"His Tibetan chanting is not in the current Tibetan language, I know that much. I went with a Tibetan woman to a course and she recognized only names of gods in the chants. Don't have any idea what he was saying and that's eerie because chants can have power. His knowledge of Buddhism is very wrong also as her husband was a scholar of 13th C Buddhism who was having a fit at what CH
Forum: "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements"

Yes Christopher Hansard is a fraud. I met him and had several courses with him. He is a powerful energy manipulator but does not navigate well that fine line between light and dark. His appointments are brutally expensive and he can only mirror emotions. This has been helpful for some eople with emotional isues. He has not actually been accurate in any meidcal diagnosis of anyone who later d
Forum: "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements"

According to www.bonmedicine.co.uk 'The Bön Community predicted Christopher’s birth and when he was 4 years old his teacher, Urgen Namchuk, found him in New Zealand. Urgen Namchuk was a member of the Nam tribe who came from the remote province of Amdo in Tibet. The tribe is known for their mystics, physicians, adepts and shamans. He had been watching Christopher and recognized him
Forum: "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements"

Good grief what is going on here? Who am I? I am a patient of Christopher Hansard’s as are members of my family and have been for a number of years. So from the clinic side I hope I can offer a perspective. I have also attended a number of his workshops in Canada and the UK. Let’s start from the first post from Pema. CH is not and has never claimed to be a guru. I have never seen any
Forum: "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements"

Great topic! I would recommend reading the book Holy Smoke if you liked the movie. If anything, the book shows the cult aspect better than the movie. Some more "cult" movies: The Apostle The Guru The Firm Devil's Advocate Saved! Rosemary's Baby Wicker Man (the original) The Believers (OK, it's a horror movie about santeria, but it kind of qualifies) Out
Forum: Celebrities associated with "cult-like" groups

is a site which discusses many of these self-styled 'shamans'/medicine people. There is also a forum there with threads discussing many of them. I bet you will find that person mentioned on there. Hope this helps, Love Kath
Forum: "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements"

The following link provides a lot of information about ayahuasca tea and a real audio report on a reporters experience with a shaman taking the tea -- scroll down to find. The Journey of Ayahuasca Tea by John Rieger The search for spiritual enlightenment is a growing sector of modern travel There’s a new spiritual center developing in Iquitos, Peru. There, on the edge of the Peruvian Amaz
Forum: "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements"

This document dates from 1993. I began collecting responses to the document in 1996. The document, to the best of recollection, was posted in 1995. You can also read a response to the declaration by Hyemeyohsts (Wolf) Storm posted on Yahoo Groups. There is also an article by Valerie Taliman on the declaration. There is also an subsequent message from Wilmer Mesteth posted on the Whispers in the W
Forum: Large Group Awareness Training, "Human Potential"

I've been to new age drum circles run by white Indian shamans, concerts at Gabriel of Urantia's music studio, worked for hire in the Dahn Yoga kitchen, coffee-klatched with course in miracle devotees, engaged in commerce with Hawkins' acolytes, been counseled by witches, and revealed my deepest secrets to 12-step gurus. I've been reiki'd, energized, and audited, all wit
Forum: "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements"

Is it a fact that Chris Butler used to live in Sedona? Some of the Wai Lana yoga video programs show a background of Sedona Red Rocks. Does anyone know the years he was there? The competition must have been too frenzied and then again......no surfing. However it is rumored he left a cluster of devotees in Arizona to mine for victims. As a friend of mine once said, "Don't sneeze on the
Forum: "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements"

Sedona, Arizona is considered by many to be The Place for new-age thinking in the US. For a small town, (10,192 people in 2000), it also seems to me to have an extremely high density of sketchy religious organizations. Just to name a few: Osho Eckankar Course in Miracles Blue Rose Ministry (extraterrestrials, channelling) SIF and other Krishna groups Gabriel of Sedona Moonies (possib
Forum: "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements"

It can be hard to tell whether your relative freely chose to leave home to join this group, or would have left home for some other reason even if he or she had never become involved, or whether this group did exert some influence. You'll need to get more information. And, not all shamans or spiritual teachers are alert enough to say to an eager student, 'But where's your family
Forum: "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements"

In I-Ching, its fundamental elements are represented by 3-bits binary: ground (000), thunder (001) , water (010), swamp (011), mountain (100), fire (101), wind (110), and sky (111). Since ground (000) is considered as the first element and there was no numerical system 5,000 years ago, it is counted as numerical 1. From ground to swamp, the numeric arrangement is 1 to 4. Yin-Yang are refle
Forum: Celebrities associated with "cult-like" groups

Thanks for bringing up that classic horseshit about the Guru taking on the illnesses and bad Karma of their followers. I THINK Yogananda referred to that as well at some point in his stuff. Again, that can be put through the Baloney Detector, and one sees that it cannot pass. Isn't there an easier explanation? Instead of saying that the Guru is a Divine Superhuman, and is taking on th
Forum: "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements"

Elizabeth Hamilton (1904 - 1991), known as Reverend Mother Yogacharya M. Hamilton, said to be the only woman that Yogananda made a Yogacharya, spoke often of going through a "mystical crucifixion" and of not being able to sleep at night because of processing her devotee's energy. I am especially puzzling over something I often heard her speak on, something she also wrote about in:
Forum: "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements"

Hi people, I just edited my original post a little and would like to add some information. One of the big clues I got about the connection of diet and altered mental states was from a book ‘’The Bipolar Child’’ by Demitri Papolos, M.D. and Janice Papolos. He is one of the rare psychiatrists who knows very well that anti-depressants can flip people from depression into mania. Here is the p
Forum: Recovery from Destructive Cults and Groups

sound like warmed-over encounter group stuff. Started at places like Esalen, then propagated far and wide, in a variety of names. Among tribal peoples, sexuality is usually treated with the utmost respect, often hedged in with many precautions and taboos. (And this is for practical reasons.. Tribal peoples live close to nature and Mother Nature doesnt forgive errors. In such conditions, livin
Forum: "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements"

This statement by a council of Native American Elders sums up the problem. You could try and contact some of the people listed here and see if they know this man and what his standing is. Someone posted here describing her involvement in two dysfunctional groups whose leaders claimed to be shamans. You might PM 'cozyquiltz' and see if she crossed paths with the person you're
Forum: "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements"

Groups of this type can be be quite durable. Some have lasted for decades. In some cases, ambitious disciples of cultic therapists may start their own franchises, borrowing techniques from their mentors. Founders of derivative groups may go indepedent after the mentor has died, retired, or unable to continue supervising groups. It is possible that other disciples may feel they have learned
Forum: "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements"

It sounds as though you were in a discreet, under-the-radar group. These can be hard to identify, and you're often recruited through a trusted friend or relative. And if you're a member of a travelling group with a hectic schedule structured around frequent rituals/art performances, you're kept busy, tired, and all the constant travelling keeps you dependant on both the group and l
Forum: "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements"

Some resource sites for Native American Spirituality, written by Native Americans The moderators make it clear that the content is their opinion. But researchers may find helpful information here. Compare with other sources. On another website in an article entitled 'Plastic Medicine Men'(you will have to scroll down to find it there are additional articles.) Finally, a
Forum: Former Cult Members and Affected Families

There are academic anthropologists (Phil C Weigand and Jay Courtney Fikes) who would argue that it is highly questionable whether one can separate shamanism from specific culture. He writes: 'Americans lack the group learning process, or shared function (Fikes, 1978) of the Yaqui and Huichol.. 'New Age seminars occur within a stratified social system resembling those of India and
Forum: Former Cult Members and Affected Families

Years ago i read the book, "The Way Of The Shaman" by Harner. I don't recall anything about the book, and i do not have it anymore, so i must have traded it in at a second hand store. From the website: "Shamans are a type of medicine man or woman especially distinguished by the use of journeys to hidden worlds otherwise mainly known through myth, dream, and near-death e
Forum: Former Cult Members and Affected Families

Even when people do leave families to join Buddhist or Christian monastic orders, there is often a leave taking process, you say good bye to family and friends, give an explanation, a mourning ritual for them to go through with you. In mature spiritual practice, one works with and through existing relationships--you dont just abandon those relationships with no explanation, unless there is ve
Forum: Former Cult Members and Affected Families

Dear Diesel: I am sorry that people are responding to you in such negative ways. And that you are doing the same. People on this board, who have been hurt by negative experiences in certain groups, are simply trying to help each other. Your question: Does God control ALL things? Yes or no? Reply: God is something beyong human ability to comprehend, so how can I say definiteively if GOd co
Forum: "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements"

Fixed gaze trance work is apparently practiced in some Western esoteric groups. The problem with the way certain groups are set up is that beginning students are not told the complete story about what will be studied and the actual nature of the group doctrine. The alibi is often that the new students are at too low a level of consciousness to understand the information. So they may not be tol
Forum: "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements"

Code of Ethics for Spiritual Guides People have long sought to enrich their lives and to awaken to their full natures through spiritual practices including prayer, meditation, mind-body disciplines, service, ritual, community liturgy, holy-day and seasonal observances, and rites of passage. "Primary religious practices" are those intended, or especially likely, to bring about excep
Forum: "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements"

Two articles came to my mailbox from Sam Vaknin's Narcissist Abuse website. The first talks about the way the elderly are being recruited. The link does not work on this one so I've included the synapsis. I've email Dr. V. to see if he can send me a different link for the actual article. [204.181.30.45] New Age Beliefs and Narcissism I read an interesting articl
Forum: Destructive Churches