Hi! I have not written in this thread here yet, but I also once was a follower of Mooji. Now, I just wanted to share my observation and opinion about Mooji's post-covid website appearance and the changes that happened there. Before Covid people were able to come to Monte Shaja freely and without any invitations or big commitment announcements. The website now says Monte Sahaja is not a &q
Forum: "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements"

Hi Truth wins, here is my answer that did not make it into the mail box: I am very sorry that I came off rude to you, I did not intend to do so and I surely blindly did not realize meanwhile, that it can affect you for so long. Just read everything I wrote to you earlier here in the forum and it felt, I was indeed inappropriate and presumptuous. For this again, I am very sorry. It is true, tha
Forum: "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements"

Hi truth wins, you sent me a private message but I am not able to answer you since I receive the message that your mail box is too full to receive further messages. I will try to send you a message again next week.Did not know how else to reach out to you. Nick
Forum: "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements"

@ Truth Wins I didn't write that I had only Christian experiences. My experiences also involved deities of the all the paths I decided to follow. I believe that your experiences were real and strong, but mine were as well. Sorry that I cannot help you or be a friend for you here. But sorry to say - this also just proofs for me the individuality of the experience. We are all biased in our
Forum: "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements"

@ Culthusiast Just saw that you also wanted to know something about Advaita. Long story, gonna try to make it short. It was established by Adi Shankaracharaya ( approx. 7,8thCE but it is controversial) and he also founded a monastic order which exists in clear lineage til today. It is monistic and it is also known as the path of jnana (knowledge). Bhakti can also be practised but is not empha
Forum: "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements"

@Culthusiast I am not so well versed about the origins of Dvaita school of thought. Commentaries on the scriptures in the light of Dvaita are also not so good available in English language. Not many scholars translated Dvaitic commentaries into English. Most Vaishnava groups count themselves under the Dvaita doctrine, since it talks about Vishnu as the Supreme deity. It was established approx.
Forum: "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements"

@ Truth Wins I considered to answer to your commentaries to mystical experience before but felt always reluctant about it, since it is a personal experience and should be only labeled as that - in my opinion and experiences. 1. I had supranational and so to say "mystical" religious experiences since I was a child and long before I encountered ISCKON. I grew up Christian. I was al
Forum: "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements"

Hi Whirlwind, I get that you have a mission of mocking against retired cult people who are atheistic or antagonistic.This is apparent from your posts in this forum and website in general. Nevertheless, a neutral approach towards a theology that most people here had experienced as traumatising and abusive is not quite helpful. It is too much of a hero mission, that backfires. We also need antagoni
Forum: "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements"

Thank you Run for making clear, that the Bhaktivedanta quotes from Radhikas video do not need any context to see that they are absolutely terrible. I was thinking the same when I read Watchers answer to it. I do not mean to gang up again DaWatcher here, but being in an ISCKON group as a child myself (for 2 years) i can only agree with Runs statement, that ISCKON is attracting many disturbed peo
Forum: "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements"

Thank you for your honesty Truth Wins.I believe you, that your experiences are real and I also had profound and very personal experiences in another cult, but I know how confusing it feels to make sense of the wonderful experiences and the falsity of the cult at the same time. From Butler's story, that is also described on your link and on 'meanwhile in hawaii' it seems, that Butle
Forum: "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements"

Always this hatred on impersonalist. They don't know their 'enemies' well enough. Most so called impersonalist do not even call them like that and they don't discourage people in worshipping at all -on the example of Shankaracharya and Ramakrishna, this has been shown and talked about many times. That's why the Butler group ignored me when I came to see my friend at th
Forum: "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements"

@Truth wins I understand, that people (me included) can be desperate for answers and want to sacrifice themselves and their sorrows to something more meaningful to feel liberated, happy and again meaningful themselves. And I do have compassion and even pain, thinking about my friend who is in this cult, completely brainwashed and disassociated. And me and my mother also have been in several secta
Forum: "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements"

Another question: I literally had to google like 2 maybe 3 times to find this culteducation site with the Butler thread and other disturbing information, confessions from ex-members ect. Why is noone of the members actually doing it? Looking up in the Web? I just cannot wrap my head around the fact, that many people in the Butler group I encountered have high academical degrees and are educate
Forum: "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements"

Hey! Can anyone explain me who Balakhilya Das is? His videos are linked frequently by the Butler group I crossed. The homepage is as neutral as possible and his labels seem to me like some kind of lifestyle yoga narrative that proclaims again 'a goal' in spiritual practice (boring). But I couldn't find a direct link to Butler. Thank you guys.
Forum: "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements"

@ DaWatcher Ok yes now I get it. Yes absolutely it won't make any sense even in this way to carry the title Paramahamsa. DaWatcher wrote :The answer is that, since instead of presenting this tragic affair in a spiritual way to all her friends, you wanted, as instructed by your authority, Mr. Midgett to mute it, therfore you can read about it after 20 years. Is it clear? --> some
Forum: "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements"

@ DaWatcher Thank you for this inside information, this sounds shocking! What do you mean with your last question? Why should Paramahamsa be the surname for vowl breakers? ParamahaNsa is just and old form of ParamahaMsa as far as I know but it is the same title. Maybe I also did not get some sarcasm in your messages, I am really bad at this when it is made through text message! Thank yo
Forum: "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements"

@DaWatcher, thank you for this facebook link, I cannot believe how ridiculous it is. Some modern hippie lifestyle marketing, they really are in need to convince it seems. I just browsed through this forum here and watched a YouTube interview with IanKoviak, so I could generate a better idea what SIF is doing and who C. Butler is. As the past has shown many times through other religious groups
Forum: "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements"

Hi guys thank you for your answers, it helps me to know that my gut feeling was right about this group of people. Earlier in this blog somebody postet the webpage of a Butler group in Canada. This page looks absolutely the same as the one from the group I am talking of. It is an innocent page that does not reveal any connection to the true roots of those who are representing it. I think it is
Forum: "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements"

I think I am visiting an offshoot sect of ISKCON but I am not sure, can anybody help? Did anyone experienced the same and can tell me what group it is and if my judgment is right? Sorry for the text, maybe sombody has the patience to read it. I would happily appreciate it! :) I moved to a new city and tried to hook up with people that also have an spiritual interest, meditate and maybe rea
Forum: "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements"