Cult News 101 - CultNEWS101 Library: Swami Vishwananda

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Feb 18, 2022

JUST LOVE - BHAKTI MARGA'S GURU AND HIS SECRET

The Bhakti Marga sect has its headquarters in the Taunus, and its guru, Swami Vishwananda, is worshiped as a god. But again and again dropouts report about abuse of power in the ashram - and about sexualised violence. This podcast investigates the allegations.

01/20/22

Chapter 1: Miles

In 2018, Miles, a young American, flies to the Bhakti Marga Ashram in the Taunus. To Swami Vishwananda, a guru from Mauritius, whom he also considers to be a godlike being. Initially, Miles only wants to stay for two weeks. It ends up being eight months. What Miles experienced in the ashram, he says today, he would not wish on anyone else.

https://www.hessenschau.de/podcasts/just-love/kapitel-1-miles,podcast-episode-98004.html

01/20/22

Chapter 2: Massages

Chapter 2: Three men say the guru lured them into his bedroom on the ashram grounds in Taunus. It was there that their limits were exceeded. Episode 2 is about why the men said they were convinced that they had to follow the guru's instructions.

Just Love is a co-production of Hessischer Rundfunk and hauseins.

https://www.hessenschau.de/podcasts/just-love/kapitel-2-massagen,podcast-episode-98006.html

01/28/22

Chapter 3: The Guru

Chapter 3: How does a young man from Mauritius become an internationally sought-after guru residing in Hesse? We trace the rise from Mahadeo Singh Komalram to “Brother Michael” and then to Paramahamsa Sri Swami Vishwananda. In episode 3, we tell you what role relics stolen from churches play in this.

Just Love is a co-production of Hessischer Rundfunk and hauseins.

https://www.hessenschau.de/podcasts/just-love/kapitel-3-der-guru,podcast-episode-97536.html

2/3/22

Chapter 4: Enlightenment AG

Chapter 4: What began in 2004 as a small spiritual community in a tiny village in the Hunsrück has grown into a corporation over the past 17 years, which now unites various companies under its roof - and presumably earns millions. Swami Vishwananda, the superstar that Bhakti Marga revolves around, can obviously be marketed lucratively. Just Love is a co-production of Hessischer Rundfunk and hauseins.

https://www.hessenschau.de/podcasts/just-love/kapitel-4-erleuchtung-ag,podcast-episode-97774.html

02/10/22

Chapter 5: Obedience

Chapter 5: In 2008, a scandal shook the pseudo-Hindu community in the Taunus. Rumors are circulating that Swami Vishwananda preaches abstinence but presumably does not live it himself. Deeply disappointed, numerous followers leave the community. However, Bhakti Marga continues to grow. Swami Vishwananda is their enlightened guru for countless people around the world. And over the years he has been getting more and more honorary titles, both Hindu and Christian-Orthodox. Just Love is a co-production of Hessischer Rundfunk and hauseins. You can find a list of links and telephone numbers for those affected at hr.de/justlove-hilfe

https://www.hessenschau.de/podcasts/just-love/kapitel-5-gehorsam,podcast-episode-98102.html

02/17/22

Chapter 6: Charge

Chapter 6: Back in the US, Miles tries to sue Swami Vishwananda for alleged rape. Years passed before he reached the German police with it. When he finally succeeds, the investigation is dropped a little later. In this episode we talk about why this is not uncommon in cases of alleged sexual violence. And we look at the gaps that German case law still has in relation to sects and gurus. Just Love is a co-production of Hessischer Rundfunk and hauseins.

https://www.hessenschau.de/podcasts/just-love/kapitel-6-anklage,podcast-episode-98414.html

Jan 28, 2022

CultNEWS101 Articles: 1/28/2022 (Bhakti Marga, Swami Vishwananda, Podcast, Germany, Islamic Marriage Laws, Conspiracy Theories)

Bhakti Marga, Swami Vishwananda, Podcast, Germany, Islamic Marriage Laws, Conspiracy Theories

Torial: Just Love: Bhakti Marga's Guru and His Secret

"The Bhakti Marga sect has its headquarters in the Taunus, and its guru, Swami Vishwananda, is worshiped as a god. But again and again dropouts report abuse of power in the ashram - and sexualised violence. This podcast investigates the allegations.

The Bhakti Marga sect has its headquarters in Springen / Heidenrod, a rural area in the Taunus. Her guru Swami Vishwananda is worshiped as God by his followers. What he promises is unconditional love - Just Love. But for many years, dropouts have repeatedly reported manipulation, brainwashing, abuse of power - and sexualized violence that Vishwananda did to them. These warnings are not taken seriously - and the Hindu-Christian faith community continues to grow rapidly, worldwide. In August 2021, Bhakti Marga bought the "Seepark", an old conference hotel, in Kirchheim, Hesse. The communities of Heidenrod and Kirchheim are happy about the ashram operation. Also because the international guests who visit the two German ashrams to be blessed by the guru, flush money into the community coffers. In six episodes, Marlene Halser and Stefan Bücheler investigate the allegations, talk to those affected and ask those responsible why the warnings are not taken seriously. Also they ask: who is this guru, who is Vishwananda? And how did a small religious community become a huge, international company?

A six-part documentary podcast by Hauseins and Hessischer Rundfunk."

Washington Post: For the sake of a visa, I was forced into marriage in Arizona — at age 15

" ... Soon everyone started hugging and saying "mubarak" — congratulations. My heart sank. I realized I had just been forced into a marriage proposal, or "rishta" — a prelude to a "nikah," or Muslim wedding — to a man who needed to stay in the United States when his visa expired. He was seven years older than me. I'd never met him.

The nikah, a religious contract, is not legally recognized under U.S. marriage law. But Arizona's marriage law and loopholes in U.S. immigration law meant my family still had avenues by which they could exploit and force me — a U.S. citizen and a minor — into marriage.

Marriage before age 18 is legal in 44 of 50 states, according to Unchained at Last, an organization working to end child marriage in the United States. In states with no age minimum, children as young as 10 have been forced into marriage. At the time of my engagement, the legal age of consent to marry in Arizona was 15. (Now it's 16 with parental permission or legal emancipation.)"

Penn Today: A novel theory on how conspiracy theories take shape

" ... How do people come to believe in conspiracy theories? It's a question Penn Integrates Knowledge University Professor Dolores Albarracín has been thinking about for decades.

"I grew up in Argentina in the '70s, during the Dirty War that eventually led to the disappearance of 30,000 Argentines. The climate within the dictatorship was such that you couldn't really speak, and for a family that was politically involved such as mine, you were instructed to not say anything," recalls Albarracín. "That piqued my interest in secrecy, and in how people make inferences about events that have presumably been covered up, particularly when there is no evidence."

As a social psychologist and communication scholar who studies attitudes, persuasion, and behavior, Albarracín has researched what happens when fringe ideas become consequential for society. "That's what we're seeing with conspiracy theories today," she says. "Nobody can deny now that these are wildly impactful and really problematic."

In a new book, "Creating conspiracy beliefs: How our thoughts are shaped," Albarracín and co-authors Man-pui Sally Chan and Kathleen Hall Jamieson of Penn and Julia Albarracín of Western Illinois University drill down into the phenomenon. Analyzing empirical research conducted on real-world examples of false plots—the alleged sex-trafficking ring Democrats ran out of a pizza parlor, the so-called deep state that undermined Donald Trump's presidency—the team pinpoints two factors that have driven recent widespread conspiracy theories: the conservative media and societal fear and anxiety."

News, Education, Intervention, Recovery

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Selection of articles for CultNEWS101 does not mean that Patrick Ryan or Joseph Kelly agree with the content. We provide information from many points of view in order to promote dialogue.

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Jan 27, 2022

The ‘Just Love’ cult that has no clue what love is — Vishwananda, Bhakti Marga and his spiritual crime (of making people believe he is God)

Camilla
Medium
July 14, 2021

Love is feeling in the heart. But it is also a deep respect for others and a wish not to hurt them. This is absent in Vishwananda. Here is the proof.

Just like a good spiritual narcissist, a normal homosexual guru man managed to manipulate the energies/emotions and convince his followers that he was an avatar of God, Vishnu. Because of their love and devotion, they did everything he said and gave all their energy, creativity, power, lifeforce away to him, thereby losing their lives and their empowerment — maybe never even knowing it had happened.

Would you consider that a spiritual crime?

Vishwananda is a homosexual self-proclaimed guru that has been accused of coercing young men into sex against their full will, whether they were homosexual or not, ever since 2008.

He is able to coerce young men because they believe he is God. For a long time, Miles Witt, a heterosexual man, spoke out into the internet alone, not really being heard. Eventually, I came along and interviewed him and another man, and it was published online.

We know there are many more who do not come forward because they are afraid. We have spoken to them.

Many people are always afraid. And that is why they never come forward. That is why only a few of us speak.

-
Maltimanjari Dasi approached me on behalf of her guru at the Jiva Institute in Vrindavan to find out if the allegations were true, and she tells me that she then obtained some of her own private testimonials through her own research. She was focused on doing this to serve her guru rather than for the purposes of telling the world.

This is what she wrote to me when I wanted to show her more private recordings:

“Dear Camila, my guru is already convinced of the evidence I am constantly sending him… I am also in contact with a family from Switzerland who wants to leave.

They are very much afraid of the karmic reactions and the anger of the Swami, which they also personally experienced…

I have already sent him the recording that I made myself and he heard the others. I don’t really think he needs more evidence since the matter is clear to me.”

If a mainstream journalist publishes this information, more people will likely come forward.

Vishwananda has publically lied about having sex with men when asked. We know he is a normal person because we have heard personal accounts as to how he behaves privately, especially in the early days. We heard that he has sexual urges and behaviors similar to any person that likes to watch strippers, for example.

Here is another testimonial from a French man (that is not Matthieu — it is a different man) who does not wish to show his name, but we have heard his recording, and we have it. It is translated from French (not my translation):

I massaged the whole body. He quickly proposed to be naked while I massage and he also promptly asked me to massage around sex. Not necessarily on sex but around sex. And then there were several given moments when there were nonverbal pressures; Once again I did not have the eyes to see at that time, and too much naiveté … Nonverbal pressures, touching, with … Before we go any further, that was where, in place that you have massaged and that he was naked? It was at the ashram (Springen). The first times it was on a place of pilgrimage. The ashram, it was in his bungalow is that? Yes, in his bungalow, and it was at night, between 1am and 3am — 4am. He said people did not go to bed before. It was night, most of the time.

Interviewer: And how did you react when he asked you if he could be naked?

For me it was shocking. But in fact I trusted him. I had total confidence in him. So I had no doubt that it was going to be fine; Is it in connection with what is called the “surrender” abandonment, letting go, trust in the Master?

Interviewer: Did these teachings influence you?

It influenced me, yes. And his physical state, when he was naked, were there any particular expressions of his body? Yes, he was erect sometimes. Yes. Reactions, obviously … He was erect, yes. He asked me to massage his belly, to massage around sex. He asked me once at the end, the last time I massaged him …

In fact he was even very explicit, very clear in his expressions. He took my hand to put it on his cock, on his testicles. There I could not doubt anymore. And I was very shocked indeed, especially since I had already expressed to him that I had no attraction for men. And there was even one time I had said that. He even told me that anyway he would never have asked me to massage him if I had been homosexual … here…

Interviewer: And you what did you feel? Did you feel a healing power or spiritual work that was taking place on you during these practices?

I felt a lot of trouble. I needed explanations. I did not dare to ask because I did not feel his permission, I did not allow myself to do it. I was waiting somewhere for explanations, to explain to me how it worked in the unmanifest, the invisible, or what was happening at the karmic level. There was no explanation. I really would have liked to be explained but here it is. I came to understand that it was bluffing. In any case, there was a graduation that made me mistrust little by little until I had no doubt about the fact that I was being manipulated.

…He claims to be a swami, a renouncer; Normally renunciates, that … gives up … to sexuality, to food (specific diet without onions, garlic, or others). Often it is justified by the fact that he is the incarnation of God on Earth, that he is beyond all things, that he is his Leela, his Maya, and that he does what he wants. We can not understand … Have you ever heard such explanations, lessons?

The second time I massaged it, I think; And he told me … he was very clear .. he said to me, “I am above everything.” He was very clear. There I was very shocked by the way. I was certainly outraged by this “low-end immunity”, and at the same time there was this fascination that was still there and I did not have the lucidity to leave…

…It’s interesting to see that on the one hand, he is above all, that he is God, and therefore he is omnipotent, and on the other hand one often hears from Bhakti Marga that he needs to this, of sexuality with men. That otherwise “he would disembody.” We have also spoken of “sexual karma”: that it “would burn supposedly sexual karma.” But we can ask ourselves questions: Why only men, and not women? And darshan, that would not be enough (to burn sexual karma)? And if he is God, does he need these practices? Why not just a blessing? These are questions that are interesting to ask. Because on their side, at BM, they try to justify these actions.

At first, they try to hide them, and when it becomes too obvious to some people, they try to justify them;

And the justifications that are reported are troubling to a rational and reasonable person. The fact that some people are (potential or suspected) victims of sexual assault, some of whom may be potentially minors (under 18), can not be justified by the fact that, in my opinion, either Krishna or an incarnation of Krishna or God on Earth, and does not put him beyond the justice of men and of earthly justice. And why would this be hidden? He claims to be a Swami …”

“On the one hand, he asks a lot of things to people: to give him their soul, to give him their money: to contribute even … physically … But on the other hand him who he really is, and what he does. That’s what’s shocking and shocking from my point of view. There are families who are divorcing, separating. There are people selling their homes to become renunciants. “

Myself, once when I was at Bhakti Marga, I heard a Swamini from France (Swamini Godavari) saying to a person who was in retreat; “listen, now you are a renunciant. If I ask you to give me your house and put all your belongings on the table, you will have to do it,” and the person said “oh yes? And how would I live?”'

She replied, “you would do like birds; you would live on faith, and in faith that God cares for you.”

And on the other side, we ask for a lot of financial investment from people. Vishwananda has a fairly luxurious lifestyle: helicopter trip; he is offered very nice cars … And he asks retired people, or fragile psychologically… to squander their inheritance or their savings, leaving aside their children, their training, etc. . People whose children felt helpless made suicide attempts. I think of Roshnee’s daughter, who has a suicide attempt. And when Roshnee told VS, he laughed and said to his daughter, “oh … but why did you do that?” It’s troubling. But on the spot, we are taught not to judge … everything is a Leela…

When one becomes devout, ie the first degree of commitment, devotion, or brahmachari, he asks us for a percentage … 10%. 10% of his income. People are signing a contract now, those who are initiated brahmachari or devotees: It has changed. There is a contract today, that you sign. And you give your RIB (Bank Statement of Identity). In this contract, you commit to giving 10% of your income and you make transfers.

…But in 2008 already there were several scandals where the order of Bhakti Marga was officially dissolved for reasons of sexual acts against the wishes of renouncers. It was in 2008. I came in 2013. It was in 2008. I came in 2013. At the time VS was presented as a saint, a holy man in the service of God, to spread a message of ‘love. The logo, by the way, is very inspired by Sai Baba (Sai Baba had a logo with many religions, the unity of religions, which takes what you say), and with a motto, Serve all, Love all I believe, and Vishwananda is Love — Patience — Unity, and a logo that includes all religions, unity. It was this message that had called me, a mixture of an OM, a Cross, the Crescent of Islam, and the Star of David, all in a lotus, for Buddhism. And I found this message very beautiful, and that’s what I liked, which attracted me. Over the years the logo has changed. It became a horse. In 2015: “Awakening of a new area”: the advent of a New Era. At the same time Vishwananda was no longer presented as an envoy of God, but rather, from the moment he made the presentation of the Guru Gita on the occasion of a Navaratri, as an incarnation of God on earth.

And it was even said of him that he was the full reincarnation of Krishna Narasimha and that he could thereby do what he wanted since he was beyond Maya and his Leela; that others could not understand it, that we should not doubt, that we must pay attention to the mind (“the dangers of doubts”), that spirituality is a journey from the mind to the heart.

But on the spot we are so enlisted … We are cooking gradually … it is done gradually. We follow the classes of Guru Gita. We play a lot on fear: if you say evil about the Guru, if you have any doubt about the guru, if you spread ragots (his sexual acts are called “ragots”), then you go to hell, you go into the deepest and the worst of hell and you resume all your spiritual evolution at the stone stadium.”

“It is true. It is true that fear is extremely used.“
-
“I really could take the extent to which I had been manipulated with fear. And that’s also one of the things that allowed me to leave because when I really realized that it was clear that it was not right at all and not worthy of a Master who comes to bring Love, Light, and Transformation of the Heart.”

“After in my experience, he enslaves them, using Guru Gita, fear, and he turns people into sheep; sheep who can not think, and who will contribute (to this cult) financially, or by the Seva, when they have no money. “
-
But for me, the Spiritual Masters turn people into lions, not sheep. From my point of view, we recognize a tree with its fruits. Yogananda, to name only him — because Visham (another name for Vishwananda) claims to be an incarnation of Yogananda, Jesus, Saint Anthony of Padua, Padre Pio, and so on … everyone was him … but that is really what we learn at BM. Yogananda spent 10 years with Sri Yukteswar. And he has reached the heights of spiritual realization. However, some people have been with Visham for more than 10 years … Péppé, Pierre, Paul, Jacques, … and yet their behavior does not reflect the attitude of a highly evolved person spiritually.

For example, I heard Peppé talk about “bitch” the salesperson of BM … They have not reached the highest peaks of achievement. Or they hide it, and they hide it well then …”

He and his entourage of Swamis make people believe that he is God, when in fact he is just a normal human being that uses brainwashing techniques.
-
So when Paramahamsa Vishwananda told other people to follow a guru, Nithyananda, that had a negative impact, because anything a guru, that is God, says, is trusted.

As the testimonials in the below video show, Nithyananda is prostituting out young girls for money, abusing little children, lying, and deceiving many people into giving over their life savings. The below video explains this with my personal testimonial. The video has a testimonial from one of the children and shows other proof.

In a nutshell, I was told by Nithyananda’s group that someone would be healed by December of that year and when it did not happen, it started my journey to uncover the truth.

As I show in the video, I know that what Sarah Landry says is true because I found out what she was saying in the videos, before she did, from another insider.

After Jordan speaks about how he was also sexually abused by Nithyananda, he says:

“I saw a handful of beatings done with my own eyes being done on young adults and children.”

Sarah tells her followers new information came to her that:

“There were select (young girls), who had been sent to wealthy businessmen in order to perform sexual favours in exchange for land and money donations…

… I heard recently from a gurukul boy that left, that he had been raped by Nithyananda.”

—

So, that is the man that Vishwananda said was Shiva/God, and the man that Vishwananda said I could go to. He commits a spiritual crime again by telling people who trust him that another manipulative person is also God.

My mother introduced me to Vishwananda when I was young and she was in a cult of her own so I trusted this delusion because I trusted her.
After I was introduced, I was gradually brainwashed. I lost half my life to this cult until my realising the truth about Nithyananda was the beginning of my fight through the deprogramming and coming to terms with the sense of betrayal.

Every time I went to the ashram I often collapsed on the floor and could not move. I was diagnosed with what appeared to be narcolepsy, but I do not know what it actually is in hindsight. When I left the ashram it stopped happening after a while. However, following the instructions of Nithyananda’s group almost finished me off. There are others who are sick in the ashram and believe that Vishwananda is going to make them better because he is God.

I am still alive, I fought very hard for myself and now I am fighting for those who are considering being with Bhakti Marga.

Bhakti Marga is not that popular (yet), so that's why it might not be of interest to journalists, but it will be since it is growing around the world. Bhakti Marga recruits people at the Hale Clinic in Regents Park, London.

Once you are brainwashed in this cult, you are well and truly brainwashed. The truly well-meaning, sensitive people, looking for the love of God, people who want to help others, are gone. Sucked away. That's why it is a spiritual crime.

In addition, Vishwananda has stolen sacred relics from sacred places and he was actually sent to prison for this:

This is a German translation from a journal article in a German anti-cult organisation:

“Because of this offense, he and two supporters were convicted of property damage by the criminal court in Liestal in June 2007 and disturbance of freedom of religion and worship conditionally sentenced to four months.

The Court saw it as proven that he had stolen relics from followers from at least 23 churches. From the first darshans in living rooms of private houses and rented rooms.”

This is an article from a German newspaper (Basellandschaftliche Zeitung / MLZ; 06/16/2007):

German Translation:

“In the clutches of a charlatan

Court. A 29-year-old guru (Vishwananda) stole relics from churches and sold them. Two women who were addicted to the man helped him. Three defendants were sentenced to prison or fines yesterday for multiple disturbances to their freedom of belief and freedom of worship.

The youngest of the three accused, a 29-year-old man currently lives in the United States as the director of a religious-spiritual center. He operated as a Hindu priest in Mauritius. He came to Europe eight years ago and stayed in various places in Switzerland, Germany, and France, always succeeding in finding followers who believed in him and financed his extravagant lifestyle.

He met the second defendant, who was on trial yesterday when she was looking for a healer for her sick friend. …

… The woman helped him find relics all over Switzerland. The bones of saints were mostly housed in precious containers. While the defendant opened the reliquary with a Swiss Army knife and a glass cutter, she stood guard at the church doors. Then she transported in her Volvo the accused and the stolen relics which he kept in his backpack.

The cathedral was at the beginning

The accused took relics and relic containers at least 23 times in various Catholic churches in Switzerland. One of the first churches that he visited for his raids was the Arlesheim Cathedral.

“The accused was a worst kind of soul seducer,”
said the woman, who was accused, in court. She took part in order to be near him.

She wholeheartedly regrets the offenses to which she has been seduced.

It was only after two years of dependency that she was able to break free from the man’s (Vishwananda’s) spell and has feared his death threats ever since.
-
The third defendant, who also participated in some of these raids, described in court her emotional dependence on this guru. He had given her the feeling of being chosen by God, felt protected and guarded by angels.

When she managed to get out of the “healer’s” spell, she reported her offenses to the police…”

Another German Newspaper article about the same thing.

The link to the German article above says “Bones Stolen from Churches”:

“Swami Vishwananda, born in 1978 to a Hindu family on the island of Mauritius, traveled to Europe in 2000, where, thanks to his great charisma, he soon gathered a following. “Even at the first meeting, I was totally under his spell, it was like magnetism,” said the older of the two women, describing the first meeting with the then 23-year-old. The guru became her spiritual master, she believed everything he said. For the woman from Zurich, too, Swami Vishwananda had “become the whole purpose of life”. The two women were also fascinated by Swami’s teaching, a connection between Hindu spirituality and Christianity. He claimed to have received messages from Jesus and Our Lady. “With a delighted face and sinking to your knees,” as the ex-younger women said. One of the messages was the order to collect as many relics as possible and to bring them to safety. The reason is the imminent war of relics and the end of the world in the near future. “Black magic” wants to destroy the relics, so as many as possible must be saved. The guru convinced the two doubting women with the argument that the theft of relics was God’s will.

…The court sentenced the main defendant to four months in prison for property damage and disruption of freedom of religion and worship. The 48-year-old from Bern receives a conditional fine of 3500 francs, the 29-year-old from Zurich receives a fine of 400 francs. Most of the bones are in Mauritius and in a French monastery. The relics confiscated in Switzerland are handed over to the diocese of Basel, which returns them to the places of worship.”

Other evidence that people have tried to post has been pulled down on YouTube in order to mask the truth. I am fed up with losing my life to this.

I am fed up with the feeling I have to write this and I wish a proper investigative journalist would do this — that the Germans and the English would work together.

I do not want this to be what my life is about. I am fed up with living in a world where so many spiritual people are veering far, far away from reality. I do not want this for my children.

https://camillaspeaks.medium.com/the-just-love-cult-that-has-no-clue-what-love-is-the-spiritual-crimes-of-paramahamsa-590b0af2d045

Jan 22, 2022

Just Love: Bhakti Marga's Guru and His Secret

Bhakti Marga sect has its headquarters in the Taunus, and its guru, Swami Vishwananda,

Marlene Halser

Torial

January 22, 2022

The Bhakti Marga sect has its headquarters in the Taunus, and its guru, Swami Vishwananda, is worshiped as a god. But again and again dropouts report abuse of power in the ashram - and sexualised violence. This podcast investigates the allegations.

The Bhakti Marga sect has its headquarters in Springen / Heidenrod, a rural area in the Taunus. Her guru Swami Vishwananda is worshiped as God by his followers. What he promises is unconditional love - Just Love. But for many years, dropouts have repeatedly reported manipulation, brainwashing, abuse of power - and sexualized violence that Vishwananda did to them. These warnings are not taken seriously - and the Hindu-Christian faith community continues to grow rapidly, worldwide. In August 2021, Bhakti Marga bought the "Seepark", an old conference hotel, in Kirchheim, Hesse. The communities of Heidenrod and Kirchheim are happy about the ashram operation. Also because the international guests who visit the two German ashrams to be blessed by the guru, flush money into the community coffers. In six episodes, Marlene Halser and Stefan Bücheler investigate the allegations, talk to those affected and ask those responsible why the warnings are not taken seriously. Also they ask: who is this guru, who is Vishwananda? And how did a small religious community become a huge, international company?

A six-part documentary podcast by Hauseins and Hessischer Rundfunk.

https://www.torial.com/marlene.halser/portfolio/712454

Jan 12, 2022

CultNEWS101 Articles: 1/12/2022 (LDS, Covid, Lev Tahor, Guatemala, Legal, Swami Vishnudevananda, Abuse, Yoga Teacher Training)

LDS, Covid, Lev Tahor, Guatemala, Legal, Swami Vishnudevananda, Abuse, Yoga Teacher Training

RNS: COVID outbreak reported at Mormon missionary training center

All 588 missionaries at the Provo, Utah missionary training center were tested and a total of 91 tested positive.

An outbreak of COVID-19 has been reported at The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints' main training center for missionaries in Provo, Utah, church officials said Thursday.

The Provo Missionary Training Center, which resumed in-person training in June, requires all missionaries to be fully vaccinated and also conducts COVID-19 testing.

Face coverings will now be required in all indoor spaces and missionaries will not travel to their assigned missions unless they have tested negative for COVID-19 or have completed any necessary quarantine periods, said church spokesperson Sam Penrod.

Times of Israel: Man who escaped anti-Zionist Jewish cult returned to Guatemala in search of his son

"As Lev Tahor leadership sought to transport group to Iran, Israel Amir and team of ex-Shin Bet agents traveled across globe to search for 2-year-old boy.

A 22-year-old survivor of an ultra-Orthodox, anti-Zionist cult in Guatemala is in the midst of a years-long struggle to extract his two-year-old son from the hands of the leadership of the extremist group.

Israel Amir managed to escape the Lev Tahor cult while holed up in a Guatemala forest compound two years ago.

The group has been described as a cult and as the "Jewish Taliban," as women and girls older than three are required to dress in long black robes covering their entire body, leaving only their faces exposed. The men spend most of their days in prayer and studying specific portions of the Torah. The group adheres to an extreme, idiosyncratic reading of kosher dietary laws.

Lev Tahor was founded by Rabbi Shlomo Helbrans in Jerusalem in the 1980s. The group fled to Canada and then to Guatemala in 2014 after coming under intense scrutiny by Canadian authorities for alleged child abuse and child marriage.

In November, two top leaders of the group, Nachman Helbrans and Mayer Rosner, were convicted by a federal court in New York of child sexual exploitation and kidnapping in a case involving a family that escaped from the cult.

Before leaving the cult, Amir filmed a video during which he described the brutality of the leaders, the lack of food and the extreme conditions at the compound. He sent the video to his cousins in Israel who flew to Guatemala and helped him leave. He has since been re-acclimating to life back in Israel, far away from the cult."

Conspirituality: Bonus Sample: The Inventor of Yoga Teacher Training Was a Rapist Obsessed with UFOs

"In 1969, Swami Vishnudevananda pioneered what has become a life transition ritual for the GenX and Millennial precariat: the Yoga Teacher Training (YTT) Programme. He was a cult leader rapist who thought yoga would help the world stare down a UFO invasion. Not exactly confidence-inspiring.

Not every YTT programme is bad—today's bonus host Matthew has worked in some good ones for over a decade. But on the whole, we're talking about an industry that has graduated up to 500K ppl over 50 years through a pseudo-educational process that has greased the epistemological pipeline towards conspirituality.

YTTs are unregulated by any academic or professional consensus. They are driven by the anxious charisma of urban yoga studio entrepreneurs who need to sell big-ticket products to counter the rising overheads of the gentrification they're helping to drive. Their curricula offers a pastiche of uncited resources. They pad contact hours with sermons and meditation sessions.

The typical YTT training manual is an unironic postmodern meat-grinder in which Iron Age philosophy and high school anatomy are blended with quotes from Carl Jung and Rumi. As an example, Matthew looks at a Jivamukti Yoga School manual from a 2007 training hosted at Omega Institute."