"Why do people join cults?" by Janja Lalich

Characteristics Associated with Cultic Groups - Revised 

ICSA Today, Vol. 6, No. 3, 2015, 10.

By Michael D. Langone 

PDF Source



Note: This checklist has gone through many revisions since the author first presented it in the 1990s. Many people have contributed suggestions and feedback to the various revisions, in particular Carol Giambalvo, Janja Lalich, Herb Rosedale, and Patrick Ryan. The current, slightly modified version of this checklist was published in ICSA Today, 6(3), 2015.


Michael D. Langone, PhD, a counseling psychologist, received a doctorate in Counseling Psychology from the University of California, Santa Barbara in 1979. Since 1981 he has been Executive Director of International Cultic Studies Association (ICSA). He has written and spoken widely on cult-related topics and is Editor-in-Chief of ICSA Today.

About Janja Lalich, PhD

[ed. - Additional recommended reading: The Guru Papers. And if you're really determined to join a cult, find help here: Which Cult Should I Join?: A Choose-Your-Own Guidebook for the Spiritually Bereft.]

John North's escape

[ed. - John North's story below is reprinted with the author's permission. I've placed this in two locations on the timeline: July 10, 2018, when "Golden Veil" first shared and commented on John's story, and March 15, 1979, when John escaped from the Fellowship.]

"Golden Veil" wrote on the Fellowship of Friends Discussion blog, July 10, 2018:

Can a man be a member of the #MeToo movement?

You betcha!

Below, a personal history from Fellowship of Friends former student John [ed. - John North], who posted about his experience being placed in the Blake Cottage and serving as Robert Burton’s “attaché” on the Miles Barth In Memoriam page, Greater Fellowship, on July 6, 2017. [ed. - Greater Fellowship requires membership to access site.]

Reflecting on my time in the Fellowship still provides an opportunity for work.

It is not my wish to speak ill of the dead – only to relay my memories as best I can. Who knows the truth?

My first visit to Renaissance was in the summer of ’78. Even back then, it was like walking into Rivendell (Lord of the Rings) or Hogwarts -for you younger escapees…

I was quite literally spell bound by the elegance of the Meissen Room, the beauty and scope of the vineyard, the excellence of the antique octave, the concerts, the intellectual and emotional depth of the students, their sophistication, refinement, their level of commitment, and the efforts they made …

And many if not most of them were spell bound like me. Naïve, innocent, dreaming – imagining a perfect world created and directed by a deity.

I should have “smelled the coffee burning”.

If I remember right, I was helping Brian Sisler paint Dorothy Beaulieu’s cottage on my weekend visits to Renaissance. I did not know Brian well but came to understand that he was being sent away for “spreading rumors” about RB and that I would be taking his place at the Blake Cottage. Dorothy turned to me and said something to the effect of  “…such a sweet young man – how could he say such terrible things about Robert?” This I remember very clearly.

Of course discussing rumors about the teacher was strictly verboten – so I did not ask. I wish I had.

If Dorothy – who was not even on the fringes of the inner circle – suspected something was (as the saying goes) “rotten in Denmark”, does anyone think the older students were unaware? Again I emphasize – I was not the first “9 month wonder”. My suspicion is that most of them (if not all) at first refused to believe (like me), then justified the behavior (like me), and then went into denial – a luxury I could not afford.

I cannot imagine many experiences that would equal or surpass visiting this magical place for months – hearing the words “crown prince”, “conscious role”, “Lord North”, and then… the first night in the Blake Cottage… having the curtain pulled back and the dark side exposed.

At first, I tried to rationalize RB’s behavior as a test but that didn’t last long. I found myself looking up references to double/incorrect crystallization, hasnamuss, and so on… I still don’t know what went wrong.

In any case – the “wine, dine & travel” octave had begun… “The Magic Flute” in L.A., Baryshnikov in San Francisco, Tavern on the Green in New York, two trips to Europe – Amsterdam (to bid on a roll top desk), London, Munich, Paris… (I don’t remember the exact order). I was Robert’s “attaché” on the first trip and the “motor” for Kevin Kelly’s wheelchair on the second. (Sadly, Kevin became ill in Paris and we spent most of the trip there).

I found the opportunity to observe myself was profound. I did my best to recall Gurdjieff’s advice – “The worse the conditions of life, the more productive the work, always provided you remember the work.”

I cannot express how productive those difficult days were. I had a very new and different perspective on “The Teacher” and the ideas. Imagination, identification, considering, expressing negative emotions, lying…

It was confusing and enlightening at the same time. I verified the usefulness and validity of The Work in ways that would have taken years by any other route. In a way I suppose I should be thankful. Many have labored and suffered for decades under his spell. My eyes were opened and I began to look for an exit.

It was not easy. No money. No car. In addition, Louis told me that I was considered a “flight risk” and would be watched quite carefully.

Late at night on the Ides of March in 1979, I gathered what was left of my worldly possessions into a back pack and tip-toed out of the Blake Cottage and on to the road. Fortunately, a newer student was driving the first car that came along. I told him Robert had granted me a three day vacation. He had no idea I was running. I was so thankful. Who knows what might have happened if I had been caught trying to escape. Probably transferred to the London Center for reprogramming. Ha!

Unfortunately, I did not escape undamaged. I have not and do not think I will ever fully trust another teacher, school or human being. That’s had an impact on every relationship I’ve had since leaving the Fellowship.

And as many here probably know – working alone is only so productive.

~ ~ ~

If there is someone out there that was or is a former or current “boy” of Robert Burton, there are agencies for help – and reporting.

“You are not alone.
It was not your fault.
It is possible to heal.
It is not too late.”

From: https://www.malesurvivor.org/index.php

See also:

https://1in6.org/

Oktoberfest at Apollo

Renaissance Winery, designed as both winery and bomb shelter. Original photo "Apollo Winter" by Jonathan Beth

“Next month, on October 4th, there will 444 days to the Mayan prediction of the end the cycle on December 21, 2012. The messages I am receiving indicate that they will not enact the Last Judgment in 2012, but more likely in 2018. It is based upon several signals they have given. In fact, as I was speaking about this with Dorian today an email arrived and my iPad chimed just as I said '2018.'”

- Robert Earl Burton, September 14, 2011

[ed. - Robert Burton and the Fellowship of Friends may be gearing up for the biggest bash ever. Reports are that "The Teacher" is summoning all the sheep home for a grand celebration October 21st. This event may even mark the annihilation of the sleeping masses of "life people" and ascension of Burton and his followers to Heaven. The level of paranoia being expressed by Burton may indeed warrant the scrutiny of governmental agencies and the media.]

"Insider" wrote on the Fellowship of Friends Discussion blog, April 17, 2018:

Various people within the FF report that there are 2 main dynamics going on with Robert these days: (1) He is going all out like never before with the coming “October prediction”; and (2) he is actively cleansing the FF of non-believers and non-supporters.

For this October’s unspecified world-wide disaster, he will be closing all centers for the month, asking everyone (some 1000 souls out there) to be in Apollo/Oregon House. All residents are to prepare for 2 weeks without electricity, and otherwise being off the grid and isolated from the outside world. It’s fascinating to observe the oft-skeptical old-timers, having been through a dozen of Robert’s failed “predictions,” falling for it once again (a la Charlie Brown), and excitedly making their preparations.

On the “cleansing” front, various people have been assigned to note those who do not regularly attend meetings and other so-called “teaching events” with Robert. These “sinners” are then spoken to, threatened, and/or given “leaves of absence.” Absolute loyalty to, and trust in, Robert is being demanded like never before. He wants only closely orbiting satellites now, no doubters or more independent types. Oh, and if 3 meetings per week has not been enough of a test of a follower’s loyalty, he now want to move toward having a meeting every day. This should expose the unfaithful in no time!

Some people wonder if Robert is planning the big “conscious being” announcement and “hand off” to Dorian in October when over 1000 followers are expected to be around. At the very least, he will undoubtedly bring in TONS of $$ from the overseas flock.

In any case, with both of these dynamics, it looks like Robert is putting all eggs in one basket, all or nothing, for one final role of the dice.

"Insider" wrote on the Fellowship of Friends Discussion blog, July 1, 2018:

News from the Farm:

In a communiqué to Robert Burton’s followers, June 27 has been declared an official Fellowship of Friends holiday: the anniversary of “The Absolute’s” first visit (in 2014) to Burton and Apollo.

Burton is obsessed with his own prediction for Oct 21 of this year, spending entire meetings on how to get prepared. Subjects include food storage, extra eyeglasses, and weapons. At a recent meeting he talked so much about to need for followers to arm themselves, that cooler heads in the FF leadership had to make the decision to remove the recorded broadcast from the followers-only website, the thinking being that if followers can view the meeting, so can government officials who might be monitoring FF developments.

Followers, in larger numbers, are beginning to question why Burton wants hundreds of other followers to congregate in Oregon House during October, if the risk of a major disaster is so high. Although Burton refuses to be specific, he believes the possibilities include fire, earthquake, volcano, civil unrest, and no electricity for 2 weeks. Indeed, wouldn’t the followers living in Europe, Russia, India, etc. be safer staying at home?

Many followers are beginning to notice/question Burton’s “mental state;” repeating himself; forgetting names and events; almost babbling, it seems to some. One follower noted that his two ever-present handlers at all of his events, Dorian and Sasha, have the responsibility to keep the followers from noticing Burton’s “insanity.”

Although his followers are busy preparing for the October disaster by buying food, stocking up on toilet tissue, starting gardens, and of course thinking about getting firearms, Burton himself is preparing by continuing a multi-year buying spree of fireplaces, statues and chandeliers. No one seems to have any idea why Burton is doing this.

Plans are being made for maximum security at Apollo between now and October, and probably extending beyond October. Burton is talking about multiple trailers at all the possible entrances, with fully armed guards of course. Within Apollo, the same level of protection is being proposed for the winery, Apollo D’Oro, and the Galleria (which is already being guarded 24/7).

Followers are being asked to have a couple weeks (at least) food storage, and to store it at the winery, where individual lockers will be provided.

Prospective followers are still being enticed by “4th Way” knowledge at their “open” and/or “prospective” meetings. Apparently the hook still works, at least until they attend or watch their first Burton meeting, and have to listen to him for an hour, non-stop, talking about disaster predictions, visits from the Absolute, and promises of Paradise if they remain Burton’s follower.

That’s all for now. Wishing everyone a happy Independence Day, as it is now every day.

"brucelevy" concluded on the Fellowship of Friends Discussion blog, July 1, 2018:

These people are literally fucking insane.

[ed. - See also:]

Our ark will be composed of ten thousand people in the year 2006, and then the doors will close.

Robert Burton humiliated by Higher Forces' failure to trigger World War III

Another prophecy fails

Journey Forth to Apollo - Summer 2018

[ed. - As noted below, June 27th marks the 4th anniversary of the Absolute's visitation. Just to be clear, the Absolute is Burton's term for the creator of the universe, of heaven and earth. "He" dropped in on Oregon House, just to confirm Burton and his flock are in good hands.

"Because of that visit, we have a very personal contact with Him now. With His visit, we have become the conscious family of the Absolute on earth. He came to us in the nursery to remind us that He loves us and that He is with us. Shakespeare said, "I am friends with you all and love you all" - the Fellowship of Friends. The visitation of the Absolute will always be one of our greatest moments. My crystallization was also important because, without it, we could not have been present to the Absolute. He would not have even bothered to visit us. But He knows that we are under great pressure because the darkest day in the history of humanity on this earth - hydrogen warfare - is approaching."

- Robert Earl Burton, Fifty Years with Angels, page 71

The Fellowship has long used an internal system of vouchers for the exchange of labor, goods, and services (including those of a sexual nature.) The "voucher" events listed below suggest the Fellowship continues this internal monetary practice, which has in the past violated, and may continue to violate Federal and State tax laws. A former Fellowship member states:

"There are 'voucher' meetings and 'non-voucher' meetings. A voucher is a piece of paper one can get in exchange for 8 hours of work, like dish washing or serving. There are also half-vouchers and quarter-vouchers. Two of the three meetings each week are voucher meetings, where one can pay fully in dollars, from about $35 to $100, depending on seated or standing, seat location, and senior or not; or one can pay mostly with vouchers plus $10 or so in cash. The non-voucher meeting is dollars only. There are tons of people who pay nothing, including all of the Galleria 'residents' and many visitors, especially from Russia."]

Wild, Wild, Wine Country

Renaissance Vineyard and Winery ephemera by Jenny Eagleton

[ed. - The title of the article is a reference to Wild, Wild Country, a recent TV series about Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh (Osho) and the founding, and eventual demise, of his Rajneeshpuram compound in Oregon. At the same time that Rajneeshpuram was coming under scrutiny, The Fellowship of Friends also found itself in the spotlight.]

Wild, Wild Wine Country (excerpt)
by Jenny Eagleton
May 30, 2018

Meanwhile, what’s left of the team at Renaissance is keen to sell off their old bottlings, which means there are deals aplenty for wine drinkers. You can pick up back vintage bottles of Renaissance at fantastically cheap prices, but the bottles can be variable, especially those oaky monsters from the Karl Werner years. Far better are his wife’s wines, beginning with the 1989 vintage, but it’s the wines from young Gideon Beinstock beginning in 1993 that should attract the most attention. At the moment, the winery is in the process of having many of their wines re-corked for stability, which is exciting for consumers.

These wines are special. They express not only the severe terroir of Yuba County, but something much more: an encapsulation of wine as a product of spiritual devotion, of the intertwining of religious truth seeking and winemaking. Here, the spiritual and the oenological combine in a way that feels similar to the Georgian monastery, or Nicolas Joly and his church of Biodynamics, but on Californian soils. An expression of the failures and excesses and glorious risks of a certain strange corner of the world at the apex of the 20th century. Wines of presence made all the more beautiful by their unusual backstory.

“These are the real cult California wines,” my host joked, and I laughed, but those are his words, not mine.

Read more at Sprudge.com

Fellowship of Friends recruiting in Italy

[ed. - During April, Fellowship of Friends recruiters in Italy used Il ricordo di sé. Pratica e tradizione spirituale, a Facebook “Study Group” administered and moderated by Fellowship members, to promote a series of "open meetings." According to inside sources, these presentations (known within the Fellowship as “prospective student meetings”) were conducted in Milan, Venice, Rome, Naples, Palermo, and Catania. They succeeded in luring several new members to their ranks. The Fellowship of Friends is a California-based religious doomsday cult that claims to continue the Fourth Way lineage of George Gurdjieff and Peter Ouspensky.]

[English translation provided by Google:]

MILAN - Saturday 7 April, at 15
Conference on:
THE TWO WORLDS: FUNCTIONS AND CONSCIENCE

George Gurdjieff said that man is a machine, equipped with four functions: sensation, movement, emotion and thought. According to the tradition of the Fourth Way, this machine can work in a completely unaware way - in sleep.
But man also has the potential to develop awareness. Through special efforts and disciplines learned in a school, he can live in two worlds: that of functions and that of conscience [consciousness]; the human and the divine.
In an open meeting, we will talk about how it is possible to live simultaneously in these two worlds.

Reservation is required.
Admission: € 5.

Self-remembering: practice and spiritual tradition.
To learn more about us and subscribe to the Facebook group:
https://tinyurl.com/quartavia

[ed. - About "Il ricordo di sé. Pratica e tradizione spirituale."]

Questo gruppo è rivolto a chi è interessato a sperimentare il ricordo di sé, o Presenza, attingendo a diverse tradizioni spirituali: dall’esoterismo delle grandi religioni alla Quarta Via come trasmessa da Gurdjieff, Ouspensky ed altri maestri consci. Questo è uno studio pratico, non teorico. Lo scopo è fornire osservazioni e scambiare domande che aiutino a incoraggiare e coltivare lo stato di Presenza nella nostra vita.

[English translation provided by Google:]

This group is aimed at those interested in experiencing the memory of self [ed. - self-remembering], or Presence, drawing on different spiritual traditions: from esotericism of the great religions to the Fourth Way as transmitted by Gurdjieff, Ouspensky and other conscious teachers. This is a practical, not theoretical study. The aim is to provide observations and exchange questions that help encourage and nurture the Presence state in our lives.

[ed. - For two cautionary tales about why it's important to research a group before you become a member, see "A long farewell to members of the Fellowship's Milan, Italy center" and "Fellowship of Friends - a cult for intellectuals".]

The Fellowship of Friends gets one star on Yelp!

[ed. - It should be noted that "no stars" is not an option on Yelp.]

Charles S. wrote on Yelp, April 4, 2018:

I was a member of this organization 36 years ago for six years. I've been aware of its "esoteric" (hidden or hiding) activities ever since I left. That the leader of this organization is an individual you don't want your male children around is a given. That you don't want your boyfriend or husband to be around him also is a given. If you're a good-looking heterosexual male, and you don't want to be "converted," stay away. If you're an average-looking homosexual male, there's nothing here for you except what, below, I say you'll find: enslavement/conformity. The "Teacher" has a prohibition against homosexuality (except whereas his own homosexual needs are concerned). Whoever you are, do​ your due diligence and research the hell out of this organization​​ and its leader on the Internet and in old and recent newspapers before you do any serious decision-making in trying to join and taking your orders from a sociopathic homosexual man who refers to himself as a goddess.

This organization is a pseudo-spiritual group of pseudo-psychological self-development but one of the most expensive cults in the world to join. I worked three jobs to afford the fees and paid $5,000 a year back in the day. It has an alluring surface-front but a slavish, nefarious underbelly, not unlike most cults if you're objective. This cult and its leader have hurt and destroyed countless lives. Joining the group is a risk that has the potential for scarring you for life. That being said, there are many individuals in this organization who have been members for decades and are even grandparents now. That they remain inside a homo-pedophilic operation and don't even try to leave is a major symptom of their mental and moral enslavement to the material seductions this cult and its leader offer: wine, theater, and music, with all the pretensions of owning or having "culture." Instead of finding truth like a true seeker and a true sense of belonging, should you join, you shall find perversion, group-think, domination, corruption, and vanity. Hypocrisy, however, runs through every level of this group like an air-borne infection.

Robert Earl Burton marries Anton S. Tishakov

[ed - According to a source inside the Fellowship of Friends community, Fellowship leader Robert Earl Burton recently married Russian immigrant Anton S. Tishakov, a marriage entered into for the sole purpose of securing a green card for Tishakov. Though the marriage took place approximately one year ago, it was not confirmed until now. According to the source, "'Immigration" paid a visit to Robert [Burton] recently. Robert hosted them with a tour of the Galleria. The officer was 'impressed.'" Subsequently, a legal complaint filed by Burton and Tishakov against the U. S. Department of Justice (below), was voluntarily dismissed on February 22, 2018.]

Dismissal of legal complaint filed by Burton and Tishakov against the U. S. Department of Justice

44 personal stories of Robert Earl Burton's abuses

Convicted serial child molester Larry Nassar appears at his sentencing, January 24, 2018. Photo: Sky News

On sentencing serial child molester Larry Nassar, Judge Rosemarie Aquilina stated:

Aside from the letter you wrote, a couple of months after your plea which tells me that you still don't get it, there is something I don't understand and I want to make clear. Sir, you knew you had a problem, that's clear to me. You knew you had a problem from a very young age before you were a doctor. You could have taken yourself away from temptation and you did not.

Worst yet, there is not a survivor who has not come in here and said how world renowned you were. I trust what they say. You could have gone anywhere in the world to be treated. You could have gone to any resort and any doctor or place where you can get treatment. In Europe they have all sorts of hidden places for things like this.

No one had to know and you could have found treatments, some help, taken some medicines. You would have done that if you had cancer. I know you would have. You are about self-preservation. But, you decided to not address what's inside you that causes this control urge that causes you to be a sexual predator. So, your urges escalated and based on the numbers, that we all know go unreported. I cannot even guess how many vulnerable children and families you actually assaulted.

Your decision to assault was precise, calculated, manipulated, devious, despicable, I don't have to add words because your survivors have said all of that, I don't want to repeat it. You cannot give them back their innocence, their youth, you can't give a father back his life. One of your victims, her life and she took it. You can't return a daughter to a mother, a father to a daughter. You played on everyone's vulnerability.

[ed. - see also:  https://www.npr.org/2018/07/19/630440282/more-than-140-sister-survivors-of-larry-nassar-abuse-are-honored-at-espys ]

[ed. - As the "#MeToo" movement shakes up America and the world, we are in a "kairos moment" for exposing the decades of abuses perpetrated against women and children in our society. But there is another demographic that has been Robert Earl Burton's target for over fifty years: young heterosexual males (including, in some instances, underage boys.)

A self-proclaimed spiritual teacher ("second only to Christ"), founding minister of The Fellowship of Friends "religion," and ruler of the cloistered Sierra Foothills community of Apollo, Burton has preyed upon his youngest and most naive followers. Hidden within this secretive cult, where the "beloved Teacher" is protected by a code of silence, Burton's crimes have largely been shielded from the scrutiny of governmental agencies, the press, local communities, and even his "congregation."

Though Burton has reportedly admitted having sexual relations with hundreds of followers, his abuses are not limited to the sexual arena. Abuse in a cult takes many forms, and in some cases, it clearly led to suicide.

Like Larry Nassar, recently accused of "molesting at least 265 girls and young women," Burton is surrounded by a network of enablers (who know who they are), most long-time loyalists benefiting in many ways from membership in Burton's inner circle. Their names appear throughout this blog and include Girard Haven, Wayne Mott, Ethan Harris, Rowena Taylor, Linda Kaplan, Dorian Matei, Sasha Shalapanov, Greg Holman, Alisanne Frew, Nick Spaulding, Karen Johnston, Benjamin Yudin, Judith Grace, Steven Dambeck, Elizabeth Blake, Diana Kay Eaton, Edith Minne, and Guinevere Mueller.

As he approaches his 79th birthday (celebrated May 12th), it is clear that Burton still does not, and likely will never "get it." From the earliest days, his "decision to assault was precise, calculated, manipulated, devious, despicable."

The following 44 stories, selected from hundreds, represent some of those who had the courage to speak out, and a few who never had the chance.]

Steven A. ("Simon")			"Living the Questions"
"Anonymous"			Sharole M.
Sally B.			Steven M.
Kimo B.			Shelley M.
Richard B.			Richard M. ("dick moron")
Troy B.			"More history needed?"
Sandra C.			"Old FOF"
Marlane D.			"P."
Thomas E.			Wim P. ("Johan Van Gaal")
Ames G.			Charles R.
Abraham G.			Samuel S.
Joseph G.			Kiran S.
Roger G.			Brian S.
"Inner Circle facts"			Darota S.
"Innernaut" ("Former student")			"Susan"
Elena H.			"ton"
"Janna"			Anna T.
Stephen J. ("my2bits")			"That Girl"
Kevin K.			"unoanimo"
"Lady B."			Stella W.
Bruce L.			"Whalerider"
"Life Person"			Norman Y.

With Robert in Egypt - De Nial

[ed. - Ames Gilbert discovered a rare copy of the classic DVD With Robert in Egypt, available for a limited time only on eBay. This "non-rated" edition stars Robert Burton, renowned actor, director, and conscious being (second only to Jesus Christ.) Produced by Isis Media Productions in 2005, the DVD includes such special features as "cult." But you must hurry! At only $30, this offer is a steal!*]

* “For use and viewing by members of the Fellowship of Friends only. Not for resale, reproduction or any other viewing.”

Robert Earl Burton's 2018 Prophecies

"I was only three days off in the prediction of my crystallization, which over a period of ten years is quite good, and I consider that prediction accurate. If a depression occurs in 1984, if California falls in 1998, if Armageddon occurs in 2006, then I was correct. All of which means, I am correct regarding the other information I have been speaking about.
Actually, most of what I speak about is facts.”

- Robert Earl Burton, June 11, 1979

"Insider" wrote on the Fellowship of Friends Discussion blog, January 11, 2018:

News from the farm: Just when it seemed he had given up on the prophecy end of the “conscious school” racket, Robert Burton is back to making some more of his trademark predictions.

The first prediction is that Dorian M*tei [ed. - Dorian Matei] will “crystallize as a conscious being” this year. As many will remember, Burton “predicted” this of himself back in 1976. It was, apparently, the only one of his dozen or more predictions to “come true,” and coincidentally the only one whose outcome he could control simply by stating that “it happened,” when there was no way for anyone else to verify what, if anything, actually occurred. Insiders feel that Robert is running out of energy to fundraise enough to meet his spending addiction (primarily for antiques), which by all accounts is totally out of control. Thus he needs a #2 conscious being to help bring in the dollars. Dorian owes his house, its furnishings, his gardens and orchards, even his bakery business, to Robert and the Fellowship, not to mention his very nice salary, likely second only to Robert’s. Thus, Dorian is all too happy to go along with Robert’s “conscious being” scheme. And I predict that this one will “come true” just like in 1976. And I further predict that many people, way too many, will believe it, just like many of us did 40+ years ago.

Fool me once, shame on you (Robert Burton); fool me twice, shame on me, and on you (current Fellowship members).

But wait, there’s more. It’s 2018 and time for another end-of-world/civilization prediction. This one is set to occur on Oct 21 (though some heard Oct 18) of this year. No specifics are being shared at this time; no doubt “Influence C” is withholding that information for their own reasons. All the student body is “invited” to vacation in Oregon House/Apollo for 1 month at that time. Meanwhile, all gatherings amongst centers are suspended for 1-1/2 years, so people can save their money to give to Robert in October.

It must be some weird psychological mechanism, but for some people (like most of the 1500 current members of the Fellowship of Friends), the more these predictions do not happen, the more easily the next one is believed. Really bizarre.

And the beat goes on.

[ed. - Robert Earl Burton from Fifty Years with Angels, page 65:]

"Influence C have been giving us many prophecies to work with over the past fifty years as the end of the sequence of civilizations is at hand. As always, the prediction of the fall of California hangs over our heads. Gurdjieff said that there are special times in the history of the earth when a great deal of esoteric material becomes available and must be gathered because these periods also coincide with great cataclysms or destructive events, such as World War I and II. The last two world wars cannot even begin to compare with World War III."

"The One True Way" Fellowship of Friends podcast

"A winery, olive oil, and a creepy old man guide members through the fourth way...it's not the start of a bad joke but our episode on Fellowship of Friends."

"Golden Veil" wrote on the Fellowship of Friends Discussion:

Two scientist ladies in the rural South ponder Robert Earl Burton and the Fellowship of Friends. Podcast [below] on January 6, 2018.

“A winery, olive oil, and a creepy old man guide members through the fourth way…it’s not the start of a bad joke but our episode on Fellowship of Friends.”

About One True Way ~

“Have you ever been curious about cults but were afraid to ask because of the social taboo? Well, we sit down and answer as many questions as we can about a different group each episode. We’re not experts, we’re actual scientists.

Jodi and Jess are both scientists. Between the two of them, they have degrees in all of the hard sciences-Physics, Chemistry, and Biology. They both currently work in academia and live on a small family farm in the rural south.”

http://www.blazingcariboustudios.com/fellowship-of-friends/

The Fellowship of Friends global recruiting network

[ed. - To lure seekers from other spiritual traditions, and to mitigate the effects of negative publicity, the Fellowship of Friends continually re-brands itself. Recruiting sites proliferate under a myriad of titles and themes. The websites below are generally grouped according to their primary target market.

Fellowship contacts are also located in Beirut, Bogota, Brussels, Budapest, Minsk, Prague, and Zurich. At the bottom of this post are sites critical of Robert Burton and the Fellowship. Updated May, 2018.]


ARGENTINA

Recuerdo de sí (Unofficial) (Spanish) (Inactive)

Fellowship of Friends - Centro de Buenos Aires (Facebook) (Spanish)

Mystery and Civilizations (Unofficial) (Inactive)

BRAZIL

Centro Sao Paolo on Google + (Portuguese) (Inactive)

Living Presence (Portuguese)

CANADA

Fourth Way School - Toronto (Facebook) (English)

CHILE

Living Presence Santiago (Facebook) (Spanish) (Inactive)

CHINA

[ed. - The following Fellowship sites are managed by Walther Sell.]

The Fourth Way and Esoteric Traditions (Chinese)

The Fourth Way and Esoteric Traditions (English and Chinese)

The Fourth Way and Esoteric Traditions (Facebook) (English)

The Great Way: Journey to the West (English and Chinese)

Journey to the West (Facebook) (English)

The Secret of the Golden Flower (English)

The Taoist I Ching

COLOMBIA

Ouspensky Gurdjieff (Facebook) (English) (Inactive)

FRANCE

Rappel de Soi - Paris (Facebook) (French) (Inactive)

Living Presence (French)

GERMANY

Der Vierte Weg Deutschland (Facebook) (German)

Living Presence (German)

GREECE

Fourth Way School - Athens (Facebook) (Greek)

The Art of Divine Presence (Greek)

HUNGARY

A JELENLÉT MŰVÉSZETE (Hungarian) (Inactive)

Robert Earl Burton: Önemlékezés Út az öröklétbe (Hungarian) (Inactive)

INDIA

FoF India (Facebook) (English)

FoF - Mumbai India (Facebook) (English)

Fourth Way (Facebook) (English) (Mohan Vaishnav, Administrator)

Fourth Way School - India (Facebook) (English)

Fourth Way School - Surat (Facebook) (Gujarati and English)

Living Fourthway Presence (Facebook) (English)

ISRAEL

BeingPresent.org (Hebrew)

Fellowship of Friends (Facebook) | בית ספר של (English and Hebrew)

Jerusalem of the soul (Facebook) (English and Hebrew) (Inactive)

ITALY

Il ricordo di sé. Pratica e tradizione spirituale. (Facebook - Closed Group) (Italian)

Living Presence (Italian)

Scuola di Quarta Via - Gurdjieff Ouspensky (Facebook) (Italian)

JAPAN

Self Remembering | 自己想起 Japan (Facebook) (Japanese)

Symbols of Presence in the Japanese Culture (English and Japanese)

The Fourth Way and Esoteric Traditions | グルジェフ「第四の道」と「秘教的な伝統」 (Facebook) (Japanese)

MEXICO

Escuela del Cuarto Camino - Monterrey (Facebook) (Spanish)

Fellowship of Friends Tijuana-San Diego (Facebook) (Spanish) (Inactive)

Fraternidad de Amigos Monterrey (Facebook) (Spanish)

Living Presence (Spanish)

Mesoarte Data Base for Prehispanic Art (Facebook) (also on Ning) (English and Spanish)

Recordandonos (Spanish) (Inactive)

THE NETHERLANDS

Amsterdam Being Present Meetup (English)

Living Presence - Amsterdam (Dutch) (Inactive)

NORWAY

Levende Tilstedeværelse Oslo - Fjerde Veis Skole (Facebook) (Norwegian)

PORTUGAL

Living Presence (Portuguese)

ROMANIA

Fourth Way School - Bucharest (Facebook) (Romanian)

Living Presence (Romanian)

RUSSIA

Esoteric School (Russian)

Fourth Way School | Школа Четвертого пути (Facebook) (Russian)

IKIRU a theater of awakening (Facebook) (Russian) (Inactive?)

Living Presence (Russian)

Онлайн школа четвертого пути: четвертый путь - система, теория, практика (Russian)

SPAIN

Fellowship of Friends - Centro de España (Facebook) (Spanish)

Living Presence (Spanish) (Inactive)

TURKEY

Dördüncü Yol Okulu - Fourth Way School (Facebook) (Turkish)

Dördüncü Yol Okulu Türkiye (Instagram) (Turkish)

Dördüncü Yol Türkiye (Twitter) (Turkish)

UKRAINE

Школа Четвёртого Пути, Киев - Fourth Way School Kiev (Facebook) (Russian)

UNITED KINGDOM

Fourth Way London/Living Presence (Twitter) (English)

London Fourth Way Centre (Facebook) (English)

UNITED STATES

Fellowship of Friends (Google +) (English) (Inactive)

Fellowship of Friends/Blogspot (Google Blogger) (English) (Inactive)

Fellowship of Friends (Tumblr) (English) (Inactive)

Fellowship of Friends Videos (YouTube)

Fellowship of Friends (Wordpress blog) (English) (Inactive)

Fourth Way School - Northern California (Facebook) (English)

Fourth Way Today (English)

Fourth Way Tweets (Twitter) (English)

Gurdjieff Ouspensky Self-observation (Facebook) (English) (William Scholte and David Tuttle, Administrators)

Living Presence (English)

Living Presence Monthly (English)

Living Presence (Facebook) (English)

livingpresence44 (Instagram) (English)

Propylaia (Inner Circle Squared) (The Fellowship of Friends member portal)

Robert Earl Burton - A Fourth Way Teacher for Today (English)

Robert Earl Burton: Thoughts from a Fourth Way Teacher (English)

Robert's TweetHearts (Twitter) (Robert Earl Burton's Twitter page) (English)

The Art of Divine Presence (English)

The Fellowship of Friends Apollo University (English) (Inactive?)

The Fourth Way (Pinterest)  (English) (Julian Branston's site)(Inactive)

The Fourth Way (Google +) (William Page's site) (English)

The Fourth Way and Esoteric Traditions (Facebook) (English) (Walther Sell, Administrator)

The 4th Way - Gurdjieff - Ouspensky (Facebook) (English) (Public discussion, exploited by Fellowship recruiters)

CRITICISM OF ROBERT EARL BURTON AND THE FELLOWSHIP OF FRIENDS

BELGIUM

Spiritualia (Dutch)

FRANCE

Prevensectes Fellowship of Friends Database (French)

http://prevensectes.com/fof1.pdf
http://prevensectes.com/fof2.pdf
http://prevensectes.com/fof3.pdf
http://prevensectes.com/fof4.pdf
http://prevensectes.com/fof5.pdf
http://prevensectes.com/fof6.pdf
http://prevensectes.com/fof7.pdf
http://prevensectes.com/fof8.pdf
http://prevensectes.com/fof9.pdf
http://prevensectes.com/fof10.pdf
http://prevensectes.com/fof11.pdf
http://prevensectes.com/fof12.pdf

ITALY

Dopo la Fellowship of Friends: Una libera discussione sul lavoro su di sé (Italian)

Il Credino  ("Robert E. Burton e la Fellowship of Friends/La Presenza") (Italian)

Tutto quello che avreste dovuto sapere sulla Fellowship of Friends (Italian)

RUSSIA

"Fellowship of Fools" (Russian)

Трезвый взгляд на Fellowship of Friends (Russian) (CAUTION: may be virus-infected)

TURKEY

Özgür Zihin (Turkish)

UNITED STATES

Cult Education Institute (formerly Rick A. Ross Institute)

Fellowship of Friends Discussion Blog (This series of three blogs contains nearly 100,000 comments about the Fellowship of Friends:)

Animam Recro – Fellowship of Friends – a cult for intellectuals
Part 1 through Part 10

The Fellowship of Friends Discussion – Free speech is a dirty business
Part 11 through Part 33

Fellowship Of Friends/Fourth Way School/Living Presence Discussion
Part 34 through current page (On this Wordpress blog, navigate between pages by typing the desired page number into "search" box.)

Fellowship of Friends Wikispaces (Link no longer active, however material from that page is found throughout this blog. In such cases, the Wikispaces source is cited.)

Steven Hassan's Freedom of Mind Center

Internet Archive

Robert Earl Burton and The Fellowship of Friends (your current location)

Robert Earl Burton and The Fellowship of Friends (Facebook)

The Fourth Way (Facebook) (Greg Goodwin, Administrator)

Wikipedia (Archived on this blog, the hotly-contested Wikipedia draft, which moderators eventually abandoned.)

"StrangerInAStrangeLand" wrote on the Fellowship of Friends Discussion blog, January 12, 2018:

Just discovered the Fourth Way and was looking for a school and a FB Fourth Way group told me there was a group close to me, I contacted them and had my first meeting …. was taken aback when at the end of the meeting it was announced with great flair that the group was part of FOF. This was after I was sternly told about the “rules” and that they wanted $150/month or 10% of my earnings to “join”. I wasn’t too happy about it. Then I went to the internet and found the “Be” (Asaf Braverman), didn’t know at the time of HIS FOF association, so joined that instead. Then he sent me a note …how did you hear about the Fourth Way …. I wrote back and said I was looking to study, but wanted to avoid any FOF controlled groups … never hear back of course! Looks like I’ve totally dodged a bullet on this one. I got some very distinct flashes of danger and thank everybody for posting this information about FOF on the internet where it can be found and assimilated before any damage has been done. I’ll read Ouspensky on my own. Gurdjieff is a bit hard to follow. Cheers!

Robert Earl Burton's Fifty Years with Angels: September 5, 1967 - September 5, 2017 is published

[ed. - Robert Earl Burton's, Fifty Years with Angels: September 5, 1967 - September 5, 2017 (not to be confused with My Fifty Years with the Angels) is published. It is compiled and edited by Judith Grace, a Burton acolyte for over 42 years. To date, it is the most autobiographical, and self-congratulatory, of Burton's publications.]

 "Very early on I wondered who was helping me, and they ["C Influence" or "Influence C"] started signaling Leonardo [da Vinci]. Leonardo and I are very different, but we are also very similar from the point of view of presence. What a great founder for a civilization! We can see why Apollo is already so beautiful in its small way. Leonardo was probably the most aesthetically sensitive human in the history of the earth. His role was intended to represent the Absolute on earth. Once, when I began to work, as I was laboring, Leonardo said to me, "Trust no 'I's; be present." Then everything stabilized.

At one point when I was younger, I was receiving many shocks from Leonardo. Finally I snapped and spoke back. He whispered, "Shhhh." And I never did it again after that! I am actually Leonardo's only offspring. Like myself, he never had children in his life, and I am his only child five hundred years later. He is behind every word I speak, even though I take responsibility for it, and I am grateful. Who would not be grateful for such a mind guiding us."  - Robert Earl Burton, from Fifty Years with Angels

Presumed self-portrait of Leonardo da Vinci
Wikimedia Commons

"Somms Are Obsessed with a ‘Cult’ Wine Bottled by a Fringe Religious Group"

[ed. -  The Fellowship of Friends has long been desperate to move a large inventory of older (some decades-old) Renaissance wines from its cellar. In a move that is reminiscent of Renaissance founding winemaker Karl Werner's departure from Callaway in the 1970s (Werner was offered a large inventory of unmarketable Callaway red wines at bargain prices,) it appears Gideon Beinstock may have brought a creative solution to Renaissance's long-standing overstock (and image) problem.]

From: vinepair.com

By: Courtney Schiessl @takeittocourt

A smattering of under-the-radar, late-1990s Cabernet Sauvignons from the Sierra Foothills have started appearing on top wine lists in the past several months. The 1997 vintage of Taken from Granite, the California labelin question, is available by the bottle at New York City fine dining restaurants Union Square Cafe and Momofuku Ko. Manhattan wine bar Terroir Tribeca offers $30 by-the-glass pours of Taken from Granite, and retail shops such as Vine Wine in Brooklyn have plentiful supplies of Taken From Granite cuvées as well.

These 20-year-old bottles aren’t “cult wines” in the traditional industry sense. Oenophiles generally use that term to indicate wine that is both highly sought-after and difficult to find, both of which often make said wine quite expensive. Taken From Granite is cult wine in a slightly more literal sense. These well-priced, aged wines, just re-labeled and re-released by noted California winemaker Gideon Beinstock, originally came from Renaissance Vineyard and Winery — a historic property owned by Fellowship of Friends, an international religious organization and purported cult.

Read more at vinpair.com