Guruphiliac: The Guru Of Cult Awareness



Tuesday, July 19, 2005

The Guru Of Cult Awareness

File under: Real True Gurus

While we don't necessarily believe that Rick Ross is enlightened, we were blown away like a hummingbird in a hurricane by this Gothamist interview, linked from his own cultnews.net. That site and rickross.com have been invaluable tools in our effort to ferret out evidence of plain, old, ordinary humanity (including the disgusting and lurid) in the lives of the supposedly divine.

Rickji has got it sussed both sociologically and psychologically. Often derided by the organizations he investigates and catalogs, Ross is apparently the subject of a 196 page profile and 17 page introduction on the Scientology website (which we were unable to find,) all in an attempt to discredit him and his research.

But rather than being as rabidly anti-cult as they are anti-Rick, Ross seems to have a more balanced perspective:
What advice would you give to a friend or family member of someone who appears to be becoming part of a "cult"?

Don't overreact. Don't be confrontational. You may be wrong.

First, carefully and discretely research the group in question and educate yourself. Then make an informed decision about how you can best respond. Before taking any action get a second, even a third opinion from people and/or professionals you trust. Don't jump to any conclusions before a process of due diligence. Keep all communication as open as possible and strengthen continuing goodwill with the person you are concerned.
In a way, Rick Ross is a father of the lineage of guru-busting with which we find ourselves presently involved, so we'll take this moment to virtually take the dust of his feet and acknowledge his fearless work in the service of individual responsibility and clarity, all amidst the ridiculous belief and expectation that comprises most cult ideology today.

8 Comments:

At 7/20/2005 8:58 AM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

Looks like he's mellowed out over the years. I've read about some of the "involuntary inverventions" he did in the 70s, and it was some ugly stuff.

 
At 7/20/2005 9:42 AM, Blogger guruphiliac said...

There was some mention of that in the article. I wouldn't be surprised if he were a bit more anti- than pro-alternative religion, but at least he recognizes the fact that not all alternative religions meet the definition of a destructive cult.

This blog really wouldn't be possible without the resources he has provided, so I owe him a bit for that and wanted to express my appreciation.

 
At 7/21/2005 7:15 AM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

I'll admit, he does provide an invaluable resource. I also respect him for his opinion of the Branch Davidian fiasco, as instead of saying that they're deservedly burning in hell (as most locals around here do), he says that maybe listening to and understanding them would have prevented the massacre.

 
At 5/10/2008 5:24 PM, Blogger Cecelia The MusicBox said...

I agree. Rick Ross does provide very useful sources.

BTW, wholetruth is retarded. no offense.

 
At 6/26/2008 12:17 AM, Blogger Cecelia The MusicBox said...

BTW, I've just found the 196-pg. document Ross is the subject of. Scientology is using ad-hominem arguments to hide their bullshit. No offense, but that's a lot of fucking pages there.

 
At 6/27/2009 6:26 PM, Anonymous iyam said...

What is it about negativity that automatically lends it credibility?

For all I know Rick Ross' site might have some accurate information on it. The problem is it is completely one sided, with no vetting, no impartiality, and zero academic integrity. It is surprising how often it is referenced as credible source for "research".

What is ironic is that it's being referenced as credible demonstrates the very dumb-ass logic-free kind of thinking that makes idiots out there so susceptible to cult like behavior in the first place.

According to this guy just about everything is a "destructive cult." Amway? Deepak Chopra? Burning Man Festival? ...have a look at his list. (Don't know how he missed Star Trek, The Red Sox, Tony Robbins, Dr. Phil, Rush Limbaugh, Harry Potter...)

Somehow Judaism didn't make the cut. Hmmm, coincidence? Apparently he hasn't read the Old Testament.

How about a little live and let live? What the fuck do you guys care what other people want to do with their free time anyway?

 
At 11/21/2010 10:42 PM, Anonymous rese said...

Rick Ross may have once been a valuable resource. At least that's what I was looking for when I joined his forums. To my surprise, I got banned after my first post, because I dared to point out that the particular "guru" they (some long-posting members along with Rick himself) were bashing in a particular thread was not a "cult" according to his own published criteria - and the "guru" wasn't a guru according to my criteria, so... It was my first post on his forum, I thought I was being impartial, my tone was no different than here up to now, yet there was no warning prior to the banning.

The least I can say: Gee what a control freak. Don't take that one as your guru.

 
At 4/27/2011 5:47 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

Rick Ross is a self promoter with no credentials, no specialized training and a felony record. Most recently he has been supporting the Chinese government's repression of Faulun Gong. There are definitley bad exploitive groups out there, but Ross exploits fear to make money and a name for himself.

Here are some recent court documents with a lot of information.

http://www.scribd.com/doc/53037268/State-of-Arizona-v-James-Arthur-Ray-Case-No-V1300CR201080049-Defendant-James-Arthur-Ray%E2%80%99s-Motion-in-Limine-No-9-To-Exclude-Testimony-of-Rick-Ros

http://www.scribd.com/doc/53037279/State-of-Arizona-v-James-Arthur-Ray-Case-No-V1300CR201080049-Defendant-James-Arthur-Ray%E2%80%99s-Response-to-State%E2%80%99s-Motion-in-Limine-re-Witness-Rick-Ros

 

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