Anonymous 3

I have been in and out of Sat Yoga for many, many years. I have decided to summarise my experience at the risk of leaving out many traumatising details and instead focusing on behavioural patterns that have remained true for as long as I know him. This is the Robert Shubow seduction playbook, which if you choose to join this cult you will surely experience:

 

You are made to feel important - maybe in a private session you’re told you were a King in a past life, or perhaps your particular skillsets are imperative to rebuilding the world, or that he knows you’re an old soul ready to reach enlightenment. Whatever your vulnerabilities are that he can exploit, he will definitely use against you when you reveal your fears, aspirations, regrets, and inner truth to him in mandatory “atmanology” sessions (a term he has created to try and get away with practicing psychology without a license). Once you’re on his hook, you’ll be asked to make a commitment to show that you are truly serious to His cause (the cause of salvation that only he can provide). Most of the time, these commitments mean you need to hand over your entire life’s saving or inheritances with the promise of being “taken care of” for the rest of your life. (And by the way, if you refuse to foolishly give every last cent to your name to him, that will be the end of the journey at Sat Yoga for you - I personally know several people who were put on the street because of this). You will be told that all other emotional ties you have to the outside world are hindering your spiritual development. This means you will not be allowed to talk to your children, your parents, friends or acquaintances - unless they’re willing to hand over their hard earned cash of course! Or unless you personally have invested millions in the Ashram - in that case, exceptions can be made. Now, depending on how much money you have / have given / will inherit and promise to give Robert, your work at the “ashram” will vary. If you have a fat wallet, your duties will be more “spiritual”, but if you don’t promise the big bucks then your destiny will be “karma yoga” (aka spending endless hours in the fields, manual labour, washing dishes - basically you are an “untouchable”) However, whatever category you fall under, the one thing you’ll have in common is the obligation to follow his every instruction, his every command, and to unquestionably follow his Scripture. To the contrary, you will be asked to leave, and your name will be smeared to the rest of the community.

 

So, why would anyone agree to join this specific cult? Well, Robert is a brilliant man, there is no denying that. Back when he was going by Robert Shubow instead of his self appointed “Shunyamurti”, he practiced law. He studied at an Ashram in India. He delved into the psychoanalytic teachings. He reads about anything and everything. Needless to say, he’s picked up on a thing or two about how to manipulate people. Since the beginning, he has been building a culture of fear within his followers. Fear of how the world is going to end at any moment. I remember clearly how he was preaching about the world coming to the end in 2012. When it didn’t and I asked him about it during a “session” he said “well, the world is ending for a lot of people” referring to whatever war or conflict was going on at that time. Since then, it’s been whatever conflict that is on the news that will bring the world to the end, and now whatever virus or pandemic (and vaccine). The interesting thing is that the common message of every single message is: the world sucks, I am the answer. On this note, he has also cultivated an exceptional “us versus them” narrative where literally everything outside of the Ashram, including other spiritual communities and teachers are beneath them. Sat Yoga, and ONLY Sat Yoga (or Robert, really) is worthy of salvation from the evil “others”.

 

What if you start questioning that He isn’t the only answer to live a spiritual life? Well, this is where his manipulation really shines. Remember that in order to truly be part of this community, you had to have cut all ties with anyone who isn’t involved with Sat Yoga. You have burned all bridges to the outside world: family, friends, jobs… This isn’t exactly a strong position to be in to start questioning His authority. In addition, you’ve spilled all of your deepest, darkest secrets, thoughts, hopes and dreams to him in these so called “atmanology” sessions. Therefore, he knows exactly where to target your psychological weak spots.

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