Thanks Dan,

Excellent job and I hope no bloodletting. 

One more very important psychological component that I see is that ashram premies looked at ourselves as children of Maharaji.  "You are my Mother, You are my Father."

Not only did ashram sisters sing arti, but we believed arti and talked about ourselves in that way, as his children (the sisters, him the father Durga Ji the mother) and our psychological make-up (based on my contact from living in ashrams from 1978-1981) clearly was exhibited in our behavior as children.  We were, by virtue of being in the asrham, automatically his slaves or servants and he owned us.  We were in the position of a child of Maharaji.  That's what makes it incestuous, too. 

I would say that the average ashram female in the late 70s through 1981 (when I left the ashram) looked at themself as Rawat's daughter, not his lover, although sometimes sisters did talk in that "lover" that way.  "Would you ever do ______ that if he ever asked???"  I can't think of one sister who could even form the words "have sex with Maharji if he ever asked."  Thinking about it was almost unimaginable, taboo, much less say it aloud.  But, I can say that there were many young and girlish giggles, and blushing faces, when that subject ever came up.  Btw, the answer was always, "Of course, I would, if he asked."

At any rate, there was a tremendous power imbalance and that's what makes it sexual abuse if not rape.  I'd be willing to bet those women felt just like any other rape victim. 

I never had those lover-thoughts plus I couldn't imagine him being unfaithful to Durga Ji.  Thank god.  Now I gotta go puke.