Corboy, can you tell us what happened to you, ie, how you were recruited into a cult, if it isn't too personal? You can post a link, if you have already told the story elsewhere.
Forum: "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements"

I yam what i yam, When you say that Moo responded to people with "endless compassion, understanding, patience and, yes, love", I know you are convinced and nothing will change your mind. It doesn't matter, but I will post something very, very personal here for the sake of other readers. I used to work in a job where I delt directly with people in crisis situations. Some peopl
Forum: "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements"

Hi i am what i am, It's interesting that You said of Moo "I don't find the content of his teachings useful." But did you ever find find them useful in any way? I kind of thought I did find the teachings useful at first, but I could not tell you how or why. That is what bothered me so much. I guess that's why I became so suspicious of Moo. There I was, feeling mil
Forum: "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements"

Thanks i yam what i yam, I watched most of the video you posted in your link and read the comments. Of course a devout Christian is going to have a lot of problems with Moo, as they are very suspicious of anything 'new age' or occult. It is totally against their religion to be into such things. Moo appleals to the crowd who want to escape tradional religion. So he constantly re
Forum: "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements"

I'm glad you are OK, i yam what i yam. I wonder if you wouldn't have just gotten better, anyway, without Moo? Sounds like you have done some really pro-active things in your life. But then you say that you received some kind of "energetic jolt" from Moo. I'm really not sure such a thing exists.... I didn't experience it myself. I just felt spaced out from wat
Forum: "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements"

People got "benefits" but felt "manipulated". That's pretty much what I thought I said.
Forum: "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements"

I yam what i yam, Thanks for sharing how some people may be duped into feeling that they got some kind of benefit from being in a cult. I'm no expert on cults, but I am learning more and more each day. I guess if someone was suffering terribly with mental health issues that consumed their every waking moment, then they might somehow feel a bit better if they were brain-washed into beli
Forum: "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements"

Yes, Swissalyst, This whole guru phenomenon could run its course. Although, I think human beings will always search for meaning in their lives and sadly, I think there will always be people who try to use and exploit others, for power, money, fame, sex, whatever. It seems to be the way of the world. Look at the way the world is now, with global capitalism reining supreme. (Not that I a
Forum: "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements"

Thanks Corboy, The French embassy in Lisborn may be able to put out a warning about this guy, Moo. That would be really helpful. I never thought about that. I read the Gaurdian article... It's actually a re-hash of an old article published years ago, under the same name. I think the purpose of it was to be able to authenticate Moo, as his Wikipedia page had already been deleted. T
Forum: "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements"

I am glad that you are OK, Corboy. I am recovering from my unfortunate brush with Moo. It's really hard, because the 'trance induction' stuff does something to you. You feel really let down when you realize that you have been duped and fooled. It's pretty scary stuff... I know that in France they have laws to protect against people the use of thought-reform and brain-was
Forum: "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements"

corboy Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > Why seek or value enlightenment if it does not > improve peoples character and behavior? > > Bharati said he himself solved it by deciding that > the zero experience aka nondual realization is an > aesthetic experience, in the same realm aa art and > music. > > ... > But few contend
Forum: "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements"

Thank you at Corboy, I am very concerned that people with mental illness are heading off to the Moo ashram instead of getting help from experienced psychologists and qualified doctors. Then they are forbidden to talk to someone who may be able to support them, while they are there on a silent retreat. They are also forbidden to read anything other than what can be purchased in the Moo shop.
Forum: "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements"

Well, my friend, i yam what i yam, I would say that the suicide at the Moo ashram was "all-bad", wouldn't you? But please tell us more about the regular exorcisms? What were they like? Did anyone report any benefit from these exorcisms? Does non-dualism and Advaita acknowledge the existence of demons and devils and other such evil things? I would love to hear all about it
Forum: "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements"

i yam what i yam Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > Hi! I'm posting here again after a long time - > you can see my posts at the start of the thread. > ....Unfortunately this episode didn't > make it onto Youtube, because only one or two > satsangs from a retreat are scheduled to be > uploaded and this wasn't one of them
Forum: "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements"

Thanks, I read about 60 pages of the book you sent a link to... Saints and Psychopaths. It's a good read. I think the spiritual community just attracts a lot of people who are interested in exploiting others for their own gain. I suppose you could say that genuine seekers open themselves up to getting ripped off, because spiritual belief systems are very open-ended and vague things...
Forum: "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements"

Swissalyst, Do you think enlightenment could make you into a psychopath??? Maybe that is what is going on! But I think also that people with sociopathic traits are attracted to obtaining enlightenment, because they feel it can gain them some kind of power. I'm no psychologist, of course. But I've poked around some online non-dual communities and what I have noticed is a comp
Forum: "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements"

Cowboy and Swissalyst, That's interesting what Bharati describes, that finding enlightenment doesn't change your character at all. So you would have to wonder what the point of enlightenment actually is? If it doesn't help society in any way, it doesn't make you a better person or anything? Why even bother with it? Bharati says that if you were a stinker before realisin
Forum: "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements"

Thanks again, Corboy. What you say: "the crowd assembled around Moo are not neurologically diverse." That gave me a good giggle.... Because, no, most of these people are as mad as hatters! But they are very sincere, genuine people who earnestly seek some kind of meaning in life. This makes them vulnerable to exploitation. I was one of these people! I was slightly mad, I guess, at
Forum: "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements"

Sorry, I just realised that you had the link in your post. And I've just read the blog post from your link. It's interesting. I really don't know if there is such a thing as enlightenment, anymore. I think people experience spirituality in different ways. My understanding is that Buddhist monks can clock up tens of thousands of hours of meditation and still not experience &q
Forum: "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements"

Hi Swissalyst, I wonder if this is the article you are talking about? I found it fascinating too. I will have to re-read it.
Forum: "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements"

Thank you Corboy, I read some of the stuff written here on Cult Education via the link you posted and all I can say is: Wow! I probably need to do a lot more reading about all this kind of thing! Trance Induction: I knew that watching Moo's videos on YouTube made me feel relaxed and I thought there was something just a little bit 'addictive' about them. I couldn't put
Forum: "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements"

corboy Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > And, it could be that over the years, Moo has > become more controlling of his followers because > he's less able to function in an adult capacity. > > Look at the guru life Moo now lives...he's waited > on by an entourage. He lives in settings where the > entire day revolves around him
Forum: "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements"

Horowitz Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > throwaway034829392 reported at Reddit about Mooji > in 2015: > > His "teaching" mainly consists of staring > people in the eyes and showering the audience with > divine energy or whatever it is that happens in > his satsangs to make people become so starry-eyed. > I've se
Forum: "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements"

alonzo Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > Hi, Do you know where I can find the youtube > video of the women you mentioned in your post. I > spent a lot of time at monte sahaja and found some > disturbing things. I am interested to hear what > the women had to say. > > This is what you wrote...……….. "The woman who > first came
Forum: "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements"

Wombat Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > I am disappointed that this forum is not employing > critical thinking when looking at evidence against > Mooji. In my view it loses a lot of credibility > when evidence is not properly evaluated, but is > instead collated to promote a point of view. > > I am referring to Corboy reposting the xiv
Forum: "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements"

Mara Fiota Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > > > > but you DO become mindless in the best way. you > DO. > you see there really is no mind, or that all is > mind - same thing.You fall in the paradox, and you > stop being confused. > > I'm not confused. Then I read the above sentence and I became confused, beca
Forum: "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements"

Mara, My favourite Zen quote has always been "Before Zen, chop wood, carry water. After Zen, chop wood, carry water." To me this means that even though you realise a certain spiritual truth, you live fundamentally in the real material world where you have to live your usual life, just as before. In certain mystical traditions, Zen being one, there is an emphasis on a type o
Forum: "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements"

corboy Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > > > > QuoteMooji is collecting funds to build an > ashram. > ... > > Will big donors be given equal treatment with > those who donated less? > > Will long time supporters have access to Mooji as > they had in > the good old days before the ashram was built? > >
Forum: "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements"

Hi Wombat, I'm glad you asked about gaslighting, as it relates to the Mooji group. They use their "Neo-Advaita" or "non-dualism" philosophy to negate any kind of questioning or debate that doesn't suit them. If you are a genuine spiritual seeker, as indeed I was, this has the effect of making you feel like you might not belong, or you don't believe strongl
Forum: "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements"

I actually saw the Mooji Wikipedia page while it was being flagged for deletion. It was deleted by Wikipedia because no-one could come forward and name 3 reliable sources that would confirm that Mooji is a "notable person". Someone had put in a complaint to Wikipedia that Mooji was only a sort of dogdy business-man and not a legitimate spiritual teacher. This led to further question
Forum: "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements"