Misplaced Pages

Ramtha's School of Enlightenment: Difference between revisions

Article snapshot taken from Wikipedia with creative commons attribution-sharealike license. Give it a read and then ask your questions in the chat. We can research this topic together.
Browse history interactively← Previous editContent deleted Content addedVisualWikitext
Revision as of 00:22, 9 November 2013 editWavelength (talk | contribs)Extended confirmed users, Pending changes reviewers179,502 edits inserting 1 hyphen: —> "35,000-year-old"—WP:HYPHEN, sub-subsection 3, point 3← Previous edit Latest revision as of 14:38, 15 October 2024 edit undoMcvdwh (talk | contribs)5 edits Removed material that is superfluous to this article as a whole.Tag: Visual edit 
(155 intermediate revisions by 94 users not shown)
Line 1: Line 1:
{{Short description|American New Age spiritual sect school}}
{{Cleanup|date=January 2008}}
{{Infobox organization

⚫ |name = Ramtha's School of Enlightenment
⚫ '''Ramtha's School of Enlightenment''' ('''RSE''') is an American ] school near the rural town of ]. The school was established in 1988 by ], who claims to ] a 35,000-year-old being called Ramtha the Enlightened One. The school's teachings are based on these channeling sessions.
|location = ], U.S.
|founded = 1988
|founder = ]
|staff = 80
|staff_year = 2014
|website = {{URL|ramtha.com}}
|coordinates = {{coord|46.955935|-122.633812|format=dms|type:landmark_region:US-WA|display=inline,title}}
}}
⚫ '''Ramtha's School of Enlightenment''' ('''RSE''') is an American ] ] ] near the city of ], U.S. The school was established in 1988 by ], who claims to ] a 35,000-year-old being called Ramtha the Enlightened One. The school's teachings are based on channeling sessions. Critics consider the organisation to be a ].


==History== ==History==
In 1988, ] founded Ramtha's School of Enlightenment (RSE), then called Ramtha's School of Enlightenment: The American Gnostic School, on her {{no wrap|{{convert|80|acres|adj=on}}}}<ref name="olympian3">{{cite news|last=Pemberton|first=Lisa|title=Behind the gates at Ramtha's School|url=http://www.theolympian.com/news/local/article25225543.html|newspaper=The Olympian|date=July 16, 2006|access-date=November 20, 2009}}</ref> estate in ]. A division of Knight's company JZK, Inc.,<ref name="York2004">{{cite book|last=York|first=Michael|title=Historical Dictionary of New Age Movements|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=umbl7x8aYqkC&pg=PA105|series=Historical Dictionaries of Religions, Philosophies, and Movements|volume=49|year=2004|publisher=Scarecrow Press|isbn=978-0-8108-4873-3|pages=105–106}}</ref> the school had around 80 staff members {{as of|2014|lc=y}}.<ref name=SPLC/> According to RSE's website, it is an "academy of the mind that offers retreats and workshops to people of all ages and cultures".<ref>{{cite web|title=About Ramtha's School of Enlightenment|url=http://ramtha.com/content/aboutus.aspx|publisher=Ramtha's School of Enlightenment|access-date=26 February 2017}}</ref> RSE's private, fenced compounds are only open to staff members and students, not to the public.<ref name="olympian2"/>


In 2004, various Ramtha school leaders joined community groups to strongly oppose a proposed 75,000-seat NASCAR racetrack in Yelm. The proposal was withdrawn. In 2007, Knight's profits from the school's activities and from sale of books, tapes, CDs and DVDs had reportedly been around $2.6 million. In 2008, lessons were given to the public in more than 20 countries, including the ], ] and ] for the first time.<ref name="olympian2"/>
] claims that in 1977, an entity named ] began channelling through her. Ramtha, it is claimed, is a 35,000-year old ] entity from an ancient civilization who has been teaching through Knight about how reality is created and how human beings can create their own personal reality.


In 2011, Knight stated (while at the RSE supposedly channeling Ramtha), "Fuck God’s chosen people! I think they have earned enough cash to have paid their way out of the goddamned gas chambers by now", and said that Mexican people "breed like rabbits" and are "poison", that all gay men used to be Catholic priests, and that organic farmers have bad hygiene.<ref>{{cite journal|last1=Buchanan|first1=Susy|title=Ramtha Riled|url=https://www.splcenter.org/fighting-hate/intelligence-report/2014/ramtha-riled|access-date=February 25, 2017|journal=Intelligence Report|volume=2014 Summer Issue|date=May 23, 2014|language=en}}</ref> In 2012, videos of this were placed on the Internet by ex-students of Knight's and by the Freedom Foundation.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Jenkins|first1=Austin|title=Washington Democrats Reverse Course, Shed JZ Knight Contributions|url=https://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=163750642|access-date=February 25, 2017|work=NPR|date=October 27, 2012|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last1=Brunner|first1=Jim|title=State Democratic Party Will Donate Money from JZ Knight after Offensive Comments|url=http://blogs.seattletimes.com/politicsnorthwest/2012/10/26/state-democratic-party-will-donate-money-from-j-z-knight-after-offensive-comments/|access-date=February 25, 2017|work=The Seattle Times|date=October 26, 2012}}</ref>
Between 1979 and 1988, Knight has been having private sessions with students of Ramtha's teachings, which were called "dialogues". The dialogues were held in 24 cities (including Seattle, Honolulu, New York and Denver), when she decided to found Ramtha's School of Enlightenment, on land which was previously a ranch. By 1995 she had expanded her tours to include other countries in the world, such as Australia, Italy, Japan and South Africa.<ref name="olympian3">{{cite news|last=Pemberton|first=Lisa|title=Behind the gates at Ramtha's School|url=http://www.theolympian.com/689/story/50044-p3.html|publisher=The Olympian|date=July 16, 2006|accessdate=November 20, 2009}}</ref> It is now a place where students can travel to and attend the more systematically organized lessons, usually staying there over the course of several days, called ''retreats''. The campus is located on a property owned by Knight under the umbrella of JZK, Inc. (a corporation by Knight).<ref name="olympian2"/> The school's {{convert|80|acre|m2|adj=on}} fenced compounds are open only to staff members and students and not to the public.<ref name="olympian2"/>

In 2007, Knight's profits from the school's activities and from sale of books, tapes, CDs and DVDs had reportedly been around $2.6 million. <ref name="olympian2"/>

In 2004, various Ramtha school leaders joined community groups to strongly oppose a proposed 75,000-seat NASCAR racetrack in Yelm. The proposal was withdrawn.<ref name="olympian2"/>

In 2008, lessons were given to the public in more than 20 countries, including the ], ] and ] for the first time.<ref name="olympian2"/>


==Teachings== ==Teachings==
{{see also2|]}} {{Further|JZ Knight#Teachings}}
⚫ ]]]


⚫ The school teaches that human beings have the capacity to utilize their inner wisdom, focus their brains, and create their own reality.<ref name="olympian2"/> The school's ] is based on the supposed channelings by Knight of the entity Ramtha.<ref>{{cite news |first=Chris |last=Lydgate |title=What The #$*! is Ramtha?: The year's sleeper hit was inspired by a 35,000-year-old warrior spirit from Atlantis |url=http://wweek.com/story.php?story=5860 |work=Willamette Week|date=December 22, 2004|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050309094737/http://www.wweek.com/story.php?story=5860|archive-date=March 9, 2005}}</ref> Although the school has been criticised for being a ] (see below), Knight and her followers deny such claims and say that the school is neither a ] nor a cult.<ref name="whitebook">{{cite book|last=Knight|first=Judy Zebra|title=Ramtha: The White Book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=gz78a6_iDlAC&pg=PA28|year=2005|orig-year=1999|publisher=JZK Publishing|location=Yelm, Washington|isbn=978-1-57873-045-2|page=28}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ramtha.com/html/media/faqs/school/school-religion.stm|title=Media: Is it a school or a religion?|publisher=Ramtha's School of Englightenment|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070401080232/http://www.ramtha.com/html/media/faqs/school/school-religion.stm|archive-date=April 1, 2007}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ramtha.com/html/aboutus/about-jz.stm|title=About Us: Greetings from JZ Knight|publisher=Ramtha's School of Englightenment|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120308043731/http://ramtha.com/html/aboutus/about-jz.stm|archive-date=March 8, 2012}}</ref>
The school teaches that human beings have the capacity to utilize their inner wisdom, focus their brains, and create their own reality. <ref name="olympian2"/>


⚫ Ramtha's School of Enlightenment teachings have been described as part of the ] movement (the school itself claims to be outside it).{{Citation needed|date=November 2021}}
⚫ ].]]


⚫ Lessons in the school's compounds sometimes include wine drinking,<ref name="cunningham"/> tobacco pipe smoking, and dancing to rock and roll music. Allegedly, it is being taught that the nitric oxide in red wine (not the alcohol), also found in pipe tobacco (not the nicotine), can help to facilitate changes in the brain as a part of the process in which to achieve these means.{{citation needed|date=December 2012}}
⚫ The school's curriculum is based on the channelings by Knight of the entity Ramtha.<ref>{{cite news |first=Chris |last=Lydgate |title=What The #$*! is Ramtha?: The year's sleeper hit was inspired by a 35,000-year-old warrior spirit from Atlantis. |url=http://wweek.com/story.php?story=5860 |work=] |date=December 22, 2004 |accessdate=2008-01-25 }}</ref> Although the school has been criticised for being a ] (see below), Knight and her followers deny such claims and say that the school is neither a ] nor a cult.<ref name="whitebook">{{cite book|last=Knight|first=J.Z.|title=Ramtha: The White Book|publisher=JZK Publishing|location=Yelm, Washington|year=1999, rev.2004|page=28}}</ref><ref></ref><ref></ref>


⚫ Through various focus techniques, the students believe they are on their way to becoming as "enlightened" as other shamans who can alter their personal reality at will.<ref name="szimhart"/> The main activities towards that goal vary from specific focusing, meditation-like techniques, breathing techniques, blindfolded archery, energy healing (for one's self and for someone else), finding the heart of a maze, and many more. The students are taught that human beings can train themselves into such powers that will allow them to levitate, raise the dead, make gold appear in their hand and predict the future. Eventually this may lead to the "ascension" of the physical body into the "light body".<ref name="szimhart"/>
⚫ Ramtha's School of Enlightenment teachings have been described as part of the ] movement (the school itself claims to be outside it). A controversial religious scholar, ], wrote a book countering this argument called ''Finding Enlightenment: Ramtha's School of Ancient Wisdom''.


⚫ The dialogues, and a lot of transcripts from Knight's Ramtha talks, have been compiled and published over the course of many years. Videotapes of various dialogue sessions have also been released. While some major themes in the school's teachings are covered in these publications, more in-depth and systematic presentation of its philosophies and teachings is only accessible by attending a retreat in person.{{Citation needed|date=November 2021}}
⚫ Lessons in the school's compounds sometimes include wine drinking,<ref name="cunningham"/> tobacco pipe smoking and dancing to rock 'n roll music. Allegedly, it is being taught that the nitric oxyde in red wine (not the alcohol), also found in pipe tobacco (not the nicotine), can help to facilitate changes in the brain as a part of the process in which to achieve these means.{{cn|date=December 2012}}

⚫ Through various focus techniques, the students believe they are on their way to becoming as "enlightened" as other shamans who can alter their personal reality at will.<ref name="szimhart"/> The main activities towards that goal vary from specific focusing, meditation-like techniques, breathing techniques, blindfolded archery, energy healing (for one's self and for someone else), finding the heart of a maze, and many more. The students are taught that human beings can train themselves into such powers that will allow them to levitate, raise the dead, make gold appear in their hand and predict the future. Eventually this may lead to the "ascension" of the physical body into the "light body".<ref name="szimhart"/>

Other skills allegedly obtained by attending the lessons include ], ], ], and other ] skills,<ref name="remarkable">{{cite video|people=Students of the RSE|title=http://ramtha.com/Remarkable.html Videos of Remarkable Students from the School}}</ref> which have been criticized by various skeptics around the world.

⚫ The dialogues, and a lot of transcripts from Knight's Ramtha talks, have been compiled and published over the course of many years. Videotapes of various dialogue sessions have also been released. While some of the major themes around the school's teachings are covered in these publications, a more in-depth and systematic presentation of its philosophies and teachings are only accessible by attending a retreat in person.


==Research== ==Research==
{{POV section|date=October 2020}}
⚫ In February 1997, Knight hosted a conference of scholars who had been studying her, the students and the school for the previous year. During their research phase, they also observed Knight's Ramtha sessions and measured various physiological functions of her body. The researchers examined Ramtha’s teachings and the school's practices from a variety of perspectives, including physics, feminism, parapsychology and religion. Melton organized the research. In addition to the conference presenters, Knight invited the media to attend. However, Knight said she did not sponsor the conference to gain publicity or to convince her skeptics.<ref name="tribune">Maynard, Steve. "JZ Knight to open ranch to scrutiny: Upcoming conference will allow professors a chance to voice their opinions on teachings of Ramtha". ''The News Tribune''. Tacoma, WA. 2/1/97. A.1</ref>
{{undue weight section|date=October 2020}}

⚫ In February 1997, Knight hosted a conference of scholars who had been studying her, the students and the school for the previous year. During their research phase, they also observed Knight's Ramtha sessions and measured various physiological functions of her body. The researchers examined Ramtha's teachings and the school's practices from a variety of perspectives, including ], ], ] and religion. J. Gordon Melton organized the research. In addition to the conference presenters, Knight invited the media to attend. However, Knight said she did not sponsor the conference to gain publicity or to convince her skeptics.<ref name="tribune">{{cite news|author=Maynard, Steve|title=JZ Knight to Open Ranch to Scrutiny|newspaper=The News Tribune|location=Tacoma, Washington|date=February 1, 1997|page=A1}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=Professors at Ramtha Meeting Defend Objectivity, Integrity|last=Maynard|first=Steve|newspaper=The News Tribune|location=Tacoma, Washington|date=February 10, 1997|page=B2}}</ref>
Knight paid the travel expenses and stipends for the conference presenters,<ref name="tribune"/> which caused some of Knight’s critics to suggest she had influenced their research, a contention describe as odious by Joe Bettis,<ref>Iwasaki, John. "JZ Knight not faking it, say scholars". ''Seattle Post-Intelligencer'', 2/10/97. B3</ref> one of the presenters whose Northwest Research Group partially funded the research phase<ref>Conference proceedings video ''In Search of the Self''. Yelm, WA. February, 1997.</ref> but not the conference in which their papers were presented.


Knight paid the travel expenses and ]s for the conference presenters,<ref name="tribune"/> which caused some of Knight's critics to suggest she had influenced their research. The researchers denied this contention to the press and, according to the ''Seattle Post-Intelligencer'', "were offended by a suggestion that the New Age spiritualist could have tried to buy their support".<ref name=SPLC>{{cite news|last=Iwasaki|first=John|title=JZ Knight Not Faking It, Say Scholars – But They Bristle at the Idea She's Buying Them|newspaper=Seattle Post-Intelligencer|date=February 10, 1997|page=B1}}</ref>
Apart from the conference proceedings, two papers were published. In 1998, ] published a paper on the psychological, phenomenological and geomagnetic results of the various studies.<ref>Krippner, Stanley et al. ''The Ramtha Phenomena: Psychological, Phenomenological, and Geomagnetic Data.'' The Journal of the American Society for Psychical Research, 92:1, January 1998</ref> In 2009, Joan Hageman published a paper examining the results of the physiological testing on Knight and six students.<ref>Hageman, Joan H. et al. ''Sympathetic Reactivity During Meditation.'' Subtle Energies & Energy Medicine. 19:2, 2009.</ref>


==Controversy and criticism== ==Controversy and criticism==
{{see also2|]}} {{Further|JZ Knight#Controversy and criticism|JZ Knight#Court cases}}


Ramtha's School of Enlightenment has been called a cult by various people, including her former husband Jeff Knight,<ref name="jeffknight">{{cite video|people=Knight, Jeff & Szimhart, Joe|title=The Jeff Knight interview, 1992|url=http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-5378628563904592346#|location=Google Videos|date=1992}}</ref> former personal bodyguard Glenn Cunningham,<ref name="cunningham">{{cite video|people=Cunningham, Glenn & McCarthy, David|title=Glenn Cunningham Interview|url=http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=9124849147412897371#|date=2001}}</ref> former students of the school (such as David McCarthy<ref name="olympian2">{{cite news|last=Brenner|first=Keri|title=Disillusioned former students target Ramtha|url=http://www.culteducation.com/reference/ramtha/ramtha26.html|date=January 27, 2008|accessdate=November 19, 2009}}</ref> or Joe Szimhart<ref name="szimhart"/>), and ] ].<ref name="shermer">{{Cite book|last=Shermer|first=Michael|authorlink=Michael Shermer|title=Why People Believe Weird Things|publisher=Henry Holt and Company|location=New York|year=2002|page=295}}</ref> Melton's book, which denies the school's status as a cult,<ref name="melton">{{cite book|last=Melton|first=J. Gordon|title=Finding enlightenment: Ramtha's school of ancient wisdom|publisher=Beyond Words Pub|year=1998|isbn=1-885223-61-7}}</ref> has been criticized for siding with the school and not providing a neutral description of what is going on within the school. He has also been called a "cult apologist" by various opposers of cults. His position was further criticized when he took the stand as a witness in the case of Knight v. Knight (1992–1995) against Jeff Knight (JZ Knight's husband at the time - see ]), by further supporting that the school is not a cult.<ref name="szimhart">{{citation|last=Szimhart|first=Joe|title=Essay on Gordon Melton's Study on Ramtha|date=July, 1998|url=http://www.kelebekler.com/cesnur/txt/ram2.htm|accessdate=November 20, 2009}}</ref> Ramtha's School of Enlightenment is considered to be a cult by various people, including her former husband Jeff Knight,<ref name="jeffknight">{{cite web|title=From Abracadabra to Zombies: Ramtha (a.k.a. JZ Knight)|last= Carroll |first=Robert T.|date=October 27, 2015|website=The Skeptic's Dictionary|url=http://skepdic.com/ramtha.html|access-date=February 25, 2017}}</ref> former personal bodyguard Glen Cunningham,<ref name="cunningham">{{cite news|last1=Hansen|first1=Megan|title=One-Time Insider Tells RSE Experience|work=Nisqually Valley News|date=September 26, 2008|location=Washington}}</ref> former students of the school (such as David McCarthy<ref name="olympian2">{{cite news|last=Brenner|first=Keri|title=Disillusioned Former Students Target Ramtha|newspaper=The Olympian|date=January 27, 2008}}</ref> or Joe Szimhart<ref name="szimhart"/>), and ] ].<ref name="shermer">{{Cite book|last=Shermer|first=Michael|title=Why People Believe Weird Things: Pseudoscience, Superstition, and Other Confusions of Our Time|year= 2002|publisher=Henry Holt and Company|isbn=978-1-4299-9676-1|page=295}}</ref> Melton's book, which denies the school's status as a cult,<ref name="tribune"/> has been criticized for siding with the school and not providing a neutral description of what is going on within the school. He has also been called a "cult apologist" by various opposers of cults. His position was further criticized when he took the stand as a witness in the case of ''Knight v. Knight'' (1992–1995) against Jeff Knight (JZ Knight's husband at the time), by further supporting that the school is not a cult.<ref name="szimhart">{{citation|last=Szimhart|first=Joe|title=Critical Study of Gordon Melton's Book on Ramtha|work=Kelebek<!--Site is in English, so don't translate this Turkish word--> |date=July 1998|url=http://www.kelebekler.com/cesnur/txt/ram2.htm|access-date=February 25, 2017}}</ref>


]. The entrance to Ramtha's School of Enlightenment is in the background on the left.]] ]. The entrance to Ramtha's School of Enlightenment is in the background on the left.]]


Former students of the school have accused the RSE of practicing brain-washing and mind-control, as well as using intimidation and fear techniques to keep students in the school. David McCarthy, a student of the RSE between 1989 and 1996, calls Knight a "spiritual predator", and he mentions various parts of the teachings which had an intimidative character, such as the prophecy that unless students remain faithful to Ramtha, they will become prey of the "lizard people", and that the ancient figure of ] would return to earth accompanied by lizard people, in a spaceship.<ref name="olympian2"/> The former students (including David McCarthy and Joe Szimhart) have formed what they call ''Life After Ramtha's School of Enlightenment'' (also known as LARSE), a community group to provide support for people who have quit the school and find themselves lost.<ref name="larse"></ref> Former students of the school have accused the RSE of practicing brain-washing and mind-control, as well as using intimidation and fear techniques to keep students in the school. David McCarthy, a student of the RSE between 1989 and 1996, calls Knight a "spiritual predator", and he mentions various parts of the teachings which had an intimidative character, such as the ] that unless students remain faithful to Ramtha, they will become prey of the "lizard people", and that the ancient figure of ] would return to earth accompanied by lizard people, in a spaceship.<ref name="olympian2"/> The former students (including David McCarthy and Joe Szimhart) have formed an online community, Life After RSE (LARSE), to provide support for people who have quit the school and find themselves lost.<ref name="cunningham"/>


A further controversial issue regarding the Ramtha teachings involve the so-called "days to come", which were prophesized earth changes. Instructions reputed as coming from Ramtha were given to the students, telling them to leave the cities, find a place in the country to grow their own food and become sovereign or self-sufficient. Another instruction was told to students to build underground shelters to protect themselves and their families.<ref name="szimhart"/> A further controversial issue regarding the Ramtha teachings involve the so-called "days to come", which were prophesied earth changes. Instructions reputed as coming from Ramtha were given to the students, telling them to leave the cities, find a place in the country to grow their own food and become sovereign or self-sufficient. Another instruction told to students was to build underground shelters to protect themselves and their families.<ref name="szimhart"/>


Various incidents within the school's grounds have been characterized as controversial. Glenn Cunningham, in an interview with David McCarthy, describes how, one evening, Knight suggested that all students should stay there overnight because she said it would be "good for the energy". That was before the Great Arena (formerly used as horse stables) had been floored, and as a result there would be a lot of dust in the air. Cunningham says that there was a very old woman among the students, who begged him that she did not want to do this and she wanted to go home, but Ramtha said that she can stay under the protection of Ramtha and her bodyguard. Leaving the arena the following day, the old woman died of pneumonia (due to the dust in the air and humidity).<ref name="cunningham"/> Various incidents within the school's grounds have been characterized as controversial. Glen Cunningham, in an interview with David McCarthy, describes how, one evening, Knight suggested that all students should stay there overnight because she said it would be "good for the energy". That was before the Great Arena (formerly used as horse stables) had been floored, and as a result there would be a lot of dust in the air. Cunningham says that there was a very old woman among the students, who begged him that she did not want to do this and she wanted to go home, but Ramtha said that she could stay under the protection of Ramtha and her bodyguard. Leaving the arena the following day, the old woman died of pneumonia (due to the dust in the air and humidity).<ref name="cunningham"/>


Another incident which is mentioned by both Cunningham and Joe Szimhart is the practice of running blindfolded in a large fenced field. Szimhart mentions in particular an occasion around the year 1990, in which about 1,000 blindfolded students were directed to split up and run across the field, with their hands in the "Consciousness & Energy" position in front of them, and the exercise was meant to help the students overcome their fears. Szimhart recalls how many people crashed into each other, and that there were some injuries. A customer of his ended up with a deeply bruised shoulder and a big lump on his forehead. Aside from the minor injuries, a few people had to be treated at the hospital.<ref name="cunningham"/><ref name="szimhart"/> Another incident which is mentioned by both Cunningham and Joe Szimhart is the practice of running blindfolded in a large fenced field. Szimhart mentions in particular an occasion around the year 1990, in which about 1,000 blindfolded students were directed to split up and run across the field, with their hands in the "Consciousness & Energy" position in front of them, and the exercise was meant to help the students overcome their fears. Szimhart recalls how many people crashed into each other, and that there were some injuries. A customer of his ended up with a deeply bruised shoulder and a big lump on his forehead. Aside from the minor injuries, a few people had to be treated at the hospital.<ref name="cunningham"/><ref name="szimhart"/>


== Related projects == == Related projects ==
In 2004, three members of the RSE produced a controversial film that combined documentary interviews and a fictional narrative to posit a connection between science and spirituality, called '']''. The film has been ] by the scientific community<ref name="Physics-Today">{{cite journal |last=Kuttner |first=Fred |coauthors=Rosenblum, Bruce |title=Teaching physics mysteries versus pseudoscience |journal=] |volume=59 |issue=11 |page=14 |publisher=] |month=November | year=2006 |url=http://scitation.aip.org/journals/doc/PHTOAD-ft/vol_59/iss_11/14_1.shtml |doi=10.1063/1.2435631}}</ref><ref name="boggle"> '']''</ref><ref name="ABC"> ''Australian Broadcasting Corporation</ref><ref name="ACS">{{cite news |last=Wilson |first=Elizabeth |authorlink=Elizabeth Wilson |title=What the Bleep Do We Know?! |publisher=] |date=2005-01-13 |url=http://pubs.acs.org/cen/reelscience/reviews/whatthe_bleep/ |accessdate=2007-12-19}}</ref> due to its mis-representation of ], and an unnecessary connection to ].<ref name="boggle"/> The ]'s review criticizes the film as a "pseudoscientific docudrama", saying "Among the more outlandish assertions are that people can travel backward in time, and that matter is actually thought."<ref name="ACS"/> In 2004, three members of the RSE produced a controversial film that combined documentary interviews and a fictional narrative to posit a connection between science and spirituality, called '']''. The film has been ] by the scientific community<ref name="Physics-Today">{{cite journal |last1=Kuttner |first1=Fred |last2=Rosenblum |first2=Bruce |title=Teaching Physics Mysteries Versus Pseudoscience |journal=Physics Today |volume=59 |issue=11 |page=14 |date=November 2006 |doi=10.1063/1.2435631|bibcode=2006PhT....59k..14K |doi-access=free }}</ref><ref name="boggle">{{cite news|url=http://film.guardian.co.uk/features/featurepages/0,,1484925,00.html|title=The Minds Boggle|department=Science|newspaper=The Guardian|date=May 16, 2005|access-date=February 25, 2017}}</ref><ref name="ABC">{{cite news|url=http://www.abc.net.au/science/features/bleep/|title=What the Bleep Are They On About?!|last=Hobbs |first=Bernie|department=In Depth: Science Features|work=ABC Science|date=June 30, 2005|publisher=Australian Broadcasting Corporation|access-date=December 19, 2007}}</ref><ref name="ACS">{{cite web |last=Wilson |first=Elizabeth |title=What the Bleep Do We Know?! |publisher=American Chemical Society|department=Reviews|work=Chemical & Engineering News: Reel Science |date=January 13, 2005 |url=http://pubs.acs.org/cen/reelscience/reviews/whatthe_bleep/ |access-date=December 19, 2007}}</ref> due to its misrepresentation of ], and an unnecessary connection to ].<ref name="boggle"/> The ]'s review criticizes the film as a "pseudoscientific docudrama", saying "Among the more outlandish assertions are that people can travel backward in time, and that matter is actually thought."<ref name="ACS"/>


==See also== ==See also==
Line 66: Line 65:


==References== ==References==
{{reflist}} {{Reflist|30em}}


==External links== ==External links==
* {{official website|http://www.ramtha.com|Ramtha's School of Enlightenment (RSE) official website}}
* {{URL|http://www.enlightenmefree.com|''Enlighten Me Free'', Life After RSE (LARSE) website}}
⚫ * {{Wikiquote-inline|Ramtha}}


{{Authority control}}
⚫ {{Wikiquote|Ramtha}}
⚫ * - official website
*
*
* - A site set up by former students of the school
* you can see the 2014 world tour in details


{{DEFAULTSORT:Ramtha's School Of Enlightenment}} {{DEFAULTSORT:Ramtha's School Of Enlightenment}}
]
] ]
] ]

Latest revision as of 14:38, 15 October 2024

American New Age spiritual sect school
Ramtha's School of Enlightenment
Founded1988
FounderJ. Z. Knight
Location
Coordinates46°57′21″N 122°38′02″W / 46.955935°N 122.633812°W / 46.955935; -122.633812
Staff80 (2014)
Websiteramtha.com

Ramtha's School of Enlightenment (RSE) is an American New Age spiritual sect near the city of Yelm, Washington, U.S. The school was established in 1988 by J. Z. Knight, who claims to channel a 35,000-year-old being called Ramtha the Enlightened One. The school's teachings are based on channeling sessions. Critics consider the organisation to be a cult.

History

In 1988, J. Z. Knight founded Ramtha's School of Enlightenment (RSE), then called Ramtha's School of Enlightenment: The American Gnostic School, on her 80-acre (32 ha) estate in Yelm, Washington. A division of Knight's company JZK, Inc., the school had around 80 staff members as of 2014. According to RSE's website, it is an "academy of the mind that offers retreats and workshops to people of all ages and cultures". RSE's private, fenced compounds are only open to staff members and students, not to the public.

In 2004, various Ramtha school leaders joined community groups to strongly oppose a proposed 75,000-seat NASCAR racetrack in Yelm. The proposal was withdrawn. In 2007, Knight's profits from the school's activities and from sale of books, tapes, CDs and DVDs had reportedly been around $2.6 million. In 2008, lessons were given to the public in more than 20 countries, including the Czech Republic, Romania and Chile for the first time.

In 2011, Knight stated (while at the RSE supposedly channeling Ramtha), "Fuck God’s chosen people! I think they have earned enough cash to have paid their way out of the goddamned gas chambers by now", and said that Mexican people "breed like rabbits" and are "poison", that all gay men used to be Catholic priests, and that organic farmers have bad hygiene. In 2012, videos of this were placed on the Internet by ex-students of Knight's and by the Freedom Foundation.

Teachings

Further information: JZ Knight § Teachings
Gate to Ramtha's School of Enlightenment northwest of Yelm, Washington

The school teaches that human beings have the capacity to utilize their inner wisdom, focus their brains, and create their own reality. The school's curriculum is based on the supposed channelings by Knight of the entity Ramtha. Although the school has been criticised for being a cult (see below), Knight and her followers deny such claims and say that the school is neither a religion nor a cult.

Ramtha's School of Enlightenment teachings have been described as part of the New Age movement (the school itself claims to be outside it).

Lessons in the school's compounds sometimes include wine drinking, tobacco pipe smoking, and dancing to rock and roll music. Allegedly, it is being taught that the nitric oxide in red wine (not the alcohol), also found in pipe tobacco (not the nicotine), can help to facilitate changes in the brain as a part of the process in which to achieve these means.

Through various focus techniques, the students believe they are on their way to becoming as "enlightened" as other shamans who can alter their personal reality at will. The main activities towards that goal vary from specific focusing, meditation-like techniques, breathing techniques, blindfolded archery, energy healing (for one's self and for someone else), finding the heart of a maze, and many more. The students are taught that human beings can train themselves into such powers that will allow them to levitate, raise the dead, make gold appear in their hand and predict the future. Eventually this may lead to the "ascension" of the physical body into the "light body".

The dialogues, and a lot of transcripts from Knight's Ramtha talks, have been compiled and published over the course of many years. Videotapes of various dialogue sessions have also been released. While some major themes in the school's teachings are covered in these publications, more in-depth and systematic presentation of its philosophies and teachings is only accessible by attending a retreat in person.

Research

The neutrality of this section is disputed. Relevant discussion may be found on the talk page. Please do not remove this message until conditions to do so are met. (October 2020) (Learn how and when to remove this message)
This section may lend undue weight to certain ideas, incidents, or controversies. Please help to create a more balanced presentation. Discuss and resolve this issue before removing this message. (October 2020)

In February 1997, Knight hosted a conference of scholars who had been studying her, the students and the school for the previous year. During their research phase, they also observed Knight's Ramtha sessions and measured various physiological functions of her body. The researchers examined Ramtha's teachings and the school's practices from a variety of perspectives, including physics, feminism, parapsychology and religion. J. Gordon Melton organized the research. In addition to the conference presenters, Knight invited the media to attend. However, Knight said she did not sponsor the conference to gain publicity or to convince her skeptics.

Knight paid the travel expenses and stipends for the conference presenters, which caused some of Knight's critics to suggest she had influenced their research. The researchers denied this contention to the press and, according to the Seattle Post-Intelligencer, "were offended by a suggestion that the New Age spiritualist could have tried to buy their support".

Controversy and criticism

Further information: JZ Knight § Controversy and criticism, and JZ Knight § Court cases

Ramtha's School of Enlightenment is considered to be a cult by various people, including her former husband Jeff Knight, former personal bodyguard Glen Cunningham, former students of the school (such as David McCarthy or Joe Szimhart), and skeptic Michael Shermer. Melton's book, which denies the school's status as a cult, has been criticized for siding with the school and not providing a neutral description of what is going on within the school. He has also been called a "cult apologist" by various opposers of cults. His position was further criticized when he took the stand as a witness in the case of Knight v. Knight (1992–1995) against Jeff Knight (JZ Knight's husband at the time), by further supporting that the school is not a cult.

Sign along WA 510. The entrance to Ramtha's School of Enlightenment is in the background on the left.

Former students of the school have accused the RSE of practicing brain-washing and mind-control, as well as using intimidation and fear techniques to keep students in the school. David McCarthy, a student of the RSE between 1989 and 1996, calls Knight a "spiritual predator", and he mentions various parts of the teachings which had an intimidative character, such as the prophecy that unless students remain faithful to Ramtha, they will become prey of the "lizard people", and that the ancient figure of Jehovah would return to earth accompanied by lizard people, in a spaceship. The former students (including David McCarthy and Joe Szimhart) have formed an online community, Life After RSE (LARSE), to provide support for people who have quit the school and find themselves lost.

A further controversial issue regarding the Ramtha teachings involve the so-called "days to come", which were prophesied earth changes. Instructions reputed as coming from Ramtha were given to the students, telling them to leave the cities, find a place in the country to grow their own food and become sovereign or self-sufficient. Another instruction told to students was to build underground shelters to protect themselves and their families.

Various incidents within the school's grounds have been characterized as controversial. Glen Cunningham, in an interview with David McCarthy, describes how, one evening, Knight suggested that all students should stay there overnight because she said it would be "good for the energy". That was before the Great Arena (formerly used as horse stables) had been floored, and as a result there would be a lot of dust in the air. Cunningham says that there was a very old woman among the students, who begged him that she did not want to do this and she wanted to go home, but Ramtha said that she could stay under the protection of Ramtha and her bodyguard. Leaving the arena the following day, the old woman died of pneumonia (due to the dust in the air and humidity).

Another incident which is mentioned by both Cunningham and Joe Szimhart is the practice of running blindfolded in a large fenced field. Szimhart mentions in particular an occasion around the year 1990, in which about 1,000 blindfolded students were directed to split up and run across the field, with their hands in the "Consciousness & Energy" position in front of them, and the exercise was meant to help the students overcome their fears. Szimhart recalls how many people crashed into each other, and that there were some injuries. A customer of his ended up with a deeply bruised shoulder and a big lump on his forehead. Aside from the minor injuries, a few people had to be treated at the hospital.

Related projects

In 2004, three members of the RSE produced a controversial film that combined documentary interviews and a fictional narrative to posit a connection between science and spirituality, called What the Bleep Do We Know!?. The film has been criticized by the scientific community due to its misrepresentation of quantum physics, and an unnecessary connection to consciousness. The American Chemical Society's review criticizes the film as a "pseudoscientific docudrama", saying "Among the more outlandish assertions are that people can travel backward in time, and that matter is actually thought."

See also

References

  1. Pemberton, Lisa (July 16, 2006). "Behind the gates at Ramtha's School". The Olympian. Retrieved November 20, 2009.
  2. York, Michael (2004). Historical Dictionary of New Age Movements. Historical Dictionaries of Religions, Philosophies, and Movements. Vol. 49. Scarecrow Press. pp. 105–106. ISBN 978-0-8108-4873-3.
  3. ^ Iwasaki, John (February 10, 1997). "JZ Knight Not Faking It, Say Scholars – But They Bristle at the Idea She's Buying Them". Seattle Post-Intelligencer. p. B1.
  4. "About Ramtha's School of Enlightenment". Ramtha's School of Enlightenment. Retrieved 26 February 2017.
  5. ^ Brenner, Keri (January 27, 2008). "Disillusioned Former Students Target Ramtha". The Olympian.
  6. Buchanan, Susy (May 23, 2014). "Ramtha Riled". Intelligence Report. 2014 Summer Issue. Retrieved February 25, 2017.
  7. Jenkins, Austin (October 27, 2012). "Washington Democrats Reverse Course, Shed JZ Knight Contributions". NPR. Retrieved February 25, 2017.
  8. Brunner, Jim (October 26, 2012). "State Democratic Party Will Donate Money from JZ Knight after Offensive Comments". The Seattle Times. Retrieved February 25, 2017.
  9. Lydgate, Chris (December 22, 2004). "What The #$*! is Ramtha?: The year's sleeper hit was inspired by a 35,000-year-old warrior spirit from Atlantis". Willamette Week. Archived from the original on March 9, 2005.
  10. Knight, Judy Zebra (2005) . Ramtha: The White Book. Yelm, Washington: JZK Publishing. p. 28. ISBN 978-1-57873-045-2.
  11. "Media: Is it a school or a religion?". Ramtha's School of Englightenment. Archived from the original on April 1, 2007.
  12. "About Us: Greetings from JZ Knight". Ramtha's School of Englightenment. Archived from the original on March 8, 2012.
  13. ^ Hansen, Megan (September 26, 2008). "One-Time Insider Tells RSE Experience". Nisqually Valley News. Washington.
  14. ^ Szimhart, Joe (July 1998), "Critical Study of Gordon Melton's Book on Ramtha", Kelebek, retrieved February 25, 2017
  15. ^ Maynard, Steve (February 1, 1997). "JZ Knight to Open Ranch to Scrutiny". The News Tribune. Tacoma, Washington. p. A1.
  16. Maynard, Steve (February 10, 1997). "Professors at Ramtha Meeting Defend Objectivity, Integrity". The News Tribune. Tacoma, Washington. p. B2.
  17. Carroll, Robert T. (October 27, 2015). "From Abracadabra to Zombies: Ramtha (a.k.a. JZ Knight)". The Skeptic's Dictionary. Retrieved February 25, 2017.
  18. Shermer, Michael (2002). Why People Believe Weird Things: Pseudoscience, Superstition, and Other Confusions of Our Time. Henry Holt and Company. p. 295. ISBN 978-1-4299-9676-1.
  19. Kuttner, Fred; Rosenblum, Bruce (November 2006). "Teaching Physics Mysteries Versus Pseudoscience". Physics Today. 59 (11): 14. Bibcode:2006PhT....59k..14K. doi:10.1063/1.2435631.
  20. ^ "The Minds Boggle". Science. The Guardian. May 16, 2005. Retrieved February 25, 2017.
  21. Hobbs, Bernie (June 30, 2005). "What the Bleep Are They On About?!". In Depth: Science Features. ABC Science. Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Retrieved December 19, 2007.
  22. ^ Wilson, Elizabeth (January 13, 2005). "What the Bleep Do We Know?!". Reviews. Chemical & Engineering News: Reel Science. American Chemical Society. Retrieved December 19, 2007.

External links

Categories: