Interview with the Author
This is your second book on AMORC. Why did you feel compelled to write it?
My first book, The Prisoner of San Jose, was quite autobiographical. It showed how this organization I joined in Haiti, the Ancient Mystic Order of Rosae Crucis, a supposedly fraternal organization with an impeccable historical pedigree, turned out to be utilizing a mind control platform that gravely impacted on my life. I went from a promising, young engineering student in Haiti, who had risen from stark, unyielding poverty to someone who could support a family of five while going to one of the best engineering schools in the world- to a homeless vagrant, wandering the streets of Miami and New York- filled with anger and despair, but still nurturing these unrealistic ideas fed to me by AMORC. In the book, I showed how my personality was rebuilt, in typical cult fashion, to conform to the needs of the parent organization, AMORC, whose membership retention plan was basically to inflate the self-importance of each member by making them think they were turning into cosmic supermen. But, despite all that, after getting into communication with some of my readers, I began to think I had not really gone far enough.
Why do you think you had more work to do?
In dealing with various readers, often from members of AMORC, the feedback on my book showed me that I had not really explained the process of mind control well enough. Yes, I had explained how I had changed and why AMORC was using all the tools of a mind control cult. But a lot of people who read the book were still incredulous. I felt, for one thing, I had to go into more depth about hypnotic induction and the actual platform that AMORC uses to induce repeated hypnotic induction with a progressive system of occult exercises that become increasingly grandiose in their claims.And increasingly empowered to alter at least some of the members so they actually learn to create perceptually what is not there. In other words, I wanted to show how AMORC has created an hypnotic platform for progressive advancement in the power to literally hallucinate, as well as to disappear what is actually there. The latter ability- being able to make things disappear in the subject’s perceptual field- is only possible in the deepest level of hypnotic trance.
You talk about AMORC’S grandiose claims. What do you mean?
If you ever read one of AMORC’s flamboyant ads, you would see how they often have catered to man’s desire to go to other worlds, to be telepathic, to travel out of the body, to voyage in time to ancient civilizations. The truth is- the monographs actually attempt to provide exercises for doing just that. A student is taught to move objects with his mind; to gaze into a crystal ball or a bowl of clear water and see the future; to telepathically communicate with a friend or even visit him without of the body travel; to psychically heal some of the most difficult diseases; to commune on the highest level with the “Cosmic,” Rosicrucian name for God.
You mentioned communing with God. Is there a lot of that in AMORC?
Putting aside their ads for a moment, I would say that there is a huge pretense on the part of AMORC to be, first and foremost, a truly spiritual organization.
But what does that really mean? There are lots of types of spiritual organizations.
Well, remember- AMORC says that it is an “Ancient and MYSTIC Order.” A mystic is a person who has achieved unity with God. Let’s put it this way- he has learned to transcend his solely personal identity to partake, at least to a degree, in the consciousness of God. This idea is not confined to fraternal orders. Christians like St. Teresa of Avila or St. John of the Cross are considered mystics. Muslims like Rumi and Omar Khayyam, both Sufis, are considered mystics. Buddha and Socrates, judging from their traditions and writings about them, were mystics. Mysticism requires a certain willingness to renounce the things of the world- meaning things involving your personal identifications with this world- to move into a world of transpersonal experience. By this I mean simply to raise one’s consciousness above that of the personal ego- nothing more. I think, if you read the monographs, you will see that AMORC, being to its own professed traditions, says that this is the ultimate goal of each member- but, in reality, the monographs live and breathe to convince their members that, by practicing their exercises, they can have all these powers and get anything they want.
Does AMORC have a message similar to the popular movie and teaching called THE SECRET?
Yes- in the sense that AMORC does try to tell its members that, if they learned how to focus and visualize, they can have everything they want. It must be good stuff, though, in conformity with the laws of the “Cosmic,” but the process is the same- except it includes out-of-body experiences; the acquisition of core information about your past incarnations; the ability to heal the very sick with energy-transfer, hands-on healing protocols; the ability to see auras; to telepathically communicate, etc., etc.
In my opinion- and the view I advance in the book, a real spiritual path does, of necessity, require a person to travel to a place beyond the ego, to experience his transpersonal identity; that part of him that is truly one with God- in order to manifest the best possible life. That is a different message than AMORC or THE SECRET broadcasts. In my opinion, in the way these messages are articulated, they are various forms of the WAY OF THE MAGICIAN. In the Path of Mystical Union, God comes before everything else- spiritual powers and desires of the heart. As Jesus said and as I quote in the book, “Seek ye first the Kingdom of God and its righteousness and all else will be granted unto you.”
How about this medical stuff you speak of in the book? These energy transfers?
I don’t understand how AMORC has the nerve to teach a system of healing that claims to have a scientific basis without disclosing anything but some flimsy, improvable theories to their members. Sure, they may have something in their archives- but most authentic healing organizations, practicing some form of alternative medicine- try to back up whatever claims they have through presenting clinical studies or at least some real, solid-sounding testimonials. AMORC really does nothing like this. Just read a few monographs and go out and heal your family and friends. And God help them if they trust too much in AMORC and forget their little disclaimers. I used their technique for a great deal of time before I went to a doctor and found out I had an ulcer.