And of course this is very important because Amma somehow champions herself as someone who cares for women and is respected by Western women such.
Nothing could be farther from truth. She is no MLK nor can compare herself to any of the activists - that's why the honorary degree she got awarded by SUNY and the Gandhi-King award she received was such a joke, such a sham, a fraud - conning innocent liberals. You can see how Amma is a victim of her village mindset - she systematically abuses Gail. She doesn't care for any physical needs for the women renunciates in her ashram - they are denied proper nutrition, medicines when sick. It's not surprising when you witness Amma's treatement of Gail - if she is so cold and callous twards her personal attendant why would she care about the rest of the women who are at her mercy. Disgusting stuff all this - like I said I was numb for a long time. ---In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, <no_re...@yahoogroups.com> wrote: Hi - by her unsophisticated culture - I meant the male-dominated culture where women are supposed to be deferential to men, women are treated lesser than men, where women are supposed to sacrifice themselves. Amma's behavior towards Gail after she had the hysterectomy was so brutal - extremely cold and callous. Even pigs in factory farms in America may be treated better - I'm exaggerating but you will understand my point. Anyway yeah I agree Amma is very manipulative - so she is psychologically sophisticated in that sense. Yet if not for the power she held over Gail, Gail would have detected it long time back. In fact I could easily empathize with Gail, because I was also subjected to emotional, verbal abuse by my ex (mercifully no physical abuse) who held power over me because I absolutely loved her and was totally vulnerable to her. Anyway it was very distressing to read the book - I was numb for a few days, absolutely shocking. ---In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, <emilymaenot@...> wrote: I agree with what you've said except: "Amma is absolutely fascinated by the adulation, power very clearly emotionally, psychologically immature, a product of her illiterate, unsophisticated culture and values." While I agree that adulation and power are primary with her at this point and she is clearly abusive, I think she is also quite intelligent and exhibits a certain personality profile which has nothing necessarily to do her being a product of her upbringing and literacy. I wouldn't call her culture or values "unsophisticated" necessarily either. Interestingly, as a woman in the beginning, she was bucking the norm of male gurus. Reading the storyline of how the organization grew from the beginning to where it was at Gail's exit was also quite interesting. ---In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, <no_re...@yahoogroups.com> wrote: Indeed - shocking forward by Rick. This is nothing but a vile attack website by Amma org. Gail Tredwell is absolutely sincere and convincing, she shows an amazing lack of any bitterness or anger. The reader of this book will be no doubt influenced by Gail's objectivity. The fact that Gail has taken 14 years to publish this book is clearly reflected - she has spent lot of time healing, processing her emotional, psychological wounds. My innocence is lost - the last I expected was sexual abuse, rape and Amma having sex with the swamis. Of course the most vivid portrayal of Amma in this book was as a serial verbal, physical, emotional and psychological abuser. Amma is absolutely fascinated by the adulation, power very clearly emotionally, psychologically immature, a product of her illiterate, unsophisticated culture and values. A must read for anyone who has any interest in Amma. ---In fairfieldlife@yahoogroups.com, <emilymaenot@...> wrote: The Amma org put this website together and included these stories to discredit Gail - they are in massive attack mode on as many fronts as possible. Rick, come on now. Have you read the book? If so, come on out and state what you think. ---In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, <sharelong60@...> wrote: Thanks, Rick. On Thursday, November 14, 2013 12:19 PM, Rick Archer <rick@...> wrote: Pages to read: http://ammascandal.wordpress.com/category/amma-lies/ http://ammascandal.wordpress.com/category/amma-lies/ http://ammascandal.wordpress.com/category/amma-scandal/ http://ammascandal.wordpress.com/category/amma-scandal/ From: FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com [mailto:FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com] On Behalf Of Share Long Sent: Wednesday, November 13, 2013 5:43 AM To: FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com Subject: Re: [FairfieldLife] RE: RE: Re: Holy Hell: A Memoir of Faith, Devotion, and Pure Madness I've been to Amma's gatherings a few times and liked getting hugged, liked the bhajans and the feeling of being at a market in India. I also liked that it was sooooooooo different than TM gatherings which are drier and more knowledge based. Also it was interesting to see the Western devotees garbed in Indian clothing and living a more obviously ashram lifestyle. A former boyfriend left Purusha and ended up buying a condo at Amma's ashram in India and I got some insights from him about that particular path. Bottom line, we live in interesting times but maybe everybody in every era thinks that! On Tuesday, November 12, 2013 10:52 PM, "emilymaenot@... mailto:emilymaenot@..."; <emilymaenot@... mailto:emilymaenot@...> wrote: I only spent 3 days and just one time (although it was enough for me to spend hours on the internet to reconcile my reality and that of my children's with the experience and the experience of the family I went with and to feel compelled to write up my story for a post in the process). I think Rick or Ravi or maybe Share? could take you up on this, but I don't want to start any drama. It is a good story and it represents 20 years of her life and I respect it and her fully. ---In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com mailto:FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, <awoelflebater@... mailto:awoelflebater@...> wrote: Hmmm, I would be interested to compare the experience of those who had been around Amma with what the author is going to reveal in her book. I would also like to know if what the author says resonates in any way or form with what someone who approaches Amma openly and sincerely would have to say about their experience with/of her. Everyone is different and their filtering/perception mechanism is different from those possessed by others. I would love to know how I would feel in her presence, receiving her touch and then compare it with Gail Tredwell's story and why and how she decided she wanted to move away from Amma. Anyone want to read the book and let me know about this, especially if you have spent time with her? ---In fairfieldlife@yahoogroups.com mailto:fairfieldlife@yahoogroups.com, <emilymaenot@... mailto:emilymaenot@...> wrote: She wrote it largely to facilitate her healing process and it isn't a comprehensive look at the Amma organization, but it blows the lid off of Amma as the "hugging saint" or "saint" in any respect, in ways that would create the need for one to engage in some serious mind-bending denial to continue to see her (particularly as a hanger-on). Well, I guess I just gave it a review of sorts, but pay no attention. I like stories of people and their lives. Smile. ---In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com mailto:FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, <awoelflebater@... mailto:awoelflebater@...> wrote: Emily, I have just purchased the book and it looks like a good read. I know really nothing about Amma other than what I have read about her here at FFL. Having emerged from a cult experience myself I will be looking forward to seeing what the author has to say. ---In fairfieldlife@yahoogroups.com mailto:fairfieldlife@yahoogroups.com, <sharelong60@... mailto:sharelong60@...> wrote: Emily, did you find that reading this book shed some light on the experiences you and your daughters had when you went to see Amma in person? On Tuesday, November 12, 2013 1:39 AM, "emilymaenot@... mailto:emilymaenot@..."; <emilymaenot@... mailto:emilymaenot@...> wrote: I would suggest this book by Gayatri (Gail) to any Amma devotees or followers or those that attend just for hugs. It's easily read in two days and is written sincerely and truthfully and fairly.
