Why does Sanatan demoralise me

Sanatan Sanstha seems to be using a delicate balance of punishment and motivation on me. Am I the only one to suffer like this or is it a common practice? This attitude is keeping me on my toes. I am now always cautious not hurt anybody at Sanatan Ashram Ponda. I learn to control my tongue and speak when spoken to. I do not give my views on any subject even when asked to. I always appear to be very demure.

I change to match Sanatan Sanstha

I seem to have changed a lot. It starts with lying to my family. I don’t consider it a sin to lie to my family. Then, I slowly change the way I dress. I also spend more time doing activities that bind me to Sanatan Sanstha like chanting and personality defect removal process. I also become totally involved in doing prachar seva from my home. My personality undergoes a drastic change. I change my social group and alienate my friends and relatives. I do not think I have done it after being prompted by Sanatan, but now I realize that they used behavior changing techniques on me. They used subtle mind control techniques so that I start relying on them for everything.

This continues even at Sanatan Ashram Ponda. The process is quite different when they realize that I have burnt all the bridges and have immersed myself into following Dr Jayant Athavale. They use a carrot and stick approach so that I am always mentally unstable. I don’t have any other resource on which to rely on. The information flow is controlled by them totally. I don’t feel the need to read newspapers. I read only Dainik Sanatan Prabhat. In fact, at Sanatan Ashram Ramnathi, daily newspapers are not read by any sadhaks. They are available in the media section. In fact, the media section has a couple of television sets, they are always watching news channels. They use breaking news and prepare the newsletters based on them.

Psychological tricks

Once outside Sanatan Sanstha, I start to correlate these with the psychological techniques used on me. Sanatan has used many tricks and techniques and modified them. The end result is mind control. Dr Jayant Athavale seems to have spent several years in developing such techniques. I sometimes think that the Spiritual Science Research Foundation or SSRF is engaged in developing and refining such processes which can control the minds of the sadhaks. I was involved in the process for some time though not directly. Hypnosis has also been studied quite extensively, I know the person involved in doing so. I will not name her but she was an expert on this subject and she had confided that she learned this art from Dr Jayant Athavale. I was taught by this female sadhak and was involved in designing some of the mind control techniques. I did not understand the rationale behind them at that time but the process of testing was quite elaborate.

Sanatan Sanstha uses a process of punishment and motivation to keep the sadhaks at Sanatan Ashram Ponda under control. These psychological techniques lead to behavioral changes that can last a lifetime.

Freedom at last

The transit and Sanatan Sanstha

Sanatan Sanstha has identified the route, has made fool proof plans and coordinated my escape. My escape from a stifling environment, from relationships that were binding me down and were not allowing me to fly away, were not allowing me to follow the spiritual path and were stopping me from going on the path of Moksha. I am free, totally free.

Why am I feeling empty inside me? Is it because of the tensions, is it because of the hunger (I have not eaten anything throughout the day) or is it the feeling of Chaitanya? Am I really free?

I reach Sanatan Sanstha ashram Devad. I am not accustomed to traveling alone but the sadhaks have told me that I have to make this journey alone. It is symbolic, very symbolic. I am touched, I have cried throughout the journey and am excited to have at last reached my destination. The Devad ashram is only a transit point, it exists to filter the essentials from the non-essentials.

I catch an auto from the bus-stop and reach the ashram. As per the instructions, I call up my husband and inform him that I am at Panvel and I am safe. Why should I tell him? I am leaving him finally. I don’t question the instructions, but the first doubt comes to my mind.

Why inform my husband?

The Sanatan Sanstha Ashram Devad is a welcome sight. I feel as if I have reached a holy place; I bow down my head and kiss the steps. Some sadhaks are loitering near the entrance. They ask my identity and immediately a couple of them take me to the main room. Others close the main gates arnd arrange themselves around it.

The first question I am asked is; have I informed my husband? Have I told him that I am at Devad ashram? Have I given a written statement at the police station? No questions about my health, if I have eaten anything, nothing? I reply to all their questions and take a look at the main room. There are several other sadhaks and all appear to be waiting for something to happen; they appear to be tense.

I am given something to eat and I retire for the night. I am accompanied by two or three female sadhaks. They too appear nervous but don’t discuss anything. We go to sleep, but I cannot sleep. I lie awake the full night thinking about my Guru, Dr Jayant Athavale and seekings his blessings.

The next morning, I again notice many sadhaks roaming around in the compound. All people appear to be tense. I have not yet switched on my mobile. Now, I am advised to do so and respond to all calls and tell everyone that I am at Sanatan Sanstha Ashram Devad.

This cycle repeats for one complete week. There are no activities throughout the day but only counseling sessions. The police phone me up one day to gather my whereabouts. I am told to expect the call and am also told to contact one person before responding. I reply as per his instructions.

What is Sanatan Sanstha waiting for? Why am I not allowed to proceed towards Goa?

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.