I think the pervasive dark force is just your own fear, not any tangible entity threatening you because you no longer follow or have chosen to discuss Prem.

There are many primeval or archetypal joys and terrors    involved in following the 'LOTU' or 'God', however people picture him/her/it.

If you conceive of yourself as a tiny universal dot in the embrace of a power which is capable of being kind or enraged according to its own whim, then we are going to be somewhat, well, anxious to please, even amid what might be genuine devotion.

This has been discussed here before on quite a number of occasions. One prime fear motivator that was mentioned by different people was the death of Bob Mischler and family in the unfortunate helicopter crash. At the time (about 77/78), premies were murmuring to each other: 'Well, Maharaji did say he wouldn't let anyone stand in the way of his work.'

When one has absorbed this type of sneaking intimidation for years, it takes some balls publicly to say, well I just think it was due to an ordinary engine failure, and show me one case of any tangible ill-effect to anyone who has just expressed their own sensible opinions concerning Prem and the Happening (by which I mean, anyone struck down by e.g. thunderbolts, terminal illness or road accident).

One of the things which helps to combat such innate fears may be the consideration that God, if (s)he/it exists is supposed to be a loving creature, teaching that love is the greatest power of all, which we should feel for one another, the whole of nature, and its creator, if we believe in such.

The very nature of real love precludes anything to do with intimidation. Its very nature is the freedom with which it is given, without strings and threat.

Any religion or teaching which preaches otherwise belongs to a dark age of humankind when we were cowering in caves with the need of something great to protect us from what lurked just outside the rim of the fire.

IMO, by believing in this core concept of real love, not some juju type of placation, we achieve a freedom of mind and heart, and can courageously tell anyone who tries to blackmail and intimidate us on the deep level which you mention, to take a short walk off a long pier, and this with the blessings of the rest of the universe.