I found your original post on SRFBlacklist provides the needed context for your concerns. Here's the link to your post. Yogananda and the League of Nations, Hitler and Donald Trump
Forum: "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements"

@grainne uaile: What's your concern or problem with Yogananda mentioning Hitler in this article in 1933? Is it the brief remark I found in paragraph 3, page twenty three? In 1933, when the article is supposedly published, Hitler had just been appointed as chancellor of Germany. Hitler was not known at that time as he is known now.
Forum: "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements"

@corboy: Somewhere else on this board or on the SRFBlacklist we had a discussion about how SRF is "scripted". There's little spontaneous or extemporaneous in SRF teachings, programs, or services. That in itself is not the problem. SRF teachings are a closed system. It's quite predictable what the teachers or lessons say once you know the basic scripts. If divine revelation
Forum: "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements"

@uwsboi14: I also found Dasgupta's story of how Yogananda became Paramahansa a bit disturbing. I wonder if there's any others who corroborate that Yogananda wasn't actually bestowed the Paramahansa (great swan) moniker by his Guru, implying his guru thought he was a great soul. Dasguta also writes on page 96-97 (print, 2006 ed.) how Yukteswar said of Yogananda: "That is no
Forum: "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements"

@uwsboi14: Yes, these are interesting points. The book you cite is highly recommended for persons who want to get an alternative view of Yogananda and Sri Yukteswar, etc. The book is Dasgupta, Sri Sailendra Bejoy. Paramhansa Swami Yogananda: Life-portrait and Reminiscences Yoga Niketan, Inc.(2006). Also, Yogananda might have been what some psychologists call a fantasy prone personality. Chara
Forum: "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements"

@uwsboi14: Revealing quotations. Readers who want to understand Yogananda, the man, should look beyond his Autobiography, which is wild fantasy about yogi magic. I agree with you the book Paramhansa Swami Yogananda: Life-portrait and Reminiscences by Dasgupta, Sri Sailendra Bejoy sheds light on the guru's fantasy-prone personality and his self-aggrandizing yogic, spiritual path.
Forum: "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements"

Interesting parallels, corboy. You reminded me, with your examples of disciple devotion to senior ashram members, of this documentary about the alleged abuses of Sai/Meher Baba: BBC The Secret Swami Satya Sai Baba 2004 full. Corruption and abuses are often part of unquestioning obedience and surrender to a revered guru or senior swami or priest.
Forum: "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements"

I am a former SRF-monastic. Lived at Mother Center and the other ashrams for more than a decade. Raja Begum's observations and analogies with fascism are brilliant: "How the SRF experience holds our thinking hostage". Yes, I see how it aligns with fascism. The experience, especially the SRF group or temple services, are highly scripted, choreographed for maximum theatrical
Forum: "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements"

@uwsboi14: I think you thesis needs more work, but you may be onto something. You probably are aware of some or all of this-- Yogananda's surrender and devotion to a Divine Mother god are part of his Bengali-mystic tradition of worship of Mother Kali, and his growing up in Bengal and exposure to tales and devotees of the Bengali god-man Ramakrishna Paramahansa, who also apparently had
Forum: "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements"

@Tormod: I agree with your "Second thought". There are precious few critiques of SRF that are easy to find. Sites or resources that use critical thinking to assess that many extraordinary claims of SRF as a group and Yogananda as a guru-god man. Readers may visit Critiques of Self-Realization Fellowship at Skeptic Meditations. Full disclosure: This is a site I started in 2014, more t
Forum: "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements"