born november november american spiritual teacher writer artist founder new religious movement known changed numerous times life names included free john love death known love initially known spiritual 1970s books public talks activities religious community philosophy essentially similar eastern religions spiritual enlightenment ultimate priority human life distinguishing religious traditions declared uniquely historic avatar incarnation god human form stated henceforth worship sole means spiritual enlightenment wrote books spiritual philosophy related matters founding publishing house print gained praise authorities spirituality philosophy criticized perceived isolation controversial behavior claims exclusive realization cult like community mid-1980s allegations followers false imprisonment sexual abuse assault received international media attention allegations resulted lawsuits threatened suits sides biography youth born november queens new_york raised long_island father salesman mother housewife sister born years old served lutheran church minister leaving college autumn expressed doubts religion lutheran pastor graduated bachelor degree philosophy columbia_university went complete master degree english literature stanford_university graduating columbia began variety drugs heavily finishing stanford weeks paid test subject drug trials conducted hospital california wrote later found experiences self states consciousness childhood problematic resulted paranoia anxiety year lived girlfriend hills worked support wrote took drugs informally studied books order sense experiences responding intuitive impulse left california june search spiritual teacher new_york_city settling student known oriental art dealer self styled spiritual guru having studied number spiritual traditions including work follower founder gave taught eclectic blend techniques called having literal relationship indian tradition father told son lutheran minister feeling needed better grounding insisted marry find steady employment lose weight end drug use begin preparatory studies enter seminary student philadelphia lutheran theological seminary described undergoing terrifying breakdown taken hospital emergency room psychiatrist diagnosed anxiety attack series episodes experience life followed explained profound insights feeling lutheran professors understood experience left briefly attended new_york disillusioned moved new_york_city got job working hopes facilitate able visit india days april encouraged end studies study directly new_york wife members employees following protocol wrote letter contact little year involvement left returned india month long visit early authorized initiate friend named gave away belongings traveled india believed indefinite period living disappointed experience especially numbers americans arrived previous visit weeks arriving said visions virgin mary interpreted divine feminine power directed pilgrimage christian holy sites weeks europe middle_east returned new_york moving los_angeles august guru september said sitting hollywood permanently realized bright term state complete spiritual enlightenment wrote autobiography titled knee listening published wrote uniquely born awareness bright knowledge obscured childhood subsequent spiritual journey quest recapture awareness share october stopped california worldwide tour largely visited related experience previous month bright felt understand properly acknowledge importance experience visit reconciled fellow employee opened later dawn horse books spirituality los_angeles began giving lectures based autobiography soon attracting small following charismatic speaking style taught traditional indian style raised surrounded flowers oriental listeners seated floor incorporated ideas schools expressed original insights opinions spirituality secular culture known teacher meditation eastern traditions time growing interest early participants stated demonstrated ability produce alterations consciousness effect indian traditions increasing number followers founded new religious movement called dawn horse communion traveled india meet final time hopes recognized fully sage disagreed series questions prepared effectively ended relationship went later relative level spiritual accomplishment stated continued appreciate respect teacher returning los_angeles directed students addressed free john based nickname meaning friend combined rendering franklin jones divorced remained follower january told followers divine lord human form later year church obtained aging hot springs resort california renaming known mountain attention group selected followers moved experimented communal living followers relocated los_angeles san_francisco moved changed saying reflected differences changes nature message relationship followers changed free john free john subsequent names included sat guru love translated sanskrit crazy wisdom began use unconventional means instruction called crazy wisdom methods tradition employed seemingly spiritual methods observer consciousness followers reported having profound experiences presence phenomena spiritual power present remained skeptical witnessing supernatural initiated period teachings activities came known garbage goddess directed followers sexual theater form involved public group sex making pornographic movies intensified sexual practices drug alcohol use encouraged earlier meat food longer adhered said behavior radical conventional moral values social contracts order help shock students insights patterns emotional completely surrender community conventional marriage received particular criticism couples forced split switch partners partners time called wives including playboy aka whitney entered community follower girlfriend likewise recommended followers published fourth book titled garbage goddess final spiritual instructions free john documented relatively lectures activities period quickly sold print run second sent controversial nature contents available copies quickly retrieved burned behest moved group followers island purchased wealthy follower actor primary residence end life public controversy accusations power spiritual leader attracted international attention known free john communion subjects daily coverage san_francisco_chronicle newspapers regional television news talk shows weeks early year story gained national attention today aired investigative reports dozens interviews named anonymous members numerous specific allegations forcing members engage psychologically sexually physically abusive behavior accusing church committing tax fraud stated witnessed involved activities organization sued wife president fraud intentional emotional distress false imprisonment assault battery things suit sought million damages local reporter threatened file lawsuit named stories interviews making allegations abuse suit filed charged allegations church plot church issued conflicting statements response coverage lawyer church said controversial sexual activities occurred garbage goddess period years earlier shortly official church spokesman said style encounters kind described allegations occurring confined inner circle confirmed stories members activities continued time lawsuits interviews kept hidden church said illegal acts taken place movement right continue experiments lifestyles lawsuits filed church california suit dismissed year lawsuit threatened suits subsequent years settled payments agreements negatively member morale bleeding organization financially divine emergence final years january distressed felt work experienced physical psychological crisis doctors diagnosed exhaustion stress afterward described death resurrection previous subsequent similar episodes attributed special significance calling divine emergence point said needed image body order participate state predicted year recognized entire world unique spiritual realization failed occur experienced breakdown said initiate period shift active teaching silent spiritual blessing counteract negative forces world nonetheless continued write books art talks followers increased emphasis called silent followers spiritual teacher joined reportedly long time followers felt new members privileged known master committed suicide claimed past life said previous incarnation disciple later began exhibiting digital art photography followers reported died cardiac arrest november home fiji working art children biological daughters different women adopted daughter include actress free jones philosophy fundamental religious philosophy essentially eastern religious concept purpose human life spiritual enlightenment awakening ultimate reality natural state human beings seemingly obscured self said keeps human beings experiencing ultimate reality activity ego stated source emotional psychological spiritual dissatisfaction called activity self defined psychological mechanism lying beneath normal level conscious awareness leading people believe limited suffering individuals said fundamentally efforts unite divine point view separate self futile separate self seventh stage realization developed map potential human spiritual evolution called seven stages life stage physical development second stage stage integration mental development fourth stage divine communion fifth stage spiritual ascent sixth stage consciousness seventh stage divine enlightenment awakening limitations stages account religion culture history levels personal development categorized fourth fifth sixth stages life highest respective stages human development characterized reached stages saints including religious figures jesus christ relative spectrum stated saints occasionally indicated awareness seventh stage unique avatar born fully invested capability fully furthermore seventh stage adept need capable stated seventh stage development come sixth stage manner culminating awareness seventh stage permanent natural state open eyed employed sanskrit term insisted solely embodied seventh stage realization worship henceforth exclusive means free self allowing participate state attain awareness seventh stage realize refers organization religion taught organization church founded initially went earlier names including way divine ignorance communion eastern view accepts concepts etc employs sanskrit terms concepts god divine seen principle energy consciousness creation creator earlier eclectic experimental time increasingly came resemble hindu tradition practice defined emphasis relationship followers source power serving sole gateway divine followers refer simply beloved devotion service believed follower consciousness gradually transformed image devotion study teachings primary features specified practices prescribed including study religious texts physical exercises regulation sexuality raw diet said death teachings revelations message complete artwork writings religious empowered presence remain expressions teaching individual assert representative heir church based fiji officially designated belonging located north_america hawaii followers ambitious prolific books teachings church estimated remained constant approximately members worldwide high rate turnover membership works books wrote spiritual philosophy creating publish books continues print authored titles best known autobiography knee listening published reissued number editions undergoing extensive revisions additions edition pages long latest art decade life created visual art works primarily photographic digitally produced labeled style realism works included exhibition italy italian art historian exhibit moved florence work shown galleries new_york_city amsterdam book art introduction american art historian critic reception critique philosophical theorist author wrote number enthusiastic endorsements books including dawn horse testament divine emergence world teacher scientific proof existence god soon announced white_house recommended spiritual teacher interested writings later alternated praise pointed criticism public statement concerning wrote extremes statements greatest spiritual time opinion aspects personality far extraordinary heights means look utterly profound revelations ways step community risk religion scholar formally follower wrote number introductions books later renounced affiliation publicly critical community surrounding fiji devoted chapter book holy madness spirituality enlightenment introduction edition describes having edited sections devoted reflect changes opinion asian religions scholar early follower lived community essay later analyzing witnessed subsequent career pattern abusive manipulative self centered behavior saying necessarily follow individual liberated free appear damaging actions spiritual freedom personally think acknowledging subtlety complexity ongoing debate criticized claims realization critics point earlier message strongly rejecting necessity religious authority belief enlightenment individual natural condition heavily edited subsequent editions books criticized auto self mythology religion professor wrote accounts life close spiritual community describe extremes supporters alleged avatar shock therapy sake enlightenment endorsements foreword edition autobiography knee listening religious scholar described total corpus thorough sophisticated culturally challenging creatively original literature currently available english language psychiatrist wrote endorsement biography promised god man saying deepened experience established cosmic domain mentions books spiritual nutrition psychiatrist wrote endorsement book referring masterpiece
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