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Newsletter Nr. 625	
Amsterdam, October 80th, 2016


HOW I CREATED A CULT - The Story of Andrew Cohen and EnlightenNext - ALEX HOWARD AND MEAGEN GIBSON

Andrew Cohen is one of the most controversial spiritual teachers of the last 30 years. In 2013 his organization EnlightenNext collapsed amidst claims of abuse and the shocking revelation it had been a cult. This groundbreaking 6-part series features interviews with Andrew Cohen, former students including William Yenner (author of American Guru) and Marlowe Sand (author of Paradise and Promises), and commentary from experts Dr. Roger Walsh, Tami Simon, Steve McIntosh and Doshin Michael Nelson. How I Created a Cult investigates three decades of abuse, the danger of unchecked power in the hands of a charismatic leader, how this co-existed alongside stories of genuine spiritual awakening and transformation, and ultimately what happens when people risk it all in the name of spiritual awakening. (trailer copy)

Read more:
http://www.integralworld.net/conscious2-1.html


HOW WELL-MEANING, INTELLIGENT PEOPLE END UP IN A CULT - JACLYN SKURIE AND NICOLAS POLLOCK

EnlightenNext was an organization, founded by self-styled guru Andrew Cohen, that aimed to facilitate spiritual awakening. Cohen‘s most devoted students meditated for hours—at times, months—on end, were often celibate, and lived together. However, what started as an idealistic venture quickly turned into a complicated, often-sinister world that revolved around Cohen. The story of EnlightenNext‘s rise and fall begs a deeper question: How do otherwise well-intentioned and rational people end up in a cult? In this documentary, The Atlantic talks to former members, as well as Cohen himself, about their stories in order to uncover the life span of a new religious movement that, after 27 years, collapsed nearly overnight.

Read more:
http://www.integralworld.net/atlantic1.html