stripping the gurus - Brahma Kumaris Info

WERNER’S UNCERTAINTY PRINCIPLE 97
“Most of the people I’ve seen at our clinic—and they come in
after the training in fairly substantial numbers—have suffered
reactions that range from moderately bad to dreadful,”
the executive director of New York City’s Lincoln Institute
for Psychotherapy reported in 1978. “They are confused and
jarred, and the same pattern—elation, depression, feelings of
omnipotence followed by feelings of helplessness—are repeated
over and over again”....
In March 1977 the [American Journal of Psychiatry]
published the first of two articles ... that described five patients
who had [allegedly] developed psychotic symptoms, including
paranoia, uncontrollable mood swings, and delusions
in the wake of taking the est training (Pressman, 1993).
David Shy (2004) lists additional relevant published concerns.
Erhard himself has reportedly “hotly denied any damaging effects
from the est training” (Pressman, 1993).
Early graduates of Erhard’s four-day est seminars included
John “Windy Kansas Wheat Field” Denver—who wanted to give up
his singing career to become an est trainer. Also, Diana Ross, astronaut
Buzz Aldrin, and Yoko Ono. More recently, Ted Danson,
Valerie Harper, Roy “Jaws” Scheider and numerous other Hollywood
stars have taken Erhard’s courses.
At any rate, as if to argue that the harsh discipline of any
“holy man” directed toward his followers simply begins a “cycle of
abuse” with future generations of disciples, we have the following
allegation:
Those who worked closest to Erhard often witnessed his own
tirades and yelling bouts, and sometimes felt free to mirror
his own behavior when they were in charge (Pressman,
1993).
Erhard’s home life may have taken tragic turns as well. For,
Werner’s daughter Deborah once alleged that he had
coerced one of his older daughters ... into having sexual intercourse
with him in a hotel room they were sharing during
one of his frequent out-of-town trips (Pressman, 1993).*
“Thank you for sharing.”