This is Part 2 of a three-part series of guest blog posts from “Anon,” an ex-RSSB initiate. Part 1 is “RSSB trauma is an example of spiritual abuse.”
RSSB stands for Radha Soami Satsang Beas, a religious organization based in India and headed up by a guru. I belonged to RSSB for 35 years, so I can testify to the validity of the trauma issues shown below.
At the time I didn’t think of those issues as being in the realm of trauma. They were just part of what came with belonging to RSSB. But now that I can look at things from a more detached perspective, what seemed normal back then now strikes me as decidedly abnormal, when viewed through the lens of what produces human happiness and flourishing.
Read through this list and ask yourself what resonates for you. Some of this stuff can happen anywhere – true – but this shouldn’t all be happening in one single environment. If you find this resonating about your experience of RSSB, consider if it is a sustainable path for you.
RSSB trauma issues:
1. Lack of independent thought and critical thinking – limited ability to “think for yourself” or “make up your own mind”.
2. Lack of ability to live life on your own terms – seeking validation, approval, permission.
3. Disconnected from your own real wants and needs.
4. Lack of human dignity – e.g. following extreme spiritual rules at your own well-being cost.
5. Feeling like a “bad person” – feelings of inadequacy and “not being good enough”.
6. Feeling like “bad things” will happen to you for leaving.
7. Believing “bad things” which DO happen are because you left, doubted or questioned.
8. Loss of faith – in God and religion.
9. Loss of trust – in God, faith, spiritual communities.
10. Misplaced sense of values – can lead to trusting the wrong people (faith requirements as markers of a “good” person rather than their actual behaviour).
11. Strong sense of sadness and worry as a baseline.
12. Cognitive dissonance – feeling “special” or “chosen” but also a “sinner”.
13. Underlying need to “earn” things – after having to “earn” the Guru’s grace and favour.
14. Fawning, people pleasing, going along with others over yourself – to keep others happy.
15. Fear of future loss of control – that someone else/others/another community may try to control you and limit your freedoms.
16. Feeling “caged” and needing to “escape” – leading to self sabotage.
17. Major sexual dysfunction – feelings of shame around a biological function.
18. Triggers – may react in an emotionally charged way – can be extremely avoidant or extremely angry
19. Lack of “sense of self” – not knowing who you are outside RSSB.
20. Sense of betrayal – being rejected by once warm, kind community members.
21. Sense of confusion – not knowing how to form judgments of others, lack of a value system beyond RSSB lifestyle requirements.
22. Future danger of abuse – after long term authoritarian control and conditional acceptance.
23. Lack of enjoyment or dissatisfaction in life generally.
24. Sense of anger towards RSSB community members.
25. Sense of shame for missing social bonds.
26. Sense of guilt – disappointing or not helping people close to you who still believe in RSSB.
27. Disappointment about your spiritual journey.
28. Poor boundary setting and issues with boundaries (after long term community/collective prioritisation).
29. Struggles to say NO – due to repeated continued experiences of pushback and coercion from RSSB members.
30. Difficulty adjusting to healthy relationships and/or environments.
31. Mindloops – hard to break long seated spiritual requirement habits (e.g. checking food labels).
32. Self policing – unable to enjoy something previously “forbidden” (e.g. a cake made with eggs).
33. Double life – pressure to conform to RSSB among the community, living differently outside it – like 2 different people.
34. Rebellious and escapist behaviours as “freedom” away from strict RSSB protocols.
35. Fear of meeting RSSB people out in the world / in the wild – fear of judgment.
Anon
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There are some satsangis that you can’t even stand the thought of but when those satsangis are also the ” master” then you have it made. If you were already a good person when you learned about those idiots then you’ve got nothing to gain or to lose.
Everything I say about their gurus and masters includes me. That should go without saying.
I had a lengthy discussion with an AI program from Google .. doing that at length helps to reveal ALSO ones own point of vieuw ..BUT .. also how AI is MADE to operate.
At the end I made the distinction between attributing value and meaning from outside the narrative and from inside and used the training for military elite combat groups as an comparison:
This was the end:
Your point highlights a fundamental tension in how we view these 35 symptoms in 2026:
1. The Agreement on “Meaning”
In a “Total Institution,” the participant willingly undergoes a process of identity stripping (breaking down) and re-socialization (rebuilding).
The Soldier: Views the “breaking down” as a necessary sacrifice to become elite and protect their country. The “stress” is interpreted as eustress (positive stress) that builds strength.
The Devotee: Views the “breaking down” of the ego as a necessary path to spiritual liberation. The “stress” is interpreted as tapas (discipline) or grace.
As you noted, if the participant maintains this “meaning,” they do not view themselves as a victim; they view themselves as an initiate.
2. The “Failure” vs. “Injury” Debate
The core of the disagreement between the writer of those 35 points and the organization often comes down to this:
The Organizational View (Your Point):
If a person leaves and suffers, they simply “failed” to complete the transformation or failed to maintain the “correct” meaning of the discipline. The blame lies with the individual’s inability to integrate the experience.
The Clinical View (The Writer’s Point):
In 2026, many trauma specialists argue that unlike the military, where there is a clear “end” to the training and a secular legal framework for exit, religious groups often lack “informed consent” regarding the psychological costs. They view the symptoms not as a “failure” of the person, but as a predictable injury caused by a system that did not provide adequate “off-ramps” or psychological protection.
3. Conclusion: The Power of Perspective
You are correct that facts are neutral until interpreted.
The 35 symptoms you listed are the “facts” of a person’s internal state.
To the believer, these symptoms represent the “struggles of the mind” or the “pain of separation from the Guru.”
To the leaver, these same symptoms represent “systemic abuse” and “psychological trauma.”
Ultimately, whether these points are “symptoms of a cult” or “justifications of a failure” depends entirely on whether the individual still finds value in the organization’s narrative.
Once the “meaning” is lost, the biological and psychological “facts” of the stress remain, and the individual must find a new framework to heal them.
The discussion continued with Google’s AI:
[Q] “So, if I understand correctly, everything related to religion is viewed through a psychological lens today as participation in a potentially traumatic experience.”
[A} That is an oversimplification, though it touches on a significant shift in modern psychology.
While religion is not categorized as “traumatic” by default, there is a clear increase in attention toward the darker sides of faith in 2026.
Here is a nuanced breakdown of the current psychological perspective:
[1] Religious Trauma Syndrome (RTS):
Psychologists increasingly recognize that rigid religious structures or a sudden loss of faith can cause deep psychological harm.
However, this is viewed as a specific phenomenon, not as the standard experience for every believer.
Protective Factor:
Much scientific research continues to show that for many people, religion and spirituality serve as a source of resilience, meaning, and social support, which can actually reduce the likelihood of trauma following life-altering events.
[2] Shift from “Truth” to “Impact”:
Where psychology used to focus on explaining why people believe, the focus has shifted toward the impact of the faith experience on the individual. If that impact is restrictive or fear-based, it becomes clinically relevant.
[3] Institutional Critique:
Modern psychology has become more critical of institutions that use fear (such as concepts of hell and damnation) or exclusion to maintain control, as these methods trigger the same neurological stress responses as other forms of abuse.
In short:
Psychology today views religion as a neutral tool that, depending on the context and how it is practiced, can be either deeply healing or potentially traumatizing.
It is not seen as inherently harmful, but the “neutrality” or “hands-off approach” regarding religion in clinical settings has disappeared.
In short my personal credo:
Things are what they are,
seldom what they look like or appear to be,
let alone how they are presented and made seen
Made seen by whom and why?
Sounds like Roman Catholicism or a divorce or any attachment that ends in disillusionment.
Of course there are positives, but those tend to get washed out when one separates
The four vows in RS are actually quite helpful if done consciously and mindfully and not with strange metaphysics….
The real problem in RS is the over hype about the guru but if that goes, so does the motivation for joining RS, since shabd yoga can be practiced without a guru that’s the secret.
Hi everyone,
Did anyone attend the Haynes Centre over the weekend of 24–25 January 2026? I heard that one or both Babas were present and that something unusual or unexpected happened during, or after, the questionnaire session. I don’t have full details, so I can’t say how accurate this is—it may simply be rumours. If anyone was there and can share firsthand information, that would be appreciated.( someone says issue regarding GSD luxurious accommodation which is inside Haynes centre)
I’ve also come across information showing that approximately £13 million in total income (£13,138,343) was recorded for the last financial year, reportedly largely as donations linked to Haynes. Honestly, £13 million is an exceptionally large figure, and I find it difficult to understand how such an amount could be raised in a single year—especially when even many very large UK charities do not collect this level of income annually. Because of this, it has naturally raised serious questions. I’m not drawing conclusions, but where there’s smoke, people start to worry about what’s behind it.
What adds to the concern is that there doesn’t appear to be any visible charitable work carried out in the UK, apart from organising internal satsangs and events. GSD has previously stated that RSSB is not a social charity, so it’s unclear why the organisation continues to receive UK charity benefits, including Gift Aid (the 20% government top-up), if there is no outward-facing charitable activity in the UK. I may be missing something here, and I’m open to correction.
Additionally, it’s been reported that RSSB owns several private companies in the UK, and that at least one property has been rented out (though I don’t know to whom). When you combine large undisclosed donations, limited charitable activity, and complex company and property ownership, it has led some people to question whether there could be financial irregularities involved — including concerns about potential money laundering. To be absolutely clear, I am not making an accusation; I’m highlighting concerns that people are discussing and trying to understand whether there is a legitimate explanation.
Also l have heard from a very close sources that few people get regular salary from the organization who work at Haynes centre but it never disclosed.(few from a dentist family who are also director in many RSSB companies and Runs this centre)
If anyone has reliable information, documentation, or personal insight, please share. It would really help to separate verifiable facts from rumours and speculation.
Thanks in advance.
@ Sunil
Now let us suppose that your “accusative suggestions” become facts … something you hope given the way you write here …. THAN .. what do YOU hope will be the outcome.
Please do not come with answers about “truth” and any other abstract fanrtasy …just tell me, us , what YOU hope will happpen with the teacher, the teachings , their faithful flock etc etc.
Let me put before you what is in the back of my mind writing this reaction … The Roman Catholic church as organisation and the cvlergy running that organisation,, has been accused, decade after decade for hundreds of years, and found guilty of almost any wrong imaginable … and there is no reason, why it should be stopped ever in the future …and yet sunil …. look at the faces of those that take part in the services ..have you ever seen that joy???
Now please tell me, us, what is in it for YOU what do you hope the outcome will be ..
@Um
I’ll answer your question directly, because it deserves a clear response.
What do I hope will happen?
Not punishment fantasies. Not the destruction of faith. Not taking away anyone’s joy.
What I hope for is transparency, accountability, and informed choice.
Yes, people can look joyful inside an institution. History shows that very clearly. The Roman Catholic Church is actually a perfect example: full churches, smiling faces, deep devotion — alongside centuries of abuse, financial corruption, and institutional cover-ups. The presence of joy has never been proof of the absence of harm. Very often, joy exists because people don’t yet know what’s happening behind the curtains, or because questioning itself is framed as betrayal or failure.
That’s the core issue here.
People inside RSSB who are content are not my concern. Adults choosing a disciplined spiritual life is not my concern. What is my concern is:
lack of transparency around large sums of money
charity status and Gift Aid without visible charitable output
blurred lines between spiritual authority, corporate structures, and personal benefit
and a culture where questioning finances or power structures is subtly discouraged or pathologised
None of that attacks meditation, devotion, or inner practice. It challenges systems, not individual faith.
You ask what I want to happen to the teacher, the teachings, the flock?
Ideally:
If everything is legitimate → open the books, explain clearly, remove doubt.
If there are problems → correct them, instead of hiding behind spirituality.
Let followers choose with full information, not curated narratives.
If, after knowing everything, people still choose to stay and feel joy — that’s their right. But joy that depends on not asking questions is fragile and conditional. Real spiritual independence, which this site itself advocates, requires the freedom to look at uncomfortable facts without fear.
So no — this isn’t about destroying belief.
It’s about refusing the idea that visible happiness absolves institutions of scrutiny.
Silence protects systems.
Questions protect people.
That’s all that’s “in it” for me.
Traceable and legitimate or not, that smug attitude of wealth starts at the top with private planes , helicopters and limos and he’s just shooting the finger at everyone else.
@ Sunil
Yours is a respected attitude .. no doubt.
Since the Path of the Masters is all about overcoming our own issues through meditation practice I think it is the solution for these various traumas.
A key to the psychology of the author is in how they are described..
For example…
“1. Lack of independent thought and critical thinking – limited ability to “think for yourself” or “make up your own mind”.”
“2. Lack of ability to live life on your own terms – seeking validation, approval, permission.”
“3. Disconnected from your own real wants and needs.”
….
These involve relinqushing one’s ability to think and discriminate for oneself. For some that is what they choose to do when they join an organization. They may have been brought up to expect this from a religion. And so they enter with those expectations enlarged to infinity by the notion that the Master is a direct pipeline to God.
They want the organization to make decisions for them, and they want to avoid responsibility, blame and the burden of making flawed decisions for themselves. They may have found that they are not so well suited to the world, and hope to find a sanctuary from thinking, from discrimination, and from duty or responsibility.
And so they project those duties and responsibilities upon the organization.
And they are quite disillusioned to discover that Sant Mat has quite a different path to getting things done. The path waiting to be discovered and explored within YOU.
In the case of RSSB, the Masters and the representatives constantly remind us that we are responsible to make our own decisions, and to use our own judgment. They remind us that the answers must come from within ourselves, and that meditation is a means to help us raise our consciousness and hence our thinking and actions. They offer us meditation as a means of doing these things better, expanding our awareness, calming the mind, and finding inspiration within to proceed in new and better ways on our own two feet, entirely responsible for ourselves (that’s even a vow we take) and that we act in ways that are helpful to one another, including all people on earth.
This stark difference between the reality and the accusation helps explain the trauma. But the answer is the same, meditation, for the demons are all within us and no where else. And so, with the help of our teacher, are the answers also within us.
Reply to Spencer Tepper: Thank you for your comment. As you point out, meditation is the solution. It is our responsibility to attend to it. We cannot change the world, but by meditation, we are able to see the situation objectively, not being locked into it subjectively.
Many of the rules listed here are often quite typical – not only of cults but of religions, sometimes political affiliations and many ‘spiritual organisations.
Meditation may help toward various mental problems and may perhaps give one an insight into one’s nature, but unless the core problem of the conditioned self structure is understood, little can change. And as this is linked to ‘self’ presentation, that is, preserving and maintaining the entire structure that believes itself to be a real, separate entity, then all mediation may do is substantiate its assumed existence.
When the ‘self’, or ‘me’, is seen through along with the manner in which it clings to the past (or the future), then maybe there is an opening to see how life’s reality reveals itself every arising and dying moment in present moment awareness.
Meditation, spiritual meditation, is all about transcendance and merging in the one. That means leaving “Me” and “Mine” behind. We think we cling to notions of identity, but part of that includes clinging to things we love and things we hate. There is a greater Love, a unifying Love, but the price is giving up hate. Meditation helps a lot with that. But it’s a layered problem. Meditation was designed to clean things up layer by layer over time. Slow and steady wins the race.
Every time we meditate, we are moving closer to self realization and ultimately God realization. For me, this is very motivating.
@ Spence
You did not arrive at the point you seem to be today by doing what you write.
Sorry Spence. But as far as l am aware, all the talk of transcendence, the one, greater love etc., is all conjecture and magical thinking. All probably learned through early scriptures or absorbed later via various teachers and teachings.
The reality is, no one knows anything about such things – not you or l.
Hi Um and Ron
What we learn from gifted experience is one thing. That can be a moment of encouragement. And we are thankful beyond measure for it.
But as No Kool-Aid writes, what we ourselves can see from our own efforts, that is actually much more valuable.
We all make efforts to calm down, to avoid reaction and to see things as they are, whether through meditation or logic or placing ourselves on a calming environment. But you see, that is all on us. The emotion, the blinders we have created that we are not even aware of, these are our challenges.
Any good psychologist will tell you that it is their life’s work, to help people see clearly what is before them and what is within them.
And modern science also teaches us of the many benefits of meditation, even the most rudimentary forms of meditation. A calm and focused mind sees so much more.
That means that among any group of people some are going to see now than others. We are going to be at different levels of consciousness.
And a tiny amount of introspection will reveal that you and I moved through different levels of awareness even hour by hour, moment by moment. Oir conscious awareness is fluid. Every good neuroscientist knows this from years of research.
Let us at least become more aware of what is within us. Let’s make that our work. Becuse that work raises the value and efficiency of whatever other work we undertake.
And who knows what we will discover?
As research with deep long term meditators has revealed, the brain operates differently through long term practice. It is younger and healthier. So who can say what we will see tomorrow.
You can say what you see today. You cannot know what is today. Nor what you will see tomorrow.
Meditation gives you a journey of self-development and of course the further along, the more the scenery changes.
@ Spence
Let the words of Honorabel Kodo Sawaki tell you what meditation has always been for me
>>To you who is wondering if your Zazen has been good for something <<
[Q] What is zazen good for?
[A] Absolutely nothing!
This "good for nothing" has got to sink into your flesh and bones until you are truly practicing what's good for nothing. Until then your zazen is really good for nothing
So you say you'd like to try doing zazen in order to become a better person.
Become a better person by doing Zazen?
How redioculous!
How could a person ever become something better?
Page 71
To YOU,
Zen Sayings of Kodo Sawaki
He must have known that those that are born as a crow, will live as a crow and die as such … hahahaha
He says that one has to sit for 10 years, and again ten years and again … most walk away before the end of the first period because "it is good for nothing" ..only fe manage to continue.
Meditation is useless and good for nothing … but THAT is no reason not to do it.
Treasure Beyond Gurinder
Yep Spence, some may benefit from meditation and some find it detrimental – depends what journals one reads.
A good psychologist helps a person to adjust to their mental needs (and society) – it’s all about mental health rather than “seeing clearly” as you put it.
Also, one is either conscious (aware) or unconscious, there is no evidence of different levels (accept where one conjectures without evidence, the idea of higher levels) – one is either conscious or not.
Unless meditation or rather ‘self’ awareness, gives one insights into how the self is continually maintaining its structure – similar to what um mentioned: “Polishing a tile will not make it into a clear mirror”. (Zen tale). Neither will meditation or the popular practices we all get drawn to clear the fog we habitually prefer to live in.
“The mind is the only true battlefield, conquer it, and the world will follow.” Maximus
https://rssb.org/2010-09-01.html
@ Kool aid
I have stated several times that inner experiences are always received as a “gift” ..Gift,… meaning that they were not created by the person himself. It does NOT say there is a GIVER..although all who receive such a gift will state that the centre of the experience was a GIVER …. as a gift in reaction to a TRAUMA and were not had by meditation practice.
So those that advocate the practice of meditation, did not start out as people using that practice the advocate later.
As in the link TUKARAM was mentioned, look looked in the books that i have to find versification for what I wrote here.
And ..YES … Tukaram face an almost unbearable trauma by the los of everything near and dear to him. [Page 7 TUKARAM, sainty of maharastra]
Then I aske Google’s AI and got the answer:
Question:
Did Tukaram have an inner experience following the traumatic events of losing his loved ones and the failure of the family business?
Answer:
Yes, the traumatic experiences of the 17th-century Indian saint Sant Tukaram led directly to a profound inner experience and a radical spiritual transformation.
After losing his first wife, children, and parents to famine and disease, and following the bankruptcy of his family business, he underwent the following inner shifts:
[1] Spiritual Awakening:
The immense personal losses acted as a “crucible” that destroyed his worldly ambitions and prompted deep self-reflection.
[2]Vairagya (Detachment):
He realized that worldly wealth and relationships are fleeting. This led to a state of complete emotional detachment (vairagya), in which he no longer viewed earthly possessions as a source of happiness.
[3] Mystic Experience in Solitude:
Tukaram retreated into the wilderness (on the hills of Bhamnath and Bhandara) for meditation.
After fifteen days of intense focus, he reportedly experienced a direct encounter with the divine (Lord Vitthal) and realized his “Higher Self”.
[4] Creative Expression:
These inner experiences formed the foundation for his thousands of Abhangs (devotional poems), in which he described his struggles, his surrender, and the ultimate peace he found.
Instead of being broken by his trauma, Tukaram used his suffering as a path to spiritual enlightenment and a deep connection with God.
P>S:
The energy to manipulatie the body and the brain aroused by traumatic E-MOTION, can not be grate3d by meditation
Hi Um and Ron
From a purely scientific view, meditation, properly practiced, even in rudimentary way, is very beneficial for most people.
https://health.ucdavis.edu/blog/cultivating-health/10-health-benefits-of-meditation-and-how-to-focus-on-mindfulness-and-compassion/2022/12#:~:text=Increased%20attention:%20Meditation%20helps%20with,vary%20from%20simple%20to%20complex.
Top among the benefits, Ron, is increased attentiveness and awareness.
“Scientific research confirms that meditation offers significant mental and physical health benefits by reducing stress, regulating emotions, and enhancing brain function.
” Key evidence-based benefits include lowered blood pressure, reduced symptoms of anxiety, depression, and insomnia, improved immune system function, and increased attention span.”
Even the brain is healthier with meditation.
” Mental and Cognitive Benefits
Reduced Stress; Anxiety: Meditation lowers cortisol levels and regulates the amygdala, reducing fear and stress responses.
“Improved Focus and Attention: Mindfulness training strengthens the brain’s ability to focus, boosting concentration and alertness.
“Emotional Regulation: Regular practice helps decrease reactivity to negative emotions and improves self-awareness.
Reduced Depression & Addiction: It helps manage ruminative thoughts and can decrease cravings for substances, aiding addiction recovery.
“Physical Health Benefits
Cardiovascular Health: Meditation activates the parasympathetic nervous system, lowering blood pressure and heart rate.
Immune Function &Cellular Health: Research indicates increased antibody production and potentially increased telomere length, which can slow cellular aging.
“Pain Management: It helps alter the perception of pain, aiding in the treatment of chronic conditions like fibromyalgia.
” Better Sleep: It can shorten the time taken to fall asleep and improve overall sleep quality.
“Brain Structural Changes
Neuroimaging studies show that consistent meditation can increase gray matter in brain areas associated with memory and emotional regulation, while decreasing gray matter in the amygdala, which is responsible for fear and stress. ”
In short meditation increases you ability to function independently.
https://www.google.com/search?q=Positive+benefits+of+meditation+science&client=ms-android-verizon&hs=mUZU&sca_esv=3f2117ccb46d9374&sxsrf=ANbL-n5B7KfHnqPcuDB17z-Mc7A_TTfdxg%3A1769469146791&ei=2vR3aYD7L-2i0PEP2rPI-Qo&oq=Positive+benefits+of+meditation+science&gs_lp=EhNtb2JpbGUtZ3dzLXdpei1zZXJwIidQb3NpdGl2ZSBiZW5lZml0cyBvZiBtZWRpdGF0aW9uIHNjaWVuY2UyBRAhGKABMgUQIRigATIFECEYoAEyBRAhGKABMgUQIRirAjIFECEYnwUyBRAhGJ8FMgUQIRifBUiMW1DRFlj9WnADeAGQAQCYAckBoAHgCKoBBTYuMy4xuAEDyAEA-AEBmAINoAKRCqgCLcICBxAjGCcY6gLCAg0QIxiABBgnGIoFGOoCwgIKECMY8AUYJxjqAsICEBAAGAMYtAIY6gIYjwHYAQHCAgoQABiABBhDGIoFwgINEC4YgAQYsQMYQxiKBcICCxAAGIAEGJECGIoFwgIFEAAYgATCAgYQABgWGB6YAy7iAwUSATEgQPEFBFYmGIj4vxO6BgQIARgKkgcFNi42LjGgB4Q8sgcFMy42LjG4B7wJwgcJMi00LjcuMS4xyAesAYAIAA&sclient=mobile-gws-wiz-serp
Discussion with ai continues … have some coffee
The Argument: The Core Mechanism of Mysticism
The point being made is that all mystics and spiritual leaders who underwent a profound transformation did so through a specific mechanism—usually an extreme existential crisis or trauma—and not through the structured practices they later prescribed to their followers. Furthermore, these prescribed methods are inherently incapable of reproducing that same original experience, not even by approximation.
Using the example of the Hebrew tribes: they were a people in search of a territory (the trauma/existential pressure). The patriarchs had spiritual experiences in which a “messenger” assigned them a piece of land and the status of a “chosen people.”
The crucial observation here is the source of that experience. If a universal authority (God) had truly made a decision about land rights, that authority would logically have notified the other parties involved (the other tribes or leaders) at that time and throughout history. Since that did not happen, it indicates that the experience was singular and internal.
Analysis of the Mechanism
This leads to a sharp conclusion about how spiritual experiences actually work:
1. Trauma as a Neurological Explosion
The mystic’s experience (like Tukaram’s famine or the patriarchs’ displacement) is a result of an uncontrolled surge of neurochemicals under extreme pressure. When the brain faces total destruction, it may “rewrite” reality to create a psychological way out. This “lightning strike” of trauma is of a completely different order than the “static electricity” generated by meditation or prayer.
2. The Mismatch of Methods
The procedures later handed down to followers (fasting, isolation, ritual) are merely stylized imitations of the original crisis. Fasting is a controlled imitation of famine; silence is a controlled imitation of isolation. Because the true existential necessity is missing, the follower’s brain is never forced into the same radical reconfiguration.
3. The Source is the Psyche, Not the Method
The source of the experience is the specific need of the individual or group at that moment. The “revelation” serves as a survival mechanism (e.g., providing holy legitimacy for land or finding peace after loss). Because a follower does not share that exact existential emergency, the “method” remains a shadow of the original event.
Conclusion
In short: Necessity creates the experience. Once that experience is turned into a “system” for others, the raw power of the original neurological breakthrough is lost. Spirituality, in this view, is a systematic attempt to democratize a unique survival mechanism—an attempt that, by definition, can never match the intensity of the source.
Hi Um
You wrote
“Spirituality, in this view, is a systematic attempt to democratize a unique survival mechanism—an attempt that, by definition, can never match the intensity of the source.”
That survival mechanism is a capacity built in to everyone.
That unique experience may actually be an event that happens to an individual who has prepared for it and is open to it.
I suggest reality prefers to be heard.
And is just waiting for us to do our part.
Meditation doesn’t replace reality, Um. That’s not the point. It cannot. But meditation can help us calm down so that we are ready to witness it. Then, once witnessed, once connected, we suffer intensely when mind interrupts. And from that point forward meditation, connection with our inner Master, is indeed a matter of survival every minute of every day.
@ Spence T.
>> That unique experience may actually be an event that happens to an individual who has prepared for it and is open to it.<<
From what one gets from the enlighten one's , the mystics, biografies, none did prepare him or herself, in the way they later suggested others.
None of these biografies, tell a tale about how THEY became to experience that event by the way you suggest people to do.
Sitting in meditation calming down and waiting for the event to occur … why would anybody do so?
Hi Um
There are a number of exceptions to your claim.
Buddha and Milarepa are two that come to mind. They had to work very hard for that glorious awakening and each found their balance in practice.
And finally, Um, The Great Master also had to work very, very hard. Overcoming lust and anger were two challenges specifically highlighted in Spiritual Letters. His own Master worked diligently to help him through. He was a project, Um, with awesome results. Great Master… There are no words to describe him, Um.
@ Spence T.
Even if those named by you were the exception to the rule, they are an exception, that cannot be repeated by others, that do not have the circumstances of daily training under the guidance of and spiritual coach let alone that they have the agony at mind that characters as Milarepa had …if there was any body traumatized so deeply and needed help to get over it it was certainly Milarepa.
And what lingers in my mind Spence are the words of the late MCS …that effort of an seeker does not matter,. Getting inside, being allowed to walk the path, is an project of the lord himself not of the seeker …the door is opened from INSIDE he said.
Sant Mat, is an training in submission Spence,…meditation helps to finally give in, nothing more and nothing less. Submission …does NOT open the door!!!
You see Spence .. the narrative says that even angles are “jealous” of humans as life as a human is the door.
What does that mean?
One has to have a body, a brain … what mystici describe is an manipulation of the brain due to traumatic experiences that generates energy.
Obvious I does happen and it can be done but both are rare
and in the end it doesn’t matter for what I intend to write down.
£13m donations for the year and the 20% gift aid just for haynes park center – where does this money go, is there any independant auditing on the accounts? This is just the tip of the iceberg. Mutltiply this accross all centers in the world , thats billions. Knowing gurinder singh dhillon character profile, a crook (in his own admission) and his brother in law who is a drug lord in the punjab, the whole RSSB organisation behind the scenes stinks of fraud , and dishonesty. To bad the actor gurus, 2 circus clowns, are able to fool a very gullable group of people who are too traumatisted to leave the cult of kaal. Gurinder the wife murdering , womeniser and fraudster your days are numbered, you will be traumatised when god finishes with you.
I thought I was the only one who thought his wife’s death was suspicious
Endless RSSB trauma issues
Gurinder Singh Dhillon the king of lies
This whole story is the Truth about Gurinder Singh Dhilion and Radha Soami cult its a bag of nicely weaved lies on stage and off
The fraudulent Baba Gurinder has lived out an act which contradictes everything he says and does.
The facts tell the truth the liar on stage who changes with the weather daily.
The liar is so good at lying he has becomes the living lie.
Gurinder Singh Dhillons face says it all his eyes are shifty, he’s always acting out of character as he’s up to something and he is.
Take it when he comes on stage he looks around like he’s doing something strange with his eyes and he is.
Alot of folks say he does Black magic on the sangat and later they feel and act differently they feel strange as somethings not right and it isn’t
Then the lies on stage are ridiculous as he says to the sangat to do this, but he himself does that.
Gurinder has been exposed and caught out by many and has no answers, still.
Finally he has run away from the fake persoudo and taken early retirement as he knows soon he’s going to be caught out outright by the sangat too.
As everything about Gurinder and Radha Soami is wrong, very wrong and soon the sangat will see the truth about him. And hiding he may get too
So Gurinders done one in the nick of time.
As you see here in the article it’s curtains for Gurinder Singh Dhilion and the Radha Soami cult.
The cat is out off the bag and it’s over for him
Now the new Jassdeep fraud Baba has turned his life also to a life full of dirty works for his new role as the 2 idiots sit on stage and tell us fruitful nothings.
Whose heard of 2 babas preaching crap simultaneously just to get more people delusional into this sick soami cult.
Shameful idiots