6 Signs You Are Being Scammed by a Fake Guru

Not every self-proclaimed guru is a genuine spiritual master, says Mike Bundrant. He reveals six signs that you are being scammed by a fake guru.

All over the web, self-proclaimed gurus are telling you lie after blatant lie in order to get your money and pump their ego. Chances are you have fallen for some of their tactics, even if you have never been taken for thousands of dollars in exchange for some relatively worthless information. Here are a few of their favorite tactics. Buyer beware.

They tell you there are no limits

Gurus love to preach that you'll have no limitations (if you buy their products). Their "proven" strategies will either 1) catapult you past anything in your way or 2) give you unlimited power. Outside of the trance induced state their marketing materials tend to foster, it is easy for any sane person to understand that nobody has unlimited power and no person can give special powers to another. Yet, the claim is made all the time - no limits, beyond all boundaries, you can have everything you want, achieve unlimited wealth and abundance, etc...and other lies. Read more

6 Warning Signs of a Fake Guru

One hazard of seeking a spiritual guru is that the guru you find may be a fraud. Alison Rose Levy gives six warning signs of a fake guru.

By now, most people know that in his so-called "sweat lodge," James Arthur Ray disrespectfully borrowed traditional Native American sacred practices for use in his endurance boot camp, in order to produce "abundance" in the gullible participants. Two of those participants died. Like many, I feel sad for the families of the victims, and agree that it's appropriate for the legal system to hold Ray accountable. But it's a mistake to dismiss Ray as just one "bad apple." Why? because he exemplifies a bona-fide risk for spiritual seekers. Until people can learn to distinguish between spiritual authority and authoritarianism, and between spirituality and spiritual materialism, some will fall prey to charismatic individuals, like James Arthur Ray.

There were warning signs aplenty. Read more

To her list, I would add that if a guru actively solicits disciples, he's probably a fraud. By "actively solicit," I don't mean that anyone who advertises his books, workshops, or school is a fraud. I mean personal recruitment by the "guru" himself. For example, since starting this blog, I've been contacted by several "masters"who offered to teach me "secret" Tantric sexual practices. So far, I haven't taken advantage of these generous offers, and if you ever receeive one yourself, I would suggest that you don't either.