Aesthetic Realism is a cult   Who they are, how they operate • Written by former members	Get notified when I update this site.
Home What is AR? Cult Aspects AR and Homosexuaity Former members tell their stories Secret AR Inquest AR in the media AR responds to this site Thinking of leaving AR?

Aesthetic Realism lexicon An explanation of AR's "code words" posted April 2009 Completely Fair. Being "completely fair" to Eli Siegel or Aesthetic Realism means expressing extreme devotion to them. If any members fails to do this, they're quickly criticized as "not being completely fair". They use this phrase several times in the secret inquest we posted. Consultant. An AR leader who conducts consultations. Consultation. AR's special brand of therapy where three consultants meet with one member. The purpose is to get the member to affirm or re-affirm their devotion to Eli Siegel and AR, and to discourage the member from pursuing things in their life that keep them from promoting or studying AR (such as relationships with friends or family who aren't in AR). (more on consultations) Contempt. AR believes that the root of all unhappiness is a person's believing they're better than other people, which they refer to as contempt. This concept is so important to them that their slogan is "Contempt causes insanity". AR sees homosexuality as caused by contempt. (And since "contempt causes insanity", we're supposed to conclude that homosexuals are insane.) Naturally, if anyone dares to question anything about AR or its founder, Eli Siegel, that's considered contempt. Criticism. The AR leaders love to dole out what is supposedly constructive criticism to its members. But it's verboten to criticize AR or its founder, Eli Siegel. That would be considered contempt. In a nutshell, the AR leaders' negative opinions about you? Criticism. Your criticism of anything else? Contempt. Telling quote by an AR member: "I am so grateful that my desire for contempt was criticized by Aesthetic Realism." (from AR's double-page ad in the NY Times) Eli Sigel. A poet and literary critic who founded Aesthetic Realism in the 1940's. He took his life in 1978. Fair. See completely fair. Grateful / Gratitude. AR members are expected to continually express profound "gratitude" for having "met" Aesthetic Realism, and for Eli Siegel himself. Failure to express gratitude is considered contempt or not being completely fair. Expressing gratitude to Eli Siegel and AR was supposedly the key to AR's gay cure, as shown in this AR consultation. Telling quote by an AR member: "I am so grateful that my desire for contempt was criticized by Aesthetic Realism." (from AR's double-page ad in the NY Times) Met. AR people frequently talk about AR as though it's a person, and this is perhaps the best example. AR people refer to their first finding out about AR as having met Aesthetic Realism. Opposites. A fundamental teaching of AR is that "beauty is the making one of opposites". This is an old concept, dating back thousands of years to Chinese yin/yang, but AR adherents think that Eli Siegel invented it. Persons. Often a euphemism for AR's current leader, Ellen Reiss. If someone says, "I have spoken to persons," they really mean, "I have spoken to Class Chairman Ellen Reiss." In other cases, they use "persons" as an awkward replacement for "people", e.g., "Persons in the media have been furious that they themselves have something enormous to learn from Aesthetic Realism, and have tried to keep this knowledge from reaching people." source Terrain Gallery. AR's building at 141 Greene Street include the group's offices, meeting rooms (where consultations) are held, and an art gallery, called the Terrain Gallery , where they host art showings and presentations. TRO. Acronym of the first three words of the AR newsletter "The Right Of Aesthetic Realism to be Known." Notice, AR isn't just a philosophy, it has rights! Tremendous. AR people believe that AR is the most important thing in the world, ever, and they therefore struggle with how to adequately communicate the extreme importance they think AR holds. One result is that they use the word tremendous quite frequently. The overuse is kind of comical. A Google search on "aesthetic realism" tremendous reveals nearly 1,000 hits! Just a few examples: "The Terrain Gallery is proud to present an exhibition featuring the work of three photographers who have seen the tremendous value of Aesthetic Realism for art and for life" -- Announcement of an exhibit at AR's headquarters "The effect of the Aesthetic Realism education on people's lives is tremendously beneficial, and thrilling." -- AR website's welcome page "[O]ne thing I feel very strongly about is the fact that we have a tremendous opportunity to be fair to the greatest knowledge and the greatest person who ever lived." -- Leader of a secret AR inquest, speaking about AR and its founder, Eli Siegel "A few months later I began to study Aesthetic Realism and to my tremendous relief I learned that my deepest desire is to like the world..." -- by Lynette Abel, on an Aesthetic Realism website "I am tremendously fortunate to be using the Aesthetic Realism teaching method." -- Opening of an article for an education journal They use the word tremendous nine times in this AR therapy session. "Using the Aesthetic Realism of Eli Siegel as a teaching method, I have had tremendous success teaching William Gibson's The Miracle Worker in high school." -- by Ann M. Richards, on AR's website "This was a tremendous day for the Jewish community." -- AR teacher Devorah Tarrow, about AR's duping local officials to declare "Eli Siegel Day" in Baltimore "Aesthetic Realism makes for tremendous respect for the world and people, and therefore someone who feels entitled to have contempt for everything can become angry with it." -- From AR's "Countering the Lies" website "Using the Aesthetic Realism of Eli Siegel as a teaching method, I have had tremendous success teaching William Gibson's The Miracle Worker in high school." -- Tagline of an AR teacher's blog What's on this site What is Aesthetic Realism? An explanation about both the AR philosophy and the group that promotes it. Cult aspects of Aesthetic Realism Fanatical devotion to the leader, cutting off relations with families who aren't also believers -- it's all here. Former members tell their stories A ton of former members explain what life inside the group was like -- and how they're glad they got out. This one is the longest, but most comprehensive. Very moving stuff. AR and Homosexuality The AR group used to try to "cure" people of being gay. They stopped that in 1990 because high-profile success cases kept deciding they were gay after all and leaving. AR has never said their gay-changing attempts were wrong. AR's founder killed himself AR's founder Eli Siegel killed himself, but the AR people have been trying to hide that fact. They can't hide any more, since enough former students have come forward to confirm the truth. Secret AR inquest We got our hands on a tape of a secret meeting inside the group. It's an inquest of an AR student who was supposedly "cured" of his gayness, only to be found still cruising for gay sex. The AR people are merciless with this guy! AR responds to this website The AR people have tried to rebut this website with their own site called Countering the Lies, whose title ought to win some kind of award for irony. Here we explain the story behind that site. AR consultation What really happens in an Aesthetic Realism "consultation"? Now for the first time the public can see for themselves. A former member shared his tape with us. In the session the AR counselors tried to help the member not be gay, telling him that the basis of the cure was to express deep gratitude to AR and its founder. Thinking of leaving AR? If you're thinking of leaving the group, you're not alone. Let's face it: Most people who have ever studied AR have left -- and not come back. There's got to be a reason for that. Curious about what they figured out? Worried about the fallout if you do decide to leave? Here's everything you need to know. Media Reports The media reports on AR from time to time, and it's never favorable. Here's a list of articles, plus some help for journalists researching AR. And here are direct links to the landmark articles in the NY Post and Jewish Times. Aesthetic Realism glossary We explain the real meanings behind the loaded language that AR people use. My own AR experience I was born into the group, as was my mother, because her parents were members. This page explains my history in the group. On a separate page I have a transcript of my lesson with cult leader Eli Siegel. AR in their own words. Give 'em enough rope... • Actual AR internal meeting • Actual AR consultation • Actual AR lesson • Actual AR advertisment • Actual AR ad. #2 • Hyper-reaction to criticism Site News / Blog Here's some news and commentary that I add from time to time. Share your Aesthetic Realism story! If you did time in AR, had or have a friend or relative in AR, or had some other run-in with the group, I hope you'll share your story on this site. If you'd like to write something that you don't want to appear on this site, then please instead. Name (We won't publish your name unless you say it's okay, but we have to have it in order to verify submissions.) Email Address (We won't publish your email address, but we have to have it in order to verify submissions.) Please type the word in the picture:  (prevents spam) Your experience: Yes   No Okay to publish your name? Yes   No Okay to identify your gender? (e.g., "his story", "her story") Yes   No Get a notice of updates to this site? (no more than 4x/year) This page last updated April 2009.

Aesthetic Realism at a Glance Name The Aesthetic Realism Foundation Founded 1941 Founder Eli Siegel, poet and art/literary critic. Committed suicide in 1978 Purpose To teach Siegel's philosophy of aesthetic realism. Philosophy The key to all social ills is for people to learn to like the world. Having contempt for the world leads to unhappiness and even insanity. (The slogan of their newsletter is "Contempt causes insanity".) Homosexuality is seen as a form of insanity caused by not liking the world sufficiently. Also teaches that "beauty is the making one of opposites". Location New York City (SoHo) Membership About 103 (35 teachers, 41 training to be teachers, and 27 regular students). Has failed to grow appreciably even after 70 years of existence, and is currently shrinking. Members call themselves "students". Advanced members who teach others are called "consultants". Method of study Public seminars/lectures at their headquarters (in lower Manhattan), group classes, and individual consultations (three consultants vs. one student). Cult aspects Fanatical devotion to their leader/founder Belief that they have the one true answer to universal happiness Ultimate purpose is to recruit new members Feeling that they are being persecuted Wild, paranoid reactions to criticism Non-communication (or at least very limited communication) with those who have left the group Odd, specialized language. More about cult aspects...