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Parmartha posted an update in the group The Humaniversity: 12 years, 5 months ago
Alok, etc,
I have met at least five people who definitely should not have been exposed to Humaniversity therapy. one spends long periods in a mental hospital even now. I have also met a number of people who clearly seem to have benefited from it.
The Humaniversity may be a degree more professional now, but it clearly needs to be much more careful with its recruitment, and also some of its fundraising techniques, etc.
There was a very good reason why the old Sufi Masters were very careful about who they accepted as disciples, and there were often pre disciple ”examinations” if you like. They turned away many.
In the case of the five I am thinking about I think they should have sought help from conventional talking therapies, etc and co-counselling and been directed there. It is also true that that the whole thing got mixed up in the past by one’s ”membership” of sannyas which also said yes to everyone. So it sometimes became like a badge of initiation to have done one of Humaniversity residential groups…. a sad reflection on the times.
This is true but I doubt Osho meant to teach social darwinism/Nazism
I agree
parmartha,
re ”therapeutic relationships which are abusive and kick the weak”
have you read ”against therapy”by jeffrey masson?
he puts forward the argument forcefully that therapy itself is exactly such an abusive relationship per se.
whilst many would agree that this has been true in the history of psychiatry,few wish to entertain this idea for all therapy….
its challenging stuff.
Thanks Frank. Heard of the book often but never took a look. Will try and find a copy. Therapy, in the way I am talking about it, is a voluntary relationship, so, as they say, it takes two to tango.
It is a very good book, if a bit dated. I tend to the opinion that one should never go to a therapist, however bad things are going. Something degrading about going to see a therapist, IMHO.
I am not really talking here about madness. There is certainly a sense in which the human condition is one of universal madness – agreed. I am talking of comparative vulnerability. I see no sense in a so-called therapeutic relationship which is abusive and kicks the weak. Such kicking is another form of weakness itself.
When you talk of ”sannyasins” I feel you do over generalise. I have met all types of people who call themselves sannyasins. They seem to me as varied as the rest of the human race.
For the record ”Sannyasnews” is NOT in buisness. It is something that Dharmen and I do, with a bit of help from a few other friends, in a sense out of love. We dont make any money, and dont look to do so. We do it voluntarily and put up any internet fees, etc, ourselves.
I visited the local mosque a few times. Hendon has a large Pakistani Muslim community. I would assess the mental health of the people I saw as good.