Possible Stress Disorders of Going for Power and Wealth Together

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Moanastics and Royalty May Suffer Too
Different Thinking

Moanastics and Royalty May Suffer Too

Medical doctors estimate that emotional stress is involved in over half of all physical diseases [Hi 505]. Cramped and exploited living promotes stress. Stress needs to be dealt with before it makes life unbearable. Moderate stress may wear you out, and conflicting interests may stress us too, in time.

Being up to Life's Challenges

Many monastics - moanastics also - did not like how their lives were going and sought peace and shelter in a kind of environment that supposedly gives that. Some are in for rude disappointments. Subservience, submission, lack of contact and many more factors take their tolls on health reserves. The better you are, the more "they" try to make you wave.
The irony may be: Because the monastic (monk or nun or novice) found life in the large society untoward, they found an even worse place behind solid walls of many sorts - some figurative ones included. And lots of words to mask what is going on. That is more or less typical.
The long art of living consists in reckoning with what comes up, sifting things so as to greatly profit from it - in part like the self-winding watch in such ways that we get charged all right as time goes by, and not just completely drained and washed up. Essential filtering may help us throughout: discard the harmful parts and focus on the good things. But moanastics may find themselves stuck and without personal freedom to accomplish such survival feats on their own, regrettably.
When seemingly good and bad things (ups and downs) in life come our way, it could be wise to consider at least some of them as challenges and better: opportunities or possibilities for gains, success, and esteem - and go for it carefully. You are free to consider filtering this information for personal gains too.
• Monks together try to filter their lives for their own ends, which may backfire.

Relaxing against nervousness and stress

Some forms of yoga and deep meditation help against stress and milder forms of nervousness. But along with some such methods and pathways you may get freaking teachings and dogmatism you do not need. There are two things to look out for: methods that drain you instead of invigorating you. The drain is typically caused by strain. Drain serves as a punishment. Methods that relaxes you deeply and helps you to replenish your strenght, on the other hand, may be very good for you.
Teachings that respect your freedom of thought and actions, may work for your good too. But too often outright dogmatism mars and ruins in some circles. Tyranny may be next, on top of crooked deals that do not respect you by what is enforced.
So learn to check out the effects of the methods before committing to anything or anyone. And as for teachings, some serve as facades to allure inexperienced ones into a flock of set ways of living - ways that tend to serve the bosses and not lay people very much. Try to take these things into account, and you could be better off in the long run than those who fall victim to dogmatists who make lives miserable, even if they propagate methods that could help considerably in a friendlier atmosphere than the cult.
Do as you please. Relaxing and trying to attain some level of the non-judging awareness is good. Learning from the recurrent experiences of others may work well too.
• Monks serve bosses where submission-humility is praised, and often to their own loss.

As we go for gains . . .

The guru Paramahansa Yogananda (893-1952) wanted to attract so many to make them followers. He sought to impress on people to meditate, meditate. The lure in his society, Self-Realization Fellowship is called cosmic consciousness, also called the final state of Freedom, the Greatest Gain, and much else. However, this approach may fail for two reasons: (1) It plays on greed. (2) It disregards basics of deep meditation. In such a process, you are not to seek anything preconceived, but just stick to your chosen, favourable method to your ability, and let results accumulate -
The best meditation is not to search for God, it is mainly for calming and invigorating oneself considerably, says another kriya guru, Lahiri Mahasaya in many texts. It is a central teaching. Calls for silly or morbid devotion to persons and places are largely unfounded too, says Shankara. What is fit, is to focus on the heart and go inwards. That is the one thing needed when feelings are concerned. Such inward-turning is a key part of essential meditation.
One should not fall victims to teachings of verbal grandeur, but slide above it - beyond them. Ignoring this basic has made many guru followers silly.
• That silly devotion makes some innocents silly, is very much a danger.

Was Yogananda a Quick or Quack Liberator?

While talking in glowing words about Freedom, some gurus go on to limit yours. You are given conditions for a life-after-life fare that is gruesome - if you are made to swear obedience, loyalty, devotion to unmet gurus for, say, fourteen lives - in order to learn liberating methods - or methods that are purported to work that way, without any evidence given.
Think twice in such cases, to combat the bait for the gullible guys. Do not be too eager for said, Great Gains - after all. But learn to follow your heart.
As it is, the guru Yogananda also tells that those who first pledge themselves to him and his gurus in order to learn a method called kriya yoga, are bound. And if they break out of his prison bars he has furnished for followers, they are told of sufferings for life-times in consequence.
Taking heed in time is fair. Yogananda uses the carrot and the whip for getting people to "ride on". Watch out for silly, demanded devotion, over-bossy teachings, slogans without foundations, and your fare through life may get better.
Train yourself in independent thinking, for it often helps against being exploited by hard-hearted gurus who try to exploit others. You may find that I do not recommend making use of innocents, but with cultists it is different.
In a large society there is the stress of conformity too. In a culture, most persons have to adjust and accommodate - and thereby they are managed. If you cannot do anything about the stress-bringing conditions at the time, who knows what the future will bring? So hang in there - for as the Sirian High Council on-line voiced: "Those who commit suicide do it only once." How true. Bad tales are told about how strivings for power, depression and being suicidal is into the Self-Realization Fellowship's Mother Centre culture and environment. Such things deplete topics of vital interest still there.
• A culture where grown-ups get managed by others, is hardly good for personal development.

Stress Teachings

The Russian researcher Dr. Ivan Semyonovich Khorol has defined stress in step with a definition by Dr. Hans Selye:

Biological stress is the organism's general reaction to any demand to it - whether pleasant or unpleasant - which demands adaptation to a new situation. [Ivan Semyonovich Khorol, in Bai (op. cit.). p. 99]

Such stress can be brought about my many things and stress can be many things: "Good stress" is even called one of the spices of life as you try for good gains. But when the burdens exceed the ability to cope at any time, stress becomes detrimental to health. "Chronic stress can contribute to physical disorders, such as ulcers and heart disease, and can increase our vulnerability to infectious diseases by impairing the functioning of the body's immune system." [Atkinson, Richard and others: Introduction to Psychology. 9th ed. Harcourt, Brace, Jovanovich, San Diego. 1987, p. 486 (?)]
The biological stress mechanism has these four stages:

The alarm reaction (fright, fight, or flight).
Adaptation.
Depletion - through protracted, stressful adaptation.
The energy for adaptations may stop [see Bai (op. cit.). p.100.]

We often get exposed to intense stress that demands more adaptation energy than normally, and then the organism emits what Dr. Selye calls a "distress signal", one or more "maydays" of some sorts [Bai (op. cit.). p. 102.]

Even minor stress may wear on us and wear us out if it goes on for long. Protracted stress of such as mild and medium intensity may wear on the organism and also cause (or co-cause) functional disorders.
Intense stress may cause hypertension, stomach ulcers and diabetes and many other common ailments. Medical experts today seem to agree that over 50% (estimates may range between 50 and 70%) of the common bodily diseases are caused or co-caused by stress.

Sources here include: [Bai (op. cit.). p. 102-3, also see Atkinson, Richard and others: Introduction to Psychology. 9th ed. Harcourt, Brace, Jovanovich, San Diego. 1987, p. 471.]
• Consider that "doctors estimate that emotional stress plays an important role in more than half of all medical problems." [Hi 505].

No Monky Business -

Dr. Khorol holds that there are norms of social behaviour, and some are deeply ingrained in the culture by traditions. When someone senses a discrepancy (gap, deviation) between what he is used to (habituated into) regard as normal or common or appropriate, his social adaptation mechanisms will drive or urge him to try and change the situation. That is ONE outlet. Another is introverted, guilt-ridden too, perhaps [Bai (op. cit.). p. 103.]
The difference between the ideal and what is really going on may be awfully hard on the urge to make a consistent world picture, or it may be hard on one's sense of belonging. In Dr. Gordon Allport's view, a truly religious attitude contains both elements: a sense of belong in a world that makes deep sense. "The religious sentiment . . . has attachments to the most elusive facets of becoming. . . To feel oneself meaningfully linked to the whole of Being". [Allport, Gordon: Becoming: Basic Considerations for a Psychology of Personality. Yale UP, New Haven. 1955. Repr. 1966, p 93-94. - MORE]
It may be dangerous to get involved in religious assertions or conflicts for many reasons. In any such conflict one may try to (1) change one's society (in-group, or e.g. SRF), or, if that doesn't work, (2) one abides by the present status quo and renounces on one's ideals. It can make you feigning, which in the long run turns into neuroticism, and one may become cynical from giving up proper assertiveness, idealism, and other assets.
• Big changes can be stressful events. And being governed by monks can make monks cynical too.

Faith in conformist gains is one of the dangers

One has to have enough faith in and confidence in oneself. One should not renounce heartfelt norms and ideals (idealism) for the sake of conformist gains, after all [see Bai (op. cit.). p. 105.]
However, in religious settings such CONFLICT STRESS can become intense and aggravate one's health if the gap between the ideal (teachings, etc.) and what is planted as "official", may get too wide and bad and it is felt to be important. Then members may be in for frustrations, especially those members who are committed and also able to think thoughts of their own, observe first-hand, and are firm enough to deal with possible guilt for going against the underhand expected conformism. Different variants of stress may combine, and persons may break [Bai (op. cit.). p. 103-5]
• The control of the frustrated members may crumble in time.

Hints of stress levels can help

Drs. Thomas H. Holmes and Richard H. Rahe at Washington Medical School devised a scheme of stressors. It is much used.
Death of spouse is stipulated to be the worst thing that could happen (stress-wise). It is given 100 points. Wedding is given 50 points as the middle of the scale, in comparison. It appears that about 10 of the 14 worst stressors (stress agents, stress causes) link up with having and being part of a family. There are different sorts of families. Not all are good ones.
To the degree that SRF or whatever is taken to be our family, and its past or present leaders are looked on as your godly spouses, we can be in for trouble, even serious, stressing adaptation trouble: If you discover solid differences between what is taught (inconsistencies of teachings included), and between what is maintained in authentic teachings and what is steadily promoted through works, doings, PR and the like, you have to face a conflict better than the ostrich, which puts its head in a hole or a bush, if threatened. Some have "been there".
At bottom the "knot" seems to be: "If you invest something and don't get that much back - or more back - you are depleted, and maybe something in yourself and your fare is being sacrificed. Consider it well.
• Good and bad families mar and deplete the ones they sacrifice, such as by giving them bad names, and hence bad self-images.

Looking Aside

The more faith and intense belongingness you invested in such as SRF and its world, the more a discrepancy between what was accepted and incorporated in you in good faith and what is seen and felt in time, could maim and hurt. Some, who eventually break loose some way or other, MAY NOT WANT TO LIVE ON, even. I suggest their faith has been tampered with. Think of that.
And of those who choose conformity instead of standing up for themselves somewhat, are in reality ridiculed by leaders eager to have their way or keep a sway.
• Skill in sound meditation can make one's health blossom. That is another finding connected with TM.

Some illness predictions

The stress scale is further used to predict the odds of getting ill or even die - in this way:
Add the stressors you have experienced during the last 12 months:

With a total score of less than 150, there is "merely" 37% chance of getting ill (from that past stress) in the next 2 years.
With a total score between 150 and 300 points, the chance of getting ill is 51% in the coming two years.
With a total score above 300 you may have 80% change of getting ill in the next two years.

All these figures should be considered to be rough estimates only, for real life is not as clear-cut as that. [see Bai (op. cit.). p. 106-7, and Atkinson, Richard and others: Introduction to Psychology. 9th ed. Harcourt, Brace, Jovanovich, San Diego. 1987, p. 468. - NOTE: There are newer editions.]
• In deep meditation, minor changes can be measured by being translated to numbers and averaged. But one may not be capable of articulating big inward changes full well.

Clear-cut: Coping knowledge and stress knowledge increase our odds of success somewhat

Some individuals are naturally more able to withstand stress (more stress-resistant) than average, and the points about are average stipulates only.
Further, learning about stress and how to cope with it, increases the odds of maintaining health and of survival as well.

These things should be done to combat the effects of insincere leaders in a family of a sort. In a fine and functional family, one of the goals is to shield member autonomy and help the children on and up to become functional on their own. That "family outlook" is often forgotten in cults, I regret to say.
To realize yourself in your work is nice. To try for that is often a boon. Now, are you jolly - from inside? It could be a hallmark of being well adapted - in the mainstream or not in the mainstream [see Bai (op. cit.). p. 93, 95.]
• The functional family helps its children to get a sound measure of patent (readily intelligible, affordable and cleverly protected) independence.

Different Thinking

Widely differing teachings can serve many

SPIRITUAL progress is possible without renouncing "woman and gold ", that is, desires and wealth. Adhere to that. A human does not have to become monkish or nunnish in order to benefit from diving inside (meditate) at periods.

Rubbish Teachings Superseded

MUCH HAS been stated about cults and some of their general means to grow and prosper on behalf of group members. Watch out for these marks:

They exclude others.
They take to dispensing methods.
They take to reductionist thinking and such language to accomplish one or more general aims.
They function in step with separating members from those outside.
They bring ideological totalism to members and use reinforcements that shame some of those who don't conform enough.
There is simplistic thinking used for furthering mind-control as needed.

In a great many cases we can refrain from the simple "Yes" and "No" to any such points (parameters, components), for fairly nuanced responses can help far better: So instead of responding "Yes" and "No", there may be room for:

emphatic no";
"moderate no";
"don't know" or "maybe" or "unsettled" or "neutral" etc.in the middle,
"moderate yes";
"emphatic yes" (thumb up response)

This sort of nuanced responses form the basis of the Likert scale. It is often resorted to in social science to get a firmer hold and more reliable outcomes. An advantage is that we may go on to weigh our responses and sum them up in a better way than when we are based on "yes" and "no" responses.

An Example: The SRF Walrus

Walrus.

The SRF Walrus is one of the discussion board for followers Yogananda. The policy of the Walrus board has been that blaming Yogananda and the gurus is not allowed, even though the cause of mounting, later later problems in the cult is Yogananda. To hail dictatorship was one of his early gambits.
This means there is not freedom enough on that board. Still, among the 28,220 postings (of late April 2008) there are revealing gems and other material to reflect on.
• Anonymously posting guys may not be ideally fit for changing their world to the better. There has indeed been much fear of SRF on that board - such a grip.

Problem

Do the members of the SRF cult consider well enough what made them enter SRF and thereby complement the monastic bosses there? The large board reflects many feelings and subjects to tackle by former SRF monastics. Many of the solutions offered, are far from solvent solutions. We have to be straight enough to avoid simplistic solutions so as to lead fulfilling lives.

Why into the cult or sect in the first place?

Many who enter cults are insecure to begin with, says professor Philip Zimbardo (1933-) He also tells that "People join interesting groups that promise to fulfill their pressing needs." But some such groups turn out to be deceptive, defective, dangerous, or opposing basic values of their society. And "Cult methods of recruiting, indoctrinating and influencing their members are not exotic forms of mind control, but only more intensely applied mundane tactics of social influence practiced daily by all compliance professionals and societal agents of influence." And his solution? "We have to . . . create an alternative, "perfect cult", he says. in the American Psychological Association Monitor of May 1997, page 14.
• To get a more welcoming large society, in Zimbardo's solution against negative cult influence on somewhat insecure youngsters. Maybe, but that goal is "in the clouds" yet, frankly. What single youngsters and others ought to do, is to strengthen individual and fit assertiveness, and the ability to observe and investigate gracefully, preferably in advance of committing to anything or anyone. That is farily often feasible, and is recommended against being outwitted.

Getting better tales

A man approached Buddha and wanted to have all his philosophical questions answered before he would practice. In response, Buddha said, "It is as if a man had been wounded by a poisoned arrow and when attended to by a physician were to say, 'I will not allow you to remove this arrow until I have learned the caste, the age, the occupation, the birthplace, and the motivation of the person who wounded me.'" (Abbreviated)
Applied to the cult, the teaching is "First get out of it, and see if you can recover." As for preventive measures when it comes to groups that may seem a bit weird at first glance, try and take into account such as:

The general environment and its permissiveness or tolerance, for example.
Oneself, including one's deeper needs.
Councellor's basic teachings, advice and expert opinions (they count).
Sense of belong (who is/are your in-group(s)?
Your expectations, how sound they might be, for example.
Your ability to combat (sort out YOUR strengths for it and go ahead).

To the degree you take some of these things into account and sort them out well, your life could become less traumatic. You never know . . .

Literature
Bpe: Allport, Gordon: Becoming: Basic Considerations for a Psychology of Personality. Yale UP, New Haven. 1955. Repr. 1966.
Hi: Smith, Carolyn D. (ed) et al.: Hilgard's Introduction to Psychology. 14th ed. Thomson Wadsworth. Belmont, 2003.

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