I have been really disturbed at the horrific stories I’ve heard emerging from the victims of Bentinho Massaro’s cult. As somebody who tries to build democracy and transparency into spiritual organizing, it’s important that we not simply punish perpetrators and support victims; we must take concrete steps to build accountability into our practices together.

That’s why I joined the Association for Spiritual Integrity. I expand on this reasoning on our about page for SMCE:

As spiritual seekers, we often feel alone; building community to address the negative aspects of that loneliness is why SMCE exists. However, when we come together it is so easy for us to annoy, alienate, hurt, and offend each other. The closer a group gets, the more vulnerability is at stake. This is absolutely abused in cults and high-control relationships, but even when it is not so thoroughly harmful to individuals it still frustrates and breaks up the organizing we go to a lot of trouble to realize.

The Other Selves Working Group is no stranger to this conflict arising from the search for spiritually powerful community. Our founding members left L/L Research over issues of accountability and integrity, only to suffer from conflicts with each other. Most recently revelations about cults within the wider Law of One community have started to emerge with heartbreaking stories.

We cannot pretend that a philosophy founded on the beneficial operation of catalysis will offer a smooth ride to the kind of intimate, authentic, vulnerable work we do together. While Ra says those who seek together will more surely find, that’s only if they stick through the tough parts and can mend and strengthen trust and relationships as a result of processing catalyst. After all, these are the very fabric of the social memory energies with which we are attempting to cooperate.

That is why Jeremy joined the nearly one thousand other spiritual guides, teachers, and organizers who are members of the Association for Spiritual Integrity. ASI provides resources and training for spiritual leaders to ethically minister to often vulnerable seekers. They provide a concrete and robust honor code to help seekers recognize boundary-crossing behavior, offering not only avenues for seekers to report misconduct and receive support but also for mediating conflicts in groups. We encourage you to examine their honor code and consider joining them in creating a more ethical and accountable community.

I hope you will consider joining and donating, building capcity for social memory where it is safe for us to become vulnerable and extend love and trust. The spiritual path is not safe, but our groups should be.