@uwsboi14: I think you thesis needs more work, but you may be onto something.
You probably are aware of some or all of this--
Yogananda's surrender and devotion to a Divine Mother god are part of his Bengali-mystic tradition of worship of Mother Kali, and his growing up in Bengal and exposure to tales and devotees of the Bengali god-man Ramakrishna Paramahansa, who also apparently had a dysfunctional childhood--in addition to adulthood. But who hasn't had dysfunctional family or upbringing to one degree or another? Hence when we see another "superior" god-man who suffered losses that we identify with then many of us humans want to follow this teacher who we hope can show us how to "rise above" and solve all our problems.
Nothing wrong with the desire to solve all our problems. Where I think we go wrong is in seeking solutions to our problems through "higher" authorities: politicians, saints, or saviors.
Narasingha P. Sil, in Ramakrishna Revisited: A New Biography (University Press of America, 1998) examines the pathology of the god-man, Ramakrishna. And also his chief disciples, such as "M"(Master Mahasaya), who Yogananda was a disciple of before he met Sri Yukteswar. These men all seemed to exhibit feminine qualities and to devote themselves to a Cosmic Mother, like a kitten limp in the mother's jaws.
After reading Sil's historical and psychological analysis of Ramakrishna it's clear to me that Ramakrishna and his ilk of fanatical Divine-Mother-lovers are a pathological breed. We'll not know for sure if they were epileptics or psychotics, but there seems to be evidence of something "strange" physically and psychologically. What others might label "spiritual" or ecstasy for the divine, others label madness and hallucinations.
Thanks for sharing your thoughts. I hope my initial comments give you some feedback onyour thesis and you continue asking provocative questions.
You probably are aware of some or all of this--
Yogananda's surrender and devotion to a Divine Mother god are part of his Bengali-mystic tradition of worship of Mother Kali, and his growing up in Bengal and exposure to tales and devotees of the Bengali god-man Ramakrishna Paramahansa, who also apparently had a dysfunctional childhood--in addition to adulthood. But who hasn't had dysfunctional family or upbringing to one degree or another? Hence when we see another "superior" god-man who suffered losses that we identify with then many of us humans want to follow this teacher who we hope can show us how to "rise above" and solve all our problems.
Nothing wrong with the desire to solve all our problems. Where I think we go wrong is in seeking solutions to our problems through "higher" authorities: politicians, saints, or saviors.
Narasingha P. Sil, in Ramakrishna Revisited: A New Biography (University Press of America, 1998) examines the pathology of the god-man, Ramakrishna. And also his chief disciples, such as "M"(Master Mahasaya), who Yogananda was a disciple of before he met Sri Yukteswar. These men all seemed to exhibit feminine qualities and to devote themselves to a Cosmic Mother, like a kitten limp in the mother's jaws.
After reading Sil's historical and psychological analysis of Ramakrishna it's clear to me that Ramakrishna and his ilk of fanatical Divine-Mother-lovers are a pathological breed. We'll not know for sure if they were epileptics or psychotics, but there seems to be evidence of something "strange" physically and psychologically. What others might label "spiritual" or ecstasy for the divine, others label madness and hallucinations.
Thanks for sharing your thoughts. I hope my initial comments give you some feedback onyour thesis and you continue asking provocative questions.