. It's supposed to feel like a surge from an electric socket.
And, like Santana, OM may be best when performed in front of an audience. Jonathan Ramos
Quotations from Yelp reviews
Posted by:
corboy
()
Date: April 04, 2014 02:45AM
Note: found on Yelp.
[www.yelp.com]
This is Google's cache of [www.yelp.com]. It is a snapshot of the page as it appeared on Mar 31, 2014 11:40:33 GMT. The current page could have changed in the meantime. Learn more
Tip: To quickly find your search term on this page, press Ctrl+F or ?-F (Mac) and use the find bar
OneTaste
3.5 star rating
45 reviews
· Wil J.
Before judging OneTaste based on some of these other reviews, please check how long ago some were written? (I wonder about the "Joe S."review too. is he complaining that there were 20 year old men and women dancing together or that the three older men were not?)
I've taken the OneTaste intro "How to OM" class three times over the past 6-7 years (the first two times my schedule didn't allow me to regularly make the trip up to SF for further practice) and yes, OT has undergone multiple transitions/adjustments in it's growth (don't we all?). But it is most certainly NOT a cult. What it is, is a now international organization whose teachings are based on a partnered meditation practice (Orgasmic Meditation) wherein women are provided a safe space for exactly 15 minutes to clear their minds and...just...feel the sensations of having their clitoris lightly stroked ("as if stroking an eyelid") at it's most sensitive spot, climax not the goal but rather feeling the waves of sensation. If you want to know more, there are plenty of details and videos on their website, especially interesting are founder Nicole Daedone's talks
I won't go into the scientific details on all the proven benefits this practice provides (oxytocin release in both partners for example), but it would be well worth YOUR time to at least check it out. I promise, no chanting, no Kool-aid.(but they do have nice tea). Oh yeah, and if you want just a small PG-13 taste first, check out their "TurnON" Meetup events (one conveniently located near you I bet in the SF Bay Area and several major cities).
OneTaste IS a community though. Some of the most caring people you could ever hope to meet. Now go find your desires!
Julie S.
.0 star rating
· 1/16/2014
· OneTaste is a company that teaches genital stroking in a technique called Orgasmic Meditation. They have events called "Turn Ons" which are modeled after the Mark groups of the 60s by the sex commune Morehouse. (They were called Mark groups because the people who attended the events are 'marks' to be conned.) If you go to one of these events to 'learn' you will get the hard sell a few days later from their staff.
No matter how eager these OneTaste people seem to be your friend, no matter how much they seem to have something you want, they are salespeople first and will drop you like a hot potato if you don't buy expensive workshops and coaching sessions from them. I was involved with this group for over a year, took 2 classes and even some private coaching sessions from them. And this was the #1 complaint from many people. Many leave. Bad for business.
OneTaste has a sex class for about $6000 and their coaching program costs in the $15,000 range. The basic OM class is about $195 at last I heard. You take this one-day class, the "How to OM" class, to learn their technique of female clitoral stroking. It's like learning a new form of sex. This part is actually cool. Orgasms, what's not to like?
The uncool part is that the staff and coaches are focused on liberating you from your money and protecting their status in the organization, and if you criticize them you will be kicked out. This is getting into the culty part. OneTaste promises women better orgasms, but getting past all the sales, emotional manipulation and starry-eyed fellow culties is a big turn off. It's a good place for older, or shy men, to pick up on women who would not normally consider becoming sexually involved with them. The gender balance can be a little skewed older, white male.
Bottom line: Look elsewhere to expand your sexual education. Don't put your faith in sex gurus or their acolytes. Their main goal is to make money teaching sexual techniques with a veneer of psuedo spirituality. Trust yourself. Remember that the teachers are salespeople first and foremost, not your friends. Also remember that as soon as you quit paying for expensive classes, or quit recruiting new customers for them, you will be of no interest to them.
There are other groups all around the Bay Area doing the same thing, with more care and honesty. Find them.
Zach F.
· 1.0 star rating
· 9/5/2013
Eek! Me thinks not, is right.
What I thought was going to be a fun evening of Socratic taboo discussion was actually a primer to a "for-profit" cult-like system masquerading as new-age spirituality.
On the surface the methods used remind me of what I've learned about scientology, Landmark Forum, and the now government banned "EST Training." You know, just your average "break-you-down-build-you-up" money cults that have left so many people financially and spiritually broken.
In this one class Individuals are singled out, then subjected to a barrage of off color questions by a group of strangers. The next phase goes around the room where (strangers, again) make downright judgmental an unfounded statements about that persons personality, persona, and appearance. It really didn't have much to do with sex and sensuality at all.
Then at the end of the "whatever it is" thy instructors give the big pitch for other courses such as " 8 month intensive leadership training" and other "OM method" courses.
On a deeper, energetic or metaphysical level, this group felt like "energetic vampirism". If you're not familiar with the term, google it. I left feeling really icky and it wasn't because of what was said or not said.
Be ye warned.
Summer E.
· OneTaste has helped me change my relationship to my sexuality. I had this idea a few years ago that the state of my sex was deeply important, as it directly or indirectly affected every single part of my life... but the society I live in seemed to be lacking a clean, well-lit, sex-positive space to begin any sort of inquiry into how I could find more fulfillment in my sex and relationships.
Enter OneTaste.
The work they do here is amazing. It's all about personal empowerment and taking responsibility for your experience. And the practice they teach, Orgasmic Meditation, is the ultimate teacher and will, with continued practice, teach you more about yourself, your sex, how you show up in the world, etc... than any other teacher could (that I know of).
The organization has become quite reputable, having been featured recently at SXSW, TEDx, Deepak Chopra show, and a bunch of other places... And one of their staff is a scientist at Rutgers doing studies on orgasm and Orgasmic Meditation as treatment for sexual "disorders" and different types of chronic pelvic and gynecological pain. This practice seems to be moving out of the shadows into the light as the vast potential it holds becomes clearer. And I think that's great.
Kirsten E.
· 1.0 star rating
· 11/5/2007
· Listed in SoMa, Crappiest of the Shitty
· While pausing to write this review i noticed the categories included, "Adult, Day Spas, Yoga"
The Yelp people should really consider adding a "Cult" category to the selective choices because thats what this place fucking is.
This hot mess of weirdness really should just go for the gusto and rename itself the One Tase Urban Cult Center.
Straight up Waco shit going on in there, just with more group sex and yoga.
Dont ask me how i know these things, please.
But in all honesty if i ever felt the need to have sex with a wide variety of people in a single setting i'll take the Power Exchange, because at least i can leave at the end.
All i can say is that I never thought I would ever have a story to whip out at parties about how i got temporarily trapped in a cult, referred to as "an outsider",and had to physically make an escape.
Well now i do.
Thanks, One Taste Urban Cult Center.
Mike S.
· 1.0 star rating
· 6/19/2007
· One time, while waiting around for someone who lives there, my wife and I were kicked out of the front office/waiting room by an older One Taste cult member because we were, quote, "OUTSIDERS".
Real nice.
Dan C.
.0 star rating
· 4/8/2007
· I went here to see a presentation by a former prostitute and porn star. I thought it would be interesting to hear the story of someone in that line of work. She didn't really talk about her career. Instead she talked about orgasms. She really stretched the definition of the word. It seemed like you could call anything an orgasm if you wanted to. Then she led an exercise where you lie on your back and move your hands around while breathing heavily. This was supposed to produce an orgasm but since there would be no um, output, I guess this was another special use of the word.
I studied mechanical engineering in college. I wrote software as a living. I only make decisions when I have concrete justifications backed up with data. If I have a headache, I take a pharmaceutical that affects the chemical reactions in my head and the headache goes away. I believe what I can see or what other people can see with their expensive microscopes.
So, I desperately want to be able to see things the way the One Taste sort of people see things because they seem pretty happy. I even went to burning man last year in hopes of 'getting it'. But I don't get it. All the talk about "energy" moving around in your body just doesn't get through to me. One of the people running the presentation even remarked how scientists were identifying hormone secretion centers in the parts of the body purported as "energy chakras", but this didn't seem to change her belief in these non-physiological constructs.
I envy you, One Taste people. You seem very happy in your woo woo world, and your women are beautiful, horny, and not ashamed of it or frigid. It is always good to see revolutionary ideas in action and, judging by the testimonials, the women who go here seem to be much happier. It seems like One Taste activities elevate the status of women in relationships at the expense of the status of men in relationships. I hope that I'm wrong about that. It would be nice if neither role had to be second class, but perhaps that's impossible.
Padawan T.
.0 star rating
· 5/11/2007
· Okay, so this review is tinged by a bit of skepticism, but, I'm paranoid about anything that smacks of cultiness. So I'm going to base this on the physical space and the idealistic intention of the place.
Basically, this space is a multi-use facility.
You gotchyer commune thing: people living here to engage in some sort of sensual/sexual/spiritual exploration in a communal living situation.
You gotchyer sex education/exploration/growth thing: many many sex positive, generally woman centered workshops from tantra and energy work with a partner, to solo play, to kinky things, like bondage and flogging workshops.
you gotchyer yoga thing: yoga everyday and it seems almost every hour throughout the day. Which is very cool.
Something for everyone really. Well sort of.
The physical space is clean, simple, inviting. Lots of wood (in the non-phallocentric sense). I can see how this could feel very homey, very easily. And the people we met there were generally friendly. So, really, all-in-all, if you are looking for a safe space to expand your horizons, this seems to be the place to do it, particularly for women.
Why not five stars?
Well, I was tempted to give it only three, but that was based more on gut reaction/potential philosphical differences with the what I believe is the entire premise of the place. But, it would be too premature to judge on that.
But I could only give it four stars because something about the place made me feel just a wee bit uneasy. Is it because I'm a guy, and therefore this place isn't targeting me primarily? Is it because my former Catholic self can't just relax into a spiritual center focused on sensuality and hedonism? I can't say. But I do think that this place is offering some great things for the community at large.
But I'm not ready to drink the kool-aid.
Abby S.
.0 star rating
· 3/28/2011
· Listed in When I like to leave the house..., Pick Me Up
· Sex and love. Love and sex. These topics flood my brain a tad too much these days... but hey, I'm human. Regardless, I'm pretty sure OneTaste came into my life for a reason. Actually, for a couple of reasons, so let's discuss, shall we?
I stumbled upon OneTaste completely by accident - a friend invited me to a "lecture" on women's sexuality, something I can never get too much of (see above). Not sure what exactly I was getting into, I trekked it up to SF and found my way to 1080 Folsom, the home of OneTaste. Quite honestly, I was a little wary - you know how nudists tend to be creepy? Was this going to be something like a scene from "Eyes Wide Shut?" Would I be asked to recount my most recent sexual experience? Those were all things I feared about the impending sex talk...
Despite the fact that I didn't know anyone there and I was a little anxious (my friend was running late), the people in the lobby seemed super friendly and non-creepy. Actually, I struck up a conversation with a gal who works there and she was anything but freaky. She introduced me to few other members and gave me a little info about OneTaste. No, they're not a cult. No, they don't engage you into any sort of orgy-like activities. What they aim to do is empower people to explore their sexuality - as an individual or a couple. You've heard of the slow food movement, right? These programs area all about slow sex. And since sex is one of the top three things that couples fight about, this seems perfectly useful and reasonable.
The talk, led by Nicole Daedone, was mind blowing. It was informational, yet entertaining at the same time. I won't steal her thunder and try to describe the topics that she covered, but let's just say it definitely resonated with my life experiences thus far. Not only that, but Nicole is a super engaging speaker - she invites audience participation and questions, which makes the hour-long talk fly by!
Although I've not been able to attend a Talk lately, I plan on going back soon. And the talks are available online if you don't live near SF or can't make it to OneTaste on Wednesday nights. If you are at all interested in learning about sex, love and everything that goes along with it, I suggest you attend a session at OneTaste and see what it's all about. You will be welcomed with open arms and open minds ;)
POST TWO
[www.yelp.com]
Joe S.
· 1.0 star rating
· 1/19/2012
KREEPY....
I walked in off the street to a SIGN posted on the door "welcome to ...study group"
what I found was 10-15 awkwardly dancing 20 year old male and females dancing with THREE sixty something year old men standing and watching them.
What I found out when I spoke more with one of them made the hair on the back of me head rise up with a cold chill.
SIMPLY said "there are a lot of BROKEN TOYS in the city of San Francisco and this little business has found a nice way to CAPITALIZE on it.
HOPEFULLY this time YELP will not take down this review as IT WAS MY EXPERIENCE with them....to each his own & I wish them well....but it gets ONE STAR from ME.
Whit G.
· .0 star rating
· 4/10/2010
· One man's cult is another man's salvation, I suppose. I've been involved with OT for about three years now and not once have I ever felt coerced into doing anything that felt damaging or intrusive. I have never lived there, nor have I ever worshipped the ground that Nicole Daedone (the founder and de facto leader) walks on, but I do have the utmost respect for her and the rest of the staff that teach the courses.
It's natural, I believe, that such a fringe organization that delves into such potent (sexual) waters would attract a healthy amount of negative energy, but if you're curious about how your sexuality influences your emotions and your relationship to the world, do yourself a favor and give OneTaste a chance. I've never been held hostage, energetically or otherwise, and you won't be, either.
Was this review …?
[www.yelp.com]
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Tip: To quickly find your search term on this page, press Ctrl+F or ?-F (Mac) and use the find bar
OneTaste
3.5 star rating
45 reviews
· Wil J.
Before judging OneTaste based on some of these other reviews, please check how long ago some were written? (I wonder about the "Joe S."review too. is he complaining that there were 20 year old men and women dancing together or that the three older men were not?)
I've taken the OneTaste intro "How to OM" class three times over the past 6-7 years (the first two times my schedule didn't allow me to regularly make the trip up to SF for further practice) and yes, OT has undergone multiple transitions/adjustments in it's growth (don't we all?). But it is most certainly NOT a cult. What it is, is a now international organization whose teachings are based on a partnered meditation practice (Orgasmic Meditation) wherein women are provided a safe space for exactly 15 minutes to clear their minds and...just...feel the sensations of having their clitoris lightly stroked ("as if stroking an eyelid") at it's most sensitive spot, climax not the goal but rather feeling the waves of sensation. If you want to know more, there are plenty of details and videos on their website, especially interesting are founder Nicole Daedone's talks
I won't go into the scientific details on all the proven benefits this practice provides (oxytocin release in both partners for example), but it would be well worth YOUR time to at least check it out. I promise, no chanting, no Kool-aid.(but they do have nice tea). Oh yeah, and if you want just a small PG-13 taste first, check out their "TurnON" Meetup events (one conveniently located near you I bet in the SF Bay Area and several major cities).
OneTaste IS a community though. Some of the most caring people you could ever hope to meet. Now go find your desires!
Julie S.
.0 star rating
· 1/16/2014
· OneTaste is a company that teaches genital stroking in a technique called Orgasmic Meditation. They have events called "Turn Ons" which are modeled after the Mark groups of the 60s by the sex commune Morehouse. (They were called Mark groups because the people who attended the events are 'marks' to be conned.) If you go to one of these events to 'learn' you will get the hard sell a few days later from their staff.
No matter how eager these OneTaste people seem to be your friend, no matter how much they seem to have something you want, they are salespeople first and will drop you like a hot potato if you don't buy expensive workshops and coaching sessions from them. I was involved with this group for over a year, took 2 classes and even some private coaching sessions from them. And this was the #1 complaint from many people. Many leave. Bad for business.
OneTaste has a sex class for about $6000 and their coaching program costs in the $15,000 range. The basic OM class is about $195 at last I heard. You take this one-day class, the "How to OM" class, to learn their technique of female clitoral stroking. It's like learning a new form of sex. This part is actually cool. Orgasms, what's not to like?
The uncool part is that the staff and coaches are focused on liberating you from your money and protecting their status in the organization, and if you criticize them you will be kicked out. This is getting into the culty part. OneTaste promises women better orgasms, but getting past all the sales, emotional manipulation and starry-eyed fellow culties is a big turn off. It's a good place for older, or shy men, to pick up on women who would not normally consider becoming sexually involved with them. The gender balance can be a little skewed older, white male.
Bottom line: Look elsewhere to expand your sexual education. Don't put your faith in sex gurus or their acolytes. Their main goal is to make money teaching sexual techniques with a veneer of psuedo spirituality. Trust yourself. Remember that the teachers are salespeople first and foremost, not your friends. Also remember that as soon as you quit paying for expensive classes, or quit recruiting new customers for them, you will be of no interest to them.
There are other groups all around the Bay Area doing the same thing, with more care and honesty. Find them.
Zach F.
· 1.0 star rating
· 9/5/2013
Eek! Me thinks not, is right.
What I thought was going to be a fun evening of Socratic taboo discussion was actually a primer to a "for-profit" cult-like system masquerading as new-age spirituality.
On the surface the methods used remind me of what I've learned about scientology, Landmark Forum, and the now government banned "EST Training." You know, just your average "break-you-down-build-you-up" money cults that have left so many people financially and spiritually broken.
In this one class Individuals are singled out, then subjected to a barrage of off color questions by a group of strangers. The next phase goes around the room where (strangers, again) make downright judgmental an unfounded statements about that persons personality, persona, and appearance. It really didn't have much to do with sex and sensuality at all.
Then at the end of the "whatever it is" thy instructors give the big pitch for other courses such as " 8 month intensive leadership training" and other "OM method" courses.
On a deeper, energetic or metaphysical level, this group felt like "energetic vampirism". If you're not familiar with the term, google it. I left feeling really icky and it wasn't because of what was said or not said.
Be ye warned.
Summer E.
· OneTaste has helped me change my relationship to my sexuality. I had this idea a few years ago that the state of my sex was deeply important, as it directly or indirectly affected every single part of my life... but the society I live in seemed to be lacking a clean, well-lit, sex-positive space to begin any sort of inquiry into how I could find more fulfillment in my sex and relationships.
Enter OneTaste.
The work they do here is amazing. It's all about personal empowerment and taking responsibility for your experience. And the practice they teach, Orgasmic Meditation, is the ultimate teacher and will, with continued practice, teach you more about yourself, your sex, how you show up in the world, etc... than any other teacher could (that I know of).
The organization has become quite reputable, having been featured recently at SXSW, TEDx, Deepak Chopra show, and a bunch of other places... And one of their staff is a scientist at Rutgers doing studies on orgasm and Orgasmic Meditation as treatment for sexual "disorders" and different types of chronic pelvic and gynecological pain. This practice seems to be moving out of the shadows into the light as the vast potential it holds becomes clearer. And I think that's great.
Kirsten E.
· 1.0 star rating
· 11/5/2007
· Listed in SoMa, Crappiest of the Shitty
· While pausing to write this review i noticed the categories included, "Adult, Day Spas, Yoga"
The Yelp people should really consider adding a "Cult" category to the selective choices because thats what this place fucking is.
This hot mess of weirdness really should just go for the gusto and rename itself the One Tase Urban Cult Center.
Straight up Waco shit going on in there, just with more group sex and yoga.
Dont ask me how i know these things, please.
But in all honesty if i ever felt the need to have sex with a wide variety of people in a single setting i'll take the Power Exchange, because at least i can leave at the end.
All i can say is that I never thought I would ever have a story to whip out at parties about how i got temporarily trapped in a cult, referred to as "an outsider",and had to physically make an escape.
Well now i do.
Thanks, One Taste Urban Cult Center.
Mike S.
· 1.0 star rating
· 6/19/2007
· One time, while waiting around for someone who lives there, my wife and I were kicked out of the front office/waiting room by an older One Taste cult member because we were, quote, "OUTSIDERS".
Real nice.
Dan C.
.0 star rating
· 4/8/2007
· I went here to see a presentation by a former prostitute and porn star. I thought it would be interesting to hear the story of someone in that line of work. She didn't really talk about her career. Instead she talked about orgasms. She really stretched the definition of the word. It seemed like you could call anything an orgasm if you wanted to. Then she led an exercise where you lie on your back and move your hands around while breathing heavily. This was supposed to produce an orgasm but since there would be no um, output, I guess this was another special use of the word.
I studied mechanical engineering in college. I wrote software as a living. I only make decisions when I have concrete justifications backed up with data. If I have a headache, I take a pharmaceutical that affects the chemical reactions in my head and the headache goes away. I believe what I can see or what other people can see with their expensive microscopes.
So, I desperately want to be able to see things the way the One Taste sort of people see things because they seem pretty happy. I even went to burning man last year in hopes of 'getting it'. But I don't get it. All the talk about "energy" moving around in your body just doesn't get through to me. One of the people running the presentation even remarked how scientists were identifying hormone secretion centers in the parts of the body purported as "energy chakras", but this didn't seem to change her belief in these non-physiological constructs.
I envy you, One Taste people. You seem very happy in your woo woo world, and your women are beautiful, horny, and not ashamed of it or frigid. It is always good to see revolutionary ideas in action and, judging by the testimonials, the women who go here seem to be much happier. It seems like One Taste activities elevate the status of women in relationships at the expense of the status of men in relationships. I hope that I'm wrong about that. It would be nice if neither role had to be second class, but perhaps that's impossible.
Padawan T.
.0 star rating
· 5/11/2007
· Okay, so this review is tinged by a bit of skepticism, but, I'm paranoid about anything that smacks of cultiness. So I'm going to base this on the physical space and the idealistic intention of the place.
Basically, this space is a multi-use facility.
You gotchyer commune thing: people living here to engage in some sort of sensual/sexual/spiritual exploration in a communal living situation.
You gotchyer sex education/exploration/growth thing: many many sex positive, generally woman centered workshops from tantra and energy work with a partner, to solo play, to kinky things, like bondage and flogging workshops.
you gotchyer yoga thing: yoga everyday and it seems almost every hour throughout the day. Which is very cool.
Something for everyone really. Well sort of.
The physical space is clean, simple, inviting. Lots of wood (in the non-phallocentric sense). I can see how this could feel very homey, very easily. And the people we met there were generally friendly. So, really, all-in-all, if you are looking for a safe space to expand your horizons, this seems to be the place to do it, particularly for women.
Why not five stars?
Well, I was tempted to give it only three, but that was based more on gut reaction/potential philosphical differences with the what I believe is the entire premise of the place. But, it would be too premature to judge on that.
But I could only give it four stars because something about the place made me feel just a wee bit uneasy. Is it because I'm a guy, and therefore this place isn't targeting me primarily? Is it because my former Catholic self can't just relax into a spiritual center focused on sensuality and hedonism? I can't say. But I do think that this place is offering some great things for the community at large.
But I'm not ready to drink the kool-aid.
Abby S.
.0 star rating
· 3/28/2011
· Listed in When I like to leave the house..., Pick Me Up
· Sex and love. Love and sex. These topics flood my brain a tad too much these days... but hey, I'm human. Regardless, I'm pretty sure OneTaste came into my life for a reason. Actually, for a couple of reasons, so let's discuss, shall we?
I stumbled upon OneTaste completely by accident - a friend invited me to a "lecture" on women's sexuality, something I can never get too much of (see above). Not sure what exactly I was getting into, I trekked it up to SF and found my way to 1080 Folsom, the home of OneTaste. Quite honestly, I was a little wary - you know how nudists tend to be creepy? Was this going to be something like a scene from "Eyes Wide Shut?" Would I be asked to recount my most recent sexual experience? Those were all things I feared about the impending sex talk...
Despite the fact that I didn't know anyone there and I was a little anxious (my friend was running late), the people in the lobby seemed super friendly and non-creepy. Actually, I struck up a conversation with a gal who works there and she was anything but freaky. She introduced me to few other members and gave me a little info about OneTaste. No, they're not a cult. No, they don't engage you into any sort of orgy-like activities. What they aim to do is empower people to explore their sexuality - as an individual or a couple. You've heard of the slow food movement, right? These programs area all about slow sex. And since sex is one of the top three things that couples fight about, this seems perfectly useful and reasonable.
The talk, led by Nicole Daedone, was mind blowing. It was informational, yet entertaining at the same time. I won't steal her thunder and try to describe the topics that she covered, but let's just say it definitely resonated with my life experiences thus far. Not only that, but Nicole is a super engaging speaker - she invites audience participation and questions, which makes the hour-long talk fly by!
Although I've not been able to attend a Talk lately, I plan on going back soon. And the talks are available online if you don't live near SF or can't make it to OneTaste on Wednesday nights. If you are at all interested in learning about sex, love and everything that goes along with it, I suggest you attend a session at OneTaste and see what it's all about. You will be welcomed with open arms and open minds ;)
POST TWO
[www.yelp.com]
Joe S.
· 1.0 star rating
· 1/19/2012
KREEPY....
I walked in off the street to a SIGN posted on the door "welcome to ...study group"
what I found was 10-15 awkwardly dancing 20 year old male and females dancing with THREE sixty something year old men standing and watching them.
What I found out when I spoke more with one of them made the hair on the back of me head rise up with a cold chill.
SIMPLY said "there are a lot of BROKEN TOYS in the city of San Francisco and this little business has found a nice way to CAPITALIZE on it.
HOPEFULLY this time YELP will not take down this review as IT WAS MY EXPERIENCE with them....to each his own & I wish them well....but it gets ONE STAR from ME.
Whit G.
· .0 star rating
· 4/10/2010
· One man's cult is another man's salvation, I suppose. I've been involved with OT for about three years now and not once have I ever felt coerced into doing anything that felt damaging or intrusive. I have never lived there, nor have I ever worshipped the ground that Nicole Daedone (the founder and de facto leader) walks on, but I do have the utmost respect for her and the rest of the staff that teach the courses.
It's natural, I believe, that such a fringe organization that delves into such potent (sexual) waters would attract a healthy amount of negative energy, but if you're curious about how your sexuality influences your emotions and your relationship to the world, do yourself a favor and give OneTaste a chance. I've never been held hostage, energetically or otherwise, and you won't be, either.
Was this review …?
Re: Victor Baranco, Lafayette Morehouse,Nicole Daedone, One Taste - cults?
Posted by:
The Anticult
()
Date: June 14, 2014 10:25PM
Here is a post quoted from a former member of One Taste.
------------------
[forum.culteducation.com]
OneTaste
Posted by: CuriosityKilledTheCat ()
Date: July 20, 2013 04:07AM
As a former member a particular chapter of the OneTaste cult, my advice to anybody joining would be to steer clear of the faculty. If you want to try out the techniques then that's fine, but define your boundaries at the outset and stick to them to avoid financial ruin, stigma, excommunication, manipulation and shame.
This could have been an amazing community but, as always, sex and money became the motivating forces - and 'members' are there to be used.
------------------
[forum.culteducation.com]
OneTaste
Posted by: CuriosityKilledTheCat ()
Date: July 20, 2013 04:07AM
As a former member a particular chapter of the OneTaste cult, my advice to anybody joining would be to steer clear of the faculty. If you want to try out the techniques then that's fine, but define your boundaries at the outset and stick to them to avoid financial ruin, stigma, excommunication, manipulation and shame.
This could have been an amazing community but, as always, sex and money became the motivating forces - and 'members' are there to be used.
Nicole Daedone, One Taste, GAWKER My Life With the Thrill-Clit Cult, Nitasha Tiku
Posted by:
The Anticult
()
Date: June 14, 2014 10:59PM
Notice this thread identified the Victor Baranco sex-cult roots of One Taste years before the media. And also identified the bald-faced lies by the leader of One Taste on that issue.
Bald-faced brazen lying is generally a "clue" something is amiss...ya think?
Its shocking and unbelievable the level of brazen propaganda being sold by One Taste to the credulous "media" in various stories over the last period of time.
How many of these "media/bloggers" are courted by One Taste's cash, have their travel and expenses paid, or worse?
of course "sex sells", but who is being sold, and to whom, and for what price?
--------------
My Life With the Thrill-Clit Cult, Nitasha Tiku
[gawker.com]
QUOTE:
"The Rick A. Ross Institute, an online forum about cult education, has devoted pages of commentary connecting Daedone's work to Baranco's. Similar accusations arose in Yelp forums after the New York Times profiled Daedone in 2009 and even in the YouTube comments on Daedone’s TEDx talk. Both OneTaste and Lafayette Morehouse told me that Daedone only took three classes with Baranco, clarifying that she actually worked more closely with Ray Vetterlein, one of Baranco’s disciples—“who had studied some with Vic but had gone on to develop his own variation and approach,” as a OneTaste spokesperson put it. A post by OneTaste's cofounder Robert Kandell from 2006 tells a different story, saying Daedone had "spent the last seven years devoting her energy to the work of Dr. Victor Baranco."
"Victor Baranco, a Svengali-like former appliance salesman whom Rolling Stone once called "the Colonel Sanders of the commune scene," upgraded the practice for the Sexual Revolution. Residents called it a “deliberate orgasm” or “DOing.”
Baranco, who died in 2002, was featured alongside Charles Manson in Mindfuckers, a book published by Rolling Stone's Straight Arrow imprint in 1972 about the rise of acid fascism and the darkness that “lurks beyond the Aquarian Age.” He was infamous for pioneering three-hour public demonstrations of his disciples in orgasm, where “students sometimes passed out, fell out of chairs, and pictures fell off walls.”
-----------------------
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 06/14/2014 11:03PM by The Anticult.
Bald-faced brazen lying is generally a "clue" something is amiss...ya think?
Its shocking and unbelievable the level of brazen propaganda being sold by One Taste to the credulous "media" in various stories over the last period of time.
How many of these "media/bloggers" are courted by One Taste's cash, have their travel and expenses paid, or worse?
of course "sex sells", but who is being sold, and to whom, and for what price?
--------------
My Life With the Thrill-Clit Cult, Nitasha Tiku
[gawker.com]
QUOTE:
"The Rick A. Ross Institute, an online forum about cult education, has devoted pages of commentary connecting Daedone's work to Baranco's. Similar accusations arose in Yelp forums after the New York Times profiled Daedone in 2009 and even in the YouTube comments on Daedone’s TEDx talk. Both OneTaste and Lafayette Morehouse told me that Daedone only took three classes with Baranco, clarifying that she actually worked more closely with Ray Vetterlein, one of Baranco’s disciples—“who had studied some with Vic but had gone on to develop his own variation and approach,” as a OneTaste spokesperson put it. A post by OneTaste's cofounder Robert Kandell from 2006 tells a different story, saying Daedone had "spent the last seven years devoting her energy to the work of Dr. Victor Baranco."
"Victor Baranco, a Svengali-like former appliance salesman whom Rolling Stone once called "the Colonel Sanders of the commune scene," upgraded the practice for the Sexual Revolution. Residents called it a “deliberate orgasm” or “DOing.”
Baranco, who died in 2002, was featured alongside Charles Manson in Mindfuckers, a book published by Rolling Stone's Straight Arrow imprint in 1972 about the rise of acid fascism and the darkness that “lurks beyond the Aquarian Age.” He was infamous for pioneering three-hour public demonstrations of his disciples in orgasm, where “students sometimes passed out, fell out of chairs, and pictures fell off walls.”
-----------------------
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 06/14/2014 11:03PM by The Anticult.
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