People practicing the ancient art of meditation at our Sydney Gnostic Center
This post is part of a series refuting false allegations made as part of a dedicated smear campaign against The Gnostic Movement and its spiritual teacher, Belzebuub. To go to the main page on rebuffing the false allegations click here, or read the background to the smear campaign see here.
The allegations of mind control and brainwashing are wholly untrue. The Gnostic Movement does not use any sort of coercive technique or practice for shaping people’s thoughts or opinions or for limiting their independent judgment or critical thinking. In fact, it does the complete opposite. It teaches the sacred teachings of Gnostic Christianity.
The word Gnosis literally means “knowledge.” The whole basis of Gnosticism lies in the attainment of self-knowledge—as Jesus said in The Book of Thomas the Contender, it is only through knowing oneself that one can come to understand “the depth of the all,” and it is this knowledge that leads to absolute individual freedom, which is the goal of every practicing Gnostic. The principles and exercises for attaining self-knowledge are found in ancient Gnostic texts, such as in The Nag Hammadi Library, in the works of Samael Aun Weor (the founder of modern Gnosis), those of his successor Rabolu, and most recently in the teachings of Belzebuub, which are the texts taught from and studied in The Gnostic Movement. Belzebuub is the spiritual teacher of the Gnostic Movement, his authority is limited to matters of doctrine, he was voted into the position by the members and he could be voted out at any time if the members wished. The smear campaigns portrayal of him as some dictator is completely false: the maximum authority of the organization is in its members, and administrative functions are carried out by elected boards, which Belzebuub is not a member of. It’s a fully democratic organization. Mind control and brainwashing have absolutely no part in what The Gnostic Movement teaches or in the way it operates—they are in conflict with the very principles of knowledge and freedom that underpin Gnosis itself.
Gnosticism is a religion which is little known in mainstream culture; it has always been marginalized as a “heresy” and is therefore widely misunderstood. Its practices, aims, and teachings, and the way a Gnostic organization operates are not widely known, in contrast to a Church or Buddhist monastery, for example, which are generally well-understood and accepted institutions within mainstream society.
In their attempt to label our organization a “cult,” our accusers have misrepresented Gnosticism to people who know little about it. Their accusations of mind control are no more valid with respect to our organization than they would be to any other genuine religious or spiritual school.
The Ambiguous and Subjective Nature of the Term
The particular accusations of “mind control” and “brainwashing” that have been made against our organization are extremely vague. The words appear to be used casually and in a manner that suggests that it is already a generally accepted fact that The Gnostic Movement employs such techniques. The terms are almost never defined, and so in many instances it is impossible to determine what is actually meant.
In one case, Vernon makes the accusation that people are controlled by “making them to do things willingly.” This statement is a good example of how contradictory and illogical the claims of mind control are. These accusations play on the sinister and frightening “cult” stereotypes of popular culture. Because such stereotypes are well-known, those making these allegations avoid the need to provide a meaningful and psychologically credible account of how such acts of mind control supposedly take place.
Even if one tried to substantiate a case of mind control, the criteria for mind control—as commonly defined by adherents of “mind control” theory—are sufficiently broad and ambiguous as to be convenient catch-alls: all-encompassing categories that can be easily matched up with innocuous practices or which can be attested to on the basis of subjective individual experience.
For example:
- Voluntary meditation practices conducted during the night can easily be misrepresented as an example of “sleep deprivation” techniques.
- The practice of chanting mantras (a spiritual technique thousands of years old still in use in many eastern religions) can be misrepresented as a form of hypnosis or repetitive mind-limiting activity.
- A religious doctrine of spiritual change and self-improvement can be misrepresented as a “rejection of values” or an effort to destabilize and undermine a person’s sense of identity.
- A person’s own subjective experience or report of any emotion can be misrepresented as systematic and deliberate “aversive emotional arousals” by others for the purpose of controlling them.
- Any guideline or standard whatsoever can be misrepresented as an attempt to “intimidate” or “threaten” a person to force compliance.
We believe such vague criteria are virtually useless as diagnostic tools for evaluating claims of “mind control.” In fact, these frameworks can easily become weapons in the hands of those seeking to limit the behavior and freedom of others.
It appears the only way to escape these criteria would be to have an organization without any structure or guidelines, without any order or formal roles, without spiritual practices of meditation or mantras, and without any spiritual doctrines promoting self-improvement of any kind. And even in this case, individuals would still only need to report a subjective experience of “peer pressure” or “aversive emotional arousal” in order to accuse such a group of mind control.
Mind Control Scientifically Rejected
Furthermore, mind control is generally not accepted from a scientific point of view. Contrary to their representations in popular culture, the concepts of “mind control” and “brainwashing” are not well-established in the psychological or sociological communities. In fact, “neither the American Psychological Association (APA) nor the American Sociological Association have found any merit in such theories.” When the APA rejected brainwashing theory in 1987, two critical letters from external reviewers accompanied the rejection memo. They criticized “brainwashing” as an unrecognized theoretical concept and the reasoning as so flawed that it was “almost ridiculous.” After that time, U.S. courts consistently rejected testimonies about mind control and manipulation, stating that such theories were not part of accepted mainline science. (Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mind_control)
How Gnosticism is Taught
One allegation related to the claim of mind control is that The Gnostic Movement hides its doctrines and fails to disclose its spiritual principles until later on its courses, at which point a student is supposedly already under the organization’s control. This allegation is demonstrably false, since The Gnostic Movement’s websites contain numerous eBooks accessible to the public, which describe the Gnostic doctrine in its entirety, including information on cosmology, heaven, hell, the path to salvation, and numerous other issues. These teachings can be accessed freely and anonymously by anyone with an internet connection.
The criticism also appears to be a question of instructional design, in that more advanced/complex topics of Gnosticism are addressed in more advanced courses. However, in this regard, Gnosticism is no different than any other course of study, which begins with more simple and introductory topics and progresses to more advanced topics. One would not learn advanced algebra in an introductory level course, and in the same manner, The Gnostic Movement’s courses are structured according to common-sense pedagogical principles.
Allegations Against Gnostic Principles
Our accusers have also taken principles which are common to most major religions, such as the requirements for those taking a formal role in the organization, the existence of hell, and the position of a spiritual teacher, and used them as the basis for asserting some kind of mind control. Here we have provided an explanation of some of these principles which we feel have been grossly misrepresented:
Religious Requirements in Gnosticism
Like other religious organizations, The Gnostic Movement sets some requirements for its members, teachers, and trainee teachers to abide by, which are actually far less strict than many mainstream religions. By becoming a trainee teacher, an individual is essentially taking the step to represent the organization, much like a priest, priestess, rabbi, imam, minister, teacher, etc. does in other religions. In doing so, they voluntarily agree to abide by certain requirements that are considered essential for the practice and dissemination of the Gnostic faith.
These requirements are not arbitrary, but were put in place explicitly by Samael Aun Weor, the founder of modern Gnosis, and are taken up willingly and by the free choice of a person who wishes to assume a formal role in our organization.
Hell as Taught in Gnosticism
The Gnostic Movement, like many religions, does study teachings (such as in the Bible and Christian Gnostic texts) which explain that hell exists and that it is possible to end up there. This is not uncommon. Other religions that teach about hell include mainstream Christianity and Islam (hell is called ‘Jahannam’ in Islam), and these major religions together constitute more than half the world’s population.
Hell-like places are also found in other traditions such as “Tartarus” in ancient Greek mythology and “Naraka” in Buddhism and Hinduism. In Gnosticism, as in early Christianity, it is through the Christ that one attains salvation.
The Role of a Spiritual Teacher in Gnosticism
Throughout history there have been spiritual teachers showing people the way to enlightenment. Many modern-day religions have leaders who occupy an elevated spiritual position. For example, Catholicism has the Pope who is considered God’s representative on earth and whose religious pronouncements are considered infallible, and Tibetan Buddhism has the Dalai Lama, which literally means, “ocean of wisdom.”
Just as other religions have a succession of spiritual leaders, the Christian Gnostics have a succession of spiritual teachers who act as guides. While the main guide for an aspirant in Gnosticism is ultimately considered to be that person’s own spiritual being within, the help of an external spiritual teacher is nonetheless well-established in the Gnostic doctrine.
In Gnosticism, the spiritual teacher provides guidance and instruction that is dynamic and responsive to the times. Indeed, becoming an enlightened spiritual teacher is the very outcome of doing the Gnostic spiritual work successfully.
The authority of the spiritual teacher is upon matters of doctrine, the highest authority in The Gnostic Movement is the assembly of its members. The members are appointed democratically by other members, they have an elected board that deals with administrative matters, the authority of the board and its president are secondary to the combined members, Belzebuub was elected as spiritual teacher by the members. We believe that we run to the highest standards of democracy. Belzebuub was the international coordinator until 2007, this was an administrative role that run like any other administrative function. Positions of authority are respected in Gnosis just as they are in any organization, such as a bank, a shop, a company, etc, it would be impossible for us to run without it.
In Gnosticism, spiritual teachers can sometimes be called “master.” This title is used as a sign of respect, acknowledging a particular level of spiritual development within the person referred to in this way, that is because a spiritual part of the person known as the spirit, Atman or Master comes within a person at a certain stage of inner development. The title ‘master’ refers to that part. It has nothing to do with the connotations the word “master” can have when associated with a worldly power or authority. It is for this reason that Belzebuub has never asked to be referred to by that term, and prefers not to be called it. But its part of the Gnostic tradition so its use has continued. A Gnostic spiritual teacher has no organizational or spiritual authority nor wish to force anyone to do anything against their will.
Furthermore, modern Gnostic teachers never claim to be teaching their “own” spiritual way to enlightenment. They teach a way that has always existed in Gnosticism, and which has standards and requirements that have remained constant, which Jesus taught about.
Belzebuub is the current spiritual teacher of The Gnostic Movement, recognized by the Gnostics for his high degree of knowledge and wisdom. The members formally elected to recognize him as their spiritual teacher as “called for by the requirements and standards of any religion or belief.” This right is outlined in article 6 (g) of the Declaration on the Elimination of All Forms of Intolerance and of Discrimination Based on Religion or Belief passed by the General Assembly of the United Nations.
Conclusion
The principles of Gnosticism are taught openly by The Gnostic Movement, as it is our religious right to do. They are no secret; they are detailed in numerous works by the modern Gnostic teachers Samael Aun Weor, Rabolu, and Belzebuub, many of which are freely available online. The Gnostic Movement is clearly a Gnostic organization, as is advertised in all its websites, courses, and centers. Gnosticism is a religion in the truest sense of the word, and in many ways it operates little differently to other mainstream denominations. Just because it is a religion that is small in number does not mean that it is not genuine. Gnostics have the same rights that are afforded to adherents of any other faith, and that includes the right to experience divinity and to teach others about it free of the intolerance and stigma perpetuated by the use of the terms “mind control” and “brainwashing.”
This post is very important I think. Thanks for taking the time to put it together.
I came across The Gnostic Movement’s courses and Belzebuub’s books back in 2006. As the above article says I was free to access ebooks of Samaels ‘advanced’ topics at any time.
From my perspective the courses were structured really well. I went through the astral travel and dreams course and learnt to astral project, wake up in dreams, learn from my dreams and get spiritual teachings in the astral plane. It was emphasized that astral projection is just part of a wider spiritual work towards attaining salvation.
I then did the Self-Discovery course. It taught more about how to understand my own psychology and the benefits spoke for themselves. I broke free of depression, became less agitated, gained more astral experiences, began getting along with my family better and getting into less arguments with my mates.
These courses laid a great foundation for me to get my own spiritual experiences out of the body and get an understanding of my own psychology in a way that only I could.
I then read Belzebuub’s book Secret Knowledge, Hidden Wisdom. It struck a chord with me and I received teachings in the astral related to some of the topics. I practiced the techniques just as I did in the previous courses and again found them to be of enormous benefit. It was totally up to me if I took my experience with The Gnostic Movement further, there was never any pressure from anyone to keep attending, to help out or anything like that.
The allegations of mind control are ridiculous and unfounded and just plain sad.
That’s a good point Dean. They make it seem like people are getting ‘dragged’ into this, but I see it much more as like a springboard to get real experience and wisdom about life. I’ve known a few people that felt ‘dragged’ into Gnosis, and they didn’t like it, and left. The Gnostics I know that stuck around have enjoyed the practices, and have used them actively, because they want to, not because anyone told them to. When that happens, experiences happen, and spiritual progress, and that’s really exciting and encouraging. If someone tells you to do or not do it, it doesn’t matter, because you’ve got your own goals and use the practices to meet them.
In a way, I think Gnosticism is a lot more individualistic than many other spiritual groups out there, and I’ve seen a lot of respect for individual freedom that I haven’t in more common-place settings and groups.
This is a really great article, and when I read it, it makes the claims about mind control seem more than ‘almost ridiculous’, it’s just not common-sense! As the saying goes, “common-sense is not so common”.
I’ll give my two cents here, if you’re willing to listen to a “brainwashed cult member” who’s lost the capacity for critical thinking that is
I’ll just give myself a quick rinse with my special cult formula brainwashing shampoo and get down to it…
The claims we are being brainwashed are a naked attempt to deny us fundamental human rights by claiming we are incapable of exercising basic human functions such as thinking for ourselves. Once we are labelled brainwashed or “mind control” “victims” we are rendered subhumans incapable of choosing a religion for ourselves and freely exercising rights normally accorded to everyone. Under such reasoning, it is morally justifiable to violate our free will, since we are considered incapable of exercising it anyway… or so the theory goes.
Nifty and somewhat Machiavellian rationalisation isn’t it?
Personally I find this a degrading, condescending and odious concept. It is the ones who subscribe to such nonsense who are actually trying to “control” others, by taking away our freedom of choice.
The mind control theory sounds to me like it was borrowed from a B grade science fiction dystopian paperback.
Like others have said, I was so happy to discover Gnosis and the teachings of Belzebuub, it has enriched my life so much. I’m in The Gnostic Movement becasue I choose to be, and practice Gnosis because I genuinely want to and find great worth in this. If I no longer found this beneficial I would leave as some others have done, and can do so freely at any time.
I wish that people could just respect the choices those of us participating in The Gnostic Movement have made. But I find the claims I am some kind of of brainwashed “victim” incapable of making adult choices a disdainful way to be looked down on. It’s almost as if some people treat spiritual devotion like some kind of infectious disease that needs to be cured or forcefully corrected, and I find that attitude very concerning.
lol Matthew!
Jokes aside, I think you’re making some very good points here. It’s interesting how some people want to force others into their views, even through manipulation and deceit, all in the name of saving the “brainwashed” from the views they’ve chosen to adopt… Honestly, all you have to do is look at history to see the outcome of such actions.
Very well said Matthew.
There are so many ways that the finger pointers are guilty of their own accusations. This site is doing a great job of clarifying this for me.
Matthew,
You’ve said it so well.. And I really feel what you feel as well.
I don’t particularly appreciate being called and labelled a brainwashed “victim” either, especially when I made my spiritual choice as a full grown adult, married and educated woman, AND it was not imposed to me since birth to believe in a certain credos………..
I truly echo what you say Matthew:
I wish that people could just respect the choices those of us participating in The Gnostic Movement have made. But I find the claims I am some kind of of brainwashed “victim” incapable of making adult choices a disdainful way to be looked down on. It’s almost as if some people treat spiritual devotion like some kind of infectious disease that needs to be cured or forcefully corrected, and I find that attitude very concerning.
This post certainly rings true with me too. I originally came to The Gnostic Movement’s courses along with a large group of friends many years ago, and we were definitely not “brainwashed” by anybody. I took up the practices and implemented the Gnostic teachings into my life, and eventually, some of us also decided to take the teachers training course so that we too could pass on these teachings to anyone interested. Since then, the large majority of the people who started around the same time as I did have moved on to other things in their lives, while a handful of us remain as active participants in the organization.
As a teacher, there’s no sense of trying to “convince” anyone or “making” anyone to believe what I believe, practice what I practice, etc.; rather, we offer the information to those interested in receiving it, and I use my experience to help others learn how to practise Gnosticism if they wish to. Really, any claims to the contrary are completely off.
“people are controlled by “making them to do things willingly”.” – that’s the highlight of this article for me!
It seems like certainly if someone was to follow this criteria for “mind control”, it would be impossible to do anything in this world. Some of this criteria could easily apply to the work rules at my job down to the way I’d raise my children… I really think people need to take responsibility for their choices here and exercise sound judgement and common sense, rather than imply they’ve been forced into doing something they now reject through the use of “mind control”.
Thank you very much for letting the truth be known through this blog.
My personal experience is that I started Gnosis in 1999 and I’m currently a member/teacher whereby I’ve been involved in most areas within the Movement. When I first started these teachings my main goal was to ensure that this group was not some sort of ‘cult’.
I worked my way through the courses until becoming a member during which time I studied all areas of our doctrine, and developed a close relationship with most members including Mark and Edith.
As an independent, down to earth person with a family and my own business, the allegations of mind control and brainwashing are completely false. Such nonsense is not a part of, nor to be found within The Gnostic Movement. As such these allegations are causing nothing but harm to our organisation and those within it who a striving to find peace within and help others to do so too.
Former students are also calling us ‘puppets’, and other sorts of ridiculous and offensive names, claiming that we are controlled and brainwashed by Mark. Again, this is utterly absurd and very disturbing.
As mentioned in the blog we are also ridiculed for addressing Mark as ‘Master’. This is also another example of the nonsense being spread. There is nothing wrong with showing Mark the respect that he well deserves by addressing him in this way if one feels they want to do so. As mentioned, The Gnostic Movement is not the only group that use such terminology. As an example, prior to gnosis I was a karate instructor for some time and my students would address me as Sensei (the English translation for this Japanese word is ‘Master’), which is completely acceptable and normal to society.
Yet again, I’m stunned at how low some individuals will go to spread deception and breed malice but I have faith that the truth will prevail.
This is another excellent article, thanks for posting.
My experience was that when I found Gnosis I took baby steps, and carefully scrutinized everything in an effort to understand the ulterior motives of Samael Aun Weor, Belzebuub, and everyone I came into contact with in the organization. I wanted to know if these people were “getting something” out of the doctrine they shared, but all I found was practical exercises that lead to the truth.
There is no mind control here–the only people who say things like that are in my view looking for a way to put down and ridicule something that didn’t work out for them. I personally think it’s a classic bully tactic, and anyone who’s ever witnessed a bully in action can probably recognize it for what it is.
Thank you for this article. It is strange to see accusations like this against people in the Movement. This whole thing is just ridiculous. It lacks common sense.
It is sad to see people that once were eager to help and to progress through the Gnostic methods and techniques now having such ill intentions, betraying what I see as the most precious part of their lives and at the same time claiming that these absurd claims are part of their good intentions to “save” others.
Friends that were once united to do good now come together to harm the truth inside them and outside of them.
When I first came to The Gnostic Movement I wasn’t really interested in the movement as a whole. I just had come to do the practices. As I became more and more interested in the practices and especially, the results from them, I began to see how amazing they really are. Since I wanted more information I naturally picked up the books from modern Gnostic author Mark H Pritchard and carefully went over all of the information. Naturally, I had my doubts about everything and anything but one of the truly amazing things about Gnosis is that the teachings are meant for you to try for yourself and see what results you can achieve. I remember in some of the first classes I took being told, ‘Don’t take my word for it, just try it for yourself.’ If that’s mind control, well it’s pretty backwards. I had so many different doubts in the beginning but I took it upon myself to put them aside and try the practices and I was able to discover the truth for myself, by myself, which is something in itself very gratifying.
Awesome article! Interesting how mind control / brainwashing theories are considered false.. but even if they had any validity to them, my experience with Gnostic practices and The Gnostic Movement have if anything lessened any kind of “mind control” – the sort of mind control that ordinary mundane life has upon us with all its distractions, consumerism, conflicts, etc. etc.
Through Gnosis I have been able to understand what sort of grip negative emotions can have and actually get free of them, so it has mean freedom from control!
All the other points in the article about the operation of the organization itself is spot on. Gnosticism as a religion is much more liberating than what I have seen of mainstream religions, but I think the fact that it is so small is how people can label it as a ‘cult’ and get away with it.
i love this
Thanks for the clearing up the misconceptions that others are trying to spread.
This article hits the nail on the head and addresses the farcical claims of ‘mind control’ with common sense and intelligence. Here’s hoping that many others can see through the veil of tyranny and lies that those consumed by hate are trying to spread.
Well done and well put!