Regarding the article of Monday, September 29, “Seminar held on meditation”:
This letter is not meant to condemn or ridicule individual beliefs and spiritual practices, but rather to bring to readers’ attentions the warning signs that a spiritual group may be a destructive cult. Monday’s article on Maum Meditation reported on a few key statements by its founder, Woo Myoung that should inspire wariness.
Myoung promises that his meditative practice will “answer all questions in life” – even the most fundamentalist religious groups allow for mysteries beyond what its philosophy can illuminate.
In addition, the article reported that those interested in learning Maum Meditation must do so at one of the group’s centers. The group’s English-language website (http://eng.maum.org), describes the South Korean headquarters as a place where trainees “can practice continuously without being distracted by family, jobs or other obligations.” As for the branch centers, the website is loath to mention that attending the “levels” of meditation training will cost trainees $200 per month to start. The most obvious warning sign that a spiritual group may be manipulative is a demand for money for the most basic religious activities such as meditation and prayer.
I called the Newton center, and over the phone was only reluctantly told that I had even actually reached the Maum Meditation Center or that meditation training incurs a fee. Granted, some of this may be due to communication problems and the language barrier, but overall, the person with whom I spoke on the phone seemed very reluctant to answer any questions. She instead told me to visit the center “by yourself”, where all would be revealed.
A cult is not, as some would believe, simply an unpopular or esoteric belief system. Rather, it is an organization that uses religious and spiritual manipulation to control its members, taking their money, their freedom, and their inquiring minds. The university is well aware of the existence of groups that prey on well-intentioned and curious students – the International Churches of Christ (aka Boston Churches of Christ) has been banned from the campus. However, the Church of Scientology and its front groups (such as the Citizens Commission on Human Rights) are still very active on campus, as are the Jews for Jesus.
Whatever is the true nature of the Maum Meditation Center, I implore the Daily Free Press and its readers to be cautious about the nature of their reporting about religious ‘ spiritual groups on campus. This is not to suggest that you editorialize, but simply that you might benefit to provide some background information.
Sincerely, Anonymous CAS ’06
(I implore that you publish this letter anonymously, as I fear reprisal by some of the groups mentioned. If you wish to contact me, either to edit this letter or to inform me that it cannot be published, please e-mail or call me at 2-4331.)
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When a person first begins in their spiritual journey they are like babes in the woods. They are prey to every cult, religion and con artist out there. All in all, Maum is like the Scientologists, the Moonies, TM and other scurrilous cults. They pick up vulnerable people, teach them a few simple techniques to help sort their lives out, but in the process brainwash them with extended meditation sessions and other techniques into dependency and obedience, while draining money from them. There’s a multi-step programme of ever-higher levels of teaching, and above the bottom levels, students are taught to recruit and extract money from vulnerable people, and so on.
I am a ex-member of Maum meditation.
There is different brain wave states (alpha, beta, theta, delta) and all serves a different function, But the alpha state makes people especially susceptible and open to Conwertion.
1) Beta – The Waking Consciousness And Reasoning Wave
Beta brain waves are associated with normal waking consciousness and a heightened state of alertness, logic and critical reasoning.
2) Alpha – The Deep Relaxation Wave
Alpha brain waves are present in deep relaxation and usually when you’re slipping into a lovely daydream or during meditation. It is an optimal time to program the mind for success and it also heightens your imagination, visualization, memory, learning and concentration, And most important alpha state makes people especially susceptible and open to Conversion. Technically, what Maum helpers are doing is creating conditions that wipe the brain slate clean so that the mind accepts new input, in the form of suggestion.The alpha brain-wave state induces the internal release of natural opiates and beta endorphins. Essentially, being in the alpha brain-wave state, feels good and can act like a drug!
The more you meditate, the flatter your mind becomes and that’s were the danger comes when you allow someone else who you don’t fully know the motives of to take you through these steps and slowly alter deep beliefs about yourself and the world! The aim is to create a mechanism in flesh and blood with new beliefs and new thought processes. You will become a drone and recruit more people who will bring more money.
You feel happy because your body produces opiates and beta endorphins, this hype is temporary and goes away. So you assessed with completing another level and chasing the rush.
The result is the reduction of thought and eventually, if used long enough, the cessation of all thought and withdrawal from everyone and everything except that which Maum group direct. The takeover is then completed.
We are all conditioned that if someone gives us something, we have to give them something in return–in this case, it is your money.
The maum helpers have not told you this yet, they don’t tell the truth until they get your mind controlled. After level 4 it will ask for “Sky Funds” to allow your ancestors to go to heaven from purgatory, about 1K USD. Really money will take then to heaven?
After level 7 is another level, or “culmination” process with the leader Woo Myung, it last about three weeks or so, and its usually held somewhere in Argentina, Korea, or some another place, they will ask you to pay large amount of money, around $6000, or more depends on your financial status. Without this culmination you wont be “complete!
NO ONE HAS EVER BEEN BRAINWASHED (CONVERTED ) AND REALIZED, OR BELIEVED, THAT HE HAD BEEN BRAINWASHED. Those who have been brainwashed by Maum will usually passionately defend their manipulators, claiming they have been transformed in miraculous ways.