Messianic Figures and Manipulation

Once I attended a Yoga festival in France. Despite the presence of dozens of teachers, I was surprised to see how they venerated Yogi Bhajan, a renowned yogi who had managed to build a veritable sect.

A young woman said the following about him loudly at the microphone:

"I was 14 when he came and saved me. I owe him my entire life. Yogi Bhajan is my happiness."

I felt pity, fear, and disgust because Yogi Bhajan had abused over 100 young women. This was well-known in the public space.

I will tell you exactly what happened, as per my research, just so you get the exact picture: 

Yogi Bhajan abused over 100 young women. This is supported by multiple sources. 

• An investigation conducted by An Olive Branch (AOB) in 2020 found that it was "more likely than not" that Yogi Bhajan had engaged in various forms of sexual misconduct and abuse. The report concluded that Bhajan had raped three women, injured eight women during sex, and engaged in nonconsensual touching of nine people, among other offenses. Wikipedia about Allegations of sexual abuse.
• The book "Under the Yoga Mat The Dark History of Yogi Bhajan's Kundalini Yoga" estimates that Yogi Bhajan sexually abused approximately 100 women. he justified his actions with the chilling statement, "Rape is always invited." 
• The public awareness of these allegations gained momentum after the #MeToo movement in 2017. In 2020, especially, Pamela Dyson, a former lover and employee of Bhajan, published a memoir detailing her experiences. 

As allegations against Bhajan came to light, "it created a crisis among everyone who practiced Kundalini yoga," says Deslippe. Harijiwan, Guru Jagat, and every Kundalini yoga teacher had to field questions and scrutiny. - Time

All the abuse allegations against Yogi Bhajan have been widely reported in various media outlets and investigated by multiple organizations.

Moreover, since becoming a yoga instructor, I've learned to spot the cult of personality early. That's how I managed to avoid false gurus over the years. This has allowed me to take the best from each mentor without losing myself.

Traits of a False Guru

When it comes to the cult of personality, I've discovered a few traits of a false guru:

Very charming, speaks beautifully, using ideal words

Makes you feel seen, and understood. You become the center of attention and feel like you matter.

The guru targets your deepest wound and says he will save you from everything that hasn't worked until now. Isn't that suspicious in itself?

To implement this "necessary salvation," he's willing to resort to any means. Humanitarian rules don't apply to him because he wants to save, so it's all for a good cause.

Signs You're a Follower of a False Guru

How do you know if you're a follower of a false guru?

You feel it as a revelation, as a new discovery

Your image of him is already decided; whatever others say, you need to believe and others are denigrating him

If someone comes with evidence, it's automatically contested that it's not true, or the evidence is fabricated

If something is said against him, it's surely not true, just someone's imagination.

The Danger of Adoration

Adoration and fascination for a person who "will save us" is the cult of personality.

Ask yourself: why do I feel such a strong need to support him or her?

When it comes to the controversial election space in Romania these days, I don't hear the other candidate being praised. Or any other candidate. I also know a bit about public discourse. I studied it in school as an elective, part of my business program. 

In public discourse, C. Georgescu clearly states, with his own words, "I support Russian values." He is convinced, "that he knows for sure," that man has never been on the moon. How does he know for sure??

His followers are blind, they don't want to believe the reality and how they were "duped" into believing everything this man says as if he's the savior. "He never said such a thing," they retwist his words and explain them as they wanted them to sound. I've seen it a lot on TikTok and Instagram. This cult is out of hand. Or is it? The next voting round will tell more, even though the prognosis is bleak for Romania.

Just because someone exposes beautiful values, speaks beautifully, and is capable of gathering people around him, doesn't mean that the intentions behind it, or how it's done, are okay.

Thanks for reading. What are your thoughts on this?

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* I originally published this poem on Medium, under pen name Eleanor.*

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