This email was recently sent to a friend of mine via the HAI mailing list.

Previously the guy below has only asked for a substantial loan but without the means to repay it. Now that money has run out and the guy is again asking for financial support so that he can continue going on yet more HAI retreats etc. He believes in the 'Law of Abundance,' that is "ask and you will receive from the Universe." What cr*p cult promotes that I'd like to know? This is the damage that stuff like "The Secret" etc. does to vulnerable people. Maybe we can all get money for free too, without the need to repay it, without obligations to the donor, without specifically listing what the money is for, without getting off your ar$e to DO something to earn it, etc. What a way to start the day, this email has made me SO angry, and it wasn't even Nigerian style phishing spam.

==================

> Subject: LIVING IN ABUNDANCE - Request for money
> Date: Tuesday, 6 July, 2010, 6:37
> Dear HAI Community,
>
> As you will know from my previous emails on this subject, I
> have been learning to live my life on the principles of
> abundance and gratitude in recent years, believing that
> there is a continuous stream of well-being that flows in the
> Universe, and that there is a plentiful supply of resources
> available to all. During the last 2 years I've been
> sharing my thoughts and experiences of this journey with
> spiritual friends and others around me. I consider HAI
> to be an important part of the spiritual community I choose
> to be involved with.
>
> I am writing this email to request a gift of £6,000 from
> someone who would like to support my spiritual development
> at this time.
>
> At present, my expenditure exceeds my income
> significantly. Until recently, my parents, and
> following my father's death 3 years ago, my mother have been
> generously and gladly providing money for my therapy fees,
> personal growth workshops, spiritual development courses and
> some of my living expenses, but that has now come to an end,
> at least for the time being.
>
> I am not yet ready to return to earning my own living,
> partly because my mental health is still not strong enough,
> and partly because I want to spend time studying and
> retraining in a new career direction that I am enthusiastic
> about and can put my heart and soul into.
>
> During the last few weeks I have spent time seeking the
> guidance of the Universe about this, and specifically I
> asked the Universe the question: "Where shall my money
> come from now?" The answer I received was "From
> a generous man".
>
> Although I have asked for a loan once in the past, I have
> never before made a request such as this for a gift of
> money, and it is a challenge and a stretch for me to send
> this email out, as I feel I am making myself vulnerable and
> I don't know what kind of responses or reactions I may get
> back.
>
> Nevertheless, I believe in the value of asking for what I
> want and of sharing my thoughts, feelings and beliefs with
> people I feel a spiritual connection with.
>
> With love and blessings to all,
>



Edited 4 time(s). Last edit at 07/06/2010 05:28PM by S_Byers666.

This sounds similar to the pitch made by "Prosperity Gospel" preachers.

"Plant the seeds and God will give back to you 10 fold! Send me some money and you will be rewarded for it!"

Seed money, they call it. Maybe HAI has blended the worst of the Christian Fundamentalists with a Mass Marathon Training program.

Not having received from the Universe, or rather some hapless victim to the scam, this guy is at it again. Which cult gives him this cheek? I'd love to do more personal development workshops but cannot afford them. And he goes away on holiday to Devon (I'd love to go there again), and meanwhile expects by some miracle of the Universe that his bank account will suddenly received £6,000 (not to be declared to the authorities as income of course). Dream on ... What a retreat junkie.

========

Dear HAI Community,

I have been involved with HAI [the sex-love cult or Human Awareness Institute] for some 6 years now, but especially so in the last 3 years, during which I have attended many workshops, community weekends, support groups and social events. Some of you will know me personally, others will only know me through my emails on UK Announce and UK Forum.

On 6-7-10 I sent an email to UK Announce on the subject of Living in Abundance (copied below), in which I made a request for financial gifts.

In response to that, I have received 1 conditional offer of help, several emails expressing support of my request, and 1 email which was attacking and abusive (an angry "dump" by someone who had been triggered by my first email).

I feel scared and apprehensive as I write this, knowing that I am making myself vulnerable again by opening up more, but I believe in the value of speaking my truth and of asking for what I want, whilst also being willing to hear a "no".

I am writing to request for a 2nd time, unconditional financial gifts of up to a total of £6,000 (six thousand pounds) from individuals who would like the opportunity to give me a free-will blessing in this way.

2 years ago, I was blessed with an abundance of money from an inheritance, and I felt inspired to give away £10,000 in unconditional gifts to individuals whom I had a connection with, and £3,000 to a spiritual community I am part of.

Today, I am grateful for the many blessings in my life in other areas, but I have need for money to move house (I'm downsizing to a smaller rented flat), pay for therapy fees and to support some of my living expenses.

I have not been able to work to earn my own living for the last 12 years following a severe mental health breakdown, and I am most grateful for the financial help I have received from my parents and from the state so far. During the last 6 years I have made several attempts to get back into employment, but each time that has been unsuccessful due to extreme states of depression or anxiety.

Following my father's death 3 years ago, my mother was able to continue supporting me until very recently.

I feel ashamed that I have not been able to support myself financially as an adult and that I have been dependent on others for so long. At the same time I know that I have been working very hard "on myself" in the last 12 years to address the root causes of my illness, and that the deep therapy journey that I chose for my healing has been a difficult and painful one, and that I could not have continued in my career as an accountant simultaneously.

My mental health is now recovering and I intend to return to University in September 2011 to retrain in a subject that I have more interest in, as I have a high intellectual capacity that I would like to put into my 2nd career.

The £6,000 I am asking for breaks down as follows:

£1,000 towards my final rent in my current flat, due to be paid on 26-7-10.
£1,000 for the deposit on my new flat, due on 17-8-10.
£2,000 for therapy fees during the next 3 months.
£2,000 to support my living expenses during the next 3 months.

I appreciate that is a lot to ask for, and that many people reading this will be managing on smaller levels of income. Nevertheless, I am choosing to live my life at this financial level and on the principles of abundance and gratitude.

This email is more for me about the "stretch" of asking and of being straightforward and honest about my situation with the HAI Community, than about my need to receive money from individuals in HAI. I am completely OK if I get no unconditional financial gifts as a result of this and trust that the Universe will continue providing for all my needs in whatever way it chooses.

My bank details are as follows:

HSBC
Sort code: [deleted]
Account no: [deleted]
Account name: [deleted]

If anyone is inspired to give me a financial blessing, I may subsequently ask for a letter or email confirming that it was gifted to me, so that I can prove to the authorities that it was not earnings, should they ask. That it one of the reasons I am not offering anything back in return, except perhaps the opportunity to experience the "stretch" of making a free-will offering in response to such a request.

Please note that I am going away today to Devon for 2 weeks to attend a personal growth intensive workshop, but I will be checking my emails occasionally during that time. If you would like to speak to me by phone while I am away, please email me back with a contact no. and we can arrange a time to speak.

This has been the most difficult email I have ever written on a HAI email list, and has brought up various strong feelings for me. I have had much resistance to writing this email at all. I feel scared of how others might respond, and vulnerable concerning the amount of information I have disclosed. It has been painful to plan and then to type these words, as it has put me in touch with my issues around pride, self-sufficiency, need and dependency all of which I am still very uncomfortable with.

I anticipate that this email may "trigger" some people, especially as it is unusual to make such requests in today's society, and that many people have judgements around issues of asking for money. What I've written may well bring up feelings of anger, resentment, envy or guilt - perhaps even outrage.

I wish to emphasise that I am not seeking to put anyone on a "guilt-trip" with this email, indeed if you do have a desire to help me arising from any feelings of guilt then I would specifically ask you NOT to give me any money. My desire is to receive free-will blessings only.

If you are triggered by anything that I've written, I would respectfully ask that you wait a while before replying, to let your initial emotional reactions subside. I would find it hurtful and unloving to receive any more angry or abusive "dumps" in response, and will take steps to set appropriate boundaries with anyone who does that to me in future.

When I receive an email that triggers me, I usually wait at least 24 hours before replying if the triggering was moderate (eg upset, hurt, angry, offended, etc), or 3 days if the triggering was strong (eg shocked, wounded, outraged, etc).

Thank you for taking the time to read this.

With love and blessings to all,

[deleted]

IMO its a version of infantile/childish thinking.

There's a tourist hub in our town and I saw a t-shirt for sale there that read
'My Dad is an ATM'.

Thats the entitlement mentality at work.

In this case, the New Age gives social validation to 'The Universe is an ATM'

Our 'friend' complains that the below was 'dumping' on him and that it is unreasonable to be so angry about his situation. The mind boggles. Then an email was sent out from a therapist aquaintance of his, also connected with HAI, about controlling anger which was quite patronising. HAI has lovely people in its midst doesn't it?

=-=-=-=-=-=

Fcuking hell man are you real? Get off of your ar$e. There's a credit crunch going on right now or are you so divorced from reality that you don't know that the country and its inhabitants are struggling to get by.

I'm living on a small works pension with ill-health. My budget for food and everything else is 200 a month. I can't even afford to buy proper food let alone to sponsor free-loading twerps like you.

And what is the money for? To pay your bills I suppose, and to allow you to swan around attending self-improvement retreats at other's expense. What a workshop junkie. You're addicted to weekends away. I'd love even one weekend away but cannot afford it.

And what do we get from YOU in return? Nothing!! Jeeze - I've met some self-centred people in my time but you are at the top of the list by miles. Start thinking of others for a change, then they might think of you.

GET A JOB. PICK FRUIT. BUSK ON THE STREETS. GO PAINT AN OLD LADY'S HOUSE, FIX HER LEAKING TAPS, DO A BIT OF ODD-JOBBING, DO SOME GARDENING, ETC., SELL THE BIG ISSUE.

BUT *DO* SOMETHING.

BUT DO *NOT* ASK FOR MONEY FROM A VULNERABLE AND [SUPPOSEDLY] LOVING COMMUNITY. I WOULD LOVE TO ATTEND MORE SELF-IMPROVEMENT RETREATS BUT CANNOT EVEN AFFORD TO HAVE A DAY OUT IN THE CITY, ETC.

God (and the Universe) helps those who help themselves. Living in abundance would be good IF ACHIEVED BY YOUR OWN EFFORTS AND NOT BY EXPLOITING OTHER'S GOOD WILL, and NOT by abusing people's love in sponging off them when things get a bit hard.

I HAVE NEVER ASKED FOR ANY MONETARY DONATION TO SUPPORT ME IN MY LIFE - EVER.

So I'm not about to start sponsoring you.

But I WILL always buy the Big Issue from a street seller because they deserve every support that they can get. YOU DO NOT.

=-=-=-=-=-=



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/26/2010 04:09PM by S_Byers666.

The therapist is probably the New Age equivalent of Fagin (as in Oliver Twist).

The HAI 'kiddies' go on their beggar's rounds, get alms from relatives and friends, then turn it over to folks like the HAI affliated therapist, the way the street kids gave their takings to Fagin in return for his affection, protection and shelter.

PS if you're in the UK, isnt it possible for persons with a psych diagnosis to get free or very cheap council housing?

A pal who works his arse off tells me that housing is very nice. He lives in a tiny bedsit which he has to rent. Copes with noisy, scary Eastern European thugs living upstairs.

He said the thing that keeps him from every applying for council housing is he does not want to have a psych diagnosis on his record. Aside from normal, working man's stress, he isnt mentally ill, anyway.

The other way to get council housing is to be destitute and preggers. My buddy has the wrong sex organs so doesnt have that option available.



Edited 5 time(s). Last edit at 07/26/2010 10:34PM by corboy.

Quote

"And he goes away on holiday to Devon (I'd love to go there again"

By any chance, is he going to Totnes?

Totnes, Devon is one of the big areas for New Wage bollocks.

Sort of like Byron Bay in Australia, Sedona Arizona in the USA, Mt Shasta and Marin County in California.

If the email beggar is on long term disability--a psych diagnosis--in the UK he will get priority council housing with the rent and council tax paid. In addition he will get a subsistance allowance for living expenses (not great but no chance of him starving) as well as concessionary help with and freedom from various living expenses, dental and optical fees, prescription charges, travel costs etc. He will be eligible for one-off funding payments to buy needed household appliances or clothing requirements.
Its not a great lifestyle on benefits but the essential needs are covered.

He's not begging for 'living expenses' he's looking for funding to keep himself in the personal growth lifestyle he has become accustomed to.
For sheer effrontery he is up there with the Nigerian emailers.

I work and often find the experience irksome, I am beginning to wonder if a few hours spent composing my own sobstory to plead for free-will blessings might not be a better use of my time!



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/29/2010 03:28AM by Stoic.

Yeah I was tempted to tell him to go to Nigeria where he'd be able to join the email scammers there!!

But I think the reasons for his posting to the HAI community is that they are supposed to be a loving and supportive community for everyone and anyone in distress. Although searching for HAI (Human Awareness Institute) on this RickRoss forum will list a number of threads of concern about polyamory, grooming for group sex, and splitting up relationships.

In the UK with the new coalition government it has been realised that the previous Noo Labour government spent all the cash and that the state's coffers are now bare. Therefore disability payments are being re-assessed &/or withdrawn from less needy cases. My guess is that the guy's disability payments have been withdrawn or reduced and that now, for the first time in 12 years, he has to get work to support himself. And what a shock to the system that will be!! Like join the crowd ...

But my other concern is that the idiot came into an inheritance and then gave away 10 grand without condition to someone who simply asked for it. This is the damage that these 'the Universe will provide' cults like The Secret etc. do (usually endorsed on the media by such as Oprah W.) to those who are mentally vulnerable to being conned by these scams. Yet these cultish scams and cons are part of a multi-billion dollar industry.

This guy got suckered in and now is paying the price, or rather expecting others to pay the price for him.



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 07/29/2010 04:35PM by S_Byers666.

And his HAI therapist is expecting to be carried along as well. Dont forget that, either.

If this fellow is getting his support cut off, HAI therapists will get less, unless their clients can persuade the universe to support them--and by extension, HAI and its therapists.