My group is for dumbshits. I ask, How do you account for Eckankars success? Eckankar uses two things that everybody has to have. Lane and I drive to La Jolla for leaden upscale Mexican food. When the Vietnamese fellow was in San Diego, he saw a poster for an Eckankar event that had a picture of Rebazar Tarzs on it, and he recognized him. I always have been. The problem is that nobody uses Occams Razor when it comes to spirituality. No, I sigh, Im not afraid of those people.. Burley, who . My research has helped because its made me more discriminating, more critical-minded. I really enjoyed the music, but it was kind of sad. I dont think Twitchell imagined that Eckankar would blossom the way it did. Moreover, a free left arm could be used to deflect spear strikes in combat. About four weeks later Lanes guru in India, Charan Singh, received a letter, supposedly from another follower in San Diego, criticizing Lane and quoting from his wifes stolen diaries. Lane pauses and thinks for a bit. When I ask him what Eckankars position is on Lanes research, Richards, whos been in Eckankar for 20 years, says he doesnt know. In 1977, noting the similarities between Radhasoami and Eckankar, a religious movement founded in San Diego in 1965 by the late Paul Twitchell, Lane wrote a term paper comparing the two for an undergraduate religious studies class at California State University-Northridge. Yelman tells me she was born in Germany. They say you can never damage the Eck spirit, because its life. Lanes no longer an easy man to find. Lanes green eyes turn serious. Eckankar set up a meeting with Lane at its international headquarters in Menlo Park. in his book, and on every single page I just had to make my own notes. As Yelman laughs, her stiff, angular body quivers with excitement. I saw myself very clearly as the roman centurion responsible for maintaining order and preventing any trouble. Lane can be such a card. They sent letters about me claiming I was the negative force, that I was predicted from the beginning of mankind., In just one of Paul Twitchells books. Lane imagines himself driving, Let me see, I turned left here, now right, then I drove straight for a bit. Using this gyroscopic homing pigeon technique, he leads me straight to his little white Nissan. Besides my straight As, I had nothing to give me a sense of self-worth. Id be very careful where I go and what I do and who I talk to, you wouldn 7 want anyone to get hurt now, would you? Nobody wins, so we just let it sit there. Because Gross had been in Eckankar less than two years, his appointment shocked and disturbed many Eckists. It may be a game for Lane, but believers are playing for high emotional and intellectual stakes. "Actually, Eckankar is the one who has kept me going because they keep [after] me every time I try to come out with something. They sent letters about me claiming I was the negative force, that I. Read full review of Eckankar Helpful? I would ask a question and get an answer, and I would jot it down. I am afraid my beliefs will cause conflict within the Eckankar community and it may be best that I leave Eckankar. Dr. Bluth, Twitchells personal doctor and vice president of Eckankar at the time, has confirmed that he gave Twitchell books from the Radhasoami library. The Living Eck Master gives support and guidance for the things that we choose to do. Yelman pauses for emphasis. In 1978 Richards moved from North Carolina to San Diego to pursue his graduate training in psychology. Eckankar is not for everybody. Source: mallsofamerica.blogspot.com. For free downloadable books, check out our Web site at www.Eckankar.org. Seriously, what could one say about anybody that left a long held teaching based solely on words in one book? Was I a fool to want Eckankar? You got it. After reading Eckankar books for a year and a half, Yelman went to a seminar in Las Vegas. Eckankar is still very much open to and supportive of whatever religion a person belongs to. Sure! But when we go to the Hillcrest Village parking garage to retrieve Lanes car he cant find it. Once we get to Del Mar, Lane pulls to the side of the road and examines a copy of Twitchells death certificate to get the exact address. Many events are open to the public, including the Sunday worship services, which tackle spiritual topics of broad interest. They had this little tape recorder, and I was impressed I thought it was very professional. Then he mailed some of the stolen documents anonymously to Eckankar under the assumption that they would use it against me and I would think Eckankar robbed my house. But her email was the exact reason why i left. You can imagine how I felt, exclaims Lane. He invited me to his house in Mandeville Canyon, a beautiful house, a mansion. I am afraid my beliefs will cause conflict within the Eckankar community and it may be best that I leave Eckankar. He never had much money. Man, it was a nasty conversation. Eckankar, which is now called the Religion of Light and Sound, teaches that each individual is Soul inhabiting a human body. Hi, Im Dave." We talk about the Hu as a prayer song or a love song to God, instead of saying its a chant or mantra. Shortly after . One time he said, I want to take you someplace. I said okay! Paul Twitchell. When Paul Twitchell suddenly died in September 1971, he left no word as to who his successor should be. The next day Channel 8 news came out and did as their lead story Cult Researcher Robbed. They took a copy of my article The J.R. Controversy. But they didnt name John-Roger.. It has its positive aspects, a sense of community, a sense of focusing on the individual and his or her experiences of the divine. To me, if people want to get into those kinds of discussions, fine, and Ill kick it around with them for a while, too, if they want to talk on that level. The spiritual exercises are a form of prayer. If you've checked out the lives of the Eck Masters and found problems, do the same thing to all these "occult experts" because a lot of them had their stories . Every thriller these days has a false ending and then a real ending, to the point that when I watch a pre-Carrie film, I am disappointed at how easily chaos is defeated. Theres no calm center to this storm. And it continues to rain. A line will leap out and inspire you. The vivid orange-pink horizon stretches on endlessly beneath a nearly full moon. Its hard to leave the magical vistas of Del Mar. Peoples experiences dont matter to David Lane. His new title was President of Eckankar. Driving the news: " As the only person to serve as both National Security Advisor and Domestic Policy Advisor, Susan's record of public service makes history," Biden said of the former UN ambassador and national . Plagiarism charges fall on deaf ears with Eckists because weve had experiences outside of book learning. Same with Shamus-i-Tabriz. He said, 'Some of us live the spiritual life, others intellectualize it. After Id talked to him for a couple of hours, Jerry said, Dave, why dont you start your own religion? If theyre going to sue you about a 120-page term paper when youre 20 years old, you know somethings up. Twitchell claimed that Eckankar was based on his own bilocation experiences and those of previous saints in various religions. Scientology is worse but that is a difference in degree and magnitude. McMahon seems suspicious of me, so I tell him that my current husband is an Irish Catholic from Long Island and that Im still very much in contact with my former husband, whos a higher initiate of Eckankar like himself. The spiritual home is the Temple of ECK in Chanhassen, Minnesota. Recent local Eckankar meeting. So I said, 'You guys can get out of this simply, just explain that Twitchell plagiarized. Im a surfer, so I had this surfer hair and a turtleneck. You need a guide who knows the city. The term Eckankar is also a word used to refer to the name of God in Sikhism. With the blink of an eye, he could vanish forever. Eckankar is a classic case in point. He and Gross have been sparring since 1977. Lane discovered information that led him to believe that Twitchell copied whole chapters from Radhasoami texts, lied about biographical details.. (My husband, who had never heard of Atkinson before, sees her as a kind of 60s super-vixen, like Pussy Galore. He came up with the name Sudar Singh from the name Sudarshan Singh he just cut off the shan part of it and put Sudar. Usually he mixes Indian names with Chinese names [from] popular Tibetan or Taoist books, and hell conflate the two. Eckankar took off like wildfire, growing from three students to thousands in less than three years. With only a post office box and an answering service to connect me to him, Lane seems as slippery as Houdini. When it came out, I got a 25-page letter from a group called the Coalition for Civil and Spiritual Freedom. David Lanes critiques of Eckankar may be well documented and rational, but religious devotion is not about rationality. Im also aware that in at least two previous lifetimes I was killed because of my beliefs, specifically in reference to Eckankar, and so I think some of that karma was still sitting heavily on my chest, so to speak., Im impressed with Yelmans absolute assurance. I open the door to a boyish 38-year-old with a full head of healthy brown hair. On Saturday, I lunch with Lane at a restaurant in Del Mar. T he attacks on Justice Thomas never stop. I imagine them as the tormented souls of all the cultists who have lost their faith because of Lane. His quest for knowledge and experience of God is without question. Spirit can express itself as sound or as bright or even colored lights. Rebazar Tarzs. Rather, hes tried to make the teachings more accessible to the average person whos interested in religion or spirituality but may not be familiar with a lot of the terms that weve used in the past., What alternative terms have been developed?, Instead of talking about contemplations or the nurat or the surat technique for the light and sound, we just say we do spiritual exercises. Eight years later he broke with Kirpal Singh and thereafter denied any involvement with him. But Eckankars attorneys mailed the package back to me. Members receive a monthly discourse, which they have the option of studying alone or in classes. A volunteer raises one arm straight out to the side, and Dawn easily pushes it down. I had my two sisters to take care of while my parents were being mixed up. As the great Houdini wrote, The yellow thread of exposure seems to be inextricably woven into all fabrics whose strength is secrecy. Houdini, like Lane, was a man whose obsessions drove him to expose religious frauds. Off my granddaughter sprints down the driveway, giving herself a head start, the front gate our finish line. Shes very clean and clear about her business acumen. Where do you think Twitchell got these names?. In The Life and Many Deaths of Harry Houdini, Ruth Brandon writes, He terribly wanted to be convinced. Hes unimpressed on both counts. He went nuts. I think it was a resistance to being in the physical world and being fully embodied, and so I tried to exit a few times. There is, indeed, something ethereal about this frail woman. How wonderful after Eckankar, when I was able to experience the exquisiteness of other musicians and various teachers and realize fully: "This is it. On the Marie Vega [TV] show in Los Angeles, I said, John-Roger Hinkins robbed my house. He threatened to sue the TV station for a million dollars if they ever ran the program again. If you left Eckankar because of the lies of the founders and their actions, don't spread garbage about totally unrelated things that were largely debunked after the 1980s "Satanic Panic". For one, they're saddled with . box that John-Roger had personally paid for. During the 30s and 40s, Twitchell was a prolific writer. There are ECK Temples, ECK Centers, and reading rooms in cities and towns across the . Experts say there are two main reasons many members of Gen X, roughly defined as people born roughly between 1965 and 1980, aren't ready to leave the workforce. Instead of asking people to be really skeptical of things, its asking them to believe almost anything. But, Dave, I counter, when you talk to Eckists they always tell you, Im a totally skeptical person. The Cadillac of Cults. We would like to show you a description here but the site won't allow us. The term God no longer had use for me. I keep discovering more and more offshoots, in India as well as here its like a virus, it keeps reproducing itself., You know the ins and outs of how religions are organized, and you're a charismatic person. I was a member for almost 15 years, but thanks to the internet, I found out the truth about it and got out. People typically define cults, first of all, as based around worshiping a personality. We dont do that in Eckankar. The Making of a Spiritual Movement is, in fact, so well documented that at times it reads like a 200-page footnote. Everybodys sexuality is different than everybody elses. It's. Six members of Washington, D.C. Fire and EMS have been placed on administrative leave after a video showed multiple emergency personnel punch and kick a person in an apparent brawl while on . The only. Saturday afternoon, when we arrive at the hotel, Lane keeps disappearing into the bathroom. I taped them for five hours. The accusations leveled against Hinkins included embezzling money, plagiarizing from the teachings of Paul Twitchell and others, skirting zoning laws, illegally obtaining airfare discounts, setting up tape recorders throughout his house to obtain information that he would later use to appear psychic, and sexual misconduct. Harold Klemp. (In one illustration, the Rod of Power is depicted as a glowing white wand. Those who become disheartened quit ECK for other paths that seem to require less drive and responsibility of them. I came from a religion that was full of dogma and rituals, and it really was a breath of fresh air to have all my questions answered in a way that made sense to me.But above all, I think I most appreciate how I am able to incorporate the teachings of ECK into my everyday life, instead of feeling like my physical and . Various Eckists say they witnessed the ceremony. The suggested annual membership donation for individuals is $120, a bargain in the miracles-and-freedom market. Lane does arrive, at one oclock Thursday afternoon, on time to the minute. The Kal is similar to Satan, representing everything that is materialistic and evil, a being of vileness, wrath, and vengeance. Thats his axe to grind with Eckankar. I found all this fun, interesting stuff. But the stuff that Lane goes after has nothing to do, for me, with the validity of the teachings., When I was in Eckankar, one of the things that I really liked about it was its respect for other faiths and that there was no pressure to get anybody to join., Richards responds, Sri Harold Klemp has taken a special effort to make it clear that we accept the value and the need for all different paths and religions, because people operate at different states of consciousness. Everybody has a right to pursue whatever interest they have. Yet it has a sweetness to it. It gets tiresome., For ten years I was a member of Eckankar,one of the groups Lane has written about most extensively. People always say, Leave us alone; Eckankar works. I do leave those people alone. Nine years later she read Paul Twitchells Eckankar: Key to Secret Worlds. He had on a white turban with a gemstone right here in the middle. Yelman points to her bangs. "There are three areas that cause people to leave ECK: First is discouragement. I dont mean just an idea or a thought, Im talking about the reproduction of grammatical mistakes, semicolon misuse. At this stage, Peter McWilliams, the guy who later wrote Life 102, was still pro-John-Roger, so he was putting his hands on the camera, that kind of scene, when they tried to interview John-Roger. Previously, my understanding of reality was contoured along the lines of the cultural landscape I was born into. He is Shamus-i-Tabriz (a living Eck Master of 400 years ago who now teaches on the Causal Plane at the Sakapori Temple of Golden Wisdom in the city of Honu). The treatment of critics, the phony official organizations that are merely cult front groups, and the lies are all the same. His clothes seem to be tossed onto his rather stocky body. The former members of Eckankar make a mistake in here thinking procedure. For years he came to me every single day and would teach me, but I never visually saw him except for once.. Weve had people who have recognized Harold Klemp prior to his becoming the Living Eck Master; he kept coming to them into their dreams. This time the arm doesnt budge no matter how hard she pushes down on it. Gross and Gail Twitchell divorced in 1978. Recently I have had a spiritual crisis where I stopped believing in the concept of the Abrahamic God. At the time I didnt know who he was. I stood up and said, You know, Im a member of the community, Im a coach in the Little League, Im involved with the schools. I gave a list of my involvements with the community, and then I said, Im an Eckist and I believe in God. Grosss young, perky assistant, Dawn, explains, Frankly, there have been lawsuits." As we shake hands I notice hes wearing a gold ring with an embossed EK logo. Im sure of it. He taps his finger on the table. Before founding Eckankar, Twitchell was involved in yoga, self-realization groups, and Scientology. 2023 San Diego Reader. Although the Hindi/Punjabi term Ek Onkar (literally "One God/Power") was most likely derived from Guru N nak's Japj (the first set of hymns in the Sikh holy book, Gur Granth S hib), Twitchell altered its original phonetic spelling and definition, claiming that "Eckankar" was a Tibetan . I used to be in Eckankar, I tell him. Xeroxed, self-published book with a weird cover. Within three weeks of its publication, The Making of a Spiritual Movement sold out. For years after I left Eckankar, I was plagued with wrenching spasms of primal fear, emptiness, collapse, and betrayal. The mastership of Darwin Gross is a black cloud in Eckankar history, a history that Eckankar wants to erase. Eckists are all over the world, and in different walks of life, and from different political orientations, different socioeconomic levels. 1:08. But in buying a religion, youre supposed to wear these narrow blinders, so that if anybody disagrees you can block it out. Classic. As Eckankar filled my life, I felt like I was entering Shangri-la; a new glistening world of love, of possibility opened before me. He had to make it seem like its his own creation, because if he linked the two hed lose his potential clientele., It was to hide these past connections. According to Lane, members of various cults have threatened lawsuits, written him letters with skeletons on them, broken into his apartment, made death threats, and generally harassed him. In 1942, after a stint in the Navy, Twitchell moved to New York, where he continued his journalism career, attended many churches, and read extensively on spiritual subjects. Lane places his hand to his face like a phone receiver, Hi, Fubbi, this is Gakko. I choke down the last gulp of my Green Garden vegetable cocktail and ask,. I called him my friend, she continues. It never existed. I was never able to penetrate Richardss reassuring politeness until I turned the conversation from Eckankar to Freud, Adler, and lung. I was confident that soon James would see the light and become a disciple of Eckankar. Controversy; A Critical Analysis of John-Roger Hinkins and MSIA.. I found it increasingly difficult to live a life that was a lie. ", Charles Richards: "David Lane is making a name for himself by being an antagonist to Eckankar.". I would raise my head to the stage in rapt silence, devouring every word the Grosses spoke. I was 21. Eckankar is the most direct path to becoming a coworker with the Sugmad. Initiations link Soul to the Eck (Holy Spirit), which can be seen as light and heard as sound. Buying a used car you at least look underneath the hood, hit the tires, maybe take it to a mechanic to check it out. As he fetches me a glass of juice, I sit in his cozy living room, which is decorated with family photos, relics from Thailand, and McMahons own paintings, imaginary landscapes with lots of vivid blue. Remember, hed been kicked out of Swami Premanandas church in 1955. As members are leaving in droves, the speaker looks into why. Twitchell coined the word Eckankar (a Punjabi word meaning "One God" or "Supreme Reality") from Guru Nanak's Japji, as found in the Sikh's holy scriptures, Guru Granth Sahib. I left eckankar because it simply didn't work for me and I didn't realize that for a very long time. I want Eckankar in some weird universe to keep going, because its fun for me. When I came back to the States, I read a book by Paul Twitchell called The Tigers Fang. Lane then quotes these same passages as they were later reproduced, usually word for word, in Eckankar books, with the names changed to the o Eck Masters Sudar Singh, Fubbi Quantz, Rebazar Tarzs, Lai Tsi, j and Gopal Das. I met David Lane in San Diego. We close our eyes and chant Hu together for several minutes. Gross enters and takes his position behind the gold-toned vibes. How would you address that issue?, Richards takes a long, reticent pause before he answers. In many cases, even when they do ask, they face a stony silence from the org, or are told they are being "tested" spiritually, The Temple of Eck in Chanhassen [Minnesota] is open to people of all faiths to come, to attend the worship services, maybe just to enhance their own beliefs. Yelman received hers while at an Eck seminar in Hawaii. If you were going to visit a new city, wouldnt you want a guide, wouldnt you want to stay away from the places where the prostitutes are, from the dark streets and the hoodlums? He is a reserved man whose dimpled smile betrays a sense of humor. Jerry Mulvins suggestion that you start your own cult must have been intriguing on some level. Clearly Lane is not a blind follower. Recently I have had a spiritual crisis where I stopped believing in the concept of the Abrahamic God. In Texas, she says, a disembodied being began visiting her. I urge, Come on, Dave, its starting. I practically have to pull him into the concert. He seems gently ecstatic, but so tired. Here's something you might be interested in. Id really start believing Id had a spiritual experience, Id wake up feeling like, Wow! Eckankar works because it doesnt make you have experiences that are impossible to have., What about soul travel, visiting higher planes of existence? Lane swallows his pizza. Hes a character who has seized the imaginations of Eckists as completely as Ahab or Falstaff has seized ours.) So I sent my term paper to Eckankar, and then they turned around two months later and said they were going to sue me if I published it. In the course of his research, Lane discovered information that led him to believe that Twitchell copied whole chapters from Radhasoami texts, lied about biographical details, and misled people concerning the origin of Eckankars doctrines. I got one of his disciples. In another lifetime I may have had a connection with Rebazar Tarzs, and so that would be a good way of linking me back in. It was difficult coming to this country, trying to figure out the language, the new culture, and what to do. Ellen Burstyn, maybe.) Moreover, people within John-Rogers group have confirmed that on the day of the robbery he was in San Diego., Lane didnt sue Hinkins, but he did go public with his story. Well, the upshot of it is, we were friendly for five years, and then in 1983 four of his closest disciples defected. Do you think it would be an easy thing to do?". I actually kept my phone for years, explains Lane, untilone night when youre asleep and youve got to get up at four in the morning and go to school, you get a phone call saying, Were going to fucking kill you. You know what I mean? Im an extremely intuitive person, she says, so I feel things long before I understand them in my head. and is being financed by them to do his dirty research. And I dont mean fun in a mean way, I mean, I find Paul to be incredibly imaginative and very interesting to investigate.. That i owed it to myself to know for sure that what i. I would not put it past Twitchell to have simply coined the name from one of his trips to Baja.. Some people who have ringing in their ears say that its horrible. So he puts up a thousand bucks and out comes this funky. It lacks the wit, passion, and narrative drive of his other books. Twitchell was living in Point Loma in 1965 when he started teaching workshops and selling booklets on how to leave your body. But he refuses to reveal details for publication and will only repeat the facts as listed on the death certificate. I told him I didnt plan to write about him, but letters [started going] around the country saying that I was a gay FBI agent in San Diego, that I had researchers working for me that I wasnt paying. JN Sykes was a member of the Eckankar cult ('the cult') from February 1980 to June 1993. Then he took the Ho, and he put the two words together. I met a guy from Vietnam whose whole family traveled here to San Diego by boat, guided by Rebazar Tarzs, whos one of the Eck Masters thats written about in the books. Dawn is finishing an applied kinesiology demonstration of the power of Grosss music. I left Eckankar because I was able to prove the concepts of Soul Travel to myself. The other one is, I overslept. Wouldnt you want to know everything you possibly could about the history of this group and then make your choice? Darwin Gross. I also have the evidence that David Christopher Lane is an informant for the F.B.l. Eckankar, the Ancient Science of Soul Travel, was officially founded. And who knows? Lane smiles to himself as if he were envisioning Paul Twitchell hunched over some Radhasoami text, scribbling away. I would just close my eyes and he would be there, and I would be there with him too. I like you and Im enjoying our talk, but nothing youre saying is very seductive. I had heard about this ability to get out of the body, where one can have an internal spiritual experience. Three local Eckists agreed to speak with me. I just went off on him. It affects those who have an unrealistic goal in ECK; those who want to Soul Travel or reach Self-and God-realization with practically no effort. The way to get more income is to have new material, speculates Lane. Lane shakes his head. Accompanied by keyboardist and devotee Ron Kurz, Gross begins with Blues in E Flat. The music is great, lethargic and soothing, the kind of music one should listen to in a cocktail lounge with an umbrellaed drink. I vacantly stare at Lanes tanned hairy legs, nostalgic for the boyfriends who played this song for me. We were suddenly in a marketplace with lots of bright burgundy-colored carpets. So who was this mysterious Paul Twitchell? Then his whole manner changed he leaned forward in his chair, his voice emphatically rose and fell. The idea that people are leaving Eckankar based on what they read in a single book is IMO an advertizing tactic to sell more copies. I'd sign this but you SCUM BAGS aren't worth much more of my effort, just a bit more EFFORT and then it ends. He was advertising in Fate magazine, Orion magazine, Cosmic Star." McMahon, who was raised Catholic in New York City and on Long Island, has always been interested in spirituality. The Courier-Journal magazine, to which he was a regular contributor, reported that he sold 1800 stories and articles in three years. When I woke up in the morning, I had an opportunity to ask questions. Now what do you do when your group is charging money and does not follow any of the restrictions of this Indian group it evolved out of, one whose teachings are free? In the late 50s, Twitchell also became a staff member of L. Ron Hubbards Church of Scientology, another association that would later be denied. Lane and Walsh had put a circle with a slash through it over Eckankars logo, which is EK formed into a circle. I really hadnt planned to write about him at all. On October 22, 1965, Twitchell claimed to have received the Rod of Power from Rebazar Tarzs, becoming the 971st Living Eck Master. In one he refers to me as Lane the widower. So then I wrote The J.R. Controversy for a new journal called Understanding Cults.
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