Adventures of a Reluctant Cult[1] Observer is a [word count] work of narrative nonfiction.
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Note: Project currently in speculative development phase.
Richard Walker, at age seven, lives a privileged life in a Chinese mansion in Santa Barbara with his mother Sharon and father Nelson. But when Nelson dies suspiciously, Sharon marries David, a younger man, and they move to Banana Road and are ensnared in a cult. Four years later, brainwashed, abused and poor, they escape Los Angeles in the middle of the night, in secret, and never look back.
[1] What is a cult? History and usage of the term ‘cult’ - CultFAQ.org
My sister and I at Sharon’s wedding to Nelson
Banana Road, circa 1970
I Am (immunized against this nonsense)
“…and the comparatively downscale, Saint Germain Foundation nearby which had the scariest logo of all.”
Our Magic Presence picture was quite large, mounted over the altar, animated… and electrified. It certainly didn’t seem magic or divine to me… more “hokey” or “tacky” than anything. It was housed at the “Palais de Vie,” the mansion that was wrested away from E., and “I Am”, by H., and became the fancy new headquarters for “CotL” in Los Angeles
I’m not sure which is worse:
- Re-branding “theosophism” and plagiarizing lots of people for $$$$
- “Daily direction” by a voice in someone’s head
- Global reach
- Reasons for denying affiliations with other individuals or organizations - Lawsuits against Others for Profit ®?
- Minute Men of Saint Germain
- Cult trademark portfolios - How Many Lawsuits ® have you filed against People That Stole Your Plagiarized Material ® ?
- Profitable business, yet “no financial schemes behind it”
- Gladly accepted: large donations from recent widows with children
- The “I AM” COME! Pageant has been presented annually since 1950…”
In 1930 Guy W. Ballard, hiking in northern California, met the Ascended Master Saint Germain on the side of Mount Shasta. His remarkable experiences are recorded in the books, Unveiled Mysteries and The Magic Presence, written under the pen name of Godfre Ray King. First published in 1934, the books have never been out of print. This introduction was followed by more than 3000 Discourses by the Ascended Masters. Out of this dynamic
and practical instruction the “I AM” Activity was founded by Mr. and Mrs. Ballard, under the daily direction of Saint Germain.
The parent organization is Saint Germain Foundation, with worldwide headquarters located in Schaumburg, Illinois, a suburb of Chicago. It is represented throughout the world by 300 local groups termed “I AM” Sanctuary®, “I AM” Temple®, “I AM” Study Groups®, or “I AM” Reading Room®. Saint Germain Foundation and its local activities are not affiliated with any other organization or persons.
Kneel ye sinners and Pray for your Salvation before the Mighty Purple Flame thing on the Wall Over There… Oops! Wrong tone… here we go: “The Great Eternal Law is that every individual must purify his (her) own creation by daily use of the Violet Consuming Flame.”TRADEMARKS AND SERVICE MARKS OF SAINT GERMAIN FOUNDATION INCLUDE: The Ascended Masters Instruction on the “Beloved Mighty I AM Presence,”® The Ascended Masters’
Instruction 
, “Beloved Mighty I AM Presence,”® Daughters of Light®, Heart of Heaven , Honor Cross®, Honor Cross Design®, “I AM,”® “I AM” Activity®, “I AM” Ascended Master Youth , “I AM” COME!® “I AM” Emblem®, “I AM” Music of the Spheres®, “I AM” Pageant of the Angels®, “I AM” Reading Room®, “I AM” Religious Activity®, “I AM” Religious Broadcast®, “I AM” Sanctuary®, “I AM” School®, “I AM” Student Body®, “I AM” Study Groups®, “I AM” Temple®, “I AM” Violet Flame
, The Magic Presence, “Mighty I AM Presence”, Minute Men of Saint Germain®, Music of the Spheres®, Saint Germain®, Saint Germain Foundation®, Saint Germain Press®, Saint Germain Press, Inc®, Shasta Springs®, Unfed Flame Design®, Violet Consuming Flame®, Violet Flame®, “The Voice of the “I AM” ®
[MS1022]. Bryan, Gerald Barbee 1893. Psychic Dictatorship in America. Los Angeles, CA: Truth Research Publications, 1940. 255 pages. An expose of the I AM movement…
At the core of the book is “Chapter 14: Documentary Evidence of Plagerism.” This chapter quite convincingly demonstrates that much of the writing of the movement’s founder, Guy Ballard, is taken form the writings of others, including much material from the classic 1880’s Mount Shasta book, A Dweller on Two Planets, and the 1894 book Brother of the Third Degree by Will L. Carver. Side by side quotations are given. The author also refers to the 1929 The Prince of Atlantis, by Lillian E. Roy, and as well to works by William Pelley, Baird T. Spalding, Marie Corelli, David Anrias, Annie Besant, H.K. Challoner, and others which appear to be sources for the Ballards teachings. The author also wrote another set of publications, “The Source of the Ballard Teachings” and “The Ballard Saint Germain” to which he refers the reader. The author was particularly upset that the Ballards did not acknowledge their sources, and felt that a deception was at hand.
[MS480]. Clampett, R. S. The Mighty ‘I Am! What is It? Sect Attracts 400,000. In: San Francisco Examiner. San Francisco, Calif.: Feb. 14 and 15, 1938. p. 13/p. 14. A report of visiting a San Francisco lecture given by Mr. and Mrs. G. W. Ballard, founders of the I AM movement. The author describes the Ballards and their “Mighty I AM” teachings, and quotes from their speeches. Mentions several times the call for a “wall of Blue Flame” to be put around America, to make the country invincible to the aggression forming in Japan and Europe. 17. Legends: Ascended Masters. [MS480].
That last one would probably have been funded as a Defense Research Project had it been submitted to the right Right General managing recent purportedly Christian war efforts.
OMG! That’s what Star Wars was supposed to be! Jeebus & Pals Defend America with “wall of Blue Flame” - the Blue Laser Shield In The Sky ®
[MS993]. Mystical Mount Shasta Series. videorecording. KCPM TV. Crancer, John. Chico, Calif.: 1987. 17 minutes One videocassette, VHS format. [COS Media Center #VC-67-004] Aired May 18-May 22, 1987. A five-part series.
Part 1 (3:08 mins.): Bell legends; Space Brotherhood; Lemurian legends; discussion by Lena Baker.
Part 2 (3:16 mins.): Lemurian Legend; interview with Peter Mt. Shasta concerning the physical and etheric bodies of the ‘Masters.’
Part 3 (3:16 mins.): Guy Ballard story; on-site Shasta Springs I AM ‘Heart of Heaven’ sanctuary interview with managers Jane and Paul Chabot; I AM reading room; video footage of the I AM Pagent.
Part 4 (3:42 mins.): Association Sananda and Sanat Kumara, and Sister Thedra; meaning of Sananda, and of Sanat Kumara; Space Beings; Channeling; the Gate House.
Part 5 (4:42 mins.): Metaphysical ideas; Lena Baker on the need to reach a higher level of evolution; Peter Mt. Shasta on the natural desire to become like the ‘Masters.’ 29. Audiovisual Materials. [MS993].
Beliefs that can cause illness or death
An excellent reference for this topic is the site What’s The Harm?
Warning: Harcore Zen is chock full of offensive language and cultists insulting one another.
To summarize:
A Breatharian is one who follows a diet in which no food (and possibly no water) is consumed. Breatharians claim that they are sustained by ‘light energy’ (or prana) alone, and that this ‘diet’ is an option for anybody, once the proper techniques for accessing it are made known…
The well-publicized deaths of Verity Linn and Lani Marcia Roslyn Morris whilst attempting to enter the breatharian “diet” have drawn further criticism of the movement.
The breatharian movement also suffered a credibility blow some years ago when another of its leading lights, Wiley Brooks, was caught sneaking into a hotel and ordering a chicken pie.
The delusional idea that one can “transcend” the “physical plane,” and “ascend,” leaving no corpse behind, is alarmingly similar and also may result in death. H. died after a long illlness, without seeking medical attention, convinced of her place among the “ascended masters,” an “eternal being of light.”
Also found among the wreckage at Hardcore Zen is a refutation of Scientology… and documents and photos certain people do not want you to see. For your amusement.
An Anonymous Scientologist said… [elided] … and Neural_Cognition replied on Hardcore Zen: [following links are safe]
“Good Gawd! … 75,000,000 years. One’s body is… thetans stuck to oneself or to the body. One has to clean them off by running incident II and Incident I. It is a long job, requiring care, patience and good auditing. They respond like any preclear. Thetans believe they are Sea Org. This is the primary error. You can even audit a tomato! NOTS”
Perhaps less amusing is Mike O’Connor’s analysis of Scientology’s claims:
To me, NOTs 34 is a significant document, I like to think of it as a companion to NOTs 22. This post might help to clarify my personal view on how the cult claims to their patrons to diagnose, treat, cure, and prevent physical diseases with the help of an E-Meter device, while simultaneously claiming for legal reasons that they only handle psychosomatic illness.
I am not a lawyer, but I believe claiming to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent physical disease through E-Meter auditing is in violation of the law, and of specific court orders given to the cult itself as part of the major case over its E-Meter which it lost. I’m no expert, and
perhaps others can straighten me out on any factual errors I might make here.
Psychosomatic disease is different, in the legal sense, I believe. It’s legal for a non-MD to claim to handle psychological illness. It’s also legal to claim “faith healing” of physical illness, where having faith can cure you, I believe. But this cult doesn’t claim faith healing. It clearly and repeatedly says faith is not involved and not necessary. So let’s leave faith out of it. And I believe for legal reasons, the cult doesn’t claim medical treatment, it only claims mental treatment, which is legal.
Isn’t it lucky then, that it turns out that according to the cult, that virtually all physical illness is in fact psychosomatic! Everything from colds to allergies to blindness and nerve deafness can actually be psychosomatic! Caused by thought alone. Amazing!
I highly recommend you watch this video if you have any doubts as to the serious, delusional nature of Scientology’s tenets:
Gawker.com - The Cruise Indoctrination Video Scientology Tried To Suppress
The founders of I Am, Guy W. Ballard, Edna W. and Donald Ballard, in a case that reached the Supreme Court, facing charges of mail fraud.
The Justice’s final comments are very interesting reading as he lays out the constitutional implications in determining truth or falsity in matters of faith, and the cost of our freedoms, freedom of religion in particular. He’s very eloquent and plain-spoken about his disdain for the beliefs and claims made by the defendants, and the reason he cannot act on that disdain.
U.S. Supreme Court
Argued March 3 and 6, 1944.
Decided April 24, 1944.
‘that Guy W. Ballard, now deceased, alias Saint Germain, Jesus, George Washington, and Godfre Ray King, had been selected and thereby designated by the alleged ‘ascertained masters,’ Saint Germain, as a divine messenger; and that the words of ‘ascended masters’ and the words of the alleged divine entity, Saint Germain, would be transmitted to mankind through the medium of the said Guy W. Ballard;
‘that Guy W. Ballard, during his lifetime, and Edna W. Ballard, and Donald Ballard, by reason of their alleged high spiritual attainments and righteous conduct, had been selected as divine messengers through which the words of the alleged ‘ascended masters,’ including the alleged Saint Germain, would be communicated to mankind under the teachings commonly known as the ‘I Am’ movement;
‘that Guy W. Ballard, during his lifetime, and Edna W. Ballard and Donald Ballard had, by reason of supernatural attainments, the power to heal persons of ailments and diseases and to make well persons afflicted with any diseases, injuries, or ailments, and did falsely represent to persons intended to be defrauded that the three designated persons had the ability and power to cure persons of those diseases normally classified as curable and also of diseases which are ordinarily classified by the medical profession as being incurable diseases; and did further represent that the three designated persons had in fact cured either by the activity of one, either, or all of said persons, hundreds of persons afflicted with diseases and ailments;’
…
I should say the defendants have done just that for which they are indicted. If I might agree to their conviction without creating a precedent, I cheerfully would do so. I can see in their teachings nothing but humbug, untainted by any trace of truth. But that does not dispose of the constitutional question whether misrepresentation of religious experience or belief is prosecutable; it rather emphasizes the danger of such prosecutions.
The Ballard family claimed miraculous communication with the spirit world and supernatural power to heal the sick. They were brought to trial for mail fraud on an indictment which charged that their representations were false and that they ‘well knew’ they were false. The trial judge, obviously troubled, ruled that the court could not try whether the statements were untrue, but could inquire whether the defendants knew them to be untrue; and, if so, they could be convicted.
I find it difficult to reconcile this conclusion with our traditional religious freedoms.
In the first place, as a matter of either practice or philosophy I do not see how we can separate an issue as to what is believed from considerations as to what is believable. The most convincing proof that one believes his statements is to show that they have been true in his expe- [322 U.S. 78, 93] rience. Likewise, that one knowingly falsified is best proved by showing that what he said happened never did happen. How can the Government prove these persons knew something to be false which it cannot prove to be false? If we try religious sincerity severed from religious verity, we isolate the dispute from the very considerations which in common experience provide its most reliable answer.
In the second place, any inquiry into intellectual honesty in religion raises profound psychological problems. William James, who wrote on these matters as a scientist, reminds us that it is not theology and ceremonies which keep religion going. Its vitality is in the religious experiences of many people. ‘If you ask what these experiences are, they are conversations with the unseen, voices and visions, responses to prayer, changes of heart, deliverances from fear, inflowings of help, assurances of support, whenever certain persons set their own internal attitude in certain appropriate ways.’ 1 If religious liberty includes, as it must, the right to communicate such experiences to others, it seems to me an impossible task for juries to separate fancied ones from real ones, dreams from happenings, and hallucinations from true clairvoyance. Such experiences, like some tones and colors, have existence for one, but none at all for another. They cannot be verified to the minds of those whose field of consciousness does not include religious insight. When one comes to trial which turns on any aspect of religious belief or representation, unbelieves among his judges are likely not to understand and are almost certain not to believe him.
I should say the defendants have done just that for which they are indicted. If I might agree to their conviction without creating a precedent, I cheerfully would do so. I can see in their teachings nothing but humbug, untained by any trace of truth. But that does not dispose of the constitutional question whether misrepresentation of religious experience or belief is prosecutable; it rather emphasizes the danger of such prosecutions.
The Ballard family claimed miraculous communication with the spirit world and supernatural power to heal the sick. They were brought to trial for mail fraud on an indictment which charged that their representations were false and that they ‘well knew’ they were false. The trial judge, obviously troubled, ruled that the court could not try whether the statements were untrue, but could inquire whether the defendants knew them to be untrue; and, if so, they could be convicted.
I find it difficult to reconcile this conclusion with our traditional religious freedoms.
In the first place, as a matter of either practice or philosophy I do not see how we can separate an issue as to what is believed from considerations as to what is believable. The most convincing proof that one believes his statements is to show that they have been true in his expe- [322 U.S. 78, 93] rience. Likewise, that one knowingly falsified is best proved by showing that what he said happened never did happen. How can the Government prove these persons knew something to be false which it cannot prove to be false? If we try religious sincerity severed from religious verity, we isolate the dispute from the very considerations which in common experience provide its most reliable answer.
In the second place, any inquiry into intellectual honesty in religion raises profound psychological problems. William James, who wrote on these matters as a scientist, reminds us that it is not theology and ceremonies which keep religion going. Its vitality is in the religious experiences of many people. ‘If you ask what these experiences are, they are conversations with the unseen, voices and visions, responses to prayer, changes of heart, deliverances from fear, inflowings of help, assurances of support, whenever certain persons set their own internal attitude in certain appropriate ways.’ 1 If religious liberty includes, as it must, the right to communicate such experiences to others, it seems to me an impossible task for juries to separate fancied ones from real ones, dreams from happenings, and hallucinations from true clairvoyance. Such experiences, like some tones and colors, have existence for one, but none at all for another. They cannot be verified to the minds of those whose field of consciousness does not include religious insight. When one comes to trial which turns on any aspect of religious belief or representation, unbelieves among his judges are likely not to understand and are almost certain not to believe him.
20091125 at 17:42 
richardwalker
