This was taken fromthe myss site. While it is not about JWS , see if you see any paralell
Dear Caroline,
There is a topic I would like to hear addressed anywhere you feel it
might be appropriate. I am concerned about the whole matter of
mental/spiritual health in the context of religious groups. These might
be any of the eastern religious groups so popular lately in the west,
some operated by trained westerners, some by eastern born teachers, etc.
Of course they vary as to authenticity or cultist qualities, but it
would be nice to examine the quality of that energy, which often seems
to me sort of parasitic and/or intuition negating. Even the ones that
speak glowingly of 'knowing the true mind' actually seem to be
compromising the minds of new devotees. I guess these seem like soft
cults to me.
A geographically distant friend, a very good and well intentioned
person, hid her intense involvement with a Buddhist group for a year or
so, then explained that she had hidden it from many people because they
'wouldn't understand.' The hiding worries me more than the fact that
chanting in a very foreign language seems somehow to ignore what is
available in our own native cultures, and feels like escape from what
one knows to obey an authority we don't have the language to question.
Didn't we go through this 'instant Buddhist' phase about 3 decades ago?
Admittedly, I'm biased towards the way you teach about spirit, using a
synthesis of all traditions.
I'm worried about my friend and many others who might paradoxically be
giving up their own best judgment tools in hopes that gurus will give
them better ones--at a cost. Would you discuss the health cost, and
pGYTOble antidotes?
Thanks for all you are doing.
Answer
Thanks for writing - Socially speaking, people have always worshipped in
a group. The majority of societies, cultures, and nations have come
together as a result of a religion shared. Nothing is more natural than
to pray and to celebrate spiritual and cultural rituals as a group.
As an archetypal template, spiritual leaders emerge from groups -
Rabbi's, Priests, Guru's, Medicine Men and Shamans, Sages, Oracles, and
numerous other cultural names - to be 'Point' men and women, enacting
rituals and granting blessings and bringing forth guidance from the
Divine to the congregation or society they serve. These practices form
the backbone of every level of society - neighborhoods not to mention
nations are scripted around religious cultures. These are the power
coordinates of humanity. And the accepted purpose for these religious
organizations - simply put, emphasis on the word 'simply' - is to
provide spiritual guidance and conduct sacred rituals with the anointed
among them having the role of mediator between humanity and the Divine.
Whew.
Now them, on the other extreme are cults, societies built around using
the shadow side of spiritual power for mind and power control as opposed
to spiritual expansion. In essence, cults operate on the same principle
as religion, only in reverse, or in ~shadow~ side of its power.
Having said that, let's now introduce the right a person has to serve
their spiritual growth in private. Many people assume postures of
silence just to avoid having to interact with people who expect, not to
mention demand, an explanation for them as to why they believe what they
do. I can understand why many people keep silent about their spiritual
path - they do not owe any one an explanation as to how they wish to
pursue their interior growth. But the consequences of such personal
choices to one's outside world is that it is easy for people to assume
that their friends or family members are involved in a cult or some
version of it precisely because of this element of silence and secrecy -
after all, where there are secrets, there are either financial, moral,
social, sexual, or religious crimes.... isn’t that what we think? (It
couldn't be that a person keeps something a secret just because they
don't want to be interfered with, right? We are a very suspicious
species and when we are not permitted into the main circle of privacy,
we automatically assume it is because there is something dark going on.)
On the other hand, secrets can suggest a fear based involved with a
group and when it is a religious cult, it is all the more terrifying
because.............. a cult grips the unconscious far deeper than a political
loyalty. ................The aspect of eternity is not connected to political
involvement.
So, where does that leave you with you friend? I can promise you that if
this individual is under a spell, there is not much you can do about it.
Let me suggest that you ask (her/him?) to
tell you about her theology, but you must make a commitment to holding a
position of respect and an open mind. If you come on with an attitude,
don't even bother because that is precisely the reason so many people
enter silence on their spiritual journey. If you sense that
spell casting is involved - ala Jim Jones and Charles Mason - there are
such groups that offer intervention assistance. But you sure better be
convinced you know what you're doing before you go that route - and you
will need the support of at least a hand full of people who have
interacted with this individual with the intention of evaluation,
including psychological experts. This ain't amateur hour here....
On that note, God bless,
Caroline