Yes, it was diabolical and very insidious. And it was a complete and total mind-f*ck complete with crowns, foot kissing, devotional songs, and more!

Although, I do believe that Maharaji was deluded and believed it all himself.

As far as confusing goes, Maharaji has always been a very incoherent speaker and is probably more incoherent today than ever.

Does he still use this kind of indoctrination?  Well, probably not, but it's possible that at some point he will be subtly saying essentially the same thing.

I do think his current followers believe that he is God.  I left in early 1998 and I certaintly thought he was god, and a god to be feared at that.  And considering that most of his Western followers are the original followers from the 70's it's hard to imagine, no matter how much they doth protest, that they have stopped believing he is God.

What is disturbing is how Maharaji has distanced his current marketing program from his past.  And worse he blames us, the ex-premies, for misunderstanding him back then.  Well, certainly these examples of his speeches should put an end to the source of any of that revisionist nonsense he and his people are peddling today.  But, it makes me feel the victim all over again as he abuses me with his reinvention and lies.

And then you have people like Eileen and Livia who seem to have forgotten exactly how controlling and scary Maharaji was.  Move on?  Well, only after I do everything I can to help others from making the same mistakes I made.