India in a Mind’s Eye: Travels and Ruminations of an Ambivalent Pilgrim is a work which should be of particular interest to cult-watchers and other observers of the contemporary religious scene. The author, Steven J. Gelberg, is a former member of ISKCON (the Hare Krishna Movement) and author of several important works on the Krishnas, including the widely-influential essay “On Leaving ISKCON.”*
On one level a colorful and eventful journey through India, both modern and traditional, the book also serves as an honest, thoughtful and eloquent critique of a religious movement in crisis - beset by scandal, power struggles and growing disillusionment. Written not long before Gelberg left the organization, it presents the deeply personal musings and insights of one still following a spiritual path, yet questioning his continued commitment to an organization in decline. Neither “anti-cult” polemic nor cult apologetic, India in a Mind’s Eye provides a unique, nuanced view into the complex, many-layered process of religious disaffiliation. Originally self-published in 2012 in a limited edition, India in a Mind’s Eye is now available in a fully revised edition from Monkfish Publications.
“An extremely interesting book ... His observations in this memoir are tinged with the ‘mind’s eye’ of a skeptic, albeit one laced with dry wit and humor. ... As a travelogue detailing that vast fascinating country, Gelberg’s vivid descriptions reminded me of Paul Theroux’s classic first travel book, The Great Railway Bazaar. Anyone interested in India or Eastern thought or cults, or just fascinating travel writing, will enjoy this wonderfully written and insightful book.”
—Marcia Rudin, International Journal of Cultic Studies
[Vol. 4, 2013]
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Praise for India in a Mind’s Eye:
“During the late 1960s and throughout the 1970s, tens of thousands of young Americans, inspired by utopian dreams, found themselves attracted to Hindu spirituality in one form or another. But over time, and perhaps especially after visiting India, the homeland of those utopian dreams, many developed a nuanced and less gullible understanding of the movements they had joined. Gelberg has provided an excellent book based on his travel journal, recording the landscapes of India, as well as his own 'mindscapes' as he came to terms with his growing disillusionment with the Hare Krishna movement and its leaders. This is a deep dive into skepticism as a necessary aspect of the spiritual path."— Dr. Dana Sawyer, Professor Emeritus of Philosophy and World Religions, Maine College of Art & Design. Author, The Transcendental Meditation Movement.
“Not unlike a snake charmer, Steven Gelberg entices you into his mind’s eye as he journeys around secular and holy sites of India. Part travelogue, part thought-provoking spiritual exploration, and illustrated with sensitive portraits of fellow seekers on the path, this is a voyage that offers the reader a glimpse into understanding how and why a ‘Hin-Jew’ could become both enamoured of an 'alien' belief and disillusioned by the organisation/people ostensibly embracing its way of life. At times comical, at other times moving, but always engaging - if you have something urgent to do, don't open this book. — Dr. Eileen Barker OBE FBA FAcSS, Professor Emerita, London School of Economics and Political Science.
“Gelberg has the perspective and temperament of a scholar who appreciates his in-group but is increasingly impatient with that group’s divisions and dictates. He is especially drawn to women devotees who display typically mystical qualities in their demeanor, conversation, and lifestyles. Gelberg doesn’t state this outright, but perhaps he was drawn to these women because they pointed to a purer and cleaner way of devotion that the international movement had seemingly lost sight of during the internecine conflicts among competing gurus.” — Dr. W. Michael Ashcraft, Nova Religio: The Journal of Alternative and Emergent Religions [Vol. 18, No. 3 (February 2015)]. Author, A Historical Introduction to the Study of New Religious Movements.
“It is Gelberg’s ability to speak clearly about his ambivalence that gives this book its historical importance, since the 1986 trip took place during the critical period of numerous leadership failures and conflicts when many other devotees were going through similar uncertainties about their involvement in ISKCON. Gelberg is now able to view that period from a more mature perspective and give an eloquent voice to the mixed emotions so common at the time – an important contribution to the historical record, and a needed supplement to the numerous writings about the period by former or current devotees that tend to be either accusative or defensive. . . . Purely as a travelogue, it stands alongside the best ever written. It is much more than that, however, and is – as Gelberg recognizes in his title – a journey of the spirit that helps us understand the ups and downs of ISKCON’s first fifty years. It does not claim to provide a comprehensive history of those years, but it is a valuable contribution to the history that is yet to be written. Anyone who wants to understand India or ISKCON should read it.
— Dr. Thomas J. Hopkins, Journal of Vaishnava Studies [23.2 (Spring 2015)]. Author, The Hindu Religious Tradition.
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* Available from Amazon and other booksellers.
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