I want to share my experience in what I now consider to have been a cult-like organization. If my story helps even one person recognize the warning signs, it's worth telling.
When I was 19, I started dating my boyfriend (who later became my husband). One of the first things I noticed was that he would never hang out after 7 p.m. When I asked why, he said he was meeting with his "mentors" and wanted me to meet them.
He told me they had retired young and were teaching others how to do the same. I thought it sounded strange, but because I cared about him, I wanted to understand what he was involved in.
When I met these mentors, they handed me Business of the 21st Century. Every time I asked simple questions like, "What exactly is this?" I never got a direct answer. Instead, I was told I needed to read the book first before I could understand.
At the time, music was my passion. They told me it wasn't a secure career and criticized my family's mindset, implying they would never understand success the way they did. Looking back, that was one of the first red flags. They slowly made me question the people who loved me most.
Eventually, I attended a large conference with them. Thousands of people were dressed in business attire, listening to speakers talk about retiring young, escaping traditional jobs, and how family and friends wouldn't understand what we were building. Everyone was encouraged to listen to hours of seminars and fully commit.
From there, I was instructed to communicate only with my female mentor. We were taught exactly how to approach strangers at Target, Barnes & Noble, gyms, and other public places. We learned scripts, specific wording, and how to "share our story" to recruit people into the business.
I slowly stopped feeling like myself.
At 19 years old, I was impressionable, and before I knew it, I had become someone I didn't recognize. I distanced myself from my parents and friends. I gave up music. I changed jobs over and over because I believed success was always just around the corner.
After only eight months of dating, we were strongly encouraged to get married. Looking back, neither of us was ready. I remember thinking, "What are we doing?"
After we got married, we were encouraged to have children as soon as possible. Meanwhile, we were spending thousands of dollars on conferences, books, subscriptions, vitamins, energy drinks, makeup, and other products. We were expected to constantly buy more and recruit more people.
Every conversation we had with someone we met while "networking" had to be reported back to our mentors. Looking back, it felt like we couldn't make decisions without their approval.
COVID changed everything. Meetings moved to Zoom, and many people started leaving. During that time, I finally had a moment of clarity. I told my husband we needed marriage counseling.
Ironically, the therapist we found had previously been involved in the same organization. They encouraged us to leave and start living our own lives instead of someone else's.
We eventually left.
Not long afterward, my husband and I divorced. While that was painful, leaving the organization was one of the best decisions I have ever made. Today, we're both living happier, healthier lives than we ever did while chasing someone else's dream.
I'm sharing this because I wish someone had warned me when I was 19.
If a friendly stranger approaches you at Target, Barnes & Noble, the gym, or a coffee shop, starts complimenting you, and then mentions having "mentors" or knowing someone who "retired young," be cautious. Ask questions. If they avoid giving direct answers and instead invite you to meetings, conferences, or recommend books before explaining what they're actually offering, trust your instincts.

This is my personal experience, and everyone is entitled to their own opinion. But I lost years of my life, relationships, money, and my sense of self before realizing what was happening.
If sharing my story helps even one person recognize the red flags sooner than I did, then it's worth it. ♥️

What would your theory be on this?

Mine is that a religion that isn't controlling will generally fall into the generic category.

For example, we see thousands of new neo-pagans on TikTok, each worshipping a random deity. When someone decides to worship a deity that only exists on an island of 10,000 inhabitants, they aren't creating a new religion; they still consider themselves a member of the general "neo-pagan" community.

The same goes for New Age, Eastern knowledge, witchcraft, etc. Since the group doesn't control, it only generates a divergence inside the larger group.

In other words, even if a YouTuber creates a new belief and manages to get a group that believes in them, most of the viewers still see themselves as members of another belief.

---

And who survives this? The highly controlling group. The cult.

Because they control so much, the group isn't a generic neo-pagan or just a distinct view of theology.

They are a group that actually sees itself as separate from the main group, even those with similar beliefs, and it's a group that doesn't shrink with dissent.

Someone who believes in a "universal feminine divinity" might go to New Age today, join TikTok witches tomorrow, then study Hinduism or play with crystals.

Someone who is in a cult that believes its founder is this feminine divinity isn't going to keep switching groups.

---

So, in short, this is my theory. TL;DR

It's not that every New Religious Movement (NRM) is a cult, but most remain a personal or family faith, unable to retain or convert anyone (since the competition with established faiths is very high).

A cult, on the other hand, converts and prevents members from leaving. This is the format that has the best chance of growing, and that's why almost every successful new religious movement tends to be a highly controlled group.

The new ministry 1033 just released tells you exactly where Bruce Hales is at. He's not even trying to hide it anymore. "If it walks like a cult, talks like a cult and sues like a cult - it's a cult."

Specifically lighthouse baptist church of grand prairie. I definitely think i'm seeing some of the bite model in their statement of faith on texaslighthouse.com

I’m a survivor of this cult. People Investigates is airing an expose on them tonight at 9. I wanted to share here for anyone else following the case.

The Order of Nine Angles (O9A - ONA) is a satanic organization that originated in the United Kingdom and, over time, evolved into a decentralized network composed of small groups known as nexions. Its objective is to subvert society through infiltration, manipulation, and the promotion of increasingly extreme acts. Over the years, various cases in several countries have been linked to organizations derived from O9A, demonstrating that its reach is not limited to a single location and that the internet has become one of its primary tools for expansion.

One of these nexions was and is 764, an apparently satanic virtual network that emerged on Discord and was initially created by minors. Its members seek vulnerable victims in video games like Minecraft and Roblox, then recruit them onto private servers where they are manipulated, extorted, and forced to perform increasingly disturbing acts. Many victims ended up becoming recruiters themselves, repeating the same cycle of manipulation they had suffered. Over time, 764 decentralized and gave rise to new groups.

And so Spawnism emerged, a movement inspired by the Roblox video game Forsaken. What began as something innocent born from that online game ended up being exploited by individuals seeking to manipulate minors. Various investigations and reports indicate that communities linked to 764 infiltrated several Spawnism groups to replicate the same nefarious recruitment and control mechanisms. These three stories ceased to be isolated cases and became part of the same evolution, a network of interconnected nefarious groups that adapted to the internet.

Documentary about the dangerous network of satanic cults. The brutal cases of the Order of Nine Angles, 764, and Spawnism: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z4oRR7X2wds

I was surprised that there is a cult in Pacifica California. This church is related to ICC and RCW. PLEASE BE CAREFUL.

I don't know if it's the right sub to ask, and it's not as serious as legitimate cults but there's a phenomena I noticed on reddit, mainly on fandom subs.

It could be a new game, a new movie, an old one, a person, a group. The wording is always the same.

" Why do they hate us so much" , " where is the hate coming from" and variation of the same question. And that type of post is asked again again and again.

Everytime a movie fails, a game fails, or even when they are sucessfull these subs party being victorious over the "haters" I see it more and more, and of course in the classical subs of groups or persons admired.

It's spreading all around, I was just wondering, what is this?

I live in a city where the ISKCONs put on a big festival every year and I'm a pretty big George Harrison fan so I'm slightly familiar with ISKCON lol, though I'm not really knowledgeable on the specifics of what they believe. Might give it a skim sometime but it's mostly just for the collection lol

How an ill-fitting borrowed suit, a manic human rights lawyer, and an apocalyptic spiritual movement delivered me into a subterranean airport cell and a four-country deportation relay.

When I saw the 2023 drama I later thought: I think JWorg doing the drama: “Commit Your Way To Jehovah “actually probably woke up a bunch of African JWs that knew what happened in Malawi.
I remember that time, and us US JWs were constantly given fear propaganda about what was going on, and how it was going to happen to us probably worse than that, and they didn’t spear any scary details! Us kids read and heard all about what they were going through, without the JWs over there actually getting rescued by Bethel high ups. They used Malawi, Burundi, Rwanda, other places where they were being persecuted, without Bethel Leaders FIXING anything. They used it all to horrify us, scare the rest of us about how the Great Tribulation (that was coming in 1975) than later it turned into (any minute because we didn’t know when Eve was born) so that is how they got us to stay in, in the late 70’s, 1980’s…and they added other countries like South Korea persecuted for not serving in the military, then Russia in the 2000’s 2010’s, and they kept you hanging on (like for dear life) as we studied at the same time from the60’s, 70’s, then 80’s the different books on PROPHCY, like Freedom In The Sons of God 1960’s, Babylon book 1970’s, and Revelation Climax 4X in the 1990’s…, Isaiah book, Jeremiah, and I think Daniel book, and the usual books that directed you to “trust in God (through them) to “stay protected.”) Each Summer we would get a double dose of fear mongering with their talks and then the dramas which were always about how some who “didn’t listen to who Jehovah was using, were destroyed.” We saw it acted out on stage, like when the walls of Jericho came down.
Yes, They are still using their same techniques, but now in 4K. They cycle the carrot and stick, and that is how they keep JWs captive.

15 Controversies that Cast Serious Questions on The Art of Living's founder Sri Sri Ravi Shankar's position as a Spiritual Leader and Global Humanitarian

The Art of Living Foundation presents itself globally as a benevolent powerhouse of peace, mindfulness, and humanitarian relief. At the center of this empire is Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, a figure widely celebrated in mainstream media as an enlightened, ego-less spiritual leader.

However, behind the carefully curated public image lies a pattern of behavior, double standards, and undisclosed medical risks that tell a completely different story. When evaluating whether an organization exhibits the insular, manipulative, and deceptive traits of a cult, we must look directly at the actions, contradictions, and hidden history of its leader.

Below is a detailed breakdown of the major controversies, hypocrisies, and documented issues surrounding Sri Sri Ravi Shankar and the Art of Living that directly challenge his standing as a global humanitarian.

1. The Nobel Prize Tantrum and the Hypocrisy over Mocking of Malala Yousafzai in Public:

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar travels the world as a famous "spiritual peace leader," and a "global humanitarian" but his actions behind closed doors show a completely different, much more bitter side. When a 16-year-old girl named Malala Yousafzai won the Nobel Peace Prize for risking her life to fight for girls' education, Ravi Shankar played nice online on Twitter/X and congratulated her. But later, at a press conference at Maharashtra in India, the mask slipped. He openly insulted her, basically asking, in a belittling tone, did just a 16 year old girl do so much work to earn such a massive prize, adding that the Nobel prize lost its meaning and purpose, and that he doesn't believe Malala deserved the prize. (he said this after congratulating her on Twitter/X)

Here is where it gets incredibly hypocritical: Ravi Shankar didn't hate the Nobel Prize—he just hated that he didn't win it. Behind the scenes, he had been desperately campaigning and getting people to lobby for him to win the prize, even bragging to others that it was practically in the bag. When the committee passed him over and picked Malala instead, he threw a tantrum. He suddenly claimed the entire Nobel Prize was rigged and "political," and sourly told the media he wouldn't even take it if they gave it to him now. It is a classic, embarrassing case of sour grapes from a man who claims to be above ego, but clearly couldn't handle being outshined by a brave teenager. Had he disagreed to her winning the prize, he could have expressed it more courteously saving some grace for his public reputation, and needn't have congratulated her on Twitter.

Ask yourself: Is it the mark of a true global humanitarian to belittlingly dismiss a 16-year-old girl who stared down terrorists to champion girls' education in terror prone nation, saying she did 'nothing' ? To say she did "nothing" is a complete distortion of reality. Agree or disagree with her Nobel Prize, there is no denying that her immense bravery and advocacy achieved something extraordinary. Apparently, Sri Sri Ravi Shankar missed that memo when he took a cheap shot at her, claiming she did "nothing."

Read more about this here: Mala vs the Guru Who Mocked Her https://www.reddit.com/r/Ex_ArtOfLiving/comments/1k60y0f/fact_check_malala_yousufzai_vs_the_guru_who/

2. Pushing his Trademarked SKY Breathwork as a Cure-All for Depression and Suicidal Tendencies while Ignoring Internal Suicides of his Teachers and Volunteers who Practiced his Breathwork Regularly:

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar has repeatedly stated in public events, satsangs, and Art of Living courses that the only cure for depression and suicidal tendencies is learning and practicing Sudarshan Kriya Yoga and meditations from his programs. Yet, he has never addressed why several Art of Living teachers and long-time volunteers, who not only practiced these techniques but also taught others or assisted in organizing courses, committed suicide.

Read more about this here: Sri Sri Ravi Shankar Keeps Mum on Suicides Among His Own Art of Living Teachers and Volunteers, and Pushes Sudarshan Kriya as a Cure for Depression and Suicidal Tendencies https://www.reddit.com/r/Ex_ArtOfLiving/comments/1io7sez/sri_sri_ravi_shankar_keeps_mum_on_suicides_among/

3. Attack on his Competitor Sadhguru's Breathwork vs. Silence on his Own Breathwork's Documented Medical Risks:

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar’s public commentary reveals a glaring double standard regarding the safety of yoga practices. During his public satsangs, which are streamed live globally on YouTube, the Art of Living leader has openly claimed that Sadhguru’s Shambhavi Mahamudra Kriya induces negative mental health effects, and advised everyone to stay away from practicing it, yet he has failed to present any verifiable evidence to support his public statement. Meanwhile, he remains silent on documented risks of his Sudarshan Kriya Yoga within his own organization. Published research by psychiatry professors and international science communicators—notably, both former Art of Living teachers—reveals that over 200 individuals reported adverse effects from Sudarshan Kriya Yoga. The adverse effects reported included anxiety, panic attacks, mania, flashbacks, confusion, disassociation, psychosis, seizures, respiratory symptoms and cardiovascular symptoms. By refusing to publicly acknowledge these peer-reviewed findings while continuing to profit from these major revenue streams, Ravi Shankar demonstrates a hypocritical approach to participant safety. If participant safety is the primary concern, a consistent standard should apply: if audiences are warned about the unverified mental health risks of competing practices like Shamhavi Mahamudra Kriya taught by Isha Foundation, then Sri Sri Ravi Shankar should similarly inform the public audiences about the documented, wide-ranging risks and adverse effects of Sudarshan Kriya which have been reported globally by several teachers, volunteers and practitioners.

Watch this clip where Sri Sri states publicly that Shambhavi Mahamudra Kriya is causing adverse effects: https://www.reddit.com/r/SadhguruTruth/comments/1jdzu59/sri_sri_ravishankar_on_shambhavi_mudra_making_you/

Read complete information about Sudarshan Kriya adverse effects from here:

https://www.reddit.com/r/Ex_ArtOfLiving/comments/1m3dhln/a_must_read_is_sudarshan_kriya_safe_for_you_did/

4. Concealment of Spiritual Background and Questionable Inconsistencies in Narrative of His Own Spiritual Guru's Identity:

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar publicly attacked Sadhguru Jaggi Vasudev, calling him a "self-proclaimed" teacher who lacks a traditional spiritual lineage (Guru Parampara) and accused him of teaching harmful practices. Yet, Ravi Shankar hides his own spiritual background. His official website completely fails to name who his own spiritual Guru actually is.

When cornered in a news interview and asked if Maharishi Mahesh Yogi was his Guru, Ravi Shankar denied it. He claimed he merely "visited" Maharishi, just like any other saint. Instead, he named Sudhakar Chaturvedi as his Guru. This exposes a massive, logical contradiction: Chaturvedi was a strict Arya Samaj scholar who fiercely opposed idol worship.

Yet, Ravi Shankar runs an organization built entirely on idol worship, while simultaneously copying Maharishi’s distinct white dress, long hair, and speech mannerisms.

The dark truth behind this denial is a matter of safety and finance. Trusted insider reports from the TM organization reveal that Maharishi Mahesh Yogi explicitly warned that Sudarshan Kriya was unsafe for the general public. Maharishi warned that the intense hyperventilation would give people a temporary feeling of bliss, but cause long-term neurological and physical harm. Maharishi reportedly gave a stark warning: "Meditators should be careful of Sweet Poison." Ravi Shankar ignored his mentor's warning, hid the connection, and chose to commercialize this exact "sweet poison" globally for immense financial profit.

Watch this clip and read the post: Sri Sri Ravi Shankar says his Guru is Sudhakar Chaturvedi https://www.reddit.com/r/Ex_ArtOfLiving/comments/1k2p4gb/sri_sri_ravi_shankar_says_his_guru_is_sudhakar/

Read this detailed background: Concerns Regarding the Guru Parampara Mystery of the Art of Living https://www.reddit.com/r/Ex_ArtOfLiving/comments/1iciv6z/concerns_regarding_the_guru_parampara_mystery_of/

5. Weaponizing Medical Highs and Hiding the Risks of Hyperventilation by Non-Disclosure and Lack of Transparency about the Contraindications and Health Risks of his Trademarked Sudarshan Kriya Breathwork:

Sudarshan Kriya relies heavily on rapid, forced over-breathing (hyperventilation). Medically, breathing this fast forces too much carbon dioxide out of your lungs, causing a state called hypocapnia which is documented in the Art of Living's Medical Information Forms in their course registration webpage.

Contrary to popular belief, this hyperventilation or over-breathing doesn't give you "extra oxygen" it actually starves your brain. The rapid breathing forces out too much carbon dioxide, causing your brain's blood vessels to shrink. This sudden drop in blood flow and oxygen is what triggers the dizzy, floating, or blissful feeling practitioners mistake for a spiritual high.

While doing this once might cause temporary lightheadedness, forcing your body into this state daily for years is a serious medical concern. It alters your nervous system's balance and can trigger severe adverse reactions, including panic attacks, extreme anxiety, seizures, and cardiovascular or heart strain.

Despite these clear physical risks, the Art of Living completely hides the list of all contraindications and possible health risks medical warnings from its website and courses, and doesn't make them published in terms that common people can understand so they are informed better about the risks involved in learning the Sudarshan Kriya. They fail to involve a medically trained professional in assisting the course instructors to screen participants for heart conditions, or severe mental health issues, letting people unknowingly practice a potentially dangerous breathing regime every single day without true informed consent.

Read this post: What the Art of Living Doesn’t Tell You —on its website on Sudarshan Kriya FAQs - A Medical Ethics Wake-Up Call

https://www.reddit.com/r/Ex_ArtOfLiving/comments/1npbw5v/sudarshan_kriya_what_the_art_of_living_doesnt/

6. Contradicting Scriptural Teachings and Distorting Sanatan Dharma's Religious Beliefs

He claims Shiva was never a historical or physical entity. This theological stance implies Arjuna could not have received the physical Gandiva bow directly from Shiva. By extension, this logic undermines the literal narrative integrity of the Mahabharata which is said to be authored by Vyaasa Maharishi and penned by Lord Ganesha.

He has even gone on record by tweeting once that in Hinduism, homosexuality was never a crime and that Lord Ayappa was born out of Shiva and Vishnu, due to which he received stark criticism from knowledgeable followers of Sanatan Dharma, and worshippers of Lord Ayappa who went to openly state that Ravi Shankar's knowledge showed a very poor and inappropriate understanding of the sacred scriptures.

Read this: Arjuna's Battle with Hara: Granting Boons and Blessings

https://www.wisdomlib.org/hinduism/book/mahabharata-english-summary/d/doc1345419.html

7. Monetizing Mantra Initiations and Making Questionable Claims of Association with the Jyotirmath Shankaracharya Lineage (same as TM's Holy Tradition) to Depict Authenticity

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar and Art of Living teachers claim he comes as a Guru who's backed by the tradition of the Shankaracharya of Jyotirmath. However, within that tradition, personal mantra initiations are never monetized and are understood to be given without fixed charges, with offerings (dakshina) considered voluntary.

The tradition also reveres the Chandramoulishwara Linga, and across all four Shankaracharya Peethas there are longstanding accounts describing Lord Shiva personally giving the Atma Lingas to Adi Shankaracharya, who is said to have installed them in the four Amnaya Peethas, thereby establishing the Shankaracharya tradition itself. Against this background, Sri Sri Ravi Shankar’s assertion that Shiva never appeared on earth in a personal form appears to stand in clear contradiction to these foundational narratives that glorify the Shankaracharya tradition.

Additionally, the practice of charging mandatory fees for spiritual initiations, diverge from the established norms of the Shankaracharya tradition that Art of Living references in the Guru Puja chant and Guru Puja courses. In that lineage, financial contributions are meant to be voluntary dakshina rather than compulsory payments.

Read this post: How Sri Sri Ravi Shankar Contradicts the Scriptural Teachings of Shiva Purana and the Shankaracharya Tradition

https://www.reddit.com/r/Ex_ArtOfLiving/comments/1s9ri4f/how_sri_sri_ravi_shankar_contradicts_the/

8. Double Standards on the Physical Worship of Shiva's Form:

While stating Shiva cannot be worshipped except as a Linga or Nataraja, to criticize Isha Foundation's Sadhguru and his practice of worshipping Shiva as Adi Yogi, Sri Sri Ravi Shankar's own ashrams worship Shiva in forms such as Pradosha Murti or Uma Maheshwara where Lord Shiva is worshipped along with his consort Devi Parvati—directly contradicting his public statements.

Watch this video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tyyrmb76Vog

9. Selective Outrage: Condemning Global Crimes While Shunning his own Ashram Victims

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar is quick to condemn international crimes on the public stage, yet he maintained total silence when a 13-year-old student was beaten to death by teachers at his own Veda Gurukul Ashram in Gaya, Bihar—offering neither public condemnation nor updates on the investigation.

Watch this clip https://www.reddit.com/r/Ex_ArtOfLiving/comments/1fyhlt1/literally_beaten_to_death_nowhere_to_be_seen_on/

10. Selective Morality and Hypocritical Ethics: Forgiving Terrorists and Food Adulterators vs. Protecting his Abusive Swamis:

There is a glaring contradiction in his moral stance: he advocates for the forgiveness of terrorists and militants under the philosophy that every culprit is a victim crying for help, yet he showed no such leniency toward those involved in the Tirupati prasad adulteration. For the crime of using animal-origin ingredients, he demanded severe punishments, including lifetime imprisonment and asset seizure, exposing a deep inconsistency in his ethical reasoning.

Watch this clip where Sri Sri Ravi Shankar asks the culprits behind the incident of adulterating Tirupati laddoo prasad to be punished:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xJCD755GXxo

When prominent Indian leader Asaram Bapu and his son Narayan Sai faced widespread public outrage over the sexual assault of a devotee, Sri Sri Ravi Shankar took a highly visible public stance. He openly declared that public figures or spiritual and religious leaders who commit such acts must step forward, confess, and face rigorous legal judgment, emphasizing that those in high spiritual positions should be held to even harsher standards because they breach a sacred trust. He explicitly told the media that if an individual is innocent, they should face the law directly without hiding or fleeing and should surrender themselves to the law.

But when his own disciple and Swami who was reported to have sexually harassed many women in South America, Sri Sri Ravi Shankar facilitated the immediate relocation of the accused back to India, removing him from South American legal jurisdiction. In a video meeting with victims who later confronted him, he was heard telling them and emphasizing that, his Swami should be given a chance to reform and victims should let go of the past.

Watch this clip
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W1MQUPqahJs

11. Silencing of Sexual Harassment Survivors and Internal Cover-Ups of Sexual Harassment Cases Reported by his Art of Living's Teachers and Volunteers:

Despite campaigning for women’s safety, running initiatives such as Volunteer for a Better India, Art of Living has reported cases of sexual harassment, including involving senior teachers, that were either sidelined, unfairly investigated, or covered up entirely. Some involved teachers and volunteers who gave more than half a decade of their life in service to the organization. Yet Sri Sri Ravi Shankar prioritized meeting Bollywood item girls over his core followers who deserved face time and fast tracked justice.

Numerous reports emerging from South America reveal a deeply troubling pattern of how sexual harassment claims are handled internally by the organization. Victims who secured private meetings with Sri Sri Ravi Shankar to report abuse stated that the leader actively pressured them to keep their experiences quiet and hidden from the public. Rather than initiating formal investigations or involving law enforcement, Ravi Shankar allegedly told survivors "not to get stuck in the past," instructing them to simply move on and continue working with other, non-abusive Art of Living instructors. This directive to suppress trauma and safeguard the organization's reputation directly contradicts his public image as a compassionate global humanitarian.

Read this post:

https://www.reddit.com/r/Ex_ArtOfLiving/comments/17mn009/why_i_left_art_of_living_and_denounce_sri_sri/

12. Publicizing Half-Truths of Brokering Peace and Ending the Colombian War for Limelight:

He claims to have brokered peace to end the Colombian conflict, with a Bollywood movie in production celebrating this. However, the conflict has worsened and the war is today in fact far worse than when it actually began or temporarily subsided, calling into question the accuracy of this claim and potentially damaging his public image.

Read this post: Mission Unaccomplished? Bollywood Star Vikrant Massey to Play the Role of the Guru Who "Ended" a War—While the War Forgot to End.

https://www.reddit.com/r/Ex_ArtOfLiving/comments/1k2feo2/mission_unaccomplished_bollywood_star_vikrant/

13. Promoting Violent and Unscreened Individuals to High Executive Power:

While preaching non-violence, he promoted his favorite teacher—who admitted to violently assaulting a fellow Art of Living volunteer in the International Ashram in his book 'Stumbling into Infinity' and had publicly confessed to have a history of illegal substance use—to Director of Art of Living US, despite his record.

Read the chapter 'A Fight at the Ashram' from this book:

https://www.google.com/search?q=stumbin+into+infinity

14. Academic Failures and Exploitative Excuses for Poor Scholarship in Public Debates:

In a public debate with Dr. Zakir Naik on Hindu-Muslim similarities, Sri Sri Ravi Shankar was exposed for numerous errors in his book. He admitted writing it hastily to prevent riots in Gujarat, despite having a team of senior Art of Living teachers and postgraduate professionals reviewing it. As if people in riot, eagerly await reading a book written by a commercial yoga guru to bridge the divide between religious factions. This appears opportunistic rather than diligent given that his book that was released, was reviewed by a panel of many senior Art of Living teachers including Vikram Hazra.

Read the preface to Sri Sri's book on Hinduism and Islam:

https://www.scribd.com/document/656481154/Hinduism-Islam-the-Common-Thread-Sri-Sri-Ravi-Shankar

Read the transcript of debate between Dr Zakir Naik and Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:

https://archive.org/details/theconceptofgodinhinduismandislaminthelightofsacredscriptureszakirnaikandsrisriravishankar

Watch the debate where Sri Sri Ravi Shankar is ousted by Dr Zakir:

https://www.facebook.com/dawahchannel1/videos/the-concept-of-god-in-islam-and-hinduism-in-the-light-of-the-sacred-scriptures-c/1034394080443720/

15. Enforcing a One-Size-Fits-All Hyperventilation Practice on Vulnerable-Health Groups in Workshops and Weekly Practice Sessions ( where People from Diverse Age Groups and Health Conditions Participate to Breathe in Dynamically Changing Slow, Medium, Fast and Rapid Breathing Cycles, Putting Many Unaware People at Serious Risk of Adverse Effects)

The weekly Art of Living (AOL) follow-up sessions, known as the Long Sudarshan Kriya, are designed by Sri Sri Ravi Shankar and conducted globally by his teachers. During these sessions, all participants—regardless of age, fitness level, or physiological health—are instructed to breathe in uniform synchronization with an audio-guided track featuring Sri Sri Ravi Shankar chanting mantras. This recording directs the entire room to shift their breathing rhythms simultaneously from slow and medium paces to intense, rapid speeds.

Critics argue that this rigid, one-size-fits-all approach is the physiological equivalent of forcing a diverse group of runners to sprint at the exact same frantic pace. Because the Art of Living (AOL) does not transparently publish a comprehensive list of medical contraindications, high-risk individuals routinely engage in these rapid breathing cycles, creating a potentially fatal hazard.

To mitigate these risks, critics suggest that teachers should host separate sessions specifically tailored for vulnerable practitioners, where high-speed audio segments are omitted entirely. Verbal instructions alone are often insufficient; even when warned, individuals can easily get swept up in the momentum of the group and involuntarily follow Sri Sri Ravi Shankar’s audio instructions where he transitions the breathing cycles into fast and rapid rhythms, inadvertently putting their health at risk in the spur of the moment. In other words, in the heat of the moment, vulnerable practitioners are easily carried away by the audio track as Sri Sri Ravi Shankar shifts into high-speed rhythms. To truly protect participants, critics demand structural changes: either strict screening processes or entirely separate sessions with separate customized audio tracks skipping the fast and rapid breathing cycles for at-risk individuals where the fast-paced segments are skipped altogether.

Without medical screening or individualized supervision, this intense regimen can trigger severe cardiovascular and psychological emergencies, such as blood pressure spikes, panic attacks, or in worst cases even heart attacks and strokes.

This risk is compounded by improper practice; while teachers advise gentleness during initial courses, but follow-up sessions often lack corrective guidance when they find the practitioners doing it using force and exertion. Consequently, many practitioners mistakenly employ the fast, forceful breathing patterns typical of Kapalbhati—a technique linked by the Asian Heart Institute to cardiac failures when performed improperly or without supervision. Furthermore, the organization faces allegations of underreporting these adverse events and employing spiritual bypassing, reportedly dismissing acute medical crises with platitudes like "it happened due to karma" rather than providing necessary medical intervention and making responsible corrections or employing effective screening and safety measures.

Read this post completely including every link cited in the article: Is Sudarshan Kriya Safe for You? Did Your Art of Living Teacher Fully Inform You About Its Officially Listed Contraindications, Health Policy, Risks, and Both Possible as well as Documented Adverse Effects?

https://www.reddit.com/r/Ex_ArtOfLiving/comments/1m3dhln/a_must_read_is_sudarshan_kriya_safe_for_you_did/

I have this friend and she’s in her late 30s. She lives with a few of her sisters, who are well into adult age. Then her brothers live in a house just down the street away. Three brothers all live together. Their father owns both of their houses, and rents to his children.

They were all home schooled and also all work for the family business, which involves manufacturing and selling construction equipment.

I find them a bit odd because they are all in their 30s but remain single. No children. Just working for the family business. And they claim to be nondenominational Christians.

At first I just chalked them off as just highly traditional Christians. But the more I reflect on it, I’m wondering if this is cult like behavior.

this spanned from when i was a very little kid (3-4 years old) to right before i started 2nd grade. using this timeline, this was probably from 2010-2015 or 2016ish. my memory is bad because i was so little but here's everything i remember:

this all happened in northern florida. my mother and i would drive up about an hour five times a week to go to this "house".

it was in the middle of nowhere in a tiny town. the place itself was old looking with wooden panels on the walls. i think it was originally a small home from the 1970s that the group bought for cheap. there were couple different rooms. the main room was where everyone would gather in white plastic lawn chairs lining one of the walls. there was an outdated TV and a ton of religious kids posters on the walls. there was also a bedroom with a few bunk beds and a tv with not many other decorations, along with a bathroom and a kitchen where you'd see teen girls or young women constantly cooking food. there were members of the group who lived here.

the women all wore long dresses with alice in wonderland looking white frocks/aprons on top. they had long hair except for my mom, who didn't dress in this style. the men from what i remember wore white long sleeved button down shirts. the ratio of women to men was off, probably 70% women and 30% men.

there were lectures every time we went and they typically lasted a few hours. i vaguely remember something about submitting to someone (though i don't remember it being god) and talk of punishment if you "strayed". the lectures were by a white man that looked to be most likely in his 60s. he was either bald or had very little hair. i think the group was christian but all of the religious talk that i can remember was more about putting fear into the members rather than teaching them about the bible. as i mentioned, it was all about not "straying" from the group and submission.

the one core memory that i have of this place was near the end of our time in the group. this teenage girl, 16 if i had to guess, started having a breakdown out of nowhere. the man who gave the lectures took her out to the yard to "reassure her" but we never saw her again after that day. i'm not sure if he kicked her out of the group or what, she was staying with her parents in the "house" (as they called it). i can't remember if i saw them after that either. i think this incident was the thing that caused my mom to leave since that was one of the last times we ever went.

there was also a kids TV show they put on for me and the other children in the group. all i remember was a creepy lamb puppet haha and the backdrop was a blue sky with a rainbow. i think there was a teenage boy dressed up as a shepard too that would reenact biblical stories with the lamb puppet. i'm not sure if this was a widely distributed kids show for christians or made by the group, but i think it was on VHS. i remember thinking it felt so outdated even as a little kid.

that's all the information i remember, i just thought i'd ask here because my mother is super weird about the topic. she either acts like it never happened or just ignores me depending on her mood. i'm 18 now lol

edit: it won't let me reply to the comment below because my account is so new but the show is not lamb chop singalong! it is an amazing guess though and it feels similar to what i remember

Engañe y fui engañada mi experiencia como misionera mormona

Engañe y fui engañada mi experiencia como misionera mormona

Fui ex misionera y entregue toda mi vida a la iglesia mormona , ahora me doy cuenta que todo se es una mentira nunca fue la iglesia de jesuscristo y eso duele mucho .. está es mi historia

Influencer brothers Andrew and Tristan Tate were arrested by federal authorities Saturday in Miami, according to the U.S. Marshals Service.

Brady McCarron, a spokesperson for the Marshals Service, told The Associated Press that the warrant was sealed.

British prosecutors announced late Saturday they were seeking the extradition of the brothers on rape and sex trafficking charges. The offenses are alleged to have occurred between July 2010 and August 2017, the Crown Prosecution Service said in a statement.

The brothers, proponents of hypermasculinity who have millions of followers on social media, are dual U.S. and British citizens who moved to Romania in 2016. They were arrested there in 2022, accused of participating in schemes to lure women for sexual exploitation. They denied those allegations and the case didn’t go forward because of legal and procedural irregularities.

The former professional kickboxers have amassed a following of fans, particularly young men and boys, by professing a lifestyle of luxury and unapologetic misogyny.

The pending charges in the United Kingdom accused the brothers of abusing women between 2012 and 2015 in an area north of London, where they grew up. Their lawyers had said they denied the allegations.

The long awaited podcast is finally here!

After we aired Ep.110, Trent's horrific priestly visit with Mick Strange, Rod Diplock, Randy Thomas and Greg Baldwin, so many wanted to know what happened after. Trent joins us to give the full account of their "hacking allegation", what led up to it and how he got out of the Plymouth Brethren Christian Church.

If you're still inside the church and wondering whether there's life on the other side, Trent's story is proof that there is.

If you're not familiar with the Plymouth Brethren Christian Church, this conversation offers an honest look at the pressures members can face when they begin questioning the group.

We read out an insider email that gives an account of the recent Universal Meetings that Lloyd Grimshaw proudly did a video of and another insider email on how they navigate their priestly visits.