According to ex-members, Swami Rama often acts in ways his disciples find humiliating, but they tell each other he is humbling their stubborn egos to help them reach enlightenment faster. On January 24 of that year, a jury awarded $15,000 in actual damages and $50,000 in punitive damages to Barbara Marston, who had sued psychologist Philip Nuernberger for engaging in "sexually intimate behavior" with her during therapy sessions. Karen, the woman whose claims were ridiculed at the meeting where Swami Rama and the other directors responded to Brian's charges, was one of the first ex-members to confront top Institute administrators. He told her to lie to the residential program director and say that she planned to visit a relative, and he gave her $100 to cover the cost of the trip. The Himalayan Institute publishes over 60 titles on yoga, spirituality, and holistic health, including the best-selling Living with the Himalayan Masters by Swami Rama and Yoga: Mastering the Basics by Sandra Anderson and Rolf Sovik. Carolyn stayed at the Institute for three more years, working at a variety of jobs. Two other women left the Institute shortly afterwards. We combine extraordinary spaces, systematic yoga practice, and a conscious community to create experiences that leave you inspired and empowered to live your best life. Many of Swami Rama's followers are still young and nave, unskilled in comprehending and interpreting their own "inner experience"-and they entrust their spiritual yearnings to his care. He would call her to his office for a private audience, and as she hung anxiously on his words he would paint a flattering picture of her future with the Institute. Swami Rama allegedly told her, the couple remembers, that if she screamed no one would hear her, and even if they heard, no one would believe her. She says he arranged for her to meet him at the Gramercy Park Hotel and instructed her not to call him Swami in public. He explains that Nuernberger was just a graduate student, inexperienced and lacking in professional judgment, when the incident with Marston occurred: "At a time when he was learning to be a therapist and thought that someone is asking for you to reach out, you reach out and you touch them and you let them see your feelings, and I think that was very bad." The accumulated testimony of their personal experiences through the years exhibits a pattern typical of "sex in the forbidden zone," coupled with institutional mechanisms of defense and denial. The program seemed to provide the ideal family she'd never had, where everyone shared her values and spiritual goals. He laughed, Megan says, and told her that the women didn't know what they were weeding. The original creator of the neti pot, the Himalayan Institute has been offering traditional and modern products for health and spirituality since 1971. Yet the women never seemed to complain about such treatment, Megan says. He says it is a relationship that goes beyond religions, the purest relationship possible, "the relationship of water flowing from a hill and filling a hollow at the bottom-the hollow has nothing to give in return, but only to accept that grace in gratitude. She was feeling so disgusted with her body and afraid of the guru's humiliating comments that one night she couldn't face going to his room, she says. Expert wellness consultations direct to your home. Although the jury entered a judgment against Nuernberger, it also found that the clinic was not liable for his actions, so Williams failed to recover damages. She says he instructed her in how to give him pleasure and admonished her to always tell him that she had received pleasure, even thought she never did. Under New York State law, according to Trescelli, a woman who does not get a medical exam or report the incident to police within a limited period of time has little chance of obtaining a conviction. Years later, Carolyn told me that four years of discipleship under Swami Rama had taught her to be a successful liar. Choose from 8 signature wellness retreats to help you restore balance and achieve optimum health and healing. A world leader in yoga, meditation, and holistic health, we are dedicated to serving humanity through educational, spiritual, and humanitarian programs. Those who build boundaries around themselves because of their ego problems create suffering for themselves." After he had, as she describes it, "had sex on my body," she took a blanket into the other room and slept on the floor. All of them had something to offer, but no spiritual path inspired her to make an exclusive commitment. Since the early 1970s, women have been claiming sexual abuse at the hands of this prominent spiritual teacher. From her childhood Carolyn had been steeped in Catholic faith and educated in scientific skepticism; now it seemed the Institute could help her harmonize these two seemingly contradictory ways of perceiving the world. In March 1978, she says, Swami Rama came to Glenview and initiated her. As the couple started making arrangements to move to England, they received another blow. A system that encourages such vulnerable individuals to give up their own "egotistical" judgment to the arbitrary whims of one person is one of the key features of a totalist organization, or "cult.". But it is also common in the thought-control techniques of totalitarian states. Carolyn says she experienced their sexual encounters as brief and rough, and that she performed her sexual duties mechanically: "I numbed myself in order to survive.". Who We Are; What We Do; Where We Work. Join us for studies in the true meaning of yogaincluding asana, meditation, mantra, tantra, sacred scripture, and the art of joyful living. He warns against relying too heavily on the inner voice: "When we look for the guru within, we only end up finding our own samskaras-vagaries of the unconscious mind are mistaken for directions from the superconscious. He said, "We must build a center of life which will be an important bridge between East . I told her what I'd heard, and that I wasn't sure the rumor was true-as a beginning student of yoga and meditation at the Institute's East West Books in New York City, I was reluctant to believe it myself. "I felt two-dimensional, like a piece of paper, a cunt-he didn't care about me. Similarly, a woman who had been repeatedly abused by Sri Swami Rama of The Himalayan Institute when she was 19 years old was awarded $1.9 million. Several former students of Swami Rama granted interviews to Patricia Ann Darling, Ph. Things are moving quickly now in the sex scandal involving the three oldest sons of Steven Anderson of Tempe, Arizona's favorite SPLC hate group Faithful Word Baptist Church. Maybe it's an honor that this great yogi asked me of all his students to serve him in this way. ALL NEW! He is also head of the Institute's Holistic Studies (formerly Eastern Studies) program and has written a number of scholarly books on yoga philosophy. So far, none of their attempts to communicate their experiences has been met by official Institute willingness to investigate their charges. The core of HIs service mission relies on a community of volunteers and karma yogis, and the generosity of its members and donors to fulfill its mission. Himalayan Institute Humanitarian is a 501(c)(3) public charity supporting the educational and charitable projects of the Himalayan Institute. HIT ranked 39 th under Best Hotel Management Colleges in All India by The Week 2022.; HIT ranked 23rd under Top Private Hotel Management Colleges in All India and 11 th in North Zone by The Week 2022.; HIT is ranked as one of the most preferred Hotel Management Colleges . Megan went through a brief but painful and confusing time during which she doubted her own feelings and perceptions. Patricia Trescelli, and attorney with Parker, Chapin, Flattau, and Klimpel, agreed to consult with the women concerning possible legal action on a pro bono basis. Finally, she obtained his permission. At some point, we ran into Swami Rama in a hallway. Sexual abuse by yoga gurus is the exploitation of the position of trust occupied by a master of any branch of yoga for personal sexual pleasure. Enrich your practice through the wisdom of the Himalayan Tradition, found in our online community and digital library, with new content added every week. The Himalayan Institute of Yoga Science and Philosophy is an international non-profit organization, which promotes yoga and holistic health through yoga retreats, residential programs, health products and services, media publications including Yoga International magazine, and humanitarian projects.The institute's main campus is located on (1.6 km 2) in the Pocono Mountains of northeastern . That is, an on-going pattern of power abuse within the guru/student relationship. After dismissing the other workers, she says he repeated the familiar litany, but this time he slipped in a new message. There he founded the Meditation Center. In daily lectures by the Institute's teachers and in conversation with Swami Rama's disciples, she frequently heard that Swami Rama had a "greater purpose that we couldn't understand," and that he was "beyond morality and judgment. His disciples believe he knows them better than they know themselves, and that if they want to achieve their spiritual goals they should do exactly as he says. Before leaving, Megan says, she tried to confront Swami Rama publicly-but he went into seclusion, claiming illness. A rash of articles featuring Swami Rama appeared in national magazines, including Time, People, and Playboy. Quick Links. Our new online platform for community, courses, and content. We combine extraordinary spaces, systematic yoga practice, and a conscious community to create experiences that leave you inspired and empowered to live your best life. A few weeks later she moved to Honesdale. Most of the former members of the Institute who agreed to be interviewed for this article were also afraid to have their identities revealed; they appear under pseudonyms, marked with an asterisk. Brian didn't believe his teacher, and he spoke with several other Institute administrators and board members about Rose's claim of abuse. She recalls that he would repeat a series of affirmations and commands in a hypnotic monotone: She had done very well organizing the book distribution operation, Carolyn says he would tell her. Megan recalls that in one of her first encounters with Swami Rama, she watched as he humiliated a quiet, withdrawn woman resident. That day Rose returned to New York City, and within 48 hours she had quit her job and gone to stay with a friend in Texas. where I lived for almost 8 years studying and teaching yoga and holistic health. According to the story Terry and Brian say Rose later told them, late one night Swami Rama tapped at the door of her room and then walked in on her. As Rutter explains in his book, a sexual relationship between a man in a position of power-doctor, psychologist, mentor, or priest-and a woman who is dependent on him-as patient, student, client, or troubled soul-almost always involves an element of coercion and a betrayal of trust. Now Carolyn is more articulate: "When I finally start listening to myself, and I tell him I know he's sleeping with other women-and this is the man I came to, to help me learn how to listen to my inner voice, and then he tells me not to listen to it just as I'm starting to get some confidence in it-that's when I realized, this isn't yoga, this isn't truth, this is abuse.". He is held accountable only to the higher spiritual laws, which he is uniquely able to comprehend. Surrender only leads to enlightenment if the "guru within" is strong and well developed. Like incest victims, women who say they have been sexually abused by their gurus are sworn to silence by their abusers. Karen and George say their friends told them that the woman had been pressured to have sex with Swami Rama even after their marriage, which the guru had arranged. Carolyn walked up to the cabin, she says, where after a brief minute spent leafing through her work, the guru asked her in a low voice for a meeting later that night. Expert wellness consultations direct to your home. The teachings contained in the sacred texts cannot play any meaningful part in judging who is a good guru and who is not: "How could they? She believes Swami Rama was trying to buy her collusion, as he had bought the collusion of the Institute's staff and many residents. The guru spoiled them, they say, calling them his spiritual son and daughter, and soon invited them to come live in Pennsylvania. He told her he was writing a book of poetry for her, and he offered to find her a husband. Ag Innovation Center Business Plan. My father certainly had sex, and that's why I was born, so will I lose faith in my father? Or, in the words of Rudolph Ballentine, M.D., president of the Himalayan Institute and Swami Rama's designated successor, "to take the wisdom of the ancients and couch it in terms that are intelligible to modern man.". What Ballentine does not mention is that a second jury judged Nuernberger guilty of unprofessional conduct in his treatment of Nancy E. Williams, another former client, on February 17, 1981. She loved him like "a second father," she says, "and the real tragedy is that this is how our relationship ended. Publications Health Products Explore high-quality, unique, practice-enhancing products made for yogis everywhere. Ex-members say that Swami Rama also uses his psychological insights to manipulate people. According to Marston's attorney, Philip W. Getts, his client never recovered the $50,000 in punitive damages Nuernberger owed her, because Pennsylvania is one of the few states that does not allow the court to garnish wages. She remembers that Swami Rama received love letters from several women; one of two of them even mentioned "your child." Now she says that those who have allowed the abuses to continue unchecked are responsible for destroying the Institute's integrity. Study Online Himalayan Institute locations 3.6 Honesdale, PA Show all locations What's being discussed at Himalayan Institute? By 1977, the Institute was able to purchase the Honesdale ashram, a former Catholic seminary in the rural Pocono Mountains, which now houses more than 100 residents and guests. During this spiel, she says, he put his hand on her buttocks, but she told him she wasn't buying it. Check our website! The two women who wrote statements for the Cult Awareness Movement were among those involved: One stated that she was a patient at the Institute's holistic health center in New York City, and the other stated she was 17 years old when Swami Rama initiated a sexual relationship with her. Community, Courses, and Content. She says he told her to finish her college degree at the University of Scranton while remaining at the Institute. He rapidly attracted a following that included many graduate and professional students. Our Honesdale campus continues to be home to a service-driven community of yogis, volunteers, and faculty-in-residence. After she had lived in Honesdale for a year, Swami Rama started promising to make her his appointments secretary. The women's fears have aborted projects intended to expose possible exploitation to a wider audience. When they have contacted their friends and former colleagues at the Institute, they have been discounted as liars or labeled "emotionally disturbed." Here is her report. He also sent out a letter resigning from the board. In many ways, the Institute's austere structure is designed to appeal to the personality that yearns for what psychiatrist Robert J. Lifton calls a "totalist" environment, where virtually every aspect of one's life is subject to external control. Rajmani explains the basic goals of the Institute's tradition of yoga: "The most important part of the practice is nonattachment." Had anyone spoken to her? Impact of Accreditation Sanctions on Enrollment. His response: "Listen, there are certain things which are based on witnesses-those are facts. Brian, who was a member of the Institute board of directors and a major financial contributor, says he confronted Swami Rama shortly after Rose contacted him and told him what had happened-but the guru said Rose had seduced him. The Himalayan Institute is a good a good model on how to do a resort perfect. It is sad for him, and for those who cared and were so deeply hurt by him, that his behavior has been allowed to continue with such devastating results to people just looking for help." For a time, she says, she considered getting a pistol to carry to work. The Institute used to offer an accredited masters program in Eastern Studies and Comparative Psychology through an affiliation with the University of Scranton. Our various programms address all aspects of a meditator's life because all of life has an effect on meditation. himalayan institute of modern arts & learning (HIMAL) Giving back through life-changing experiences. At the same time as he dismissed her, Swami Rama also gave her a Sanskrit name. Brian says he refused to tell Rose's story in such an atmosphere. Carolyn says she spent years blaming herself and trying to rationalize away what she now regards as sexual abuse. Together we ate superb vegetarian meals in the Institute's dining commons and chanted evening prayers. At that, she says, he raged at her until she was sobbing, unable to speak a word in her own defense: No! Once there, Carolyn devoted herself to her yoga practices and threw herself into her assigned jobs. She would start with handling the appointments and then she would make his plane reservations, scheduling lecture tours. Pandit Rajmani Tigunait is the resident spiritual director of the Honesdale ashram, as well as a member of the Institute's teaching staff. But Carolyn says she stifled her doubts about the guru, transforming them into doubts about her own selfishness: "Because I'd rationalized that he was teaching me a lesson, I believed he must be teaching other women the same lesson, and I shouldn't begrudge his attention to other students.". D., about abuses that allegedly took place in Minneapolis, Chicago, New York City, and India, for a chapter in Darling's doctoral dissertation, "Turning East in the Twin Cities: Converts and Movements in the 1970s" (University of Minnesota, 1987). Pandit Rajmani says he also has concrete reasons to know that Swami Rama could not be sleeping with his disciples. And Carolyn's residential Program supervisor told her that the scandal was "a big test for all of us and a cleansing for the Institute-we'll see who stays.". A time, she watched as he dismissed her, Swami Rama in a new message goals... To communicate their experiences has been offering traditional and modern products for health and.! Familiar litany, but she told him she was n't buying it Rajmani is... Been himalayan institute scandal traditional and modern products for health and healing such treatment, Megan says and. Rama granted interviews to Patricia Ann Darling, Ph blaming herself and trying to rationalize away she... 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