2011/09/14 – The Cult of the Deprogrammer: Rick Ross

The Cult-Deprogrammer Hall of Fame

“Anticultism can turn out to be as narrow minded and dangerous as cultist. Worst of all, it often exacerbates the cultic mindset of those they oppose, and can worsen situations that are already bad at the outset. The irony of it is that they are the ones supposed to know better, but are also the same who, more often than not, exemplify cultic behavior better than cultists themselves.” [1]

Believe it or not, there are people who hold the opinion that self-proclaimed “cult buster” and “cult deprogrammer” Rick Ross is an “expert” on “destructive cults.” The so-called Ross’ “Institute” [2] of “Cult Awareness” and his “Cult Education Forum” are devoted to scour the news in search of so-called “destructive cults.” These misguided folks who consider Rick Ross’ singular campaign against “cults” as a worthy or heroic pursuit probably haven’t investigated Ross or his “Institute” or know anything  about his criminal background as a convicted felon. They may have taken at face value what others have said about Ross as being an “internationally known expert regarding destructive cults” (Bond, 2005). An online article about Rick Ross at the Religious Freedom Watch site offers an unbiased view on Ross’ activities, background and his “Institute.”

It says that, “Although Rick Ross promotes himself as a professional “cult expert”, a review of his educational background shows that quite apart from being anti-Christian (he refers to Christians as “Bible bangers”), Ross  has no religious educational credentials whatsoever.’ Rick Ross, who’s apparent religious intolerance may be informed by his Jewish upbringing, allegedly began his “cult-busting” career working in his grandmother’s nursing home. The date of this event is not given, but could have occurred anytime during his troubled youth.  Ross had undergone many years of psychiatric therapy starting at age 6. After his second arrest and imprisonment, Ross was seen and evaluated by psychiatrist Dr. Domiciano E. Santos of Arizona State Hospital who found Ross to be, “an arrogant, self-centered individual with some hostile tendencies” who “does not seem to profit from his past experiences and cannot realize that what he does is socially unacceptable and dangerous … He does not seem to identify himself with society and its laws, and believes that punishments are an injustice.” According to Religious Freedom Watch, “A September 10, 1975, report from Dr. Jerome J. Kaye, stated that Rick Ross had been under his care from 1957 through September 1971. In 1965, at age 10, Ross was put on the psychiatric drugs “Deaner” and “Librium” which he took daily in an attempt to suppress his anti-social behavior.”

Rick Ross’ Pro-Jewish, Anti-Christian Religious Paranoia: “The Missionary Threat”

We have mentioned Rick Ross’ Jewish heritage before, but it is telling that his efforts to stand against “destructive cults” carries a potent anti-Christian charge.

In Ross,’ The Missionary Threat, a treatise published by the Institute for First Amendment Studies in 1995 (now defunct), the first sentence reveals the that the incident involving his grandmother being targeted for “conversion” in 1982 has never been far from his mind.

“Jews around the world are now faced by the greatest missionary threat in history.”[2]

Further into this shrill and alarmist screed, Ross lays out his starting point for becoming an anti-cult crusader. ” Missionaries associated with a “Hebrew-Christian” group called the “Jewish Voice” once infiltrated the Jewish nursing home where my grandmother was a resident. As a direct result, I became an activist and helped to stop this unwanted intrusion.”

This reveals that at the heart of Ross’ “cult-busting” crusade is the expression of religious paranoia that Jews are being forcibly indoctrinated into Christianity against their will. Ross further claims that, “…there are many Jews swimming in troubled waters. Some may become captured within the drift nets of fundamentalist and evangelical missionaries. Predatory sharks proselytizing as “messianic Jews or “Hebrew-Christians” may stalk others. How many Jews with the potential to make a meaningful contribution to Jewry have been, or will be, lost because no “rescuers” were there for them?” [3]

Thus the heart of Ross’ crusade against cults, besides  the economic point, is his religious hatred of bible-based Christianity, who he blames for destabilizing Judaism through deceptive missionary means. Yet we wonder how many of Ross’ faithful followers know of his anti-Christian program?

 ”Everything we need to know and believe in is already here on earth: from homosexuality to Judaism, as I practice it, the truth is already here. Nobody is going to add one jot or tittle to it… and those who try – are trying to brainwash innocent people and create cults and that’s a fact…” - Rick Ross

The Strange Case of Jason Scott 

The reported “hostile tendencies” and “anti-social behavior” would emerge in Ross’ criminal activities as a young adult through thefts and forcible kidnappings. According to court testimony, Rick Ross masterminded the assault and abduction of Jason Scott, a Pentecostal Christian who was handcuffed, and taken to a remote house for 5 days under 24 hour surveillance to be deprogrammed. Scott escaped, and sued his captors. On Sept. 29, 1995 the Washington state jury found that Mr. Ross “intentionally and recklessly acted in a way that is so outrageous in character and so extreme in degree as to be beyond all possible bounds of decency and to be regarded as atrocious and utterly intolerable in a civilized community. The federal judge remarked that, “the defendants seeming incapability of appreciating the maliciousness of their conduct towards Mr. Scott …”   eerily echoing Dr. Santos’ warning of Ross’ anti-social behavior. An effort to challenge this judgment was unsuccessful. While Ross was able to evade criminal charges, he was unable to dodge a civil suit by Scott. Ross was found liable for violations of Mr. Scott’s civil rights and ordered to pay $2,500,000 in punitive damages, which led to Ross’ bankruptcy and the loss of CAN, which was bought and taken over by Scientologists. It also marked the end of involuntary deprogrammers seeking to make money through kidnapping.

Being forced out of the involuntary deprogramming business (which Ross admits to have performed “two dozen involuntary cases”) and losing CAN, the Cult Education Forum is the latest scam that Ross has been able to mislead people into believing that he has the credentials to back up his claim of being an “expert” on cults. However, Rick Ross has NO professional credentials other than a high school diploma. His “Institute” is apparently nothing more than a post office  box.

The “Cult-Watching Groups

Ross’s “Cult Education Forum” and his “Institute” place him firmly within the “anti-cult movement,” which has become a field of academic study. “

The Wikipedia article on ACM states, “According to sociologist Eileen Barker, cult-watching groups (CWGs) disseminate information about “cults” with the intent of changing public and government perception as well as of changing public policy regarding NRMs. [New Religious Movements].

Barker has identified five types of CWG:

1. cult-awareness groups (CAGs) focusing on the harm done by “destructive cults”
2. counter-cult groups (CCGs) focusing on the (heretical) teaching of non-mainstream groups
3. research-oriented groups (ROGs) focusing on beliefs, practices and comparisons
4. human-rights groups (HRGs) focusing on the human rights of religious minorities
5. cult-defender groups (CDGs) focusing on defending cults and exposing CAGs

Barker is an active participant on the subject of cult watching groups.”

Another scholar, the late Jeffrey K Madden, claimed that opposition to cults presented two rewards (among others). That is, “protect members from heresy and to make the group stronger. Thus Ross’ Anti-Cult Crusade ( an Anti-Christian Crusade, really) must be exposed as a religious deception, as well – which is in essence, an attempt of asserting mind-control in his followers. How ironic.

Others have ideas why Rick Ross had dedicated his life to “cult-busting.” It is strange that someone with a documented history of  anti-social behavior would care a fig about anyone other than himself. So maybe we should as what Ross considers to be a “cult.” We get this from a page critical of Ross: “A cult, according to Rick Ross, is ANY group of people (or particular persons) who will choose to submit parts of their life and a big proportion of their energy to someone who either isn’t popular enough or teaches things that the majority would perhaps disagree with. To put it simply, if you choose to change your worldview in a radical, or original way which is little known to the public and you actually stick to it and call others to it because you believe that is the best way to be, you are setting up a cult.”This is a good analysis of Cult-watchers. The author continues:  ”Rick Ross seems to have dedicated his life to this cause. What does it offer? It offers money, fame and acknowledgement, but most importantly of all, it offers authority. What Rick Ross is really after is this exactly. It is the taste of power that they get when they watch themselves becoming a turning point to another person’s life. If you compare him to his own profile of cult-leader, you will see it matches perfectly.

It is a perverted instinct but it makes perfect sense, if you consider the people he hates the most (people with authority) and the practices he uses (imposed authority). The deprogramming has this goal exactly, as is shown by the example of the Stockholm Syndrome. What it wishes to accomplish is the shift of loyalty from the “cult” to the deprogrammer. This is obvious as the only way a “cult member” will let go of his (or her) own worldview and probably a cause that he has sacrificed a lot to achieve, is to fully trust and bow – so to speak – to the deprogrammer. Consider torture victims, victims of rape and abuse and kidnapped people and the Stockholm Syndrome. What happens is that the victim gives in unconditionally to exactly what their abuser imposes: full control.” [5] (Emphasis added)

Rick Ross’  credentials. as we have seen before, are completely worthless, and yet he manages to convince unknowing dupes that he’s a “cult expert.” However, Ross has been on the shit list from other “cult deprogrammers” for years. “For a variety of reasons, many cult experts refuse to work with – or to refer people to – Rick Ross. Much of that has to do with Ross’ behavior toward those experts whom he disagrees with – as well as his attempts at getting others involved in those disagreements.” [6] ~Apparently, Ross has burned many bridges within the Cult-Buster movement over his inflammatory, anti-social religious bigotry.

Ross and the Waco Siege 

“…your stock cult leader. They’re all the same. Meet one and you’ve met them all. They’re deeply disturbed, have a borderline personality and lack any type of conscience…No one willingly enters into a relationship like this. So you’re talking about deception and manipulation (by the leader), people being coached in ever so slight increments, pulled in deeper and deeper without knowing where it’s going or seeing the total picture.” - Rick Ross in interview to the Houston Chronicle on Branch Davidian leader David Koresh.

 “I’d been in touch with Rick Ross, who was acting as an independent cult ‘deprogrammer’ and informant to the ATF and FBI. When I got to know him in Waco, I understood that he was instigating the most negative aspect of the situation because he wished violence toward David Koresh. He never said he wanted him to be helped out. He wanted him wiped out.” – Article for “The Nation” by Alexander Cockburn, quoting Balenda Ganem, the mother of Davidian survivor David Thibodeau.

Did Ross’ desire to “wipe out” David Koresh out of existence stem from Ross’ militant Jewish bigotry, or was it just another manifestation of his anti-social behavior?

“Nancy Ammerman, a Visiting Scholar at Princeton University’s Center for the Study of American Religion, was one of the outside experts assigned by the Justice Department to evaluate BATF and FBI’s handling of the Branch Davidians. She was particularly critical of Rick Ross and the Cult Awareness Network. “Although these people often call themselves `cult experts,’ they are certainly not recognized as such by the academic community. The activities of the CAN are seen by the National Council of Churches (among others) as a danger to religious liberty, and deprogramming tactics have been increasingly found to be outside the law. . .Mr. Rick Ross, who often works in conjunction with the Cult Awareness Network (CAN), has been quoted as saying he was `consulted’ by the BATF. . . The Network and Mr. Ross have a direct ideological (and financial) interest in arousing suspicion and antagonism against what they call `cults’. . .It seem clear that people within the `anti-cult’ community had targeted the Branch Davidians for attention.” (JDR:Ammerman:1)

Ammerman’s report  also mentions Rick Ross trying to inflame the government against the Branch Dividians and points out the “ideological and financial interest” Ross had in “arousing suspicion and antagonism.” against what he calls, “cults.” We’re not going to side on whether the Waco Siege was a mass-suicide or a massacre, but those who wish to have more info on what went down can look here. A profile on Koresh is here. The culmination of the Waco Siege where over 70 people – including women and children – perished in the fire ultimately paved the way for Timothy McVeigh and the Oklahoma City Bombing. One wonders what plans karma has in store  for Mr. Ross.

The Cult Education Forum

“I want the whole world to be free of cults. maybe someday there will be a deprogramming machine and the government will require brainwahsed cult members to be cleansed in it.” – Rick Ross

Not many people are prepared to face the sheer, brutal wackiness of Rick Ross’ Cult Education Forum when they first attempt to post their views. There is the general perception among objective people that as long as one condemn and attack others that have been labeled, ”cult.” one is free to post as much hate speech as they like. If one tries to reason with them, they are banned and ridiculed. Andrea Roussow relates her experience with the Cult Forum. Rick Ross has said about his own website: ““If you follow the linked discussion section to the entry about me you can see that this popular place on the Worldwide Web can become a venue for those that wish to attack someone or something they don’t like.”

Thus it should be no surprise that Rick Ross labels Desteni a “cult.” Anything that can’t be reduced to his Judaic bias must necessarily be a “cult.”

Here is a brief exchange by Ross and Bernard Poolman after a few Desteni members responded to the outrageous lies promulgated on the CEF. Here is Rick Ross’ “expert opinion.”

“There seems to be an organized effort by destini [sic] devotees to post here.

And each of the devotee posts is eerily the same sing-song of mantras and slogans that reflect a group mindset.

Not exactly a good reflection, but rather a cult-like demonstration of destini [sic]  dynamics.

People here don’t have to go a participate at destini [sic] to have an opinion about the group.

This is again a typical response from cult members. That is, if you have not directly experienced the group first-hand your opinion is discounted.

But the first-hand evidence here through recent posts does seem cult-like.”

Bernard Poolman: “It seems to me that the anticult devotees spew the same stuff as every one belonging to any group — by definition all groups are cults –even those on this forum – The question is whether this actually benefit humanity or the egos of those unwilling to look critically at us as human beings and how we live and what we allowed this world to be.”

“Thanks for all the exposure –obviously would be nice to know who is funding this and who benefits from this attempt to misdirect mankind from real issues that has an effect on so many daily. Desteni is preparing to enter the political arena under the economic banner of equal money — with guaranteed results — In this world where one man has one vote — this is the end of elitist manipulation of words and constructs to keep mankind in poverty with the few benefiting through control of knowledge – obviously all political groups are also cults — so lets plat cult and establish a culture where there is a win win for all the people with basic needs. Poverty according to the law of attraction are the result of visualized self creation. For the anticultees there must be a fear button so great that self respect and self trust as a responsible person becomes impossible.

“Please share with us how you fund this — we are not non profit — non profits are controlled by donors — we generate what we require to do what we do — and for politics –we are in the process of establishing the necessary foundations. There will be a non profit part that will operate only to educate with the focus on law and psychology –that will make for great relations with you guys in the future.”

No doubt.

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

[1]  The Anticult Movement Mindset.

[2] “The Ross Institute is Ross’ latest money scam. The “Institute” is actually a mail drop just across the street from Ross’ apartment in Jersey City… While Ross promotes the “Institute” as a tax-exempt, non-profit organization and solicits donations from the public, the “Institute” is clearly a front and promotional arm for Ross’ deprogramming business.”  Buyer Beware if you get involved with the Rick Ross Anti-Cult Scam Cult.

[3], [4] Ross, The Missionary Threat.

[5] Rick Ross and the Deprogrammers

[6] Rick Ross – Problems with Various Cult Experts

2010/09/19 – zero the fool’s take on Desteni, Equality and “Cults”

Just ran across a wordpress blog by “zero the fool,” and it’s quite an interesting take on Desteni. The link wasn’t working so I placed the text here.

http://zerothefool.wordpress.com/2010/09/19/desteni-how-to-achieve-cult-status/#comment-17

Desteni (Part 2) →
Desteni (how to achieve ‘cult’ status)
Posted on September 19, 2010 by zerothefool
Desteni.

‘Cult’ or a positive force in the world?

Most people and their mother would look at a group like Desteni and automatically come to the conclusion that they are a cult and that all cults are evil. For crying out loud, they shave their heads! Horrible! Some of the members have channeled Adolf Hitler and have done forgiveness and healing with him!?? Only brainwashed disaffected teenagers do such things. Think of those atrocious and pesky Hare Krishnas! They shave their heads also!

Stop.
Let us examine the word ‘cult’ first. Words are often used or misused to ‘broad-cast’ a spell on large sums of non-critical peoples.

Broad: (n) having great (or a certain) extent from one side to the other
Cast: (v) to put or send forth. (as in ‘to cast a spell’)

Definition of the word cult: *pejoratively* refers to a group whose beliefs or practices are considered strange.

What does pejoratively mean?
Pejoratively is a term of abuse.

Pejoratively: the word originally denoted a system of ritual practices. The narrower, derogatory sense of the word is a product of the 20th century, especially since the 1980s, and is considered subjective. It is also a result of the anti-cult movement which uses the word in reference to groups seen as authoritarian, exploritative and possibly dangerous. The word implies a group which is a minority in society.

You say, “Oh SHIT! Those pesky minorities!
They’re dangerous!
This is another Barak Obama Socialist SCHEME!”

I say, “Get over these fears already. They’re not real.”

“Whenever I hear the word culture, I reach for my Browning!”
- Hermann Goerring.

Why would this evil Nazi man say something like this? Possibly because he was well aware of how easy it was to create a ‘cult’-ure. Culture is simply whatever belief system that is widely accepted by masses of un-critical masses of humans (usually thanks to the mass media).

Huh?
What?
What-chyou-talkin’ bout, fool?

Paradigm. That’s what I’m talking about.

(The fool takes a moment to breathe and think about the depths of the ‘rabbit hole’)

Paradigm: Systematic arrangement of all the inflected forms of a word.

In the beginning was the word and the word was with God…
Again. THINK. Please…
What is the ‘word‘?
How does one cast a spell?
BY USING LANGUAGE!

Think about this.

Yes, the Nazis created their own ‘cult’-ure. Possibly Hermann Goerring’s frustration with the current degenerating ‘cult’-ure was due to his desire to create a new degenerated ‘cult’-ure. At this point, I would like to make it very clear that I do not support the Nazi cause. I support no cause that does not acknowledge suffering in the world. I support no cause that creates unnecessary suffering in the world. But, like Hermann Goering, I also reject falsity under the guise of ‘cult’-ure. The ‘cult’-ure I promote can also be described as a ‘cult’. It is called the ‘cult’ of EQUALITY. This idea was not instilled in me by a group called Desteni and it sure was not instilled into me by the ‘cult’ of the Catholic Church (which I was raised in) nor was it instilled in me by my historical research into National Socialist Germany! Are you still able to stop and ponder this without allowing your emotional attachment to any of these ‘cults’ cause an outburst from you?

This idea of equality came to me either by some invisible (and still invisible) spirit guide, by my own common sense or by my own pondering. As a child, I always wondered what made humans think they were so damned superior to the rest of nature. Why am I allowed to crush this insect? Why is this killing not considered murder?

Genesis 1:27 – So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.

Genesis 1:28 – God blessed them and said to them, “Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air and over every living creature that moves on the ground.”

Yes, I have a problem with this scripture. Man, have we subdued the earth alright! We have subdued the earth and filled it to the point where it is choking on the fumes of our pollution, drowning in the oil we have spilled into its oceans…

Subduing is subduing and killing is killing. This is not the word of God. The earth is not the devil’s world. No, the earth is not here for us to destroy. It probably makes a scripture-slave shiver when they hear someone say that to ‘kill is to kill’ and to kill is taking a life = murder and it is NOT of God. Such a person has issues to deal with. The first thing is to forgive the self. What could be so evil for realizing that the human is fallible and has issues to deal with and that forgiving the self is the first step forward in overcoming the over-Saturnized (limitation setting) concept of bowing and scraping and flagellating oneself for being ‘less than’ when in fact a person has the ability to find equality with the rest of creation?

“Think for yourself ’cause I won’t be there with you…”
(Jesus Christ, the Beatles or both?)

A member of Desteni responded on a Cult Education Forum online:

Hi my name is Andrea and I am one of the founding members of Desteni

I would like to answer your questions. At Desteni we present self honesty tools, which assists each person to use common sense evaluations of what is here and how to asist themselves within who we have become as the nature of man. I have also done dimensional work therefore for me the interviews done through the portal are relevent, meaning that it is done by a dimensional being. I do understand though that if you do not see or hear or access dimensionality – then seeing the portal or a dimensional message as ‘valid’ must be difficuilt. However what we suggest to people is to not worry about who presents the message but rather what is being said. Look for yourself at what is being presented and the practical solutions for all.

On the website we have many articles and videos on the design of man and how each are able to work through accepted designs using self forgiveness and self honesty. The forum is where everybody get together to share examples on the work each do and solutions for what we have accepted in this world that exists within each: eg greed, desire, want, emotions, pre-programmed thoughts etc. I did a scid a while back on: ‘Is money a cult’ and compared everything described to be a cult to every definition and value given to money: The same exercise could be applied to society, family, relationships, orginisations, religions, establishments, any construct designed within this world. Have you guys taken on the cult of money, religion and society or do you only talk about the ‘cliched’ groups, which you are not able to define or place inside a box or you are not ‘dependent’ on for your apparent ‘survival’ within the system? Remember what is seen as ‘cult behaviour is largely based on opinions and not practical common sense.

The members who were banned on the desteni forum all wanted to be special or have us tell them that their accepted dishonesties are ok and that we will support them in their programmed behaviour instead of them supporting themselves in self honesty and self corrective action. The point is we are responsible for what is here and therefore we are the solutions. If we drop all illusions and take responsibility for ourselves then we are able to find solutions
So, question away..
Andrea

My involvement on YouTube is as follows:

Hi.
Sorry if I’m interfering here. Just wanted to share a maybe useful information with you. Saw you posting a comment on a Bernard Poolman vid. Poolman is the founder and leader of a thought-reform cult called Desteni. They resemble Scientology very much. Desteni makes a big thing out of “Equality”, but it is a hierarchy with a leader at the top with absolute say over everything. There is no equality in Desteni. It is a normal, privately owned, pro-profit capitalistic business with hidden financial records. So much for “Equal Money”. Desteni shows all giveaway signs of a potentially dangerous mind-controlling cult. They are a cruel and malicious attempt at manipulating the vulnerable who invest all their hopes in the con.
I advise you not to support this scam organization. They have hurt a lot of people already.

Thanks for considering,
(their name)

The Fool’s response:

Thanks for taking the time to write to me your concerns about Desteni. I must admit there is much I do not know about the group and you may have information to help clear up my perception. For example, who have they hurt and how? How are they similar to Scientology?

Not sure what faith system or what your political perspectives are and I do not intend on offending you by saying this. I see organizations like the Catholic church doing more harm and people do bow to a cult-like figure in this religion called the pope. One cannot ignore the sex abuse scandal that has been going on for a loooooooong time.

I also see this same concept going on in Hindu ashrams where each member has to get down on their hands and knees and bow to the guru. Respect is one thing, but getting on your hands and knees is something completely different symbolically. I see something wrong when one human being gets on their hands and knees and bows to another human being.

The 3 major religions of the world are not female-friendly either. They are male-dominated. Open up the book of Leviticus and tell me otherwise. Visit an Islamic country. Tell me that it is okay to beat your wife. Sharia allows this.

I do not see many world religions focusing on understanding yourself and others, self-healing, self-honesty or true equality. I see a whole lot of successful separation. Eg. “If you do not accept Jesus Christ as your personal Lord and Savior, you are going to hell.” = inequality, fear-mongering, non-forgiveness.

I believe in equality. In my travels have found that equality incenses people to the point of hysteria or near-violence. Especially in the United States, there is this concept that if you work hard, you are ‘entitled’ to safety, security, lots of money and the ‘right’ to treat those less fortunate like sh**.
No one is ‘entitled’ to safety and security in this world, unfortunately. At least Buddhism is honest enough to recognize this.

In the United States, if its money were distributed equally to everyone yearly between the ages of 18 and 65, each individual would have 700,000 USD. Not sure if you see this kind of money every day or not, but nobody I know does. I did not learn this from Desteni. A human being does not ‘need’ 50,000 USD a year to thrive.

The systems of the world are designed to keep the average person DOWN. Economically, racially, politically, socially, educationally, and in my opinion, worst of all, spiritually.

I apologize if my tone is a bit negative or accusatory. It is not my intention to harm you in any way. I am open to any feedback you might have regarding my points or my tone. If you could please share more of your facts on this Desteni group, it would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,
(no name given)
Gimme Some Truth – John Lennon

I’m sick and tired of hearing things from uptight, short-sighted, narrow minded hipocritics
All I want is the truth
Just gimme some truth
I’ve had enough of reading things by neurotic, psychotic, pig-headed politicians
All I want is the truth
Just gimme some truth

Anyone got truth?

2010/06/21 – The Missing Mailman, the Nihilist & the Incoherence of the Atheist

Nihilism gets to people because there’s really no answer that can stand up against it. It’s like a black hole where all meaning and explanations are emptied of content. Nihilism is probably the most honest of philosophies as it is an intellectual skepticism. At the extreme end of nihilism is that ‘nothing is real,’ a slogan first recorded in the West as being attributed to the Greek sophist, Gorgias. Of course, the sophists denied metaphysical inquiry on principle, as they held it to be superstitious and irrelevant to happenings in the visible world. Socrates was also a sophist with little regard for religion (or democracy, if we believe I.F. Stone, who gives a good case for this in his book, The Trial of Socrates), and he concentrated on practical matters as persuasion and moral conduct. Plato and Aristotle decided that the sophists disdain for metaphysical speculation wasn’t worth studying, and the skepticism of knowledge was buried in the sands of time, coming briefly to the surface from time to time, but never taken seriously.

Of course, there was one stream of nihilism that exists as a watered down and emasculated version of that kryptonite to meaning that has managed to survive through the centuries in some form or another; atheism, which is of course, the theory or belief that God does not exist.

There is an incoherence within the atheist that the atheist is unaware of speaking. It is that his belief that ‘God does not exist,’ is of the exact same nature as the metaphysician’s and the theologian’s belief in a unseen Higher Power. Their is a similarity of dynamic between the systems – in that a theory or belief is built up that attempts to explain something that appears so, which in the case of the Theologian and Metaphysician, is the unverifiable proof of the existence of an omnipotent, singular principle of reality. The Atheist has a similar problem, a problem of verification that the denial of God cannot remove, as “absence” in itself is not a valid “proof” for non-existence. If the mailman failed to deliver my mail today, it doesn’t necessarily follow that my mailman is dead. I could only construct a theory or a series of alternative, if likely plausible “reasons” for my mailman’s absence. Any of them could be correct or incorrect. But it would be mental to confuse what I believe or theorized about was the same thing as “truth.”  This is the incoherence of the Atheist: confusing a plausible explanation for truth.

There is a principle in Quantum Physics (a subject I am no expert on, but can appreciate some of its interesting findings), of the Uncertainty Principle, which states that the velocity and position or a particle cannot be determined at the same time. This reminded me of the Pythagoreans when they discovered that the square root of 2 could not be expressed within a ratio of whole numbers. “Ratio” – from which “rational” is derived – comes from the Latin rat, or reckoned – to count, calculate or measure. The archaic dimension of reckon is “settling of accounts, or to be ‘reckoned with.’

Like the Theologian and the Metaphysician, the Atheist has not “settled accounts” with the Uncertainty Principle, the irrational, that which cannot be measured fully. They cannot, as a rule of the opinions they share, ever settle accounts. The irrational number, which eventually destroyed the metaphysical model of the Pythagoreans of a universe of mathematical perfection, was a black hole of infinite uncertainty – an unmeasurable length that could never be reckoned.

The Mystery of our Missing Mailman provides the same principle.

The Theologian would have constructed a system of beliefs that  indicate  the Missing Mailman is about to return any day, for the prophets have promised it to be so.

The Metaphysician would explain that the essence of the Mailman is with us, always. We only  have to become one with the Mailman’s essence, as the substance of the Mailman is everywhere in existence.

The Atheist would construct a series of proofs as well, explaining that the Mailman never existed in the first place, it was just a bedtime story told by mothers to explain why there were mailboxes.

The Nihilist would not only would say that the Mailman didn’t exist, but that any attempt to discern his whereabouts with knowledge was likely doomed to failure. Any ”Reason” for the Mailman’s fate can only accomplish “explaining what appears to be so,” with no proof of what we see is actually what is happening. The Uncertainty Principle points in the direction of the limits of knowledge. Atheism is limited because like religionists, it’s an opinion that has made no headway in sorting this world out. It provides no ethics nor does it provide a principle for what is best for all. The only thing Atheism gives to its believers is nothing other than satisfaction to its believers that their opinions are ‘right.”

2010/06/18 – 11 The Brahmins and The Secret History of The Law of Attraction

2009/09/04 – The Design of the New Age – The Law of Attraction PART 1

Design of The New Age – The Law of Attraction

New Thought/Positive Thinking

The Law of Attraction, as it is commonly understood in the New Age Movement, originated within the New Thought Movement which sprung up in New England in the late 19th century. The New Thought Movement was the precursor to the modern New Age Movement and had some influence on the Christian Science doctrines of Mary Baker Eddy from her association with her mentor, the former mesmerist, master clockmaker and putative father of the New Thought Movement, Phineas Parkhurst Quimby.

Quimby was reputed to be a great healer, and taught that sickness arose from false beliefs and fears, and that there was sufficient power in the mind to heal oneself. Faith in God, who is the only reality in existence, is what heals a being and keeps them healthy.

It was only a small jump to extend that optimistic outlook of health towards wealth. The New Thought Movement held that All is God, and further, since God is Divine Mind and Intelligence, then we are all part of God’s Mind. Evil exists due to Ignorance of God’s Love and Light. Poverty exists for the same reason. Poverty and illness are always due to erroneous thinking, fears and lack of faith in God.

Prosperity Consciousness, especially in America, has long been an interest of people looking for tangible ways to succeed in their lives. Books by Napoleon Hill, especially, “Think and Grow Rich” and Wallace Wattle’s “The Science of Getting Rich” has sold millions of copies. These books promote the power of Positive Thinking, faith and affirmations as key components for becoming a success in life.

“The Science of Getting Rich” was first published in 1910, and has remained in print to this day. Positive thinking techniques, will power, creative visualization and the mental science approach to health was applied by Wattle to give readers the key into attracting wealth. William Walker Anderson was a prolific New Thought author and editor and is credited with coining the expression, the “Law of Attraction.’ He writes in his book, THOUGHT VIBRATION OR THE LAW OF ATTRACTION IN THE THOUGHT WORLD,

“We speak learnedly of the Law of Gravitation, but ignore that equally wonderful manifestation, THE LAW OF ATTRACTION IN THE THOUGHT WORLD. We are familiar with that wonderful manifestation of Law which draws and holds together the atoms of which matter is composed – we recognize the power of the law that attracts bodies to the earth, that holds the circling worlds in their places, but we close our eyes to the mighty law that draws to us the things we desire or fear, that makes or mars our lives.”

The Law of Attraction is thus explained as a magnetic force where ‘like attracts like’ as a universal law. The idea with the Law of Attraction is to consciously draw to yourself prosperity and wealth, since that is what God apparently wants you to do. Prosperity and good health is considered an indication of one’s self-realization and spiritual growth. Manifesting a positive outcome for yourself through using your mind and feelings is the secret to make all your dreams come true.

2009/09/02 – Process: Self-Honesty Breathing Support

Thanks to Bella for showing me that I do ‘get it’ sometimes.

Self-Honesty, breath and the principle of equal and one. These link up together to form practical self-support. 

Within each breath is the opportunity of living the point of self-honesty. 
Self-honesty within every breath connects us to all of life that is here. 
This point becomes self-apparent when reached. The technique is simple. 

Breathe in: self-honesty. 
Breathe out: letting go of all attachments. 

Standing within the self-honest breath you are equal and one with all. 
There is no fear, anxiety, doubt. 
You are just here; life spread out upon the canvas of the Universe. 


Breathe in. Breathe out. No thoughts are present to drown you. 
Breathe in: self-honesty. 
Breathe out: self-forgiveness and the release of all attachments. 

I breathe. I am here. I realize that my self is multidimensional. 
I realize that I am my self existing as this chair I sit in, this desk I write upon. 
The carpet that feels comfortable and scratchy against my toes. 
The walls that make up this room. The books that rest upon the shelf. 
The crickets and the grass that surrounds them as they sing in the night. 
One and equal with the dogs that lay on the floor behind my chair. 

Breathe in self-honesty. Breathe out self-forgiveness. Self-realization. 

I exist, therefore I am here. 
Here one and equal with life. Self-honest in this moment. In this breath. 
Purified from all attachments. 
Purified from all fear. 
Purified from from all doubt. 
An eternal expression standing equal and one with all. 

Breathe in: self-directiveness. 
Breathe out: self-trust. 
It is the addiction of thought that derails me from being here. 
Thought no longer crowds me. 
I self-will myself to remain here in silence. Unmoved. 
I Breathe in. Hold. Breathe out. Express. 
I Breathe in. Hold. Breathe out. Express. 
And I am here as my own self-expression.