Great post but this part I have a different theory-
"I expect that none of them were like that or even capable of that deplorable behavior before they met Prem Rawat"
This, I think is probably not entirely true. I think some with predatory or desire to find a flock to hide some awful personality trait found the cult a haven. I don't think the cult made Jagdeo a pedophile, and I have wondered if he used it the way the Boy Scouts were used. Finding an environment where he would be trusted implicitly, moved around frequently, and had access to children. I see some of the folks at the top around M as having toxic or predatory traits that probably predated their involvement. That the cause gives them a excuse and a cause to do their dirty tricks. Thinking of the cult's Roger Stone, and another premie I learned was a predator at high level, and some of the stories of kids that were abused by fringe bongos because their parents just trusted the other premies in the premie house. I had a friend who was raped weeks after I brought her to satsang, by a premie at the margins, he might have found the cult a great place to hide and to find victims.
It's the reflexive protection of Prem Rawat and his mission, the ends justify the means mentality, that makes it a haven for some bad people, who may be exploiting the organization themselves.
Mostly though, I agree, most premies were good kind people, who slowly were fed the bs and believed it. I agree, that after decades, denial would be a very strong response.
It's really interesting, if there is no accountability for Prem Rawat, of course it would be a haven for others who might want to hide under that protection.
But mostly I do agree with you, I think though, that it is important to see that it was a great place and may remain, a great place for victimizers to hide. Because if something reflects badly upon the organization, they seem to reflexively hide it, if it coming out will make Prem look bad, they are going to hide it, that's the history.
I am grateful for many things. One of them being the friendship and honest discussion I find here.
