thank goodness for the internets for research...

...looks like Richard Bach completely ditched his first family with 6 kids before he met Leslie Parrish, sounds like a Werner Erhard move. (note to writers, don't mention you ditched 6 kids to hook-up with a beautiful New Age Soulmate...just lie about it, seems to work fine).

Bach appears also to have been involved in Christian Science, which is a New Thought variant.

He also admitted that as he was writing his Soulmate book, A Bridge Across Forever, which uses real names, he already knew his Soulmate marriage was in the crapper. Typical.

There was even an old Richard Bach forum run by a fan, who then closed the forum, obviously due to all the negative comments about Bach, which he deserves. [rbach.proboards4.com]

These New Thought New Agers literally cannot handle the truth.

Even the archived Richard Bach site contains only flattery from readers...New Thought people cannot stand any critical thinking, they just block it out, only one point of view is allowed. Very cult-like.
[web.archive.org]


Richard Bach is manipulative, dishonest, self-centered, and possibly a narcissist. He is also a skilled writer, and has been able to put one over on his readers for many years.
He sees the negative feedback from MOST of his readers, as a few bad apples. He is playing the victim, just like Werner Erhard plays the victim.

Basically without exception, those who are bigtime into the professional New Thought movement, are some of the most dishonest liars you will ever meet. They literally don't believe in "truth" so to them "lying" is perfectly fine.
Mary Baker Eddy of Christian Science was the same way, she was taking drugs, sneaking around seeing doctors...one expects Rhonda Byrne has a team of private doctors which she sees in secret, meanwhile telling people they don't need doctors...

Its interesting that the Leaders of all the New Thought, and many of the New Age movements, are some of the most dishonest people you could ever meet anywhere.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/05/2009 04:55AM by The Anticult.

I think that even if you BELIEVE in the new age bullshit, it will not work. It was in trying to adhere to it that I finally learned what BULLSHIT it is. Re Oprah, I think that because it didn't work for her doesn't mean she does not believe in it. As far as the money-making hypocritical peddlers of the scams are concerned, I don't think they believe in any of it. Just as I don't think the lgat leaders/founders believe in their so-called courses and seminars at all. All that any of them believe in is the art of scamming for $$$$$$$$$$$$$. The scammed do believe in the scams . . . unfortunately.

its fascinating how the internet has changed things...

Some people who had read all of Richard Bach's books for years, lived in an information vaccuum, where they knew nothing about Richard Bach, other than what he wanted you to know, which was fabrication.
Then the internet comes along, and it all comes out, and his career is destroyed, due to his own lies and hypocrisy. He shut down his own website, and the main web-forums about him died.

His deception is really at the level of Carlos Castanada.

He literally was selling people Illusions, even with a book called Illusions.
He created and sold people illusions they wanted to believe in, that were complete fiction marketed as auto-biography.
(even one of his sons mentioned all his books are pure fiction, even the so-called autobiographical books). Its like James Frey 10x over.

But this is why so many of these New Age groups have strict censorship policies on their main websites, and ban all critical postings, or information they don't want people to think about.

They are self-consciously in the business of selling people illusions, illusions that people want to believe in. So they just fabricate whatever story they think people want to hear, and see if it sells.If it sells, keep telling the same fabricated story for as long as you can get away with it.

Its starting to make sense...

Selling Illusions.

Regarding Oprah: A Thought Question for the Future

Oprah has been using her media empire to propagate junk food for the brain.

Not nice, girl. Not nice. You can do better than that.

Oprah has been getting us to focus on her poundage.

What if she went from having a weight problem to developing a disease that is a near epidemic in the USA, especially among people of color, and is triggered by genetics and lifestyle and excess body weight--Type 2 (insulin resistant) diabetes?

Would Oprah use the advice of her New Age buddies to cope? Would she even tell us she has the condition?

( I can raise this question legitimately. Oprah is a public figure who has already seen fit to mention her struggles with overweight, using this as a point of connection with her audiences. So this is a matter worth mentioning as a hypothetical scenario.)

The possibility (medical possiblity, not New Age) of Oprah at some point developing Type 2 diabetes is not far fetched.

Its a matter of statistical risk, of probability, backed up by decades of published medical/epidemiological research.

Carrying excess body fat, combined with a specific kind of genetic susceptibility, plus a sedentary life a diet full of energy dense low glycemic carbs, plus high fructose corn syrup and saturated fats which elevate triglycerides and impair body sensitivity to insulin...

Plus diabetes is highly prevalent amongst African Americans, Latinos, Native Americans and South Asians and Pacific Islander communities who have adopted the energy dense diet and sedentary activity patterns of US life..

Sooo...if Oprah ever developed Type 2 diabetes, here is a question to ponder:

WWOD?

What Would Oprah Do?
What Would Oprah Disclose?

To treat the diabetes (or prediabetes) would she use all the New Age stuff she's been associating herself with and mentioning on her show, website and interviews?

Or would she use the resources of modern medicine?

Some scenarios:

1) Would O love her high blood sugar for what it is (BK) and let herself lovingly accept complications (diabetic retinopathy/blindness, damaged feet, accelerating heart disease, painless heart attacks, diabetic kidney disease and renal failure?

2) Would O believe her spiritual teachers that she makes her own reality and decide she can just wish away her high blood sugar and insulin resistance by invoking Law of Attraction to attract blood sugar numbers that are in the 90s and to attract low triglyceride numbers and low blood pressure numbers and forgo modern medical treatment?

3) Or, would Oprah, if diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes allow rational thought to prevail rather than resort to magical thinking?

Instead of using LOA or Power of Now or BK The Work or, in conjunction with these New Age options, would Ophrah hedge her bets, make a Pascals Wager and also consult a diabetologist, work with a diabetes educator, learn to use a glucometer to measure her blood sugars, take medication or insulin, use strategic dieting and exercise to regulate her blood sugars but keep quiet about seeing that diabetologist.

Would she keep mum about accessorizing with a glucometer or keep it private that she's joined at the hip with an insulin pump?

4) Or...would Oprah do us all a big public service by DITCHING THE MAGICAL THINKING and instead, go public about the wonders of modern medicine and that she now has diabetes and its the resources of modern medicine that are enabling her to normalize her blood sugar levesl?

And tell us that the ability to get early diagnosis of diabetes and effective treatment for it and preventing its complications is EXPENSIVE, TIME CONSUMING AND TIED TO CLASS AND MONEY!!!!

And if Oprah were to go with Option 4, would she then use her power and fame and media empire to educate us about what she actually has to do each day to regulate her diabetes and tell us how much this costs and how the US needs to change its entire food manufacturing and public health policies to prevent this horrible disease? Would she show us how she uses her glucometer if she ever gets diabetes?

And light a fire under the collective asses of her devotees about what a shameful and scandalous thing it is that the US is full of a preventable condition, and that shit food is being marketed and pushed at school kids and poor people and that people who are poor live in dangerous neighorhhoods where it isnt safe to go out on the street and exercise?

Would she bring diabetes experts and educators and medical sociologists onto her show and get them to talk about the problem?

And use her power to get us enraged that the junk food companies are pimping the First Amendment to justify targeting kids and tired parents with shit food advertisements and skewing the context in which people make choices and then whining, 'They're free to choose?"

Just a thought question from That Bastard Corboy.

PS:

Diabetes is becoming a near epidemic in the US because of rising rates of overweight due to increasingly sedentary lifestyle, nasty changes in our food supply, and a high proportion of people who have genetic and lifestyle susceptibilities to the condition. When I was a kid, 40 years ago, it was rather rare to meet anyone who was a diabetic. Not any more. I saw a disposal container for syringes in a restroom at the Oakland Airport. This was not to accommodate the needs of heroin addicts. It was because so damn many passengers were diabetics)

Type 2 diabetes used to be called 'adult diabetes' because decades ago, it was overwhelmingly seen in the middle aged and elderly.

These days, especially among African Americans, Native Americas and Latinos, close to 45% of new cases of pediatric diabetes are Type 2 which sets these children up to become disabled and dead by middle age if the diabetes is untreated.

(Read Fat Land by Greg Critser for a brief and powerfully informative overview--full of excellent info and very readable)

Finally (pointing finger) All of you, get out and arrange to have fasting blood sugars taken. That means, no food for the previous 12 hours. Make sure your body temp is normal and you are not under stress when the blood is drawn.

Your blood sugar should be below 100. If its between 100--115, you may be prediabetic.

If your blood sugar is 126 or above, get evaluated. The first thing any doctor should do is send you to a certified diabetes educator--and that is even if you are prediabetic.

If you have elevated blood pressure, triglycerides and bad cholesterol and your HDL (good cholesterol is low) this is a sign of insulin resistance.

Get this under control. There are things you can do. If they dont send you to a diabetes educator, yell and scream and go to one.

You may even be able to reverse the condition if you get it detected early enough.

Anticult wrote:

Quote

but of course when these guys ditch the wife for a younger model, its spiritual growth)

Note from Corboy:

Err..something else is growing.

couldn't help turning on the Oprah New Years Fat Show.
Its brilliant.
No wonder she's a billionaire.

She knows that most of her female viewers, (all?) have put on weight over the holidays, and want to lose it.
So Oprah gained 40 lbs, and that is the apocolypse of the universe, the world is ending, as she gained 40 lbs.
No talk of The Secret, or anything.

But she blames her doctors!
She blamed her doctors for not knowing it was her thyroid. But her viewers knew it was her thyroid, not those dumb world-class doctors she can have. Oprah can have the best doctors in the world, but I guess they are all morons.

But Oprah is a genius in terms of communications. She shares her vulnerable self about "being fat", and she knows that her viewers feel the exact same way.
Self-disclosure.

So if you want to bond deeply with your viewers or followers, do some vulnerable self-disclosure.

The comedy shows are going to make a complete mockery of her though for this. She's treating gaining 40 lbs like the end of the world.

But she knows her viewers, gaining 40 lbs for most people "feels" like the end of the universe.
They know their audience, feed them The Secret one week, then the Fat Guilt Trip the next, and sell them some diet books.

One can be certain every New Age cultish leader on earth learns from her communication methods.

Oprah's mocking a doctor telling her she should learn how to get used to feeling hungry. Ironically, the latest research shows that learning to train yourself that occassional hunger is not an emergency, is one of the most important things to learn in eating management.

So Oprah openly mocks professionals, yet she gives total uncritical acceptance and promotion to unlicensed flakes like the gang of scam-artists from The Secret.
It really is very strange.

Maybe its a simple as advertisers prefer an audience that will believe anything its told.

Its also interesting that Bob Greene, her partner and trainer, has huge deals with major food companies for a line of weight-loss healthy foods, which also advertise on her show. (of course they feel no need to add those disclaimers to the show, and disclose how the revenue is shared, how much Oprah's company gets, etc).

Now that makes perfect sense.
This is massive US-global business, we are talking BILLIONS in sales.

__________________________
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Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/06/2009 05:58AM by The Anticult.

Shit, you dont need to buy Best Life to get dark chocolate.

Go get a bar of Lindt 85% dark chocolate.

That stuff is so concentrated that one or two squares will satisfy your chocolate craving, deliver a nice dose of bioflavnoids and grow the proverbial hair on your chest.

And hell, you can go to places like Food Co and find packages of frozen whole leaf spinach for 78 cents, bagged fresh turnip and collard greens, if you dont feel able to cope with bunches of the leaves.

Wanna go low glycemic carb? Eat oats, broccoli and beans and get a copy of The Glucose Revolution, written by scientists and dieticians from the University of Sydney, Australia, where the nation actually has arranged a system of rating foods with a glycemic index number on the label.

And wanna eat low carb? EAT LESS. Its called reducing glucose load, aka: portion control.

Feel hungry?

Drink a couple of glasses of water and see if the feeling goes away.

Go read Fat Land by Greg Critser. He demonstrates how this new fad for snacking all the time is a recent thing, media created by the junk food industry.

My uncle, who grew up during the Depression, said 'When any of us kids wanted a snack, Mother threw us some bread and butter. That was it. We ate our food at meals and it was a case of take it or leave it, with no other option.'

If Oprah really wanted to do a service, she'd be getting people like Mr Critser and the president of the American Diabetes Association on her show.

TAC wrote:

Quote

She blamed her doctors for not knowing it was her thyroid.

Well, how did Oprah find out it was her thyroid, without getting this confirmed by specific medical tests (lab tests for levels of Thyroid Stimulating Hormone ((TSH), lab tests for the amount of free (active) thyroid hormone?

How can the doctors NOT know its thyroid, unless a physician has confirmed the low thyroid condition by ORDERING THE RIGHT LAB TESTS???

You cant be sure its low thyroid unless the right lab tests have been ordered and the numbers evaluated by an endocrinologist.

If O's excess poundage is really due to low thyroid, and not a combo of excess caloric intake and too little exertion to offset the intake, medical treatment and correction of the low thyroid condition would remedy her situation and shed have cause to be grateful to the medical establishment, not blame them.

(Scratches head in puzzlement).

In any case, even one happens to have low thyroid, and has it corrected, one still is not home free.

During my time as a serious athlete, walking, long distance bike riding, doing weight training, I made the mistake of thinkig I could eat anything and burn it off.

Wrong. I grew a pot belly. I had muscles everywhere but one day at the gym, I looked sideways in the mirror and could not deny what I saw.

And heart disease killed a few too many family members and I knew I could not afford to take chances.

No problems with my thyroid. I was eating more food than I could burn off, despite my being blazingly active. My ancestors survived famine conditions in Eastern Europe and I apparenty inherited their fuel efficient genes. What can save your life in famine conditions will set you up for early heart disease and Type 2 diabetes if you live in the calorie rich USA.

So I had combine staying active while relearning to eat less and eat leaner, like my ancestors, rather than eating the typical US diet that had made me fat, despite my being an athlete.

When I learned to combine activity with budgeting my food intake, (aka eating like my ancestors) the excess weight came off. A Dr Shintani in Hawaii has come up with a similar approach in caring for his native Hawaiian patients who come in overweight and with heart disease and diabetes. Shintani knew that in old Hawaii the people were lean and wiry. He and his dietician trained their patients to resume an ancestral diet of vegetables and fish and breadfruit and it worked. The Native Seeds Search Project has been combating type 2 diabetes and heart disease among tribal peoples in the American South West by teaching how to grow and cook heirloom vegetables and grains. It works.

This was not a one shot diet.

No special foods or supplements had to be purchased. I just had to stay active--but change my eating habits for the rest of my life.

It hurts to have to walk past some of my favorite dessert places and restaurants, but the increased energy I enjoyed after losing the weight was sufficient compensation.

And its cheaper than using a glucometer. A diabetic pal told me that the cost of one Accuchek test strip is 85 cents. If you test 4 times a day, that adds up to serious moola.

I think its all part of the sales strategy they use on TV, which they used to sell The Secret. Its the same techniques used to sell food, shampoo, toilet paper, and everything else.

No one even asks Oprah, what happened to her best buddy, Dr. Oz? Why didn't he know what was going on?
The whole thing makes no logical sense at all.

But it makes great advertising and sales sense.

Its all part of literally a multimillion, if not multibillion dollar food marketing blitz, which is the Bob Greene branded food, which one assumes Harpo/Oprah has a piece of the business.
So they use the personal "story" of Oprah to cross-market huge food businesses all over the USA. That is serious business, billions.

This is why they are billionaires.

But its a real shame they use the same technique to sell the New Agey mind-junk too.
One assumes to them its just business, just pushing books and products.