A Former Student Speaks Out

"I've been surprised too at this "code of silence." I was mostly surprised in reading Andre's book at the mildness of the supposedly intense and shocking events.

Andre left before the men's and women's saunas were turned into rooms designed to humiliate students. With huge blow ups of private letters to Andrew displayed, with his scathing comments attached. And debased caricatures of students, sometimes life size or more, depicting students as sexual dominatrixes or devils.

Every student had to spend an hour a day in there in comtemplation of their evil natures,.....this part of the up to 6 hours of compulsory spiritual practice (prostrations, meditation, chanting etc) which did not include mens and women's meetings. Most students working a full time job and giving to their other duties, leaving around 4-5 hours for sleep.

To say nothing of the practices or punishments (such as) submerging in the nearby lake in the winter for up to an hour chanting until lips were so blue and bodies so frozen that it would take up to an hour in a hot shower to get back to a normal temperature. "