People: Andrew Cohen

American Guru is a multifaceted account of life in the contemporary spiritual community known as EnlightenNext, and the controversial “teaching methods” of its New York-born founder, self-proclaimed “guru” Andrew Cohen. With contributions from several of Cohen’s former students, William Yenner recalls the thirteen-year trajectory of his career as a leader and manager in Cohen’s community -- his early days as an idealistic “seeker,” his years of service on EnlightenNext’s Board of Directors, his ultimate disillusionment and departure, and his efforts to make sense of his experiences as a once-devoted follower of a “Teacher of Evolutionary Enlightenment.” With wit and insight, Yenner and his colleagues have produced a riveting cautionary tale on the dangers of authoritarian spirituality, and an insider’s case study on the promises and pitfalls of postmodern discipleship.

My name is William Yenner, and I am the former student who was subjected to the “gag order” mentioned in the official responses given to journalist Yonatan Levy. While I know from personal experience that most of the replies given to Levy by Andrew Cohen’s representative are false and/or misleading, this particular question and the circumstances surrounding it have been, in particular, a big presence in my life for many years, so I’m providing more information here for anyone seeking to know the truth about Andrew Cohen and EnlightenNext. I was bound by this “gag order” from 2003 to 2008, forbidden by an enforceable contract from making any public statements about Andrew Cohen or EnlightenNext.

Craig Hamilton, of Integral Enlightenment has been conducting a series of interviews with various integral notables. You can find his first four interviews, including links to related websites and important background information, posted on Integral NHNE...

In this new enlightenment, the reason we are driven to become one with the life-process is not merely to experience some form of mystical oneness with everything -- a nondual integration with the entire display of manifestation. We strive to become one with it for the biggest reason there could be -- so we can ultimately take responsibility for where it’s going. And the reason this aspiration is so significant is that, if we succeed, the very process we endeavor to take responsibility for literally begins to awaken to itself through us. What could be more important than that?

Some people have reported difficulty downloading .pdf documents associated with the reignited controversy involving Andrew Cohen's alleged abuse of former (and current) students. The new documents, along with original postings and related websites, can be found here.

In June of last year, the editors of this blog were contacted by Yonatan Levy, a contributor to the Israeli online journal NRG-Ma’ariv, for an article he intended to produce on Andrew Cohen and Cohen’s organization, EnlightenNext. Levy had sought an interview with Cohen himself, specifically in order to seek a balanced perspective on the allegations against Cohen previously published on this blog. While the interview he’d requested was never granted, Levy did receive from EnlightenNext’s “Communications Director,” Amy Edelstein, a series of official written responses to questions he had submitted in advance of the proposed interview. He also received an intimidating letter from Cohen’s lawyer, dated the same day, advising him of NRG-Ma’ariv’s potential legal liability in the event of the article’s publication. These documents are available here...

In 2006 I sent out a couple of long posts that itemized a series of disturbing events that ex-followers of Andrew Cohen had posted online, as well as Cohen's response to these accusations. This is a followup to those posts. Published a year ago, it is the final statement of the man who created the blog that ex-followers used to compare notes, share stories, and try to make sense of their experiences.

There are two discussions I wanted to be sure all of you had a chance to listen to. Both conversations revolve around an emerging topic called "The Higher We". Coined by Andrew Cohen, the term "The Higher We" refers to what Cohen believes (and I agree) is the next stage of our individual and collective development. It is "an experience of shared consciousness that emerges when people come together beyond ego and narcissism, and points to a radically new way to live and relate to one another".

The amazing Peter Ragnar is a modern-day shaman, Taoist wizard, natural life scientist, and self-master par excellence. He lives in the Tennessee mountains with his wife, and he claims to be a “senior citizen” but refuses to give away his age because he “doesn't believe in it.” He does strenuous two-hour strength-training workouts seven days a week and performs record-breaking feats. He's been a martial arts practitioner for over fifty years, and he has developed his own version of Taoist energy practice called “Magnetic Qi Gong,” which he claims is the key to immortality. He has healing powers and is renowned for his clairvoyant and telepathic abilities. He lives on a strict diet of raw foods and juices and has spent a lifetime studying the relationship between the body and the mind at all levels. And his most remarkable attainment is his profound awakening to the energetic dimension, or “bio-electric-magnetic” field, of life. While this dimension of reality and experience is one that many have heard of, it's a world that Peter actually lives in.

About seven years ago, I was giving a talk at a bookstore in Seattle. Afterwards, while signing books, I was taken aback when an unassuming young man came up to me, shook my hand, and said, quite unselfconsciously, with a smile on his face: "Andrew, it's really nice to finally have the chance to meet you. I'd always been told that you were the devil."...