I knew Barbard deAngeles well. She and I worked together in the tape library in Mallorca. Later, she married the magician, Doug Henning. I attended one of their performances, Barbara sang a nice song (slightly off key). I remember the first time I encountered (first) Johnny Grey staring down at me from a book shelf in a store. Creepy. Then there was one of Barbara's books, also her stari
Forum: "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements"

For what it might be worth, Maharishi Sadashiva Isham (MSI) is Vaughan Abrams. The name is familiar; I might have met him, but I don't know. Anyone out there know Vaughan? M
Forum: "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements"

I have contacted a friend at MUM (Mahesh’s “university” in Iowa) where the Ishaya leader claims to have been a student. Hopefully this will reveal a little more about the Ishaya organization. There are two things noteworthy about the “value” of Mahesh’s meditation method (“TM” transcendental meditation): (1) the method or use of a mantra and (2) the mantra. Because most people focus on the
Forum: "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements"

Hi, Toni, et al. I heard about this group last year and thought they were somehow connected with a late 19th Century author's idea about Jesus (Issa) in India. I don't know if the makers of this "cult" drew upon that or not. I talked about my involvement with Mahesh in another thread (Mahesh and Money). What Mahesh very cleverly offers is the 'security' of tr
Forum: "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements"

Hi, Bonnie and Toni We might consider how long it took for "society" and the law to catch up with the offending RC priests who were abusing children. The difficulty a free society experiences is that if its members do not stand up for themselves, for their rights, for the rights of others, especially children, nothing can be done. Consider how many men abuse their wives. Society
Forum: "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements"

Thanks: the references were very helpful. M
Forum: "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements"

Love the story about the stringer. I wonder if Mahesh kept track of the women he bedded. I noticed when I was in Seelisberg that he stopped wearing the string of coral on gold wire with the medallion of Guru Dev (I think Shiva was on the other side ... Mahesh means Shiva). Was he too ashamed? Doubtful. The bedding had gone on since the early 60's. Probably someone nicked it. He played a wire
Forum: Former Cult Members and Affected Families

I have a question about "Art of Living", the breathing technique taught by Sri Sri Ravi Shankar. I understand he's a once-upon-a-time follower of Mahesh. Some of my now distant tm friends said they were doing his "kriya" and found it great, but it was banned at MUM ... well, aren't all good things. So I got to wondering. But the internet doesn't seem to have
Forum: "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements"

I don't want to belabour the issue any more; who can take that kind of punishment! I want to sort of draw this long discussion of Mahesh and his curious use of mind candy together by quoting one of my more recent teachers, something I think I might have done in the early stages of this thread, but it might be more meaningful now: Take what is and has been best for you from all of your
Forum: Former Cult Members and Affected Families

Well, for what it may be worth, I have some time today and want to respond to your comments just a little more: QuoteIt is hard to readjust to life when all your adapted ways of assuming life's organization are now reshuffled to be in 'normal society' That is why people on the 'inside' are so resistant to facing their manipulation and stepping out. Even to the point of
Forum: Former Cult Members and Affected Families

Toni - I am in a rush here and won't have real time until tomorrow. I have no argument against Mahesh as sociopath. I have met a couple of really nice sociopaths (when I worked briefly in a prison project). It just seemed to me that Mahesh's dominant pathology was narcissism. That said, I also have to say that I really do not have the background, academic or otherwise to have any me
Forum: Former Cult Members and Affected Families

QuoteGood News! Recovery IS possible! AND.. when / if others so choose, they can find an online map for help. Just an observation here. One of my earliest encounters with a discussion group of any kind was a.m.t. (alt.meditation.transcendental). Lucky me, at the time I looked in they were still discussing tm. Mostly, now, it's just a roving chit-chat about anything but. This particular
Forum: Former Cult Members and Affected Families

This is a long post that looks at some of the details that have made Mahesh rich (he had the dosh to back his own currency, the raam). I don't really know if it is useful or not. I wrote it yesterday and it seemed meaningful to me, so I'll share it. - M Toni and friends Mahesh and his brilliant mind. He could see things others simply didn’t. He could see relationships between i
Forum: Former Cult Members and Affected Families

Hi, Toni and anyone else brave enough to wade through our tales of the old days. QuoteYes, Mahesh, and ALL the cult leaders are brilliant psychopaths. I am going to take just the teensiest exception to this in that I don't think the snake oil salesman we know and thought we loved was actually sociopathic. Sociopaths usually hurt rather directly and malignantly because they have no conc
Forum: Former Cult Members and Affected Families

Toni, Campos - Mahesh gives everyone and everything "spiritual" a bad name. The up side is that the legitimate ones simply go on being legitimate. I paid $60 (US, I think) to learn tm. I paid for a residence course and for the two parts of the teacher training course; I had a good job at the time, so it wasn't a financial strain. Then I got some money from having been in an auto
Forum: Former Cult Members and Affected Families

AAAAAAAaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiyyyyyyyyyyyyyyaaaaaaaaaaagggggggggggggggggggggggggggAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh! The blasted machine ate my message! Hi, Toni and Campos QuoteOh yes, puh-leeze, DO tell about the beginning of the sidhis! Oh, goody goody, we'll hear a REAL movement story, not just the MMY version that alwa
Forum: Former Cult Members and Affected Families

hillarious! (like the Scotsman said: there's nothing warn, it's all good as new) From my side I enjoy telling tales about Mahaeh's nuttiness. It is reassuring to be able to pinpoint the feet of clay that demonstrated that he was unable to live up to the supposed "standards" he and his organization stood for. Mahesh was one crafty character. My teacher training c
Forum: Former Cult Members and Affected Families

Hi, Toni - I probably knew your mother! One of my closest friends from those days lives in Fairfield with his wife and son. He tried to run for the US Senate and a couple of years ago told me he gave Mahesh $130 Here it is, 24 March, a week after I wrote this and I just now caught my interesting error. The above should read ... he gave Mahesh $130 MILLION in stock options ... in stock opt
Forum: Former Cult Members and Affected Families

Hi SarahL - Your point is well-made and I do see the sense in it. It is something that would no doubt be quite obvious were we speaking, but here in cyber-space so much nuance is lost that I missed the very important point you make. I will try to keep it in mind and will also try not to come across so judgmental in future. -- I am not new to groups of this nature and I 100% concur that these
Forum: Former Cult Members and Affected Families

QuoteI don't know about your circle of old friends, but many former TMers that I know are still guru-hopping. Those are the folks that I no longer spend time with. It's sad.. the looking for a mystical answer/ path/ leader/ emotional parent / spiritual 'high'. My personal vulnerability came not from joining another cult, but from invovlement w/ someone in a different 'spi
Forum: Former Cult Members and Affected Families

Apparently the cyber fairies aren't resurrecting things today. No worries. I have a funny Olsen story I shared which is funny enough (to me, anyway) to repeat. When the circus moved to Switzerland, we moved into the grand hotels Kulm and Sonnenberg. Sonnenberg was old and had had such guests as Brahms and Wagner. Mrs. Olsen and the girls set about exploring and found some old crockery wh
Forum: Former Cult Members and Affected Families

Toni, sorry, I confused your answer with Nativeflower to whom I had first responded. M
Forum: Former Cult Members and Affected Families

I posted a detailed reply and it disappeared when I clicked Preview, sigh. I'll wait, maybe the cyber gods will do something. M
Forum: Former Cult Members and Affected Families

What am I seeking? St. Augustus of Hippo said: I know what time is until you ask me, then I don't know anymore -- No saint, I, but it has always seemed a good quote with respect to this business of seeking. In '64 I had a kind of epiphany (of the William James "Variety") and knew that there was something that wasn't material that I wanted/needed to look for. Not
Forum: Former Cult Members and Affected Families

Nativeflower -- While I am new to this forum (I joined today, 10 March 05) I am not at all new to/unfamiliar with this very experience. Perhaps I have a little to share that may be of value. If it is, great. If it is not, I hope it will pose no problem. I began doing Mahesh's "transcendental" meditation in 1968 (then, it was great). Then I went on a teacher training course. T
Forum: Former Cult Members and Affected Families

I am a former tm-er from the 70's when I was Mahesh's personal secretary as well as course leader in La Antilla. I wanted to share something which fits in with the article All you need is funds that Rick posted at . I sent Rick the pdf of Mahesh's "proposal" for $1billion which he posted in 3 prominent papers between 23rd and 25th September 2001. While Mahesh w
Forum: Former Cult Members and Affected Families