The definition of a meme is "an element of a culture or system of behaviour passed from one individual to another by imitation or other non-genetic means" such as direct teaching and other methods.
I've had the good fortune to have direct personal experience of two highly intelligent, educated and talented individuals who were also mentally ill (to the point of having to be hospitalised at the end) and so I base my observations on that. I cannot remember what, some kind of manic disorders. One had run multi-million pounds aviation business, the other was a classical musician. Both had boundless energy (like Lekhraj Kirpalani having "two engines" in him?) and concocted extensive, fantastical and even sort of logical alternative realities (in the same was Lekhraj Kirpalani did) which were real to them, but beyond reason.
We all have also seen "crazy people" on the street and how many of them turn to religion and how simple people often turn to hysterical-like religions which given them some kind of ecstasy or high form singing, dancing and going into "trances".
So you are questioning whether BKism is a mental illness, a sort of voluntarily self-induced delusion? Fair enough, how crazy to you have to be to believe in the Brahma Kumaris mental plugs they call
The Knowledge™. 5,000 year repeating cycles of time, dinosaurs evolved from radiation mutated lizards 2,500 years ago, palaces made out of gold and diamonds ... the list goes on.
Pretty nuts or very wilfully stupid I would say.
And what about the "Honeymoon Period" high? Is that a kind of psychically induced manic or
hypomanic phase"?
Possibly (
and I lack a knowledge of all mental illnesses), but I do not think it is quite so simple. I'll be interested to read what you come up with. Based on the benefit we now have of the original documentation from the 1930s and 40s about Lekhraj Kirpalani's state of mind, his beliefs and their actions, my working theory is that Lekhraj Kirpalani *did* suffer from some kind of mental illness ... and that they then built their meme or religion around it, which they continue to refining to keep financially sustaining themselves.
That the original Om Mandli girls and women became an extension of Lekhraj Kirpalani's mental illness, as in a "folie de plusiers" and ever since they have been encouraging others to join in and experience that folie (madness) play acting it out. Many of their rituals are re-enactments of their Om Mandli days, acting out literally and psychologically, e.g. Beachball Mohini pretending to be possessed by Krishna and dancing.
The "inmates on the funny farm" as you call them.
However, one has to ask what was the trigger which caused Lekhraj Kirpalani's experience and causes BKs' experiences?
Now, such changes can be brought on by body chemistry, by something as simple as a parasite or worm (seen that too in India, knew a girl who ended up having to be rescued from mental prison because they thought she insane but all it was was a parasite) ... or ... psychically induced by some unexplained spiritual or spiritualist source.
Now, for Lekhraj Kirpalani, we are told that the trigger was a visit to some Sadhu where he was initiated into some kind of siddhi or power (for the want of a better word). And, for BKs, newcomers are therefore also initiated by or into it by what some Tibetans call "transmission" from their BK teacher.
Rationalists by simply rebut such a possibility, but I do not think we can do so so easily because weird and yet unexplained things do happen in this world. (I was reading the other day how even the most conservative of Christian churches still maintain exorcists, essentially reinforcing the belief in spirits and possession.
ManiaDuring this phase, people have an elevated mood, or “high,” which includes feelings of increased self-esteem and uniqueness. They often overestimate how much they can do and the quality of their ideas. Judgment becomes impaired and patients feel powerful over painful consequences. They feel “bulletproof” and have little regret or concern for their actions. They may have many ideas and lots of energy to carry them out.
At this point we check our list and I specifically remember Nirwair, a key BK, who told his story about how he got out of military conscription by literally acting as if he was bulletproof (Baba was protecting) running into bullet fire.
The abundance of thoughts may be difficult to follow; such thoughts are called racing thoughts or pressured speech. People in manic episode may feel such an extreme pressure to keep talking that others do not have the opportunity to interrupt them. Manic patients’ minds are working so fast that they come up with rhymes or sing-song phrases, burst out in song or start dancing spontaneously. Their daily behavior can become disorganized or even dangerous to the point that they require hospitalization.
Well, "half-check" here I think as BKs are trained to sit and be quiet and contain themselves. Perhaps a little hypomanic?
Manic episodes can also have psychotic symptoms present. Psychosis is a state in which a person is unable to tell the difference from reality and unreality. Psychosis symptoms include hallucinations, false beliefs about having special powers or identity (such as superhuman strength or X-ray vision). Psychotic symptoms indicate a severe mood episode that requires immediate medical attention and treatment.
Check.
People experiencing mania might begin several activities at once, never doubting that they can complete all of them. They may have so much energy that they operate on two or three hours of sleep each day. All of this energy can exhaust the family, friends and co-workers of a person with bipolar disorder.
Check.
One last FYI about Lekhraj Kirpalani from an old man in Mount Abu who knew him personally but was not a BK and did not believe in BKism. He said Lekhraj Kirpalani had the tendency to disappear into deep thought and become unresponsive, even in the midst of conversation with him. That his behaviour was eccentric in this manner. I wonder if the "feeding Baba" ritual came from a time when they literally had to feed Lekhraj Kirpalani?
Now, lit by the rose hue of spiritual fantasies, one could interpret that as signs of his great mysticism, that he was being possessed by a god. May be he was (... but not "the god"?). But from the point of view of medical science, perhaps he was just suffering from a mental illness? Obviously a man of great talent and abilities able to mask his mental illness and mostly function (n.b. remember the story of when his family sent him to Benares away to hide and how he scribbled circles on the wall "like a child"?) ... but for 20 years deluded that he was God and the cause of WWII etc, and given to the greatest delusions of grandeur - until he decided he was not God but that God entered him to speak.