Charismatic gurus and esoteric groups

The other day an early reader of my new psychological thriller novel Mystical Circles told me:  "Your story reminded me of a group I used to belong to in the US a few years ago called The Fellowship of Friends. It was led by Robert Burton. In your novel I recognised the way the group members interacted, how quickly new relationships flare up in such a hothouse atmosphere, and especially the tension and interplay between the characters at dinner every evening, with one person observing everything and writing it down…"

I looked up the Fellowship of Friends on the web.  Also known as The School Group it was founded in 1970 in California by Robert Burton aka The Teacher.

Here are the aspects of The Fellowship of Friends which find their counterpart in the esoteric group The Wheel of Love which I write about in Mystical Circles:

1) The group is led by "a conscious teacher". His only true credentials are his own presence and his effect upon his students.

2) The group's location is a place for students to "work on themselves" in an atmosphere of beauty, effort and friendship.

2)  The group is trained in "self-remembering" which involves "being present" within a moment – this is the universal message of esoteric schools.

4) The members of the group gather daily  to "work on themselves" at meetings, study groups and dinners.

I have in the past been impressed by the teachings of George Gurdjieff (upon which Robert Burton based his group) and have experienced a number of such groups myself (see the page About Mystical Circles) and indeed I was the person doing the observing (although not actually writing it down at the time!) Having read the personal testimony of an ex-member of The Fellowship of Friends, I see clearly how powerful a charismatic figure can be and how the most intelligent of people might fall prey to such a person, and therefore create situations in which many people become victims of "mind control" or "brainwashing". I must also say this applies to many situations in life, not just esoteric groups. Witness the power that Hitler came to have over the minds of the German people in the 1930′s.

Read my novel and find out what you think of The Wheel of Love and whether you too would believe in someone who promised you that "here you may take your subtle knife and cut a window into heaven." Would the group's leader, the charismatic Craig, draw you into the group, in the hope of throwing off your past and living in the present? It may be you have been a member of such a group yourself. I'd love to know about your experiences. Please send me your comments!