Andrew Cohen's Downfall - How I Created A Cult - S01 EP03

Andrew Cohen's Downfall - How I Created A Cult - S01 EP03 - Cult Documentary

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Banijay Documentaries

Күн бұрын

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@northofyou33 10 ай бұрын

Wow. I have never seen a cult leader talk about his/her downfall. Really fascinating.

@JosedeJezeus 7 ай бұрын

Truly

@fatbrat86 11 ай бұрын

As someone who watches an insane amount of true crime/documentaries/ KZbin these are wonderful. Ty for your hard work ❤

@hanneloreclemenson1228 7 ай бұрын

Same same

@tigg9798 11 ай бұрын

Fascinating documentary series. I have a strong interest in cults and how they operate so I have watched heaps of documentaries on the subject. What sets this series apart is the range of different perspectives presented. Especially interesting to have the perspective of the fallen leader, I get that many people doubt how genuine his remorse is but he struck me as someone who started out on a genuine quest for enlightenment but got sidetracked and corrupted by power. A tragic irony really. My favourite quote came from ex follower Sam Rosen :"I actually believe that there is validity to the idea that there can be spiritual authorities... at the same time I don't think that those spiritual authorities who have these deeper transcendent experiences and mystical insights have any special insight in what it means to live a moral or ethical life"

@bonniepeperkamp-moy7526 10 ай бұрын

Please read my blog Language Enlightenment I look forward to talking with you

@JulesMcManaway 8 ай бұрын

Word salad

@galacticambitions1277 5 ай бұрын

Great observation!

@Penhauer 11 ай бұрын

Am I the only one who still doesn't understand what the actual teachings were?

@WolfsHead-bp6vs 11 ай бұрын

nope.

@aliciaflores7095 11 ай бұрын

Don’t think they’ve elaborated on them

@tigg9798 11 ай бұрын

I guess collective enlightenment is kinda hard to explain in words🙄

@cindyhawkins6238 11 ай бұрын

A true cult. They developed terminology that only the insiders understand (or pretend to). It’s just too complicated for us simpletons who aren’t enlightened. So many similarities to Scientology. In the end, they’re all like this.

@reneemarais431 11 ай бұрын

Nope, it sounds like they didnt know either.

@rsc4621 11 ай бұрын

Mistrust all, until you are convinced. The true Guru will never humiliate you, nor will he estrange you from yourself. He will constantly bring you back to the fact of your inherent perfection and encourage you to seek within. He knows you need nothing, not even him, and is never tired of reminding you. But the self appointed Guru is more concerned with himself than with his disciples. ~ Nisargadatta

@agaobi573 10 ай бұрын

Maybe we just don't need any gurus at all. Self appointed or 'true' ones.

@anthonysmith2562 8 ай бұрын

@@agaobi573when the student is ready the master will appear.

@iamithink Ай бұрын

@@agaobi573as long as a seeker remains there will be gurus both true and false

@JulieCaptivatedinFl 11 ай бұрын

High quality production value. On par with a Netflix doc. Fascinating!

@jakeruth4603 Ай бұрын

Andrew and I got coffee at a small lounge in Prague in 1984. He was a really nice character and taught me how to follow the breath. People tend to nit pick all of the "bad" stuff but his teachings created a new homage in my being that was not there in past lives. For that I am ever grateful. This documentary is likely created by students who did not acheive such states. Thank you

@robinsierra1029 11 ай бұрын

I went to one of Andrews meditations in the 80s. He had an ability somehow to create a feeling of bliss in the room, which fooled a lot of people into thinking he was in lightened. I noticed right away, that he was downright cruel to people. So I never went back. And I can’t believe he still calling himself a spiritual teacher. Even his mother wrote a book about what a charlatan his. He was, and still is delusional.

@cspace1234nz 10 ай бұрын

….and yet, he is teaching again right here in Tiru where I am currently visiting. Knowing something of his history and the harm he has caused I had to go along to his satsang. I could see straight away how he manipulates people right from the first moment he speaks with them. He knows who can can draw in closer through that control. He’s about as close to evil as I’ve ever encountered.

@monicagloria3627 11 ай бұрын

"Andrew, You're Wrong", William Yenner. I know that had to have healed in ways that years of therapy never could 😂❤ 👏

@breathspinecore 10 ай бұрын

The guy at 39:45 drops some of the most direct and profound spiritual truths I've ever heard stated so clearly. If more people understood this simple truth about the difference between spiritual and moral/ethical authority, we would be a much more enlightened society.

@harrydijkshoorn6399 Ай бұрын

You are so right.

@oliverbrown8038 11 ай бұрын

Anyone who wears a waistcoat like that is a walking red flag.

@bananie2383 3 ай бұрын

😂

@kevinjoseph517 9 ай бұрын

in 1990s cohen spoke in santa monica..i walked out during his talk....never returned to hear his stuff again.

@yishaishasha8690 6 ай бұрын

I'm sad to see this film. ANDREW EXHIBITS NARCISTIC BEHAVIOUR AND ATTITUDES

@galacticambitions1277 5 ай бұрын

This is the first documentary to really bring home to me the similarities between narcissistic mind control in romantic relationships and leader control in cults. The emotions here are so raw and personal. I am also astonished by his confession which in my experience is unique. This is one of the best documentaries on the subject of cults I have seen in my decades of watching. I feel sure there had to be some kind of gentleness involved in the production team to achieve this result. Congratulations on your achievement. It is remarkable.

@the_indivisible_man 11 ай бұрын

This was the most honest and insightful exposes on guru cults that I've ever seen. I am just blown away. AMAZING work. I also had enlightenment experiences at one point, and I can say that though they changed my life for the better instantly, they left all of my inter-relational wounds and immaturity completely intact. It took decades of personal growth work to heal and evolve those parts of my ego. Meditation and transcendental insight just didn't scratch that itch. I can also remember one time, during one of my "enlightened" periods when I was hanging out with a friend and she was confiding in me over her relationship problems with her partner. She was in so much emotional pain and yet listening to her, I felt absolutely nothing. In my lofty state, I saw very clearly that her suffering was imaginary, and in truth she was limitless awareness. It was a strange experience, to feel so intensely intimate with her, like it was the same awareness in both bodies, and yet to feel no connection to her human suffering whatsoever. I wonder if Andrew Cohen was in a state like that?

@Jen.K 8 ай бұрын

Same here, I had my final awakening in 2012, where my lifetime of seeking suddenly stopped and I realised there was nowhere to go and nothing to do. It was then that the torturous process of ego dissolution began along with working through trauma from being human on this planet, and figuring out how to live in the world from such an altered perspective. I think this is called integration, and it's still not done 14 years later. I've also experienced the sense of there being no separation between me and another and failing to realise the difference in our emotional experiences of a situation, it's like I was seeing a potential rather than their current limited perspective. I expect Andrew Cohen has experienced altered states like this, but a temporary state doesn't qualify someone to call themselves a spiritual teacher or a guru and profess to have all the answers.

@Seekingtruth4488 10 ай бұрын

He says ‘I lost absolutely everything’ …….. he never invested ANYTHING apart from his ego. These followers of his paid for him to live in a beautiful house with beautiful gifts for 25 years. He will reemerge in another place with new ‘suckers’ to fleece.

@iliketohideincloset 10 ай бұрын

You can't force enlightenment no matter how much power you gain over others. This is games. Cruel games.

@alexmousley7213 10 ай бұрын

The irony hearing Andrew talking about all he lost- all of it from ego! There is nothng quite as egostistical as spending time on a spiritual quest to lose your ego- when it is self-obsession, if you want to be useful and reduce your ego- go volunteer to work with the homeless or the dying.

@beckiejani7782 10 ай бұрын

Yes! Someone once asked Neem Karoli Baba (a 20th century holy person) how to achieve Liberation. His answer: "Feed people."

@StaciSchuck 7 ай бұрын

Amen

@audreyginsburg4924 11 ай бұрын

As a person who studied with Osho in India circa 1978, have practiced Wiccan wisdom and am the sum components of my journeys into EST, Rebirthing, Direct Centering, Judaism, and more, I have come from my home roots to embrace Swedenborg, the Christian mystic who wrote about humbleness, forgiveness, charity, wisdom and love This is for all of us. Life is the spiritual lesson.

@cspace1234nz 11 ай бұрын

@@klh-arts9464 ...yeah don't worry about it, these people are all barking mad.

@deborahmulkey1627 11 ай бұрын

Osho is the guy who started Rashneehism cult in Wa., and Oregon.....see documentary "Wild wild Country". Nutzo.

@deborahmulkey1627 11 ай бұрын

I'm sorry for you.

@amoreamorovic4626 10 ай бұрын

You are delusional and that Osho is dodgy piece of work.

@victoriousjoy9338 9 ай бұрын

@@klh-arts9464Ya! Wiccan lies is all there is!

@GuyJames 11 ай бұрын

Kudos to AC for having the courage to be interviewed about this. But I agree with those who said he should never teach again. If he wants to do the right thing by the truth, why can't he do it in his own house and not have to involve others, like pretty much everyone else in the series is doing? Also even though I really enjoyed the series and thought the makers did a great job, why was no-one interviewed who actually experienced the collective consciousness? It seemed like everyone talked about it in the 3rd person as having happened to others. If it really was as amazing as it was made out to be, maybe there was some justification for what AC did. But not having any first hand testimony of it means that we are left wondering if in some way the ends did justify the means. I have to say I doubt it.

@cspace1234nz 10 ай бұрын

Because it’s all BS. Either way, whatever state of consciousness he facilitated, it was clearly temporary, no different to the experience of stubbing your toe. What value is there in any temporary state ?

@jacquelinedesanctis7082 11 ай бұрын

People stuck in their heads so far from the Holy Spirit where we need no gurus. Just prayer simplicity and love. I feel sorry for these people

@michaelnice93 10 ай бұрын

Thank you for this documentary, it answers lots of questions for me and brings some closure.

@cristinesomerville4522 10 ай бұрын

I really found it fascinating to have the fallen leader/guru’s perspective in this documentary. I hope he isnt just bullshitting and has really and truly gained insight into the errors of his ways.

@Jen.K 8 ай бұрын

I would think that he's gained insight into the errors of his manipulation tactics and is working on improving them for a better outcome (for himself) next time.

@pageribe2399 8 ай бұрын

@Jen.K You hit the nail on the head!

@coomsey9 7 ай бұрын

Fascinating. But I thought the money should have gone back to his students.

@teahaze 10 ай бұрын

Judging by these interviews, Cohen remains a deeply narcissistic person (not surprising) and his biggest remorse is not being clever enough in his manipulations

@salvatore915 10 ай бұрын

I saw him once standing in Amsterdam next to Hotel L'Europe. I was on my bicycle. I saw he was completely caught up in his mind thinking some stuff going on in his mind. No presence there. The thought came up; aha, do this is what enlightenment looks like. The guy was a complete phoney. I never understood the fuzz going on around this guy. Everyone who is a little awake who has been around an enlightened individual could see Andrew was not coming from a no mind space.

@synewparadigm 9 ай бұрын

It was maybe the cookies?

@Jen.K 8 ай бұрын

Once a narcissist, always a narcissist. Maybe they change their behaviour, of course they change their behaviour, because the same tactics rarely last for a lifetime. Andrew is brilliantly using his past 'mistakes' to reinvent himself in order to carry on serving his own needs in a way that may appear different on the surface, but the narcissistic agenda underneath remains intact. My guess is that he's still predatory in nature, in spite of admitting mistakes and attempting to 'make amends'. People shouldn't be surrendering to external gurus anyway!

@LaLA441000 11 ай бұрын

Well...On a positive note; For ONCE, despite of the abuse of power, no mention of SA. (And strangely, that kinda restores my faith in men in general and particularly men in power).

@ripeasianpear Ай бұрын

Well done, documentary makers!

@jr6200 Ай бұрын

You think he may be on the verge of actually showing insight into what he had done, but he always manages to rationalize his behavior.

@timothym.orourke5283 9 ай бұрын

The Buddha couldn’t be more clear: no one is going to hand you enlightenment. You must find your own path. Anyone claiming otherwise is selling you snake oil. Find your own Bodhi Tree.🏳️‍🌈☸️🏳️‍🌈

@RedApple81 11 ай бұрын

Are there any other cult leaders, who were ousted by their followers and were then interviewed and provided some reflection on the whole experience? Utterly fascinating

@thorn.charmer 10 ай бұрын

That's the most fascinating part of all of this. At times I thought he displayed genuine introspection, but at other times my spidey senses smelled a charismatic ploy. It was like he said one thing but his body language and vibe said another.

@jamiparrish8806 3 ай бұрын

People don’t understand that having some spiritual experiences don’t mean you’re enlightened. True teachers know the difference.

@sattwa2 10 ай бұрын

There were key players in his cult that are nowhere to be seen or heard from in this doc. Why?

@pageribe2399 8 ай бұрын

Maybe they're embarrassed! At least, I hope they are!

@ronaldturner4849 10 ай бұрын

This looks like sleep away camp for a bunch of arrested development adults.

@4kassis 10 ай бұрын

came across his facebook page recently, he already has a devoted following again...

@asiapersonalable 10 ай бұрын

oh, he lost control and was devastated

@tacobill70 11 ай бұрын

Well made Doc. However, I feel no empathy for these students other than the fact that they are probably lost and feel very unfulfilled. I am in no way a fan of or a student of trying to achieve enlightenment but it seems like the best way to go about it would be to at least make a vow of poverty and chastity. Living in a $2.8 million mansion is not going to help you.These people will never achieve enlightenment solely through meditation and prostrations.

@aliciaflores7095 11 ай бұрын

Explosive collective enlightenment sounds like group psychosis

@reneemarais431 11 ай бұрын

Indeed

@deborahmulkey1627 11 ай бұрын

Have you seen the MAGA's???? Group hysteria.

@michaelnice93 10 ай бұрын

That part about the collective consciousness in unity was actually real, however it can and does happen between people often in many spiritual communities. There was another Guru who knew Andrew. His students attempted to tell Andrew’s students that this was often experienced in groups practicing together. But everyone at Foxhollow flipped out over it. They misinterpreted this collective experience of oneness (and out of their ignorance) interpreted it to mean they were special, some elite force that would use this technique to change the whole world. It was very megalomaniacal but intoxicating to be a part of. I will say that this experience was happening often and it was amazing to be a part of it.

@SongbirdAlom 10 ай бұрын

He’s got “main character syndrome.” Even showing remorse for his past behavior, he can’t seem to let go of being in a teaching/leading role.

@plantagomajor 10 ай бұрын

Transformation is ego, it’s becoming. That’s the actual ego: trying to become something and wanting to be special. Andrew to me is the worst “teacher” I have ever heard. All the sadhana these people did was on their own merit and all the fruits were and are their own. They could have done that in a any setting, Andrew was just a hindrance in the end and will be for all the new students he attracts. Please, I wish we could all be done with these charismatic grifters and just trust ourselves and the present moment. It’s all there is.

@matthewgoodtimes3555 10 ай бұрын

I agree! Well said .. ✌🏾

@asiapersonalable 10 ай бұрын

Andrew pay the compensation for the abuse for people that you treated like they were below you

@PCP111-m6m Ай бұрын

As much as we need great examples of great teachers showing us what to do, we also need failed teachers to show us what not to do. AC is a great example of what and how not to do it. But unfortunately, there will be plenty more of both to come.

@salvatore915 10 ай бұрын

If one looks at the dynamics of this kind of cultic positioning, the is agressor and the socalled victim share equal responsibility. Even the title " how i ceated a cult " is misleading. The responsibility goes two ways. The abuser of power and the enablers of the abuse are all in the same boat. Two sides of the same medal. Taking real responsibility is to see that this positioning is basically an inmature relating which comes out of childhood trauma of attention seeking needs.

@cammbello 11 ай бұрын

I notice he got some plastic surgery. New nose - so much for “enlightenment”

@MariskaArbeidsdeskundige 11 ай бұрын

Ageing is a narcist worst nightmare.

@deborahmulkey1627 11 ай бұрын

It's an enlightened nose.

@hillarychapman1 11 ай бұрын

I don’t have a clue what these people are talking about

@cspace1234nz 11 ай бұрын

...yeah well the problem is that whilst they come across as being 'together' and reasonably intelligent, they were actually a part of Cohen's cult, therefore a part of the problem. It takes a certain kind of person to get drawn into this sort of nonsense, it simply couldn't happen to many of us, we are just not wired in the way these people are.

@agaobi573 10 ай бұрын

It is not always the question of 'attraction' to a cult. Some people are born inside a cult, and are forced to that kind of experience. In those cases it takes really enormous amount of courage and spiritual power to break out of it. Documentarys like this one can help as a reference to those who doubt themselves being in such a situation.

@VanessaPatton-y1v 11 ай бұрын

He had such an inflated ego. Of course he was upset when he was no longer a cult leader. He will have to work for a living now.

@marvinhare 10 ай бұрын

Religion at it's best

@asiapersonalable 10 ай бұрын

yes people went through breakdowns from you

@asiapersonalable 10 ай бұрын

I lost my position of a teacher - please that pathetic

@Old_Goth_Lady 11 ай бұрын

This man is straight up dangerous. He needs to be like, unable to do what he wants bc I think he demonstrates a perfectly clear and present danger to the public.

@alexbenson245 10 ай бұрын

While the “guru” is at fault for the cult, so are the individuals conforming to and enforcing the group norms, even when they knew they were wrong.

@albertodearte 11 ай бұрын

OH, wait a minute. I thought this guy had said that he was enlightened right from the beginning. So how could an enlightened being be so miserably ignorant of his own ego trip? So for me, he is a liar and a narcissistic. When he presents himself as a person who made mistakes that are very human, people tend to forget that he said he was enlightened.

@victoriadixon9491 2 ай бұрын

This reminds me of synonym

@Rash2oush Ай бұрын

I wonder if people's thirst for salvation and belonging makes them beling to such cults.. following another human being is just so weird

@missamanda2703 10 ай бұрын

Is this a joke ? Seriously, I've never heard of him at all. You would think a CP or tax fraud.

@vestaosto 10 ай бұрын

If you call yourself a spiritual teacher or a guru, you want to have matured to the level so that you don't have the need to be the "king on the hill" or "alpha person". That is the least quality to be an authentic teacher.

@rebeccaketner816 11 ай бұрын

What happened to the wife? How did he pay for all the plastic surgery?

@littlezentz 11 ай бұрын

It doesn't seem like any of them had financial issues. This cult is so odd all that meditation must have dampered everyone, get mad people You did not earn a living and retirement all those years.

@PqV72MT4 11 ай бұрын

Wow. Sounds like evangelical Christianity.

@yanifree114 11 ай бұрын

Wins YT Daily award for most ignorant comment

@lunainezdelamancha3368 11 ай бұрын

It sounds like most religions or should I say all religions.

@cspace1234nz 11 ай бұрын

...there's not much that is as bad as evangelical Christianity. I can't stand this Cohen critter but I'd trust him over a Christian anyday.

@KARENboomboomROXX 11 ай бұрын

@@yanifree114are you kidding? They've destroyed so many lives and families it's an epidemic.

@Necroman98 10 ай бұрын

Not all Christians or Churches are like that, even amongst Evangelicals.

@annieandaj 9 ай бұрын

This guy is still very, very lost!!!! He needs to let go of his need to become the messiah!!!! Very out of touch with reality.

@martinspiering5817 Ай бұрын

The language of "evolution" and "transformation" has to be held very lightly. It has only limited utility (because the entire world of experiences is cyclical) and is often misused both in secular and spiritual contexts, as this documentary so ably demonstrates. The idea of human or spiritual evolution turns healthy human instincts for natural development and cooperation into pathological and egoical striving. It's better to ditch (or be forewarned by) this language.