Thanks for posting, Pat.  It is always interesting for me to read autobiographical writings on this subject.  I hope to read "Spiritual Perversion" which is a new book by a man who spent many years in a small cult in California.  For me, the issue of Rawatism is contained within a much larger issue, and that is religion itself.  Personally, I am sickened by Popism, which I equate with Guruism, to give just one larger example.   All of the religions seem so very similar to me and so very misquided and harmful.  The basic idea seems to be that we humans are somehow inherently wrong and need correction.  Such a wide range of self-imposed suffering results. 

But I do understand your "live and let live" attitude in this regard, because of the fact that it is impossible to successfully fight against religion, on whatever scale.  My only comfort comes in the recognition that the dark side of religion is in slow decline.  And as time goes on, there is hope.  But it will take time.

But we do still have the choice, we can adopt a laissez-faire attitude or we can fight.  I think it is natural for people to adopt different attitudes based on many different factors in their lives.  For myself as an example, being a part-time writer, I could devote time to a book project, but I don't want to spend so much of my time on a negative subject.

It is important to realize that the fight is against ideas and teachings, not against people.  I certainly do not wish anything negative on any premie or Rawat himself.  I consider Rawat to be an extreme example of a narcissictic personality disordered individual, and I mean this in the precise way that it is defined by current psychology which describes about a dozen different personality disorders.  I know one person with Borderline Personality Disorder, and I know how perfectly the Psych literature describes my friend.  So I do give some credence to that science as it exists today.  And my only feeling about Rawat himself is that he is probably doomed to a life-time disorder for which there is no cure.  I do admit that I hope he lives to see the fall of his cult.  I think he deserves that.

The ideas that Rawat promotes that are both wrong and harmful need to be identified and struggled against by presenting the counter ideas.  Truth will win out, and for me it is an exciting and stimulating struggle, a worthy cause, and not a hassle.  The benefits of meditation must be acknowledged while not overblown.  Those other benefits that premies enjoy, perhaps community, inspiration, direction, etc. also need to be identified while not overblown.  And where Rawatism goes wrong can be separated from the benefits.

I do believe that many premies have the mistaken notion that ex-premies are against Rawat because of his lifestyle.  For me, this is not the case.  I am against the falsehoods of Rawatism, and that is all, and these falsehoods should be identified and debated about until it is clear what the truth about the matter actually is.  This, too, will take a lot of time.  I have been personally harmed by these falsehoods and I know what they are.  I also know very well the premie postion that there are no harmful falsehoods, because I used to think that myself.  I have been on both sides of the issue and I therefore have an advantage to those people who are still clinging to their rose-colored glasses all the while denying that they are even wearing them.  I, and most other people in the general population, can quite clearly see those glasses sitting there on their noses!

The central issue for me is that taking off those glasses is very beneficial, it truly does make a former cult person more happy, more balanced, and better able to appreciate life.  It is ironic, but there are so many ironies in religion.

Thanks again for your post.