To explain some of the paranormal phenomena, like reports of SSB's bilocation to save somebody's life, ex-followers like Hari Sampath and David Bailey said that this is due to God's grace and omnipotence. They say that God will respond to prayers regardless of the form the devotee worships. So in your case it was Maharaji, in my case it was SSB. So we both received grace from God thru our Ishta-Deva (chosen deity). The concept of chosen deity is described and endorsed in the Bhagavad Gita. I think that Krishna told Arjuna that devotees will come to him regardless of the form they worship.

Defection from SSB was in my case precursed by a huge intellectual struggle because there seemed to be no rational explanation for some of the miracles stories that I heard. Stories came even from people who were never followers. One never-follower reported sudden recovery from tunnel vision upon crossing the ashram gate.