My wife has been involved in a kundalini based religion that I suspect is a cult. It is based in Bratislava. I have read about 3HO and wonder if anyone has any knowledge of 3HO marketing itself internationally. My wife currently has custody of our 6 year old son and her behaviour is making me worried about his welfare. Any information about this would be appreciated.

James,

If you haven't found info on kundalini, here is a good website

[www.hmt.com]

It's difficult to determine what exactly your wife is doing over there. Kundalini is a yoga practice\lifestyle, not really a religion. She could be involved with a group that is using kundalini as some kind of doctrine and therefore becoming cult-like. Or it could simply be she thinks she found the answer to her problems in this type of yoga lifestyle and has immersed herself into it for awhile. That wouldn't be harmful for your child, and she'll probably not find that much fulfillment in it. Is there any way you can get more info?

Well your response is exactly what I am trying to find out. I did find out that 3HO, which is defined as a cult by this web site, is operational in Germany and it is not beyond belief that they may have extended their scope to Slovakia. I understand that a spiritual practice is not the same as a cult and what I am trying to find out is if she is actually involved in something that may be harmful to my son. Currently he eats breakfast by himself while she practices various excercizes and he is only 6. I will not go into the other things she is doing to him or what she did to me, as that is not useful to what I am trying to find out. Thanks very much for your response and I will look at the information you directed me to.

Bringing Eastern religions and their teachings to the West has been a problem. I'm convinced that the best Swamis, gurus, etc, stayed in the East and the ones who were mostly money oriented came here. Any takers on this?

I recommend the following books: "The Guru Papers" and "Karma Cola".
[www.christianitytoday.com] has a new article as well from a conservative Christian perspective.

I was in a group that wasn't Kundalini based. I liked the exercise and was drawn to the carrot of "enlightenment". The group was proud of their authentic Hindu and Indian roots. They also seemed to have a hidden agenda. It became an all or nothing, black and white situation. I left. I didn't want mandatory statue god worship. It took the group awhile to reveal the statue part to me. It all came on slowly.

I know a Yogi Bhajan 3HO Kundalini follower. She wears a ring on her wedding finger for him and is completly under mileau control. Where she lives, what she does, what she reads, is all under the 3HO group control.

Yoga by itself is not a cult. Christianity by itself is not a cult. It is only when it is layered with a hidden agenda and the other Singer Criteria for cults that it becomes destructive. I thought yoga was really wonderful and slowly I began to
get myself into an all or nothing situation. Then I left. Thank God.

If your ex wants to go really deep into the group, she would probably like for you to assume more child care so that she can take more workshops, retreats etc.

I feel for you. Honor your child's feelings. Children know when something is weird. They go to other friend's homes and see things are different from their own home. Confirm your child's thoughts and feeelings.

I don't know what else to say. I say a prayer for you, your child and your ex.

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inyoga
Yoga by itself is not a cult. Christianity by itself is not a cult. It is only when it is layered with a hidden agenda and the other Singer Criteria for cults that it becomes destructive.

As perhaps the most controversial thing I could say, I disagree with the above assessment. I believe that all these ancient religions meld a moral code with a myth system and all these religions have a hidden agenda to make their priestly castes wealthy.
I don't believe Jesus walked on water, or that Elijah the prophet raised the dead (as well as JC) etc.. All of this belongs to the world of myth not science. A new system is needed.

Communism was based on those same ideals you speak of....."a new system is needed".

The truth is you can make a destructive group out of idealism using Singers Criteria.

Obviously, one does not need to be an atheist to be a cult critic.

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inyoga
Communism was based on those same ideals you speak of....."a new system is needed".

The truth is you can make a destructive group out of idealism using Singers Criteria.

Obviously, one does not need to be an atheist to be a cult critic.

I'm talking religion, not politics. And communism not withstanding I believe that we have a right to experiment to find real solutions to problems rather than relying on old systems that don't work anymore. Democracy was also an attempt at creating a new system vs. autocracies, kingdoms, etc..
I do believe we need to examine all these old systems, take out the truth from them. Remember, psychiatry was also created because a new way of looking at the mind was needed. Belief in people having demons that needed to be expelled was no longer in vogue.
Keeping a new system within reason is the problem. Not the fact that new ones are needed. New ones are being created all the time. The question is, "which one is right".