Author Topic: Cleargreen Cult  (Read 73690 times)

Offline educatedindian

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Cleargreen Cult
« on: April 28, 2008, 12:46:33 pm »
The long needed topic. Here's background on them.

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http://www.salon.com/books/feature/2007/04/12/castaneda/index3.html
In the late '80s, perhaps because book sales had slowed, or perhaps because he no longer feared media scrutiny, Castaneda sought to expand. Jennings believes he may have been driven by a desire to please Partin. Geuter confirms that Castaneda told followers that the Blue Scout had talked him into starting Cleargreen. But she also suggests another motivation. "He was thinking about what he wanted for the rest of his life," Geuter told me. "He always talked about 'going for the golden clasp.' He wanted to finish with something spectacular."

Castaneda investigated the possibility of incorporating as a religion, as L. Ron Hubbard had done with Scientology. Instead, he chose to develop Tensegrity, which, Jennings believes, was to be the means through which the new faith would spread. Tensegrity is a movement technique that seems to combine elements of a rigid version of tai chi and modern dance. In all likelihood the inspiration came from karate devotees Donner-Grau and Abelar, and from his years of lessons with martial arts instructor Howard Lee. Documents found by Geuter show him discussing a project called "Kung Fu Sorcery" with Lee as early as 1988. The more elegant "Tensegrity" was lifted from Buckminster Fuller, for whom it referred to a structural synergy between tension and compression. Castaneda seems to have just liked the sound of it.

A major player in promoting Tensegrity was Wagner, whose fifth novel, "The Chrysanthemum Palace," was a finalist for the PEN/Faulkner prize (his sixth, "Memorial," was recently released by Simon and Schuster). Wagner hadn't yet published his first novel when he approached Castaneda in 1988 with the hope of filming the don Juan books. Within a few years, according to Jennings and Wallace, he became part of the inner circle. He was given the sorceric name Lorenzo Drake -- Enzo for short. As the group began to emerge from the shadows, holding seminars in high school auditoriums and on college campuses, Wagner, tall, bald and usually dressed in black, would, according to Geuter and Wallace, act as a sort of bouncer, removing those who asked unwanted questions. (Wagner declined requests for an interview.) In 1995 Wagner, who'd previously been wed to Rebecca De Mornay, married Tiggs. That same year his novel "I'm Losing You" was chosen by the New York Times as a notable book of the year. John Updike, in the New Yorker, proclaimed that Wagner "writes like a wizard."

In the early '90s, to promote Tensegrity, Castaneda set up Cleargreen, which operated out of the offices of "Rugrats" producer and Castaneda agent (and part-time sorcerer) Tracy Kramer, a friend of Wagner's from Beverly Hills High. Although Castaneda wasn't a shareholder, according to Geuter, "he determined every detail of the operation." Jennings and Wallace confirm that Castaneda had complete control of Cleargreen. (Cleargreen did not respond to numerous inquiries from Salon.) The company's official president was Amalia Marquez (sorceric name Talia Bey), a young businesswoman who, after reading Castaneda's books, had moved from Puerto Rico to Los Angeles in order to follow him.

At Tensegrity seminars, women dressed in black, the "chacmools," demonstrated moves for the audience. Castaneda and the witches would speak and answer questions. Seminars cost up to $1,200, and as many as 800 would attend. Participants could buy T-shirts that read "Self Importance Kills -- Do Tensegrity." The movements were meant to promote health as well as help practitioners progress as warriors. Illness was seen as a sign of weakness. Wallace recalls the case of Tycho, the Orange Scout (supposedly the Blue Scout's sister). "She had ulcerative colitis," Wallace told me. "She was trying to keep it a secret because if Carlos knew you were sick he'd punish you. If you went for medical care, he'd kick you out." Once Tycho's illness was discovered, Wallace said, Tycho was expelled from the group.

Offline educatedindian

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Re: Cleargreen Cult
« Reply #1 on: April 28, 2008, 01:01:05 pm »
Statement about survivors of the cult.

----------------
http://www.sustainedaction.org/Explorations/compassion_for_cleargreen.htm
Compassion for the Remaining Staff at Cleargreen:
The Difficulties of Emerging from a Cult
Introduction by Corey Donovan

In honor of the holiday season, not to mention the ending of a millenium, I would like to urge us to take a moment to find compassion and love in our hearts for the remaining gang at Cleargreen.

While they do and say things from time to time that may make a number of us angry, I don't want us to lose sight of the fact that they are the biggest victims of Castaneda's often abusive, authoritarian guru behavior, and that, as a result, they cannot exactly be expected to think or act entirely very rationally.

In my research, I've learned that a number of them come from very messed up backgrounds, and were, in some cases, either in bad physical or mental health (or both) when they met Castaneda. They have been taught to attribute their improved functioning to Castaneda. Like everyone else who came to work for Cleargreen when Castaneda was still alive, these people turned their lives over to Castaneda, ultimately submitting to his complete and unquestionable authority.

As the material on this site from The Guru Papers argues, this can, initially at least, be an empowering and energizing state for people who have long suffered from conflicting feelings and thoughts, since they now no longer have to think for themselves. Castaneda's group only slept with the people they were told to sleep with, only ate the food they were told to eat, only remained in touch with the friends or family they were allowed to remain in touch with, were barred from talking--even with each other--about things that they were not allowed to talk about, and were regularly given immensely time-consuming tasks that guaranteed they would have no room in their schedules to think about themselves. They were also kept in a constant state of concern that they were going to lose contact with the person on whom they had become so completely dependent (since people whom Castaneda threw out found that telephone numbers would immediately be changed and they would be barred from any further contact whatsoever). Emotionally, then, they were kept in a constant state of anxiety and focus on the guy in control.

When Castaneda died (after concealing the true extent of his condition from many of them in his final months), they were denied even the outlet of publicly grieving their loss. Those that remained (Fabricio left after a month or two--having lost not only Castaneda but the woman he loved that he gave up to Castaneda: Talia) simply shifted their allegiance and obedience to Carol. Can people like this afford to admit that Carol--who shows every sign of being an acute narcissist--is not a special and unique entity deserving of their total allegiance? Admit that she wasn't really out of this world for 10 years, the "energetic fact" that has been held over them for years as the basis for her superiority? No, it would be entirely too threatening. If they have to start thinking for themselves they will have to deal not only with the pain they ran away from in the first place, but also the realization that they were being manipulated and abused by Castaneda for years as well. Better to keep the myth in place and act like nothing whatsoever has happened. Hence, Carol easily succeeds in keeping them from looking at material that might make them question her authority. Yes, a few of them may simply be cynical opportunists willing to take advantage of a group that has put them in an elite position. Most of them, however, are so psychologically damaged that doing anything other than continuing to take orders and maintain the fantasy is too deeply threatening even to contemplate.

For further background on what it must be like for the people who completely turned their lives over to Castaneda, here is the bulk of a groundbreaking piece by Margaret Thaler Singer, the world's leading expert on the psychological dynamics of cults and "deprogramming."

"Coming Out of the Cults," by Margaret Thaler Singer, from Psychology Today January 1979.

------------

http://www.sustainedaction.org/Explorations/native_american_elders_reactions.htm
Vine Deloria, Jr. on 'don Juan'
From Sandy McIntosh

In trying to understand the problems that people from one culture (ours) meet with when they try to understand something fundamental in another culture (the "wisdom of the shamans of ancient Mexico"), I came upon the following by Vine Deloria, Jr. in his introduction to The Pretend Indian: Images of Native Americans in the Movies: Here he is discussing one of the strongest images whites have about Indians: the "old chief" stereotype.

"Carlos Castaneda parlayed the old man image into a series of best sellers that have much more relationship with an LSD travel tour than with Indians. Whatever Don Juan is, he is far from a recognizable Indian except to confused and psychically injured whites who have a need to project their spiritual energies onto an old Indian for resolution…. The whites are sincere but they are only sincere about what they are interested in, not about Indians about whom they know very little. They get exceedingly angry if you try to tell them the truth and will only reject you and keep searching until they find the Indian of their fantasies…. The obvious solution to the whole thing would be for the whites to achieve some kind of psychological and/or religious maturity. But the whole psychological posture of American society is toward perpetual youth. Everyone believes that he or she must be eternally young. No one wants to believe that he or she is getting or will ever get old. Somehow only Indians get old because the coffee table books are filled with pictures of old Indians but hardly a book exists that has pictures of old whites."

Offline Kevin

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Re: Cleargreen Cult
« Reply #2 on: April 28, 2008, 08:26:08 pm »
- sounds like the inner circle are candidates for another Waco moment......he could have had more women if he had gone the fundamentalist Mormon route but then maybe all that glitters for him is gold.....la la land

Offline Ari

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Re: Cleargreen Cult
« Reply #3 on: April 29, 2008, 05:08:28 pm »
Thanks for starting the thread, Al.

I appreciate you brought our attention to compassion issue... To tell sincerely i have no clarity on how to apply compassion to something that was touched and crooked by Castanedian mentality.

You know, if you express compassion to a Casta warrior, expect to be classified as ordinary human - petty tyrant, trying to project your self important victimhood upon ruthless warrior who has no care in the world but to move his assemblage point to as many positions as he can get not limiting himself just with this marvelous world where death as adviser won't give him much more time to treat any action as anything else but last battle on Earth... You know... Practitioner of Juanistic warriors way was invited to disregard any human motivation which not contributing directly to raising of his personal power, personal level of energy. Feelings like compassion were considered a wasteland of petty human conditioning. Warriors were discouraged to give or receive compassion...

All this was attributed to Wisdom of Old Indian Man...

I agree that members of inner circle were victims of Castanedian fraud.

Cleargreen became Castanedian private playground where ultimate abuser arranged his little separate reality to practice his perverted inclinations in total comfort.

People were thrown off of any balance to be truly accountable for their actions and decisions.

But... the guru died in 1998... 10 years ago. Hypnotic spell was broken. After his death the remaining staff of Cleargreen had chance to slow down their big green train and evaluate what they've done and do to make responsible choice: keep this fraud carriage going or ask people for apologies and retreat in whatever else...  as they were offered compassion and understanding...

After death of guru they were not left in the situation of total social breakdown which could affect their responsible decision.  All of them were given chance to study and had valid  degrees of education which they could use to make living, they were given some property rights and some starting funds to have real chance to say "no" to perpetuating the fraud.

Unlike  regular followers from the mass, who were asked to believe and give the project credits in condition of no info available, inner circle of Cleargreen was in direct touch with Castaneda to be able come to conclusions and responsibly refuse to continue with this abusive nonsense after guru's death.

Let me point it out that one thing would be to disregard the facts and keep believing in truthfullness of Castaneda's stories and propositions. Anyone surely have right to believe. Another thing would be to disregard the facts, showing that the plot have been corrupted with exploitive lies and abuse of life and offer this bag of poisons for sale to make a living out of it. Responsible adults are expected to make decision of not supporting the fraud when by common sense they could and should be aware of fraudulent nature of their actions.

Cleargreen officers made their choice: using freedom given by compassionate attitude of regular (ordinary) people and confusion and despair of cheated followers, willing to give them more credits, they decided to continue the fraud.

They did look lost and kinda scared for some time, then they obviously arrived to balance, confidence and professional skills in handling business of fraudulent  pretending, encouraged  by silence of critics and trust of followers. They became proficient and confident in manipulating  with trust and suppressing possible disagreements.

They don't hesitate now to consciously use deception and manipulate with their special inner membership position which by itself suppose to prove their initiation into higher secrets and possession of inaccessible to regular folks knowledge. They learned to apply little tricks to keep their position of authority over others to twist the situation to their favor and squeeze bucks out of follower's pockets. I mean... they know well they have no knowledge and they consciously pretending they do and they have worked out methods to stop anyone from asking for a proof of their competence.

Insisting on repeating the legend of mysterious Indian origin of this load of crap they sell is surely their strongest marketing trick. As responsible adults, they could and should know that what they offer on the market as "Wisdom of Old Indian", have no roots in Indigenous cultural reality. As responsible adults they could and should be aware that claiming themselves to be initiated representatives of Indigenous shamanism, they fraudulently exploiting Native American culture.

Now we all see that Tensegrity and all other proposed by Cleargreen practices do not do magic to you. Nobody from all the mass of practitioners, including Tensegity instructors, could  demonstrate success in arriving to promoted sorceric skills using promoted and sold methods.

I think as responsible and aware people, we should not stand indifferent and passively support fraud perpetuation. Time to ask Cleargreen inc. to assume responsibility.



« Last Edit: April 29, 2008, 08:29:19 pm by Ari »

Offline educatedindian

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Re: Cleargreen Cult
« Reply #4 on: April 30, 2008, 01:20:46 am »

You know, if you express compassion to a Casta warrior, expect to be classified as ordinary human - petty tyrant, trying to project your self important victimhood upon ruthless warrior who has no care in the world but to move his assemblage point to as many positions as he can get not limiting himself just with this marvelous world where death as adviser won't give him much more time to treat any action as anything else but last battle on Earth... You know... Practitioner of Juanistic warriors way was invited to disregard any human motivation which not contributing directly to raising of his personal power, personal level of energy. Feelings like compassion were considered a wasteland of petty human conditioning. Warriors were discouraged to give or receive compassion...

All this was attributed to Wisdom of Old Indian Man...


That could not be more different from the ways of being a warrior in actual Native traditions, which are all about self sacrifice for your people, esp to protect the very old and the very young. Yaquis especially. For people living out in the harsh desert, you have to cooperate to survive. Playing power games? No time for that.

Offline Ari

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Re: Cleargreen Cult
« Reply #5 on: April 30, 2008, 04:19:27 pm »
Yes Al... 

As presented by Castaneda, Native Warriors way was suppose to be an art of efficient, elegant  living in the world and basic ground of breaking through the boundaries of daily reality into unknown...

Which as presented by Castaneda obviously becoming a farce...

Like... when don Juan was making so much importance out of teaching Carlos to hunt... How possibly this academical touring guy's hunting game could be an equal experience to real life and death matter hunting of native tribe.. when you either get it or your family is not eating... and if you are injured, you have no chance to be transported to the best private city hospital... etc.

It was not story of real warriors hunting... it was pretending of hunting which could not possibly teach anyone to access own full potential or understand wisdom of Native hunter or arrive to the true depth in philosophical observations. This pretentious in the core scenario, which impressed the whole world of disconnected from nature people, gave life to the whole world of
play pretend.

Folkies were getting such a hoot from playing pretend "Indian Warrior"... a monster of their own creation which had no correlation with reality... this game indeed is a trip into unknown... lol!

It was entirely Castaneda's fault willingly perpetuated by Cleargreen to make people believe that what they play has authentic Native origin. So, not many people could understand that the game was unethical if not say more in regards to real Indians, which REALLY exist and have nothing to do with this image of them pictured by Castaneda.

Offline garners

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Re: Cleargreen Cult
« Reply #6 on: May 02, 2008, 12:24:54 am »
Cleargreen advertises itself by saying that it is the "The modern-day practice of personal accountability." while they exploit the lie that the Tensegrity movements come from Ancient Indian Shamanic sources dating back 25 generations.

They also claim that the missing women Castaneda followers are still running Cleargreen from behind the scenes. Which is a bit morbid and deceitful imo.

Castaneda himself had said that the reason he started Tensegrity was because of the prompting of Patty Partin a follower of his who disappeared after Castaneda's death and whose abandoned car and bones were found in a remote Death Valley location.

Amy Wallace, who was one of Castaneda's women followers, reported that Castaneda had told Partin that "if you ever need to rise to infinity, take your little red car and drive it as fast as you can into the desert and you will ascend."

Now days Tensegrity perpetuates the myth that it's teachings come from Ancient Indians. It is using this as an authentication on it's websites and in workshops held across America and in other countries.

I am disheartened to see Tibetan Buddhists, who should understand the problems of cultural appropriation, joining in the Castaneda/Cleargreen misuse of Indian stereotypes to sell books and workshops.

I reiterate that I hope people will write to the Shambhala Mountain Center and inform them that they are supporting Castanedian abuse of Indian culture by promoting Cleargreen workshops.

Shambhala Mountain Center:
developmentdirector@shambhalamountain.org



And write to the Dalai Lama to complain about Shanbhala Mountain center support for Cleargreen's appropriation  and to suggest greater dialogue between Indigenous Native American activists and Tibetan Buddhists.

His Holiness the Dalai Lama contact:
ohhdl@dalailama.com


If people do not actively contribute to the process of protesting and educating concerning  new age abuse of Indians then it will tend to continue unabated.

Tibetan Buddhists do not wish to be seen as ignoring the concerns of other cultures that must deal with problems so similar to their own.

And they are always searching for allies in their cause of maintaining and protecting their own culture.
This is, in part, why there is much to be gained by opening up and expanding a dialogue with Tibetan Buddhist leaders.
IMHO The more they are exposed to the idea of allying themselves with Indian activists the more it will be seen as positve for both sides.







Offline Ari

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Re: Cleargreen Cult
« Reply #7 on: May 02, 2008, 12:58:36 am »
Yes, i wrote to Shambhala Mountain Center.

Let me re-post in this thread my message to them:



Dear directors of Shambhala Center,

In this message i would like to express my concern about involvement of Shambhala Mountain Center  with Cleargreen inc., organization representing and promoting teaching of Carlos Castaneda.

Carlos Castaneda became known as a hoaxer, who was claiming to be linked with prehispanic Mexican tradition of Spiritual knowledge and presenting himself as a hire and leader of this tradition.
Research of cultural facts showing that Carlos Castaneda's presentation of himself as a hire of ancient tradition of Mexican Natives was a fabrication.
There are no facts showing that teaching, which Carlos Castaneda was  presenting as originated from Native Mexican shamans, has cultural connection to Native Mexican shamanism and ruts in actual cultural and Spiritual life of Native Mexican peoples.

NAFPS, organization including Native American elders and defining their purpose as following: "We investigate and seek to warn the public about impostors and exploiters posing as Native medicine people or elders", placed Carlos Castaneda in their list of frauds. Please check their website:   http://www.newagefraud.org/smf/index.php?topic=1127.0


Carlos Castaneda built  his teaching on misleading proposition of being valid representative of authentic Spirituality, and created his own confusing and misleading system of spiritual knowledge and a cult of followers, often basing his relationship with following him people on unethical, abusive and exploiting principles.

Considering the above, I think it is embarrassing and confusing if people representing respected Buddhist tradition are standing together with fabricators, exploiting spirituality and cultures with no respect and consideration.
Seems that Cleargreen inc. seeking some kind of validation and endorsement  of their authenticity, trying to associate with  representatives of  authentic Buddhist tradition.

Hope you have time to give my message your attention,

sincerely,

Larisa, ex practitioner of Tensegrity of Carlos Castaneda.

Offline Ari

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Re: Cleargreen Cult
« Reply #8 on: May 02, 2008, 01:10:48 am »
This is the answer i received from Shambhala Mountain Center:



~

Dear Larisa.

 

Thank you very much for your email and for sharing your concerns in regard to the Tensegrity program. We certainly understand them and are aware that a number of people feel this way.

 

This program took place at Shambhala Mountain Center for the first time last year. A number of our staff participated in this and the feedback was that it was straight forward and did not spark any concerns of spiritual materialism.

 

The head of the Shambhala Lineage, Sakyong Mipham Rinpoche, is working with this program directly and will be providing meditation instruction.

 

We will continue to explore this program this year and will again have a number of staff, including senior practitioners, attend.

 

I hope this goes some way to explaining our position on this at this time. Please know that we are constantly evaluating our programs and presenters to ensure the teachings presented here are genuine and firmly directed toward awakening further wisdom and compassion in the world.

 

Warm regards,

Paul Kelway

Director of Programming

Shambhala Mountain Center

4921 County Road 68C

Red Feather Lakes

CO 80545

 

Tel: +1 970 881 2184 ext. 328

 

 

From: Development Director [mailto:DevelopmentDirector@shambhalamountain.org]
Sent: Thursday, April 17, 2008 3:49 PM
To: 'Larisa'
Cc: paul@shambhalamountain.org
Subject: RE: Spiritual concerns

 

Dear Larisa,

 

I have forwarded your email on to our Executive Director and Programming Director. This really falls into the area of our programming, and I’m sure our Programming Director, Mr. Paul Kelway, will respond to you on this matter when he is able.

 

Best to you,

 

Faradee Rudy

Development Director

Shambhala Mountain Center

(970) 881-2184 ext 379

developmentdirector@shambhalamountain.org


~



I did not expect that Shambhala would cancel their association with Cleargreen right away... But to call Cleargreen compassionate is just so desperate twist... Sad if it'll come out that there are no truly Spiritual forces in all the mass of modern Spiritual movements, but corporations maliciously profiteering on Spirit...

Offline garners

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Re: Cleargreen Cult
« Reply #9 on: May 02, 2008, 02:16:34 pm »
"The head of the Shambhala Lineage, Sakyong Mipham Rinpoche, is working with this program directly and will be providing meditation instruction."

"We will continue to explore this program this year and will again have a number of staff, including senior practitioners, attend."

As you can see these people do not mind supporting false claims
and are also themselves claiming that there is no "spiritual materialism" involved which is certainly dishonest or very ignorant.

They say that

"we are constantly evaluating our programs and presenters to ensure the teachings presented here are genuine and firmly directed toward awakening further wisdom and compassion in the world."

So they claim they are morally and spiritually vigilant while ripping off history and Indian culture.

"straightforward" is an interesting way to put it  kind of paralleling Cleargreens's claim that they are "The modern-day practice of personal accountability."

I do not know if these Shambhala people are blind or choose to be ignorant but business should not be run this way much less a spiritual endeavor.

I think Shambhala believes this is the way to treat people. Baffle them with BS.
I think they... like many ignorant people believing exploitation is the way to go...
need a dose of "personal accountability".

It is not like they are oblivious to the problem. They are saying others feel this way.

"We certainly understand .... and are aware that a number of people feel this way."
 
 I know there is a fair amount of complaint from the Buddhist Community.
It is on various Buddhist chat and bulletin boards.
But Shambhala is saying there is no evidence this hosting of Cleargreen is a bad deal while there are complaints from respectable people stating that this is a bad deal and that Tibetan Buddhists should know better than to promote Castaneda/ Cleargreen misrepresentations.

So their claim it is straightforward and there is "no evidence" that  it is adding to spiritual materialism is not an honest claim... because they are receiving cpomplaints that it is not "straightforward" and is exactly spiritual materialism and exploitation.

Their cavalier attitude of it shows clearly they are not getting enough feedback to see it is an issue that needs respectful attention.
 



Offline Ari

  • Posts: 39
Re: Cleargreen Cult
« Reply #10 on: May 02, 2008, 03:13:48 pm »
Today i answered to supportive to Cleargreen reply of Shambhala Mountain Center:



Dear Paul, I feel very sad about your position. Your
reply showing that you either did not give my message
proper attention or you and your organization does not
mind to support fraud.

Content of promoted by Cleragreen "teaching" has
nothing to do with compassion, actually it is opposite
to kindness and compassion.

Could you please explain how you arrived to a position
of believing that lies, fraud and exploitation could
contribute to awakening of wisdom and compassion in
the world and should be supported by people meant to
be Spiritual.

If you have doubts that Cleargreen inc. is fraudulent
abuse of Spirituality, please check this site for
information and please feel free to participate in our
discussion:
http://www.newagefraud.org/smf/index.php?topic=1712.0


Sincerely, Larisa

Offline Ari

  • Posts: 39
Re: Cleargreen Cult
« Reply #11 on: May 02, 2008, 03:21:27 pm »
For anyone who may not know, here is the link where you can find a load of information on Castaneda and Cleargreen fraud: http://sustainedaction.org/index.htm

Offline Ari

  • Posts: 39
Re: Cleargreen Cult
« Reply #12 on: May 04, 2008, 02:10:04 am »
Cleargreen answering practitioner's questions on their official website:

""Why did the female students of don Juan stay here? Are they going to appear at workshops?
      The three female students of don Juan Matus are here to supervise the efforts of the Tensegrity instructors in making one of Carlos Castaneda's most cherished dreams a reality: the dream of a unified body of individual practitioners of the magical passes resuming their interrupted journey of awareness.
      For the moment, they are not going to appear personally at the workshops because they want this dream to take wings. For Carlos Castaneda and for them, it is a dream in which a group of practitioners is focused not on a person or a group of persons, but on the abstract purpose of freedom of perception.""

http://www.cleargreen.com/


I wrote to Cleargreen numerous times asking to clarify their statement and confirm that three women who missing for about ten years and presumably suicided are alive. I did not receive any answer. 
Also people saying that Cleargreen representatives were claiming that Patty Partin, whose bones were found in the desert, is alive as well and participating in activity of their company.
I asked them to comment on this. - No answer whatsoever.
But the statement is sitting on their site and they keep advertising themselves as apprentices of  "sorceresses" who either suicided or hiding from responsibility.   
« Last Edit: May 04, 2008, 02:14:23 am by Ari »

Offline Ari

  • Posts: 39
Re: Cleargreen Cult
« Reply #13 on: May 05, 2008, 05:44:35 pm »
Until now any attempt of getting answers from Cleargreen in regards of their accountability had no success.

Today i sent  another message to Cleargreen inc. :

Hello, i would like to remind you that i've asked you
few questions which you left without answer until now.
Please let me know your reason to leave my questions
unanswered.   
Also i asked you to give me contact telephone number
and name of the person responsible for communicating
in regards of my money refund. You did not do it. I
would like to know your reason of ignoring my request.

I have another question of profound importance for the
practice:

~ Cleargreen claiming that Magical Passes were passed
onto Carlos Castaneda and his female associates by don
Juan and originated from ancient Toltec Shamanic
Tradition. I see that you offering new passes and
forms at your recent workshops. I would like to know
where all this new passes and forms are coming from
after Carlos Castaneda's death. Were they taught to
you by Carlos Castaneda and witches before they passed
away or they have another origin?

Hope to have your answers soon,


Larisa 

Offline Ari

  • Posts: 39
Re: Cleargreen Cult
« Reply #14 on: May 05, 2008, 06:33:32 pm »
From Cleargreen's advertisement of their new workshop in association with Shambhala Mountain Center (see workshops section on their website):

"Due to great interest in last Fall's Tensegrity event at the Shambhala Center in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado, a new opportunity of collaboration is now available to a larger number of participants at this Summer workshop, an interactive experience between the modern expression of the tradition of the shamans of ancient Mexico, guided by students of Carlos Castaneda, and the Shambhala branch of Tibetan Buddhism, with the participation of Sakyong Mipham Rinpoche."


This is about the same kind of embarassment that UCLA earned for themselves by granting to Castaneda's phoney imposting status of scientific non-fiction work. This embarassing error resulted in decades of fraudulent exploitation, confusion and waste for many people.
Now Cleargreen, been good students of their teacher, continue good tradition of trying to gain autheticity and social justification to their impostering in the same ways. Using respected in Spirituality name of Tibetian Buddhists.
And it seems that situation tending to fall into the same erratic pattern - as UCLA before, now Tibetian Buddhism does not mind to mix their name with exploiters of Spirituality and Native culture.