Yes, Michael is moderately clever in his word choice. "Cult" and "cultivate" are indeed related at their French root, however the current meaning of the word "cult" in English is different.
The thing I find most disturbing is Michael's assertion that people need to give up who they are in order to "learn" from him. He never defines the term "ego" but one can extrapolate that he means one's "self." Another scary assertion is the distinction he draws between the "ego" and the "teacher." he calls the "ego" the "other teacher..." He claims that "you are either a slave to the ego or a servant of God..." BUT.... If the ego is the opposite of the Guru/Teacher/Michael.... then what does this dichotomy make Michael? Here he claims he is "God."

And yes, I have seen the picture of him. He's old, overweight, and very creepy. He's also delusional, clearly.

Quote
Nietzsche
He's also delusional, clearly.

This part is a bit ridiculous...
"To surrender to all these efforts is what is known as the work of discipleship. During that long process, the teacher, male OR female, IS THE *MALE* PRINCIPLE, and the disciple, male OR female, IS THE *FEMALE* PRINCIPLE."

Now you mean to tell me that all of these people I've met in this cult--people who are highly intelligent, successful, and wealthy--subscribe to that?

********

The part about intimacy...
"Since the greatest intimacy exists between a disciple and his or her spiritual teacher, it is natural and understandable that the pupil would experience great resistance to it. The only other time of real intimacy is between lovers, and that happens on rare occasions. Studies have shown that the average person experiences intimachy only half an hour in a lifetime. If the ego is there, intimacy is not there. Between lovers, ego is almost always there. The only time it is not there, the only time it is never there, is at the moment of orgasm. Ego and orgasm cannot exist simultaneously. But orgasm is not intimacy. Absence of the ego during orgasm is not voluntary. He is pushed out by the sheer animal energy created by the libidinal drive."

I'm not sure how to begin commenting on this other than agreeing that he is delusional. Might this have anything to do with the nude comments previously posted? Did I read somewhere they no longer get nude? Or was that a hoax?

Does this cult have the levels that something like Scientology has? Certainly someone doesn't just show up to a class or retreat, read this nonsense, and start bowing to this man. I wonder how long they have to be in it before they start bringing in the weirdness, and how long before you meet Michael. What is their hook, line, and sinker?

Wow, if anyone else has any other literature or recordings, I'm very interested to hear more. In particular, what do they give to the beginners? Suppose someone did agree to attend one of these events, would they start the programming then? I want to know how they convince these people to do this.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 06/24/2008 05:40AM by kuriouskat.

The letter about if Royal Way is a "cult" by Michael Gottlieb is very interesting.
Does anyone know the approximate date when that letter was released?

He opens with the common statement of...I am not a Guru.
(none of them are Gurus, they are all Anti-Gurus...right?)

Then he drops in the stuff about being a "Rebbe". Of course, a Rebbe has no degrees, no credentials, he is a Rebbe because he says he is a Rebbe.

Then he states, eventually, that he is a MASTER, who leads you to Divinity through discipleship.
He then hints he might have miracle powers. (in case you want to project that on him).
But what is most important is for you to be his DISCIPLE, and to do so EMOTIONALLY, not rationally. That's what he says.

He then states some very dangerous and disturbing things.

"...a true teacher will indeed dissolve the ego, leaving a pure emptiness where there was once clutter and turmoil".
"Cling to the feet of your guru as the boatman to his boat".

So he says what he is going to do to your mind, DISSOLVE it, and then you will be clinging to his feet.

Next he states he IS a guru/master, even though he said 2 seconds ago he has never said that. Even though he is writing it, its YOU saying it, not him. Make sense? No. (that is called Programmed Confusion, he does it several times).

He asks if Royal Way is a cult?
His answer is that cults are fine, as long as its a Good Guru, and uses an extreme example by bringing up Jonestown. He then says cults have been a great thing in human history, and he also admits that he has been to a number of "places" that would be labelled as cults?
What?
A "place" is a cult?
That is some more Programmed Confusion.

He then says cults are inevitable, and they are the way to higher consciousness.
So you are supposed to SURRENDER to the Guru/Master, and let him cultivate you like a plant.
The Master is the MALE principle, and the disciple is the female, he says. (you know what that means).
So you are supposed to create a collective around the Guru, and cling to his feet.

But then its time for JUDAS.
Anyone see the connection with the earlier post in this thread by "Paprika" and a type of "curse" involving how Judas got blowed-up after he betrayed Jesus? Who wrote that post?
We report, you decide.
_____________________________________
"R., I know who you are. ...
R., you actually think you’re hurting Royal Way, when in fact you are destroying yourself. You have committed the worst kind of betrayal. Have you ever heard of Judas? When Judas betrayed Jesus, he didn’t hurt Jesus, he created a world religion for him. But do you know what happened to Judas after his betrayal? Maybe you should find out.
[forum.culteducation.com]
________________________________________

He then relabels cult, sect, group into "HOST". (What? more programmed confusion...) But then says there is no word for what he is doing, to EMPTY THE MIND.
He then ends with some Thought-Stopping with a confusion question meant to be like a confusion koan. Lots of programmed confusion.


So its pretty clear what Michael Gottlieb's objective was in this letter.
Many in Royal Way were getting concerned that Royal Way is a cultish type of group.
So he says, Royal Way is not a cult, but it is, but its not anything. It just meant to confuse people.

He's not a Guru, but he is if you say he is, and he says he is a Guru even though he did not say that, so worship at his feet, for your own good. (more confusion).

Notice how he carefully ignores the clear criteria of groups that could be considered dangerous?
Anyone can search Google for these words...
- cult warning signs -
and run through the list.
Royal Way fails on almost every single count.

The real question is, who is being exploited, and how?
Where is the money going?
Who is monitoring it?

Its no wonder that Michael Gottlieb's status as a therapist is listed as DELINQUENT.
If a therapist were registered, and were putting out these type of "I Am Your Master" type of writings, he would be in serious trouble.
You see, as a therapist, you are supposed to discourage "projection", not magnify it, until people begin to project on you that you are their Master and to worship at your feet.

He knows exactly what he is doing, as anyone can see in his DISSOLVE THE EGO comment.
Notice how they all want to dissolve your ability to think for yourself?
Dissolve the mind of the target, passify them, encourage them to see you as Divine and worship at your feet.

POWER.

What is the way a person goes about joining? Are they brought to a "meeting" by another member? If so, who leads these meetings? Also, at what point in membership are you introduced to their fearless leader? Is it by how much money you've donated, how committed you are, etc.?

Thanks!

Members are required to pay $500 to go to the first retreat, wherein they meet Michael.
After the first retreat, and ONLY after the first retreat, may members join the classes.
The first retreat is relaxing, interesting and fun. The grounds of the Ranch are beautiful, the food is good, there is a pool, etc.

Subsequent retreats are more intense, but the first one makes you want to come back.

Most of these groups, especially local ones, are all about referrals. People in the sect are trained into how to bring in others, usually called spreading the message, or whatever.
Then as they go further into the group, they learn more and more about the person.

For example, at some point pretty fast, these types of groups figure out who has money, and who doesn't. If you happen to be wealthy, you are going to get "special treatment".
Or maybe the leader likes the way you look, or maybe your are well-known, etc.

Of course the recruitment process is shrouded in mystery, and people don't know what's coming next.
These groups use deception and confusion to keep people guessing.
That is why they try to hide the next steps from people.

They don't publish a price list of seminars, so you can make an informed decision. They keep everything a "secret". This way there is always a "higher mystery" and a more exclusive retreat, and it never ends. They can literally rake in millions of dollars.

If people could just sit back at home and read all the Letters at their leisure before they are indoctrinated...or when some person tries to lure them to a "retreat"....then they might decide its a bunch of bunk, or even a moneymaking racket.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 06/24/2008 08:57AM by The Anticult.

So they get the "royal" treatment right up front then...first meet him, become sucked in and then the fun begins.

Nietzsche, how long were you a member? Were you shunned when you left?

Quote
Nietzsche
Members are required to pay $500 to go to the first retreat, wherein they meet Michael.
After the first retreat, and ONLY after the first retreat, may members join the classes.
The first retreat is relaxing, interesting and fun. The grounds of the Ranch are beautiful, the food is good, there is a pool, etc.

Subsequent retreats are more intense, but the first one makes you want to come back.

What happens to family members after someone has been in this cult for 5-10 years?

Do they start disconnecting from previous relationships with family members who are not involved?

Can anyone describe the retreats that are after the first initial "fun" one?

Does anyone know the topics of any of these classes?

Looks like Michael Gottlieb pretty much copied, in his own wording, a quote from another highly dubious Zen Guru involved in sex scandals, named Seung Sahn of the "Kwan Um School of Zen".

Is he a Miracle Man? Well, you'll never know for sure...only his hairdresser knows...as they say...
(he's not, its a sham technique to avoid accountability)

Seung Sahn: Zen of Animal House
[forum.culteducation.com]

By the way, the Royal Way articles on Wikileaks seem to have gotten a lot of publicity, thousands of people are looking at Wikileaks.org currently.

It was on Digg.
[digg.com]
Royal Way exposed - Wikileaks still on cult-busting spree!
wikileaks.org — After Scientology, the Mormons and Jehovas Witnesses, it appears Wikileaks now is surfacing material related to the very secretive "Royal Way" cult and its leader Michael Gottlieb. So far two letters sent by Gottlieb to his followers, containing highly disturbing and manipulative cultish propaganda have been released on the whistleblower portal.

I am an established writer and filmmaker, wanting to speak to anyone who has left the Royal Way. I first heard of this group through friends and have since become very concerned. Thank you.