Mindfulness for ex-BKs

Midfulness is a meditation strategy originally adapted from Buddhist Vippasanna or 'witness' meditation.

Khabat Zinn was a pioneer researcher in the US who has studied the benefits of Mindfulness to stress managment.

In the last decade in particular Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) has increasingly applied Mindfulness techniques to the managment of depression, anxiety, OCD, eating disorders and addiction and the evidence for its efficacy looks good.

Thankfully Mindfulness is nothing like the hypnotism based methods of the BKs. The technique focuses on bringing awareness into the present moment and keeping it there. The aim is to become increasingly self-aware within second by second experiencing.

As part of a tool kit for self-management and self-help I would reccommend it.

A major centre for training and information on Mindfulness in the UK is the University of Bangor North Wales

http://www.bangor.ac.uk/mindfulness/

I see they, or someone related to them ... have cooked up a therapy combined with Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT) called Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy.

I cannot actually comment on the whole therapy thing, not because I think it is "bad" or a waste of time, but merely because I have never been able to afford it. I hear people recommending CBT often because of its more practical implication. The idea of combining 'mindfulness' with such approach sounds beneficial but I suspect, as ever, the quality of the benefit one would receive is largely dependent on the quality of the therapist you find yourself with.

It would be an interest question to ask just what therapy is required to overcome the BK experience (and some may wish to question why they would want to overcome it at all). I was always pretty open about my 'spirituality' and remember towards my time with the BKs going to a Buddhist center to meditate with the class there as there were no BKs near to me. The mental 'cleanliness' of the Buddhist in the West and Far East have appealed to me but I consider that as much to do with the class, background and interests than their practises. It is such a world apart from all that Hindu clutter from with the BKs spring.

However, at that time I found that although I was sitting there listen to them do their 'expanding metta' meditation, really I was just drifting off back into the BK thing. Drifting off, or "floating" is something that many ex-cult awareness or therapist people often talking about as a key cult indicator. I certain did it during and after the BKs and, to be honest, pretty much avoid mediation related stuff to avoid that experience even now. I do not feel I can trust my programming not to drift back towards whatever the BK thing is.

Of course, one of the frustrations of the BK path is that no one really knows what it is, what is going on, if everyone is doing the same thing, if anyone else is having the same experience - or any experience at all - and if that the experience is specific, universal or even just a subjective one? Personally, I think the leaders have not got a clue, and do not even care, as long as BKs adhere to the norms of behavior and expression ... and contribute to Baba's box.

The "What is BK Raja Yoga?" lesson seems to have become even more vague and general since I left and so many of the so-called meditations seem to have become totally 'cosmic', man. What is BK Raja Yoga? It is the "chanting Baba", the repeating visualisations, the repeating soundbite philosophies, the staring at Lekhraj Kirpalani? It all seems so vague.


There are therapists who specialise in ex-cult patients and I know some have treated ex-BKs. I don't know anyone that has done so, nor read comment about it.

I am interested that you state to firmly that you consider BK a hypnotism based method and wonder if you would want to qualify that further and recommend ways of removing or nullifying it, and what you own personal experience with mindful meditations were.

I think the prolonged discipline of "sitting" - even if they are not actually even meditating or having "Yoga" with their god spirit - puts BKs at as mental advantage in comparison to ordinary people, or even professionals like therapist. I have discussed that before with others and their impression was that many BKs can run mental rings around counsellors or therapists and put up all sorts of defences. Not in a good way either.

What is Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT)?

MBCT is based on the Mindfulness-based Stress Reduction (MBSR) eight week program, developed by Jon Kabat Zinn in 1979 at the University of Massachusetts Medical Center. Research shows that MBSR is enormously empowering for patients with chronic pain, hypertension, heart disease, cancer, and gastrointestinal disorders, as well as for psychological problems such as anxiety and panic.

Mindfulness-based Cognitive Therapy grew from this work. Zindel Segal, Mark Williams and John Teasdale adapted the MBSR program so it could be used especially for people who had suffered repeated bouts of depression in their lives.

How will Mindfulness practice help me?

It will help you understand what depression is.
It will help you discover what makes you vulnerable to downward mood spirals, and why you get stuck at the bottom of the spiral
It will help you see the connection between downward spirals, and:
High standards that oppress us
Feelings that we are simply “not good enough”
Ways we put pressure on ourselves or make ourselves miserable with overwork
Ways we lose touch with what makes life worth living.