Thursday, February 28, 2013

Kyra, Aren't You Preaching to the Choir?

Since I first started posting skeptical information about various gurus, I have been repeatedly confronted with comments like the following:
I AGREE with you that many of these self-styled, self-help gurus are primarily interested in helping themselves and find your cynicism well placed in that regard but ask "Aren't you preaching to the choir here? I mean, it is despicable for charlatans to raise false hope while divesting their followers but on the other hand if the undelying grain of truth that thees folks dress in all manner of hogwash is enough to pull a few tortured souls on to peace isn't it just as well to let them. The ones who believe wont stop on your word and the ones who already don't well they don't really need your help to see their point of view any clearer...do they? - James Cook (02/26/2013)
I have answered this question, in its myriad of forms, since the first day I began posting in October of 2010, so I would like to state my answer clearly, and emphatically, in this post so that I can link to it for anyone who might be confused in the future.

When I began blogging, I had no desire to pull anyone out of their belief in any guru. It's not that I didn't want to help them. It's that I didn't believe it was possible, because I knew how stubborn I was when I was using the teachings of my various new age gurus. So...why did I decide to post this information, if not to sway people away from these gurus? There were really two groups I was reaching out to:
  • People who were questioning. When I first started questioning the teachings of various gurus, I spent a lot of time looking for well-researched, critical information, but I found very little. As I started to find the information, I wanted it to be easily available for those who were in a place like I was, questioning and trying to find out more.
  • People who had just encountered the teachings. There are so many people who are handed the discussed gurus' books through the recommendations of friends, family members, counselors, etc. Many of these people go home and do Google searches to research them, but they only find sites and blogs created by dedicated followers. I wanted them to have another perspective available to them, one that would hopefully help them in deciding whether or not they thought one of these gurus were right for them.
Based on the emails that I get, I can tell that I successfully have reached out to both these groups. That was my goal, and I consider it a success.

3 comments:

  1. Great to hear you post. So many people I have met in the last couple of years within our own "group" at a center that was finally started need the voice of others as yourself when they get to the point of wondering what is wrong with them that they are not "manifesting" this perfect life that seems a given to others. Basically, "others" lie about how well it all works. We are all human and that is the only fact I live by plus the things that I have learned that worked in my life. Our group is big on the Abe stuff and I chuckle now as much of what I have seen in the continuing education is getting back to a real basic teaching. again. I'm 60 now and have been reading, listening, hearing, understanding this "new age" stuff since my twentys. Think I've about heard it all wrapped in many different coats. Thank you for being out here and expressing yourself. You have a couple really good reasons. Hugs

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  2. Nice to see something fresh from you, Kyra. As the result of your efforts, those hooked on Esther Hicks/Abraham have diminished substantially in number. For the first time ever, they are groveling for people to invest in a cruise only weeks before departure.

    While it's accurate to assume that true-believers will stick like glue, no matter what logic confronts them and that studies have shown that cult followers typically double down in defense when confronted with the truth, the many who are not so hooked and who are inclined to investigate have, at least, an alternate opinion to hear from.

    Good luck and good to see your new entry come up.

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  3. Kyra,

    I've been perusing your blog and you make some really points. The one point I agree with you is how Abraham-Hick tends to push *changing our thoughts* as a method of curing all medical illness. I listened to a lot of their lectures, and this is the impression I got from them, and like you write, it is misleading.

    It's easy to use the Abraham teachings, and their associated processes, as a method to forgoe medical advice. Most of the followers of the teachings seem to have such a negative view of Western Medicine, and if you pursue it, it often means you are not a good Abe for not creating your reality appropirate to avoid that type of creation.

    I might be stepping my boundaries a bit, but I can't help but wonder if Esther is walking the line of giving medical advice, as Abraham, without a license?

    When people go to Abraham and mention they have arthritis, mental illness, cancer, or some other health disorder, the standard reply is that there is some emotional component with the disease (which on the side note I can agree with) however their discussion always seem to say 'You can fix it if you change the direction of how you think and feel.' I always get this impression from them to avoid medicine. For example, take that bottle of allow, instead that bottle of asperin, has been this standard reply for headaches, or another medication to deal with a body problem.

    I think it's even worse to tell someone to pursue medicine only if it's downstream, because often a sick person may need medicine but try to use "You create your reality with your thoughts" as another wy to cure their illness, and choose that route, becuase it might seem to be better, but it's not.

    What about people who take this stance, which is a very commons stance for a lot of people who follow new age teachings, and forge medical treatement, because the channel Abraham told them not too?

    I think Abraham maybe walking a fine line here.

    Samantha

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