The Royal College of Psychiatrists

As another example of the "covert initiation", I refer to in the Brian BK Bacon thread; one of the BKs, Dr Sarah Anne Eagger, is the chair of The Royal College of Psychiatrists Special Interest Group on Spirituality.

The Special Interest Group is supporting "an important educational initiative" launched by the Dadi Janki Foundation on ‘Values in Healthcare’. Obviously, it is not clearly advertised as BKWSU. They use the front of the "Janki Foundation" to which a stranger would not know is the same thing. And it is not obviously documented that Dr Eagger is a long-time BK either. She is also Trustee of the British Holistic Medical Association through which she sells a "Introduction to Meditation" audio CD. There is a connection between the The Royal College of Psychiatrists Special Interest Group on Spirituality and their patron and inspiration, HRH the Prince of Wales.

In this context, a Yogi is refer to as "Reflective Practioner" along the lines of "Reflective Inquiry" on the BK Brian Bacon thread. BKs are refered to as "Values administrators"From one of the RCPsych newsletters, here. I am trying to work out if "Reflective Inquiry" is a BK buzzword or something else. The answer seem to be both.

Using the idea that thoughts lead to an experience, Sarah used the method of a guided meditation commentary with music to further deepen the experience of peace. She explained that being peaceful, still and quiet were really the first steps in a meditation but that with practice this leads on to other more profound experiences such as love and even bliss. Also, as most people regard meditation as a spiritual practice, there is often a sense of feeling connected to a higher being or source of spiritual power. This was something to experiment with and come to understand through your own experience not to be accepted just on hearsay. With peaceful music in the background she quietly spoke through a commentary that went something like this:

Sitting comfortably I begin to observe my mind. I can see many thoughts coming into my mind: thoughts about the day, thoughts of other people, and thoughts about my own activity. Now I begin to step back from these thoughts and watch them. I then choose to let these thoughts go. Each one is not important to me at the moment - they are just passing through. Gradually they slow down. My mind begins to be quiet. The quiet spaces between each thought grow. I become more aware of the silence that there is before a thought even begins. In this silence I begin to experience a deep sense of peace. Peaceful thoughts and peaceful feelings come into my mind.

I am aware that I am peaceful energy, a peaceful being. As I focus on myself I begin to feel very relaxed and light. I am just flowing peaceful energy. I am very still ... floating away ... like a tiny star in a sea of peace. Waves of peace wash over me and through me ...

I feel I have reached a very quiet and still place, the home of the mind. This place is like a beautiful silent room where I can just slow down, be myself and be free. This is a very special room because it has no walls, or ceiling or floor ... it is just light and peace. This is my home where there is no fear, just peace.

As I feel comfortable here in silence, I may become aware of another presence. This is a very benevolent, loving presence that is filling me with beautiful good feelings and refreshing my tired old thoughts. I come to know this supreme energy as my friend, a constant source in an ever-changing world.

Sarah then explained that for her meditation means turning away from the external and taking her attention within. It is here that a special peace, which doesn't depend on anybody or anything outside, is located. Meditation is observing the mind's thoughts and realising that they are the energy that leads to an experience. Positive thoughts can lead naturally into an experience of peace, inner strength and love. Peace is something that can be created within the mind.

Now, that is pure Raja Yoga initiation, but sold as something personal and subjective. Also quoted by her elsewhere is ;

Another publication that has inspired me is the 'Living Values' guide from the Brahma Kumaris World Spiritual University (BKSU 1995).

'Love is the principle which creates and sustains human relations with dignity and depth. It's the bedrock for the belief in equality of spirit and personhood. The basis of real love between people is spiritual. To see another as a spiritual being, a soul, is to see the reality of the other. To be conscious of that reality is to have spiritual love; each person, complete from within, independent yet totally interconnected, recognizes that state in the other. Love is not simply a desire, a passion, an intense feeling for one person or object, but a consciousness, which is simultaneously selfless and self-fulfilling. Love can be for one's country, for a cherished aim, for truth, for justice, for people, for nature, for service, and for God. Spiritual love takes one into silence and that silence has the power to unite, guide and free people'.

I think that this is important to flag up if the BKs are making in roads to mental healthcare and the medical establishment. The RCPsych Spiritual Interest Group has an otherwise very interesting resource centre online that I am sure that readers would enjoy.

Again, my position is that this is not "wrong", it just ought to come clearly labelled .

Personally, it seems to me the BKs are playing charades behind Foundations, fronts, titles and professional bodies. You might be sitting in a seminar with 6 experts all with different titles only to discover latter that 5 of them were BKs under some guise - and 50% of the audience. The problem also arises, how much of myself is me and how much of myself is BK or BKWSU owned. The BKWSU and Seniors both claim and encourage 100% ownership. "Be mine with your mind ... say Baba 10,000 times a day ... Surrender everything ...". It seems a paradox that those BKs the BKWSU values highly, uses as their Public Face, are those that obviously went off and did something else with their time and brains.

"Being totally honest with yourself and by being open and honest with all your communications, trust will develop ... Speak from your point of inner space ... Learn to connect with a higher power and regenerate your resources in a second

Source: http://www.jankifoundation.org"

it's a shame really, (I had a lot of contact with this group), because some of the members of this group are very genuine about bringing value based meditation to health practioners, whereas others in the group, namely those in charge of it, are your typical cynical number wanting recruitment drive specialists.
It causes a lot of conflict amongst them, some of even though having started as 'pukka' BKs now want to distance themselves from guru janki and become a valid charity in their own right, but it'll never happen what with all the middle-manager busy body types involved.

Its a shame really, I had a lot of contact with this group, because some of the members of this group are very genuine about bringing value based meditation to health practioners.

Excuse my habitual scepticism, but ;

• what exactly is "Value Based Meditation"?

Obviously, the BKs use a whole load of fronts to initiation individuals into their practice. The meditiation above is pure BK Raja Yoga.

Likewise, what is this "Appreciative Inquiry" stuff they seem to be getting into as well? For example, BKWSU UN, BKWSU.

This needs to be documented.

Thanks.

I meant what I said, of course it is based on what the BKs call 'Yoga'.

But it is a washy version where they think about ... happiness, stillness, peace you know all that values stuff, hence value based meditation ...

For god's sake man, or are you woman? (if so pm me ) It's hardly likely I am sticking up for them. I was just saying that some of the members themselves are not pukka BKs. They are, IN MY OPINION, being exploited themselves by the great ones.

1st Congress on Medicine and Spirituality

Brahma Kumaris contact Peter Fenwick MD, FRCPsych is on board and Janki Foundation patron Dr. Andrew Powell but no overt BKs. What a wonder. Conference looked good.

I see Andrew has moved to "Oxford", which side is he batting for? An essay here quotes Ken O'Donnell.