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{{short description|American spiritual teacher}}
'''Andrew Cohen''' (b. 1955) is an American ], ], magazine editor, author, and musician who has developed what he characterizes as a unique path of spiritual transformation, called "]." He sees himself as working in conjunction with others to bring about a new stage of human ] and ]. Towards this end, Cohen and his students frequently engage with a variety of spiritual teachers, ], ], and cultural figures. Many of these encounters, as well as Cohen's writings, are featured in '']'' magazine, which is published quarterly by the international organization he founded, EnlightenNext.
{{Other people|Andrew Cohen}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=October 2022}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Andrew Cohen
| image = Andrew_Cohen_teaching_in_Paris%2C_Spring_2012.jpg
| caption = Cohen teaching in ], 2012
| birth_date = {{birth-date and age|October 23, 1955}}<ref group=web name="buddhistgeeks.com"/>
| birth_place = ], U.S.
| death_date =
| death_place =
| other_names =
| known_for =
| occupation = Spiritual teacher, author, musician
}}
{{Advaita}}


'''Andrew Cohen''' (born October 23, 1955)<ref group=web name="buddhistgeeks.com"/> is an American ]. He is an author, former editor of ''What Is Enlightenment?'' magazine, and founder of the global spiritual community EnlightenNext, which dissolved in 2013.
==Biography==


==Biography and beliefs==
Cohen was born in ] in 1955. Raised as a ] ], his life was changed by a spontaneous experience of "]" at the age of sixteen. Haunted by the memory of this event, Cohen abandoned his ambition to become a ] ] in order to recapture this revelation. Studying ], then ], then ] from ages 22 to 30, Cohen eventually met the ] master ] in 1986. After a deep spiritual awakening, and with the encouragement of Poonja (with whom Cohen later parted ways), Cohen began to teach.
Cohen was born in ] into an upper-middle class secular Jewish family.<ref group=web name="buddhistgeeks.com">{{cite web |url=http://www.buddhistgeeks.com/2011/10/bg-235-a-visitation-from-the-unknown/ |title=BG 235: A Visitation from the Unknown |publisher=] |access-date=2013-05-06 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131004231728/http://www.buddhistgeeks.com/2011/10/bg-235-a-visitation-from-the-unknown/ |archive-date=October 4, 2013 |df=mdy-all }}</ref> Cohen recounts that his life was changed by a spontaneous experience of "]" at the age of sixteen.<ref group=web name="buddhistgeeks.com"/> At 22 years of age and after pursuing a career as a jazz musician, he began a quest to recover his earlier spiritual experience.{{sfn|Gleig|2013|p=190}} He eventually met ] in 1986, a student of ], who taught that no mind effort is needed to attain ] "because it is merely the realisation of what one already has".{{sfn|Gleig|2013|p=192}} At their first meeting, Cohen realized that he "had always been free".{{sfn|Gleig|2013|p=192}} He claimed that Poonja declared him his heir, so Cohen began to teach as a ] teacher, and gathered a community around him. However Cohen only spent a short time in the presence of H. W. L. Poonja, who later claimed never to have given Cohen permission to give spiritual teachings. {{sfn|Gleig|2013|p=192}}


Within a few years, Cohen considered that the ecstatic experiences his students had in his presence were limited.{{sfn|Gleig|2013|p=193}} Being convinced that he himself was fully free from ] bondage, he began to demand more commitment from his students,{{sfn|Gleig|2013|p=193}} insisting on complete "ego-]".{{sfn|Gleig|2013|p=195}} This change in teaching-style led to dissent and a break with Poonja, who Cohen felt had ethical and enlightened behavioral shortcomings.{{sfn|Gleig|2013|p=194-195}}
In 1988, Cohen founded EnlightenNext, a nonprofit educational and spiritual network committed to creating a new global culture. In addition to small groups of students located in various parts of the world, EnlightenNext has public centers in ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], and ], ]. The main center for EnlightenNext is a 220-acre (890,000 m²) retreat venue in ], where Cohen and his largest body of students currently reside.


According to Cohen, "Poonja insisted that the realization of the Self had nothing to do with worldly behavior, and he did not believe fully transcending the ego was possible."{{sfn|Gleig|2013|p=194}} According to Poonja, "Karmic tendencies remained after enlightenment, the enlightened person was no longer identified with them and, therefore, did not accrue further karmic consequences."{{sfn|Gleig|2013|p=194}} For Poonja, ethical standards were based on an understanding of duality and the notion of an individual agent, and were therefore not representative of ]:{{sfn|Gleig|2013|p=194}} "For Poonja, the goal was the realisation of the self; the illusory realm of relative reality was ultimately irrelevant."{{sfn|Gleig|2013|p=194}} Cohen did not agree, insisting instead on "flawless behavior" as the manifestation of enlightenment.{{sfn|Gleig|2013|p=194}}
Shortly after he began teaching, Cohen began to meet with other spiritual teachers in order to share his experience and to probe more deeply into the nature of enlightenment. In 1991, he founded the magazine ''What Is Enlightenment?'', in order to share and further this investigation. As editor in chief of ''WIE,'' he believes that "it is on our shoulders to create the future," and sees the magazine and its associated programs as popular forums for dialogue and inquiry regarding the meaning of spiritual life in the ] era. ''WIE'' has developed an international speaker’s series called ''Voices from the Edge,'' an online multimedia forum known as ''WIE Unbound,'' and a partnership with the Graduate Institute (TGI) to offer a master’s program in Conscious Evolution. In 2006, WIE was honored by the ] with the ] People's Voice Award in the ] and ] category.


In 1991, Cohen founded ''EnlightenNext'' magazine (under its former title, ''What Is Enlightenment?''), which "established him as a major contemporary spiritual figure."{{sfn|Gleig|2013|p=195}} In 2004, ''EnlightenNext'' magazine partnered with the Graduate Institute<ref group=web >{{cite web|url=http://www.learn.edu/ |title=The Graduate Institute |publisher=Learn.edu |access-date=2013-05-06}}</ref> in Connecticut to offer a master's program in ]. From 2004 to 2007, Cohen served as a core faculty of that institute.<ref group=web>The Graduate Institute, ''Catalog of Program'', Conscious Evolution Program, 2004–07</ref> The magazine stopped publishing in 2011.
Cohen was a featured speaker at the 2004 ], is a founding member of ], and was awarded the 2006 Kashi Humanitarian Award.


After the break with Poonja, Cohen's teachings were further developed into "Evolutionary Enlightenment", aiming at an impersonal enlightenment which transcends the personal.{{sfn|Gleig|2013|p=195-196}} Yet, the change in teaching-style led also to "physical force, verbal abuse, and intense psychological pressure against students."{{sfn|Gleig|2013|p=196}} The growing complaints from students have been described in several publications from former students and from his own mother.{{sfn|Tarlo|2009}}{{sfn|Braak|2003}}{{sfn|Yenner|2009}}
==Ideas==
Cohen’s original spiritual teaching, Evolutionary Enlightenment, is said to be unique for placing the traditional realization of enlightenment in the context of cosmic evolution. By awakening to the timeless "Ground of Being," Cohen maintains, human beings can liberate themselves from selfish motives, or ego, and learn to manifest what he calls the "Authentic Self." This self beyond ego is said to represent humanity at its most wholesome: creative, compassionate, and motivated by an "evolutionary impulse" that is "one with the ] itself." According to Cohen, when human beings choose to live as the Authentic Self, they can realize their inseparability from the universe and thereby discover a purpose for living that transcends egoism—that is, the "uniquely human" capacity to participate in the evolution of consciousness itself.


In 2001, Cohen co-formed the ]-fusion band Unfulfilled Desires, in which he played drums. The band played original compositions and standards, and performed in ] and the ]. They released four CDs: ''Live at the Iron Horse'' (2002), ''Enlightened Dog'' (2004), ''Punk Funk'' (2008), and ''Plugged'' (2010).
Cohen distinguishes Evolutionary Enlightenment from "personal" or traditional enlightenment. In Evolutionary Enlightenment, he teaches, enlightenment is no longer the possession of the individual, but instead becomes the ground of relationship upon which a new culture is created. Cohen argues that the creation of this new consciousness and culture is essential for the survival of the race, and says that it is particularly incumbent upon those individuals who are at the "leading edge" of human development to take this "next step."


On June 26, 2013, Cohen announced on his blog that he would be taking "a sabbatical for an extended period of time", after confrontational exchanges with some of his closest students, who helped Cohen to realize, as he put it, that "in spite of the depth of my awakening, my ego is still alive and well".<ref group=web name="An Apology">{{cite web |url=http://andrewcohen.org/blog/apology |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130805162324/http://andrewcohen.org/blog/apology |archive-date=August 5, 2013 |title=An Apology |website=andrewcohen.org}}</ref><ref group=web>{{cite news|url=http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2015/03/27/what-happens-when-your-guru-disappears.html |title=What Happens When Your Guru Disappears? |newspaper=] |author=Eliezer Sobel |date=March 27, 2015 |access-date=2016-02-10}}</ref>
To assist those who wish to evolve in this way, Cohen has developed a comprehensive teaching, the essential elements of which include "The Five Tenets" and "Six Principles" of Evolutionary Enlightenment. An interactive teaching model summarizes the perspective offered by these teachings.


On May 12, 2015, Cohen posted an extensive apology letter to his former students on his blog, his first writing after emerging from a two-year sabbatical. In it he wrote about the need to embrace the spiritual principle of ], as well as eros, and expressed regret for the ways in which his lack of the former in his teaching methods hurt and alienated many former students.<ref group=web name="An open letter to all my former students upon return my sabbatical">{{cite web |url=http://www.andrewcohen.org/blog/open-letter-all-my-former-students-upon-return-my-sabbatical |title=An open letter to all my former students upon return my sabbatical |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150515234523/http://www.andrewcohen.org/blog/open-letter-all-my-former-students-upon-return-my-sabbatical |archive-date=May 15, 2015 |website=andrewcohen.org}}</ref>
==Music==
In ], Cohen re-engaged his passion for drumming and formed the "jazz-funk-fusion" band "Unfulfilled Desires." The band plays original compositions and standards, and performs in Europe and the United States. It has released two CDs: ''Enlightened Dog'' (2004) and ''Live at the Iron Horse'' (2002).


In September 2016, after over three years' absence from public life, Cohen unveiled a redesigned website. This included an announcement of his intention to return to formal teaching, beginning with a retreat planned for early 2017.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.andrewcohen.com/events/european-retreat-january-2017 |title=Five Day European Winter Retreat 2017 |website=andrewcohen.com |access-date=September 29, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161004085347/http://www.andrewcohen.com/events/european-retreat-january-2017/ |archive-date=October 4, 2016 |url-status=dead |df=mdy-all }}</ref>
==Criticism==
Some ex-members including his mother view Cohen as a ] and manipulative ] leader. Several books including Dr. André van der Braak's ''Enlightenment Blues: My Years with an American Guru'' and articles have been published which post various allegations including demands for large cash sums and extreme, unquestioning devotion from his students.


In 2020 Cohen launched Manifest Nirvana, an online meditation and teaching platform that is described on the homepage as a "Home for Sovereign Souls, Radical Spirits and Integral Pioneers".<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.manifest-nirvana.com/ |title=Manifest Nirvana |website=manifest-nirvana.com |access-date=January 28, 2023}}</ref>
His mother, Luna Tarlo, wrote a book called ''Mother of God'' about her experience as one of his disciples, and about what she maintains was her struggle to free herself from his control.


==Bibliography== ==Teachings==
===Books by Cohen===
*''My Master Is My Self'' (1989), ISBN 1-883929-07-5
*''Enlightenment Is a Secret'' (1991), ISBN 1-883929-08-3
*''Autobiography of An Awakening,'' (1991), ISBN 0-9622678-4-8
*''An Unconditional Relationship to Life'' (1995), ISBN 1-883929-04-0
*''The Challenge of Enlightenment'' (1996), ISBN 1-883929-14-8
*''In Defense of the Guru Principle '' (1999), ISBN 1-883929-27-X
*''Freedom Has No History'' (1997), ISBN 1-883929-17-2
*''Who Am I? and How Shall I Live?'' (1998), ISBN 1-883929-24-5
*''Embracing Heaven & Earth'' (2000), ISBN 1-883929-29-6
*''Living Enlightenment: A Call for Evolution Beyond Ego'' (2002), ISBN 1-883929-30-X


===Books about Cohen=== ===Influences===
When beginning to teach, Cohen was influenced by ], who offered a "deinstitutionalized and experiential Advaita,"{{sfn|Gleig|2013|p=191}} comparable to ]'s teachings, which differ from the traditional ] of Shankara.{{sfn|Gleig|2013|p=191}} He likewise credits the "integral philosopher" ], with whom he conducts frequent public discourses, with helping him form the theoretical framework of his teachings.{{sfn|Cohen|2011|p=xvii, Acknowledgements}}{{refn|group=note|They call their public dialogues “The Guru and the Pandit.”<ref group=web>{{cite web|url=http://www.enlightennext.org/magazine/cohen-wilber/ |title=Andrew Cohen & Ken Wilber: Dialogues on Enlightenment and the Evolution of Consciousness |publisher=Enlightennext.org |access-date=2013-05-06 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130310121237/http://www.enlightennext.org/magazine/cohen-wilber/ |archive-date=March 10, 2013 }}</ref>
*Tarlo, Luna ''The Mother of God'', SCB Distributors (1997) ISBN 1-57027-043-0
Cohen is a Founding Member of Integral Spirituality, which is part of Wilber's Integral Institute. Cohen's most recent book, ''Evolutionary Enlightenment'', is dedicated to Wilber.}} He has also been influenced by the ] theories put forward by ] as an extension of the ] of ].<ref group=web>{{cite web|url=http://www.independent.com/news/2011/oct/08/evolutionary-spirituality/ |title=Evolutionary Spirituality The Santa Barbara Independent |date=October 8, 2011 |publisher=Independent.com |access-date=2013-05-06}}</ref> Cohen was also inspired by ] of the ] in India, and his call "In unity there is strength; come together, come together."<ref group=web>{{cite web|url=http://www.enlightennext.org/magazine/j19/andrew.asp |title=Andrew Cohen: Come Together |publisher=Enlightennext.org |access-date=2013-05-06 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130310112757/http://www.enlightennext.org/magazine/j19/andrew.asp |archive-date=March 10, 2013 }}</ref>
*van der Braak, André, ''Enlightenment Blues: My Years with an American Guru'', Monkfish Book Publishing (2003), ISBN 0-9726357-1-8


===Monographs and articles=== ===Evolutionary Enlightenment===
According to Cohen, "traditional" enlightenment is the realisation of the transcendental aspect of God, and it often goes hand in hand with the realization that the world is an ].{{citation needed|date=May 2015}}
*van der Braak, André, "Verlichting als evolutionair proces: Een studie van Andrew Cohen en zijn leefgemeenschap" (]) in the book series ''Religieuze bewegingen in Nederland/Religious movements in the Netherlands'' nr 29 ''Sekten'', published by the ], (1994) ISBN 90-5383-341-2 written when van der Braak was still a follower of Cohen


Cohen says that he has discovered a different form of "enlightened awareness," which he claims to be unique. He first called this "impersonal enlightenment" to reflect the fact that it was a realization shared between people rather than an individual attainment. He later changed the name to Evolutionary Enlightenment, both to reflect his belief that it indicates the next stage of the evolution of enlightenment and to convey the creative, world-embracing vision of spiritual awakening as an unending process of individual and cultural development.<ref group=web>{{cite web|url=http://www.enlightennext.org/magazine/j25/andrew.asp |title=Andrew Cohen: The New Enlightenment |publisher=Enlightennext.org |access-date=2013-05-06 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130310113407/http://www.enlightennext.org/magazine/j25/andrew.asp |archive-date=March 10, 2013 }}</ref>
==External links==
*
*
* multimedia dialogues between Andrew Cohen and ]
*
* Andrew Cohen's latest book
* Courses on Evolutionary Enlightenment
* Andrew Cohen's jazz-funk-fusion band
*
*
*


A fundamental aspect of Cohen's Evolutionary Enlightenment is the distinction between what he sees as two fundamental, yet opposing, aspects of the human psyche: the "]" and the "] ]",<ref group=web> {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120615150432/http://www.andrewcohen.org/teachings/authentic-self-ego.asp |date=June 15, 2012 }}</ref> In his teaching, ego is defined as "the deeply ingrained, compulsive need to remain separate and superior at all times, in all places, under all circumstances."<ref group=web> {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120815134505/http://www.andrewcohen.org/teachings/ego.asp |date=August 15, 2012 }}</ref> The authentic self, on the other hand, is defined as "the urge to become more conscious".{{citation needed|date=February 2021}}<ref>{{Cite book|last=Mansfield|first=Timothy E.C.|title=Invoking the Authentic Self|publisher=Biddles Books Ltd|year=2020|isbn=978-1-913663-87-2|location=Great Britain|pages=179–189}}</ref>
===Critical websites===
* Institute for the Study of Destructive Cults, Groups, and Movements
* website
* (blog)
* (blog)
*
* by ].
* and a "buried interview" with ]?


According to Cohen and Wilber, "enlightenment" does not refer to an unchanging state, but has to be in accord with an ongoing evolution of humanity, which is the "Authentic Self." According to Cohen, individuals need to recognize that their own spiritual transformation is essential for cultural evolution. To achieve that, in Cohen's view, an individual should strive to realize his or her true self as being "one with the timeless Ground of all Being and with the evolutionary impulse that is driving the entire cosmos."{{citation needed|date=May 2015}}<ref>{{Cite book|last=Mansfield|first=Timothy E.C.|title=Invoking the Authentic Self|publisher=Biddles Books Ltd|year=2020|isbn=978-1-913663-87-2|location=Great Britain|pages=179–189}}</ref>
]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]


According to Wilber, evolutionary enlightenment means "the realization of oneness with all states and all stages that have evolved so far and that are in existence at any given time."{{sfn|Wilber|2007a|p=95}} Cohen believes that individuals need to transcend egoism to express the "Authentic Self." Through identifying the evolutionary impulse as their own Authentic Self, individuals can transcend ego, and find a deeper self-sense without relying on asceticism or solitude.
]

Cohen's ideas are co-inspired by Wilber's ], offering an integral vision of the integral evolution of matter and consciousness.{{sfn|Wilber|2007b|p=57}} According to this theory, human development parallels the evolution of all being.{{sfn|Wilber|2007b|p=116}}

==Award==
In May 2013, ] listed Cohen at Number 28 on their "Spiritual 100" list for 2012.<ref group=web>{{cite web |url=http://www.watkinsbooks.com/review/watkins-spiritual-100-list-2012 |title=Watkins' Spiritual 100 List for 2012 &#124; Esoteric News |publisher=Watkinsbooks.com |access-date=2013-05-06 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130603182037/http://www.watkinsbooks.com/review/watkins-spiritual-100-list-2012 |archive-date=June 3, 2013 |url-status=dead |df=mdy-all }}</ref>

==Controversies==
The mental, physical, and financial abuse Cohen perpetrated against former students, which he justifies as "crazy wisdom" are documented in books such as ''American Guru'',{{sfn|Yenner|2009}} ''Enlightenment Blues'', {{sfn|Braak|2003}} and ''Mother of God'',{{sfn|Tarlo|2009}} as well as popular blogs such as ''What Enlightenment?''<ref group=web>{{cite web|url=http://www.whatenlightenment.net/ |title=www.whatenlightenment.net |publisher=www.whatenlightenment.net |access-date=2013-05-06}}</ref> and ''EnlightenNixt''.<ref group=web>{{cite web|url=http://essentialwhatenlightenment.blogspot.com/ |title=EnlightenNIXT |publisher=Essentialwhatenlightenment.blogspot.com |date=June 2, 2005 |access-date=2013-05-06}}</ref>

], also known as Papaji, the Indian Guru who Cohen claims called him his "heir" stated publicly that Cohen only spent 25 hours in satsang before proclaiming himself as enlightened. Papaji describes Cohen's claims as the arrogance of his ego and never acknowledged Cohen as a master or heir, but rather described him as a messenger.<ref group=web>{{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=1&v=RG-8RRHrIWk |title=The Fake Messengers |publisher=www.kosi.co/gangaji |access-date=2014-04-18}}</ref>

Poonja himself has been sharply criticized for too easily authorising students to teach:
{{blockquote|One of the tragedies of Poonjaji's teaching ministry is that he either told, inferred, or allowed hundreds of individuals to believe they were fully enlightened simply because they'd had one, or many, powerful experiences of awakening. These "enlightened" teachers then proceeded to enlighten their own students in a similar way, and thus was born what is known as the "]", or "satsang" movement in western culture.{{sfn|Caplan|2009|p=16-17}}}}

Some of Cohen's former followers, including his mother, Luna Tarlo, have viewed him as a manipulative spiritual teacher. Tarlo wrote a critical book, called ''Mother of God'', about her experience as one of his disciples.{{sfn|Tarlo|2009}} In a ''Psychology Today'' article, published in 1998 entitled "Crimes of the Soul", Tarlo recounted how she became a disciple of her son who told her "to give way to him or their relationship would end" and forbade her "to express an opinion on anything". Tarlo said she "knew if I seriously objected to anything, I'd be kicked out" and stated that her son, formerly the "sweetest, sensitive kid, had changed into an unrecognizable tyrant."<ref group=web>{{cite web|last=Neimark |first=Jill |url=http://www.psychologytoday.com/articles/199803/crimes-the-soul |title=''Psychology Today'', 1998 |publisher=Psychologytoday.com |access-date=2013-11-14}}</ref>

André van der Braak's ''Enlightenment Blues: My Years with an American Guru'' alleges that Cohen demanded large sums of money and extreme and unquestioning devotion from his students.{{sfn|Braak|2003}}

''American Guru: A Story of Love, Betrayal and Healing'', by William Yenner and other former Cohen student contributors (foreword by ]), allege authoritarianism, financial manipulation, physical and psychological abuse in Cohen's community, and discusses the challenges of healing after leaving the community.{{sfn|Yenner|2009}}

Over the years, there were many indications that Cohen's group was in difficult financial straits. In 2011 it officially ended publication of its magazine ''EnlightenNext''. In the summer of 2013, Cohen was accused of being a cult leader. <ref group=web>{{cite web|url=http://blog.ncreview.com/2011/09/17/enlightennext-magazine-going-out-of-print/ |title=EnlightenNext Magazine Going Out of Print &#124; New Consciousness Review Blog |publisher=Blog.ncreview.com |date=September 17, 2011 |access-date=2013-05-06 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130525100815/http://blog.ncreview.com/2011/09/17/enlightennext-magazine-going-out-of-print/ |archive-date=May 25, 2013 }}</ref> As of early 2014, the EnlightenNext organization's main building on its property in Lenox, Massachusetts, which had been on the market for years, remained up for sale.<ref group=web>{{cite web|url=http://americanguru.net/news-and-reviews/not-so-fast/ |title=Not So Fast: Following the Money |publisher=AmericanGuru.net |date=January 2014}}</ref>

In 2016, over 240 of Cohen's former students signed an ] titled "Stop Andrew Cohen teaching again", including detailed explanations of why they believe him to be unfit to teach others.

==Works==
Cohen has written for ''],''<ref group=web>{{cite web|url=http://www.huffingtonpost.com/andrew-z-cohen/ |title=Andrew Z. Cohen |publisher=Huffingtonpost.com |access-date=2013-05-06}}</ref> '']'',<ref group=web>{{cite web|last=Cohen |first=Andrew |url=http://bigthink.com/users/andrewcohen#!video_idea_id=44483 |title=Andrew Cohen &#124; Founder, EnlightenNext |publisher=Big Think |access-date=2013-05-06}}</ref> and '']''.<ref group=web>{{cite web |last=Cohen |first=Andrew |url=http://www.speakingtree.in/peoples.php?keyword=andrew+cohen&search_type=all&x=52&y=15 |title=Search &#124; SpeakingTree |publisher=Speakingtree.in |access-date=2013-05-06 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130218062348/http://www.speakingtree.in/peoples.php?keyword=andrew+cohen&search_type=all&x=52&y=15 |archive-date=February 18, 2013 |df=mdy-all }}</ref><ref group=web>{{cite web|last=Barnala |first=Rajiv |url=http://www.speakingtree.in/ |title=India's first Spiritual Networking Website |publisher=Speakingtree.in |access-date=2013-05-06}}</ref>

===Bibliography===
*''My Master Is My Self'' (1989), {{ISBN|1-883929-07-5}}
*''Enlightenment Is a Secret'' (1991), {{ISBN|1-883929-08-3}}
*''Autobiography of An Awakening'' (1992), {{ISBN|0-9622678-4-8}}
*''An Unconditional Relationship to Life'' (1995), {{ISBN|1-883929-04-0}}
*''The Challenge of Enlightenment'' (1996), {{ISBN|1-883929-14-8}}
*''In Defense of the Guru Principle '' (1999), {{ISBN|1-883929-27-X}}
*''Freedom Has No History'' (1997), {{ISBN|1-883929-17-2}}
*''Who Am I? and How Shall I Live?'' (1998), {{ISBN|1-883929-24-5}}
*''Embracing Heaven & Earth'' (2000), {{ISBN|1-883929-29-6}}
*''Living Enlightenment: A Call for Evolution Beyond Ego'' (2002), {{ISBN|1-883929-30-X}}
*''Evolutionary Enlightenment: A New Path to Spiritual Awakening'' (2011), {{ISBN|1-59079-209-2}}
*''When Shadow Meets the Bodhisattva'' (2023), {{ISBN|1-64411-590-5}}

==See also==
* ]

==Notes==
{{reflist|group=note}}

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

==Sources==

===Printed sources===
{{refbegin}}
;Primary
* {{Citation | last =Braak | first =Andre van der | year =2003 | title =Enlightenment Blues: My Years with an American Guru | publisher =Monkfish Book Publishing Company}}
* {{Citation | last =Caplan | first =Mariana | year =2009 | title =Eyes Wide Open: Cultivating Discernment on the Spiritual Path | publisher =Sounds True}}
* {{Citation | last =Cohen | first =Andrew | year =2011 | title =Evolutionary Enlightenment: A New Path to Spiritual Awakening | place =New York, NY | publisher=Select books}}
* {{Citation | last =Sand | first =Marlowe | year =2015 | title =Paradise and Promises: Chronicles of My Life with a Self-Declared, Modern-Day Buddha | publisher =O-Books}}
* {{Citation | last =Tarlo | first =Luna | year =2009 | title =The Mother of God | publisher =Monkfish Book Publishing Company}}
* {{Citation | last =Wilber | first =Ken | year =2007a | title =Integral Spirituality | publisher =Integral Books}}
* {{Citation | last =Wilber | first =Ken | year =2007b | title =The Integral Vision | publisher =Shambala Publications, Inc.}}
* {{Citation | last =Yenner | first =William | year =2009 | title =American Guru: A Story of Love, Betrayal and Healing-former students of Andrew Cohen speak out | publisher =Monkfish Book Publishing Company}}
* {{Citation | last =Mansfield| first =Timothy| year =2020| title =Invoking the Authentic Self, the life and work of Andrew Cohen's spiritual community, a first-hand account | publisher =Biddles Books Ltd}}

;Secondary
* {{Citation|last=Gleig |first=Ann |date=Nov 2013 |editor1-last=Gleig |editor1-first=Ann |editor2-last=Williamson |editor2-first=Lola |title=Homegrown Gurus: From Hinduism in America to American Hinduism |url=http://www.sunypress.edu/p-5740-homegrown-gurus.aspx |at=246 pages |publisher=SUNY Press |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150613193812/http://www.sunypress.edu/p-5740-homegrown-gurus.aspx |archive-date=June 13, 2015 }}
{{refend}}

===Web-sources===
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== External links ==
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*{{official website|http://www.andrewcohen.com/}}
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* The Atlantic (2016), profile on Cohen and his former followers

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Latest revision as of 07:03, 9 October 2024

American spiritual teacher For other people named Andrew Cohen, see Andrew Cohen (disambiguation).

Andrew Cohen
Cohen teaching in Paris, 2012
BornOctober 23, 1955 (1955-10-23) (age 69)
New York City, New York, U.S.
Occupation(s)Spiritual teacher, author, musician
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Andrew Cohen (born October 23, 1955) is an American spiritual teacher. He is an author, former editor of What Is Enlightenment? magazine, and founder of the global spiritual community EnlightenNext, which dissolved in 2013.

Biography and beliefs

Cohen was born in New York City into an upper-middle class secular Jewish family. Cohen recounts that his life was changed by a spontaneous experience of "cosmic consciousness" at the age of sixteen. At 22 years of age and after pursuing a career as a jazz musician, he began a quest to recover his earlier spiritual experience. He eventually met H. W. L. Poonja in 1986, a student of Ramana Maharshi, who taught that no mind effort is needed to attain enlightenment "because it is merely the realisation of what one already has". At their first meeting, Cohen realized that he "had always been free". He claimed that Poonja declared him his heir, so Cohen began to teach as a neo-Advaita teacher, and gathered a community around him. However Cohen only spent a short time in the presence of H. W. L. Poonja, who later claimed never to have given Cohen permission to give spiritual teachings.

Within a few years, Cohen considered that the ecstatic experiences his students had in his presence were limited. Being convinced that he himself was fully free from karmic bondage, he began to demand more commitment from his students, insisting on complete "ego-transcendence". This change in teaching-style led to dissent and a break with Poonja, who Cohen felt had ethical and enlightened behavioral shortcomings.

According to Cohen, "Poonja insisted that the realization of the Self had nothing to do with worldly behavior, and he did not believe fully transcending the ego was possible." According to Poonja, "Karmic tendencies remained after enlightenment, the enlightened person was no longer identified with them and, therefore, did not accrue further karmic consequences." For Poonja, ethical standards were based on an understanding of duality and the notion of an individual agent, and were therefore not representative of Advaita: "For Poonja, the goal was the realisation of the self; the illusory realm of relative reality was ultimately irrelevant." Cohen did not agree, insisting instead on "flawless behavior" as the manifestation of enlightenment.

In 1991, Cohen founded EnlightenNext magazine (under its former title, What Is Enlightenment?), which "established him as a major contemporary spiritual figure." In 2004, EnlightenNext magazine partnered with the Graduate Institute in Connecticut to offer a master's program in conscious evolution. From 2004 to 2007, Cohen served as a core faculty of that institute. The magazine stopped publishing in 2011.

After the break with Poonja, Cohen's teachings were further developed into "Evolutionary Enlightenment", aiming at an impersonal enlightenment which transcends the personal. Yet, the change in teaching-style led also to "physical force, verbal abuse, and intense psychological pressure against students." The growing complaints from students have been described in several publications from former students and from his own mother.

In 2001, Cohen co-formed the jazz-funk-fusion band Unfulfilled Desires, in which he played drums. The band played original compositions and standards, and performed in Europe and the United States. They released four CDs: Live at the Iron Horse (2002), Enlightened Dog (2004), Punk Funk (2008), and Plugged (2010).

On June 26, 2013, Cohen announced on his blog that he would be taking "a sabbatical for an extended period of time", after confrontational exchanges with some of his closest students, who helped Cohen to realize, as he put it, that "in spite of the depth of my awakening, my ego is still alive and well".

On May 12, 2015, Cohen posted an extensive apology letter to his former students on his blog, his first writing after emerging from a two-year sabbatical. In it he wrote about the need to embrace the spiritual principle of agape, as well as eros, and expressed regret for the ways in which his lack of the former in his teaching methods hurt and alienated many former students.

In September 2016, after over three years' absence from public life, Cohen unveiled a redesigned website. This included an announcement of his intention to return to formal teaching, beginning with a retreat planned for early 2017.

In 2020 Cohen launched Manifest Nirvana, an online meditation and teaching platform that is described on the homepage as a "Home for Sovereign Souls, Radical Spirits and Integral Pioneers".

Teachings

Influences

When beginning to teach, Cohen was influenced by H. W. L. Poonja, who offered a "deinstitutionalized and experiential Advaita," comparable to Ramana Maharshi's teachings, which differ from the traditional Advaita Vedanta of Shankara. He likewise credits the "integral philosopher" Ken Wilber, with whom he conducts frequent public discourses, with helping him form the theoretical framework of his teachings. He has also been influenced by the Spiral Dynamics theories put forward by Don Beck as an extension of the emergent cyclical theory of Clare Graves. Cohen was also inspired by Swami Krishnananda of the Divine Life Society in India, and his call "In unity there is strength; come together, come together."

Evolutionary Enlightenment

According to Cohen, "traditional" enlightenment is the realisation of the transcendental aspect of God, and it often goes hand in hand with the realization that the world is an illusion.

Cohen says that he has discovered a different form of "enlightened awareness," which he claims to be unique. He first called this "impersonal enlightenment" to reflect the fact that it was a realization shared between people rather than an individual attainment. He later changed the name to Evolutionary Enlightenment, both to reflect his belief that it indicates the next stage of the evolution of enlightenment and to convey the creative, world-embracing vision of spiritual awakening as an unending process of individual and cultural development.

A fundamental aspect of Cohen's Evolutionary Enlightenment is the distinction between what he sees as two fundamental, yet opposing, aspects of the human psyche: the "ego" and the "authentic self", In his teaching, ego is defined as "the deeply ingrained, compulsive need to remain separate and superior at all times, in all places, under all circumstances." The authentic self, on the other hand, is defined as "the urge to become more conscious".

According to Cohen and Wilber, "enlightenment" does not refer to an unchanging state, but has to be in accord with an ongoing evolution of humanity, which is the "Authentic Self." According to Cohen, individuals need to recognize that their own spiritual transformation is essential for cultural evolution. To achieve that, in Cohen's view, an individual should strive to realize his or her true self as being "one with the timeless Ground of all Being and with the evolutionary impulse that is driving the entire cosmos."

According to Wilber, evolutionary enlightenment means "the realization of oneness with all states and all stages that have evolved so far and that are in existence at any given time." Cohen believes that individuals need to transcend egoism to express the "Authentic Self." Through identifying the evolutionary impulse as their own Authentic Self, individuals can transcend ego, and find a deeper self-sense without relying on asceticism or solitude.

Cohen's ideas are co-inspired by Wilber's Integral Theory, offering an integral vision of the integral evolution of matter and consciousness. According to this theory, human development parallels the evolution of all being.

Award

In May 2013, Watkins Books listed Cohen at Number 28 on their "Spiritual 100" list for 2012.

Controversies

The mental, physical, and financial abuse Cohen perpetrated against former students, which he justifies as "crazy wisdom" are documented in books such as American Guru, Enlightenment Blues, and Mother of God, as well as popular blogs such as What Enlightenment? and EnlightenNixt.

H. W. L. Poonja, also known as Papaji, the Indian Guru who Cohen claims called him his "heir" stated publicly that Cohen only spent 25 hours in satsang before proclaiming himself as enlightened. Papaji describes Cohen's claims as the arrogance of his ego and never acknowledged Cohen as a master or heir, but rather described him as a messenger.

Poonja himself has been sharply criticized for too easily authorising students to teach:

One of the tragedies of Poonjaji's teaching ministry is that he either told, inferred, or allowed hundreds of individuals to believe they were fully enlightened simply because they'd had one, or many, powerful experiences of awakening. These "enlightened" teachers then proceeded to enlighten their own students in a similar way, and thus was born what is known as the "neo-Advaita", or "satsang" movement in western culture.

Some of Cohen's former followers, including his mother, Luna Tarlo, have viewed him as a manipulative spiritual teacher. Tarlo wrote a critical book, called Mother of God, about her experience as one of his disciples. In a Psychology Today article, published in 1998 entitled "Crimes of the Soul", Tarlo recounted how she became a disciple of her son who told her "to give way to him or their relationship would end" and forbade her "to express an opinion on anything". Tarlo said she "knew if I seriously objected to anything, I'd be kicked out" and stated that her son, formerly the "sweetest, sensitive kid, had changed into an unrecognizable tyrant."

André van der Braak's Enlightenment Blues: My Years with an American Guru alleges that Cohen demanded large sums of money and extreme and unquestioning devotion from his students.

American Guru: A Story of Love, Betrayal and Healing, by William Yenner and other former Cohen student contributors (foreword by Stephen Batchelor), allege authoritarianism, financial manipulation, physical and psychological abuse in Cohen's community, and discusses the challenges of healing after leaving the community.

Over the years, there were many indications that Cohen's group was in difficult financial straits. In 2011 it officially ended publication of its magazine EnlightenNext. In the summer of 2013, Cohen was accused of being a cult leader. As of early 2014, the EnlightenNext organization's main building on its property in Lenox, Massachusetts, which had been on the market for years, remained up for sale.

In 2016, over 240 of Cohen's former students signed an online petition titled "Stop Andrew Cohen teaching again", including detailed explanations of why they believe him to be unfit to teach others.

Works

Cohen has written for The Huffington Post, Big Think, and Speaking Tree.

Bibliography

See also

Notes

  1. They call their public dialogues “The Guru and the Pandit.” Cohen is a Founding Member of Integral Spirituality, which is part of Wilber's Integral Institute. Cohen's most recent book, Evolutionary Enlightenment, is dedicated to Wilber.

References

  1. Gleig 2013, p. 190.
  2. ^ Gleig 2013, p. 192.
  3. ^ Gleig 2013, p. 193.
  4. ^ Gleig 2013, p. 195.
  5. Gleig 2013, p. 194-195.
  6. ^ Gleig 2013, p. 194.
  7. Gleig 2013, p. 195-196.
  8. Gleig 2013, p. 196.
  9. ^ Tarlo 2009.
  10. ^ Braak 2003.
  11. ^ Yenner 2009.
  12. "Five Day European Winter Retreat 2017". andrewcohen.com. Archived from the original on October 4, 2016. Retrieved September 29, 2016.
  13. "Manifest Nirvana". manifest-nirvana.com. Retrieved January 28, 2023.
  14. ^ Gleig 2013, p. 191.
  15. Cohen 2011, p. xvii, Acknowledgements.
  16. Mansfield, Timothy E.C. (2020). Invoking the Authentic Self. Great Britain: Biddles Books Ltd. pp. 179–189. ISBN 978-1-913663-87-2.
  17. Mansfield, Timothy E.C. (2020). Invoking the Authentic Self. Great Britain: Biddles Books Ltd. pp. 179–189. ISBN 978-1-913663-87-2.
  18. Wilber 2007a, p. 95.
  19. Wilber 2007b, p. 57.
  20. Wilber 2007b, p. 116.
  21. Caplan 2009, p. 16-17.

Sources

Printed sources

Primary
  • Braak, Andre van der (2003), Enlightenment Blues: My Years with an American Guru, Monkfish Book Publishing Company
  • Caplan, Mariana (2009), Eyes Wide Open: Cultivating Discernment on the Spiritual Path, Sounds True
  • Cohen, Andrew (2011), Evolutionary Enlightenment: A New Path to Spiritual Awakening, New York, NY: Select books
  • Sand, Marlowe (2015), Paradise and Promises: Chronicles of My Life with a Self-Declared, Modern-Day Buddha, O-Books
  • Tarlo, Luna (2009), The Mother of God, Monkfish Book Publishing Company
  • Wilber, Ken (2007a), Integral Spirituality, Integral Books
  • Wilber, Ken (2007b), The Integral Vision, Shambala Publications, Inc.
  • Yenner, William (2009), American Guru: A Story of Love, Betrayal and Healing-former students of Andrew Cohen speak out, Monkfish Book Publishing Company
  • Mansfield, Timothy (2020), Invoking the Authentic Self, the life and work of Andrew Cohen's spiritual community, a first-hand account, Biddles Books Ltd
Secondary

Web-sources

  1. ^ "BG 235: A Visitation from the Unknown". Buddhist Geeks. Archived from the original on October 4, 2013. Retrieved May 6, 2013.
  2. "The Graduate Institute". Learn.edu. Retrieved May 6, 2013.
  3. The Graduate Institute, Catalog of Program, Conscious Evolution Program, 2004–07
  4. "An Apology". andrewcohen.org. Archived from the original on August 5, 2013.
  5. Eliezer Sobel (March 27, 2015). "What Happens When Your Guru Disappears?". The Daily Beast. Retrieved February 10, 2016.
  6. "An open letter to all my former students upon return my sabbatical". andrewcohen.org. Archived from the original on May 15, 2015.
  7. "Andrew Cohen & Ken Wilber: Dialogues on Enlightenment and the Evolution of Consciousness". Enlightennext.org. Archived from the original on March 10, 2013. Retrieved May 6, 2013.
  8. "Evolutionary Spirituality The Santa Barbara Independent". Independent.com. October 8, 2011. Retrieved May 6, 2013.
  9. "Andrew Cohen: Come Together". Enlightennext.org. Archived from the original on March 10, 2013. Retrieved May 6, 2013.
  10. "Andrew Cohen: The New Enlightenment". Enlightennext.org. Archived from the original on March 10, 2013. Retrieved May 6, 2013.
  11. Archived June 15, 2012, at the Wayback Machine
  12. Archived August 15, 2012, at the Wayback Machine
  13. "Watkins' Spiritual 100 List for 2012 | Esoteric News". Watkinsbooks.com. Archived from the original on June 3, 2013. Retrieved May 6, 2013.
  14. "www.whatenlightenment.net". www.whatenlightenment.net. Retrieved May 6, 2013.
  15. "EnlightenNIXT". Essentialwhatenlightenment.blogspot.com. June 2, 2005. Retrieved May 6, 2013.
  16. "The Fake Messengers". www.kosi.co/gangaji. Retrieved April 18, 2014.
  17. Neimark, Jill. "Psychology Today, 1998". Psychologytoday.com. Retrieved November 14, 2013.
  18. "EnlightenNext Magazine Going Out of Print | New Consciousness Review Blog". Blog.ncreview.com. September 17, 2011. Archived from the original on May 25, 2013. Retrieved May 6, 2013.
  19. "Not So Fast: Following the Money". AmericanGuru.net. January 2014.
  20. "Andrew Z. Cohen". Huffingtonpost.com. Retrieved May 6, 2013.
  21. Cohen, Andrew. "Andrew Cohen | Founder, EnlightenNext". Big Think. Retrieved May 6, 2013.
  22. Cohen, Andrew. "Search | SpeakingTree". Speakingtree.in. Archived from the original on February 18, 2013. Retrieved May 6, 2013.
  23. Barnala, Rajiv. "India's first Spiritual Networking Website". Speakingtree.in. Retrieved May 6, 2013.

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