Ok, I know I will get in trouble for this but part of my process of healing and removing myself from this cult, from all dysfunctional relationships in other areas of my life, is to recognize that I am not a victim. That I chose to be there. Somehow there was something in me that was susceptible to that kind of programming and if I wasn’t into Rawat, it would have happened somewhere else.

One of the peculiarities of this medium of communication is that it forces the condensation of one's opinions in ways which can leave unpredictable impressions in the minds of one's readers.I wouldn't worry about it. I don't think there is a party line here,although it would be remarkable if there wasn't a rough consensus; after all we're talking about a common experience.

I'm not going to get into the 'happy' conversation because I think it's too nebulous.

The 'victim' thing is different : I consider that we were victims of a confidence trick because the basis of this is the meditation. We were led to believe that this was unique to GMJ,that it was the direct experience of the God within,& that it wasn't going to be easy to establish a good connection. The fact that Shri Hans' DLM was part of a tradition going all the way back to around 1850, WOW, was kept carefully hidden, as was the truth about Rawat,his lifestyle etc. I reckon that amounts to fraud,which I know people tend to regard as a victimless crime, but which I don't.

It may be true that some people have the religious instinct more strongly than others,& I had it to a certain extent when I was young, but without Rawat that would have led me back to one of the more idiosyncratic & liberal tendencies within the RC church, & not into the arms of another snake oil merchant. There was very little belief system to believe in, zero intellectual content to scrutinise & reject as being obvious bullshit,unlike the majority of the other cults doing the rounds at the time. Maybe that's just me,but I really did get into this by accident, not because I was a 'seeker', & obviously the decision to do so was mine,but the con was all his, his mother's, & a fluid group of close followers.

R.I.P to your friend.