Congratulations are due to Ullrich Zimmermann
for making known in such a patently frank, honest and brave way his most
unpleasant experiences with Sathya Sai Baba in three long video interviews.
These have been summarised already (see
here) Ullrich's main conclusions from deep involvement with the teaching
and the movement - that Sathya Sai Baba offers no way forward in spirituality
or self-understanding and development are, in my view, completely correct.
My own many experiences with Sai Baba (while no sexual advances were ever
made to me at my ripe age of 50 at my first interview) confirm most of
the details about getting an interview that Ullrich describes.
Rather like myself before 2000, Ullrich was not - seven years ago -
in a position fully to see through the deceptions to which I consider
we were all subject. I now understand the major part of the whole Sai
Baba question in a completely different light to what I did formerly.
So I will here take issue with some of the assumptions and beliefs expressed
by Ullrich at that time for the sake of any who may study them in detail.
Particularly the first of the video interviews gives an unfortunate
impression (though soundly refuted by Ullrich in the third one) of Sai
Baba as God Incarnate. There he was doubtless portraying how had he
felt at the time, so as to bring home to outsiders what a huge effect
encountering this personality cult and its figurehead has on a trusting
and indoctrinated believer.
One fact that does not come out in the interviews is that Ullrich had
his first interviews at the age of 21, last interview in 23. He says
he was only 14 years at the time of his first 'contact' with Sathya
Sai Baba - via his devotee mother. He is now nearly 40 years old. It
is significant that he came under the influence of Sai Baba's ideas
at a tender age. That it took 18 years for Ullrich to bring out the
public presentation of the facts about Sai Baba's sexual acts is not
surprising. The same applied to Mark Roche, who testified to oral sexual
abuse by Sai Baba on the BBC documentary 'The Secret Swami' two decades
after the event. It is not unusual in all kinds of cases of sexual abuse
for such a long delay in speaking out, as is well known and widely documented
by abuse counsellors and psychologists.
Even though a very low percentage of sexually abused persons actually
stand forth publicly [according to expert estimates], we can expect
more Sai Baba allegations to come out as the years go by and conditions
change, especially when the life-threatening danger of so doing in India
may recede. (As known to all, murders of young males occurred even in
Sai Baba's bedroom in 1993). Some of Sai Baba's closest former attendants
and visitors have testified that Sathya Sai abuses several boys and
young men daily, and has done so for ages, so there would be at least
many hundreds, especially Indians, who have had the experience. India
is still an extremely backward country as regards its laws on homosexuality,
and in its lacking enforcement of law on sexual abuse, which is still
very largely the subject of taboo and shame. Consequently those who
stand forth invariably do not get help, sympathy or proper publicity
- and, when their allegations are about persons of political or financial
clout (such as Sathya Sai Baba with his governmental and judicial protectors)
- they mostly instead suffer the contrary.
The 'spiritual honeymoon' period: Ullrich Zimmermann
describes experiences in relation to Sai Baba after his first interview
which have frequently been referred to by Sai devotees as 'the spiritual
honeymoon' period. The feelings Ullrich reports - of undergoing a regenerative
change of life - attended by what seems at first to be the realisation
of (often long-suppressed) hopes, longings and desires and a sense of
joy or even bliss - is well-described in the literature of religious
confessions and transformation. It is common - though in different degrees
of intensity and sustainability - in practically all religious sects
and other charismatic movements, and also even in strongly ideological
political movements (think only of the excesses of fervour in Chairman
Mao's 'cultural revolution'). The uplift and released energies of the
'honeymoon' seldom if ever last for very long, for the realities of
everyday life and many difficulties of achieving in both word and deed
genuine and lasting personal self-transformation return. Meanwhile,
questions which are unanswered (except apparently by the sprawling catch-all
and often vague doctrine of Sai Baba) are soon seen to be very nearly
as intractable at the personal and existential level as before - as
long, that is,as one still remains within the sphere of Sai Baba, as
Ullrich discovered some weeks or months after his interviews.
The unavoidable need to explain Sai Baba's sexual
approaches: After being subjected to sexual advances by Sai Baba,
it would be only natural to seek other explanations of it, as some devotees
have done in public and many evidently do between themselves. It surely
becomes a pressing need to understand what he never admits or explains
himself. For example, some have chosen to see it as a kind of 'spiritual
healing', others think it some kind of 'inoculation' against sex in
general. Some devotees even claim that these are molestations carried
out as retribution for
bad acts in former lives!" That Ullrich did not feel it was
sexual abuse does not alter the fact that it was an illegal act which
would be definitively defined as such in medicine. Indeed, it is indisputably
a criminal act under Indian law, and even among consenting adults. [I
am not in agreement with this discriminatory law against homosexuals,
but only pointing out that it is still the law in India]. Whether Ullrich
consented - or submitted under strong psychological duress - is yet
another question.
One obvious problem that has to be solved by those who are sexually
approached by Sai Baba is whether to tell anyone about it. The difficulties
of telling about such abuses are well described in the literature of
sexual abuse and therapy and are recognisable in many sexual abuses
cases within religious or 'spiritual' settings, not least in the Roman
Catholic Church, the Hare Krishna movement, Jehovas Witnesses and numerous
other sects and religious cults which have been exposed and sometimes
brought to account legally. Ullrich told his mother, who he says - being
a devotee and trusting Sai Baba totally - immediately accepted it as
a blessing. He also spoke to others, including residents at the ashram,
and he learned it was a commonplace thing taking place on "a really
big scale". That Ullrich has, after many years, spoken out is extremely
laudable for the sake of truth and protection of those who wish to avoid
any such encounter themselves or for their sons. For most of those affected,
the risk of exposure and public attention, possible ridicule, and even
scandal attacks on one's person by 'true believer' devotees who will
to defend Sai Baba by means fair and foul causes them to remain silent.
For Indians - particularly students of Sai Baba, to speak out can have
terrible consequences, as four male devotees were murdered in Sai Baba's
own bedroom (in 1993) most likely due to the intention of some of them
to try to force him to stop his sexual abuses.
Is reduced sex interest caused by Sai Baba's 'genital
oilings' and sexual contacts? Induction into sex by the overpowering
figure - the supposed God Incarnate - would - if anything - only tend
to increase the suppression of sexual impulses and feelings, since the
confusion this reportedly creates in many who have experienced it with
Sai Baba is a disturbing factor affecting feelings deeply. In experiencing
less sexual attraction to women after achieving the longed-for acceptance
by him who one has long believed to be God Incarnate, there need be
no mysterious 'spirituality' involved. The extreme suppression of all
sexuality that devotees are required by Sai Baba obviously becomes all
the more pressing, in fact a virtual psychological necessity when Sai
Baba repeatedly points this out as a chief failing during the first
private contact (eg. to Ullrich: 'You think of girls all the time').
Not to heed Sai Baba's advice seriously thereafter could mean rejection
(supposedly by God himself) as a genuine devotee. One cannot discount
the effect of unmanageable feelings of disgust and shame in thinking
about the sexual function after such an encounter with Sai Baba. Such
feelings are very commonly reported by victims of sex abuse and rape
the world over!
It is noteworthy that Sai Baba, claiming to be a universal teacher and
personal guide to devotees who claims he knows everything about their
entire lives, never explains to those who reported his sexual approaches,
what the genital 'oilings', homoerotic and sexual acts are for! He does
not even admit that they take place, but states only "Swami is
pure" and sustains the continual assertions throughout the Sai
literature that he is a lifelong celibate and entirely free of desires
of any kind. Most people would of course conclude from this that it
is because he was simply indulging his own sexual desires (and would
never admit it). Sai Baba limits himself to instruction like ' Do not
tell anyone!' or makes some vague and apparently irrelevant comments.
His well-know use of ambiguity and unexpected digressions leaves everything
to the puzzled and confused persons' imagination and any personal interpretations
they always have to strive to cook up... for no aid in understanding
anything properly, in depth, or satisfactorily is offered by Sai Baba
on the great majority of interview occasions.
After such a radical uplift of spirits in attaining one's greatest and
previously almost futile desire through years - to have an interview
and get personal acceptance from the supposed Godhead - the incentive
to control one's sexual attractions is very strong. Accepting Sai Baba'
corrective comment fully, Ullrich's attitude changed towards girls and
he evidently easily suppressed feelings of sexuality, which always normally
arise and are sustained from one's own thoughts and emotional impulses,
despite one's hormones or youthful testosterone. Avoiding undue contact
with girls, lowering one's eyes and not dwelling on lustful impulses
or thoughts are instructions Sai Baba has given to those males who want
to be his true devotees. By rather entertaining thoughts of God, reciting
mantras and directing one's behaviour so as to try to become pure and
selfless, one can doubtless experience a change of lifestyle and personal
sense of well-being. This is likely almost invariably to be only a temporary
change. As Ullrich so frankly admits, this enhanced sense of well-being
and disinterest in the opposite sex lasted but a few weeks for him.
That it became unsustainable can easily be explained by the lack of
expected or hoped-for 'spiritual' results from repeated attempts at
behavioural changes.
The question of 'spiritual energies', white or
black: Ullrich has very correctly pointed out how Sai Baba feeds
off of his devotees' feelings. The enhanced self-feeling of being accepted
by Sai Baba - and made a fuss of - is a kind of empowerment and gives
an increased status within the movement. These 'blessings' add to Sai
Baba's own influence and the 'lucky person' often the works hard to
help Sai Baba's agenda along in numerous ways, not least with reports
or 'stories' based on own indoctrinated interpretations and beliefs
about Sai's influence - often based on wishful thinking.
In these interviews Ullrich sometimes generalised unduly and expressed
his case rather definitively about some things which no one can know
about with such certainty - such as how widespread siddhi powers may
be in India, for this is doubtless based mostly on hearsay and belief,
even though I too have personally come across a few other instances
of what may be siddhi powers. I find the kind of language Ullrich uses
about 'energies' and Tantrism unhelpful in understanding what occurs
between Sai Baba and his followers. The existence and nature of this
kind of 'energy' is virtually only in the realm of opinion or belief,
as there is a complete lack of empirical knowledge or scientific hypotheses
about such 'subtle energies'. Rather, the broad sciences of psychology
and related subjects (including social anthropology, history of religion
etc.) provide a much more articulated language, empiri and hypotheses
for approaching such personal experiences. I find that one can explain
most of what happens personally in relation to Sai Baba equally well
by other means without invoking doubtful assumptions about 'spiritual
energies'. Using the term 'white Tantra' was ill-advised, as is Ullrich
also saying (contradictorily) in the 3rd interview about Sai Baba's
miracles "It's just black magic". More articulate explanations
should be sought.
To get rid of unfortunate 'programming' from one's background - as Ullrich
thought his acceptance of Sai Baba's outlook originally did for him
- did not itself lead to any personal liberation, despite a temporary
sense of well-being (even bliss and joy at getting an interview and
being given much attention, despite the unwelcome sexual part). A too
negative outlook was replaced - as Ullrich testified - by the Sai indoctrination
which seemed positive, but which disempowered him as a person and gave
him no further development. It is very difficult to distinguish genuine
'teaching' from 'spiritual programming' and 'indoctrination', especially
when the latter is a kind of self-programming and is backed by strong
social influence to accept beliefs and alternative views of the world
('group effect'). Ullrich's mother was already a full believer, so this
must have had deep effects on him.
'Tantric sex' practices? There have not been
any controlled studies of alleged 'Tantric' energies made hitherto by
scientists or experts in any related discipline, so this matter remains
obscure amid hearsay and speculation. While one cannot therefore definitively
exclude Ullrich's idea about Tantric energies being transferred, such
an unexpected, unwanted and "dumbfounding" experience as he
describes obviously causes mental confusion and emotional disruption.
This is the basis of a down-to-earth psychological explanation, for
when he had obviously anticipated a quite other reception by Sai Baba,
he experienced disorientation and unusual perceptions of what was occurring,
giving rise to rationalising interpretations of its nature and meaning
afterwards. No homosexual interactions, let alone any supposed 'Tantric
energies' need be involved in the process through which Ullrich went.
Induction into sex by the overpowering figure - the supposed Ultimate
Godhead - would - if anything - only tend to increase the suppression
of sexual impulses and feelings, since the confusion this reportedly
creates in many who have experienced it with Sai Baba is a disturbing
factor affecting feelings deeply. No end of disturbed thoughts may arise
after being so unexpectedly sexually dominated against one's will (not
through physical but through psychical domination). This may well be
how the appeal to 'Tantric sex' as an explanation arises, for this gives
an aura of some kind of 'spiritual meaning' to an otherwise basely abusive
act.
Ullrich described having seen some kind of ball of light floating briefly
between him and Sai Baba's penis after the oral act, he is inclined
to believe that this had to do with some subtle energies. I would not
deny it is possible that he perceived something outside his normal experience.
Many persons have described having visions of much more extraordinary
sorts - including a kind of halo around Sai Baba head up to an including
total changes of appearance by Sai Baba (into the elephant God Ganesh,
or a blue-faced Krishna). I have personally experienced one such so-called
'halo' phenomena - a kind of reflective sheen around Sai Baba's head
for some moments. How these appearances are generated by the mind is
quite another matter, and Tantric sex has not been called upon to explain
those phenomena. Particularly when in a pre-prepared receptivity due
to massive 'indoctrination' by books, films and stories, the human mind
is capable of a vast range of what - in lack of a complete empirically-controllable
explanation - are lumped together as 'paranormal' or 'parapsychological'
phenomena. Not least of these are the perceptions many people have under
hypnosis through strong suggestion! It should be noted that such phenomena
in connection with Sai Baba are invariably seen only by one or a few
people, while others just as near and attentive, see nothing. This is
also the case in stage hypnosis, where the subjects are often prepared
in a very short period of time and without years or months of increasing
built-up tensions and expectations as in the Sai Baba movement.
Sai Baba's dual sexuality? Interestingly,
Ullrich's experience involved an incident already reported (quite independently)
by others - that Sai Baba took Ullrich's hand to his crotch twice, and
he seemed to feel a female organ, then a male organ. Since it is obviously
impossible to investigate this matter, explanations have been put forward.
A none too reputable Indian doctor claimed in a posting on the ExBaba
Guestbook that "Everyone knows that Sai Baba is a hermaphrodite".
The statement is totally unreasonable, of course, more because of the
"everyone knows" than the possibility that Sai Baba was born
a hermaphrodite (which is a known condition). A simpler explanation
has been put forth - that Sai Babe creates the illusion of dual sex,
either by hypnosis or - more likely - by trickery, involving the pulling
of the penis back from behind to make it seem that he has none. As all
males know or can discover, this is not at all difficult to do. That
this has not been reported of Sai Baba in a naked condition increases
the likelihood of guile. He has claimed he is both male and female,
Shiva and Parvathi, Sai=mother and Baba=father, etc. since he was regarded
as such reportedly from his early childhood. On the other hand, if he
was born as a hermaphrodite, this could explain the awe in which he
was held by the backward and medically ignorant villagers of Puttaparthi
in the 1920s, and it could also explain a great deal more about why
he was worshipped and how his most unusual reputation and life developed.
This would be a prime case of massive 'projection' of dual-sex Divinity
onto a physical malformation.
Indoctrination, self-programming and 'projection':
I have shown in detail and at length how indoctrination (and self-programming)
is an essential part of the Sai Baba movement. One most often comes
to India already largely pre-programmed through stories, books, personal
accounts, films and experience in the Sai community etc. This began
around the age of 14 for Ullrich. In his interviews I recognise his
acceptance of a number of false ideas about Sai Baba, his miracles,
materialisations and 'energies'. This was certainly no fault of his
at the time, for it is near impossible for an outsider - that is, a
foreigner without special connections over a long period to Indian insiders
in the ashrams - to discover the deception both by and around Sai Baba,
let alone the depths to which it goes. Devotees are usually of a very
trusting nature and wish to believe - and get their beliefs reinforced
- through association with the movement. Watching his 'manifestations'm
his followers never suspect fraud or look carefully, and the fewest
know anything about how sleight of hand can be done. The vast majority
of followers - over 90%, never even see Sai Baba for as much as a minute
as he is in daily life out of sight of the crowds, so their experiences
are necessarily to a large degree influenced by - or simply based on
- hearsay. Interpretations of their own experiences arise in the context
of these powerful and fantastic stories, their own desire to be accepted
and above all by very strong emotional, psychic and meditational 'projection'
onto the guru.
There are kinds of psychological function which fall under the broad
category of 'projection', both of psychological and epistemological
varieties. The combination of concentration, yearning and indoctrination
(especially self-programming in following a teaching so as to integrate
it into one's every thought and feeling in life) is very powerful and
can produce the strangest perceptions, thought often to be 'leelas',
'synchronicities' or miracles... which can appear to be objective too.
Projection is unavoidably involved to a great extent when seeing Sai
Baba as the source, creator and director of everything, as most devotees
do (according to his own frequent claims) - even believing one's own
thoughts and feelings come from him! One's own qualities are attributed
to or projected onto him (but, quite inconsistently, never one's own
bad qualities! He denies very strongly that he is the agency in any
of those qualities, or in any way responsible for them for it is one's
own failings only). This 'projective attachment' to him obviously makes
one gradually alienate from one's own self-understanding by focusing
on and desiring that everything comes - or are at least ordained by
- Sai Baba (mistaking him to be 'the' Divine Creator).
Sai Baba's ability to influence his devotees'
perceptions: Other persons' perceptions can be manipulated by many
means. Sai Baba does this very effectively - and some of his devotees
experience unusual visions of him etc. while those sitting beside them
see nothing at all - surely comes mainly from them and their concentrated
yearnings etc., - as Ullrich is well aware - and even influences them
to the extent that some experience visions of him transforming into
other beings, or having a halo or whatever etc. while those sitting
beside them see nothing at all. The process of suggestion begins with
the first book one reads, the personal stories one hears, or say the
first dream one has where his figure occurs. Most come to him already
believing in materialisations and so never even suspect that sleight-of-hand
and other techniques can be involved (especially as to the well-known
swallowing/regurgitating of lingams which was first done as a showpiece
by the famous Houdini). The relatively poorly understood but well-recorded
phenomenon of 'mass hypnosis' almost certainly applies to many of Sai
Baba's interviewees. The conditions for so-called 'hypnotic' suggestion
are almost perfect in advance with most devotees, and this perceptual
trance is one from which one is not awakened in any noticeable manner.
Subjects of hypnosis generally do not even know - or are able to recall
- that they have been induced into it
. and, by the way, sleep-like
states are not at all necessary for it to be very effective. One brilliant
exponent of how tremendously people's minds - perceptions and thoughts
- can be manipulated by non-mysterious means (very often explained by
him in detail) is the rising TV star, the Englishman Derren Brown, many
of whose 'psychic' feats are very like those for which Sai Baba and
many others are known. Derren Brown convinces his subjects that he knows
their minds, shows that he knows what they have in their pockets down
to the last detail and can induce states of mind - including total immediate
forgetfulness, drunkenness, sleep - in them with the greatest of ease
and no preliminary 'hypnosis' which are most impressive to observe.
However, he explains how all he does is achieved without any 'psychic
powers'.
It is possible to experience a great deal through projection of various
kinds and almost anyone or anything can potentially be the catalyst
(persons, idols, animals, pieces of stone even!"). It can - and
often does - go badly wrong as time goes on, since it is a form of cognitive
dissociation with sober perception and reason, leading to many forms
of weirdness of belief and behaviour (as can be seen above all frequently
at Sai Baba's ashrams, if one looks around). I know of many people who
are in desperate conditions because the experience wore down and the
spirituality disappeared. It happens with the Moonies, the born-again
Christians, the Mormons, the 7th Day Adventists and almost every charismatic
sect or cult in existence... and also in other kinds of organisation
too, from the sublime to the ridiculous.
Effects of deep yearning, concentration, deprivations,
sleep paralysis, drugs etc.: Long-term and ingrained projection
is evident in many other areas of human belief and there is a wide range
of possible causes. For example, if one believes in UFOs strongly enough
and concentrate on the issue enough you can evidently have experiences
of them, even experience abduction and whatever, it certainly seems.
This is most likely partly due to the brain's incapacity to separate
dream from waking reality under certain conditions, now being researched
very convincingly in modern hi-tech neurological science, This occurs
in 'sleep paralysis', which can arise in intervals between normal sleep.
The brain can under a wide range of circumstances apparently 'conjure
up' what is not actually there. Such functions are not confined to schizophrenic
hallucinations or in major sense deprivations, extreme thirst and very
high fever, but may apply in all kinds of apparent visitations and magical
experiences, from shamanism, black magic, voodoo, meeting elves, earth
spirits, animal guides, ghosts and so on. These can be the result of
concentrated worship over a long period, powerful longings, joyful singing,
concentration on the form or qualities of the worshipped entity, and
intensive prayers for answers and revelations. Even stones and pieces
of wood (viz. the idols at the Jagannath temple) can become 'animated'
and even talk! The means of inducing these experiences vary enormously
from intense indoctrination, suggestion (hypnosis) to privations, blood-letting
(as in religious rituals) social fear (as in black magic) ingestion
of a huge range of drugs and poison from Jimson weed to LSD, morphine
to ganja and so on...
The 'well-prepared' interview rooms: The interview
room used to be 'prepared' by Joga Rao (or a servitor called Kalkaka)
- I saw them both involved in this when I was sitting in the front waiting
to go in on several occasions. Once they had a very sheepish almost
guilty look and it struck me, but I ignored it. Later I was asked conversationally
one day to my utter surprise by V.K. Narasimhan what I thought of Joga
Rao... that he did not believe in any of Sai's miracles. I was astonished.
The closest servitor of all for decades! Narasimhan said all Indian
residents knew this and it was often discussed, but Joga Rao wanted
to serve Sai Baba because of his educational and social work for Indians.
I later found evidence of Joga Rao's scepticism when a Norwegian friend
of mine worked with Joga Rao to design a new waste disposal unit for
Prashanthi. My friend suggested that Swami should decide on the issues,
Joga Rao said 'What does HE know about it?'
Some revealing details were recently learned from Indian ex-students
who contacted the expose in strict confidence, especially from one former
'form boy' whose brother was still recently a Sai Baba 'chic' (i.e.
permanent bedroom fixture). Sai Baba has a machine for making vibuti
pellets with vibuthi and water (which pellets he conceals in many places
and about his person, which are handed to him by his letter-bearing
servitors etc. - as now seen on videos). Pellets are placed, for example,
on top of the electrical switch box on the left inside the door where
he always goes to turn on the room lights after entering the room -
then he invariably 'materialises' vibuti for the ladies! Further, in
the private inner room he has had concealed a sponge in a small tray
of fragrant oil, sometimes under a chair or elsewhere. Such a simple
trick - he only has to squeeze it once before the young man enters,
or when the worshipful fellow is inattentive! None of his critics had
imagined this obvious explanation despite years of investigating and
pondering.
Oiling with psychoactive substances? In this
connection it is worth consideration that, since Sai Baba oils people
on their chests, stomachs, genitals the oil may often contain psychoactive
ingredients which enter the blood through the skin and cause psychically
unusually experiences (arising some time after the oiling). Even the
traditional Indian pharmacology is well-acquainted with all manner of
drugs and poisons and it would be a small matter for Sai Baba and his
minions to find an agent which affects through oiling of absorbent bodily
parts. Of course, there is no proof of this, but it is not impossible,
especially where fraud as a means to enhancing his status is known to
be part of Sai Baba's agenda. There are reports
that Sai Baba oils the perineum (the very sensitive spot between the
gonads and the anus, where the so-called 'kundalini serpent' - an alleged
supra-natural power is symbolically represented as 'sleeping' in the
'muladahara chackra'). This he did to the author Paul William Roberts, who eplained this in an e-mail to me - though in his earlier book about India where he tells of his visit to Sai baba and interview, he only stated that he was oiled on the "chest". Roberts claims it was completely innocuous... he did not realise it was a form of grooming, testing for availability, because it gave him what he claims was a 'wonderful experience'. Authorities on witchcraft in the Middle Ages
in Europe even suggest the broomstick association arose because it was
used for self-application of 'potions' - involving certain psychoactive
drugs like Jimson weed and toad skin extract - to the perineum and/or
anus - where it is well-known that drugs can be quickly absorbed into
the bloodstream without going through the digstive tract (as in use
of medical suppositories).
Apropos the serpent symbolism, it is noteworthy that Sathya Sai Baba had a bed made (see image) representing the 'serpent bed' on which Vishnu Narayana supposedly reclines on a sea of milk in Vaikuntha (heaven). This bed was reportedly where he nightly seduced many of his young male students. See his own statement here.
Sai Baba's intuition and knowingness: Ullrich
relates how he asked Sai Baba about his brother Peter, who was then
dead. But Sai Baba responded with "He's fine, he's fine!"
Ullrich corrected him. He fell silent a while then said 'Drugs, bad
company'. That evidently made Ullrich think Sai Baba had special knowledge.
However, Sai Baba is definitely very intuitive and can pick up people's
thoughts to a considerable extent, that is my experience and also that
of many others (and Sai Baba is far from being alone in this, despite
the failed experiments on telepathy in parapsychology and by James Randi
etc.). Now, Sai Baba is also very smart and quick to adjust, so just
think - knowing the brother died, it is a fairly safe bet to say he
had do both with drugs and bad company in some form or other, because
very few young Western men can have totally avoided these things.
All who have had any prolonged contact with Sai Baba know that he is
he is sometimes quite right, but also sometimes 'seems' completely wrong.
Even when he is definitely wrong, hardly anyone even considers he could
be! Those who know he misunderstands and says completely wrong things
mostly suppress the facts - as did Dr. Samuel Sandweiss about Sai Baba's
totally incorrect account he gave students about what Sandweiss had
just told him as to the number of psychiatrists he knew were intending
to visits Sai Baba). For these 'true believers', in their belief that
he is the greatest omniscient teacher ever, set about imagining in every
conceivable way how his words could make some sense in some connection
or other
and eventually can often make something out of it
.
however unlikely. Sai Baba has a set of commonly used remarks which
he applies almost willy-nilly to many interviewees - sometimes they
fit, sometimes far from it. To couples he will say 'You fight', to the
unmarried he will say 'You want a husband, or wife' and many another
obvious comment, which are always taken in interviews as showing his
infallible knowledge and brilliant wit. Sometimes he has been told facts
by his servitors and 'spies' who infiltrate the ashram, often he just
knows the facts from letters. He often finds out the names of those
coming to interviews through the leaders, or the office data (which
is very thorough on each group of foreigners who arrive).
Why such great secrecy if not to cover-up deception? No reader of Sai literature or frequent ashram visitor can fail
to know that Sathya Sai Baba is extremely secretive. He is constantly
guarded by servitors and not one of 'officials' ever gives a straight
answer to any questions about sensitive matters, nor do they give away
anything they know about suicides, murders or the slightest possible
untoward event. When such events occur, the ashram is often cleared
of all foreigners within 24 hours so as to hinder anyinvestigation and
inquiry. No one can find out what goes on in private, let alone what
transactions are made between the Central Trust and all those who live
from its donations. Less known is how his closest attendants collude
with him in ways to enhance his apparently endless 'psychic abilities',
providing intelligence on visitors and handing him vibuthi tablets being
two of the least serious deceptions. The spreading of 'miracle' stories
is also done by his VIPs, and some have been discredited by proper investigations
(especially 'resurrection' as totally debunked by Prof. E. Haraldsson's
investigations). These deceits are in the interests of those who live
by Sai Baba, not least financially, but this is played down and cannot
be investigated by anyone without excellent connections. Sai Baba is
now known from many witnesses - including very 'privileged' devotees
who have had literally hundreds of interviews each (Dr. N. Bhatia, Conny
Larsson, David Bailey and many more) to practice a great deal of deception
and outright fraudulence. Not least, of course, he had been widely and
very credibly accused of the most serious kinds of sexual abuse by young
men around the world. (See here).
In the years since Ullrich gave his video interviews, it has been shown
definitively through hundreds of instances by many observers that Sai
Baba exhibits in many ways that he lacks the characteristics he claims
make for divinity (omniscience, omnipotence) and definitely practices
fraudulence on a large scale, which is totally incompatible with any
truthful divine personality. This is not to say that Sai Baba may not
always practice fraud - that he has some genuine psychic powers of the
kind known as 'siddhis'. Little of what Sai Baba actually does (not
least behind closed doors - where he is most of the time) can be examined
properly in any case, and no one is allowed to test him in any way,
let alone subject him to scientifically-secure controls, as Professors
Haraldsson and Karl Osis found out when they tried. However, Haraldsson
was able to find that the claim of Sai Baba that he resurrected Mr.
Walter Cowan from the dead to be contradicted by the facts and the doctors
involved! Be that as it may, the evidence of fraudulence and lies of
many kinds by Sai Baba has grown and grown - particularly since the
Internet allowed communication between disaffected persons (who formerly
just disappeared from the movement and were mostly then excluded from
the meeting places). Several websites have masses of testimony on all
aspects of this, and the BBC documentary film 'The Secret Swami' added
to this exposure of his fraud (especially as to lingam regurgitation)
and alleged sexual abuse and more very considerably. See
excerpts and transcripts
Sai Baba's frequent lies and fraudulence: This
has been documented most thoroughly from his own published words and
also from his many broken promises and actions which belie his claims,
predictions and words. I am in a position to state this most definitively.
I know from my own experiences with him through 18 years, including
many hours of interview - 5 private interviews - and much contact through
nine long visits, also very privileged contact with some of his very
closest servitors. For six years, since I left his organisation (where
I was national leader in Norway most of the time since I was a founder
member in 1983) I have not only studied his teachings in toto, but made
a 20,000 entry of one-liner source quotations in a index covering Sai
Baba's every significant authorised/published statement. My critical
analysis of his teachings is further supported by my investigations
of the many allegations of sexual abuses and murder involvement of Sathya
Sai Baba, whereby I became personally convinced from my many contacts
with involved persons that there is no room for doubt as to Sai Baba's
guilt and major fraudulence, and also as to his constant self-contradictions.
Further, in the light of an increasing number of revelations, very many
- perhaps even all - of Sai Baba's famed 'materialisations' may be fraudulent...
especially his production of vibuthi. This has been shown on videos
and testified by many who have seen him drop vibuti tablets or have
objects ready behind his cushions and in other places. The same goes
for the rings, talisman, bracelets and watches he 'produces'. Some Indian
UK devotees donated many watches on one occasion, only to find that
Sai Baba had later 'materialised' them for student devotees! Further,
as to the 'green stone' rings he produces, he gave me one (after I promised
a major donation to his Central Trust account), which he claimed was
'better than a diamond' (and which he has repeatedly told people are
diamonds), but I had it assayed 15 years after getting it (in 1986)
by the Queen of Denmark's diamond expert (see how the "Green Diamond" Ring Sai baba gave me was exposed).
When the ring was opened and the stone examined minutely (being closed
behind by the 18 carat gold ring setting) it was found to be just a
synthetic sapphire, worth around $10.- at the time in India! It had
green tinfoil behind it to make it more brilliant, which indeed it was.
Others I know personally through many years have also had Sai Baba 'diamond
rings' assayed and found out the same about them! So fraudulence is
established definitively. Of all those wearing Sai Baba rings with stones
[which I have repeatedly heard him state to those he gives them that
they are diamonds], not a single one can is certified by any reputable
professional jeweller or firm as having a genuine, valuable diamond
among them. But these 'diamond rings' are worn by Indian statesmen,
ministers (not least by T.N. Seshan, the President of the Electoral
Commission in India!) and many VIP leaders in the Sathya Sai Organisation.
In the light of evidence that has now emerged, this is wholly absurd
and laughable, in fact.
Go back to summary and transcripts of Ullrich's final part where he reflects back on the Sathya Sai experiences and cult
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