Did I Experience Hypnosis? – Part 1
I was misguided by a monk into the institution of marriage. If it had been an isolated instance, I might have found space to forgive. One mistake can be human.
What changed me was not one encounter, but a pattern of experiences. It revealed a deeper issue: how easily spiritual authority is assumed, and how rarely it is examined.
The Current Situation
Over time, I witnessed fear being used as a tool, invented narratives presented as doctrine, a lack of lived understanding behind confident spiritual claims, compassion spoken about but rarely practiced, direct experience replaced by mere information… the list could go on forever.
It would be unwise to call these patterns universal, but they were frequent enough to leave a lasting impact on me.
We apply rigorous standards when hiring professionals, yet in spiritual matters, we surrender our judgment without knowing the person at all. A few people spread word that someone is “good,” popularity builds, and before long, that person is treated as God personified.
Reverence vs. Responsibility
Before going further, I want to be precise and fair. I spent a decade shadowing and learning from a monk who became my well-wisher. I have nothing but respect and gratitude for him.
He never claimed to be god. In fact, he openly acknowledged his limits to me — including his lack of visibility into what was happening in his own ashram and devotee groups. That honesty itself taught me something important: spiritual teachers are human.
The difficulty arises when communities place such individuals on pedestals they did not ask for — or can’t realistically sustain. In such environments, those operating under the umbrella of respected figures can misuse popularity and legitimacy.
I witnessed behaviors among certain monks in his tutelage that ran counter to the values they outwardly professed. I also saw how groupism prevailed, how silence was mistaken for devotion, and how questioning was treated as betrayal. When I spoke about what I observed to my well-wisher — who took immediate action — I faced backlash from these groups.
It isn’t simple!
Distinguishing a genuine guide from a manipulative figure is not simple — especially for sincere seekers. My life includes profound spiritual experiences that affirmed the reality of inner transformation. But it also includes experiences that were unsettling and disorienting.
To give you some background, I come from a traditional Indian family where spiritual figures were deeply revered. My parents made a point of visiting nearly every well-known spiritual leader who passed through town. That was my conditioning. I felt a calling toward monastic life, but repeated instances of abused spiritual authority also stirred inner conflict.
Yet, my curiosity remained my weakness.
One day, I accompanied my parents to the ashram of a well-known spiritual leader. The environment was calm. The monks appeared composed and warm. The space felt designed to evoke trust and reverence. I remember thinking I would return.
And then, one event became a turning point for me — it made me decide I would no longer accept someone as divine simply because they wore robes.
