Art of Living Foundation

Former teachers have accused The Art of Living Foundation of abusive behaviors, such as sleep deprivation, public humiliation, brainwashing, taking away the right to showers and clean clothes, and physical violence (source, source, source)

Members are reportedly encouraged to bully each other and forced to confess deep secrets, which would later be used against them (source)

According to one former teacher, AOL "sets up the perfect mental structure for the use and abuse of people" by encouraging members to have "high energy" despite suffering from malnutrition, sleep deprivation, stressful conditions, and neglect of personal needs (source)

Former teachers have documented changes in members as a result of these abusive behaviors, such as saying that members become "broken-down husks, their self-esteem and self-confidence shattered" or that "humble and sweet" members ended up "arrogant and aggressive" and on the "verge of a psychotic breakdown" (source, source)

One former teacher alleges that the Art of Living’s practices correspond to Robert Lifton's eight criteria for thought reform (source)

Many members reportedly live in such terrible conditions that they are "begging most of the time for the basics" (source)

One former teacher reported that, when he confronted Ravi Shankar about false accusations Shankar made against him, Shankar became "violently upset" and the confrontation became "bloody" (source)

The Art of Living Foundation reportedly opposes therapy (source)

A former teacher suggested that Ravi Shankar's opposition to therapy might be ultimately rooted in fears that therapists will expose his abuses (source)

Members who end up in psychiatric wards as a result of rejecting professional psychological help are reportedly shunned by the group (source)

The Art of Loving Foundation reportedly taught that Ravi Shankar was protecting humanity from a worldwide disaster (source)

Various critics have accused the organization of misappropriating funds and using pushy sales tactics (source)

A former teacher testified that Ravi Shankar "despised Muslims" and compared his views on the supremacy of Hindu culture to the white supremacist views of Nazis and the KKK (source)

Some of the reported actions of the Ravi Shankar and those worked closest to him suggest that men are seen as inherently better than women (source)

The Art of Living Foundation allegedly teaches that those outside the cult are "inhuman" and that it is permissible to treat them as such (source)

Ravi Shankar claimed that homosexuality is a “tendency” and that homosexuals “may change” (source)

A former teacher testified that when he told Ravi Shankar about a personal problem, Shankar responded, "Pray to me. I will see if something can be done" (source)

There are allegedly rumors among members that Ravi Shankar is "the reincarnation of Shiva, Vyasa, Krishna, Adi Shankara , Swami Brahmananda Saraswati, Jesus Christ" (source)

The Art of Living Foundation reportedly tells followers to avoid the outside world, portraying it as "low energy" an "enlightened heap of garbage" and "the enemy" (source)

Members are reportedly told to avoid television, cinema, news, and public places (source)

Ravi Shankar reportedly claimed that classical music is "tamasic and brings one to a space of depression" (source)

Members are reportedly encouraged to perceive their family as "worse, not good energy, [and] not evolved," causing them to avoid family events, such as weddings and funerals (source, source)