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The Guru Papers: Masks of Authoritarian Power
One of “the most comprehensive, erudite, and timely” explorations of power dynamics and authoritarianism in religions, institutions, relationships and even personal struggles ( San Francisco Chronicle Book Review )
Authoritarian control, which once held societies together, is now at the core of personal, social, and planetary problems, and thus a key factor in social disintegration. Authoritarianism is embedded in the way people think—hiding in culture, values, daily life, and in the very morality people try to live by.
In The Guru Papers , authors Joel Kramer and Diana Alstad unmask authoritarianism in areas such as relationships, cults, 12-step groups, religion, and contemporary morality. Chapters on addiction and love show the insidious nature of authoritarian values and ideologies in the most intimate corners of life, offering new frameworks for understanding why people get addicted and why intimacy is laden with conflict. By exposing the inner authoritarian that people use to control themselves and others, the authors show why people give up their power, and how others get and maintain it.
Authoritarian control, which once held societies together, is now at the core of personal, social, and planetary problems, and thus a key factor in social disintegration. Authoritarianism is embedded in the way people think—hiding in culture, values, daily life, and in the very morality people try to live by.
In The Guru Papers , authors Joel Kramer and Diana Alstad unmask authoritarianism in areas such as relationships, cults, 12-step groups, religion, and contemporary morality. Chapters on addiction and love show the insidious nature of authoritarian values and ideologies in the most intimate corners of life, offering new frameworks for understanding why people get addicted and why intimacy is laden with conflict. By exposing the inner authoritarian that people use to control themselves and others, the authors show why people give up their power, and how others get and maintain it.
408 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1993
72 people are currently reading
543 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 28 of 28 reviews
July 26, 2007
I found this book useful when I was attempting to understand how I had gotten myself involved in a cult-like group. The authors are very thorough in their deconstruction of the dynamics of authoritarian relationships both in spiritual groups and in society as a whole. In reading it, I gained a great deal of insight as to my own relationship to those tendencies.
September 25, 2015
I found this book inclusive. It did explore the dynamics of cults but it went deeper into the dynamics of indoctrination itself and suggested that we have all been indoctrinated in one way or another. Moreover, it realistically questioned such sacred concepts as unconditional love. If some of the more vociferous atheists and evolutionary biologists have left a void, this book fills it in the sense that it recognizes our selfishness but it also recognizes our desire to find a sense of morality and community beyond religion. And it doesn't let Eastern religions or 12-step philosophy off the hook either. It equally indicts all.
Now, if I could just find a group of people who would want to participate in a group study of this group...
Now, if I could just find a group of people who would want to participate in a group study of this group...
January 23, 2008
This book changed my life - after reading this I was finally able to let go of all my Christian guilt over my questions and doubts and move on.... what a relief it was and still is!
December 23, 2025
Jeez!
I’m finally done with this thing.
And I’m finally getting around to this review.
OK.
This is a really sprawling book.
And most of it is worth engaging.
At its core, The Guru Papers is about systems of authoritarian power.
I don’t think that was where Joel Kramer and Diana Alstad originally intended to land. My sense is that they set out to critique guru culture. But once they started pulling on the yarn of authoritarian dynamics, the whole sweater unraveled.
Kramer and Alstad argue that many guru-centered spiritual communities function as authoritarian systems.
The core problem, they suggest, is structural.
When authority is centralized in a teacher whose insight is treated as superior and beyond ordinary accountability, and while followers are encouraged—explicitly or implicitly—to surrender personal judgment.
Then some icky shit can happen.
The old adage absolute power corrupts absolutely feels especially relevant here.
Vesting almost anyone with this kind of power, status, and moral authority is nearly always a recipe for disaster—as evidenced by the long list of disasters that have emerged from guru-led communities.
Ideology and Obedience:
Kramer and Alstad observe that authoritarian guru systems rationalize and enforce obedience through spiritual ideology.
Concepts like “higher consciousness,” “enlightenment,” or “karma” are used to explain why the teacher must be trusted and why doubt is illegitimate.
Questioning is reframed as ego, resistance, or immaturity—transforming critical thinking into a moral or spiritual failure.
Again, this can seem benign on the surface.
But very often, it has disastrous effects on participants.
With this kind of thinking, you can justify almost anything.
Suppression of Dissent:
Rather than relying on overt coercion, these systems promote internalized control.
Followers learn to self-censor and to police themselves—and one another—creating conformity through social pressure.
And then the really icky groupthink, undifferentiated-ego-mass phenomenon kicks in.
Moral Immunity and Dependency:
Kramer and Alstad note that gurus are often granted moral exemptions, where boundary violations or contradictions are reinterpreted as teachings or “tests.”
At the same time, followers are encouraged to become emotionally, spiritually, or socially dependent on the teacher—reducing autonomy and increasing tolerance for harm.
And this is how the abuses happen.
Sexual.
Financial.
Emotional.
Language as Control:
The authors also emphasize the role of specialized, in-group spiritual language.
Phrases like “trust the process,” “that’s your ego,” or “let go and let God” function to shut down inquiry, restrict acceptable discourse, and protect hierarchy.
Cultish by Amanda Montell goes into the language of cults.
It’s a good (way easier) companion read to this book.
Central Conclusion:
Kramer and Alstad conclude that any spiritual system demanding unquestioning loyalty, suppressing doubt, and concentrating unaccountable authority is authoritarian—regardless of its liberatory claims.
Genuine growth, they argue, increases autonomy, discernment, and relational capacity—not dependence.
There is so much more in this book.
And, of course, none of this is limited to spiritual teachers or communities.
These dynamics show up in academia, political movements, self-help and therapy programs, and recovery communities.
The most obvious example in 2025 is Trump/MAGA and the alt-right.
But it’s equally dangerous—and stultifying—when it appears elsewhere on the political spectrum. Progressive liberalism is certainly not immune.
This is a special topic for me.
I’ve been hanging around gurus and spiritual communities, radical political movements, and peer-based recovery groups (12-step, Refuge Recovery, and others) for decades now.
While I’m exceedingly cautious about joining anything, I’ve spent enough time in these environments to recognize many of the dynamics Kramer and Alstad describe.
And yeah.
It’s a vibe.
If this area interests you, this book is a must-read.
5/5 ⭐️s
I’m finally done with this thing.
And I’m finally getting around to this review.
OK.
This is a really sprawling book.
And most of it is worth engaging.
At its core, The Guru Papers is about systems of authoritarian power.
I don’t think that was where Joel Kramer and Diana Alstad originally intended to land. My sense is that they set out to critique guru culture. But once they started pulling on the yarn of authoritarian dynamics, the whole sweater unraveled.
Kramer and Alstad argue that many guru-centered spiritual communities function as authoritarian systems.
The core problem, they suggest, is structural.
When authority is centralized in a teacher whose insight is treated as superior and beyond ordinary accountability, and while followers are encouraged—explicitly or implicitly—to surrender personal judgment.
Then some icky shit can happen.
The old adage absolute power corrupts absolutely feels especially relevant here.
Vesting almost anyone with this kind of power, status, and moral authority is nearly always a recipe for disaster—as evidenced by the long list of disasters that have emerged from guru-led communities.
Ideology and Obedience:
Kramer and Alstad observe that authoritarian guru systems rationalize and enforce obedience through spiritual ideology.
Concepts like “higher consciousness,” “enlightenment,” or “karma” are used to explain why the teacher must be trusted and why doubt is illegitimate.
Questioning is reframed as ego, resistance, or immaturity—transforming critical thinking into a moral or spiritual failure.
Again, this can seem benign on the surface.
But very often, it has disastrous effects on participants.
With this kind of thinking, you can justify almost anything.
Suppression of Dissent:
Rather than relying on overt coercion, these systems promote internalized control.
Followers learn to self-censor and to police themselves—and one another—creating conformity through social pressure.
And then the really icky groupthink, undifferentiated-ego-mass phenomenon kicks in.
Moral Immunity and Dependency:
Kramer and Alstad note that gurus are often granted moral exemptions, where boundary violations or contradictions are reinterpreted as teachings or “tests.”
At the same time, followers are encouraged to become emotionally, spiritually, or socially dependent on the teacher—reducing autonomy and increasing tolerance for harm.
And this is how the abuses happen.
Sexual.
Financial.
Emotional.
Language as Control:
The authors also emphasize the role of specialized, in-group spiritual language.
Phrases like “trust the process,” “that’s your ego,” or “let go and let God” function to shut down inquiry, restrict acceptable discourse, and protect hierarchy.
Cultish by Amanda Montell goes into the language of cults.
It’s a good (way easier) companion read to this book.
Central Conclusion:
Kramer and Alstad conclude that any spiritual system demanding unquestioning loyalty, suppressing doubt, and concentrating unaccountable authority is authoritarian—regardless of its liberatory claims.
Genuine growth, they argue, increases autonomy, discernment, and relational capacity—not dependence.
There is so much more in this book.
And, of course, none of this is limited to spiritual teachers or communities.
These dynamics show up in academia, political movements, self-help and therapy programs, and recovery communities.
The most obvious example in 2025 is Trump/MAGA and the alt-right.
But it’s equally dangerous—and stultifying—when it appears elsewhere on the political spectrum. Progressive liberalism is certainly not immune.
This is a special topic for me.
I’ve been hanging around gurus and spiritual communities, radical political movements, and peer-based recovery groups (12-step, Refuge Recovery, and others) for decades now.
While I’m exceedingly cautious about joining anything, I’ve spent enough time in these environments to recognize many of the dynamics Kramer and Alstad describe.
And yeah.
It’s a vibe.
If this area interests you, this book is a must-read.
5/5 ⭐️s
Want to read
November 30, 2010I have to read this book... some quotes of it:
"True healing can be accelerated by understanding the deep mechanisms of what happened, and of authoritarian dynamics in general. Then people can be more confident they won’t be taken in again."(p.154)
Being a guru "...creates a feedback-proof system where the guru always needs to be right and cannot be shown to be wrong - which is where learning comes from." (p.107) (No it´s not about people in management positions...)
--
"Why would even the most realized of beings want people to become reliant on his wisdom instead of their own?" (p.108)
"...Asserting that one human being fundamentally knows what’s best for another is authoritarian. If this is accepted, it sets up a chain of inevitable relational patterns that are detrimental to all players of the game."(p.36)
"Now through media images, leaders of all sorts can charismatically control far more people than ever before, without having any personal connection with them"(p.43) (Now wanabe gurus have more tools than ever...)
"To maintain mental control it is necessary to undermine self-trust. This is insidiously done by removing the ways people can build trust in themselves."(p.73)
"When dealing with others who are less certain, simply having certainty gives dominance." (p.80)"
"True healing can be accelerated by understanding the deep mechanisms of what happened, and of authoritarian dynamics in general. Then people can be more confident they won’t be taken in again."(p.154)
Being a guru "...creates a feedback-proof system where the guru always needs to be right and cannot be shown to be wrong - which is where learning comes from." (p.107) (No it´s not about people in management positions...)
--
"Why would even the most realized of beings want people to become reliant on his wisdom instead of their own?" (p.108)
"...Asserting that one human being fundamentally knows what’s best for another is authoritarian. If this is accepted, it sets up a chain of inevitable relational patterns that are detrimental to all players of the game."(p.36)
"Now through media images, leaders of all sorts can charismatically control far more people than ever before, without having any personal connection with them"(p.43) (Now wanabe gurus have more tools than ever...)
"To maintain mental control it is necessary to undermine self-trust. This is insidiously done by removing the ways people can build trust in themselves."(p.73)
"When dealing with others who are less certain, simply having certainty gives dominance." (p.80)"
October 31, 2011
This is a very unusual book that is aimed at pretty much only one audience: people who have been influenced, directly or indirectly, by an authoritarian group. Sometimes these groups are called charismatic sects, sometimes they are called new religions, and sometimes they are called cults.
Through the arguments in the book the authors, experienced writers and yoga practitioners, show the fallacies that lie at the basis of coercive authoritarian relationships. In fact, this book is a powerful curative for a person who starts to question their own involvement in one of these groups, or who wants to understand the involvement of a friend or a loved one.
In those cases, it can help in a powerful way to start to loosen the mental bonds that hold people in these relationships.
Highly recommended for the target audience.
Through the arguments in the book the authors, experienced writers and yoga practitioners, show the fallacies that lie at the basis of coercive authoritarian relationships. In fact, this book is a powerful curative for a person who starts to question their own involvement in one of these groups, or who wants to understand the involvement of a friend or a loved one.
In those cases, it can help in a powerful way to start to loosen the mental bonds that hold people in these relationships.
Highly recommended for the target audience.
April 29, 2019
There are some ideas worth exploring in this book but it spends most of the book refuting straw men to backup the authors opinion. The book is extremely self referential and cites no research outside of its own pages. Not recommended.
July 12, 2020
"Mysterious or supernatural powers have always been used to validate religious authorities. Even today many people operate under a basic assumption that the ability to perform some act that defies ordinary explanation means the person who does this has an inside track to truth, or “higher” truth. Should anyone be seen floating (or believed to have been floating) over the ground, many people would take this person’s words and opinions on other things very seriously. [...]
For us the real mystery is why people display their purported powers in so many irrelevant or even trivial ways. Although healing individuals, however it’s done, is a fine thing, it does not have the great planetary impact one might expect from one claiming to be God’s most special representative. A world on the brink of self-destruction can use all the help it can get. Bottom line, those who use anything seemingly out of the ordinary to get others to bow down to them should be held suspect." (from the section "Maintaining Dominance", ~21%)
"Self-trust is built by utilizing one’s own personal, firsthand experience as feedback. It is also built by sharpening mental and perceptual tools and frameworks in order to process, integrate, and evaluate one’s relation to the external world, as well as to inner dramas.
It is commonly assumed that the nature of spirituality is not only fundamentally different from ordinary experience, but that this difference is vastly superior. From this it is concluded that the tests of truth or meaning used for ordinary experience are not relevant for the so-called higher truths that gurus and religion offer. This age-old separation of the spiritual from the worldly is deeply embedded in all of civilization. We view this split as tragic, and at the core of the fragmentation prevalent in the contemporary human psyche. The inner battle between the presumed higher and lower (or good and bad) parts of oneself often binds people with conflict by making them unable to accept themselves as whole human beings. [...]
The Eastern view of enlightenment as beyond reason allows gurus to undermine reason. This precept alone makes the guru dangerously feedback-proof, for he automatically escapes accountability for any behavior. If pressed, the guru can easily reply, 'You can’t possibly understand what I’m really doing because you’re not enlightened.'" (from the section "The Assault on Reason", ~22%)
"It might appear that we are critical of hierarchy in general. This is not so. It is common in certain circles to blame hierarchy for many of the world’s problems and injustices, particularly because hierarchy has been universally used to maintain power and privilege. Once it enters a culture, however, there is no going back. This is because it is a unique social tool for organizing and directing large numbers of people. Hierarchies enable a society to specialize and grow, and then are needed to organize the larger population.
Though humanity is stuck with hierarchy, it need not be intrinsically authoritarian nor unjust. Because authoritarianism is hierarchical by its nature, it is easy to assume the reverse, that hierarchy is necessarily authoritarian. This assumption is made because authoritarian hierarchy has been, and still is by far, the predominant planetary mode of social organization. It is the water we swim in." (from the section "The Attractions of Cult Hierarchy", ~25%)
"Most people’s deepest inhibitions revolve around sexuality, aggression, and violence because it is here that the deepest taboos lie. One guru utilized “workshops” where various expressions of sex, rage, and intimidation were used to break through people’s boundaries. Bones were broken and group, impersonal, and even forced sex occurred. This is indeed a fast track to breaking down personality. By telling people this was a path to liberation, deep taboos could be broken without initial guilt. This brings not only powerful feelings as energy is released, but also the experience of a particular kind of freedom—freedom from repression. Dramatic shifts of identity coupled with intense emotions are easy to interpret as profound breakthroughs. [...]
Having been stripped of their values, these newly “liberated” people are in a fragile state until new values and a new sense of identity can be integrated. Having “emptied” them, it’s easy for the guru to step in at this crucial moment and put his persona, values, and ideology at their center. So the followers’ new identity forms around surrender to him, a father figure, the one they now trust above all others—even themselves—because he supposedly liberated them in bestowing this great sense of freedom. This kind of freedom is the real illusion." (from the section "Spiritual Hedonism and Tantra", ~28%)
"Sophisticated thinkers within Buddhism were (and are) aware that unconscious elements exist in the mind. But their interest in the unconscious is cloaked in an ideology that believes it is not only possible to become totally selfless, but once having done so, one is also totally conscious and no longer moved by unconscious factors. If there were even the possibility that a totally realized being had an unconscious, how could anyone (including the realized one) be certain that all motives and actions were pure and selfless?" (from the section "Gurus, Psychotherapy, and the Unconscious", ~29%)
"Rather than placing the sole cause of narcissism in the distant past, our conception views it as an amplification of a normal human tendency to be turned on when someone is turned on to you. This, of course, can and does happen to all of us. It only becomes pathological when it is the sole or primary way one “gets off.” This means one only really feels alive when one is the center of another’s attention. Narcissists are often very charismatic, as their power is derived from attracting. Intelligent ones are very seductive and skilled at captivating others. Their antennae are always alert for when people are interested in or turned on to them. When what is most important is being the center of importance for others, adoring admirers become fairly interchangeable. Extreme narcissists need to be adored but cannot adore; they do not really experience deep passion." (from the section "Narcissism and Adulation", ~31%)
"Some years ago at a conference examining the spiritual dimension of existence, the keynote speaker, a famous psychologist, in talking about how we all create our own realities, said, “I cannot prove this to you, but I firmly believe that I chose my parents.” Presumably, this meant he believed that not only he, but each of us, too, create our own reality to the extent that we all choose which parents to be born to. The implications about the nature of existence contained in that remark are vast. [...]
Our interest in examining the “You create your own reality” framework stems from the irony that it appears the antithesis of authoritarian control, yet many groups that promulgate it are authoritarian. This is because, as we will show, it can neither be proved nor disproved and must be taken on faith. It is important first to clarify why those who have adopted this belief have done so. In querying many of this persuasion, a usual reply is that upon having taken total responsibility for their lives (an extension of the self-created reality point of view), a dramatic shift occurred in which they experienced themselves as self-actualizing, and life itself became richer in every way. This viewpoint can also initially bring:
1. A sense of real power (or empowerment, to use the vernacular). This is especially potent if one had previously felt either victimized or saw oneself largely moved by forces over which one had little or no control.
2. An expansion of the field of possibility by removing previously limiting attitudes, whereby one’s vistas enlarge and a new sense of great potential beckons.
3. A letting go (at least on the surface) of blaming others. This can shift the context of relationships, making it easier to connect with people—few enjoy being blamed.
4. A powerful mental alignment with others who share the same belief, bringing a sense of community. Alignment not only reinforces belief, but also opens boundaries, which can bring more energy and newness into life.
Within the self-created reality world view, there are serious issues of control and responsibility that this theory tries to simplify under one universal precept. This issue warrants examination not only because many channels, spiritual teachers, prosperity workshops, and “responsibility” seminars are promulgating it, but also because it is interesting and droll to see how the East’s somewhat fatalistic beliefs have been turned on their head to meet Western predilections for freedom, self-reliance, control, and personal responsibility. We wish to show why we think operating under this precept in the long run makes people less free and effective, not more so." (from the section "Karma Becomes Omnipotence", ~38%)
"Surrendering to an authority makes it easy to overlook or rationalize what would ordinarily be considered unethical. Even more unsettling, one might have found oneself doing, or willing to do, very hurtful things to others. Some ex-cult2 members later admitted with shame and embarrassment that they would even have killed if the authority had ordered it. Having seen the extent of their capacity for self-delusion and for being so under the sway of another, it is not surprising that many upon leaving the group not only fear themselves, but the world in general. They saw others who were also willing to follow the leader’s dictates no matter what; so they realize people are capable of doing most anything, which makes the world a much scarier place.
Ex-cult members often describe themselves as crippled, sometimes even a decade or more later. What is crippled is the capacity to trust oneself which, when lost, is difficult to regain. This is the serious challenge those who leave authoritarian groups face. People usually try to overcome this through a determination never to be duped again. Unfortunately, this stance brings about defensive postures that leave the person cynical and closed. Underneath such cynicism is fear of commitment and openness—both of which previously brought considerable pain. Behind most cynicism there is a disillusioned idealist." (from the section "Healing Crippled Self-Trust", ~41%)
"The capacity to trust oneself has a feedback loop in it: the more you can do it, the more of it you build; likewise, self-doubt breeds self-doubt. Once a person has been hurt and crippled in a way that deeply damages self-trust, the question is how to turn this around?
True healing can be accelerated by understanding the deep mechanisms of what happened, and of authoritarian dynamics in general. Then people can be more confident they won’t be taken in again. Part of maturation is realizing that no other person can know with certainty what is appropriate for others. By remaining the ultimate judge of what’s right for oneself, one can receive and integrate what others offer without fearing dependency.
One motive for writing this book is our belief that a deeper understanding of the dynamics and pervasiveness of authoritarianism enables people to be less susceptible to it. This does involve becoming more aware, for a real correlation exists between self-trust and awareness." (from the section "Healing Crippled Self-Trust", ~42%)
For us the real mystery is why people display their purported powers in so many irrelevant or even trivial ways. Although healing individuals, however it’s done, is a fine thing, it does not have the great planetary impact one might expect from one claiming to be God’s most special representative. A world on the brink of self-destruction can use all the help it can get. Bottom line, those who use anything seemingly out of the ordinary to get others to bow down to them should be held suspect." (from the section "Maintaining Dominance", ~21%)
"Self-trust is built by utilizing one’s own personal, firsthand experience as feedback. It is also built by sharpening mental and perceptual tools and frameworks in order to process, integrate, and evaluate one’s relation to the external world, as well as to inner dramas.
It is commonly assumed that the nature of spirituality is not only fundamentally different from ordinary experience, but that this difference is vastly superior. From this it is concluded that the tests of truth or meaning used for ordinary experience are not relevant for the so-called higher truths that gurus and religion offer. This age-old separation of the spiritual from the worldly is deeply embedded in all of civilization. We view this split as tragic, and at the core of the fragmentation prevalent in the contemporary human psyche. The inner battle between the presumed higher and lower (or good and bad) parts of oneself often binds people with conflict by making them unable to accept themselves as whole human beings. [...]
The Eastern view of enlightenment as beyond reason allows gurus to undermine reason. This precept alone makes the guru dangerously feedback-proof, for he automatically escapes accountability for any behavior. If pressed, the guru can easily reply, 'You can’t possibly understand what I’m really doing because you’re not enlightened.'" (from the section "The Assault on Reason", ~22%)
"It might appear that we are critical of hierarchy in general. This is not so. It is common in certain circles to blame hierarchy for many of the world’s problems and injustices, particularly because hierarchy has been universally used to maintain power and privilege. Once it enters a culture, however, there is no going back. This is because it is a unique social tool for organizing and directing large numbers of people. Hierarchies enable a society to specialize and grow, and then are needed to organize the larger population.
Though humanity is stuck with hierarchy, it need not be intrinsically authoritarian nor unjust. Because authoritarianism is hierarchical by its nature, it is easy to assume the reverse, that hierarchy is necessarily authoritarian. This assumption is made because authoritarian hierarchy has been, and still is by far, the predominant planetary mode of social organization. It is the water we swim in." (from the section "The Attractions of Cult Hierarchy", ~25%)
"Most people’s deepest inhibitions revolve around sexuality, aggression, and violence because it is here that the deepest taboos lie. One guru utilized “workshops” where various expressions of sex, rage, and intimidation were used to break through people’s boundaries. Bones were broken and group, impersonal, and even forced sex occurred. This is indeed a fast track to breaking down personality. By telling people this was a path to liberation, deep taboos could be broken without initial guilt. This brings not only powerful feelings as energy is released, but also the experience of a particular kind of freedom—freedom from repression. Dramatic shifts of identity coupled with intense emotions are easy to interpret as profound breakthroughs. [...]
Having been stripped of their values, these newly “liberated” people are in a fragile state until new values and a new sense of identity can be integrated. Having “emptied” them, it’s easy for the guru to step in at this crucial moment and put his persona, values, and ideology at their center. So the followers’ new identity forms around surrender to him, a father figure, the one they now trust above all others—even themselves—because he supposedly liberated them in bestowing this great sense of freedom. This kind of freedom is the real illusion." (from the section "Spiritual Hedonism and Tantra", ~28%)
"Sophisticated thinkers within Buddhism were (and are) aware that unconscious elements exist in the mind. But their interest in the unconscious is cloaked in an ideology that believes it is not only possible to become totally selfless, but once having done so, one is also totally conscious and no longer moved by unconscious factors. If there were even the possibility that a totally realized being had an unconscious, how could anyone (including the realized one) be certain that all motives and actions were pure and selfless?" (from the section "Gurus, Psychotherapy, and the Unconscious", ~29%)
"Rather than placing the sole cause of narcissism in the distant past, our conception views it as an amplification of a normal human tendency to be turned on when someone is turned on to you. This, of course, can and does happen to all of us. It only becomes pathological when it is the sole or primary way one “gets off.” This means one only really feels alive when one is the center of another’s attention. Narcissists are often very charismatic, as their power is derived from attracting. Intelligent ones are very seductive and skilled at captivating others. Their antennae are always alert for when people are interested in or turned on to them. When what is most important is being the center of importance for others, adoring admirers become fairly interchangeable. Extreme narcissists need to be adored but cannot adore; they do not really experience deep passion." (from the section "Narcissism and Adulation", ~31%)
"Some years ago at a conference examining the spiritual dimension of existence, the keynote speaker, a famous psychologist, in talking about how we all create our own realities, said, “I cannot prove this to you, but I firmly believe that I chose my parents.” Presumably, this meant he believed that not only he, but each of us, too, create our own reality to the extent that we all choose which parents to be born to. The implications about the nature of existence contained in that remark are vast. [...]
Our interest in examining the “You create your own reality” framework stems from the irony that it appears the antithesis of authoritarian control, yet many groups that promulgate it are authoritarian. This is because, as we will show, it can neither be proved nor disproved and must be taken on faith. It is important first to clarify why those who have adopted this belief have done so. In querying many of this persuasion, a usual reply is that upon having taken total responsibility for their lives (an extension of the self-created reality point of view), a dramatic shift occurred in which they experienced themselves as self-actualizing, and life itself became richer in every way. This viewpoint can also initially bring:
1. A sense of real power (or empowerment, to use the vernacular). This is especially potent if one had previously felt either victimized or saw oneself largely moved by forces over which one had little or no control.
2. An expansion of the field of possibility by removing previously limiting attitudes, whereby one’s vistas enlarge and a new sense of great potential beckons.
3. A letting go (at least on the surface) of blaming others. This can shift the context of relationships, making it easier to connect with people—few enjoy being blamed.
4. A powerful mental alignment with others who share the same belief, bringing a sense of community. Alignment not only reinforces belief, but also opens boundaries, which can bring more energy and newness into life.
Within the self-created reality world view, there are serious issues of control and responsibility that this theory tries to simplify under one universal precept. This issue warrants examination not only because many channels, spiritual teachers, prosperity workshops, and “responsibility” seminars are promulgating it, but also because it is interesting and droll to see how the East’s somewhat fatalistic beliefs have been turned on their head to meet Western predilections for freedom, self-reliance, control, and personal responsibility. We wish to show why we think operating under this precept in the long run makes people less free and effective, not more so." (from the section "Karma Becomes Omnipotence", ~38%)
"Surrendering to an authority makes it easy to overlook or rationalize what would ordinarily be considered unethical. Even more unsettling, one might have found oneself doing, or willing to do, very hurtful things to others. Some ex-cult2 members later admitted with shame and embarrassment that they would even have killed if the authority had ordered it. Having seen the extent of their capacity for self-delusion and for being so under the sway of another, it is not surprising that many upon leaving the group not only fear themselves, but the world in general. They saw others who were also willing to follow the leader’s dictates no matter what; so they realize people are capable of doing most anything, which makes the world a much scarier place.
Ex-cult members often describe themselves as crippled, sometimes even a decade or more later. What is crippled is the capacity to trust oneself which, when lost, is difficult to regain. This is the serious challenge those who leave authoritarian groups face. People usually try to overcome this through a determination never to be duped again. Unfortunately, this stance brings about defensive postures that leave the person cynical and closed. Underneath such cynicism is fear of commitment and openness—both of which previously brought considerable pain. Behind most cynicism there is a disillusioned idealist." (from the section "Healing Crippled Self-Trust", ~41%)
"The capacity to trust oneself has a feedback loop in it: the more you can do it, the more of it you build; likewise, self-doubt breeds self-doubt. Once a person has been hurt and crippled in a way that deeply damages self-trust, the question is how to turn this around?
True healing can be accelerated by understanding the deep mechanisms of what happened, and of authoritarian dynamics in general. Then people can be more confident they won’t be taken in again. Part of maturation is realizing that no other person can know with certainty what is appropriate for others. By remaining the ultimate judge of what’s right for oneself, one can receive and integrate what others offer without fearing dependency.
One motive for writing this book is our belief that a deeper understanding of the dynamics and pervasiveness of authoritarianism enables people to be less susceptible to it. This does involve becoming more aware, for a real correlation exists between self-trust and awareness." (from the section "Healing Crippled Self-Trust", ~42%)
May 21, 2022
This book's main thesis is that authoritarian systems are outdated and stifle personal agency and cultural evolution. It illustrates how even religions and types of spirituality that purport to be egalitarian are not, and how gurus/teachers/religious leaders are inevitably corrupted by power. One corollary it presents is that, while hierarchies tend to be authoritarian, they are necessary to get things accomplished, so we need to watch how they work and try to not have authoritarianism in hierarchical structures.
There's quite a lot about "in these pivotal times," which, yes, times seemed pivotal in 1993 when this book was new, and seem even more so now. I think every era has seemed like the most important one to the people who lived in it. The effects of climate change seemed threatening in 1993 and even more so now. The global threat of fascist ideologies, which, along with runaway capitalism, don't seem to care about environmental problems, continues to grow. The authors address the changes in recent decades briefly in a preface and and afterword written in 2015.
I met the authors at a get-together of mostly people from my old commune. They mentioned this book, so I read it. My main interest is the guru stuff. The commune I lived in didn't have a formal religion, but did have a "spiritual teacher" and a number of beliefs and assumptions. It also had "agreements" that (in retrospect) were more like edicts from the top. I left almost 40 years ago, after 12 years there, and am still deprogramming myself. This book helped quite a bit. It explains a lot about the mechanisms by which a guru induces the followers to cede their own judgment in favor of the guru's, and how the guru holds on to that power. Those parts gave me a lot of "Yes!!" moments. It also describes some ways the lifecycle of a cult can pan out.
The book also gives four types of religions: animism, polytheism, monotheism, and Eastern Oneness. The ways that Oneness religions are authoritarian included some material that, for me, was new territory, and that makes a lot of sense. I liked the treatment of the enlightenment/spiritual experience; the authors are matter-of-fact that it does exist, but they don't put any specific interpretation on it. They talk about how gurus (and others) put a negative judgement on the more usual states of consciousness as opposed to the spiritual experience, and explain why that is not valid.
The book is dense, intellectual, and full of complicated trains of thought. I followed along with the ones that interested me, which was most of the book. The authors skewer certain religious and new age ideas by applying logic. I almost applauded at some of those parts (e.g., "Do You Create Your Own Reality?"). I skipped over several sections, including addiction, as it's not closely related to my interests and includes a lot of "divided self" psychoanalytic stuff that I think is outdated. Also towards the end I found a lot of repetitive content. That is at least partly because the book is designed to be modular so that you can skip around, which I didn't do.
I agree with the bulk of the book's material, and I like the way it is presented. It sure would be nice if some more of my old commune friends would read this and we could discuss. Most of them don't follow a particular guru or organized group now, but do still subscribe to many of the ideas that this book considers authoritarian.
There's quite a lot about "in these pivotal times," which, yes, times seemed pivotal in 1993 when this book was new, and seem even more so now. I think every era has seemed like the most important one to the people who lived in it. The effects of climate change seemed threatening in 1993 and even more so now. The global threat of fascist ideologies, which, along with runaway capitalism, don't seem to care about environmental problems, continues to grow. The authors address the changes in recent decades briefly in a preface and and afterword written in 2015.
I met the authors at a get-together of mostly people from my old commune. They mentioned this book, so I read it. My main interest is the guru stuff. The commune I lived in didn't have a formal religion, but did have a "spiritual teacher" and a number of beliefs and assumptions. It also had "agreements" that (in retrospect) were more like edicts from the top. I left almost 40 years ago, after 12 years there, and am still deprogramming myself. This book helped quite a bit. It explains a lot about the mechanisms by which a guru induces the followers to cede their own judgment in favor of the guru's, and how the guru holds on to that power. Those parts gave me a lot of "Yes!!" moments. It also describes some ways the lifecycle of a cult can pan out.
The book also gives four types of religions: animism, polytheism, monotheism, and Eastern Oneness. The ways that Oneness religions are authoritarian included some material that, for me, was new territory, and that makes a lot of sense. I liked the treatment of the enlightenment/spiritual experience; the authors are matter-of-fact that it does exist, but they don't put any specific interpretation on it. They talk about how gurus (and others) put a negative judgement on the more usual states of consciousness as opposed to the spiritual experience, and explain why that is not valid.
The book is dense, intellectual, and full of complicated trains of thought. I followed along with the ones that interested me, which was most of the book. The authors skewer certain religious and new age ideas by applying logic. I almost applauded at some of those parts (e.g., "Do You Create Your Own Reality?"). I skipped over several sections, including addiction, as it's not closely related to my interests and includes a lot of "divided self" psychoanalytic stuff that I think is outdated. Also towards the end I found a lot of repetitive content. That is at least partly because the book is designed to be modular so that you can skip around, which I didn't do.
I agree with the bulk of the book's material, and I like the way it is presented. It sure would be nice if some more of my old commune friends would read this and we could discuss. Most of them don't follow a particular guru or organized group now, but do still subscribe to many of the ideas that this book considers authoritarian.
September 20, 2023
I've always had a sensitive nose for the stink of authoritarian behaviour, and yet I have at times turned a blind eye to it and submitted to it. This book has helped me to understand why, and has immunised me from doing so again.
Authoritarian behaviour can be difficult to see, because it is a wolf in sheep's clothing. It presents itself as love and care. The great benefit of Kramer and Alstad's book is that it points out the wolf in the sheepskin and gives you the confidence to call a wolf a wolf. The wolf won't like this, but after you've read a few chapters of this book you won't care what the wolves of this world think. Instead, you'll be free to seek out the company of cooperative, honest, healthy folk.
Authoritarian behaviour can be difficult to see, because it is a wolf in sheep's clothing. It presents itself as love and care. The great benefit of Kramer and Alstad's book is that it points out the wolf in the sheepskin and gives you the confidence to call a wolf a wolf. The wolf won't like this, but after you've read a few chapters of this book you won't care what the wolves of this world think. Instead, you'll be free to seek out the company of cooperative, honest, healthy folk.
June 28, 2023
AN EXAMINATION OF POWER AND AUTHORITY IN RELIGION
An introductory section of this 1993 book states, “Beneath the visible authoritarianism in politics, social structures, and personalities is a far more pervasive, covert authoritarianism. It is hidden in culture, values, and daily life. By unmasking authoritarianism in such areas as addiction, intimate relations, morality, and religion, the authors expose it as a major factor in social disintegration. PART ONE examines the most extreme example of one person giving power to another, the guru/disciple relationship, because this reveals less obvious occurrences of control. ‘Guru’ is a metaphor for anyone who manipulates others under the guise of ‘knowing what’s best’ for them, whether leaders, mothers, or lovers. PART TWO decides the authoritarian control concealed in contemporary values and beliefs. It portrays how basic problems, both personal and global, are tied to authoritarian assumptions so embedded they are taken for granted. [This book] shows there is a worldwide battle for people’s minds over basic values. At stake in these ‘morals wars’ is our very survival as a species. When people take back the authority that has been unknowingly invested in others, this can unleash the intelligence and care needed to ensure that our history will continue.
Authors Joel Kramer and Diana Alstad wrote in the Preface, “This work presents a point of view and ideas that we want to stand or fall on their own merit. Though over the years we have examined many other viewpoints, this is not a work of research or scholarship, and it does not use references to other people to bolster its perspectives. Our major concern is clarity---namely, that anyone who cares to follow the train of thought will understand it, whether in agreement nor not.” (Pg. xix)
They note, “As the old beliefs that maintained order disintegrate, another kind of fear arises---of purposelessness, chaos, and violence. Basically, what this boils down to is fear of each other. Given the hatreds and inequities produced by the old order, such fears are not unrealistic. Try telling a ghetto gang member that unless he stops being violent he will go to hell. His response could easily be, ‘I don’t have far to go---I’m there already.’” (Pg. 31)
They explain, “A task of this book is to show that renunciate worldviews and their moralities are necessarily authoritarian, and why the solutions they generate have become a key part of the problem… [This book] critiques the guru/disciple liaison because it is a clear-cut example of the old, no longer appropriate paradigm of spiritual authority… Another purpose of this book is to show that corruption is not simply the failure or weakness of a specific individual, but is structurally built into any authoritarian relationship, and less obviously, any renunciate morality.” (Pg. 35)
They state, “What is actually being sought is a return to the known. Surrendering to an authority whose image of spirituality caters to such yearnings is perhaps the easiest way to simulate that bygone state of innocence. Such surrender is built into the structure of the guru/disciple relationship, it represents the epitome of submission to a living person. Surrender is … the key to understanding this and other authoritarian modes…..” (Pg. 46) Later, they add, “gurus basically tell disciples what they want to hear, including how special and wise they are for surrendering to them.” (Pg. 69) They observe, “Authoritarian groups with a leader who has few constraints (our definition of a cult) derive their intense feelings of loyalty and unity from erecting huge walls between insiders and outsiders.” (Pg. 83)
They argue, “Gurus who preach celibacy while secretly engaging in sexuality present sex as an esoteric initiation ritual or advanced spiritual exercise that must be kept hidden. This makes the disciple feel special while colluding in an enormous lie and manipulation that has severe emotional repercussions.” (Pg. 95)
They state, “There are few, if any, relationships where the possibilities of personal power match the guru’s. If human beings believe a leader can save them, they will obey and follow him anywhere, they are capable of following any order… So the guru role makes it extremely difficult to escape difficult to escape the traps of power---the ultimate trap being that in the end, gurus lose their humanity.” (Pg. 114)
They assert, “‘A Course in Miracles’ is authoritarian… it is a classic example of programming thought to renunciate beliefs. Although the Course calls itself essentially Christian, it does away with Christianity’s more unpalatable dogmas, such as sin, a judgmental God, and damnation…. Its central message is that through surrendering to God’s will, which is pure love, illusions will evaporate and one will be eternally at one with God.” (Pg. 126)
They observe, “If one has been truly dis-illusioned about authoritarian relationships… there is far less likelihood of falling into the same traps or becoming cynical. Cynicism indicates on has not totally given up the illusions, but still blames others or the world for being let down.” (Pg. 156) Later, they add, “Authoritarian morality contains an inherent double standard: there is the morality itself, and then there is protecting it. Protecting the authoritarian system and its morality always takes precedence of the morality itself. Killing and violence or the threat of them has always been the bottom line of authoritarian power. The more certainty there is that the rules must be obeyed, the easier it is to sacrifice others who differ.” (Pg. 169)
They state, “The perspectives offered in this book do not make sacrifice a virtue in and of itself, and do not categorically divide the self-centered from the selfless. It is because of this division that so often corruption lies behind the face of righteousness, and behind the face of God lurks Satan.” (Pg. 206)
They suggest, “It is not surprising that a society with a polarized morality and a deep fundamentalist strain frames addiction as ither bad or sick---‘sick’ becomes an ambiguous category that is at least not bad. The somber truth is that addicts are neither ill nor evil, but caught up in a social context, as we all are, that makes sanity and wholeness difficult to achieve.” (Pg. 248) They add, “Love addiction occurs in a context of power; the passion it generates, no matter how it feels, is really quite mechanical. ‘Love addicts’ need someone to surrender to, and taking abuse can reinforce their image of being in love.” (Pg. 286)
They observe, “Monotheism with one God on top is obviously authoritarian. The authoritarianism embedded within the Eastern ideology of Oneness is less obvious. Believing that God is everywhere and in everything makes a centralized hierarchy more difficult. The concept of enlightenment, however, does bring decentralized hierarchies, each with a master on top. This is what one seen in Eastern religion and in its Western transplants.” (Pg. 311)
They conclude, “Democracy in itself, however, cannot cope with the extraordinary challenges the world now faces… For us, hope lies in the possibility of moving beyond our authoritarian past in order to build together a future that values keeping this planet habitable… If the challenge is met, the world will have to be a better place for those living in it, because fort the first time since the early small bands of humanity’s infancy, everyone’s well-being is once again linked with survival.” (Pg. 274)
This book may appeal to those interested in social science perspectives on religion.
An introductory section of this 1993 book states, “Beneath the visible authoritarianism in politics, social structures, and personalities is a far more pervasive, covert authoritarianism. It is hidden in culture, values, and daily life. By unmasking authoritarianism in such areas as addiction, intimate relations, morality, and religion, the authors expose it as a major factor in social disintegration. PART ONE examines the most extreme example of one person giving power to another, the guru/disciple relationship, because this reveals less obvious occurrences of control. ‘Guru’ is a metaphor for anyone who manipulates others under the guise of ‘knowing what’s best’ for them, whether leaders, mothers, or lovers. PART TWO decides the authoritarian control concealed in contemporary values and beliefs. It portrays how basic problems, both personal and global, are tied to authoritarian assumptions so embedded they are taken for granted. [This book] shows there is a worldwide battle for people’s minds over basic values. At stake in these ‘morals wars’ is our very survival as a species. When people take back the authority that has been unknowingly invested in others, this can unleash the intelligence and care needed to ensure that our history will continue.
Authors Joel Kramer and Diana Alstad wrote in the Preface, “This work presents a point of view and ideas that we want to stand or fall on their own merit. Though over the years we have examined many other viewpoints, this is not a work of research or scholarship, and it does not use references to other people to bolster its perspectives. Our major concern is clarity---namely, that anyone who cares to follow the train of thought will understand it, whether in agreement nor not.” (Pg. xix)
They note, “As the old beliefs that maintained order disintegrate, another kind of fear arises---of purposelessness, chaos, and violence. Basically, what this boils down to is fear of each other. Given the hatreds and inequities produced by the old order, such fears are not unrealistic. Try telling a ghetto gang member that unless he stops being violent he will go to hell. His response could easily be, ‘I don’t have far to go---I’m there already.’” (Pg. 31)
They explain, “A task of this book is to show that renunciate worldviews and their moralities are necessarily authoritarian, and why the solutions they generate have become a key part of the problem… [This book] critiques the guru/disciple liaison because it is a clear-cut example of the old, no longer appropriate paradigm of spiritual authority… Another purpose of this book is to show that corruption is not simply the failure or weakness of a specific individual, but is structurally built into any authoritarian relationship, and less obviously, any renunciate morality.” (Pg. 35)
They state, “What is actually being sought is a return to the known. Surrendering to an authority whose image of spirituality caters to such yearnings is perhaps the easiest way to simulate that bygone state of innocence. Such surrender is built into the structure of the guru/disciple relationship, it represents the epitome of submission to a living person. Surrender is … the key to understanding this and other authoritarian modes…..” (Pg. 46) Later, they add, “gurus basically tell disciples what they want to hear, including how special and wise they are for surrendering to them.” (Pg. 69) They observe, “Authoritarian groups with a leader who has few constraints (our definition of a cult) derive their intense feelings of loyalty and unity from erecting huge walls between insiders and outsiders.” (Pg. 83)
They argue, “Gurus who preach celibacy while secretly engaging in sexuality present sex as an esoteric initiation ritual or advanced spiritual exercise that must be kept hidden. This makes the disciple feel special while colluding in an enormous lie and manipulation that has severe emotional repercussions.” (Pg. 95)
They state, “There are few, if any, relationships where the possibilities of personal power match the guru’s. If human beings believe a leader can save them, they will obey and follow him anywhere, they are capable of following any order… So the guru role makes it extremely difficult to escape difficult to escape the traps of power---the ultimate trap being that in the end, gurus lose their humanity.” (Pg. 114)
They assert, “‘A Course in Miracles’ is authoritarian… it is a classic example of programming thought to renunciate beliefs. Although the Course calls itself essentially Christian, it does away with Christianity’s more unpalatable dogmas, such as sin, a judgmental God, and damnation…. Its central message is that through surrendering to God’s will, which is pure love, illusions will evaporate and one will be eternally at one with God.” (Pg. 126)
They observe, “If one has been truly dis-illusioned about authoritarian relationships… there is far less likelihood of falling into the same traps or becoming cynical. Cynicism indicates on has not totally given up the illusions, but still blames others or the world for being let down.” (Pg. 156) Later, they add, “Authoritarian morality contains an inherent double standard: there is the morality itself, and then there is protecting it. Protecting the authoritarian system and its morality always takes precedence of the morality itself. Killing and violence or the threat of them has always been the bottom line of authoritarian power. The more certainty there is that the rules must be obeyed, the easier it is to sacrifice others who differ.” (Pg. 169)
They state, “The perspectives offered in this book do not make sacrifice a virtue in and of itself, and do not categorically divide the self-centered from the selfless. It is because of this division that so often corruption lies behind the face of righteousness, and behind the face of God lurks Satan.” (Pg. 206)
They suggest, “It is not surprising that a society with a polarized morality and a deep fundamentalist strain frames addiction as ither bad or sick---‘sick’ becomes an ambiguous category that is at least not bad. The somber truth is that addicts are neither ill nor evil, but caught up in a social context, as we all are, that makes sanity and wholeness difficult to achieve.” (Pg. 248) They add, “Love addiction occurs in a context of power; the passion it generates, no matter how it feels, is really quite mechanical. ‘Love addicts’ need someone to surrender to, and taking abuse can reinforce their image of being in love.” (Pg. 286)
They observe, “Monotheism with one God on top is obviously authoritarian. The authoritarianism embedded within the Eastern ideology of Oneness is less obvious. Believing that God is everywhere and in everything makes a centralized hierarchy more difficult. The concept of enlightenment, however, does bring decentralized hierarchies, each with a master on top. This is what one seen in Eastern religion and in its Western transplants.” (Pg. 311)
They conclude, “Democracy in itself, however, cannot cope with the extraordinary challenges the world now faces… For us, hope lies in the possibility of moving beyond our authoritarian past in order to build together a future that values keeping this planet habitable… If the challenge is met, the world will have to be a better place for those living in it, because fort the first time since the early small bands of humanity’s infancy, everyone’s well-being is once again linked with survival.” (Pg. 274)
This book may appeal to those interested in social science perspectives on religion.
May 22, 2019
I highly recommended this book to everyone before you get involved with any religious community. It is important to examine yourself and the group.
I became involved in a Buddhist group that turned out to be a authoritarian cult and know people who were sexually, physically, psychologically and economically exploited.
This book assisted me in seeing what my motives were being involved in the first place.
I will try to write more later.
I became involved in a Buddhist group that turned out to be a authoritarian cult and know people who were sexually, physically, psychologically and economically exploited.
This book assisted me in seeing what my motives were being involved in the first place.
I will try to write more later.
April 23, 2019
A book that I always come back to. The way they handle the really weird things about guru rhetoric is amazing. Just brilliant. Easy and fun to read too, with every chapter being short but bold.
May 21, 2025
What I learned:
Authoritarian power is everywhere!
The biblical God doesn't love unconditionally. So maybe it's time to stop trying to live up to unreachable goals that not even God can live up to.
Guru's that claim they're "ego-less" have the biggest ego's of them all. And are also infallible humans, even if they claim otherwise...
Everything is made up of duality and abstractions...
I have had a history of abuse and followed a cult leader online for years, fell into cult-like/new age "conscious/spiritual comminity" dynamics, a "spiritual" MLM group, as well as a history of toxic romantic relationships... this book really helped me deprogramme some of the messaging I picked up from those spaces. Such as "being completely boundaryless means being enlightened. "... which is completely not trauma informed and potentially retraumatising for those that have a history of trauma and surrender to that kind of "group-think." That sort of manipulative messaging is ripe for abuse, dressed up in "spiritual" clothing.
The concept of self trust is explored a lot in this book. And it's very true... once self trust is lost, it's difficult to build that up again. Which is the journey I'm on right now. Thank goodness for therapy!
The chapters on drug addiction and AA groups were very interesting. And took on a perspective that I had never thought of before. There were many moments of "woah, I never thought of it like that before." And really did change my outlook, or at least made me think a lot more critically about certain ideas.
The only authoritarian power I'm somewhat comfortable with now is from my 3 cats. But then again, the give and take is very reciprocal, so... hmm..
Authoritarian power is everywhere!
The biblical God doesn't love unconditionally. So maybe it's time to stop trying to live up to unreachable goals that not even God can live up to.
Guru's that claim they're "ego-less" have the biggest ego's of them all. And are also infallible humans, even if they claim otherwise...
Everything is made up of duality and abstractions...
I have had a history of abuse and followed a cult leader online for years, fell into cult-like/new age "conscious/spiritual comminity" dynamics, a "spiritual" MLM group, as well as a history of toxic romantic relationships... this book really helped me deprogramme some of the messaging I picked up from those spaces. Such as "being completely boundaryless means being enlightened. "... which is completely not trauma informed and potentially retraumatising for those that have a history of trauma and surrender to that kind of "group-think." That sort of manipulative messaging is ripe for abuse, dressed up in "spiritual" clothing.
The concept of self trust is explored a lot in this book. And it's very true... once self trust is lost, it's difficult to build that up again. Which is the journey I'm on right now. Thank goodness for therapy!
The chapters on drug addiction and AA groups were very interesting. And took on a perspective that I had never thought of before. There were many moments of "woah, I never thought of it like that before." And really did change my outlook, or at least made me think a lot more critically about certain ideas.
The only authoritarian power I'm somewhat comfortable with now is from my 3 cats. But then again, the give and take is very reciprocal, so... hmm..
November 23, 2025
As someone committed to integration as a way of being and relating, I found this book not just stimulating but soul-affirming. Though linguistically dense at times, its philosophical perceptiveness and lucidity gave voice to the pain and betrayal I experienced in the past. Those things as well as what I long suspected but struggled to articulate: how authoritarianism is invariably linked to social, emotional and moral compartmentalisation.
The Guru Papers was especially worth reading for me because last year, I walked away from a cult-of-two relationship with a former mentor who, whilst not overtly abusive or cruel, was fundamentally emotionally authoritarian in hindsight – particularly given the sinner-priestess dynamic we used to have. She exploited my proclivity for introspection, turning me into someone whose need to shamefully confess was endless. Glad I had the clarity of mind to eventually disentangle myself from that relationship and actively choose embodiment, wholeness, and emotional aliveness and congruence, over what she wanted from me for her to feel externally validated: self-doubt as well as emotional dependency and fragmentation.
It's so good to be free. To be me. And to keep growing into myself through the path of integration that I actively choose and that the authors happen to advocate for.
The Guru Papers was especially worth reading for me because last year, I walked away from a cult-of-two relationship with a former mentor who, whilst not overtly abusive or cruel, was fundamentally emotionally authoritarian in hindsight – particularly given the sinner-priestess dynamic we used to have. She exploited my proclivity for introspection, turning me into someone whose need to shamefully confess was endless. Glad I had the clarity of mind to eventually disentangle myself from that relationship and actively choose embodiment, wholeness, and emotional aliveness and congruence, over what she wanted from me for her to feel externally validated: self-doubt as well as emotional dependency and fragmentation.
It's so good to be free. To be me. And to keep growing into myself through the path of integration that I actively choose and that the authors happen to advocate for.
July 1, 2019
I sought out this book based on a recommendation from an Author who was a survivor of physical, psychological abuse from a guru and who found its insights helpful in understanding what they went through.
A curious set of essays that outline the authoritarianism present in religion but also (and of more interest) outline how this is not only present but present in a more severe form in Eastern Religions traditionally perceived as far less so in the West. Now discussion of the above takes up most of the book an done so in a way that is fairly heavy on dialectical reasoning.
That said there are some very interesting essays on the abuses and interplay of the Guru/Disciple relationship. There is also a very interesting discussion on why Eastern Religions managed to be so appealing to Western audiences; short answer it's because it is more abstract and has a less clear cut dualism which allows it to skirt the intellectual difficulties that came with being a Christian in the 20th Century and fill the nihilistic void.
Also reads surprisingly like an atheistic version of Seraphim Rose's booklet Nihilism.
A curious set of essays that outline the authoritarianism present in religion but also (and of more interest) outline how this is not only present but present in a more severe form in Eastern Religions traditionally perceived as far less so in the West. Now discussion of the above takes up most of the book an done so in a way that is fairly heavy on dialectical reasoning.
That said there are some very interesting essays on the abuses and interplay of the Guru/Disciple relationship. There is also a very interesting discussion on why Eastern Religions managed to be so appealing to Western audiences; short answer it's because it is more abstract and has a less clear cut dualism which allows it to skirt the intellectual difficulties that came with being a Christian in the 20th Century and fill the nihilistic void.
Also reads surprisingly like an atheistic version of Seraphim Rose's booklet Nihilism.
July 21, 2022
I feel changed after reading this. While it was easy to confront the authoritarian modes of structure and thought inherent in my Judeo-Christian background, it was harder to witness how Eastern modes of thought can also lead to dualistic, uncritical, authoritarian thinking. I have much to mull after reading this as I watch for and examine the authorities without (sad to say, this book is extremely relevant at this point in time) and those within.
December 17, 2018
Interesting general philosophical concept, though perhaps lengthy and drawn out in order to reify the idea. Applicable to many situations, but perhaps it would have been more interesting to hear more case studies where it can be applied.
December 6, 2025
This book appears and presents itself as scholarly, but doesn’t do a great job with citations and building off of previous research. Taken with that caveat, it explores some good ideas that challenge authoritarian regimes.
Want to read
August 13, 2020Nonfiction.
March 22, 2025
Revelatory. Applicable to all dimensions of the tribal human experience
September 1, 2022
Illuminates and explains various aspects of the harmful dynamics and effects of authoritarianism present to various degrees and in various forms in virtually all organisations, groups and relationships. Anyone could benefit from reading this book and that goes thrice for anyone involved with any spiritual/religious organisation.
Want to read
March 23, 2007Ben H
November 5, 2011
Wish it had bibliographical references. Not having them detracts from an otherwise great book.
December 23, 2019
Some interesting insights with some more questionable parts e.g. quasi-satanic panic stuff, speculative psychologizing on the historic development of religious thougth.
July 30, 2014
Really important book! I wish everyone would read it.
May 15, 2015
One of the best books that I have read.
April 7, 2017
This book wasn't quite what I expected. I found the information and ideas presented here to be thought-provoking and valuable; however, I cannot say that it was a wholly pleasant or particularly enjoyable read. I found the authors' style dry and esoteric, and I can be a dry and esoteric personality, so the fact that it took some jaw-setting on my part to get through it says a lot. :) The most useful chapters to me were those that helped clarify why I knew in my gut that the covertly patriarchal culture, and often the religion/"spirituality" I'd come of age with, always felt so viscerally incompatible with what my inner instincts were telling me. I found the chapters on cults and religious extremism interesting in a vicarious sense, since I've never fallen prey to a cult, and although I've been at the receiving end of some pretty strenuous religious messaging, I certainly wouldn't call it outright extremism. I also found some pearls of insight in the chapter on addiction and the idea that an inner authoritarian can be a force that drives polar opposite inward forces to volley control. The chapters that were more difficult for me personally to read were the ones that skewered Buddhism, mysticism, spiritual experiences, and some of the Eastern philosophies to which I have been attracted in my adult life, and which I now follow. I'm self-aware enough to recognize my own bias, and to attempt to set it aside, though, and I thoughtfully considered what the authors had to say. I concluded that my own experiences on my spiritual path seem to be foreign to the authors, or they didn't find it useful to spend too much time discussing how things could go right, and instead wanted to spend the most space discussing how things could go wrong. (I'm in a geographical area where the idea of following Eastern thought is extremely exotic; I've never had any long-term teachers and I've never had experiences with gurus, other than those whose books I've read, and I suspect calling them my "teachers" is a stretch since we've never met electronically or in person, and thus there was no attempt on their part to control or subvert me. Since I rejected the religion of my patriarchy, I've mostly been a spiritual lone wolf, and have built my knowledge almost completely in isolation, aside from a few visits to a very relaxed Buddhist temple and a couple of meditation classes). As I was reading, I found myself wanting to plead with the authors not to discount a balanced and nuanced experience of spiritual growth that can sometimes occur in isolation, and could possibly occur in non-authoritarian communities, but I think that's my own personal hangup, and they probably have experienced these positive attributes in their own path, if I had to guess. The authors had a goal, and that goal was to write a dissertation on authoritarian power and how it manifests in all different sorts of scenarios and movements, and on that, they knocked it out of the park. I will read more of their work and am interested in their more recent ideas especially now that much of the world's political leaders seem to be swinging toward authoritarianism. I doubt anyone who needs to be convinced to abandon an authoritarian worldview will actually stick around long enough to read this entire book, though, so those of us who agree with the authors that a new paradigm is necessary for the survival of our species would do better to make the ideas a bit more palatable, if not at least a bit more bite-sized. Therefore, the original format of this book, which was a series of pamphlets, would be helpful to revisit. Overall I'm compelled, open to learning more from these authors and determined not to take their dissections of the "spiritual path" personally.
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