An unbiased reader shares some thoughts
I stumbled onto your
site, and took a look at the Countering the Lies website, as
well as the AR homepage. I am not, nor have I ever been, in
any way affiliated with AR. In fact, I only heard about
it for the first time when I came across this website. After
reading what everyone here has to say, checking out
counteringthelies.com, and perusing
aestheticrealism.org, I must say that what you're all
saying here is quite valid. They pretend to be some
institution of higher learning, but all they talk about is
their cult leader, Eli, who they feel is better than Christ,
although their "philosophy" "fits well with any religion." I
am dumbfounded as to their personal attacks on you and other
former members who spoke of their experience inside the
cult, especially for an organization that proclaims, "...the
viewpoint of Aesthetic Realism that we have an obligation to
see everything as well as we can."(Straight from
aestheticrealism.org.)
The next problem is where
they say on counteringthelies.com, "The absurdity
is obvious; the lack of interest in truth, palpable."
[comparing criticism of AR with criticism of Kant, or
Pascal, or Lao-Tze, or Nicolas of Cusa, or Hegel, or
Sartre.] If you had attacked Yale or Harvard, saying
they were not schools, but cults, would Yale or Harvard
create a webpage to ease public relations and personally
attack the few that claimed such? No. They might make a
public statement about the comment, laughably, but probably
not even that. Because it is actually absurd. But
counteringthelies.com is clearly an attempt to regain some
public relation points and try to proactively stop people
from thinking it's a cult. They wouldn't want you to think
that if they were to try to convert you.
Finally, run a word check on
counteringthelies.com because nobody in the world,
even an English major, would use all of those 10-point
words(as my 9th grade English teacher would call them) to
express such a simple idea. They used a ton of "big
words" and liken themselves to great teachers and
philosophers of the past in an attempt to sound more
intellectual, thus garnering points as an academic study,
not a cult. I'll bet their perfect being, Eli Siegel, didn't
even speak like that. And the way they make themselves out
to be their own martyrs? Please.
Anyhow, just wanted to let you know what a total
outsider thought of the whole ordeal.
Also, as an aside, I have had experience in another
cult (which also isn't considered a cult by its members, and
is largely unknown as such) myself, and I just wanted to
let you know that what you're doing-speaking out against
them, exposing the truth of the matter-is a great thing. I
hope others, maybe even those inside may see this and
understand what it is.
Former members describe Aesthetic Realism
- The ULTIMATE statement by a former member. Wow. A former Aesthetic Realism member who was involved for over ten years and into the 1990's sent us this incredibly detailed account of what life inside AR is like. This puts to rest once and for all any lingering question about whether AR is a cult - it is. The AR people will not be able to "counter" this on their Countering the Lies website because this account is from one of their own, and because it's so exhaustively detailed.
- A tale of getting sucked in. Another former member shares his experiences. This story is unique because he describes exactly how he initially got drawn in, and how he then kept getting more and more involved.
- Aesthetic Realism ruined his marriage. "[It] introduced a level of stress in my marriage that had not previously existed....I consider my 'study' of Aesthetic Realism to be one of the factors that led to the eventual breakup of my marriage, to my eternal sorrow." This former member also wrote about AR on Steve Hassan's Freedom of Mind.
- On having all the answers. A former member explains how AR members think they have all the answers, and feel qualified to lecture others about how they should view personal tragedy.
- Kicked out for remaining gay. A former student describes how he was kicked out of AR because he couldn't change from homosexuality. Powerful stuff.
- "If I disappointed them, then I now consider that a badge of honor." A former member tells how AR try to change him from being gay, and convinced him not to spend Christmas with his family.
- "This is merely one example of the way people were controlled and humiliated if they stepped out of line...". The experiences shared with us by a member from 1974-80, now a Fortune 100 executive.
- "I want Ellen Reiss questioned!" A former member tells her story, and wonders why there hasn't been a class-action lawsuit against the foundation yet.
- They took his consultation tape. A former student describes how AR people kept his consultation tape with his most intimate thoughts on it, and told him he couldn't study any more unless he incorporated AR more radically into his life.
- "There isn't any question: Eli Siegel killed himself.". A former member who sought AR's "gay cure" describes how the group's leaders admitted that the founder took his own life.
- "I personally know at least half of the contributors to AR's Countering the Lies website and know them to either be fibbing or having a long-term memory problem.". A former member
from 1971-80, confirms that AR students don't see their families, are discouraged from attending college, and shun other members. He also offers that he was mistaken when he was involved about thinking that AR had changed him from homosexuality.
- Michael Bluejay's description. This whole website is my statement about Aesthetic Realism. But in this article I describe my family's involvement in more detail.
- Members interviewed in Jewish Times. This lengthy article in Jewish Times quotes former students of Aesthetic Realism extensively.
- NY Post article. A series of articles in the NY Post quotes many former members who are now critical of the group.
- Aesthetic Realism debunked. A former student explains the cult aspects of AR. Posted on Steve Hassan's Freedom of Mind website.
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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 get the world to realize that Eli Siegel was the greatest person who ever lived, and that Aesthetic Realism is the most important knowledge, ever. |
|
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. (Their slogan is "Contempt causes insanity".) For example, homosexuality is 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 106 (33 teachers, 44 training to be teachers, and 29 regular students). Has failed to grow appreciably even after 70 years of existence, and is currently shrinking.
All members call themselves "students", even the leaders/teachers. 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...
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Open offer to debate
How do you decide which side is telling the truth? I think that would be the side willing to stand behind what he says. Since 2005 I've had an open offer to debate the Aesthetic Realists publicly in a formal format at any time to defend what I've said on this site, and to answer their own charges against me. But the AR people won't do it. Their excuse is, "He's not worth debating." But if that's true, then why did they put up a ninety-six page website to try to snipe at me and to try to rebut what I'm saying? I think the answer is that they're content to hide behind the cover of the Internet, but they know how bad they'd look in a live format where anyone actually got to ask any pointed questions.
You know what's really funny? Someone went to one of their public presentations, said he'd seen this site, and asked about the cult allegations. The AR person said, "It's very easy to say crap like that on the Internet and never have to be challenged." Oh, the irony is killing me!
Anyway, Aesthetic Realists, as for a public debate, I'm ready when you are. And to everyone else, when the AR people won't stand behind what they're saying, why should anyone take what they say seriously?
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