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.
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