SadGame, You make some very important points. I am actually with you, because I don't think there is anything wrong with self-enquiry as a mode of spiritual development. I don't think there is anything wrong with meditation, or with praying to God, either. I think life can have a spiritual dimension to it, and that spirituality can be immensely rewarding. However, the way Moo teac
Forum: "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements"

Yourinlove, I'm so glad you have shared your story here. Reading your words, I feel that you describe everything accurately and in detail.... What you say is exactly what I have come to believe about the Moo cult, after all my extensive research over the past few months. You were actually there in Monte Saharja, while I was only hypnotised over the Internet. I too, had a lot of conc
Forum: "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements"

I think you are spot on, SadGame. It bothers me a lot that Moo is always ridiculing people in that subtle, passive-aggressive way he has. And he gets the audience to join in the ridicule, always leading them to laugh at anyone one is "out of line". It's all about humiliation. It isn't spiritual at all! It's the opposite of spiritual. It's controlling people.
Forum: "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements"

OK, I managed to watch a few sections of the video in question. Firstly, I watched the beginning 40 minutes or so. Right at the start, Moo seems to be loosely plagiarising The Lord's Prayer in his creepy voice-over, then he goes off speaking on a tangent, but it's basically all about God. It feels like I'm in church and the preacher is on drugs. This is followed by a devotion
Forum: "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements"

Thank you yourinlove, I will take a look at the video, it sounds really interesting. I am flat out busy at the moment but will try to watch some of it. Yeah, Moo loves to compare himself to Christ and Buddha, so much for not having an ego! He bangs on about how godly he is all the time.
Forum: "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements"

This all reminds me of an article I read recently in The Guardian, about women who allege they were raped at an ashram in Thailand. The women complained that the ashram was like a kind of cult, where male staff members preyed on unsuspecting women. The guru there - a guy named Narcis Tarcau, used some kind of brainwashing and coercion to allegedly sexually assault women. The victims ta
Forum: "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements"

Also I found an article published in an independent British newspaper about the science behind hypnosis: Again, we see hypnosis compared to 'brain-washing' or thought control! The author does say that a type of indirect hypnosis can be used on people without their consent (they have no idea that they are being hypnotized) and that this is skill is dangerous, if it ends up in the
Forum: "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements"

I found this comment on the website -posted on October 5th of this year (2 weeks ago) by "Emely": I lived at Sahaja with Mooji for quite some time and I can confirm that alot of these allegations are true. I did not want to believe nor see what was really going on at Sahaja even though a few people spoke of things. Every time a serious allegation came up against him it was immedia
Forum: "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements"

I just wanted to share a link to a BBC documentary about the science behind hypnosis. As some of you who are reading this might be aware, some of the most effective and successful cult leaders know how to use trance induction or hypnosis to draw unsuspecting people in. Osho was one of these successful cult leaders and Mooji is another one. Notice towards the end of the video, a British
Forum: "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements"

This is wonderful news. Universal Medicine is a socially harmful cult. The law has found on the side of decency and reason! Anyone with half a brain could see that this group were spouting absolute assinine rubbish that was halmful to vulnerable people. Thank goodness.
Forum: "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements"

If I can put in my own two cents worth; I think Corboy writes from the heart. He has stated that his own life has been effected by a cult and I think he wants to share the intricacies of how he felt in order to help others. Of course, what Corboy says might not be relevant to each and every person who's life has been effected by a cult.... but I find his intentions very sincere. Some
Forum: "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements"

That is interesting SadGame. I don't think our minds require any kind of cleansing. To embrace a new idea, like this idea of the 'pure self', why would you need to eradicate things that you already know? As though there is something inherently 'wrong' with our minds, as they are? There is nothing wrong with our brains! There is nothing they require cleansing of. It&
Forum: "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements"

Thanks Corboy, I really need to do a lot more reading on hypnosis. I read the link at the bottom of your post, all about Byron Katie. It is so fascinating. Unfortunately, the link to the woman's blog that The Anticult posted no longer works, as that blog is now "privacy protected" or whatever. I wonder why? Anyway, it seems like, from what The Anticult posted, that this
Forum: "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements"

I just watched a Rajneesh talk on YouTube. It's very hypnotic stuff... Hard to understand, but definitely hypnotic. At first, it seems Rajneesh speaks so slowly that you feel impatient with him. It's an unusual experience hearing someone speak so incredibly slowly. We are not used to this slow pace in our everyday lives. He doesn't blink often and he has starey eyes. When he
Forum: "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements"

Misstyk Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > Was there some kind of group > hypnosis going on? I can understand, in the case > of young, naive, and idealistic people coming from > an abusive background, falling in with something > like that, but there were middle-aged > professionals there, even a psychologist! And > somehow (he's not
Forum: "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements"

Thanks for filling us in on the spiritual foot fetish palaver, Corboy. Obviously it is a Thing. The stuff about the keys is intriguing, but I think it might be intended to confuse people. I notice a lot of cult material is confusing... I think it is designed to mentally disarm people. I wanted to mention the YouTube video of Moo that 'i yam what i yam' shared a few days back, v
Forum: "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements"

Ok, My friend did tell me that at Easter time, people would kiss the feet of a statue of Jesus on the cross, in the Catholic Church. It was a kind of veneration - like a symbolic gesture... to thank Christ for dying on the cross for them. As far as I know, Moo is just a person. I don't think he is the second coming of Christ or anything. (But he would like to be.)
Forum: "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements"

Yes Corboy, All we know is that the mala is traditionally used for meditation, to count repetitions of prayers, or other types of devotional activities. I'm not sure who Moo's followers are supposed to be praying to? Is is God? Another deity? Or to Moo himself? We just don't know at this point. I did find something very creepy then at the Moo online shop. It's a mala
Forum: "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements"

Thanks Corboy for this meticulous research! Looking at the Moo malas and the Osho malas, they are strikingly similar. So Moo is using techniques already perfected by another exploitative guru - well, I guess that would be saving him time and energy! No need to come up with his own ideas ...and Osho is deceased - so no competition from him! I don't really understand the mala meditation.
Forum: "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements"

corboy Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > > Adroit technicians such as expert salesmen and > commercial gurus know how to use > social techniques and room set ups to trigger > intense feelings of intimacy -- far more > intense than most of us experience in genuine > gradual friendships. > > This is deeply physical. We are soci
Forum: "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements"

SadGame Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > Thanks for your kindness sahara71 > I am doing fine, ups and downs. > > I lack any feeling of belonging, which is why an > ultimate identity with pure consciousness is very > appealing to me. It is beyond human relationships > and independent of them. > > That is also why laughter is so
Forum: "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements"

SadGame, I hope you will be Ok. I started out innocently enough, but then I realised that I was kind of addicted to Moo videos and I didn't know why. But I thought Moo was wonderful....I thought he had all the answers. I was really upset when I realised that I had been fooled...but it can happen to anyone. If you feel you have suffered detriment to some of your relationships, then
Forum: "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements"

corboy Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > Oh, to keep track, Moo has a disciple named > > > > Ananta. > > QuoteANANTA GARG > Ananta (born, Tapan Garg) is a disciple of > spiritual Guru, Shri Mooji. His quest for > self-realization began in 1998, at the age of 23. > > He spent the initial few years involved with Sr
Forum: "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements"

Wombat, It's interesting that you question the "Invitation to Freedom" video presentation which has become the centrepiece of the online Moo show. I went back and watched it just then. It starts out rational, but notice how Moo slows down is speech and talks more and more quietly as the video goes on? His pauses in speech become longer and longer, too. Towards the end, those
Forum: "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements"

Wombat Wrote: > > > > When people come up to express doubt about what he > teaches, he sometimes cuts right to trying to get > them to use the doubt as a way to apply > self-inquiry in much the same way that he would > suggest using any strong emotion that comes up. I > think that the doubts should be heard out more > often. > Yes, Wombat! You h
Forum: "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements"

Strange, vague and confusing pointing from Moo; "sometimes I say, When one can bear one's own silence, One is free. But who is there to bear it even?" Moo seems to be saying that we are not really there. Although we must be there, if we are 'bearing silence'. Someone is bearing their own silence, it seems? But Moo asks who that one is. Then he implies that that
Forum: "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements"

Moo sells artful pictures of his feet in his gift shop for 1.50 euros each. You can order them in the mail. It does not seem like he is trying to prevent people from worshiping at his feet! It seems like he wants people to focus on his feet. Surely he has some control of what is for sale in his own gift shop? The video of Moo performing an exorcism was from his own Moo YouTube channel and w
Forum: "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements"

Thanks Corboy, It's confusing, because the Advaita message, or Moo's "pointings" are supposed to be simple and you are supposed to become instantly enlightened from them. So it doesn't make any sense that you should have to pay extra to meet the teacher in person, or attend some kind of retreat or event, because if the teachings were so simple, you wouldn't nee
Forum: "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements"

That's interesting, Horowitz, Thanks for sharing. Interesting how he mentions one guy being asked for 150 euros just to speak to Moo privately. That kind of think doesn't sound very spiritual, does it? Especially when Moo's teacher Papaji specifically stated that you shouldn't charge money for Satsung. If he is going to ask for that much money just to talk to people one
Forum: "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements"

Thanks for posting a link to the list of articles, HerbertKane178, It's a fascinating case. I will have go back and read over the defendant's blog... it looks like all she tried to do was warn people about this cult and now she is in financial trouble, having declared bankruptcy, having huge legal bills.... I hope it is worth it and she wins the case. Even if she wins, it's g
Forum: "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements"