Rawat did most definitely waive a "gun" at us and that gun was the mind, our minds.

Ah, but we took the step of suspending our critical faculties and believing it.

Your smoking analogy is pretty silly.  On the one hand you have M, a young guru with a penchant for Rolls Royces and the good things in life, and on the other hand you have the medical establishment.  Most normal people trust the medical establishment (at least up to a point), and most of those same normal people would run a mile at the thought of giving their lives to a young guru with a penchant for Rolls Royces and the good things in life.  The very fact we took him seriously in the first place marks us out as highly susceptible and unusually trusting.

Quite honestly I believe he may have thought he was an avatar or something of the kind back in the beginning - he was certainly brought up to believe it.  I think he turned to drink when he realised what he'd taken on, and was subject to an unholy conflict - come clean and lose everything in the West, or carry , live the high life and feed off the adoration.  Drinking was the only way he could cope with the lies and deception.

This "group think" thing is bullshit.  You're getting the reaction you deserve with your insulting speculations, that's all. 

I'm afraid it's not bullshit, Jim - it happens.  You may not be susceptible to it yourself because you're tough and you've got strong views; however, you may be one of the people responsible for sustaining a regime of 'group-think' here.  As my speculations being of the 'insulting' variety - well, I think I've taken more insults from you over the last couple of years than from anyone else in my entire life, so I think you of all people should be able to take it.

Livia

PS That's my last word for now - I've no great desire to enter into an endless row with you or be picked apart on a daily basis again - life's far too short.