--- In [email protected], "taskcentered" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: <snip> > If you read my counseling site, you'd see that I don't > actually list any groups as cults. <snip> > I've been writing about reforming TM for 13 years. <snip> > You and Judy are really howling at the wrong guy. There ARE > people and organizations that would like to see TM destroyed. > > But that ain't me.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-C-_Nr4kJcg Following is a series of posts made by John Knapp (taskcentered) on alt.meditation.transcendental in June 1996 (a year after he claims he began "writing about reforming TM"). Ellipses are mine; I took out some extraneous background material about TM, MMY, and the TMO. I'll be happy to provide links to the original posts if anybody's interested. TRANCENET ALET: MAHARISHI PREDICTS GLOBAL BIOLOGICAL WAR John M. Knapp More details avaialable about this crisis at http://www.trancenet.org as they develop. FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE NATURAL LAW PARTY FOUNDER PREDICTS IMMINENT GLOBAL BIOLOGICAL WAR SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. -- June 11, 1996 In a recent world-wide conference call, the Maharishi Mahesh Yogi predicted imminent biologic and genetic warfare on a global scale will break out between the major industrialized countries within weeks.... The Cult Awareness Network, TranceNet, and other watchdog organizations have reported complaints of cult-like activity within the Transcendental Meditation movement have increased recently. According to attendants of the closed conference call in Fairfield, Iowa, on or about May 27, the Maharishi claimed, "If we don't act today, there may not be a tomorrow." He spoke of the horrific impact of genetic and biological weapons that he believed will be released in a devastating global war within weeks. John Knapp, editor of TranceNet, an Internet publication critical of the Maharishi, commented, "This is a very dangerous signal. Cult leaders frequently use apocalyptic announcements to 'gather the faithful.'" He pointed out that similar announcements preceded mass deaths at Jonestown, Waco, Aum Shinrikyo, and Solar Temple and other tragedies.... According to conference call attendees, the Maharishi has called for an emergency "Maharishi Vedic University Project" to avert the apocalypse he sees coming. The "Project" apparently consists of gathering teams of 50 to 100 Transcendental Meditation governors who are traveling to Central American and other Third World countries to found branches of Maharishi Vedic University. The Maharishi claimed that this project could avert the coming disaster, although he apparently gave no details of how this might be accomplished. Kathy Brooks, of the office of the president at Maharishi University of Management in Fairfield, Iowa, confirmed that the TM movement is organizing a "Maharishi Vedic University Project" on an emergency basis, but declined to give any details. "All information is available from your local Maharishi Vedic University on a need-to- know basis only. Maharishi has special instructions for each local community and isn't encouraging communities to share details." "This is a frightening turn of events," said John Knapp. "Anybody who lived through Jonestown and Aum can't fail to see the parallels. The Maharishi is creating small isolated groups of dedicated fanatics. Without contact with the outside world, they're being charged to carry out a mysterious apocalyptic vision. The Maharishi has never before painted such a doomsday scenario in my experience. It looks very bad. I hope that the authorities and the media take this situation very seriously so that a tragedy may be avoided." A former TMer was reached for comment. Declining to be identified because he fears reprisal from what he considers a destructive cult, he said, "I don't understand what is happening. My ex-wife is a TM teacher. Suddenly she's arranging to sell her house. I'm worried for my kids." CONTACT: trancenet.org John M. Knapp, Executive Director 707.996.5560 [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://www.trancenet.org (C) Copyright 1996, John M. Knapp. All rights reserved. --John M. Knapp, Editor, Independent TM Research http://trancenet.org ========================================================== Newsgroups: alt.meditation.transcendental, alt.meditation, alt.support.ex-cult, alt.journalism, alt.conspiracy, alt.politics.perot, alt.politics, alt.politics.europe, alt.politics.greens, alt.politics.india, From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] (John M. Knapp) Date: 1996/06/12 Subject: Re: TRANCENET ALERT: WHAT YOU CAN DO ABOUT TM CRISIS ---------------------------------------------------------- FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE [*]What You Can Safely Do During this Crisis SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. -- June 11, 1996 Help Avert Another Jonestown Spread the Word Distribute this press release to every Usenet group and email address you believe would have a sincere interest. (Please avoid unjustified spamming -- this will make us more enemies than friends on the Net.) Gather Information Call your local Maharishi Vedic University (TM center) and ask for details about the Maharishi Vedic University Project. Call the President's Office of Maharishi University of Management, 515.472.1187, and ask for information. Also, TranceNet will posting frequent bulletins during this crisis. Send Information to TranceNet Whatever verifiable information you gather, send to TranceNet, via email at [EMAIL PROTECTED], via fax at 707.996.5560, via snailmail or courier at TranceNet, 1034 First Street West, Sonoma, CA 95476. Call Friends and Loved Ones in the TM Movement If you know people deeply connected to the TM movement contact them immediately! TMers have been told that this is an apocalyptic, life- or-death situation and to keep all details secret. But probe with questions about travel plans, vacations, plans to move, sell their homes, or other sudden major life changes. Parents who share custody of their children with a former spouse still involved with the TM movement may want to carefully inquire about their children's whereabouts. Contact Your Congresspeople Call, write, or fax your Congressperson and demand action. If you don't know how to contact him or her, just point your browser to www.house.gov/mbr_dir/membr_dir.html. Contact the Media Check with your local paper to see if they're aware of this unfolding story. You may be able to find contact information at www.newshare.com/Newshare/Syndicate/Topics/hometown-usa.html. Give radio and tv stations a shot, too. CONTACT: trancenet.org John M. Knapp, Executive Director 707.996.5560 [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://www.trancenet.org (C) Copyright 1996, John M. Knapp. All rights reserved. -------------------------------------------------------- John M. Knapp, Editor, Independent TM Research, http://trancenet.org ======================================================== Newsgroups: alt.meditation.transcendental, alt.meditation, alt.support.ex-cult, alt.journalism, alt.conspiracy, alt.politics.perot, alt.politics, alt.politics.europe, alt.politics.greens, alt.politics.india From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] (John M. Knapp) Date: 1996/06/12 Subject: Re: TRANCENET ALERT: MORE DETAILS, GLOBAL BIOLOGICAL WAR -------------------------------------------------------- FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE [*]Further Details on MVUP & Global War! SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. -- June 11, 1996 According to Fairfield sources who attended the conference call, the Maharishi's prediction and announcement came as a complete surprise to all TMers. Apparently not a scheduled part of the telephone conference call, the Maharishi began talking about coming biological warfare in response to a question from Bevan Morris, president of Maharishi University of Management, in Fairfield, Iowa. Dr. Morris sought permission for MUM to become affiliated with the Maharishi's latest organization, Maharishi Vedic Universities. Conference attendants say that the Maharishi flew into a rage, blasting first Dr. Morris and then Dr. Keith Wallace, executive vice president of MUM. "You must do something about the danger in the U.S. first. If genetic and biological warfare break out, it will be the responsibility of the governors and meditators in the U.S.," he is reported to have threatened via intercontinental hookup. "Only if teams of governors establish Maharishi Vedic University campuses throughout the Third World can this disaster be averted."... The President's Office of MUM has reportedly been working round the clock since the Maharishi's tirade to pull together many groups of 50 to 100 governor couples to travel immediately to Central America and elsewhere. There have been anecdotal reports of committed TMers selling homes, closing their affairs, and taking leaves of absences from work for the last two weeks. CONTACT: trancenet.org John M. Knapp, Executive Director 707.996.5560 [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://www.trancenet.org (C) Copyright 1996, John M. Knapp. All rights reserved. -- John M. Knapp, Editor, Independent TM Research http://trancenet.org ======================================================== TRANCENET ALERT: WHAT YOU CAN DO ABOUT TM CRISIS by John M. Knapp Newsgroups: alt.meditation.transcendental, alt.meditation, alt.support.ex-cult, alt.journalism, alt.conspiracy, alt.politics.perot, alt.politics, alt.politics.europe, alt.politics.greens, alt.politics.india, From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] (John M. Knapp) Date: 1996/06/12 To receive details of this emerging crisis, subscribe to the trancenet email listserv: email [EMAIL PROTECTED], with "subscribe trancenet" in the BODY. J -- John M. Knapp, Editor, Independent TM Research, http://trancenet.org To discuss "TM" without flaming: email [EMAIL PROTECTED], with "subscribe trancenet" in the BODY. =========================================================== Newsgroups: alt.meditation.transcendental, alt.meditation, alt.support.ex-cult, alt.journalism, alt.conspiracy, alt.politics.perot, alt.politics, alt.politics.europe, alt.politics.greens, alt.politics.india, From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] (John M. Knapp) Date: 1996/06/12 Subject: Re: TRANCENET ALET: MAHARISHI PREDICTS GLOBAL BIOLOGICAL WAR ...The Maharishi is sending small groups of fanatical true believers off into the jungle with a nebulous mission and an apocalyptic vision. He's not saying if we're not careful, something will happen - - he's telling these people that war will break out at any minute. If there's one thing we've learned from Jonestown, Aum Shinrikyo, Waco, Solar Temple, et al, is that doomsday scenarios like this are absolute pressure cookers for the true believers involved. No matter what the Maharishi's motives are -- he may be pure as the driven snow for all I know -- I consider this a *very* dangerous situation. I've received several reports of TMers selling homes, breaking up families, and so forth to go wait out the "biological war" due within weeks. Surely you can see that this is madness? I don't dismiss the very real dangers of biological wars and genetic manipulation. I just don't confuse these important issues with what appear to be the delusions of a mad man leading blind followers into isolated camps to await a holocaust. Remember, up until the moment that the massacre at Jonestown took place, Jim Jones was considered a fine humanitarian -- perhaps at worst a little foolish. If you *knew* that Jonestown would happen, wouldn't you risk raising a false alarm? J
