This man and his organisation is a typical cult group.

Of course we are not talking about machine guns and child abuse, simply a fanatical, authoritarian, over bearing way of controlling the information and the people inside the group. That combined with severe peer pressure and the idea that his way is the only way and anyone who isn't with them is either beyond hope or is some how against them.

What is not much known outside the organisation is how much his wife runs the show.

Whilst he remains aloof and out of reach as the high master, she does all the heavy lifting under his proxy.

She does not produce any books or philosphies, she does not claim any mastery or special enlightenment, she's simply the unofficial second in command. A kind of good cop, bad cop, husband and wife cult team.

This of course being a genius way of perpetuating the cultish, over bearing and authoritarian attitude, because no one in the organisation is ever able to truely challenge the man and his administration, much less question his integrity, since in all but the intangible, abstract information of the doctrine, you are always dealing with proxies and lieutenants that you cannot cross examine or question in any depth.... its much like the structure of customer service in a large bank really. There is never anyone with real authority you can speak to.

Anyone who wants to progress beyond the immediate beginner courses is forced to become heavily involved in promoting and working for the organisation, (on a voluntary basis of course) and soon finds they have little time to practice and get to grips with the real practical spiritual information that they originally came to learn about. Soon they are just busy worker bees, answering forums, making websites, advertising, arranging centres and real estate and etc. There are alot of complusory meetings that must be attended each week on time, and centres have many social events that are again voluntary, but you ought to be there to curry favor with those in power.

All the while its almost impossible to become really involved in the spiritual side of things, since that is only for the most accomplished teachers and the master. There is always the promise of something better, and the immediate grind of admin, menial tasks and financial donations, and as a person progresses within the organisation this simply increases exponentially to late night telephone calls, and weekend meetings and endless tasks, some being very drawn out and trivial, others being an absolute side track from anything spiritual.

Everything is carried out on behalf of the Master, and if necessary his wife and her close team can become quite ruthless, agressive and spiteful, all on behalf of the kind benevolent master and for the good of the teachings and the movement. If necesary people who ask too many questions are simply, pushed aside, asked to leave, messed about, put back to lower beginner courses. If this doesn't make them bend to the authority, they can always be excommunicated.

There is always a paranoia, that keeps everyone in any kind of position inside the organisation scared of being demoted. This of course comes from a belief in the concept that the Master is the only one, and his way is the only way, so to lose him is to lose your soul and be damned to all hell. This paranoia is perpetuated and maintained because you are always culpable and liable for crictism, even for things you didn't do. This means if one of your fellow teachers or members is out of line you must report them immediately. This goes on constantly until a person is either broken in and fully odidient, or they are ejected. Many are called but few are chosen... in truth, many are called but few are spineless enough to give into this kind of abuse.

Beginner students are warmed up to the concept of voluntary work very gradually, with later talks being all about the importance of involvement in the organisation and invitations to become begin teacher training. There is a brick wall between enjoying the information, which in itself is honestly not that bad, and feeling that you are able to progress beyond the level of a beginner. You are in or you are out.

The information itself is quite lively and entertaining, there is really the promise of something interesting, but the culture of fear and authority that pervades the organisation makes it quite frankly impossible for anyone to grow spiritually. People inside the organisation are slowly frozen in fear, until they are useless maleable tools, that would almost go along with anything for the benefit of maintaining their own favor and position in the masters eyes... or more correctly in his wife's eyes, since she calls all the shots. Only her favorites are allowed to progress, everyone is vetted and controlled and kept in check by her.

Thank you for your perspective Saveatlast, it seems quite in depth.

I have wondered for quite a while if Edith was really the brains behind the operation and if she in fact has trained and controlled Pritchard from the beginning to be in a position to take over when new leadership was needed. Truthfully I did not have much time within the organization but I have learned a lot since being out from the people I have talked to with much more experience. All of those discussions have only confirmed what I believed. I should mention that I also been studying (with practice) the matters that are taught by the Gnostic Movement from more reliable genuine sources.

What is interesting is Edith always seems to refer to Mark as "The Master". "The Master" says this, "How have the Master's teachings helped your life" etc. Its really bizarre for a wife to call her husband "the master" all the time.

Edith was the one who introduced Mark to Gnosis apparently. According to his autobiography at belzebuub.com anyway.. who knows how much truth is in that autobiography...

BTW savedatlast.. feel free to PM if you want to contact me.. as I was an ex-trainee so very much in the system and have a few stories to share.

When you think into it, Gnosis is just the cult of investigation.

If anyone in the organisation is really honest with themselves about how much they have investigated and how much they are taking on face value, i think they will be forced to either leave or at least go back to a beginners course.

Its no good crying investigate if no conclusions are drawn. Its no good saying investigate if its just an excuse to over look all kinds of outlandish claims or even anti social behavior etc. Its no good if you have investigated 5-10 even 30% and said ok, this works, and the rest you are taking on face value while you "investigate" it.

Gnosis claims to be a scientific, investigative school, but science does not work by setting aside all kinds of things, taking other peoples theories on face value and leaving the rest for investigation. NO ! Science is when you investigate and prove something, only then can you move forwards.

Thanks Savedatlast

It is great to have your perspective added to the case that is presented against Edith and Mark Pritchard and the Gnostic Movement.

Related to what you are saying it is interesting that Mark agrees with the idea that we see a bright light when we die and are put back in touch with our lost love ones. However after that he claims that there is something that occurs that is blocked out because of Amnesia that only he and a few others who have achieved mastery have been able to see. His claim, as I remember it is that after this we are castigated and almost tortured for all the things that we have done wrong in our lifes and reminded of all the chances we missed to be conscious. But of course only the master can really verify this.

I mention this because a part of the investigation cult aspect there are many excuses. Maybe your egos lead you to the wrong answer or maybe it was something you were not advanced enough to learn what you were investigation. It is all too convenient.

To be honest I think the thing with debunking The Gnostic Movement and its Master Belzebuub is to steer clear of too much mystical speak and confusing doctrine. That is their field of "expertise" which as you say is rather conveniently open to never ending interpretation. To debunk The Gnostic Movement with this approach is like trying to catch a greasy Belzebuub pig.

The facts on the other hand are clear :

1.) The Gnostic Movement and Belzebuub offers some happy feel good ideas, some basic practices and then fools you into believing all kinds of nonsense, with this idea of "investigate for your self". In the long run this simply becomes a byword for put up and shut up. It leaves things open and unfortunately attracts more intelligent educated people. It’s not a cult of fanatically believing. It’s a subtle delusional mind game, that is slowly pushed into your subconscious.

2.) If anyone was really honest with themselves about how much they had really investigated and proven, they would see that they've proved no more than they would attending any other school. Thus all students of The Gnostic Movement should take the information from Belzebuub and use it and work with it in their own time, and never get involved with the Gnostic Movement that much.

3.) The ringer is that you must make sacrifices and work with them, donate to them etc. to progress, so your lack of investigation and experience is put down to your lack of spiritual growth and for that you must get heavily involved.

4.) It’s just a never ending mind game and huge conflict of interest on their part really. They claim to be the one true school, and have the only true uncorrupted information, and at the same time the only way to truly achieve anything with the information is through huge unpaid efforts and financial contributions to their Gnostic Movement and no one else. Anyone can see this is not genuine. It’s not an arms length transaction. Its like Macdonalds, giving you vouchers for a weight loss program with every big Mac you eat. Or Philip Morris offering free detox programs with every pack of Malboros you smoke.

5.) There are many reports of Belzebuub being far from a benevolent "being" taking advantage financially, and even hitting on girls in the organization. There are also reports of him being psychologically defective, obsessive compulsive, paranoid, agoraphobic, mysophobic, arachnophobic, mummies boy etc. Think Michael Jackson without the drug addictions……..

6.) There are plenty of reports of followers with a glazed look and parroting doctrine, working night and day, even submitting to sleep deprivation with what they call all-nighters. Which is waking up every hour all night to try to astral project.

FINALLY : I think its important to understand that none of this is being done deliberately. It’s a type of high functioning insanity. A completely delusional state, that really believes 100% in what it’s doing and has been programmed subconsciously over many years. Its like a child’s game only played out in real life, with families, careers, hometowns, life savings as props.

Its also important to understand that in one sense they are relatively harmless since they are massively limited by their own pseudo spiritual doctrine. They cannot possibly justify killing people or out right fraud or anything like that. So its held in check to a certain extent. The only harmful thing about them is that they take up your time and money, and leave you with a bit of an antisocial chip on your shoulder and a lot of subconscious Messianic, Apocalyptic clutter in the back your mind.

Its a shame they tend to attract more intelligent people, that waste their lives and careers on this unpaid drivel. If they were just sucking up losers, it would be a good place for them. :-)

THINK INTO THE CONFLICT OF INTEREST !

In any other walk of life apart from religion it would be totally unacceptable. Imagine the University that offers you a guaranteed job, when you complete your degree, the more you pay them in contributions, time and research, the better job you will get. Imagine a hospital, the more you help them out in your spare time, the better treatment you will get if you are sick. I am sure this sort of thing does go on, but its benefit in kind, conflict of interests, its clearly not an honest way to go about doing things.



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 05/12/2010 05:10AM by savedatlast.

I was just sharing a bit of what I had to go through to deprogram after I realized the whole thing was nonsense and how what was a major part of the manipulation worked for me.

"Thus all students of The Gnostic Movement should take the information from Belzebuub and use it and work with it in their own time, and never get involved with the Gnostic Movement that much."

The one difficulty with this is that people should also critical evaluate any teachings that they become interested in, in regards to their worth, validity, and safety.

After spending a good deal of time away from their techniques and their understanding of psychology, meditation and spirituality I realized that they are just not very good. This seems to lead to an easily replicated program, as students can ne turned into teachers in a very short time without having to learn to actually do anything.

Yes that's it.... what's the hurry already ?

If the theories are any good then you should learn to astral project and meet the masters in the astral and verify and learn everything once you are online, so to speak.

Infact a real school of mysteries, should exist almost entirely in mystery, not as some huge organisation raising money and operating physically.

Its like me preaching about the internet, and people becoming instructors and teaching all about the internet and yet, never having really got on a PC.

They say you should invesigate and prove things for yourself and with the other hand they say you can't progress without massive efforts inside their organisation.

There is nothing genuine or benevolent about this conflict of interest, its just myth and superstition, no better than medieval Catholicism.

If they were even 25% genunine they should appreciate and address these concerns, not turn on people, excommunicate them, brand them as traitors and degenerates etc. That shows the denial that is going on, and the fact that people involved are prepared to put up with this kind of thing, also shows how much they too are in denial.

I am sure they are reading this post, so come on guys !.... lets have an answer.....



Edited 3 time(s). Last edit at 05/12/2010 05:31AM by savedatlast.

I agree. Actually I would love to have the "master" come on over and explain some of the contradictions that been pointed out.

I have a female friend who received some of that special attention from the "master" that you mentioned. She also received a very poor response to here complaints about being mistreated male teachers she encountered.

Intriguing - sexual exploitation. The last barrier and marker of a cult-type group that no one could lay at the door of the gnostic movement or Mark Pritchard. It would be a good and bad thing if that last barrier were to be breached. Bad, because there are some lovely, lovely people in the movement and I hate to think of any woman being exploited like that but yet good, because once that is out there the facts are clear and those who have eyes can see.

Savedatlast - welcome to the fold, I lurk on these boards and can corroborate much of what you have said.