QuoteCOncerned Partner I feel I have one thing in common with SB- that is that i challenge anyone to have the courage to be absolutely truthful with themselves and answer; Is UM a belief system? And if it is, do they Believe it, or do they KNOW it? Like SB's chinese finger trap, i would argue that if they demure from these questions, they are clearly in illusion. The illusion of a mind tra
Forum: "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements"

I wish Serge would do his research correctly. If he did, he may see his claims around Lemuria would effect his very own homeland if it had actually existed: "The Lemuria theory disappeared completely from conventional scientific consideration after the theories of plate tectonics and continental drift were accepted by the larger scientific community. According to the theory of plate tecto
Forum: "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements"

Quotefrodobagginsmacready your a great source of information on all this. Great explanations. I could never get this info out of my partner. I think Serge's imagination has got the better of him. Its movie material stuff... Someone sign this guy up for a movie deal... Make a fortune with a sci-fi plot like this. A bit the Scientologists did with Battlefield Earth. And we all know what
Forum: "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements"

QuoteMacReadyQuoteHerbertKane178What about Darwinian evolution? Did the specific number of souls Serge decrees all appear at once on earth then? Forget evolution, the apes etc. According to Serge's logic none of this could have happened. So he's really in the territory of the fundamental christians who take the book of Genesis as fact.[/quote Serge's creation fables outdo even th
Forum: "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements"

QuotefrodobagginsAnother claim serge goes on and on with is his knowledge on reincarnation. Apparently from my understanding he says there are no "new" souls or people on this earth. We just keep reincarnating over and over again. So there is no new fresh blood so to speak. I could be completely missing something here but if there are no new people who enter this earth at birth then
Forum: "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements"

This is interesting, from the UM website: Service and Expansion: To help monitor its vast expansion and keep its integrity and energetic responsibility in its dedication to the healing arts, Universal Medicine launched the Esoteric Practitioners Association Pty Ltd (EPA). This vehicle is used to maintain the highest form of integrity, and that is -- Energetic Integrity. The EPA holds the high
Forum: "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements"

And while UM may have the resources to try and stop the truth getting out there, I hope we can rely on the Rick Ross Forum and this thread to maintain a balanced, honest and accurate portrayal of UM and Serge Benhayon. There is nothing here but people posting their own experiences of UM and linking to other info they have found on the net.
Forum: "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements"

QuoteMacReadyMore on the triangle pendants: Two pages have surfaced questioning/criticizing UM. The first references this very thread: This FB page seems to have been set up in place of the now defunct 'umsupportgroup' blog: While the Oz version of the umsupport blog has gone down, the world wide version I mentioned above is still available (read it while you still can!)
Forum: "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements"

QuoteNofooliamAs the spouse of a fully devoted UM'er I find it hard to openly express my feelings about the movement and the growing organisation that surrounds its leader. I feel like my freedom of speech is at risk anytime I open my mouth about UM, so now I have to sneak around forums that seem to be disappear as fast as they spring up (what happened to Yvonne MacIllwain's blog? a
Forum: "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements"

QuoteNofooliamQuote: corboy Extraordinary claims require extra ordinary proof. Last July (2011) Serge stood in front of his Friday night meetings followers (200 at least) and animatedly predicted that Sydney would be hit by a freak tornado in the coming November, and that specifically Kirribilly would be hit. Nothing ever happened of course. No-one IMHO can predict the future, and to tr
Forum: "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements"

QuotecorboyExtraordinary claims require extra ordinary proof. EG "mind reading" (what if its actually cold reading?), reincarnation, saying alcohol invites astral invasion. What are the astral enties? Anyone seen them? Do they meet the criteria of Koch's Postulates of identifying a specific organism as transmissible and causative of a specific illness? The skept
Forum: "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements"

QuoteMacReady Just for the record, my reasons for discussing the stranger ideas taught by UM aren't bitterness as you suggest, but rather concern after seeing the psychological impact these bizarre claims have on some of the students. Hearing people I care about claim they have found 'the way' and praise the physical health benefits of the UM lifestyle (many of which I don't n
Forum: "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements"

I think it's great that Rod posted here, I wish more people who support UM would. That way we are able to engage in debate and learn from each other. Sadly, I suspect he has gone for good, and this seems to be the pattern with UM devotees. To try and engage in conversation with them about what their beliefs are, the origins of them, the benefits they see from them, becomes a very one sided c
Forum: "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements"

Thank you MacReady and frodobaggins for 2 of the most concise, well rounded and truthful critiques of UM I have ever heard. The both cut to the point and offer unquestionable logic to this issue.
Forum: "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements"

QuotecorboyHere is a post on Leonardo da Vinci's diet based on his manuscripts. QuoteSnoot fun Creative Commons License photo credit: Phil Romans Many of the foods we eat today - including tomatoes, corn, potatoes, and chocolate, were “discovered” by explorers to the New World, and introduced into the European diet only after Leonardo’s death in 1519. Leonardo’s manuscripts
Forum: "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements"

shimwah seems to post in a lot of places defending universal medicine. he seems to have gone quiet on here. a shame as i would welcome further debate with him on many issues.
Forum: "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements"

Quotecorboy Nearly all these programs will make you feel excited, feel better -- at first. Can you pick a point where YOU can stop this process and get on with the rest of your life? Do you have to keep going back to UM in order to keep on feeling better? This is one of the troubling areas of UM for me. As Serge describes himself as 'a forever student', so are his follower
Forum: "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements"

QuotecorboyA member named Walter1963, who had a lot of hard won background experience, wrote something about seminars. If you decide to try reading any New Age person's books or listen to their tapes and YouTube presentations, the same warning might apply. If you have feelings and cravings that you dont normally have -- get outta there. Quote Even short(weekend or week long)
Forum: "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements"

QuoteMacReadyCorboy - I tend to feel much of what you wrote above is probably quite accurate. I should note that while I do not subscribe to UM's theories, I do write from experience here. My exposure to UM came via acquaintances who are deeply involved for several years and who take what Serge presents as absolute truth. I have read several of Serge's books, listened to countless hours
Forum: "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements"

QuoteMacReadySerge claims to be the reincarnation of Alice A. Bailey, Leonardo Da Vinci, and Pythagoras. In a recent interview he claimed to be one of the 'hierarchy of ascended masters' not merely in 'clairsentient' or psychic communication with them, which is how he previously claimed he sources the information he presents. He claims human beings originated from Mars and Ven
Forum: "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements"

Are you saying he believes he is reincarnated from her? I was told by someone else he thought he was Leonardo da Vinci and was in contact with the reincarnation of a Elvis, a 13 year old girl!
Forum: "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements"

whats the deal with this 'women only' thing here and the obsession with touching their breasts? i can imagine not too many women would be open to that and willing to share that they had allowed it to be done to them. i've heard of full body massage, but breasts only? all the words you have quoted lead to a singular, insular (and unprovable) view of the world, and one also that s
Forum: "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements"

Bad Beliefs and Fraudulent Faiths FRIDAY, 15 APRIL 2011 Universal Medicine (and a world of associations) Little has been written about Universal Medicine other than by those who lead the movement, or those considered to be part of "the Hierarchy". Obviously this presents an issue regarding neutrality! What I've collected here is as much information that highlights questionab
Forum: "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements"

Thank you corboy, that's a great post, very informative. This sentence "I would call it a situation in which new arrivals could not make an informed adult decision about what they were being invited to get involved with" is very interesting. I'm going to research more this other group as there seems to be similarities there, if nothing else, than following Alice Bailey
Forum: "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements"

Yes, those blogs don't have anything good to say about UM. I've found a few other discussion groups as well as them that also don't have much good to say about it either. Some are quite mocking, some are quite serious, but it does seem that this group, which is actually pretty small (and that may well account for the lack of interent presence) on the whole has nothing positive
Forum: "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements"

meant to say "thank you for what you say" shimwah!
Forum: "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements"

You're right, upon further examination he does. This site is a further examination of Universal Medicine and Serge. It's pretty comprehensive a view and back you what you say shimwah:
Forum: "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements"

Thank you for that info, very interesting. This Serge guy seems like he fulfills at least 5 of the criteria you list from what I have read and heard about him.
Forum: "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements"

Thank you for that info, very interesting. This Serge guy seems like he fulfills at least 5 of the criteria you list from what I have read and heard about him.
Forum: "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements"

Your assessment is very positive of them. All the above sounds great - like a good thing to be part of and not dissimilar (in places) to many of the teachings of the great religions of the world. What I am afraid of is the words of many of who left the group, who suggest far more sinister undertones than you report. To quote from a Facebook page about them: "Unfortunately Leanne, this org
Forum: "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements"