How To Recognize Spiritual Abuse
Even with what I’ve been writing about over the last few weeks, I still believe in the power of personal development and spiritual growth.
I still believe we’re in this earthly experience to consciously know our soul nature more than our fear-based nature.
I don’t want to overcorrect in the opposite direction by abandoning anything that has to do with spiritual growth.
And I don’t want to deter you from spiritual growth either.
However, I do want you to feel safe in embarking on a process like this by arming you with the insights I’ve gleaned from looking into this over the last few weeks, regarding where things went wrong with respect to applying the teachings.
There’s still no guarantee this can fully protect you from being conned by a master manipulator but, at least, you’ll be armed with some key signs to look for.
What I observed (and can see in my own journey) is when you enter these teachings for the first time you don’t have a reference point for them so, to proceed, you end up having to place faith in both the teachings and the teacher.
…
KEEP READINGAt What Point is Influence Considered Negative?
I’ve been thinking about what to say and share this week.
My hesitation in sharing a specific message is due to a hyper focus on the power of influence, given all I’ve talked about in my last two blogs.
Essentially Bentinho Massaro is being called out for his influence over others based on his messaging and his agreed upon position of authority in his community. This has been deemed a cult by whistleblowers and outsiders alike.
I don’t fancy myself an “influencer” (nor do I have a social media following that would be anywhere near saying I was one), but my whole point in showing up here and on social media is to share messages regarding how I see the world in hopes it serves you in your journey.
This is sharing a message intended to influence how you see yourself, the world, life, etc. Granted, I give you the space to resonate with it or not.
Influence is more available than ever in today’s world. The question is, “at what point does it become unhealthy?”
In other words, at what point is it considered “cult-like” in a way that’s safe to partake in or an actual cult that’s …
No One Knowingly Joins A Cult: Know What Signs To Look For
This week’s blog is still related to what I shared last week regarding no longer seeing spiritual teacher, Bentinho Massaro, as a being who is balanced in love and wisdom (something I believed for over six years).
In the podcast where the whistleblowers came forward, the two hosts use an analogy of putting discrepancies from what you believe about someone or an organization on a shelf before something occurs that finally causes your metaphorical shelf to crash.
I’m sharing the process of my “shelf” crashing as well as what I’ve learned about how things of this nature build momentum and are able to go unnoticed or undiscovered for so long in hopes that these insights serve you should you ever encounter a similar scenario (I hope you don’t, but it seems these things are not as rare as I once thought).
There were a handful of one off things that occurred over the years I followed Bentinho’s work that didn’t point to the blatant behavior the whistleblowers revealed, but now jump out supporting what they shared as indicators of him not only failing to be balanced between love and wisdom but further …
I Never Thought I’d Be Sharing This…
This week’s blog is more of a PSA.
It’s come to light this past week that a spiritual teacher I truly respected (and have referenced in my work) is not who I perceived him to be when he’s behind the scenes with the people in his inner circle (four have come forward as whistleblowers on his behavior and I trust what they’ve shared).
Ultimately, I do not think his teachings of the direct path are wrong as they are not his own and I’ve learned them through other sources, so I’m not discounting the teachings I’ve referenced/shared but my eyes have been significantly opened to how this information in the hands of someone without a pure intent to help, sets up some pretty scary teacher-student dynamics (as evidenced in the whistleblowers’ accounts of their time with him).
I’m sharing today that I no longer support or endorse Bentinho Massaro as a teacher or a being who is balanced in love and wisdom.
I personally feel removed from that part of his expression since I was never around him or his community in person. But it still feels weird that something like this hit …
Previous Entries
