~CC
For several years I've been writing on this blog about the crazy, mixed-up, increasingly cult-like sex-and-money organization called Access Consciousness. In case you are unfamiliar with my Access posts and don't feel like going back and searching for all of the posts (though here's a link if you are), no worries: this August 2011 post sums up my views pretty well.
A few things have happened since I published that post. For one, a new web site arose in June 2012 called Access Schism. Access Schism has taken a detailed, thoughtful, and very critical look at Access' teachings and doings, as well as those of a few other LGATs and cult-like orgs. It was off to a terrific start. However, as of last week, the site owner chose to temporarily suspend the site, though he says nothing nefarious is going on. He just has to tend to some other things for now. I'm hoping he'll be up and running again soon. Meanwhile, here's the Access Schism Facebook page, which has some interesting commentary and numerous external links.
Over the years I've tried several times to get some members of the mainstream media interested in Access, but have had zero results. Yet "Access Consciousness" seems to be one of the most common search parameters that lead visitors to my blog, so there has definitely been interest.
Within the past few weeks, however, interest in Access has really spiked, but not because of anything I did. No, the mainstream media finally took notice because an actual sports celebrity has come out in favor of Access in a big way. That would be retired NFL running back Ricky Williams, who seems to have formed an unholy alliance with Access founder Gary Douglas and Gary's younger sidekick, the lusty chiropractor Dain Heer. That is, Ricky Williams has partnered with Gary and Dain to raise some money for the Ricky Williams Foundation to benefit underprivileged kids.
Ricky himself is an Access facilitator. He's also known for being into all kinds of other "alternative" stuff, so it's not surprising that he would be open to Access. Access, however, is apparently his breakthrough du jour, and he seems to really admire Gary Douglas because of Gary's "willingness to be himself," whatever the heck that means.
In any case the mainstream media have finally...FINALLY... taken notice of Access. For instance, there's this from the Austin Chronicle. Sports writer Alex Dunlap explained some of the back story:
In December 2011, Williams thought his foundation had secured funding to the tune of $32 million. He was under the belief that the group donating the money shared his values about the importance of helping underprivileged children to understand they have choices in life, and could always aspire to be great. The anticipated funding never came through, according to Williams this was due to him no longer being an NFL player.Though Dunlap was relatively restrained in his commentary, for the most part, the media have been borderline hysterical about Ricky Williams being involved with a "cult." Whether Access is a cult or not is a matter of opinion, of course, but in my opinion, it is at the very least cult-like. Overall it seems that the journos are pretty sensitive to cults now that Scientology has been making the news again, what with that whole Tom and Katie split and so forth. Some are seeing the resemblance between Scientology and Access.
Williams, through the beginning of the spring, was contributing his own money with the expectation that his foundation would be receiving the $32 million. When it fell through, that's when the charismatic, rich Gary Douglas swooped in to help. Together, Douglas and Williams concluded that Williams, although never indoctrinated directly, was indeed unknowingly practicing Access Consciousness. It was the model of his whole foundation's program: Give the kids a choice, free their minds.
Williams is now a devout accessory of the Access movement, and the mission of his foundation has transformed into an outlet for delivering the controversial teachings of Access Consciousness to the underprivileged children who attend their camps. This is currently taking place, in Austin, on AISD property.
Douglas is a significant contributor and is bankrolling a large sum of costs by live streaming the event to devout accessories all over the globe for quite a pretty penny. (Replays of certain live streams can sell for upward of $1,200.) Williams was the camp's instructor last week for Level I of the course. "Advanced" levels II and III will be delivered to these children by the person who accessories all over the world call their "fearless leader," Gary Douglas himself.
Understand that I am not complaining about the journos' negative coverage, just their tardiness in coming to the party. It's about fricking time.
And there's finally an Access tag on the Rick Ross web site, due to -- you guessed it -- Williams' involvement: http://www.rickross.com/groups/access_cons.html
That is truly a historic development.
As mentioned, there have been tons of other negative write-ups about Ricky Williams' involvement with Access (a few more links are below), with some alarmed writers saying or implying that this is the first time Access has been offered to kids on a wide-scale basis.
But that's not quite true. Actually, Access has been reaching out to the kiddos for years. I first wrote about some of their kids' programs in June of 2007. There's also the Access True Knowledge Foundation, a "not-for-profit organisation based in Australia and the United States," whose board includes Gary Douglas, Dain Heer, and a Houston heiress named Curry Glassell, among others. Founded in 2008, they say their mission is "to facilitate greater possibility and choice in the area of education and schools, particularly with children." Oh, Good Goddess, just imagine the range of nonsense covered by that euphemistic claptrap. And more recently Access has been advertising that kids 15 and under can get into many Access adult classes for free, and those ages 16-18 can get in for half price. I don't want to sound like a hysterical bluenose type myself, but it seems that this deal for kids includes even the potentially risque classes.
I wonder how many of the journos who have written alarmed commentary have seen this February 2011 discussion forum comment, which, if true, should be enough to raise a lot of alarm bells in parents whose kids have contact with Access:
...[Access promotes] the necessity to stop judging everything and everyone. And, in their doctrines, that includes sex regardless of the age of the individuals. They call that "playing" in order to eliminate all senses of accountability, especially from the adult who may desire to "play" with an underage individual. What you and I denounce as being a "pedophile behavior" is nothing more than "playing" to them. Several people who have left the cult remembered [hearing] the gurus say during seminars that as long as the teenage (therefore underage) boy or girl does not judge him/herself nor the adult who want[s] to "play," there is nothing wrong with... playing.(Actually, that entire conversation is interesting, and I urge you to read all of the comments if you've not already done so.) At any rate, whether the worst accusations are true or not, I've received numerous emails over the years from people worried about spouses, siblings, or friends who were already deeply involved in Access and were trying to get their kids involved too.
They promote the idea that "the body needs to be nurtured" which has led to sexual orgies (involving one of the two gurus) with parents while the kids were in the vicinity.
Cult business as usual...
But it's true that Ricky Williams' involvement represents a new level of mainstreaming. Access, of course, is thrilled with the alliance, and they sent this email blast at the beginning of the month:
From: Access Consciousness Team <newsletter@accessconsciousness.com>This is actually kind of disturbing stuff when you think about it too much, or even a little. But Access has always been about discouraging thinking.
To:
Sent: Wednesday, August 1, 2012 10:23 AM
Subject: Letter about Kids Class
Hi [Name],
As many of you know we had a really special event 10 days ago as a fundraiser for the Ricky Williams Foundation. It was the first ever [Access Level] 2/3 just for kids!
What showed up was amazing!
We thought we'd share with you the energy of this class, the children, the change... and oh yeah.... We raised close to $50,000 for The Ricky Williams Foundation as well! You can find out more here: http://rickywilliamsfoundation.com
Imagine if you had been given these tools as a child what might have been different in your own life? What else can we change?
Here is a great audio clip from the class:
Click Here To Download Audio Clip
Hear first hand about the Class, The Bars, and Access Consciousness from the people who were there...!
Having trouble viewing this video? Click Here!
Having trouble viewing this video? Click Here!
Having trouble viewing this video? Click Here!
A Fun Transcript
Ricky: We had an incredible conversation. Last week, we were on a field trip and E (name has been shortened) was in the car with me and he started talking about faith. Do you remember this conversation, E?
E: Yes.
Ricky: And, I just said to have faith in something, and he just finished my sentence and said "Ok, I see you have to make yourself stupid, you have to shut your awareness off, to have faith." And he said, "Oh, I can just know!"
Gary: That's right.
E: Yeah, like for me, faith is a substantive thing. I've seen and believe, so you have to shut off your awareness, you have to turn off everything, so you can believe that you're gonna make it. So, it's not that you don't know that you're gonna make it, you just believe and hope you make it.
Gary: There's lots of people that have hope and they want to have a belief that they are going to make it, but they sort of give it a hope and a prayer instead of a real go.
E: Yeah!
Gary: There's an old poem that goes: "If wishes were horses, beggars would ride. If daisies were watches, I'd wear one by my side." Literally, people have all kinds of wishes, but they don't actually accomplish much.
E: Yeah, if all of our wishes came true, or all of our prayers came true, the world would actually be kinda bad.
Gary: It would be bad?
E: Ok, here's what I'm trying to say. When you pray, you just don't pray about what you want. You have to pray that you be successful in what you're doing. It's not all about you and your prayers.
Gary: Right. You have to include everybody else in your prayers.
E: Yeah! And like especially when you have enemies, you can pray for your enemies , please help them out or please give me the wisdom to help them or whatever they need help.
Quote From Ricky Williams:
"I've always known there had to be a different possibility for these kids, I just didn't see how to create that different possibility until I found Access Consciousness. It was this weird, wacky stuff, but it gave me what I had always been looking for, permission to be me. I just knew that if these kids had that, it could be the key to unlocking the different possibility I always knew existed for them."
Quote From Gary:
"Every staff member of Access volunteered their time, paid for their own ticket, paid for their own accommodation, paid for their own food and delivered as much as they could to contribute to these kids. This was all about the kids and funding Ricky Williams who is doing an amazing job of helping these kids who have no other source to change their lives."
A Letter From Dain...
Something totally shocking occurred for me at this event: the innocence and awareness of CHILDREN.
On the third day, I facilitated an Energetic Synthesis of Being Taster for these kids. In inviting them to be part of the ESB energy, I realized that they initially felt that they were excluded from it. I learned that I had to include them and include what else I knew, that I wasn't even aware that I knew, in a different
way than ever before!
This totally changed what the ESB is for me, and what the ESB Class will be from now on. It created it as something different, something even more inclusive and expansive. I don't know exactly how to explain it in words-but if you tap into the energy, you'll get it!
This week was one of the most amazing weeks of my life so far, thanks to these kids and their phenomenal courage and difference. I spent most of it with my eyes filled with tears of gratitude.
I'd like to share a bit of that energy with you. Click here to watch my latest Tour of Consciousness video
What else is possible with the new possibility that this group of underprivileged kids-or SUPPOSEDLY underprivileged kids-gifted us and the world with--THEIR VERY UNIQUE CAPACITY TO BE?
Yours truly,
Dain
Fun Transcript #2
10 year old to Gary: "Oh, if you have some belief, that limits you, because you can't see anything that isn't the same as the belief."
Gary: "You are really smart! Will you agree to be that smart always?"
10 year old: (Doesn't take his eyes off Gary, and smiles.)
Gary: I don't see many people who are as smart as I am, and you just might be one of them... Will you be that smart always?
10 year old: (Doesn't say anything. Keeps smiling.)
Gary: Double dog dare you to catch up to me.
10 year old: I probably already have.
What People Had To Say
"Dear Gary and Dain, I already feel a change coming in my life, and, that is great. The ESC today was so powerful that I just started to cry. Thank you for this, and how it is just for us kids." ~ Colorado, Age 14
"So much has changed during these four days. The kids look different, they walk different, they sound different, they have a different feel to them ... more confident, expansive, more relaxed. They are enjoying being themselves!" ~ Ann M, Colorado
"Thank you for this class, this is what I asked for when I was 7... I feel like I`m 7 when I watch, and getting the information I wanted then..." ~ Sweden, Parent
"The boys have known about this class and I told them from the beginning that it is a class for them and only them. Within 5 minutes of your starting class yesterday, Jasper ran to me, pulled me by the arm to show me the computer. LOL! He was so excited, and kept exclaiming, "Mom! He knows! He really knows! This really IS a class for me!!" and I have been receiving gratitude hugs on your behalf regularly since yesterday morning. Thank you Thank you Thank you for bringing this to my children." ~ Colorado, Parent
"My children are physically glowing and sparkling. Hahahaha!" ~ Oregon, Parent
"I would like to send a BIG thank you and express my gratitude to Gary and Dain for Access tools because since I have been in Access, for the last three years, my school grades are much higher than before! How does it get any better than that?" ~ Poland, 15 years old .....
A friend of this blog who is a long-time Access critic mentioned to me that Rasputin was the one missing element from most of the journalistic offerings about Ricky Williams and Access. He is referring to the fact that Gary Douglas once claimed that the late Russian faux-monk Rasputin helped deliver Access to him back in the early 1990s. I wrote about it here. My friend said that the mention of Rasputin in these stories should be enough to turn most people away from Access.
But at least one article did mention Rasputin (citing yours truly). Not that it apparently has made much difference. And "Raz" was evidently not a turn-off to a lot of folks, back in the day. As I've noted before, the leaders don't like to talk about Rasputin in Access these days, since they are trying to become more mainstream. Gary Douglas himself wrote on a comment to one of my blog posts, "Rasputin went away" several years ago. He claimed that almost none of the stuff taught in Access today came from Rasputin, or 'Raz,' as the Accessories used to fondly call the dead guy.
But "the Bars" -- which for most people is the entry drug to Access -- did come from Raz, or so Gary initially claimed, and no doubt some of the other basic class material does as well.
The point is that even today, Raz probably wouldn't be too much of a deterrent with many folks. After all, look at the popularity of Abraham-Hicks -- Esther Hicks and her late hubby Jerry's shtick with a whole group of imaginary friends. Look at the popularity of Scientology. And so on.
Even so, the fact remains that Ricky W is getting a lot of criticism for his involvement with Access.
Here are more links:
http://www.sportsgrid.com/nfl/ricky-williams-is-trying-to-make-money-and-help-kids-by-associating-with-an-insane-cult/
http://thegrio.com/2012/07/25/ricky-williams-foundation-being-run-by-cult-like-access-consciousness-group/
http://blacksportsonline.com/home/2012/07/ricky-williams-running-a-cult/
http://blogs.miaminewtimes.com/riptide/2012/07/ricky_williams_says_his_founda.php
http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2012/07/24/ricky-williams-foundation-has-a-new-controversial-connection/
http://www.ebony.com/news-views/should-we-question-ricky-williams-charity-work-article534
http://www.cantstopthebleeding.com/ricky-williams-access-consciousness-compared-to-this-marrying-dikta-seems-downright-sensible
Looking at this, one might think there is some hope for the human race. On the other hand, there's a lot of mainstream criticism about Scientology, and there has been for many years -- and yet those rich, nefarious, litigious nutcakes are still going stronger than ever. More to the point, some folks commenting on the negative articles about Ricky Williams said they didn't see what the big deal was about Access.
The comments on the SportsGrid piece linked to above are a case in point. One person wrote that the big companies that sponsor other athletes are a lot more evil than Access. And there's this, from someone who would apparently like to learn some of the stuff Access teaches -- though the comment sounds suspiciously like a troll or a sock puppet:
I have some friends who have taken classes with Access Consciousness. In general they seem happier than I ever remember them. 2 have greatly improved their marriages, one quit a job she hated forever and is now doing something she loves, and our other friend has finally stopped dieting and is losing weight naturally.
I’ve been looking forward to taking a class for a long time!
I don’t know about any other readers, but many of the bullet points in this article sound awesome. I’d love to find out if they can change wine! And heck, i can even see how giving full body orgasms might be a very useful skill.
Why is it we have to leap to the absurdity of of miracles and assume people are insane? What if there really is something different available?
And why is it so horrible that they would want to teach kids that they aren’t without a future and they can create their life?
Yep. Sock puppet. And there's this:
Ricky Williams is a very amazing, lovely person. Gary Douglas is an extremely brilliant, kind and giving man. I know both of them personally & they are both nothing but gentle, loving people who are here to give & help people.Oh, my, the flat-Earth analogy again.
I would recommend the person who wrote this article to go talk to Gary & Ricky in person before they begin to vilify them & see what they are really doing. Ricky is NOT crazy, he’s never been crazy, people are mis-identifying who he is. Access Consciousness is not a cult & no-where near a cult, and whoever made that up is just silly..
Ricky & Gary together raised over $50,000 for under-privledged [sic] kids & help changed their lives. I don’t really see what could be wrong with that...
...When everyone thought the world was flat, the people who challenged that were vilified… I’m pretty sure this is the case where people don’t want to see & believe what these guys are doing & how they are helping the world.
It's going to be a long battle. But here's a word to wise moms and dads: Keep your kids away from Access. And keep yourself away from it too. Even if it isn't "dangerous" to everyone, it is pretty stupid.
PS ~ I’ve linked to this before on more than one occasion, but here, back by popular demand, is some commentary on one of Gary Douglas’s 2007 TV appearances. Apparently he fooled some Aussie TV producers into thinking he was a doctor who had some sort of expertise on autism. They weren’t fooled for long, though.
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7 comments:
YES IT IS TRUE.... If you have something that needs to change in your life or need a healing, get know Accession Consciousness and their 'unlocking' tools. I am a Christian women who additively pulled my hair out for over 30 years and believe I was led to the Access Consciousness (AC) tools for HEALING of this immensely shameful disorder. Because of my belief in Jesus and healing (like the healing in the Bible), I am now free of needing addictive hair pulling in my life. Even though I believe instantaneous healing is possible (because that's what Jesus did) my healing was no quick fix. I practiced using AC's clearing tools for two years to unlock everything (beliefs and thought systems around fears, insecurities, blame, shame, guilt, etc.) that was keeping me in this devastating disorder. I'm certainly not suggesting Gary or Dain are Jesus or God so kindly refrain from twisting my comment into that and by all means please don't crucify me for speaking my truth. I have already had a family member accuse me of joining a cult even though this family member personally witnessed the devastation of this chronic disorder when I was just a 2 years old. You would think this person would be happy for my newfound freedom from addiction and why would it matter how I got there?
I'm writing to inform those who need a change in their life. If you don't need a miracle and a big change in your life, then you don't need Access Consciousness. If you struggle with anything in your life and can't seem to find freedom, visit http://www.accessconsciousness... and don't let the ratings-hungry media hype get in the way of the life and change you deserve.
As for my take on their "sexual freedom" topic, please know many people have "issues" or dysfunctions with sex whether it be sex addition or not wanting it at all. How many people do you know are married to someone who doesn't want it. Now that's a painful experience! AC does a great job of leading people to the "healthy" and fun sex life everyone deserves and speaks openly about the topic - and so do I.
And by the way, I am raising my children with these mind opening tools and continually tell them to "BE YOURSELF."
That's my opinion! Thank you! Respectfully JD
I'm happy for you that you are no longer "additively" pulling your hair out. However, I suspect that the people in your life who criticize you for being in a "cult" have noticed other behavioral changes that aren't quite so positive. I may be wrong, of course, but is it possible that you have substituted one addictive behavior for another addictive behavior or set of behaviors? Weird hand movements, for example? Odd little rituals that could be indicative of a new set of compulsions? Have your speech patterns noticably changed -- do you find yourself repeating Access cliches instead of having normal conversations with others? Could it be that this is why your relatives are concerned?
And there's nothing wrong with speaking freely and openly about sex, and certainly nothing wrong with trying to increase sexual pleasure, but Access seems to strip sexual behavior or any other behavior of all moral context -- and by "moral" I am not talking about the old self-righteous thou-shalt-not stuff that basically views all sexual pleasure as sinful. I am talking about being aware of the effects of one's behavior on others. I am talking about looking beyond "ten-second increments" and what feels good in the moment.
If Access "works" for you, though, fine. I have no desire to "crucify" you but will continue to criticize Access and Gary Douglas and Dain Heer, as well as the ludicrous and amoral (not immoral) nature of Access teachings.
It has been said that the euphoria that will often accompany post Access seminars is synonymous to the addiction euphoria often found in drug addicts or alcoholics.
From the spiritual side, it has also been said that, Access isn't actually removing implants from you and others as they say, but at the same time they are implanting and harvesting energy from you.
I'm just sayin' :-)
Keep up the great work Connie!
I am not sure which logical fallacy this is, it may be "straw man", when people defending Access say something like, "You mean you are against higher possibilities for humankind?!"
1) Higher possibilities for more fulfilled lives as human beings
versus
2) Purported higher possibilities for more fulfilled lives as human beings by paying thousands $$$ for seminars espousing extreme beliefs, discouraging critical thought/moderation/balance, and creating people who go around parroting the approved vocab instead of having independent thoughts and coming to their own truths on their own?
.....two totally different things!!!
Another contradiction, is saying that they are about teaching children to see beyond their limiting beliefs....by giving them a pre-fabricated set of things to believe!??
As a former cult survivor I can tell you that the benefits going in wane in time. They lure people that are seeking to amelioration their pain and dysfunction.
With the passage of time they force a belief system on you that is absolute truth not to be questioned. Critical thinking is not tolerated and will get you excommunicated and ostracized.
Many self help gurus have amassed a fortune preying on these people. They are cashing like the TV producer turned minister Joel Olsteen.
Cults need to be exposed for what they are greedy bastards that want your money, time, your life, your resources, and your ass.
Keep up the good work Connie.
Those that are searching for answers need to read two books.
Combating Cult Mind Control by Steven Hassen and SHAM by Steve Salerno.
~Anon
In regard to the first Anon's claim that Access Consciousness "cured" her obsessive behavior over the course of two years, I would offer what I believe to be a legitimate alternative explanation, by way of analogy.
When I was a small child, the onset of a cold inevitably elicited a visit by the family doctor (yes, there were such things as house calls back then), and the standard treatment was a shot of penicillin. As years passed, research proved that those shots had absolutely no effect upon the cold virus, and were actually harmful, since they helped numerous bacterial infections to develop a resistance to penicillin. The evidence of a "cure" was caused not by the treatment itself, but by the body working through the viral infection itself.
Many psychological problems are similarly worked through organically, without any kind of therapeutic intervention. Many others are merely supplanted by alternate pathologies, such as replacing one obsessive-compulsive behavior such as hair pulling with another, such as the obsessive dependence upon a cult's "support system" or other bizarre behaviors, which Anon's family member apparently observed.
Bottom line is that a proclamation such as "it worked miracles for me" simply doesn't qualify as proof of efficacy of any treatment, especially when that "proof" is only observable to the patient herself or to others who share her dependence upon the source of the "cure." It is far more likely that the cure was the result of other factors, including the transference of one observable pathology to yet another one.
Opening one's mind is an admirable endeavor, so long as you don't open it so completely that your common sense and logical reasoning fall out.
I've taken the first Access Consciousness Class. It was kind of weird but I have plenty of strange, alternative techniques that I'm trained in.
The red flags started popping up after the training when Access started sending e-mails and I met their allies/speakers.
I'm not religious but I don't think it's a great idea to invite other beings into one's body to live and "help" the person.
Ironically, some kids programming on the tell-a-vision also tell kids to invoke Egyptian deities into their bodies.
One Access ally, Kenji Kumara led a meditation where the Council of 14 (or some number) was invited to live in the listener's bodies.
He wanted to teach the world leaders how to talk to these beings to get tips on how to run their countries better.
I think they're already in touch unless these are new beings.
People just laugh at this stuff. I'm not laughing. I think Access for children is a lousy idea.
The energy work part is interesting. There is something to it that works. All cults have a 'hook'. They teach something cool and 'magical' to people to gain their trust and enrollment. Then, it gets weird.
It's like teaching someone who has been living under a rock how to cook and make fire - and then adding anal sex to the mix.
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