The ego shouldn't be underestimated in its power to keep you in a state of inertia when it comes to eckankar. I speak from experience. If you can check your ego at the door you'll have a better chance at seeing eckankar for what it is and finding your way out.
The problem is that the longer you're in something, eckankar included, you start to form your identity around your belief system. Your ego can keep you from undoing this to the point wherein you can't divorce yourself even from something that is bad for you. It even becomes near impossible to think clearly enough to ask yourself "Am I still a truth seeker, or am I now just blinded by my own beliefs to the point wherein I can't be objective?" Which is it for you?
The hardest thing for most people is to question eckankar once they've committed to it, especially after a number of years. You've got too much invested — friendships, habits, ways of thinking, belief systems and even part of your personal lexicon. Your identity becomes attached to these ideas that are adopted as your own. Thus, you can be a part of a big lie and self deception because your ego just won't let go. You're too close to the problem to recognize it. You become entirely defensive. You defend the lies, the plagiarisms, the accusations, the contradictions and the injustices of eckanar as if they are all an attack on you personally. In the long run this is bad for you because you are being controlled by two forces: 1. the eckankar organization and 2. your own set of beliefs.
To see eckankar for what it is, you have to be open-minded. Maybe this was your state of mind before you entered into eckankar, but believe me when I say that if you're still in it, you're no longer open-minded. You may think you are, but you are not. You're brainwashed. I know I was and everyone I knew in eckankar was the same way. You believe that Paul Twitchell was a spiritual man and you overlooked his plagiarisms, contradictions and lies. Why would you surrender your common sense and critical thinking? When things got scary or went wrong, you would Hu inside your head. When you dreamed you thought it was "real." You believe the eck masters are real beings. You believe you are the cause of your own problems. It's all crazy and without foundation.
Unless you understand more about psychology, you are the victim of your own ego and abberations of your mind.
To look at the truth about eckankar, including the good and the bad, you have to check your ego at the door. This is way too much for many people to do. But if you're brave and open-minded and are really a truth seeker, you'll do it for your own good and the good of others. If not, you'll continue to be in denial and to live a lie. It's your own choice.
Monday, June 4, 2007
Saturday, June 2, 2007
If nothing else, just listen to the logic
A lot of people who have left Eckankar are just plain angry. They were taken for a ride. They spent their money with good intentions, but were given magic beans. Okay, I'll let them vent. But if you really want to get down to brass tacks, just try to see the logic:
- There is absolutely NO historical proof of Eckankar. If it really existed since the beginning of time there would be some traces somewhere. But there aren't.
- Paul Twitchell plagiarized his original books on Eckankar. This is easily provable. Just compare Twitchell's books against those he stole from which were published many years before his books were published. Do you really want to follow an organization and its leaders who base their entire work on a stack of lies and deceptions?
- Since when do you have to PAY to belong to a religion???
- Eckankar doesn't make any sense. It is a collection of ideas and teachings from numerous sources riddled with conflicting information. It's not cohesive. Eckankar's answer to this is that you're just not ready to understand. That's right, you are an idiot for using your common sense.
- Harold Klemp is a former mental patient. Come on! Think about this!
- Paul Twitchell was a known compulsive liar.
- You need to study the mind and its capabilities BEFORE you start believing in the Eckankar dogma. You owe it to yourself. The mind is capable of creating delusions that you will swear are real. Don't underestimate the creative power of your mind.
- Take a good, close look at Harold Klemp. He is NOT NORMAL. Look at his eyes and the way he speaks with pursed lips. His cadence is sickly. His demeanor is ill. He is a sick individual. Any normal person can see this quite clearly.
- Eckankar claims that all great people from the past were Eck masters or tutored by Eck masters. Isn't this a little suspicious. In many cases these claims are downright stupid and ludicrous because if you know anything about history you will know that those figures Eckankar lays claim to were horrible people, like Alexander the Great and Columbus. These people were butcherous.
- Eckankar's writings are full of contradictions, ranging from disputes on Paul Twitchell's birth date to where a Living Eck Master is supposed to be born. The teachings say that they are born from a virgin mother. Besides sounding tiresomely familar, the last three Living Eck Masters came from flesh and blood, with mothers who had real names and fathers who worked for a living.
- Secrecy. What can you say about secrecy. Secrecy is a sign that somebody's up to something that needs to be hidden.
"Every famous person who ever lived was secretly an Eckist"
source: http://www.iidb.org/vbb/showthread.php?t=57698
"...the Eckankar writings are riddled with fear tactics right out of Scientology and dire threats of what damnation awaits anyone foolish enough to quit. Without the Living Eck Master's guidance, all a person's karma is dumped onto his head and will likely crush the poor soul. Numerous threats promise countless rounds of more miserable lives spent in the astral hells and back here on earth. All is not lost, though, if the hapless student someday crawls back to the feet of the Living Eck Master and asks to be saved. As you may guess, these fear-laden admonitions against quitting are only available to the student after approximately 10 years of conditioning (er...study), so new members have absolutely no idea what less-than-pleasant surprises await them down the road."
When I first quit, I was a bit worried about what would happen next, but I was willing to take the chance because the whole movement seemed such utter bullshit. They claimed stuff like every famous person who ever lived was secretly an Eckist and/or an Eck Master.
From my experience, I think cults are most effective on the young, on persons who have recently been traumatized and need something to fill the void, or people who desperately need the approval of a group to belong to.
When I joined Eck, I guess it was a youthful indescretion and it seemed like a good idea at the time.
"...the Eckankar writings are riddled with fear tactics right out of Scientology and dire threats of what damnation awaits anyone foolish enough to quit. Without the Living Eck Master's guidance, all a person's karma is dumped onto his head and will likely crush the poor soul. Numerous threats promise countless rounds of more miserable lives spent in the astral hells and back here on earth. All is not lost, though, if the hapless student someday crawls back to the feet of the Living Eck Master and asks to be saved. As you may guess, these fear-laden admonitions against quitting are only available to the student after approximately 10 years of conditioning (er...study), so new members have absolutely no idea what less-than-pleasant surprises await them down the road."
When I first quit, I was a bit worried about what would happen next, but I was willing to take the chance because the whole movement seemed such utter bullshit. They claimed stuff like every famous person who ever lived was secretly an Eckist and/or an Eck Master.
From my experience, I think cults are most effective on the young, on persons who have recently been traumatized and need something to fill the void, or people who desperately need the approval of a group to belong to.
When I joined Eck, I guess it was a youthful indescretion and it seemed like a good idea at the time.
Eckankar: One in a Long List of Cults
Okay, so you're pissed off about Eckankar. You've found out that the group is just a cult. You're disheartened that the whole group is based upon a fundamental lie — a foundation of slippery soil because all the works of the founder are plagiarized. Maybe you've done a little homework and discovered that Harold Klemp is a liar, having covered up for Paul Twitchell and having promoted Twitchell's lies. You just want to pull your hair out. Well, if it makes you feel any better, Eckankar is in sorry company. The organization is one in a long list of cults — a string of other groups doing the same thing and making the same claims. The leader is a divine spark, there are secret words and secret this and that. There is a mysterious and fantastic beginning that "others" who are outsiders just wouldn't understand.
Take a look at the list of cults. Eckankar is just standing in line waiting for your money and your soul: http://www.freedomofmind.com/resourcecenter/groups/
Take a look at the list of cults. Eckankar is just standing in line waiting for your money and your soul: http://www.freedomofmind.com/resourcecenter/groups/
Eckankar: A Shameful Mix of Partial Truths & Lots of Lies
If you don't think eckankar is just as nasty as Scientology, then think again. It is all a lie, but the problem is that the members, like I used to be, don't do ANY homework before joining to know that it's a sham. We're ignorant and maybe that's our fault to a degree, but be assured that Harold Klemp, a known mental case, is pulling the wool over your eyes. Just go to the library and read for a whole year and then for certain you would never join this or any other group. Eckankar is a shameful mix of partial truths and lots of lies. In the upper eschelons, they are laughing all the way to the bank. I was in Eckankar for 12 years and know what went on at the top. It's pure junk invented by an ignorant country hick named Paul Twitchell; a guy whose own books contradict each other because he couldn't even remember well enough to promote his own lies successfully.
Friday, June 1, 2007
Would You Buy a Used Car from this Man??
from: http://www.stormpages.com/truthbeknown66/eckankar7.html
Twitchell was one of the greatest plagiarists of this (or any other) century, and much of what he "wrote" was actually material he blatantly copied word for word from the published works of legitimate authors. One of his more popular early books was The Far Country, which alone carried over 400 solidly-documented stolen paragraphs, complete with typos and syntax errors.
His other books all follow in the same pattern. He claims these ancient and most secret teachings were taught to him by a 500 year old Tibetan lama named Rebezar Tarzs, who would appear to him in his apartment each night and dictate the truths. The real truth is that he found his material at the local public library, in the metaphysical section.
His most important book, The Tiger's Fang, was a purported journey he took deep into the inner planes, escorted by Rebezar Tarzs, and was taken to meet God directly. Alas, like the rest of his works, much plagiarized material is to be found in this book, (Walter Russell's "The Secret of Light", as an example), as well as the standard cosmologies taught by Sant Mat and Radhasoami. There's serious doubt about his credibility, with so many stolen passages being claimed as his own experiences, when, in fact, they were the experiences of other authors.
It's quite clear the real sources for his "secret" teachings were the published works of authors like Julian Johnson, Neville, L. Ron Hubbard, Lama Govinda, Walter Russell, Swami Premananda, Kirpal Singh, Annie Besant and many others. He worked for the notorious L. Ron Hubbard for a period of time in the 1950s and was instrumental in recruiting people into that questionable organization. What he learned in Scientology, he freely applied to his own invention Eckankar.
His official biography, In My Soul I Am Free, was written by Brad Steiger (the UFO chaser) and was sold by Eckankar for over 30 years and has been found to be an almost complete fabrication. Professor David Lane stripped away the facade of Eckankar with his writings and also interviewed scores of people who had known Twitchell. It was just about unanimous that Twitchell was a compulsive liar since childhood and is a highly unreliable source.
With so much evidence that Twitchell was a world-class liar, this presents the student of Eckankar with an uncomfortable issue to struggle with. If a teacher can't be trusted to tell the simple truths of his own life, what makes a student think he's telling the truth about the inner worlds of Spirit? Would you buy a used car from this man?
http://www.stormpages.com/truthbeknown66/eckankar7.html
Twitchell was one of the greatest plagiarists of this (or any other) century, and much of what he "wrote" was actually material he blatantly copied word for word from the published works of legitimate authors. One of his more popular early books was The Far Country, which alone carried over 400 solidly-documented stolen paragraphs, complete with typos and syntax errors.
His other books all follow in the same pattern. He claims these ancient and most secret teachings were taught to him by a 500 year old Tibetan lama named Rebezar Tarzs, who would appear to him in his apartment each night and dictate the truths. The real truth is that he found his material at the local public library, in the metaphysical section.His most important book, The Tiger's Fang, was a purported journey he took deep into the inner planes, escorted by Rebezar Tarzs, and was taken to meet God directly. Alas, like the rest of his works, much plagiarized material is to be found in this book, (Walter Russell's "The Secret of Light", as an example), as well as the standard cosmologies taught by Sant Mat and Radhasoami. There's serious doubt about his credibility, with so many stolen passages being claimed as his own experiences, when, in fact, they were the experiences of other authors.
It's quite clear the real sources for his "secret" teachings were the published works of authors like Julian Johnson, Neville, L. Ron Hubbard, Lama Govinda, Walter Russell, Swami Premananda, Kirpal Singh, Annie Besant and many others. He worked for the notorious L. Ron Hubbard for a period of time in the 1950s and was instrumental in recruiting people into that questionable organization. What he learned in Scientology, he freely applied to his own invention Eckankar.
His official biography, In My Soul I Am Free, was written by Brad Steiger (the UFO chaser) and was sold by Eckankar for over 30 years and has been found to be an almost complete fabrication. Professor David Lane stripped away the facade of Eckankar with his writings and also interviewed scores of people who had known Twitchell. It was just about unanimous that Twitchell was a compulsive liar since childhood and is a highly unreliable source.
With so much evidence that Twitchell was a world-class liar, this presents the student of Eckankar with an uncomfortable issue to struggle with. If a teacher can't be trusted to tell the simple truths of his own life, what makes a student think he's telling the truth about the inner worlds of Spirit? Would you buy a used car from this man?
http://www.stormpages.com/truthbeknown66/eckankar7.html
Paul Twitchell: Liar, Con Artist & Thief: Great Beginnings for Eckankar
verbatim from: http://www.stormpages.com/truthbeknown66/eckankar6.html
Eckankar was hastily cobbled together by a small-time newspaper and pulp science fiction writer named John Paul Twitchell in 1965. It's a mind-numbing hodgepodge of eastern thought, the Bible, Sufi teachings, mystery school practices and just about anything else you can think of. He used to claim he routinely read thousands of books per year, and it's certainly evident he took whatever interested him from them. Everything is jammed together in a confusing mishmash that's almost impossible to clearly understand. In many instances, the material flat out contradicts itself. In one book, the sky is blue; in the next book, the sky is green. Up becomes down and left becomes right. Such was the skewed world of Twitchell.
Twitchell was an ordinary man with an interest in religions and spirituality but possessed little in the way of talents or abilities. What he DID have though, was a fierce ambition to get somewhere and a tireless knack for promoting himself. In fact, anyone reading enough of his writings gets the clear impression that his very favorite topic was himself.
Of course, he was often lying.
His lies began back at an early age and he lied his way throughout adulthood. He lied to get into the book of Who's Who in America, lied about his military service, lied to his wives about his age, lied about his birth, lied about his family, lied about his "spiritual" teachers, lied to his biographer and lied to his students. Many people who knew him in those years agreed that the words braggart and pathological liar just about summed up his character.
And he wasn't any better in the ethics department. Fancying himself a writer, he's been proven to be a first class plagiarist and had no reservations about stealing the efforts and words of other writers and claiming them as his own. All in all, this isn't the kind of man anyone would want to see their daughter bring home to meet her parents!
Even Harold Klemp, the current leader, has grudgingly admitted as much about Twitchell's character, although, understandably, he uses milder words. Since he couldn't very well inform the flock that its founder was a pathological liar, in Eckankar, Twitchell becomes merely a lover of tall tales, a fellow who always enjoyed a good yarn. Spin, spin, spin. Notice in Twitchell's quote below, he freely admits being a lifelong layabout and conveniently forgets that he indeed DID have a wife to support - Camille.
"Y'know, the real reason why I was such a failure in the sense of being unable to make any sort of a living was because I was really not motivated. I had no motivation. If the motivation was only to make a salary, since I was the only one to keep up, I had no wife, no children or anything, then money meant nothing. It only meant clothes on my back and possibly an automobile and a few of the luxuries which weren't all that necessary. But as long as the motivation wasn't there, I didn't particularly care about a job; I didn't particularly care about an income, making somebody else a living off of my efforts as I was doing most of the time in growing up."
-Paul Twitchell in
Difficulties of Becoming the Living Eck Master-
"The Mahanta is always born on or near a large body of water. His birth is always mysterious and men of ordinary birth do not know his origin. Nor does any man know who his sires might be, their true names or their true origin."
-Shariyat Book 1-
(Twitchell was born in Paducah, Kentucky. Klemp was born in the midwest)
Eckankar was hastily cobbled together by a small-time newspaper and pulp science fiction writer named John Paul Twitchell in 1965. It's a mind-numbing hodgepodge of eastern thought, the Bible, Sufi teachings, mystery school practices and just about anything else you can think of. He used to claim he routinely read thousands of books per year, and it's certainly evident he took whatever interested him from them. Everything is jammed together in a confusing mishmash that's almost impossible to clearly understand. In many instances, the material flat out contradicts itself. In one book, the sky is blue; in the next book, the sky is green. Up becomes down and left becomes right. Such was the skewed world of Twitchell.
Twitchell was an ordinary man with an interest in religions and spirituality but possessed little in the way of talents or abilities. What he DID have though, was a fierce ambition to get somewhere and a tireless knack for promoting himself. In fact, anyone reading enough of his writings gets the clear impression that his very favorite topic was himself.
Of course, he was often lying.
His lies began back at an early age and he lied his way throughout adulthood. He lied to get into the book of Who's Who in America, lied about his military service, lied to his wives about his age, lied about his birth, lied about his family, lied about his "spiritual" teachers, lied to his biographer and lied to his students. Many people who knew him in those years agreed that the words braggart and pathological liar just about summed up his character.
And he wasn't any better in the ethics department. Fancying himself a writer, he's been proven to be a first class plagiarist and had no reservations about stealing the efforts and words of other writers and claiming them as his own. All in all, this isn't the kind of man anyone would want to see their daughter bring home to meet her parents!
Even Harold Klemp, the current leader, has grudgingly admitted as much about Twitchell's character, although, understandably, he uses milder words. Since he couldn't very well inform the flock that its founder was a pathological liar, in Eckankar, Twitchell becomes merely a lover of tall tales, a fellow who always enjoyed a good yarn. Spin, spin, spin. Notice in Twitchell's quote below, he freely admits being a lifelong layabout and conveniently forgets that he indeed DID have a wife to support - Camille.
"Y'know, the real reason why I was such a failure in the sense of being unable to make any sort of a living was because I was really not motivated. I had no motivation. If the motivation was only to make a salary, since I was the only one to keep up, I had no wife, no children or anything, then money meant nothing. It only meant clothes on my back and possibly an automobile and a few of the luxuries which weren't all that necessary. But as long as the motivation wasn't there, I didn't particularly care about a job; I didn't particularly care about an income, making somebody else a living off of my efforts as I was doing most of the time in growing up."
-Paul Twitchell in
Difficulties of Becoming the Living Eck Master-
"The Mahanta is always born on or near a large body of water. His birth is always mysterious and men of ordinary birth do not know his origin. Nor does any man know who his sires might be, their true names or their true origin."
-Shariyat Book 1-
(Twitchell was born in Paducah, Kentucky. Klemp was born in the midwest)
Confessions of a God Seeker: The Book That Eckankar Cannot Refute
DECEPTION, FRAUD & PLAGIARISM EXPOSED
in NEW AGE RELIGION OF ECKANKAR
In Confessions of a God Seeker: A Journey to Higher Consciousness by Ford Johnson, the author exposes an insidious pattern of spiritual betrayal, fraud, fabrication and plagiarism that is widespread in the worldwide religion known as Eckankar, based in Chanhassan, MN.
WASHINGTON, D.C. (October 7, 2003) — The book Confessions of a God Seeker: A Journey to Higher Consciousness (“ONE” Publishing, Inc.) exposes an insidious pattern of spiritual betrayal, fraud, fabrication and plagiarism that is widespread in the religion known as Eckankar. Written by Ford Johnson, a former member and major international speaker for Eckankar for over thirty years, Confessions reveals the story behind this worldwide religion, based in Chanhassen, Minnesota. Founded by Paul Twitchell in 1965, Eckankar has impacted hundreds of thousands through its books, discourses, classes and seminars. Explaining why he wrote the book, Johnson said “Over a period of thirty years, I spoke before thousands of newcomers and Eckists both in the U. S. and abroad. I felt responsible for unwittingly leading many seekers to this path, which unknown to me at the time, was based on lies even though it contained many truths. Once discovered, I felt compelled to inform others of the extent of the prevarication and cover-up. What they do with the information is up to them, but at least they will know.”
Johnson, a graduate of Harvard Law School and president of a Maryland based corporation, uncovered this information during a period of intense study and research. In an open letter to the Spiritual Leader of Eckankar, Harold Klemp, Johnson elaborated on some of the more startling discoveries presented in Confessions:
It was clear from these discoveries that the real story behind Eckankar was different from what is the common belief among Eckists. I was shocked to learn that Eckankar had no ancient lineage whatsoever. Indeed, how could anyone have known that even Gail Twitchell, Paul’s wife and the co-founder of Eckankar, had declared some years earlier, that Eckankar was a fraud and that “Paul had simply made up the whole Eckankar thing?” A startling admission, but one that explains why she has had nothing to do with Eckankar since. How could anyone have known that Paul literally invented an entire “line of masters” and gave them a history that came to life in his imagination and his writings? … And, virtually no one knows that you acknowledged as much…Through your lawyers, you admitted that Eckankar and its doctrines — the Mahanta, a necessary inclusion — were “coined, adopted and first used by Paul Twitchell” in 1965; far from the ancient teaching that … Eckankar books proclaim.
Twitchell invented the concept of a super deity called the “Mahanta” who was supposed to be the most spiritually developed human in all the universes. In his troubled zeal to create the oldest, greatest and highest religion in all the worlds, Paul Twitchell proclaimed “…all the power of God must reach these worlds through the perfect instrument of the Mahanta, the Living Eck Master,” an incredible claim, especially for a religion and an exalted title that appeared for the first time ever in 1965. Even James Davis, author of Eckankar’s most expansive book on the Mahanta, The Rosetta Stone of God, upon discovering the deceit and fabrication at the core of Eckankar doctrine, disavowed the doctrine and his own book and resigned from Eckankar. Davis said, “During my almost three decades in Eckankar I became increasingly troubled by what I perceived as the weak integrity within the teachings and of the leaders. At the same time I struggled against these impressions because I deeply WANTED Eckankar to be the ideal teaching I had hoped and dreamed of.”
Johnson’s search also resulted in the discovery that Paul Twitchell was “one of the most accomplished plagiarists of his era with literally thousand of lines of copyrighted text lifted wholesale from the works of other writers.” Yet, rather than admitting that its founder was a plagiarist, the current spiritual leader, Harold Klemp, covers up the plagiarism by maintaining that Twitchell merely copied them from an “astral library” where, presumably, authors are free to copy the works of other writers.
The deceit that Johnson uncovered is best revealed in an example presented in Confessions and cited in his letter to Klemp. Johnson wrote:
Confessions also shows how Twitchell meticulously created the history and legend of a newly minted line of “Eck Masters”. He claimed them to be the most ancient on earth. According to Twitchell, these masters along with Eckankar, were the “source of all known world religions.” Such was the magnitude of Twitchell’s mendacity. But, Confessions goes beyond simply showing patterns of spiritual betrayal and deception in Eckankar. It also exposes similar patterns of deception found in other religions such as the Radhasoami line of teachings [of the light and sound of God], which appear to be the blueprint Twitchell copied to create Eckankar. As such, Confessions sounds a warning to all sincere seekers of what to avoid and how to spot deception in any spiritual path. The full text of Ford Johnson’s open letter to Eckankar’s spiritual leader Klemp can be seen at www.thetruth-seeker.com.
Asked about Eckankar’s reaction to Confessions of a God Seeker, Johnson responded, “Rather than confronting the truth of the revelations found in the book, Eckankar has launched a massive disinformation campaign raising the typical smoke screen issues of my motives, and the novel distinction that Confessions is about mind not heart, as though the two can be separated and common sense is not necessary.” Johnson continued, “But perhaps the most surprising thing has been the cult like reaction of many members who, believing the distorted descriptions of the book advanced by their leaders, turn their back on common sense refusing to confront the truth by even reading the book.”
“They are completely unaware of the extent to which they have been deceived. They are oblivious to the spiritual damage that Eckankar has inflicted on those who have dared to ask questions and were greeted with thundering silence if not excommunication.”, said Johnson. Many of these stories can be found on the message board at www.thetruth-seeker.com. Johnson continued, “…that is why Eckankar’s disinformation campaign has been so vigorous, they do not want followers to read the book and discover the truth.”
Beyond the cult-like reaction of many followers, who according to Johnson, “…put their heads in the sand believing what they’re told.”, he says that there are also many independent thinkers within Eckankar who are not afraid to confront the facts and make their own determination. “These free thinkers will in time help remove the spell that prevents others in the organization from thinking for themselves. Either way, it is a gradual process. But for those too afraid to confront the truth, perhaps it’s better that they remain with Eckankar until they are ready to take the next step to higher consciousness.”, said Johnson.
Beyond the revelations about Eckankar and other religions, Confessions presents a positive message of spiritual empowerment through a new spiritual paradigm. Johnson explains, “Everyone needs teachers and guidance, but soul cannot realize his final step in awareness so long as it looks to an intercessor, be he mahanta, savior, master, messenger or by any other name. In truth, we are all microcosmic replicas of the ONE and have full access to its power, for this is what we are. Our journey to higher consciousness is to fully realize this reality.”
The web sites, http://www.higherconsciousnesssociety.org/ and www.thetruth-seeker.com were created to facilitate sharing the empowering message presented in Confessions. The book is now available through www.amazon.com and www.onepublishinginc.com and soon in bookstores everywhere.
in NEW AGE RELIGION OF ECKANKAR
In Confessions of a God Seeker: A Journey to Higher Consciousness by Ford Johnson, the author exposes an insidious pattern of spiritual betrayal, fraud, fabrication and plagiarism that is widespread in the worldwide religion known as Eckankar, based in Chanhassan, MN.
WASHINGTON, D.C. (October 7, 2003) — The book Confessions of a God Seeker: A Journey to Higher Consciousness (“ONE” Publishing, Inc.) exposes an insidious pattern of spiritual betrayal, fraud, fabrication and plagiarism that is widespread in the religion known as Eckankar. Written by Ford Johnson, a former member and major international speaker for Eckankar for over thirty years, Confessions reveals the story behind this worldwide religion, based in Chanhassen, Minnesota. Founded by Paul Twitchell in 1965, Eckankar has impacted hundreds of thousands through its books, discourses, classes and seminars. Explaining why he wrote the book, Johnson said “Over a period of thirty years, I spoke before thousands of newcomers and Eckists both in the U. S. and abroad. I felt responsible for unwittingly leading many seekers to this path, which unknown to me at the time, was based on lies even though it contained many truths. Once discovered, I felt compelled to inform others of the extent of the prevarication and cover-up. What they do with the information is up to them, but at least they will know.”
Johnson, a graduate of Harvard Law School and president of a Maryland based corporation, uncovered this information during a period of intense study and research. In an open letter to the Spiritual Leader of Eckankar, Harold Klemp, Johnson elaborated on some of the more startling discoveries presented in Confessions:
It was clear from these discoveries that the real story behind Eckankar was different from what is the common belief among Eckists. I was shocked to learn that Eckankar had no ancient lineage whatsoever. Indeed, how could anyone have known that even Gail Twitchell, Paul’s wife and the co-founder of Eckankar, had declared some years earlier, that Eckankar was a fraud and that “Paul had simply made up the whole Eckankar thing?” A startling admission, but one that explains why she has had nothing to do with Eckankar since. How could anyone have known that Paul literally invented an entire “line of masters” and gave them a history that came to life in his imagination and his writings? … And, virtually no one knows that you acknowledged as much…Through your lawyers, you admitted that Eckankar and its doctrines — the Mahanta, a necessary inclusion — were “coined, adopted and first used by Paul Twitchell” in 1965; far from the ancient teaching that … Eckankar books proclaim.
Twitchell invented the concept of a super deity called the “Mahanta” who was supposed to be the most spiritually developed human in all the universes. In his troubled zeal to create the oldest, greatest and highest religion in all the worlds, Paul Twitchell proclaimed “…all the power of God must reach these worlds through the perfect instrument of the Mahanta, the Living Eck Master,” an incredible claim, especially for a religion and an exalted title that appeared for the first time ever in 1965. Even James Davis, author of Eckankar’s most expansive book on the Mahanta, The Rosetta Stone of God, upon discovering the deceit and fabrication at the core of Eckankar doctrine, disavowed the doctrine and his own book and resigned from Eckankar. Davis said, “During my almost three decades in Eckankar I became increasingly troubled by what I perceived as the weak integrity within the teachings and of the leaders. At the same time I struggled against these impressions because I deeply WANTED Eckankar to be the ideal teaching I had hoped and dreamed of.”
Johnson’s search also resulted in the discovery that Paul Twitchell was “one of the most accomplished plagiarists of his era with literally thousand of lines of copyrighted text lifted wholesale from the works of other writers.” Yet, rather than admitting that its founder was a plagiarist, the current spiritual leader, Harold Klemp, covers up the plagiarism by maintaining that Twitchell merely copied them from an “astral library” where, presumably, authors are free to copy the works of other writers.
The deceit that Johnson uncovered is best revealed in an example presented in Confessions and cited in his letter to Klemp. Johnson wrote:
The book [Confessions] also reveals how Paul injected dire warning and “curses” into the teaching. He wrote “The oldest technique of keeping the loyalty of the chela [student]…is with fear. These threats are very common. They usually go like this: ‘If you leave me you will get caught in the astral and won’t get out.’” Having warned us of what to look out for …Paul injected the following warning in his own writings: “Within the Shariyat-Ki-Sugmad [the Eckankar Bible] is found the quotation, ‘He who leaves the path of ECK, or refuses to follow it, shall dwell in the astral hells until the Master takes mercy upon him….’” Confessions illustrates how Paul repeats this pattern over and over again.
Confessions also shows how Twitchell meticulously created the history and legend of a newly minted line of “Eck Masters”. He claimed them to be the most ancient on earth. According to Twitchell, these masters along with Eckankar, were the “source of all known world religions.” Such was the magnitude of Twitchell’s mendacity. But, Confessions goes beyond simply showing patterns of spiritual betrayal and deception in Eckankar. It also exposes similar patterns of deception found in other religions such as the Radhasoami line of teachings [of the light and sound of God], which appear to be the blueprint Twitchell copied to create Eckankar. As such, Confessions sounds a warning to all sincere seekers of what to avoid and how to spot deception in any spiritual path. The full text of Ford Johnson’s open letter to Eckankar’s spiritual leader Klemp can be seen at www.thetruth-seeker.com.
Asked about Eckankar’s reaction to Confessions of a God Seeker, Johnson responded, “Rather than confronting the truth of the revelations found in the book, Eckankar has launched a massive disinformation campaign raising the typical smoke screen issues of my motives, and the novel distinction that Confessions is about mind not heart, as though the two can be separated and common sense is not necessary.” Johnson continued, “But perhaps the most surprising thing has been the cult like reaction of many members who, believing the distorted descriptions of the book advanced by their leaders, turn their back on common sense refusing to confront the truth by even reading the book.”
“They are completely unaware of the extent to which they have been deceived. They are oblivious to the spiritual damage that Eckankar has inflicted on those who have dared to ask questions and were greeted with thundering silence if not excommunication.”, said Johnson. Many of these stories can be found on the message board at www.thetruth-seeker.com. Johnson continued, “…that is why Eckankar’s disinformation campaign has been so vigorous, they do not want followers to read the book and discover the truth.”
Beyond the cult-like reaction of many followers, who according to Johnson, “…put their heads in the sand believing what they’re told.”, he says that there are also many independent thinkers within Eckankar who are not afraid to confront the facts and make their own determination. “These free thinkers will in time help remove the spell that prevents others in the organization from thinking for themselves. Either way, it is a gradual process. But for those too afraid to confront the truth, perhaps it’s better that they remain with Eckankar until they are ready to take the next step to higher consciousness.”, said Johnson.
Beyond the revelations about Eckankar and other religions, Confessions presents a positive message of spiritual empowerment through a new spiritual paradigm. Johnson explains, “Everyone needs teachers and guidance, but soul cannot realize his final step in awareness so long as it looks to an intercessor, be he mahanta, savior, master, messenger or by any other name. In truth, we are all microcosmic replicas of the ONE and have full access to its power, for this is what we are. Our journey to higher consciousness is to fully realize this reality.”
The web sites, http://www.higherconsciousnesssociety.org/ and www.thetruth-seeker.com were created to facilitate sharing the empowering message presented in Confessions. The book is now available through www.amazon.com and www.onepublishinginc.com and soon in bookstores everywhere.
Chanhassen Newspaper Scratches the Surface on Eckankar Fraud
Source: Chanhassen Villager
Book questions foundation of Eckankar religion
Richard Crawford, Staff Writer
Ford Johnson spent years as a leading speaker for Eckankar and traveled across the U.S. and overseas to spread its message. Now, Johnson is on a mission that questions the historical foundation of the religion, which is based in Chanhassen.
Johnson, who lives in Washington, D.C., is author of a new book called "Confessions of a God Seeker: A Journey to Higher Consciousness."
The book revolves around his nearly 30-year association with Eckankar and his break from the group in 2001.
The book, now being sold on Amazon.com, alleges that the modern-day founder
of Eckankar, Paul Twitchell, now deceased, fabricated the historical underpinnings of the religion and plagiarized much of the material that forms its basis.
In July, Johnson said he sent an open letter to Harold Klemp, the current religious leader of Eckankar, and informed him of the pending publication of "Confessions" and invited Eckankar to point out any inaccuracies in the book.
Johnson said he has received no direct reply.
But Eckankar President Peter Skelskey issued the following statement in response to questions posed by the Villager:
"Every religion has its critics," according to the statement by Skelskey. "This is why there are so many religions and spiritual paths in the world. The real question for any seeker of truth is this -- does the teaching work for you? Does it bring more of God's love and charity for others into your life?
"Each of us must decide our own path home to God. This is the gift of spiritual freedom.
"Those who want to know more about Paul Twitchell and the beginnings of Eckankar can visit our Web site at www.eckankar.org. There they will find an extensive archive of talks and articles from the spiritual leader of Eckankar, Harold Klemp, including a series of public talks that he gave almost 20 years ago.
"Religious critics come and go. Ultimately, people make their own choices about what rings true in their heart."
Johnson's book isn't the first to take aim at Eckankar's history. In 1993, a book by David Lane titled "The Making of a Spiritual Movement: The Untold Story of Paul Twitchell and Eckankar" also questioned Eckankar's foundation.
Lane, however, did not hold the stature in Eckankar that Johnson had obtained.
Johnson has been one of the foremost speakers for the religion worldwide and in the past 10 years he said he's traveled to Eckankar seminars in Europe, Africa, and Canada as a keynote speaker.
"I had committed my life to spiritual service in Eckankar," according to Johnson's July letter to Klemp. "Over a period of 30 years, some working directly with you, I have traveled as many miles and spoken before as many people as anyone in Eckankar. I was perfectly prepared to continue this service for as long as I was capable, such was my dedication, belief and
love for this teaching."
Johnson said he came to his realization about the alleged "fictitious" background of Eckankar, after he attempted to notify Klemp about a person in England who was having religious experiences that Johnson thought Eckankar leaders should hear about.
But after informing Klemp of the man's experiences, Johnson claims he was disciplined and told to undertake a study of Eckankar materials.
Johnson said that rejection from Klemp and the period of intense study prompted him to write the book.
The 500-page book raises questions about the historical accuracy of some of the religious experiences Twitchell claims to have had in his life as well as documents how some of the historical basis of Eckankar contains information attributed to other religions. Eckankar, which began as a modern-day religion in the mid-1960s, claims to have an ancient lineage
of spiritual leaders.
Johnson maintains in his book that Twitchell had a condition that contributed to the alleged fabrications:
"'Confessions' reveals that Paul Twitchell was troubled with a condition called Mythomania," Johnson said in the July letter. "Paul deceived himself and others because he could not control his impulse to lie and fabricate the most incredible stories, which at times he fervently believed. And they literally number in the hundreds."
Eckankar leaders have addressed what Johnson refers to as plagiarism, in part, by explaining that there is an "astral library" where some of Twitchell's writings came from.
In a 1984 essay by Klemp, which is posted on the Eckankar Web site, Klemp refers to the astral library: [editor's note: If this is true, then Eckankar wouldn't mind people stealing its writings or using its trademarked logos and artwork. Afterall, we could just claim these things exist on the inner planes and would be free of the arm of the federal law. In other words, Eckankar and Klemp have a convenient explanation that only holds water in their manufactured world of delusion. Would this kind of rhetoric hold up in court, in the real world wherein the Eckankar teachings say you should uphold the law of the land?].
"On these planes there are main libraries connected to the wisdom temples. But there are also many branch libraries. The main library of each wisdom temple is like the Library of Congress, providing the greatest source of all the books and materials ... There are very few writers who can come to this library. Most of the writers from earth go to the branch libraries, so
they don't get to use the best sources. But the good researchers, such as Paul ... can come in here and select the paragraphs that suit their audience."
In a recent phone interview, Johnson said Eckankar should "clean up" the mythology on which the religion is based. He said he believes the religion could flourish and become stronger if the alleged inaccuracies were addressed.
Johnson also maintains that he has heard from many members of Eckankar in
the Washington, D.C., area who have left Eckankar since his book was published.
At the worldwide Eckankar seminar in Minneapolis last month, 4,500 people attended, according to Eckankar officials. During his keynote speech at the seminar, Klemp indicated Eckankar membership was strong in Canada and he said growth in Africa was "astounding."
Johnson, however, believes that membership will decline unless the alleged
mythology behind the religion is addressed.
Johnson said he doesn't regret having spent so much time in Eckankar or having discovered its alleged inaccuracies.
"It is really a good thing," he said, "It allows you to correct your path."
Copyright, 2003, Chanhassen Villager (MN). All Rights Reserved.
Book questions foundation of Eckankar religion
Richard Crawford, Staff Writer
Ford Johnson spent years as a leading speaker for Eckankar and traveled across the U.S. and overseas to spread its message. Now, Johnson is on a mission that questions the historical foundation of the religion, which is based in Chanhassen.
Johnson, who lives in Washington, D.C., is author of a new book called "Confessions of a God Seeker: A Journey to Higher Consciousness."
The book revolves around his nearly 30-year association with Eckankar and his break from the group in 2001.
The book, now being sold on Amazon.com, alleges that the modern-day founder
of Eckankar, Paul Twitchell, now deceased, fabricated the historical underpinnings of the religion and plagiarized much of the material that forms its basis.
In July, Johnson said he sent an open letter to Harold Klemp, the current religious leader of Eckankar, and informed him of the pending publication of "Confessions" and invited Eckankar to point out any inaccuracies in the book.
Johnson said he has received no direct reply.
But Eckankar President Peter Skelskey issued the following statement in response to questions posed by the Villager:
"Every religion has its critics," according to the statement by Skelskey. "This is why there are so many religions and spiritual paths in the world. The real question for any seeker of truth is this -- does the teaching work for you? Does it bring more of God's love and charity for others into your life?
"Each of us must decide our own path home to God. This is the gift of spiritual freedom.
"Those who want to know more about Paul Twitchell and the beginnings of Eckankar can visit our Web site at www.eckankar.org. There they will find an extensive archive of talks and articles from the spiritual leader of Eckankar, Harold Klemp, including a series of public talks that he gave almost 20 years ago.
"Religious critics come and go. Ultimately, people make their own choices about what rings true in their heart."
Johnson's book isn't the first to take aim at Eckankar's history. In 1993, a book by David Lane titled "The Making of a Spiritual Movement: The Untold Story of Paul Twitchell and Eckankar" also questioned Eckankar's foundation.
Lane, however, did not hold the stature in Eckankar that Johnson had obtained.
Johnson has been one of the foremost speakers for the religion worldwide and in the past 10 years he said he's traveled to Eckankar seminars in Europe, Africa, and Canada as a keynote speaker.
"I had committed my life to spiritual service in Eckankar," according to Johnson's July letter to Klemp. "Over a period of 30 years, some working directly with you, I have traveled as many miles and spoken before as many people as anyone in Eckankar. I was perfectly prepared to continue this service for as long as I was capable, such was my dedication, belief and
love for this teaching."
Johnson said he came to his realization about the alleged "fictitious" background of Eckankar, after he attempted to notify Klemp about a person in England who was having religious experiences that Johnson thought Eckankar leaders should hear about.
But after informing Klemp of the man's experiences, Johnson claims he was disciplined and told to undertake a study of Eckankar materials.
Johnson said that rejection from Klemp and the period of intense study prompted him to write the book.
The 500-page book raises questions about the historical accuracy of some of the religious experiences Twitchell claims to have had in his life as well as documents how some of the historical basis of Eckankar contains information attributed to other religions. Eckankar, which began as a modern-day religion in the mid-1960s, claims to have an ancient lineage
of spiritual leaders.
Johnson maintains in his book that Twitchell had a condition that contributed to the alleged fabrications:
"'Confessions' reveals that Paul Twitchell was troubled with a condition called Mythomania," Johnson said in the July letter. "Paul deceived himself and others because he could not control his impulse to lie and fabricate the most incredible stories, which at times he fervently believed. And they literally number in the hundreds."
Eckankar leaders have addressed what Johnson refers to as plagiarism, in part, by explaining that there is an "astral library" where some of Twitchell's writings came from.
In a 1984 essay by Klemp, which is posted on the Eckankar Web site, Klemp refers to the astral library: [editor's note: If this is true, then Eckankar wouldn't mind people stealing its writings or using its trademarked logos and artwork. Afterall, we could just claim these things exist on the inner planes and would be free of the arm of the federal law. In other words, Eckankar and Klemp have a convenient explanation that only holds water in their manufactured world of delusion. Would this kind of rhetoric hold up in court, in the real world wherein the Eckankar teachings say you should uphold the law of the land?].
"On these planes there are main libraries connected to the wisdom temples. But there are also many branch libraries. The main library of each wisdom temple is like the Library of Congress, providing the greatest source of all the books and materials ... There are very few writers who can come to this library. Most of the writers from earth go to the branch libraries, so
they don't get to use the best sources. But the good researchers, such as Paul ... can come in here and select the paragraphs that suit their audience."
In a recent phone interview, Johnson said Eckankar should "clean up" the mythology on which the religion is based. He said he believes the religion could flourish and become stronger if the alleged inaccuracies were addressed.
Johnson also maintains that he has heard from many members of Eckankar in
the Washington, D.C., area who have left Eckankar since his book was published.
At the worldwide Eckankar seminar in Minneapolis last month, 4,500 people attended, according to Eckankar officials. During his keynote speech at the seminar, Klemp indicated Eckankar membership was strong in Canada and he said growth in Africa was "astounding."
Johnson, however, believes that membership will decline unless the alleged
mythology behind the religion is addressed.
Johnson said he doesn't regret having spent so much time in Eckankar or having discovered its alleged inaccuracies.
"It is really a good thing," he said, "It allows you to correct your path."
Copyright, 2003, Chanhassen Villager (MN). All Rights Reserved.
Thursday, May 31, 2007
Built-in Fear Tactics: Insidious Eckankar Teachings
The following is excerpted from Ford Johnson's website on Eckankar. Dr Johnson's work brings to light the multitude of fallacies, frauds and manipulations to which Eckankar is heir...
For more, click here.
------------------------------------------------
From “Confessions of a God Seeker: A Journey to Higher Consciousness,” by Ford Johnson, pp. 145-148.
Device Seven:
The Techniques of Fear and Deception
In a particularly revealing passage from a letter sent to his chelas, Paul provides sound advice on avoiding the tricks of fear that other masters use to trap their followers. Yet, even this advice is part of another device. When someone warns you of tricks others may play, he builds your trust and perhaps even lessens your suspicion that he is a trickster himself. Here is how Paul uses this device:
The oldest technique of keeping the loyalty of the chela by many teachers is with fear. This is true in the methods of those teachers on the lower plane levels. Because they grow afraid of losing their chelas to a Master on the higher level, the old fear tactics will be drummed into those who desire to move away from the psychic plane elements into the God planes. These threats are very common. They usually go like this: “If you leave me, you will get caught in the astral and won’t get out.”(Paul Twitchell, Eckankar: Illuminated Way Letters 1966-1971 (San Diego: Illuminated Way Press, 1975), p. 94.)
After warning the chela of what to look for and why some teachers indulge in fear tactics, Paul invokes the very same tactic:
The wrath of the ECK crashes down upon anyone who is still a slave to the ego and deserts the master. Not once will he see the connection between his betrayal of the ECK and the horrendous troubles that strike him down like a plague on every hand. And thus he goes downward on the spiral of awareness until he leaves this body in hopeless despair, still wondering why the fates have treated him so cruelly. (See Harold Klemp, The ECK Satsang Discourses, Third Series, Letter 8. See also http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Acropolis/1756/eck/txt. )
A threat of violence is added:
Whosoever . . . shall divulge the secrets of his initiation . . . shall be deprived of his sight and tongue in order to never again be able to say anything about the degrees of initiation in ECKANKAR. (Twitchell, Shariyat-Ki-Sugmad, II: 150.)
And:
To ridicule, to scorn, to speak mockingly of the words of the Mahanta, and not to have faith in him and the cause of ECK is to bring woes on the advocator of doubt. It brings his karmic progress to a halt, increases his incarnations in this world, and causes him to suffer untold hardships. The ignorant and the naive will never understand, nor shall they learn by experiencing the slow death brought about by their own overt acts against the Mahanta and the ECK. This is actually creating overt acts against the SUGMAD. (Twitchell, Shariyat-Ki-Sugmad, I: 107.)
And finally:
But once the chela has become a member of the inner circle, he cannot resign. . . . Those few have found that spiritual decay sets in immediately, affecting the health, material life, and spiritual life, and brings death more swiftly. (Twitchell, Shariyat-Ki-Sugmad, II: 166.)
And for those who have the temerity to see Paul’s deception and revolt in an effort to free themselves from it, he has planted a final land mine:
When the Living ECK Master’s position is attacked by revolt, or by dissatisfaction by the followers of ECK, he will defend himself. Not in the way many would expect, but in ways that few can recognize. The defense will come from the inner planes, and by means of the ECK. Those who revolt or become dissatisfied cannot bring about any attack upon the Living ECK Master or his position in life. If they do, there is always the swiftest of retribution, which is not always recognized by the receiver nor [sic] those who might have observed the occasion. (Twitchell, Shariyat-Ki-Sugmad, I: 119.)
Many years ago, as a Peace Corps volunteer in Africa, our housekeeper refused to come to work because the local witch doctor had placed a curse that made her fear for her life. None of our confidence boosters could persuade her to return to work. Finally, she went to another juju man, who cast a powerful spell that she believed overpowered the first one. She then returned, much relieved that the power of the first curse had been dissipated.
What Paul has working here is the same technique employed by the witch doctor. It is a technique used by those in power to keep people in check and frighten them into staying. Paul was not above this. But the more important point for those who desire to break this spell is to know that no master, or any other person, has control or power over us, unless we believe in his power and doubt the control we have over our own lives. There are countless stories circulating among Eckists about those who have left the teaching and fallen into harm’s way. But these experiences, if true, are of their own making. They were infected by the curses that Paul had created and this infection (belief) caused the curses to manifest in their lives.
For more, click here.
------------------------------------------------
From “Confessions of a God Seeker: A Journey to Higher Consciousness,” by Ford Johnson, pp. 145-148.
Device Seven:
The Techniques of Fear and Deception
In a particularly revealing passage from a letter sent to his chelas, Paul provides sound advice on avoiding the tricks of fear that other masters use to trap their followers. Yet, even this advice is part of another device. When someone warns you of tricks others may play, he builds your trust and perhaps even lessens your suspicion that he is a trickster himself. Here is how Paul uses this device:
The oldest technique of keeping the loyalty of the chela by many teachers is with fear. This is true in the methods of those teachers on the lower plane levels. Because they grow afraid of losing their chelas to a Master on the higher level, the old fear tactics will be drummed into those who desire to move away from the psychic plane elements into the God planes. These threats are very common. They usually go like this: “If you leave me, you will get caught in the astral and won’t get out.”(Paul Twitchell, Eckankar: Illuminated Way Letters 1966-1971 (San Diego: Illuminated Way Press, 1975), p. 94.)
After warning the chela of what to look for and why some teachers indulge in fear tactics, Paul invokes the very same tactic:
The wrath of the ECK crashes down upon anyone who is still a slave to the ego and deserts the master. Not once will he see the connection between his betrayal of the ECK and the horrendous troubles that strike him down like a plague on every hand. And thus he goes downward on the spiral of awareness until he leaves this body in hopeless despair, still wondering why the fates have treated him so cruelly. (See Harold Klemp, The ECK Satsang Discourses, Third Series, Letter 8. See also http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Acropolis/1756/eck/txt. )
A threat of violence is added:
Whosoever . . . shall divulge the secrets of his initiation . . . shall be deprived of his sight and tongue in order to never again be able to say anything about the degrees of initiation in ECKANKAR. (Twitchell, Shariyat-Ki-Sugmad, II: 150.)
And:
To ridicule, to scorn, to speak mockingly of the words of the Mahanta, and not to have faith in him and the cause of ECK is to bring woes on the advocator of doubt. It brings his karmic progress to a halt, increases his incarnations in this world, and causes him to suffer untold hardships. The ignorant and the naive will never understand, nor shall they learn by experiencing the slow death brought about by their own overt acts against the Mahanta and the ECK. This is actually creating overt acts against the SUGMAD. (Twitchell, Shariyat-Ki-Sugmad, I: 107.)
And finally:
But once the chela has become a member of the inner circle, he cannot resign. . . . Those few have found that spiritual decay sets in immediately, affecting the health, material life, and spiritual life, and brings death more swiftly. (Twitchell, Shariyat-Ki-Sugmad, II: 166.)
And for those who have the temerity to see Paul’s deception and revolt in an effort to free themselves from it, he has planted a final land mine:
When the Living ECK Master’s position is attacked by revolt, or by dissatisfaction by the followers of ECK, he will defend himself. Not in the way many would expect, but in ways that few can recognize. The defense will come from the inner planes, and by means of the ECK. Those who revolt or become dissatisfied cannot bring about any attack upon the Living ECK Master or his position in life. If they do, there is always the swiftest of retribution, which is not always recognized by the receiver nor [sic] those who might have observed the occasion. (Twitchell, Shariyat-Ki-Sugmad, I: 119.)
Many years ago, as a Peace Corps volunteer in Africa, our housekeeper refused to come to work because the local witch doctor had placed a curse that made her fear for her life. None of our confidence boosters could persuade her to return to work. Finally, she went to another juju man, who cast a powerful spell that she believed overpowered the first one. She then returned, much relieved that the power of the first curse had been dissipated.
What Paul has working here is the same technique employed by the witch doctor. It is a technique used by those in power to keep people in check and frighten them into staying. Paul was not above this. But the more important point for those who desire to break this spell is to know that no master, or any other person, has control or power over us, unless we believe in his power and doubt the control we have over our own lives. There are countless stories circulating among Eckists about those who have left the teaching and fallen into harm’s way. But these experiences, if true, are of their own making. They were infected by the curses that Paul had created and this infection (belief) caused the curses to manifest in their lives.
They Stole the HU Too... Stolen Word for Word
Sing HU Until You're Blue!
Twitchell The Plagiarizer Presents
Stolen HU Description from a 1920s Author
Huuuu... It's sung by Eckists everywhere. But did you know that the word and the explanation were plagiarized, like many other eckankar-related things, from somewhere else?
The word HU is fundamentally important to eckankar. Although Paul Twitchell gave no credit to Sufi mystic Inayat Hazrat Khan, he took the man's words verbatim to describe HU in Twitchell's own The Far Country. Khan, a noted lecturer and musician, died in 1927, several decades PRIOR to the publication of Twitchell's book and the founding of the modern cult known as eckankar.
The plagiarism of Khan's words to describe the HU is no oversight, but rather one in a long series of plagiarisms enacted by Twitchell to formulate the written foundation of the eckankar works. In fact, the more one delves into the works of this "path," the more astounded you are to find so many plagiarisms. It's a disease with Twitchell.
What Twitchell has done is actually unbelievable to anyone with a conscience. Every intelligent researcher is taught to give credit for the sources of his research. This leaves Twitchell, the backwoods Kentucky drop-out racist in the dust. He didn't know the difference between stealing and inventing, between lying and leading.
Even more astonishing is the fact that many plagiarisms perpetrated by Twitchell were claimed to be written accounts of HIS OWN PERSONAL EXPERIENCE. To restate this, he not only stole people's writings, but he also stole their experiences as if they were his own. You decide if this guy was any kind of spiritual master!!
Twitchell often claims these plagiarized works comprised information he gleaned from the inner planes. Twitchell simply stole the eloquent writings of others and substituted names where convenient to meet his own agenda. Is this the mark of a lofty character — a master who preaches in word and writings not to steal, lie, cheat or deceive? If you can't tell the difference, you need a psychologist's help.
Fundamentally speaking, the plagiarisms of Twitchell combined with Harold Klemp's defense of them, makes the eck writings and so-called history a LIE. There is no other way to look at this. It is ALL FRAUDULENT. The devoted Eckist who is the most attached to his own ego and afraid to face this truth is twice taken: once by eckankar and its self-proclaimed masters, and then again by their own egos which turn a deaf ear and blind eye to the truth to continue embracing more and more lies.
This is not atypical of the victim mentality: afraid to admit you made a big mistake and move on.
Read the Plagiarisms on these Pages...
If you have a copy of Twitchell's The Far Country — a book that Klemp has praised over and over — read it alongside a copy of The Mysticism of Sound and Music by Sufi Mystic Hazrat Inayat Khan (page 172 and page 311) to discover by comparison that Twitchell plagiarized (word for word) Khan's keen and poetic phraseology to explain the word HU.
Twitchell The Plagiarizer Presents
Stolen HU Description from a 1920s Author
Huuuu... It's sung by Eckists everywhere. But did you know that the word and the explanation were plagiarized, like many other eckankar-related things, from somewhere else?
The word HU is fundamentally important to eckankar. Although Paul Twitchell gave no credit to Sufi mystic Inayat Hazrat Khan, he took the man's words verbatim to describe HU in Twitchell's own The Far Country. Khan, a noted lecturer and musician, died in 1927, several decades PRIOR to the publication of Twitchell's book and the founding of the modern cult known as eckankar.
The plagiarism of Khan's words to describe the HU is no oversight, but rather one in a long series of plagiarisms enacted by Twitchell to formulate the written foundation of the eckankar works. In fact, the more one delves into the works of this "path," the more astounded you are to find so many plagiarisms. It's a disease with Twitchell.
What Twitchell has done is actually unbelievable to anyone with a conscience. Every intelligent researcher is taught to give credit for the sources of his research. This leaves Twitchell, the backwoods Kentucky drop-out racist in the dust. He didn't know the difference between stealing and inventing, between lying and leading.
Even more astonishing is the fact that many plagiarisms perpetrated by Twitchell were claimed to be written accounts of HIS OWN PERSONAL EXPERIENCE. To restate this, he not only stole people's writings, but he also stole their experiences as if they were his own. You decide if this guy was any kind of spiritual master!!
Twitchell often claims these plagiarized works comprised information he gleaned from the inner planes. Twitchell simply stole the eloquent writings of others and substituted names where convenient to meet his own agenda. Is this the mark of a lofty character — a master who preaches in word and writings not to steal, lie, cheat or deceive? If you can't tell the difference, you need a psychologist's help.
Fundamentally speaking, the plagiarisms of Twitchell combined with Harold Klemp's defense of them, makes the eck writings and so-called history a LIE. There is no other way to look at this. It is ALL FRAUDULENT. The devoted Eckist who is the most attached to his own ego and afraid to face this truth is twice taken: once by eckankar and its self-proclaimed masters, and then again by their own egos which turn a deaf ear and blind eye to the truth to continue embracing more and more lies.
This is not atypical of the victim mentality: afraid to admit you made a big mistake and move on.
Read the Plagiarisms on these Pages...
If you have a copy of Twitchell's The Far Country — a book that Klemp has praised over and over — read it alongside a copy of The Mysticism of Sound and Music by Sufi Mystic Hazrat Inayat Khan (page 172 and page 311) to discover by comparison that Twitchell plagiarized (word for word) Khan's keen and poetic phraseology to explain the word HU.
Confessions of a God Seeker Author Proves the Eckankar Lie
The following is an excerpt from a letter written to Harold Klemp from Ford Johnson, author of Confessions of a God Seeker, who discovered that Eckankar is a hoax and a fraud. You can read more on this website: http://www.thetruth-seeker.com/openletter.asp
"...the real story behind Eckankar was different from what is the common belief among Eckists. I was shocked to learn that Eckankar had no ancient lineage whatsoever. Indeed, how could anyone have known that even Gail Twitchell, Paul’s wife and the co-founder of Eckankar, had declared some years earlier, that Eckankar was a fraud and that “Paul had simply made up the whole Eckankar thing?” A startling admission, but one that explains why she has had nothing to do with Eckankar since. How could anyone have known that Paul literally invented an entire “line of masters” and gave them a history that came to life in his imagination and his writings? Fueled by our belief and our imaginations we projected them into existence and they became real to us in our inner and outer lives just as children have inner and outer experiences with Santa Clause and as Jesus appears to Christians. And, how could Eckists have known that even the position, title and concept of Mahanta was part of what Gail Twitchell meant when she said, “Paul made up the whole Eckankar thing?” And, virtually no one knows that you acknowledged as much in court documents during the Darwin Gross v. Eckankar legal battles. Through your lawyers, you admitted that Eckankar "was not used to describe any religious doctrines [the Mahanta, a necessary inclusion] until the mid-1960's when it was coined, adopted and first used by Paul Twitchell "; far from the ancient teaching that the Shariyat and other Eckankar books proclaim.
"When I first read Gail‘s statements, I was astounded. I was not prepared to believe what she had said nor could I then fully understand the ramifications of her statements. That is why I sought independent verification of her assertions. But, the deeper I dug into the history of Eckankar — what Paul did and how he did it — the more I uncovered. My discoveries were beyond shocking, beyond anything I could ever have imagined. Unfortunately, Gail was correct in her claims, for the evidence presented in Confessions points to no other conclusion. I would not have believed the extent of Paul’s fabrication and lying if I had not spent more than one year untangling the web of distortions with which he surrounded the spiritual truths that Eckankar also contains.
"Confessions [of a God Seeker] documents how and when Paul invented the concept of the Mahanta and where he got the term. It shows the four techniques he used to create the names and histories of many of his Eck Masters and the source from which he plagiarized or created his writings on the Hu, the blue light of the Mahanta and other parts of Eckankar’s doctrine. The book also reveals how Paul injected dire warning and “curses” into the teaching, describing what would befall anyone who left Eckankar or challenged the Mahanta, even though he openly admitted that this was just a tactic used by spiritual leaders to keep their followers in line. He wrote:
"The oldest technique of keeping the loyalty of the chela …is with fear. These threats are very common. They usually go like this: “If you leave me you will get caught in the astral and won’t get out.“
Having warned us of what to look out for and that this was a technique of “those masters on the lower planes…” Paul injected the following warning in his own writings:
"Within the Shariyat-Ki-Sugmad is found the quotation, “He who leaves the path of ECK, or refuses to follow it, shall dwell in the astral hells until the Master takes mercy upon him and brings him upon the path again.”
"Confessions illustrates how Paul repeats this pattern over and over again. He warns us of what to look out for, thus gaining our confidence, then springs the same device on the unsuspecting reader. The detrimental effects of these obviously manipulative “curses” on vulnerable and unwary Eckists can be found all over the Internet. Paul engendered mystical trust and devotion in his followers while surrounding the boundaries of Eckankar with subtle — and not so subtle — threats. This explains, in part, the almost magical spell — and often fear—that seems to permeate the Eckankar community. For, Eckists are totally convinced — as was I — of the truth, integrity and benign quality of Paul Twitchell’s writings and of Eckankar’s doctrine..."
"...the real story behind Eckankar was different from what is the common belief among Eckists. I was shocked to learn that Eckankar had no ancient lineage whatsoever. Indeed, how could anyone have known that even Gail Twitchell, Paul’s wife and the co-founder of Eckankar, had declared some years earlier, that Eckankar was a fraud and that “Paul had simply made up the whole Eckankar thing?” A startling admission, but one that explains why she has had nothing to do with Eckankar since. How could anyone have known that Paul literally invented an entire “line of masters” and gave them a history that came to life in his imagination and his writings? Fueled by our belief and our imaginations we projected them into existence and they became real to us in our inner and outer lives just as children have inner and outer experiences with Santa Clause and as Jesus appears to Christians. And, how could Eckists have known that even the position, title and concept of Mahanta was part of what Gail Twitchell meant when she said, “Paul made up the whole Eckankar thing?” And, virtually no one knows that you acknowledged as much in court documents during the Darwin Gross v. Eckankar legal battles. Through your lawyers, you admitted that Eckankar "was not used to describe any religious doctrines [the Mahanta, a necessary inclusion] until the mid-1960's when it was coined, adopted and first used by Paul Twitchell "; far from the ancient teaching that the Shariyat and other Eckankar books proclaim.
"When I first read Gail‘s statements, I was astounded. I was not prepared to believe what she had said nor could I then fully understand the ramifications of her statements. That is why I sought independent verification of her assertions. But, the deeper I dug into the history of Eckankar — what Paul did and how he did it — the more I uncovered. My discoveries were beyond shocking, beyond anything I could ever have imagined. Unfortunately, Gail was correct in her claims, for the evidence presented in Confessions points to no other conclusion. I would not have believed the extent of Paul’s fabrication and lying if I had not spent more than one year untangling the web of distortions with which he surrounded the spiritual truths that Eckankar also contains.
"Confessions [of a God Seeker] documents how and when Paul invented the concept of the Mahanta and where he got the term. It shows the four techniques he used to create the names and histories of many of his Eck Masters and the source from which he plagiarized or created his writings on the Hu, the blue light of the Mahanta and other parts of Eckankar’s doctrine. The book also reveals how Paul injected dire warning and “curses” into the teaching, describing what would befall anyone who left Eckankar or challenged the Mahanta, even though he openly admitted that this was just a tactic used by spiritual leaders to keep their followers in line. He wrote:
"The oldest technique of keeping the loyalty of the chela …is with fear. These threats are very common. They usually go like this: “If you leave me you will get caught in the astral and won’t get out.“
Having warned us of what to look out for and that this was a technique of “those masters on the lower planes…” Paul injected the following warning in his own writings:
"Within the Shariyat-Ki-Sugmad is found the quotation, “He who leaves the path of ECK, or refuses to follow it, shall dwell in the astral hells until the Master takes mercy upon him and brings him upon the path again.”
"Confessions illustrates how Paul repeats this pattern over and over again. He warns us of what to look out for, thus gaining our confidence, then springs the same device on the unsuspecting reader. The detrimental effects of these obviously manipulative “curses” on vulnerable and unwary Eckists can be found all over the Internet. Paul engendered mystical trust and devotion in his followers while surrounding the boundaries of Eckankar with subtle — and not so subtle — threats. This explains, in part, the almost magical spell — and often fear—that seems to permeate the Eckankar community. For, Eckists are totally convinced — as was I — of the truth, integrity and benign quality of Paul Twitchell’s writings and of Eckankar’s doctrine..."
What's So Bad About Eckankar?
A Quick Look at What's Wrong With Eckankar,
Its Leaders and Its Teachings...
The falsehoods, deceit and improprieties surrounding Eckankar are vast and run very deep, like the roots of a big weed. Here are some main poins brought out about Eckankar and its leaders, past and present:
Its Leaders and Its Teachings...
The falsehoods, deceit and improprieties surrounding Eckankar are vast and run very deep, like the roots of a big weed. Here are some main poins brought out about Eckankar and its leaders, past and present:
- Paul Twitchell plagiarized materials from other authors and claimed these writings as his own discoveries and his own experiences. Some of the material, such as the plagiarized works of Dr. Julian Johnson (Path of the Masters, 1939), was claimed by Twitchell as his own inner plane experiences from the Shariyat Ki Sugmad where it exists in nonphysical form.
- Harold Klemp forced Darwin Gross out of office in a coup that was disguised as an effort to "clean house."
- Paul Twitchell's so-called biography, written by occult author Brad Steiger, is riddled with lies and inconsistencies supplied by Twitchell to Steiger. Eye witnesses and associates of Twitchell attest to the fact that Twitchell invented his own experiences and life story from his imagination, and Steiger, standing to make a profit, published it as truth. Among the most notable lies are Twitchell's reported birth date, his travels abroad and his birthplace. For more on this, read Making of a Spiritual Movement by David Lane, PhD
- Harold Klemp, like Darwin Gross and Paul Twitchell before him, is no master, but rather a manipulator and con man who does not even understand the concepts which make up the foundation of the Eckankar teachings (because these concepts were stolen from other religions such as Shabd Yoga, Buddhism, Sikhism, Taoism and Suffism). Klemp uses his seminary education and Christian teachings as the essence of today's Eckankar because this is all he is familiar with; while at the same time, he slanders Christianity and every other religion in general as being inferior and misleading.
- Harold Klemp never studied or trained with or under ANY spiritual master. He is a self-proclaimed guru and he continues to elevate his stature by promoting himself to greater titles and positions; e.g., he calls himself a "modern day prophet" and the godman, and the highest initiate ever.
- Most of the Eckankar teachings about consciousness are taken directly from Shabd Yoga.
- Paul Twitchell was a follower of Shabd Yoga master Kirpal Singh. Correspondence from Twitchell to Singh is documented, yet Twitchell, in his later writings, denies that he was ever Singh's pupil, despite the fact that documenation exists to prove otherwise, including Twitchell's own earlier writings.
- Individuals have been sued or legally harrassed by Eckankar for written criticisms of the organization.
- Paul Twitchell took (plagiarized) the writings of others and substituted the names of fictional "Eck" masters where the original authors had used other names or no names at all.
- Harold Klemp concocted lies to cover up for Paul Twitchell's lies, inaccuracies and plagiarisms, making him as guilty as Twitchell for proffering this scam called Eckankar.
- Eckankar initiations are a sham, with no purpose other than to further control members and wave the proverbial carrot in front of their noses for future promises of aggrandizement.
- Projections of one's mind are used as "proof" of the inner existence of Eck masters, while conversely, negative projections and negative dreams and nightmares are conveniently said to be works of the "Kal."
- Eckankar has trademarked words which have long been common to other religions, including vairagi, ekankar, ek, soul travel, mahanta, etc.
- Researcher/philosophy professor David Lane, PhD, has been the most tireless pursuer of truth in this matter to unconver the falsehoods of Eckankar, Paul Twitchell and other leaders.
- It is extremely likely that Paul Twitchell and Harold Klemp are sociopaths. Their profiles, including willingness to lie without conscience, fit that of the sociopath. The reader is encouraged to buy a copy of The Sociopath Next Door by Martha Stout, PhD, Harvard psychologist, to understand the complications of the sociopathic personality.
- Eckankar is, by all definition, a criminal enterprise posing as a religion. An intelligent, well-read person can see through the lies and inconsistencies.
You Get What You Pay For: If It Looks Like A Duck and Quacks Like A Duck...
If you were able to divorce yourself from Eckankar and study it as would an outsideron an investigation, what would you see? This is impossible for many Eckankar members to do because they are too close to the problem to see it clearly. The longer you're in it, the less objective you become, and the less you question anything.
But if you still have an open mind, just consider some of the facts and see if they don't sound a little wacked out to you. Do you want to be part of a group, Eckankar, that:
There's much more, but this should whet your appetite for the truth.
Now, one last thing: Just look at Harold Klemp as he speaks. Does he look normal to you? Well, to most people who have not been indocrinated into this group, he looks weird. This is because he is constantly lying and scamming people. He knows he is misleading people, but he doesn't care. What does this make him? He is either a cold blooded sociopath or a very sick individual.
But if you still have an open mind, just consider some of the facts and see if they don't sound a little wacked out to you. Do you want to be part of a group, Eckankar, that:
- has a plagiarist as its founder?
- has a guy who was a mental patient as its current leader?
- claims to be ancient, but cannot prove even ONE SINGLE historical tie?
- is full of inconsistencies?
- makes underhanded threats?
- had a founder who never traveled to the places he wrote about?
There's much more, but this should whet your appetite for the truth.
Now, one last thing: Just look at Harold Klemp as he speaks. Does he look normal to you? Well, to most people who have not been indocrinated into this group, he looks weird. This is because he is constantly lying and scamming people. He knows he is misleading people, but he doesn't care. What does this make him? He is either a cold blooded sociopath or a very sick individual.
David Lane is My Hero
David Lane, college professor, is a brave guy. He was one of the first to take on Eckankar and prove it is a bunch of crap. Most of all he proved that an intelligent, well-read person can find the holes in cults and expose them. I highly recommend his website for more information, and to buy Dr Lane's book, The Making of A Spiritual Movement, if you can find it: http://www.geocities.com/eckcult/
David Lane says he was attacked, in a legal sense, by Eckankar for attempting to expose the truth about the group. This is understandable, given the fact that Eckankar has so much to lose if it is ever revealed to the public for what it is (a mid-sized scam).
David Lane says he was attacked, in a legal sense, by Eckankar for attempting to expose the truth about the group. This is understandable, given the fact that Eckankar has so much to lose if it is ever revealed to the public for what it is (a mid-sized scam).
Anonymous Sentiments from a Former Eckankar Member
I really believe that Eckankar, as well as other groups of its ilk, is criminal. You have to be of a criminal mentality to pretend to be a spiritual leader/master (if there is really such a thing anyway), to charge people for your fairy tales, to tell people their delusions are real, to sell them books consisting of plagiarisms that are still easily provable, and to continually speak from a podium in seminars and videos about things that are just fabrications.
As I was quitting this cult, I purchased several books from around the world. These books were written long before Eckankar was invented. Paul Twitchell stole the writings of others and claimed them to be his own. This is just a dispicable form of behavior. It is criminal not only in terms of the law, but also in terms of ethics. It just shows you what a low-life he was. But what can you say of Harold Klemp who continually defends the conman Twitchell? He is just an accessory to the crime, as well as the initiator of his own crimes.
Sadly, human beings are not very grounded. They want so badly to believe in things that are supernatural. This is why we are taken advantage of . But to make things worse, groups like Eckankar tell us that our victimization is our own fault. This is really sick thinking. It's like getting punched in the nose repeatedly then having the attacker tell you it's your fault. Bullshit. The victim is not the criminal.
Twitchell knew he was no master. And Klemp knows he is himself a fraud. There is no nice way of saying this, but they are both conmen of the highest order. Even worse, they are of very little conscience owing to the degree to which they have carried out this scam. If there really was a hell, which I don't believe there is, they would both be the first to burn.
As I was quitting this cult, I purchased several books from around the world. These books were written long before Eckankar was invented. Paul Twitchell stole the writings of others and claimed them to be his own. This is just a dispicable form of behavior. It is criminal not only in terms of the law, but also in terms of ethics. It just shows you what a low-life he was. But what can you say of Harold Klemp who continually defends the conman Twitchell? He is just an accessory to the crime, as well as the initiator of his own crimes.
Sadly, human beings are not very grounded. They want so badly to believe in things that are supernatural. This is why we are taken advantage of . But to make things worse, groups like Eckankar tell us that our victimization is our own fault. This is really sick thinking. It's like getting punched in the nose repeatedly then having the attacker tell you it's your fault. Bullshit. The victim is not the criminal.
Twitchell knew he was no master. And Klemp knows he is himself a fraud. There is no nice way of saying this, but they are both conmen of the highest order. Even worse, they are of very little conscience owing to the degree to which they have carried out this scam. If there really was a hell, which I don't believe there is, they would both be the first to burn.
Saturday, May 12, 2007
Confused About Eckankar? It SHOULD Be Confusing!
Are you really a truth seeker, or just saying that you are? This may be a test of more than just faith for you.
This website is dedicated to those who left Eckankar, are considering leaving it, and those who are considering joining the group. It is written by former members of this organization who have been fortunate enough to come to a conclusion that it is a scam. You will find solid evidence for this on this blog site — evidence that Eckankar can in no way refute and no Eckankar official will dare to challenge in an open debate.
Being former Eckankar members, we know this organization from the inside and understand the nature of all of its teachings, from waking dreams to meetings with the "inner master." We will define for you what these phenomena really are, within the context of logic and psychology instead of blind faith in a shaky belief system.
Certainly, there will always be people who WANT to believe in strange, unprovable things. Indeed, such people may even die for their beliefs, no matter how strange and erroneous. Such adherents cling to their faith because they have built their identity and their lives around the teachings and therefore are deeply afraid to leave the system in fear of losing themselves. If you are such an adherent — a defender of the preposterous, a devotee of a leader whom you do not even know personally — then do as you wish and dismiss all of this proof. But if you really are a truth-seeker as you claim to be, then you will read and digest and understand what we are saying here. It is your choice.
There is no doubt, and we will not be polite here, that Eckankar is a scam started by an illiterate, ill-spoken, backwoods simpleton from Kentucky named Paul Twitchell.
Eckankar is a waste of your time and money. It pretends to be a religion, but fails miserably to find legitimacy because it is borne of fraud, deception and manipulation.
We offer you the facts about Eckankar and its leaders.
This website is dedicated to those who left Eckankar, are considering leaving it, and those who are considering joining the group. It is written by former members of this organization who have been fortunate enough to come to a conclusion that it is a scam. You will find solid evidence for this on this blog site — evidence that Eckankar can in no way refute and no Eckankar official will dare to challenge in an open debate.
Being former Eckankar members, we know this organization from the inside and understand the nature of all of its teachings, from waking dreams to meetings with the "inner master." We will define for you what these phenomena really are, within the context of logic and psychology instead of blind faith in a shaky belief system.
Certainly, there will always be people who WANT to believe in strange, unprovable things. Indeed, such people may even die for their beliefs, no matter how strange and erroneous. Such adherents cling to their faith because they have built their identity and their lives around the teachings and therefore are deeply afraid to leave the system in fear of losing themselves. If you are such an adherent — a defender of the preposterous, a devotee of a leader whom you do not even know personally — then do as you wish and dismiss all of this proof. But if you really are a truth-seeker as you claim to be, then you will read and digest and understand what we are saying here. It is your choice.
There is no doubt, and we will not be polite here, that Eckankar is a scam started by an illiterate, ill-spoken, backwoods simpleton from Kentucky named Paul Twitchell.
Eckankar is a waste of your time and money. It pretends to be a religion, but fails miserably to find legitimacy because it is borne of fraud, deception and manipulation.
We offer you the facts about Eckankar and its leaders.
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