Sanatan Sanstha teaches me about personality defects

Personality defects and Sanatan Sanstha

Suggestions are an old weapon in psychology and Sanatan Sanstha uses them very effectively. They are a very powerful tool and have been studied in detail in 1900s. “Suggestions and Auto-suggestions” by William Atkinson, published in 1909 was the first definitive book studying the impact of suggestions on human psychology.

I have studied these techniques during my graduation and still did not realise that the sanstha was using them on me. If these were so effective on me, how could they not be effective on others? The technique used is not hypnosis, but mind control and to achieve this, Sanatan uses many techniques of human psychology, Dr Jayant Athavale has many tricks up his sleeves.

What are personality defects?

Sanatan Sanstha has published extensive material on personality defects and personality development. These appear to be very much in keeping up with spiritual development. After all, one of the main aims of spirituality is to gain control of one’s mind and to let go of all personality traits and become one with God. Sanatan wants one to merge with Guru and not God – this is dangerous as it becomes a cult, a fanatical cult.

The website lists 54 personality defects, it reads more like a lesson in antonyms in English. A step by step guide is also provided in a downloadable pdf format. In fact, a book on “Hypnotherapy for happiness” is also listed on Sanatan Shop though it is no longer available for sale. The main reason is the controversies surrounding the use of hypnosis by Dr Jayant Athavale. ABN News has done a two-part series titled Operation Sammohan (Part 1 and Part2) and the series has won a national award as well.

I do not believe that the Sanstha has to use hypnosis for attaining mind control over its followers. Auto suggestions is a more potent weapon and some specially trained sadhaks are well versed in it.

Personality defects create negative energy and need to be eliminated in order to progress in spiritual life. I agree totally, however, it should not be used to control another person.

Use of Auto Suggestions

Sanatan Sanstha has listed the process of auto-suggestion on its website. This is shown practically during their satsangs. We are encouraged to write down our personality defects and a regular follow-up is taken on the progress. Surprisingly, once I mentioned lying to my husband as a personality defect. Immediately I was asked to remove this and told that this is not a defect, I lie because my husband does not support me. The others also suggested that this was not really a defect – the impact of social acceptance was very strong on me. I was now convinced that it was an acceptable fact.

I was very diligently recording all my personality defects and the remedial methods. After some time, the discussions started gravitating towards ego. I was told that ego was my most powerful personality defect and I should remove it to achieve spiritual upliftment.

Seriously, I never had ego issues. I take pride in my work as it makes me do things perfectly. But, I never think that only I can do it and others cannot do it. Pride in work and ego are different things.

But, before realization hit me, I had gone too far. I had crossed several boundaries; I had reached a point of no return. Sanatan Sanstha had taken over my life, my mind, and my body.

Sanatan Sanstha and the Veil

What is Sanatan Sanstha

Sanatan Sanstha’s website states that it is a charitable trust. They seek to impart spiritual knowledge through personal guidance for spiritual upliftment and, also inculcate religious behavior. This is their stated aims. The sanstha is based at Ramnathi, a small village on the outskirts of Ponda, Goa, India. They have a huge ashram there and it operates as their headquarters. They have another ashram at Devad, Panvel near Mumbai, Maharashtra. Another ashram is said to be at Miraj, Maharashtra.

The sanstha operates through various branches. Sanatan Sanstha does not own any of them, these branches operate from the residences of the sadhaks – their followers. These branches may have several sub-offices under them. A typical hierarchical structure with a minimum cost of operations. There is very little information on the number of followers, the way things are organized and operations. All part of the veil. All information strictly on need to know basis, a secretive society formed with unknown intentions.

Hierarchy and Sanatan Sanstha:

 The hierarchy at the Sanstha is designed so the flow of information is easily controlled. Outsiders cannot get any inkling of the Ashram, why outsiders, even the followers are not aware of its true intent. Sanatan Sanstha wants to control everything and anything. I know because I was part of an inner circle, I was one constituent of a small wheel inside many wheels.

The reporting structure is very devious and is cloaked in spiritual terms. Yes, they use spiritual terminology as a cloak. They hide behind it, they use it to justify themselves and stop all unwanted, unwarranted questions. All followers – sadhaks report to a branch in charge. The branch in charge is decided by the reporting Ashram head. The branch in charge reports to another sevak who is based at one of the ashrams. The ashram has several coordination departments – called समन्वय विभाग. All prim and proper.

Flow of information:

Control, control and control. Three important words at Sanatan Sanstha. Not told to anybody, but practised day in and day out, every hour of the day and every minute of the hour. Need to know and question the need to know. But do not show this face to others. Let them think that we are open, everything is open.

And that also brings us to the title of the blog “sanatanveil”. More on that later…

The flow of information is one-way, from bottom to top. The other way is just instructions, what to do, when to do and how to do. Questions are encouraged if they support the set of instructions, instructions cannot be questioned, they must be followed. Instructions are all verbal, nothing is ever given in writing. Writing commits oneself, yes, we are instructed on this, but again I will come back at a later stage. Sanatan Sanstha is not open, it is very hierarchal society, it is very secretive.

Why should it be like this? Why is there no openness? What prevents them from being open about themselves? Why do they give an impression of being open when they are not open?

Questions, questions and more questions. Sanatan Sanstha does not like questions, it will not answer them, it is not supposed to answer them. You are not supposed to question Sanatan Sanstha Goa. Follow the instructions and you will get Mooksh. Question them and I become an evil spirit, a demon. I cannot be reformed; I should be thrown out.

I did and was thrown out. But I could not stop my conscience from biting me. I will not let my conscience bit me.