Wow!

You know, now that I think about it, my ex-boyfriend DID INDEED take pictures of me that were supposed to be submitted with my application before I went on the retreat.

...and yes...

I did resist going on that retreat. It wasn't so much that I was against it, but that I had no information about it. That secrecy thing just did not set in well with me. Mostly though, I was hardly making any money at the time, and could not afford the $450.00 or so that it took to go. I actually ended up having to take a loan out at the end because I was getting pressured to go.

YES! Michael probably knew that I had low self esteem. Absolutely. I was working a low paying job, and trying to finish my bachelor's degree, all while still living with my father at the age of 29...so...YEAH...I had issues.

Do you know if this particular "cult" plants their members in various retreat sessions? I always wondered that too because of an experience I had there that weekend.

Also, do you know if this particular "cult" has its members contact people in their past after reading posts such as the ones I have been posting? Perhaps to "persuade" people like me to stop posting?

...just curious...

Any information on this would be appreciated.

No only do these groups take photos of people, they also can collect information with cameras on the property.
So if people are in a retreat room, or waiting room, or hallway, that can be recorded with video cameras that people might not know about. Then the Leader and his acolytes can have a look at the video, and feed that information to The Leader, and it looks like he has supernatural powers. That is a VERY common tactic. Intelligence gathering.

So if a person were in a waiting room, or somewhere on The Ranch, and they were talking to their spouse saying something like..."this place sounds like a rip-off, what's it all about? This sounds like a scam"...then the Leader could be made aware of that, and told who it was, so he could attack them verbally.

Also, pressuring people to take loans to attend courses is standard procedure. They all do it. They will encourage people to take out all the loans they can get their hands on to attend the courses. Later on, they will encourage people to re-finance their houses, or "donate property". They milk people dry. Again, very common.


Also, it sounds like Michael TESTS people to see if they have low self-worth, by casting personal insults around. Someone with healthy boundaries would tell him to get-stuffed, and take a look in the mirror. Its ironic he represents himself as a holy man, when clearly he's the opposite.

Seminar Plants:
Every single group like this uses "plants" in their seminars and workshops. Often its True Believers who re-attend seminars, and get under people's skin. Also, the unpaid "staff" at these events are all members, and might be more SALES oriented. So yes, every single one of these groups uses PLANTS in seminars, either True Believers or more pro-sales people.


And yes its possible that groups like this do contact people from the past.
But they are out to lunch and clueless.
For example, Paprika who posted here, accused some poster of being a former member of Royal Way, which was WRONG WRONG WRONG. "Paprika" was acting like he had supernatural powers, when in fact he is just a broken down man, who has no clue of who or what is being said by whom.

Royal Way has chosen to be secretive, and hide everything, as a marketing and persuasion tactic. VERY COMMON method, Landmark does it, they all do it.

But it all backfires on them when the facts come out, the house of cards crumbles down.
Stay away from secretive scammers, in every case.

In case anyone hasn't looked in a while. The Royal Way website has much more information than ever before, including pictures and a biography of Michael himself.

I would not be surprised if this is due (at least in part) to the postings here and on wikileaks.

If Rick Ross or other informed people could look at the website and give their opinion of it, I would be interested to know what they think.

I just checked it out.

It's all propaganda...just trying to look good.

What a bunch of rubbish...it's all to recruit people and get more money.

I cannot believe there are people out there that would pay that big monkey man a red cent for anything let alone their time and effort. It's beyond me.

I'm so glad I saw through it, and got far far away from it.

This forum has only helped me understand just how ugly it was.

Royal Way literally scrubbed the internet of all references to Royal Way and Michael, and they tried to shut this thread down too. They are simply just afraid of people analyzing what they are doing.

So after that failed, they must have decided to put some info up to try that for a while.
They even are using what appears to be his middle name.
Michael Menahem Gottlieb

They even launched his Official Story, so its nice to know there is yet another Enlightened Godman in the world. It appears he was an Enlightened Godman and a Psychotherapist at the same time?
Sounds like he started to take the therapist God-Complex seriously.
Its just another psychotherapist who let the power go to his head, and who started to believe in the projections of his analysands (patients), Jung wrote about that. Many therapists are tempted to turn themselves into Godmen, and Godwomen. They are supposed to fight against that, not sell it for money, and start a cultish group around themselves.

The Teaching part of the website, is the typical new agey gibberish, meant to confuse people,and then lure them in to try and figure it out. Standard stuff.

One interesting tidbit is he CLAIMS to have studied parasychology in "Russia"? Notice how he sneaks that in, that is so people think he MIGHT have SUPERNATURAL powers to read your mind! (he doesn't, that is called having snitches and hidden microphones and video cameras). Obviously, he tries to pretend he can read minds. Don't fall for it.

And he is a Spiritual Master who "studied in the East". With who? When? (again, another Mystery Story to make people's eyes glaze over and think he has supernatural Yogic powers...yawn...).

Oh, and he is also a Rabbi?
Is he selling Kabbalah too?

Launching that website is a big mistake for Royal Way. Now people can see how ridiculous it is, when they are not involved in Groupthink and peer pressure.





[royalway.org]
Michael Menahem Gottlieb is a spiritual Master who created Royal Way as an instrument for bringing modern man and woman to the experience of God. Initially he named this vehicle for spiritual growth Jacumba, because his own extraordinary awakening came in 1977 at the summit of Mount Jacumba.
...
Always drawn to the East, Michael lived as a renunciate in an ashram. He journeyed across India and Nepal several times. Living and working with the outstanding masters of that period, he confirmed his deep understanding of the various systems of yoga and meditation. He also explored Tibetan Buddhism with the Master Lamas of Dharmsala.

In his youth, at age 22, Michael was ordained rabbi. He continued a scholarly pursuit for two years at the Gur Aryeh Institute for higher learning. At age 24, Michael was elected head of an Orthodox congregation in New York. At age 30, he was appointed dean of Chaim Joseph Rabbinical Seminary.

For 14 years, Michael proclaimed and taught the word of God according to the Torah and the Talmud.
...
____________________________

and of course, here is the blatant pitch, that reading the website is not good enough.
They say you need to study in person, of course.

And its a "LIFELONG INVOLVEMENT" that impacts "EVERY AREA OF LIFE".

So, there it is. Royal Way wants to take over every area of your life, for the rest of your life.
Don't fall for it.


(excerpt for educational research)
[royalway.org]
Royal Way Spiritual Center
A Word About These Teachings

"Royal Way teachings are vast and deep. They affect every area of life. Most of the teachings are orally transmitted from Teacher to student, according to the level of the student. Understanding the teachings of Royal Way is a lifelong involvement. It would be a grievous error to assume that reading these Tenets will provide insight into the spiritual life of Royal Way. It will not. One does not learn the Royal Way teachings from reading these Tenets. They may, however, raise one’s level of inquiry."



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/07/2009 11:38AM by The Anticult.

Menahem?
That is Michael Gottlieb's middle name?
Was that on his drivers license, or did he just pick it himself?

Menahem (66CE) was one of a long line of "Messiah" claimants.

If he picked Menahem himself, does that make him a Messiah or King of Royal Way?

Menahem (66CE)
[www.livius.org]

_______________________________
Menahem
king of Israel, flourished 8th century bc
king of Israel whose 10-year reign was distinguished for its cruelty.
Events of his rule are related in II Kings 15:14–22

In about 746 bc, Shallum ben Jabesh assassinated Zechariah, king of Israel (the northern kingdom of the Jews, as distinguished from the southern kingdom, Judah), and established his throne in the region of Samaria. One month later, Menahem advanced from his headquarters at Tirzah, the old royal city of Israel, against Shallum and killed him. Menahem assumed power but was not accepted by the district around the city of Tappuah; in revenge Menahem slaughtered the city’s inhabitants, including pregnant women
[www.britannica.com]
____________________________________________

Okay...

I have to add this: Is it just me?

...but...

when I look at Michael's face in the pictures they put up, I cannot get over at how much ego I see there...I do not see any kindness...understanding...nothing that makes me even want to know the man...all I see there, is a smirk on his face, and totally cold eyes....wait...wait...are those dollar signs I see in those eyes? Ahhh...that explains it then...ha! Hey...it's good to have a sense of humor...

Oh...and just so that you all know: That old boyfriend of mine I was referring to in my posts? Well...he DID call my house...my husband answered ... yeah.... after 18 odd years or so... I get a call from him out of the blue. I wasn't home to take the call, so I didn't talk to him. He called just a day or so after I posted here. Do you think THAT was a coinsidence? I think not.

So...I totally believe that they have people out there trying to get people to NOT post here...

By the way, I never called him back, and I never will... I want nothing to do with him or his explanations... I think it's completely appalling that he would find it necessary to contact me after such a long time.

Did some research:

1. I can't find anything on the internet on the "Chaim Joseph Rabbinical Seminary".... they are not listed with any of the websites that list rabbinical seminaries... It's as if the place doesn't exist.... which wouldn't surprise me. If anyone else finds anything, correct me.

2. "Professional Psychotherapy Associates" appears to be a chain company... there are several groups by that name all over the country. What is the deal with that?

3. There are two "Loyola University" sites: One in Chicago and one in New Orleans. There is also Loyola Marymount University here in Los Angeles. None of these schools (at lease currently, from what I can find online) teach "Freudian Psychoanalysis" -- additionally, I'd be curious to find out what a young Jewish man, on his way to, or from, rabbinical school... was doing at a decidedly catholic university.

4. Why is the timeline so obscured? (this is a rhetorical question, I KNOW why!)

I'm going to do more research, but I'd be interested in comments on this stuff.

Its appalling if any Royal Way members are trying to contact people to try to influence their conduct.
That is a warning sign of a destructive group.


That research is a great place to start.
One can be sure they picked names that are generic sounding and hard to trace. Nothing specific turns up about that Chaim Joseph Rabbinical Seminary, but the name "Chaim Joseph" is very common.

(one wonders if they are picking generic terms something like Holy Cross Catholic School, terms that have thousands of uses, and thus are untraceable).

Also, notice that they say Michael FOUNDED "Professional Psychotherapy Associates" but that group contains NO LINKS to the name Gottlieb. How can you "found" something that you have no links to?

But a serious researcher who wants to make a few phone calls to check records, or a journalist can turn stuff up quickly. A journalist doing a piece on this would have a field day.


Like when Michael states he studied with some mysterious Yogi's in the East...you see, that is the oldest trick in the book. You say..."I spent 5 years in the East with Yogi's in a cave in the 1970's". Everyone says that.
Its almost totally untraceable, and it sounds mysterious.


Interested people should make a copy of the data on the www.RoyalWay.org website, as its probably going to get "cleaned up" pretty soon.

They also state he studied "Reichean, Psychomotor, Bioenergetics, and Transpersonal Psychology..."

That is a ragbag of some very dubious, discredited quackery. Reichean for example, with Orgone therapy, complete quackery.
Orgone Energy [skepdic.com]