What do they do for the New Year retreat?

Lots of entries about Michael on the other new Royal Way very disturbing website.

Are any of the names being used actual initials of real people?
That Michael's Marriage Court sounds like an extremely invasive cultic tactic, Michael chooses 5 couples to make rulings about others marriage problems inside the sect. That's power.

Below is just a small excerpt of what is there.
Someone could count how many times Royal Way uses the word MICHEAL on the royalwaycommunityjournal.org website.
Its in the hundreds.

Michael Michael Michael Michael Michael Michael Michael Michael Michael Michael Michael Michael

This new Royal Way website will surely dispell the fact that Michael is running an obsessive personality cult built around Michael's personality.
Is Michael really that charismatic, or he is able to just manufacture that worship in people's minds?

Its bizarre how they say RW Ranch is a gift FROM Michael, no it isn't, the RW members are the ones who bought it, paid for it, and do all the work. Its the exact opposite, the RW Ranch was given to Michael by the members who paid for it.

Its like saying, Thank you IRS for giving out tax bills.

But of course, Royal Way is a tax-free religion, and doesn't pay taxes.



___________QUOTES_______________________
[royalwaycommunityjournal.org]
Welcome to the Royal Way Community Journal—...Royal Way is a spiritual community made up of individuals who study the teachings of Michael Gottlieb and attend retreats with him at RW Ranch. This journal reflects the joys, changes, and deep experiences of the people of Royal Way.

...Michael. It’s all Michael. And for Michael, blessed Michael,
...I love you, Michael.
...It is the meaning of this event, of all we do, of who we are, of all that Michael gives us.
...Tom, Greg, and Masoud honor our Beloved Teacher Michael. Their words are our words and we are all one in drinking to Michael’s health and the blessings he has showered upon us.
...Tim: “It’s because of all I have been through and all that Michael has given me through it all that I can stand here with pure joy on my face.” I love this man.
...One by one and together, we celebrate the joy of being men with Michael.
...I love you, Michael.

...Welcome, Michael. Welcome to this Doo-Dah!
.
...What’s a married couple to do? Call Firouzeh and schedule a case with the Royal Way Marriage Court. Thirteen years ago, on the Greek Odyssey, Michael created the Marriage Court. Michael knew that married couples needed a place to go where they could vent, express their frustrations, and get impartial feedback. He chose five couples to be on the Marriage Court. Elisabeth and I were one of those couples.
I can imagine how difficult it must be to expose the difficulties a couple is having in front of 10 people. It’s also the beauty that Michael created when he created the court.

...I experience myself at my best when I’m on the Marriage Court. I feel connected with Michael and his teachings.
...“Thank God Michael gave us all the Marriage Court.” I feel blessed for being part of the Marriage Court all these years. Thank you, Michael!

...Dearest Michael,
What an adventure! What an amazing, incredible adventure my life has become with you. I am no longer going to settle for just having a good life. You have made me the ruler of my world.

...I am forever grateful to you, Michael.
...Thank you, Michael, for the gift of RW Ranch.
...And because of you Michael, my Teacher In my innermost place I am love.
_________________________________



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/08/2010 04:41AM by The Anticult.

Jacumba, this is what I can share about.....not Royal Whatever !....I spent 3 years at Jacumba from 1987 to 1990.....yes the three annual retreats, the monthly pilgamages and once a week " group " in West LA.
First off I can only speak of my own experience there.....not " here - say " but what happened to me and my X wife.
The first retreat was great ! and no there was NO covert recruting program. I simply I met a guy that was in Jacumba that was working for my brother who can be a demanding business person and I liked how this guy handeled my brother in his business dealings and complamented him about dealing with such a prick ( my brother ) in a very straight forward way. This guy tells me he just came back from a retreat and feels great, so I aked him what that ment and he told me just a little bit about the Jacumba retreat. I liked what he said so I went. There was no presure to join, no sales pitch, just one guy talking to me about how good he felt....Hummm !
Frist off let me clear up some stuff.....there never was any discussion about how much money we make, we never danced around fires nakid, there was never a feeling of under the table underlying motives at all. It all centered around one guy ( yes Michael ) that had a background that was up front and he is well rounded in what he does. If ya want to get to a higher place in your spirtual growth....well this was a great place to start.
In my opinion, yes this is a CULT DELUX.....not bad and also hard as s_ _t to be called on your s_ _t by other members but we were there to discover our own processes and how we became who we became in life, and how to be more STRAIGHT with ourselfs and all others we deal with in day to day life. Also so get closer to God. Jacumba is / was NOT a happy go lucky trip, we were all there to work on our own stuff......that work was hard to do.
On the frist retreat Michael's first words to the group was " In reality there are no dualities " and whoever you are, whatever you are, you are responcible...! I loved Jacumba and hated it at the same time. Oh yeah, I do not like being called on my bulls_ _t and that is not easy, but at the same time I am learning about how I ended up being me. He used to say " your process is your process is your process " so true ! By the time we are 7 to 8 years old our process is set in stone from our up bringing and now as adualts we have to figure out how to be straight with ourselfs and others, no small task.
What I did not dig was the fact all centered around him and the walls were constantly closing in.....in that you can not " ride two horses at the same time " it was all or nothing so after 3 years I had enough and took what I could use and left the rest behind.....Thank frigging God.....I had enough of the.....it's all Michael and Jacumba or it's nothing factor.....he can go "F" himself for that kind of program.
There was allot of good teachings there and to this day I still use some of what I learned, but for one man alone to weild that kind of power over people is dangerious and he can crawl under a rock and stay there ( if were lucky he will die under it ) for no one should have such an alll and all impact on people that they devote every bit of their life to and disreguard all others for the simple sake of a kind of brain washing........I love you Micahael......but " F " You Michael !!
PS.....sorry about all the mispelled words !

ROYAL WAY.....AKA.....ROYAL WASTE OF TIME.......ROYAL SCREWING......ROYAL WAYWARDS......!!!!

THE MORE POST I READ, THE MORE SHOCKING IT BECAME......I HAVE ONE WORD.....GET OUT !!!

TO ALL OF YOU WHO ARE STILL THERE : I WAS THERE FOR 3 YEARS WHEN IT WAS CALLED JACUMBA....YOU KNOW THAT FEELING IN YOUR GUT THAT SAYS YOU LOVE THE TEACHINGS BUT YOU ARE DEEPLY DISTURBED IN YOUR GUT AND YOU HAVE MIXED FEEELINGS ABOUT CONTINUING TO BE THERE....WELL LISTEN TO YOUR GUT AND GET OUT.....NOW !! IT IS EASIER THAN YOU THINK.....JUST STOP GOING.....YOU WILL BE HAPPY YOU MADE THAT CHOICE TO GET OUT.....I KNOW CAUSE I DID.

MICHAEL IS DANGERIOUS ........HE CAN LEAVE YOU EMOINTALLY MEESED UP, BUT LIKE ME YOU WILL RECOVER. I KNOW DOWN DEEP INSIDE YOU QUESTION IF YOU ARE DOING THE RIGHT THING BY STAYING THERE, THAT INNER QUESTION YOU ASK YOURELF OVER AND OVER IS NO ACCIDENT.....JUST " STOP " GOING. NO ONE WILL CALL YOU AND BEG YOU TO RECONSIDER.....MICHAEL WILL NOT TAKE THE TIME TO CALL YOU......HE REALLY DOES NOT CARE ABOUT YOU.....IT IS SIMPLE.....JUST LISTEN TO YOUR GUT, IT IS TELLING YOU THE TRUTH.....STOP IT AND AND HOPE YOU DO IT NOW !

I CAN STILL HEAR MY X-WIFE WHILE LAYING NEXT TO ME ASLEEP IN BED SIT UP WITH HERE EYES GLAZED OVER AND START SCREAMING. THE LOUDEST MOST HORIFIC SCREAMS OF THE SHIT THAT MICHAEL WAS STIRRING UP IN HER SLEEPING / UNCONCIOUS STATE.....THAT WOULD SCARE THE SHIT OUT OF ME EACH TIME. MY FRIENDS REMEMBER HER DOING THAT.....IT WAS SHOCKING ! ALL THAT CAME FROM HER WORKING WITH MICHAEL.....HE IS VERY.....VERY DANGERIOUS !!

I KNOW THAT THOSE OF YOU WHO HAVE THE SAME MIXED FEELINGS I HAD WHILE BEING THERE THINK IT IS HARD TO LEAVE.....IT IS NOT !! JUST STOP GOING AND YOU WILL BE HAPPY YOU FINALLY MADE THAT DECISSION.

WITH ALL GOOD INTENT....................GUITAR X

Have to agree that Michael is very dangerous.
He's taken the information gained from many years as a "therapist", and then turned that to his own personal uses and personal advantage. Some therapists can slip into having a God-complex, and have to be very careful not to abuse the transference and counter-transference that occurs.
But some therapists cross over to the dark side, and then use what they have learned for their own personal advantage, and start to believe in their own God-complex. That is what Micheal has done, and is doing.

To Guitar X

What percentage of the followers do you think question why they are there? Would you say 50 -50? It seems like there are so many intelligent but lost "followers". How can they not question why they are spending all this time and money disconnected friend their friends and family? Worshipping this charlatan? It seems to me that they think they are changing when in fact they are spinning their wheels.

What posessed you to get sucked in to begin with? Three years isn't bad from what I understand. I wonder if there comes a point where you can never get out.

Hello Sandered,

I would guess about half if not a bit more people there have real genuion mixed feelings about being there. It is very tough to be called on your " stuff " in a group setting by others and real hard when Michael does it to you. You do learn some things quick when it comes to coming from your ego place and most people there will call you on it so you do learn to be straight with yourself and others. This is not easy.

After reading some older post I noticed some of the same names that were there in the late 80s....wow ! As far as I know my X still may be there. I think it's the free thinkers that get sick of Michael's redundant BS and at some point they just leave. I remember back then some old timers that were good people got sick of Michael and left.

I was there when I think the guy's name was Bob and his wife gave the ranch to Michael, I thought that was pretty way out but also no surprise either. Allot of Michael's teachings and meditations are fantastic. I remember him saying to us when we see our minds wonder while in medataion to specific places or events that that's OK and to just "Wittness " our thoughts as a second party and give our minds the permission to wonder. That took off lots of presure during meditations and there was the occasional moments when there was just nothing, I would call them little empty holes where no particular thoughts happened. I always kind of hope that those empty tiny holes where places that god could eventually fill.....maybe that is just wishfull thinking.....who knows ?

I found Jacumba just by a so called accident described in my first post. There is certainly lots of good teachings there but that f-ing narrow road that always comes back to Michael is just scarry.....he holds way too much power there and that is too dangerous for me....and I am 100 % sure for others to.

In a previous post I read where a girl would masterbate in front of Michael. I never was aware of anything like that but I could see Michael doing that for the sake of one of his many teachings.....if that happens up there than he needs to be shot like a lame horse or maybe become stuffed head on a wall.....that is so wrong !.....and that is way too much power over people.

Once we layed in ditches we made in the desert ground and layed in these holes and meditated on what it is like to be dead.....I thought that one was too strange and could not get into it but also wondered about those that may be a little suidcidle.....that is not healthy and is what I mean about some things going on there are very dangerous.

I regret turning my x wife on to this place to this day..... she was getting in deep up there and there was no telling her anything different......brain washing and dangerous...!

Scary, scary stuff.

Did you not know at the time you were being brainwashed and controlled? I ask because you may have seen in previous posts that I have concerns over a buddy of mine but I know there is nothing I can say, right?

I've been following this thread for a couple of years and have found many of the posts helpful in understanding some of the things that go on in the group. I know someone in the group and have maintained a relationship none the less. However, the relationship is strained and distant. I know members of Royal Way see us outsiders as less than enlightened and at times we are surely labeled as "destroyers". I for one would like members of Royal Way know that their actions are cause for a great deal of concern and pain to their family and friends. Members of Royal Way are arrogant because they see us nonbelievers as just shallow, nonspiritual fools who lack the inner beauty to know and understand Michael. When I think about what these people believe and how much of it depends on a worship of Michael I find it pathetic and laughable and so obviously counter productive to a deeper understanding of ones self and finding purpose for being in this world, but then I think of the person I know and my heart goes out to...

But we are all adults and we live our life as best we know how. There are those who live life as it comes, without purpose or design and one day someone comes along and puts together two unoriginal thoughts and the unthoughtful ones among us think they have met an original thinker, someone who could teach them something about life..... it's sad, so very sad. Not to mention the economic hardship some members will go through in order to be a disciple of Michael.

I could go on and on about my feelings and opinions about this group, but I have a question: does anyone have any thoughts about what will happen to Royal Way once Michael dies? Will it dissolve once the charismatic leader is gone or is there someone in line to carry on the business?

but I have a question: does anyone have any thoughts about what will happen to Royal Way once Michael dies? Will it dissolve once the charismatic leader is gone or is there someone in line to carry on the business?[/quote]

I have good news :

In my opinion once Michael is gone so will be Jacumba / Royal Way.......I strongly think after Michael dies he will have arrange for Maggie or someone else to carry on his BS. But this will be short lived for while I was there and I am sure it's still the same it's always been....Michael this and Michael that.....the whole program centers around "him " and without " him " it will just be a matter of time until it all falls apart !