You Say Psychopath, I say Sociopath. Let's Call the Whole Thing Off

I was rummaging around looking for something completely unrelated when I bumped into the below article.

Somehow I got the feeling I saw someone with exactly these personality traits before. 

Now, I am no psychologist but I know someone who will be.  Anyway, think about the things outlined here.  What about them are familiar to you?  Maybe you see someone in a minister's robe with his dick hanging out, chasing your daughter? 

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Profile of the Sociopath
This website summarizes some of the common features of descriptions of the behavior of sociopaths.

• Glibness and Superficial Charm
  
     
• Manipulative and Conning
  
  They never recognize the rights of others and see their self-serving behaviors as permissible. They appear to be charming, yet are covertly hostile and domineering, seeing their victim as merely an instrument to be used. They may dominate and humiliate their victims.
     
• Grandiose Sense of Self
  
  Feels entitled to certain things as "their right."
     
• Pathological Lying
  
  Has no problem lying coolly and easily and it is almost impossible for them to be truthful on a consistent basis. Can create, and get caught up in, a complex belief about their own powers and abilities. Extremely convincing and even able to pass lie detector tests.
     
• Lack of Remorse, Shame or Guilt
  
  A deep seated rage, which is split off and repressed, is at their core. Does not see others around them as people, but only as targets and opportunities. Instead of friends, they have victims and accomplices who end up as victims. The end always justifies the means and they let nothing stand in their way.
     
• Shallow Emotions
  
  When they show what seems to be warmth, joy, love and compassion it is more feigned than experienced and serves an ulterior motive. Outraged by insignificant matters, yet remaining unmoved and cold by what would upset a normal person. Since they are not genuine, neither are their promises.
     
• Incapacity for Love
  
     
• Need for Stimulation
  
  Living on the edge. Verbal outbursts and physical punishments are normal. Promiscuity and gambling are common.
     
• Callousness/Lack of Empathy
  
  Unable to empathize with the pain of their victims, having only contempt for others' feelings of distress and readily taking advantage of them.
     
• Poor Behavioral Controls/Impulsive Nature
  
  Rage and abuse, alternating with small expressions of love and approval produce an addictive cycle for abuser and abused, as well as creating hopelessness in the victim. Believe they are all-powerful, all-knowing, entitled to every wish, no sense of personal boundaries, no concern for their impact on others. 
     
• Early Behavior Problems/Juvenile Delinquency
  
  Usually has a history of behavioral and academic difficulties, yet "gets by" by conning others. Problems in making and keeping friends; aberrant behaviors such as cruelty to people or animals, stealing, etc.
     
• Irresponsibility/Unreliability
  
  Not concerned about wrecking others' lives and dreams. Oblivious or indifferent to the devastation they cause. Does not accept blame themselves, but blames others, even for acts they obviously committed.
     
• Promiscuous Sexual Behavior/Infidelity
  
  Promiscuity, child sexual abuse, rape and sexual acting out of all sorts. 
     
• Lack of Realistic Life Plan/Parasitic Lifestyle
  
  Tends to move around a lot or makes all encompassing promises for the future, poor work ethic but exploits others effectively.
     
• Criminal or Entrepreneurial Versatility
  
  Changes their image as needed to avoid prosecution. Changes life story readily.
     

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Glibness and Superficial Charm
Didn't they bank on this to lure us into the black hole of the Spirtual Rights Foundation?


Manipulative and Conning
Yep.  Any questions?  Anyone?  Anyone?  Bueller?  Bueller?


Grandiose Sense of Self
So, who's birthdays did we have to always honor with lavish gifts, big parties and never less than a happy face and spiritually perfect attitude?  I know it wasn't mine.  It wasn't any of our fellow inmates either.


Pathological Lying
How many of us were told we would receive retirement cottages on a pleasant farm in the country after 10 years of ministerial service?   How many of the ministers received them after their 10 years of service?  How many other lies were told?  OK, so how many truths were told?  That should be a lot faster to answer.


Lack of Remorse, Shame or Guilt
I think a comment one person left some time ago sums it all up.  When one of the leaders was asked to give a much-needed apology, she responed with a monotonous and flat statement sounding like it came from a disgraced (and rich) athlete's press conference rather than a real apology.


Shallow Emotions
Love Bombing, anyone?  How many of us saw the love turn to disdain and hostility as soon as we were captured in the cult's spell?  Do they really love you?  Or maybe they love what's in your wallet?


Incapacity for Love
Bill Duby himself said his wife was pretty much an emotionless woman.  Well said, Bill.  Of course, Bill wasn't exactly emotionless.  Well, he was if you ignore all the reaming, the tantrums, the spitting and the mind games he played on everyone.  I guess he did love though.  But it wasn't people he loved.  I'm still not sure what he did love besides manipulating people.


Need for Stimulation
Hell, we were always busy fulfilling someone's fantasy.  Things like working for free at a bookstore that made more selling porn than books.  Working at an SRF construction company for less than prevailing wages and benefits.  Staying up all damn night working for free making recordings to capture more victims.  Digging holes for dead animals at the farm.


Callousness/Lack of Empathy
One commenter said when Sherry developed breast cancer and was on a course of chemotherapy, the leaders complained about her "laziness" as Sherry suffered through side effect hell.  The same was said about Sandy Caven when she had MS.  Hell if I know what the Witches of Ellsworth said about me when my damn heart gave out but I presume it wasn't much different.  All I know is no one got any support when they were sick or otherwise in need.


Early Behavior Problems/Juvenile Delinquency
Bill made his juvenile delinquency and subsequent confinement and foster care exploits legend.  I'm not sure if he set fire to small animals or conducted other torture but I would bet he did - based on his adult explotiation and abuse of his followers.


Irresponsibility/Unreliability
What can you say about a guy who says he does nothing, says nothing and is responsible for even less?  Oh, we've been saying it all along?  Yeah, I guess you are right - he really was an asshole.


Promiscuous Sexual Behavior/Infidelity
Unfortunately, there is only limited space to write about this topic.  Let's just say Bill acted like all the dirty priests all rolled up into one perverted package - his ministerial robes flapping in the breeze and his dick pointed up in the air.


Lack of Realistic Life Plan/Parasitic Lifestyle
How about the way we worked our asses off to fulfill Bill's warped and deluded fantasies?  Who worked at his bookstore for free?  Who worked his construction firm for next to nothing?  Who sweated at his farm?  How many of Bill's visions for a better life came to fruition?  How many were doomed from the start?   And how often did he blame his failures on us?   Yeah, I thought so.


Criminal or Entrepreneurial Versatility
You know, when the Witches of Ellsworth sued me, they used the harshest legal language they could find and made the most outrageous claims of defamation they could concoct.  They were positioning themselves as all-powerful, fearsome, a force to reckoned with.  But after they got pummeled by our brilliant and talented attorney (who would take no shit from them) the Witches became "warm and nourishing" fairy godmothers wiping tears from their eyes sobbing about the unfairness of the hostility aimed at poor little them.


It never ceases to amaze me.  The Witches of Ellsworth and Bill Duby continue to slap you in the face while picking your pocket.  They cry about their own poverty and humble nature while racking up fortunes for themselves and forcing their followers to throw lavish birthday parties in their honor. 

There is, apparently, a psychological difference between psychopathy and sociopathy.  It's a difference that the mental health professionals can discern.

But me, I say they are one and the same for my purposes.  And however you characterize Bill Duby or the Witches of Ellsworth, they are all cut from the same cloth.

Rev. William Duby's FUN-eral Letter

I've started a new diet called the "drink as much beer as you want" diet.  Hey, don't knock it.  I've lost 10 pounds!  Unfortunately, that involved me dropping the case of beer I was carrying.

Pint of Lager, anyone?  You can drink it with The Woman At The Well.

==========================

This guest post come from the original wearer of the King of Evil crown.  He is the O.G., the shiznit (and you should take of whiff of THAT), of the Spiritual Rights Foundation dissidents.  In his quest to save his daughter from a sad fate in an evil organization, he broke open the floodgates holding back decades of exploitation, deceit, perversion and abuse hidden behind the wrought iron gates of the Cult named the Spiritual Rights Foundation and the Academy for Psychic Studies.

It was front page news in the San Francisco Chronicle.  I read it in print form.  Unfortunately for the leader of the Spiritual Rights Foundation, Bill Duby, this groundbreaking expose was read to him over the phone while on vacation in his motor home.  I understand he was driving at the time.  Now that's perfect timing, isn't it?

About a year later, when Bill dropped dead face-first on the floor, our intrepid King of Evil closed the book on Bill with this rather profound and frank letter to the not-so-dearly departed.

=================================

When Bill died, a bunch of ex-SRF'ers got together to have a memorial ceremony/celebration at my apartment. There were about a dozen of us. We started with a bit of drumming to set the mood, followed by Mike's poem. We went around the room and everyone spoke one at a time. Some had written notes, some spoke off the top of their heads and from the heart. It was a very intense evening. Steve writes about it in his book, and that part of the book was posted on Mike's blog recently. Steve got the basic mood of the evening with the poem and his part about what I said that night. What he wrote about my speech is more of a compilation of many conversations that Steve and I had over time. What I actually said is printed below. I wrote it down at the time of the memorial, and I am reprinting it here for Mike's blog. A lot has changes since that night. The ex-SRF fraternity has grown quite a bit. Much will be familiar to ex-SRF'ers that read it.

Enjoy...

Dear Bill,

When I first met you in 1983, I thought you were incredible. I thought you were the answer to my prayers. I thought God brought you to me to be my teacher, to show me how to develop my intuitive skills to help myself and others. I, like others at SRF were very interested in helping others and healing others. A nice group of people came together at SRF to form a community for the purposes of healing and love.

During the first couple of years at SRF, things seemed so nice, so much fun. We were going on field trips, doing psychic readings, taking classes. Things seemed to be so cool.

But in reality, they were not. There were already lies going on at SRF behind the backs of students like me. The foundation of lies, pain, and fear was being laid even in those times that seemed so much fun.

Soon I started personally experiencing the pain that you doled out so generously. You put a wedge between Barb and I, and we separated. You put a wedge between my family and I, and we became estranged. You put a wedge between me and my chosen profession, berating and belittling the education process. Over time you put a wedge between me and pretty much the entire outside world. The SRF environment began to promote suspicion of outsiders. Where I used to love freely, I soon began to mistrust friends and strangers. Hugs and outward affection were seen as invasions of my space. You also taught me and my friends to feel spiritually superior and that we were part of an elite group. This united us as a group, but it was an “us versus them” mentality that was actually hate disguised as love. Love became a four letter word as you so often said.

Eventually we became used to turning on one another in the name of healing foreign energies that had us out of our center. There was always someone to blame and you led the show. There was always a boogie man. There were always fleas to pick off of us. You taught us that embodied and disembodied entities were constantly out to bring us down and take our energy and put us to sleep spiritually. No one was to be trusted. If they breathe, don’t trust them you often said. No one was really trying to help us, you said that everyone was trying to help themselves to us.

It was a painful process mentally and psychologically. You insisted that this was necessary in order for us to grow. Spiritual boot camp, no pain no gain, the personality hates change, and all that. These were all catch phrases you used to help us get through the pain you inflicted upon us and forced us to inflict upon our friends.

Even through all of this, you still had our loyalty as ministers, our attention as students, and our time, energy, and money as a congregation. We still believed in you. It is really quite amazing actually. You would berate us for hours, days, and weeks in the name of healing to remove foreign energies. We believed you. You were very good at getting us to believe you. After years and years of this it became a habit like a dog that gets used to being beaten by its owner. Yet even with all of the healings and readings, none of us seemed to be getting any better according to you. In fact you told us that we were getting worse instead of better. We still stuck with you.

Along the way you toyed with our marriages and relationships. You tore apart our families. You caused suicides, divorces, and mental breakdowns. You took our money. You worked us to exhaustion. You used to say that you would pick up the energy that others left behind like gold nuggets. You used to say that some people came to SRF to drop off God, and you would be there like a vacuum cleaner to collect up that light that others left behind. What a sick concept. So void of compassion, love, and caring.

That is all your world Bill. It is your perceptions and your realities. It is your pain, and you created an environment through devious means to perpetuate your twisted views on life. Take it with you. I don’t want it. Take it to God and beg him to take it from you if you don’t want it anymore. But leave me out of it.

We stuck with you, constantly wondering what we were doing wrong. Wondering when we would finally get the healing that would clear us of this energy from the world that kept us from our spiritual information.

Many people loved you and your response was always the same – to play a game on them for being so foolish. We couldn’t help it Bill. We were like that before we came to SRF – we cared about others, we wanted to be healers, and we loved. You used to say that we were there to help you get over your pictures. Well, we did what we could but I guess it wasn’t good enough. You perpetuated your lies, deceit, and pain until the day you died. It still lingers even though you are dead.

The spell broke with me when you tried to use your talents to destroy the relationship between me and my daughter. You weren’t satisfied with ruining my marriage. You had to keep it up. Well, the spell broke in my mind. My life began to immediately improve from that day on.

The only true positive that came out of being a member of your organization is my relationship with the people at SRF and the birth of my daughter. You tried your best to take them away from me. You failed. My relationship with Barb is great. My relationship with my family is stronger than it ever has been. I renewed the love that has always been there, even though you persistently tried to tell me it never existed. When I left SRF I learned that there are many decent and loving people in the world. I am in a relationship that is working. This is something that you insisted was impossible as well. My teaching career is better than ever. I am making more money now than I ever did with your twisted version of prosperity consciousness.

Most importantly, my relationship with my daughter continues to be the highlight of my life. She tells me she loves me every day I see her. She has a relationship with both sides of her family. She sees all of her grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins. She goes to a good school. You were unable to poison her mind. I fought diligently to get my daughter away from you, but you persisted in your foolish evil game. The SRF members say that it is the stress of this battle that killed you. If it is true then I am not sorry. I simply stood by my convictions. My conscious is clean. All that remains is to clear my mind and soul of your influences. I found that the best way to do this is to help others do the same. You used to say something to that effect, but trust me, you didn’t teach it to me.

My relationship with SRF members gets better every day. Those that currently remain under your spell will soon wake up. Your influence is still prevalent in them with the hatred that you taught. There is still a dark cloud in Berkeley. It will dissipate. Luckily you were not a very good teacher and no one can truly take your place. As they wake up I will befriend them as well. I will not befriend them to get back at you, but rather, to help them through the healing process of undoing the damage you inflicted on them. I won’t do it because of my battle with you, but because of my friendship with them. Who would know better how to help them than others on whom you have preyed.

That is P R E Y, not P R A Y.

You don’t know what love is. You never did. We loved you and you abused us. That love and light that you spoke of is definitely in each of us. It was always there. You did your damnedest to cover it with a bushel basket, but it is still there. My prayer is that this love will act like a fire to burn away your influences that kept us enslaved for so many years. Many of these people will need help because of you. They, like me, are not better for knowing you. I look forward to helping them.

You are gone. You dropped your body. I am glad. I am here tonight to say goodbye to you. To continue to rid myself of your influence. I am not naive enough to believe that this will happen overnight. That’s OK. The important thing is that the process is moving in a positive direction. I hope that God is a merciful God, and simply removes that evil from you now that you have dropped the body. I also pray that God steadily removes the evil influences that you embedded into me.

Mason

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Mason's letter is one we all have wanted to write to Bill and the Witches of Ellsworth Street.  There was so much turmoil they caused and so much pain, we had to get it off our chests any way we could.

The anger and frustration was so great, we had to express it.  The disruption they caused to our formally-peaceful lives was so profound, we were too occupied with restoring ourselves and our loved ones to pay attention to them.   There was no real way to tell them to go to hell other than after the fact.  This letter is a great way to release the shame and the pain of the impact the Spiritual Rights Foundation had on our lives.

When it comes to maintaining influence over children, the Spiritual Rights Foundation tries hard to maintain control over their thoughts and emotions.  I remember well the time Joy and I traveled to Portland, OR to visit with Steve Sanchez.

Before we left, the Witches of Ellsworth discovered not only our blogs but that we were on our way to visit Steve.  When we arrived Steve looked a little ashen.  I thought it was just the Portland weather.  As he held his drink in a shaky hand, Steve related to us that his daughter delivered a stern and hostile message objecting to our visit in the strongest (and strangest) terms.

The daughter's rant was full of the now well-worn solipsisms, drool and body waste we have heard from the Witches of Ellsworth for years.  It was obvious what happened: the Witches pulled the daughter aside and convinced her to cut loose on her own father for the criminal act of welcoming friends to his home.

I also recall the parent of one other child decided the world was a far better place for her than the iron bars of the SRF compound.  This parent left the cult for good.  As they left, one of the Witches  waylaid the parent saying she could leave only if the child was returned to the foreboding climate of the Spiritual Rights Foundation immediately when summoned.

Why?

This child was the only one left close to the age of the Duby golden child.  And the golden child was getting weary of having play time with two middle-age witches.  So, the witches did as they have always done: they tried to force a member to surrender their child for the golden child's entertainment.

To the parent's credit, compliance with the summoning lasted as long as a rational thought in Angela's melon.

To those who are offended that a "child" of the cult leader is mentioned in this blog, you need to know that it is the conduct of the adults that is in question and that the "child" is now a legal adult.  No more complaints and stupid rants about this blog harming children.

Those who complain don't know what they are talking about.

I know of no other church who attempts to gain control of their adult members (and even their ex-members) by using children and young adults in the most exploitative and abusive manner.  This cult has no sense of morality, no sense of common sense and no sense of anything but continual attacks on those who have not only left the cult but have the courage to speak out and tell their side of the story.

And that story will be told again and again - until this cult is no longer a threat to society.

Totally Random Crap

You think Robin and Angela pissing off all
the people they were sponging off of
counts as "unforeseen"?

OK so I'm behind on my posts.  I've been busy lately and I kind of forgot people are reading.

I'm not trying to be lazy or anything but I cut some of the comments I made on Psychdoctorate's blog on the Berkeley Psychic Institute.  You'll see I don't go after BPI but I do direct salty commentary on the idiots who try to attack Psychdoctorate.  To redeem myself, I add some clarification  to someone who needed a little extra insight - and no, that is not my usual crabby slef speaking.  I really did try to give some insight to her sincere comment.

==============================

I'm not sure if this is self-promotion or not but I suppose this topic is as good as any to tell you this tale:

I was monitoring the weekly Spiritual Rights Foundation radio broadcast on KEST radio a couple of weeks ago. Apparently they got over their fear of people, you know, actually listening and resumed broadcasts on the internet (which is available on LIVE365).

While I listened, I was able to keep my nausea down to a controllable level. One thing I heard made me stick my head in the wastebasket while running to the bathroom. Angela Silva gleefully described how one of her woman members had a strong ability of "transmediumship", seeing people who were not there, hearing voices from disembodied entities and was able to "jump" from her own body to pay a psychic visit right into another.

On the air, Angela went on to say this woman always made a breathless, hearty thank you for providing a place of peace where she can relax and can find calm and inner salvation at the weekly SRF Healing Clinic. Adding that's a great reason for you to come on down and join the rest of her mind controlled zombies.

After losing most of my dinner, I returned from the bathroom and shut of the recording.

I am sure I know who that woman is.

She is a very nice, but somewhat troubled person with a history of mental illness. She has made many statements like: "the people in my head say..." or "God told me to pay $1000 for this barely-running Toyota POS my crooked neighbor sold me". She has told me she sees people or objects in the room no one else can see - because they aren't there.

She also has some money from an inheritance. Not a lot but some.

That woman left the Spiritual Rights Foundation some time ago after Angela drained her life savings. Now, that woman is back.

She enrolled in the SRF Clairvoyant Training Program - for the second damn time! She is paying tons for classes, readings and greases Angela's palm every time time that hairy paw is thrust in her face.

And that is why Angela is using her as a great reason for all of you to come attend the SRF Healing Clinic on Mondays and Saturdays.

I suppose if you have a mental illness and have a couple/three large in your bank account Angela will overlook your condition so others can see how nice the SRF Witches of Ellsworth Street are to suckers like you.

Come to think of it, they are nice to all suckers with money. Just make sure you have a never-ending and ample flow of it. You'll need it. Because once that money stops, so will the niceness.

That woman was thrown out once for not having sufficient funds to keep the Witches in luxury cars and shopping sprees at Macy's. To this day, she believes it is all her fault. 

I hate to think about what will happen this time.

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1. 
   

   AonymousMar 25, 2012 10:06 PM

   I know of testimonials. That is the evidence. "Only a trained and educated hypnotist or hypontherapist can and should put one in an altered state of conciousness." I disagree with your statement, but only because I know from reading through the monotone of this blog that you cannot recognize the validity of education or training outside of a very narrow frame. There seems to be no way to present another point of view that differs from the one that you present without you emphatically shooting it down... If I have no desire to bash Lewis, BPI, or any of the other people or approaches to learning that you despise and are hell-bent on tearing down, so I will be torn down because that is what you do- over and over and over again in this blog. That seems to be you mission. Not exactly truth seeking, objective, or conducive to the "critical thinking" you claim to so admire and respect. I am not writing this for you, but for the readers, most of whom will be too smart to comment, because it's obvious that unless someone wants to vent their one-dimensional hate, they are going to be subject to your insults, scapegoating, and projections.

   Reply
   Replies

   
   Mike KawaharaMar 29, 2012 06:36 PM
   I was awarded a hypnotherapist certificate some time ago. I'll put you in trance, I'll put anyone in a trance!
   
   It won't be a trance I can get you out of, though. They never taught me that part.
   
   Besides, that hypnotherapist certificate is not recognized by the State of California and many other states. In California, statute (you know - the law) says hypnotherapy for anything but "vocational self-improvement" can be practiced only by licensed physicians, licensed psychologists, licensed dentists or those who are supervised by the above licensed professionals and the criminal case People v. Cantor established that a person employing hypnosis to address or treat physical or mental illnesses is practicing medicine without a license unless that person is a licensed health professional or employed by or under the supervision thereof (hey, I see a pattern here!)
   
   So given all the restrictions the State of California has placed on the practice of hypnosis and hypnotherapy, you'd have to think if it's Jeff having a limited definition of education or if it's because someone else thought hypnosis taught by the wrong teachers to the wrong students isn't such a good idea.
2. 
   
   Mike KawaharaMar 26, 2012 05:18 PM

   Well, as William Duby and Angela Silva began their journey with Lewis Bostwick as down-and-out drug addicts and street hustlers then took what they learned to snatch up an amazing amount of money and property from their hapless followers, then I guess Lewis did indeed improve their lives. I mean, owning several properties, driving Cadillacs and luxury RV's on the money they bilked was a big step up from their ghetto hotel room.
   
   I still remember the commemorative plaque Bill and Angela hoisted in honor of Lewis Bostwick: teacher, mentor, friend and counselor. I should remember it - I had to cough up the dough to have it made.
   
   On the other hand: since their "education" with Lewis, Duby dropped dead before he could enjoy his ill-gotten gains, I won a lawsuit against Angela Silva, and what remained of the followers of the Spiritual Rights Foundation got the fuck out of Dodge carrying what little they had left in plastic grocery bags. There's just one sycophant left there.
   
   And I think I can say my life improved because of my experience with the teachings of Lewis Bostwick - it improved when I realized it's all crap and like too much in this new-age world, it is often used not to enlighten but to enslave.

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I read somewhere that people who come from a cult experience develop something called a "pseudo-personality".


The constant indoctrination and mind control slowly replaces the member's real personality with a different one that is not really theirs but is one that complies with the demands of the cult.


So, all of the paranoia and out and out hate that places like BPI and the Spiritual Rights Foundation create appears to have a real effect on the individual personality. I am not surprised that Janehellen was diagnosed as borderline.


When exposed to those kinds of personalities all the damn time (whether real or pseudo) and facing all kinds of rebuke for not falling into line (personality-wise) you really have no choice but to adopt a pseudo-personality just to get by. And when you do, you are trapped.


No you cannot express that borderline personality in the presence of psychotics like the leaders of the Spiritual Rights Foundation. But among your peers and among the public you certainly can.


Don't let the "blessings" and "love and light" platitudes fool you. As the comments of the prowlers on this blog have revealed, they are only backhanded expressions of concern and thinly-veiled insults from those who have been fully indoctrinated into the insane world view of a cult.


Cult survivors like Janehellen and so many others have awakened from their trance state to realize their own identity and their own personality are as perfect as can be and it was only the cult who created flaws and exploited their good nature to establish control over their freedom.


===============================================



Anonymous
Apr 10, 2010 02:46 PM
I came across your blog by accident, but since I had a few experiences with the Berkeley Psychic Institute a number of years ago, I'm hoping you can answer a question for me. 


I was attending a class at the Institute. During a visualization session where we were all sitting on chairs in a semicircle with our eyes closed, I had an odd sensation that something was trying to penetrate my pelvic region (I am a female.) It seemed quite foreign, aggressive, and vaguely sexual. Midway through this experience, I noticed that the teacher, who was walking around the group, had begun to breathe very loudly and heavily, as if he were almost out of breath. 


When it was over, I felt vaguely violated. Due to that and to a few other "off" experiences, I decided not to attend any more classes there. 


Do you have any idea what may have occurred during that session? 


Thanks.


Reply


Mike KawaharaApr 10, 2010 08:03 PM
Hi Anon,


I was at the Spiritual Rights Foundation which stole all the classes and practices from BPI (I know this because the guy who stole it told me he did and Jeff here says SRF's classes are pretty much identical to BPI).


I've sat in guided visualizations and led a few of them as well. I can tell you: every so often, you may feel emotionally or physically uncomfortable during a visualization. The trained psychotics at places like SRF brush it off as "energy leaving your space".


Me, I think it's something different. The famous cult researcher Margaret Singer wrote about something called "meditation-induced anxiety". I believe the psychology community accepts it as a mental health issue. Singer describes that meditation (which is often called a "guided visualization") can cause some emotional or physical discomfort in some people.


I think you had physical discomfort and emotional anxiety from the meditation-induced anxiety Margaret Singer described. It seems to have hit you in a uncomfortable part of your body at a really inconvenient time.


For too many people, these "guided visualizations" just make them physically uncomfortable and bring up disturbing emotions. It has happened to me as well - often. I've had experiences of the whole damn room twirling around me or sometimes needing to run like hell to the bathroom, hoping I'd make it in time. It's different for everyone, though. I know one guy who thought he was Santa Claus after meditation.


The best thing I can say is to steer clear of that kind of meditation. You may not feel uncomfortable every time you do it but each time the discomfort comes up, it just gets worse until it max-es out.


Be careful if a meditation teacher says you are just "releasing energy", "disconnecting from negative people" or something like that when you are uncomfortable during meditation. Your discomfort may be saying something. Like: stop doing this and try a different kind of meditation.


I believe the teacher in you class wasn't doing anything more than huffing and puffing because he was completely out of shape - that is fairly common with these guys. Many of our "teachers" couldn't walk around the block without needing a long rest afterward. As far as him having sexual thoughts go - well, most of us had no damn time to think about it, much less do it.


I don't blame you for feeling violated. That's what those places do to people. So, maybe you are psychic after all!


=================================



Mike KawaharaAug 10, 2010 11:39 PM
Anon, those of us who take a stand choose OUR battles carefully.


We take a stand where we can based on our experience, knowledge and interest. In the eyes of, well, everyone there are bigger battles to be fought. In reality, there certainly are and there are many others who are leading the charge competently.


Jeff, Vera and others stand up in the area where they have expertise. No matter if there are bigger demons in the world, they choose to fight where they know the enemy.


That's the whole thing right there: when those who discover the true practices shown to the insiders of organizations like BPI, the Spiritual Rights Foundation, the Midwest Psychic Institute and so many others, they feel either the empowerment to spread that doctrine to others or they feel outrage and horror. There is never any kind of middle ground.


Of course the leaders, gurus and other holy leaders of the spiritually enlightened look harmless and charitable - from the outside. Those who had a long, close look from the inside - even the inner circle, realize there is a man behind the curtain. And that man isn't a great wizard. He's more like the guy in the park wearing a trench coat in summer with a funny bulge at the crotch - which grows when he sees your 9 year old.


I've seen it, Jeff has seen it, Vera has seen it and so many others who are too afraid to speak or too afraid to take the exit off the middle road .


To me, your statements of concern for Jeff's health are not only insincere, they sound condescending and insulting. They are certainly back-handed statements of concern. In fact, I have heard many statements of that kind from the BPI-educated leaders of the Spiritual Rights Foundation whenever one of the flock began to move a hair out of line. Others from BPI report they have heard likewise from their BPI-educated brethren. So, it appears you have learned well, my son. Or perhaps, not so well.


Such statements of "concern" are most certainly transparent and passive-aggressive avenues of displaying anger and frustration in a spiritually acceptable manner as the outward display of real anger and frustration is reserved only for those at the top of the spiritual trash heap.


So if you have actually taken a look, if you had a real tour of what's behind the curtain, if you had a real look at what's underneath the Disneyland exterior of those spiritual organizations, you may find you stumbled into the sewer system.


That is what we found.


It took us several years to realize it, despite the overwhelming smell.


At your level, they were spraying perfume in the air. At ours, we got our faces shoved in the cesspool.


And Jeff and I both are guilty of covering up the trash heap and shooing away the cockroaches in order to bring in new people just like you.


Unfortunately, we succeeded.


Yeah, I am not proud I brought in more poor victims into the spiritual outhouse. But like you, those victims are still happy there. They are poorer than when they started. They have fewer career prospects than before, relying on housecleaning and construction labor instead of their steady office jobs. They are measurably less active mentally than before.


But they are damn happy and all to eager to call those who stand up to the charlatans who operate these cults as mentally or emotionally deficient in need of psychological treatment.


And of course, they do so in a spiritually caring manner just like you.


Thanks for your concern. I'll take a note of it.


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1. Mike KawaharaJan 13, 2010 02:03 PM

   I saw an article called "Mysticism and Psychosis" just the other day. The author compares a "mystical experience" (meaning for us, some kind of spiritual revelation or vision) and a psychotic episode.
   
   He shows two accounts of those experiences and asks if the reader can tell which is the psychotic episode and which is a mystical experience.
   
   They appear identical.
   
   seedsofunfolding.org/issues/11_08/feature_english.htm

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2. 
   PsychDoctorateJan 14, 2010 02:15 AM

   While reading this article, chills went down my spine. There is no difference between the mystic transcendent moment and the psychosis. Having had a psychotic break, I can clearly compare the two. I am in a unique position to do so.
   
   They are indeed one and the same. There is abosolutely no difference whatsoever! It is not a transcendent moment, it is a moment of completely loosing touch with reality. Although parts of the episode felt good, the fact is that I would never want to go back through that again. EVER!
   
   Having had a psychotic episode, also gave me a reference point to look clearly at the techniques I was taught at the institute. And it is also why I have completely rejected them altogether! They are unsound and dangerous techniques which bring us close to that edge and farther away from humanity.

   
   

   1. AnonymousJun 2, 2010 05:41 PM

      Mike they are identical because in fact the experience cannot be adequately labeled. Like defining the first time you fell in love. Find a word that adequately describes that experience.

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   2. 
      Mike KawaharaJun 3, 2010 02:17 PM

      I found a word that adequately describes your comment. It has eight letters, starts with a "b" and ends with "t".
      
      Nice try moving the goalposts. If you want to make a real observation, do some homework first.
      
      The two writings are an example of just how similar a mystic experience is to psychosis and that you really have to be careful when reading those kinds of writings. The author went on to say you'd probably want to take a few minutes to know a little more than usual about the writer so you'll know if he is writing as a spiritual person or a psychotic.
      
      Didn't you take ten minutes to look at that link I posted before you commented?
      
      Oh, right. It came to you psychically so following the link and reading the referenced page was unnecessary. My bad...