It was fifty years ago today...

[ed. - Robert Earl Burton considers January 1, 1970 the day he founded The Fellowship of Friends. He met Bonita Guido at a New Years party the night before and, once they agreed to subsequent meetings, he immediately became a "teacher."]

"Tim Campion" wrote on the Fellowship of Friends Discussion blog, December 31, 2019:

99. John Harmer

Fifty years ago tonight, “the grand narcissist” Robert Earl Burton lured his first follower. Thus began The Fellowship of Friends.

"Cult Survivor" wrote on the Fellowship of Friends Discussion blog, December 31, 2019:

100. Tim Campion [above]

Fifty years ago tonight, “the grand narcissist” Robert Earl Burton lured his first follower. Thus began The Fellowship of Friends. Thus began the carnival. “Fellowship of Friends” search on Google Images:

Photo source

[ed. - In 2017, Robert Earl Burton's autobiographical Fifty Years with Angels was published. Burton asserts that on September 5, 1967 he first met the “angels.” On that day, he was recruited by Alex Horn's San Francisco group. Below, John Harmer offers a review of Part 1 of that story.]

"John Harmer" wrote on the Fellowship of Friends Discussion blog, September 24, 2019:

In December 2017 a very revealing document called “Fifty Years with Angels” was published. I’ve read on this blog that Burton has decreed that all Fellowship documents before a certain date are no longer valid, and that students were asked to rid themselves of them. Still the book was issued and allows a close look at the self centered and narcissistic mindset of Burton. It shows what happens when someone lives so entirely in their own echo chamber, that they have no clue how their statements sound to unbiased listeners. The book is still on sale at amazon.com with 5 reviews so far, four give it 5 stars, one is negative with only a single star.

Here are some of the statements that caught my eye in the book:

He switches between use of the personal pronouns “I” and “we”, which strikes me as a gesture of faux modesty. For example on page one we read:

I did not know what the truth was, but I knew that I had not found it. The truth certainly was not where I was, but then we found the truth or, rather, the truth – Influence C- found us and infused the truth within us.

He continues relating various events that led to him joining Alex Horn’s group, it seems even back then he was subject to ideas of reference, if a butterfly lands on his finger, he interprets it as a sign of his special destiny. There is an interesting paragraph on page 7, where he says

In his group there was a lot of violence and bloodshed, but it did not work. I was able to verify that force cannot break the lower self. Only love can do that – the conscious love we have for one another.

I remember this being the party line when I was a member, and for years I believed it. The “no gossip” task ensured that the psychological torture that he meeted [sic] out to his many lovers was concealed, and it was not until a brave individual visited the London centre in 1989, and shared details of how he had for years felt trapped in a situation that he could not find his way out of, that I became aware of the sordid truth of the situation. This young man was a sincere spiritual seeker, and valued the disciplines of the Gurdjieff work, but he felt unable to confide in the older students who surrounded and supported Burton in his role, about how he was regularly required to submit to sodomy and being sexually used for Burton’s personal satisfaction and relief. [ed. - See “The Thomas Easley Letters”]

Burton is very clear that he rates himself as a very special person, who only has the very highest motives for what he does. He contrasts himself with Alex Horn who bought a property for his school, and put it in his own name. Burton brags

I did not have one thought of putting Apollo in my name. It belongs to the school; it is for us and for those who follow. I did not have a single ‘I’ like that; that is why we have a school. This kind of generous action, and all of the many things that you support, are making Apollo what it is and making you what you are: conscious beings.

Given the many stories of his lust for baubles and trinkets, and shamelessly demanding the return of jewellery which students thought had been given to them (and which they had paid for through obligatory “donations”), it makes me smile to hear him assess himself as “generous”. Later on, on the same page, he makes the statement

Now we are all conscious beings in this room

which must have been very flattering for those in the room, I can imagine the warm glow they would have all felt.

A few pages later he makes some statements about his failed prophetic pronouncements. He says

Revelation 10:7 says, “But in the days of the voice of the seventh angel, when he shall begin to sound, the mystery of God should be finished”

He follows this in the next paragraph with

Sometimes the gods manifest the outer meaning, which may be hydrogen warfare – the Last Judgement. I do not need to be right about these omens; I merely pass them on as they were passed to me. Sir Walter Scott said, “I cannot tell how the truth maybe; I say the tale as it was said to me”

I see this as an extraordinary statement. No one forced him to make prophecies, but given that he makes them, and all the independently verifiable ones (Depression, California falling into the ocean, Nuclear war etc) have proved to be false, surely he has to question whether Influence C really do write the play, or whether he is confabulating these messages he thinks come from higher forces. Apparently he sees no need to do that. He hides behind his humble attitude that he passes on what he gets, and if it turns out to be false, well whatever.

We get a hint about the mechanics of the messages he gets from Influence C a few pages later.

I was by myself looking at the Airstream trailers in the Court of the Caravans, and I had an ‘I’ that they looked like the early atomic bombs. Then Leonardo said “Any fool could see that.” It was a third-state moment.

So apart from his ideas of reference – making connections with car number plates etc, he experiences voices in his head. A classic sign of a psychotic mental condition.

A few pages later he reveals an interesting anecdote from his early childhood.

I remember once, when I was about ten years old, I was gathering walnuts with my mother in Orinda, a suburb of Berkeley. The estate of Henry J. Kaiser – the wealthy industrialist – was nearby, and his son asked me to drive with him around his property. He had his own little road system and his own little car. We were the same age so my mother allowed me to go. He drove me around his estate and it was like being admitted to Paradise. That was preparation for entering Paradise when that time comes. It is not so far away, in fact

Well, it seems to me that for most of the people he names as inspiration, the concept of Paradise as being a rich man’s estate in which you have your own little road system and your own little car, would be laughed at for its brazen enviousness. He seems to have tried to create his very own version of this childhood dream in Oregon House.

At that point part one of the book concludes. I will leave my commentary there for now.

A lineage of profound deception continues

From BePeriod on Facebook

"amesgilbert1" wrote on the Fellowship of Friends Discussion blog, December 14, 2019:

This coming Sunday, December 15th, Asaf Braverman is hosting another workshop on his site, BePeriod.com. The subject this time is:

Transitioning from searching for a teaching to practicing one

Introductory workshop hosted by BePeriod students

When is the right time to stop searching and begin practicing a teaching? What are the obstacles in this transition? Join us for an introductory workshop hosted by BePeriod students aimed at opening a window into this process.

Readers who have found this site for the first time while searching for more information about BePeriod.com and its founder, Asaf Braverman, might be puzzled as to the connection between Braverman and Robert Earl Burton, founder of the Fellowship of Friends. There is a simple answer: Braverman was Burton’s faithful, obedient follower and appointed successor for two decades. They had a falling out, and now Braverman seeks to apply what he was taught to you, a sincere seeker who is doing due diligence.

When you read through these pages, as you learn more about Burton’s depravity, his greed, his insatiable sexual appetites, his enormous lies, his lust for absolute control over every aspect of the lives of his followers—keep this in mind: Burton was Asaf Braverman’s teacher. In fact, for many years, Burton was training Braverman to take over the organization, both materially and spiritually. Braverman joined the Fellowship of Friends shortly after completing his Israeli army training, and was in his forties when he left. Think of how you were or are at the various stages of life, and thus how central to his life the Fellowship became, how much space his indoctrination into Burton’s fantasy took.

Now, Asaf’s defenders may say, “He finally realized the truth about Burton”, or, “He has gone back to a purer Fourth Way, only updated”, or any number of rationalizations about his history and present actions. I, of course, have no way of finding my way through such a minefield, nor am I interested. But, I’d say to any seeker, beware. And ask yourself, how likely is it that somehow he can slough off twenty years of mental conditioning, of being Burton’s right–hand man, of being adored and looked up to by thousands, of being assured of and accepting a luxurious lifestyle courtesy of those thousands? And how exactly does that qualify him to teach anybody anything? Except as an object lesson, of course.

No, Asaf Braverman was central to Burton’s con for two decades. And Burton was central to Asaf’s life for twenty years. It is not enough for Braverman to slough off any enquiries into his past relationship with Burton with, “It is like a bad marriage, one doesn’t talk about such things”.

I strongly advise you to look elsewhere, if indeed you believe that guidance from others is somehow vital to your spiritual well–being.

"Cult Survivor" posted on the Fellowship of Friends Discussion blog, December 14, 2019:

"amesgilbert1" wrote on the Fellowship of Friends Discussion blog, December 14, 2019:

Thanks for posting that video, CS, above, a useful reminder of Burton’s shallowness and lack of gratitude.

Those who are looking into Asaf Braverman’s BePeriod.com ‘school’ will want to know that this is Braverman’s ‘teacher’, Robert Earl Burton, lecturing his followers about how Braverman went wrong. Have a good look at this caricature, and listen to his words. Assuming you can make any sense of his mumblings…

Think about it. Asaf Braverman learned pretty much all he knows about spiritual matters from this man, over the course of two decades. Of course, Braverman had his own unique experiences before, during, and after his stay in the Fellowship of Friends, but certainly Burton was at the core of his psyche for most of his adult life. Further, Asaf Braverman’s knowledge of the “Fourth Way” consists entirely of the bastardized version taught by Burton, plus what he has gleaned from books that are freely available to anyone. So, why would you place your trust in Braverman? Not to mention, there is no legitimate lineage, a requirement of the Fourth Way, if that is what you are interested in. Recall that Burton’s ‘teacher’ was also a vicious conscienceless charlatan, the infamous Alex Horn.

Furthermore, in this intimate relationship lasting twenty years, Asaf Braverman was the apple of Burton’s eye, designated by Burton to be a ‘future conscious being’, one of the splendid supposed fruits of Burton’s ‘school’. Yet Burton only discovered that Asaf was a ‘snake in the grass’ at the end of the relationship. That doesn’t say much for Burton's perspicacity or powers of observation, let alone ‘consciousness’, does it? And vice versa, Asaf only discovered that Burton was not what he claimed after two decades of constant contact.

Remember also, that though Burton claims his organization is a ‘school’, there is no graduation. Over the last fifty years, not a single person has left with Burton’s approval. Fifty years! (that doesn’t say much for his skills as a ‘teacher’ or the the efficiency of his method, does it?) This list includes Asaf Braverman. The parting was acrimonious; see the video above for a small sample. Asaf had to be forced out, he did not leave on his own initiative (full disclosure, I was also ‘given the boot’ rather than walking out under my own steam, but not for setting myself up in competition as a ‘teacher’). So, if Asaf has a conscience, and it was stirred, it was not enough to lead to action. This is who you would want as a teacher?

Regarding this, it is worth recalling that Burton said, in 1994,

“Conscience is just a collection of I’s. Anyone accumulating too much should leave the school”.

The exact opposite of Gurdjieff, Ouspensky or Bennett or Pentland or Nicol or Salzmann, whose teachings claim conscience is as important as, and inseparable from, consciousness, and as strong an indicator as any that Burton doesn’t have conscience—and hence, consciousness—himself. This is the teaching that Asaf Braverman absorbed for twenty years (ditto all the other followers, some for as much as fifty years!)—conscience is just a bothersome collection of ‘I’s.

You will also be interested to know that Burton and his followers discarded the Fourth Way for a decade or more, until declining membership and funds made it necessary to bring out that particular bait again. In the meantime, Asaf Braverman and Burton filled the gap with an invention of their own, the so–called “Sequence”, a sort of mantra that they claimed they had ‘rediscovered’ and refined by study of ancient schools going back to caveman philosophers of 150 centuries ago. You will notice that Braverman still claims the rare talent of being able to discern traces of these ‘ancient schools’ and talk about them in the most convincing way!

Now Braverman has returned to the Fourth Way (that is, to the distortions he learned from Burton and books, plus his own ‘improvements’ and observations made while jetting around the world during the time he was banned from entering the U.S. due to being married to two people at once), using it as bait to attract followers plus plenty of moolah and adoration for himself.

Ironically, Burton has given up the “Sequence” and replaced it with some new mixture of superstitious goobledegook and outright lies, which his followers are lapping up with their usual enthusiasm. And, he has anointed other ‘future conscious beings’ that will take over after his demise to replace Asaf. Hey, easy come, easy go. Although I do feel sorry for those ‘conscious’ cavemen, who apparently labored to produce drawings of rhino poop laden with esoteric messages for Burton and Braverman to interpret 150 millennia later—all that effort, wasted!

"A.Z." wrote on the Fellowship of Friends Discussion blog, December 16, 2019:

Video from 65 [above]: “When you talk about as many things as I do, you don’t even have any thoughts about getting them all right.”

"A.Z." wrote on the Fellowship of Friends Discussion blog, December 16, 2019:

An outsider’s view of that video: – A lot of bitterness, anger, and pure insanity in those eyes. – The person on his left doesn’t believe a word. He thinks there’s an opportunity and is waiting things out. Delusional, like so many cult followers are, but also opportunistic. – Similar to the rally of a deranged authoritarian. He can say nothing wrong, do nothing wrong.

"John Harmer" wrote on the Fellowship of Friends Discussion blog, December 16, 2019:

#65 [video above] So Abraham Lincoln is the special FoF patron saint of leavers, huh? 🙂

"Cult Survivor" wrote on the Fellowship of Friends Discussion blog, December 16, 2019:

71. A.Z. [above] The person on REB’s left is Alexandr “Sasha” Shalapanov — according to REB he is one of the 2 people in the FoF that “is on the ninth lifetime” and will become a conscious being (the other one is Dorian Matei). Asaf Braverman was the third one before he fell from grace. 72. John Harmer [above] Brilliant.

"Cult Survivor" wrote on the Fellowship of Friends Discussion blog, December 16, 2019:

Here is a rare opportunity to see the 2 future conscious beings in action:

See also:

"Robert Burton attacks Asaf Braverman for being unfaithful"

"Asaf Braverman departs and Robert Burton reveals his petty dictator persona"

"A 21st century facelift for the tired old Fourth Way"

"Asaf Braverman introduces the Fellowship of Friends 'Online School'"

"Escaping the heat. Is the Fellowship of Friends brand a liability?"

[ed. - From The New Yorker, November 25, 2019. (Published in the print version under the title "On the Nose.")]

The New Yorker. Illustration by Greg Clarke

How Natural Wine Became a Symbol of Virtuous Consumption

The mainstreaming of natural wines has brought niche winemakers capital and celebrity, as well as questions about their personalities and politics.

By Rachel Monroe November 18, 2019


[ed. - See also: Wild, Wild Wine Country, A Guided Tour of Renaissance Vineyard, and How Do I Love Yuba? Let Me Count the Ways.]

Losing Reality: On Cults, Cultism, and the Mindset of Political and Religious Zealotry

Losing Reality: On Cults, Cultism, and the Mindset of Political and Religious Zealotry

By Robert Jay Lifton
Available October 15, 2019

Amazon's synopsis:

A definitive account of the psychology of zealotry, from a National Book Award winner and a leading authority on the nature of cults, political absolutism, and mind control

In this unique and timely volume Robert Jay Lifton, the National Book Award–winning psychiatrist, historian, and public intellectual proposes a radical idea: that the psychological relationship between extremist political movements and fanatical religious cults may be much closer than anyone thought. Exploring the most extreme manifestations of human zealotry, Lifton highlights an array of leaders—from Mao to Hitler to the Japanese apocalyptic cult leader Shōkō Asahara to Donald Trump—who have sought the control of human minds and the ownership of reality.

Lifton has spent decades exploring psychological extremism. His pioneering concept of the “Eight Deadly Sins” of ideological totalism—originally devised to identify “brainwashing” (or “thought reform”) in political movements—has been widely quoted in writings about cults, and embraced by members and former members of religious cults seeking to understand their experiences.

In Losing Reality Lifton makes clear that the apocalyptic impulse—that of destroying the world in order to remake it in purified form—is not limited to religious groups but is prominent in extremist political movements such as Nazism and Chinese Communism, and also in groups surrounding Donald Trump. Lifton applies his concept of “malignant normality” to Trump’s efforts to render his destructive falsehoods a routine part of American life. But Lifton sees the human species as capable of “regaining reality” by means of our “protean” psychological capacities and our ethical and political commitments as “witnessing professionals.”

Lifton weaves together some of his finest work with extensive new commentary to provide vital understanding of our struggle with mental predators. Losing Reality is a book not only of stunning scholarship, but also of huge relevance for these troubled times.

"Take It From a Former Moonie: Trump Is a Cult Leader"

Steven Hassan's upcoming book

[ed. - Steve Hassan operates the Freedom of Mind Resource Center and has included The Fellowship of Friends among the many cults he has profiled.]

By Steven Hassan

The Daily Beast
Updated 10.13.19 7:18PM ET / Published 10.13.19 5:11AM ET

[Excerpt]

"When I was in the Moonies, I was so indoctrinated that I was prepared to take up arms and die for the cause. I wasn’t alone. My fear is that Trump might order his followers to take their weapons to the streets if he is not re-elected. In a recent tweet, he quoted his Christian Right ally, Robert Jeffress, that his removal from office 'will cause a Civil War like fracture in this Nation from which our Country will never heal.' Worse still is the possibility that, if feeling sufficiently threatened, Trump might, like Jones, try to take others everyone with him, using his access to the nuclear codes. It’s a dark scenario, but not entirely outlandish.

"The good news is, I woke up and got out of a cult, as have millions of people. What I have learned in working with cult members, as I describe in my book, is that attacking their beliefs is doomed to fail. To help them recover their critical faculties, it is essential to develop a warm and positive relationship before teaching them about how mind control works. I often do that by showing how it operates in other groups, like the Jonestown cult or Scientology. We might use the same approach to heal the 'us versus them' mindset of Trump’s followers—and also of some of their more rabid opponents. Ultimately, the goal is to educate and inspire people to regain their capacity for critical thinking, and to free their own minds.

"I have seen people throw off the mental and emotional shackles of many years—even a lifetime—of destructive conditioning. I believe that love is stronger than fear and that truth is stronger than mind control. But I also believe that the dangers of mind control are greater now than ever due to the digital world we are so plugged into. We ignore the lessons of history—of Jonestown and other destructive groups—at our own peril."

Read more at Daily Beast. Also see Steven Hassan interviewed on CNN.

Recruiting in Ahmedabad

[ed. - An ad from the October 5, 2019 online version of the Ahmedabad Mirror. The meeting is led by David Tuttle, contributor to the Fellowship's Fourth Way Today website. David began following Robert Burton 45 years ago, when he was just 19.]

The Fellowship of Friends now offers an "Online Introductory Membership"

[ed. - Following a recent makeover, the Fellowship of Friends "Living Presence" website (below) now offers an "Online Introductory Membership." The new recruiting campaign may be an attempt to mimic and compete with Asaf Braverman's BePeriod online faux Fourth Way group (see video below). With the help of many Fellowship members, Braverman developed his platform prior to involuntarily parting ways with Burton in 2016. While the Fellowship has steadily drifted from it's Fourth Way roots and into the realm of faith, the Fourth Way Today "online magazine" (below) continues to recycle the old Gurdjieff and Ouspensky talking points ("the hook") while, at Apollo, Burton takes followers into a fantasy world all his own.]

Text of offer:

We offer a six-month introductory online membership for those who live far from our network of  worldwide centers. We strongly recommend face to face contact as the way of meeting us and participating in our school. Actual attendance in activities with other students can accelerate one’s work on awakening relative to efforts done alone. These shared activities increase the opportunities to be reminded of presence and to observe one’s mechanicality. Nevertheless, we hope online membership will provide an opportunity for those for whom this contact is not possible or possible only periodically.

Online membership offers a weekly online meeting in English with Fellowship students, entry in a private discussion group where personal observations can be shared and questions about our teaching can be asked, as well as the possibility to visit our spiritual headquarters, Apollo. We ask a small monthly donation for this membership.

Full membership offers additional benefits. For more information about full membership, contact the one of our centers that is closest to you or send us an inquiry.

For more information about online membership, click here.

"Insider" wrote on the Fellowship of Friends Discussion blog, August 18, 2019:

In their obvious desperation for money, sex partners for Burton, and even more money and sex partners, a new hook is being cast by the Fellowship: an online membership. No mention upfront of the cost; but since the “face to face” membership fee is now only about $50 a month for the first couple of years, the online fee is probably no more than half that. No doubt the pressure will be intense (especially for the males) to become a “real” member once the online membership has expired.

["Introductory online membership" offer above quoted here]

Robert Burton's Inner Circle revealed?

"Ocean Tiger" wrote on the Fellowship of Friends Discussion blog, July 23, 2019:

Please enjoy these 47 previously unreleased photos of Robert Burton and his associates:

https://www.dropbox.com/sh/abthx19b8eioq8z/AAA1VSNeJlwpusDsN3JJgyN7a?dl=0

Robert Earl Burton reading to a member of his Inner Circle? Photo: Apollo Cavalier

"Horn-Burton-Braverman - The Pseudo Holy Trinity"

[ed. - It should be noted that William Patrick Patterson, founder and editor of The Gurdjieff Journal, has been an outspoken critic of Alex Horn, Robert Burton, and The Fellowship of Friends since the 1990s. A short excerpt about Robert Burton from William Patrick Patterson's 1998 book, Taking With the Left Hand, and another anecdote about close encounters with Patterson's group can be found here.]

"Wouldnt You Like To Know" posted on the Fellowship of Friends Discussion blog, July 20, 2019:

The Gurdjieff Journal - 79 Volume 20 No. 3

"Insider" wrote on the Fellowship of Friends Discussion blog, July 22, 2019:

Here is the link to Issue #79 of The Gurdjieff Journal:

https://www.dropbox.com/s/yh9qe35tc0lcfgo/TheGurdjieffJournal79.pdf?dl=0

Is there a warrant for Robert Earl Burton's arrest in the EU?

Robert Earl Burton

[ed. - For years it has been rumored that a warrant exists for Robert Earl Burton's arrest within the European Union. Due to their inconsistencies (e.g. "Czechoslovakian" versus "Italian" passports, "two" versus "3" Russians), it is not clear if the comments below refer to the same case. Having no confirming evidence, I must consider this gossip (a misdemeanor in the Fellowship!) Meanwhile, "Golden Veil" nobly struggles to uncover the truth.]

"Intercontinentia Buttocks" wrote on the Fellowship of Friends Discussion blog, May 21, 2007:

Forgive my anonymity, but what I am about to write concerns my friends, to whom I don’t wish any troubles with the authorities.

Some 4 years ago two of Robert’s boyfriends, both Russians, were rejected visas to the US. Robert then came to the aid of students (then in Rome) to acquire forged Czechoslovakian passports through Italian mafia with which they tried to enter the country.

Immigration officers discovered the forgery and the two boys spent some time with police at the airport.

Decision was made to send them back to the country from which they came from, i.e. France. They spent about 3 months in prison there, after which time they were sent back to Russia.

Being in the prison did some good to one of them, as he had time to ‘come to his senses’ and finally decided to leave Robert and the school.

The other, however, is still ‘serving’ Robert, although hating it, but such is the price of staying in the country of his choice.

The one who was leaving told Robert about his decision, to which he said that if he does leave him, his wife is going to leave him and he’s going to loose some attractive things offered to him by his teacher. Still, he left and after a while his wife left him.

After a while, he decided to blackmail Robert by writing an article about his experiences with him in American papers. I told him to get a good lawyer if he were to do so, but he went ahead alone and had to deal with Mr. Lawyer A.G., who blackmailed him back, using his knowledge of certain circumstances of the boy’s life. The whole thing was settled for a pitiful $3.000 in exchange for a signature on a paper stating that the information about Robert should not be disclosed to anyone.

"Secret keeper" wrote on the Fellowship of Friends Discussion blog, May 22, 2007:

I. Buttocks [above] – this story is true. I heard it too from the guys themselves and from many other students. I’ll never mention any names here for the same reason – I don’t wish any trouble for the guys, both of whom I like very much and wish them well.

Funny how an illegal thing could be almost glorified in the Fellowship of Friends because Robert went against feminine dominance. So many things that are immoral and simply wrong or criminal can be justified and glorified based on a belief that the teacher can do no wrong.

I only wonder if Department of Homeland Security thinks that crossing US or European border under fake name using a forged passport is OK and is no wrong doing… Especially in post-2001 era.

What shocking is that RB went to such risky extreme only with a purpose to get personal sexual pleasure out of these 2 young males. He would have never done a similar thing for a female student or an older male student from a different country.

Many students knew about this story, news spread quickly in Isis. Friends would secretly tell each other: Robert got him a fake passport so he can come here to be with him uder different name, but – psst! – don’t tell anybody it’s a secret…

I guess as long as Robert goes against feminine dominance, doesn’t inner consider and uses intentional insencerity [sic] he can do whatever he wants. He can even bend the US law if he wishes and students will have to faithfully keep his secrets.