Recall how Sahara described his or her own experiences, how these were happy, illuminating, grounding, clarifying and did NOT induce confusion or disorientation as many persons have reported Moo's methods do.
Moo claimed Poonja was his guru. There is a memoir entitled The Mother of God that gives a quite detailed description of Poonja by a person who lived near him and with him for at least a month - Luna Tarlo, mother of Andrew Cohen, whom Poojna claimed to be enlightened and sent out to be a guru and to "start a revolution amongst the young."
Andrew Cohen became a notoriously abusive guru.
Luna Tarlo wrote a book describing all this and tells us how Pooja informed her, Tarlo, that she herself was enlightened. Tarlo reports this left her feeling more confused, more bewildered -- and more and more dependent on the two authoritarian males who had told her this - Poonja and her son Andrew.
Among other things, Tarlo states that Poonja had told his own sister that she was enlightened. Despite this, Poonja's sister remained silently in the background, doing the household drudgery.
Being told by Poonja that you were enlightened did not give you dignity or autonomy. You were still subordinate to him.
As The Who sang, Meet the new boss, same as the old boss.
Tarlo described many episodes in which she felt spaced out, alienated from her surroundings.
Andrew and his guru HWL Poonja assured her that these states of mind were evidence of enlightement.
Significantly, these assurances did not give Tarlo any sense of empowerment or confidence. Instead, she felt more confused, more powerless--and yet more dependent on Pooja and her son for guidance and validation.
It appears that many of the experiences she describes were episodes of depersonalization/dissociation, and not enlightenment at all.
Tarlo began experiencing these episodes while reeling with the news that her son had 'become enlightened' was suddenly deferred to and adulated as a guru, and began demanding deference and total submission from his followers---and his own mother.
And all this was happening in India, a foreign country that many new visitors like Tarlo find quite overwhelming and stressful.
If you're under massive stress, experience depersonalization and are told that this is evidence, not of distress, but proof that you're enlightened, this will not empower you. It will only make you more dependant on the person peddling the enlightenment label.
Its a perfect method for a hustler: place people under stress. Confuse them and disorient them.
Trigger depersonalization
Tell them they're enlightened
Tell them they need more exposure to the kind of treatment that has disoriented them.
Play this game properly and you'll keep people confused and dependent on you forever.
This is from an earlier discussion some years ago entitled What Some Call Enlightenment May Be Depersonalization
[forum.culteducation.com]
Depersonalization Derealization Disorder
All this seems quite different from what Sahara described. Ive had a few peak experiences and the ones that mattered most helped me feel more attuned and connected with people and my surroundings, while preserving a sense of independent agency, responsibility and dignity -- the best of both worlds, as it were.
Derealization Depersonalization
[www.google.com]
Moo claimed Poonja was his guru. There is a memoir entitled The Mother of God that gives a quite detailed description of Poonja by a person who lived near him and with him for at least a month - Luna Tarlo, mother of Andrew Cohen, whom Poojna claimed to be enlightened and sent out to be a guru and to "start a revolution amongst the young."
Andrew Cohen became a notoriously abusive guru.
Luna Tarlo wrote a book describing all this and tells us how Pooja informed her, Tarlo, that she herself was enlightened. Tarlo reports this left her feeling more confused, more bewildered -- and more and more dependent on the two authoritarian males who had told her this - Poonja and her son Andrew.
Among other things, Tarlo states that Poonja had told his own sister that she was enlightened. Despite this, Poonja's sister remained silently in the background, doing the household drudgery.
Being told by Poonja that you were enlightened did not give you dignity or autonomy. You were still subordinate to him.
As The Who sang, Meet the new boss, same as the old boss.
Tarlo described many episodes in which she felt spaced out, alienated from her surroundings.
Andrew and his guru HWL Poonja assured her that these states of mind were evidence of enlightement.
Significantly, these assurances did not give Tarlo any sense of empowerment or confidence. Instead, she felt more confused, more powerless--and yet more dependent on Pooja and her son for guidance and validation.
It appears that many of the experiences she describes were episodes of depersonalization/dissociation, and not enlightenment at all.
Tarlo began experiencing these episodes while reeling with the news that her son had 'become enlightened' was suddenly deferred to and adulated as a guru, and began demanding deference and total submission from his followers---and his own mother.
And all this was happening in India, a foreign country that many new visitors like Tarlo find quite overwhelming and stressful.
If you're under massive stress, experience depersonalization and are told that this is evidence, not of distress, but proof that you're enlightened, this will not empower you. It will only make you more dependant on the person peddling the enlightenment label.
Its a perfect method for a hustler: place people under stress. Confuse them and disorient them.
Trigger depersonalization
Tell them they're enlightened
Tell them they need more exposure to the kind of treatment that has disoriented them.
Play this game properly and you'll keep people confused and dependent on you forever.
This is from an earlier discussion some years ago entitled What Some Call Enlightenment May Be Depersonalization
[forum.culteducation.com]
Depersonalization Derealization Disorder
All this seems quite different from what Sahara described. Ive had a few peak experiences and the ones that mattered most helped me feel more attuned and connected with people and my surroundings, while preserving a sense of independent agency, responsibility and dignity -- the best of both worlds, as it were.
Derealization Depersonalization
[www.google.com]