Fear & Threats: Cult Techniques

From Eckankar: Illuminated Way Letters, 1966-1971, Paul Twitchell,page 94; (c) 1975 Gail Twitchell Gross

"The oldest technique of keeping the loyalty of the chela by many teachers is with fear. This is true in the methods of those teachers on the lower plane levels. Because they grow afraid of losing their chelas to a Master on the higher level, the old fear techniques will be drummed into those who desire to move away from psychic plane elements into the God planes. These threats are very common. They usually go like this:

--"If you leave me, you will get caught in the astral and won't get out."

(Twitchell in the Spiritual Notebook, pg. 196: "Within the Shariyat-Ki-Sugmad is found the quotation 'He who leaves the path of ECK, or refuses to follow it, shall dwell in the astral hells until the Master takes mercy upon him and brings him upon the path again.'"

Twitchell in Shariyat-Ki-Sugmad #2, pg. 166: "Woe be unto him if he does (resign), for it is known among those who have reached these lofty heights and witnessed the consequences of the few who have. Those few have found that spiritual decay sets in immediately, affecting the health, material life and spiritual life, and brings death more swiftly.")

--"Another cliche is: I've got the only path and if you leave it, you're in deep trouble."

(Twitchell in IWL, pg. 139: "This is a serious path and must be considered the only way to God."

Spiritual Notebook, pg. 195: "Again and again I have pointed out that there is no other path than ECK. It is the original source from which all things spring, and anyone who tries another path is trying to start on a lower rung. It seems foolish for anyone to use his human judgment in trying to select a spiritual path for himself, when it is laid out for him to move onto the original and only path to God."

SKS 2, pg. 14: "The teachings of ECK are the pure doctrine in this world. There are no others which can reach the same level as ECK."

SKS 2, pg. 17: "Any initiate who violates the tenets of ECKANKAR will automatically be dropped out of ECK. This means that he will be put back in his spiritual unfoldment and will not have any opportunity for growth until the Mahanta, the Living ECK Master, has reinstated him."

Letters to a Chela, pg. 107: "Anyone who breaks away from ECK after receiving the initiation into ECK, will have to go through many future lives until he meets the ECK Master again and accepts him to be the Living Eck Master and surrenders to him completely." SKS 2, pg. 182: "The Mahanta, the Living ECK Master, is the only being who is eligible to make known the true path to God. All others mislead their followers, because they themselves are misled."

Twitchell, IWL, pg. 148: "They only increase their karmic debt and lay themselves open to the angers of the psychic world. A few who have left the Master and tried to put themselves in this category have eventually returned to ask for spiritual help.")

--"Another one is: I'm the true Master, and having initiated you, will be with you until the end of eternity. I'm your Master always."

(

Spiritual Notebook, page 202: It makes little difference whether the person who is interested in ECK has read only one book, has just become an initiate, or has passed through all the initiations, the ECK Master is with him constantly."

SKS 2, page 9: ""Unless one has come to the Living ECK Master and accepted him in complete faith during one's lifetime, he must serve many lives; meeting with the Mahanta during each life, searching, waiting for another golden opportunity to take up the path of ECK, and to leave this world forever.

The opportunity comes again and again for every individual Soul who has spent time in this world. The Mahanta has been with each Soul time and time again, but few accept him. They can neither see nor understand the divine glory which flows through him, which can take each into the heavenly worlds to live forever as Soul.

The rejection of the Mahanta is sad indeed, for it means that the seeker must go on looking, reaching and trying to find the heavenly path of ECK and the ECK Master who will take him into the kingdom of the SUGMAD. But he seeks in vain for there will never be anyone but the Mahanta to give him life, to give him the way to the eternal source of ALL things.")

These are a few of the techniques of fear used by most teachers of the psychic worlds. We can easily recognize them. The very fact they use such methods to hold their students shows they are afraid of losing out to a true Master. The real Master never drops any hints of reprisal to anyone who shows freedom of will and the capacity of thinking for himself."

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