Vivian Michaels, Author at The Sociable

Vivian Michaels

Vivian Michaels is a huge tech enthusiast, who likes to write articles on evolving technology. He is also a fitness coach with a sincere desire to help people achieve their individual fitness goals.

Technology

Should The Human Race Be Afraid Of Future Artificial Intelligence?

Vivian Michaels5 years ago

16K

When we take a look at the world today and all the advancements that are being made in science, technology,...

Technology

Who are the brilliant minds behind the most innovative breakthroughs in Al?

Vivian Michaels5 years ago

3.22K

Who are the brains behind the ultimate breakthrough in technology, Artificial Intelligence? Rather than wax philosophically, here are some of...

Technology

Is it Possible to Build AI and Not Lose Control Over it?

Vivian Michaels5 years ago

8.2K

We’re already seeing glimpses of what artificial intelligence (AI) is supposed to look like in our high-tech world, but can...

Brains Byte Back

We explore how our brains, psychology, and society are impacted by the ever-evolving technology that surrounds us. If you want to be better prepared for the new information age, have a healthier relationship with technology, and get more out of life using top technology and psychology hacks, this is the podcast for you! Every other Friday we bring you interviews with leading experts in the fields of technology and psychology combined, with past guest speakers such as New York Times journalists, MIT Professors, and C-suite executives of top tech companies.

You may have heard of Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh and his followers, commonly known as Rajneeshees or sannyasins, from the incredibly popular Netflix documentary “Wild, Wild Country.”

Well in today’s episode we speak with a former follower of the Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh cult to get a better understanding of how this society functioned, what it was like to live in normal society as a member of the cult, and what it was like on the famous Oregon ranch.

With our guest, Annie (who has asked to remain anonymous but showed her mala that she wore during her time as a Rajneshee to prove her affiliation with the cult), we find out how she first find out about Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh and the Rajneeshees, and what inspired her to join their cult, where she goes into great detail about how she found them when she was 16 at an Alcoholics Anonymous event.

She also shares why life as a Rajneeshee was difficult off the ranch in normal society, as society often treated them with a mixture of suspicion, curiosity, and fear. In fact, she was fired from all of her jobs due to her membership in the cult, but she also explains how she saw this as a positive, “a trial by fire” as she claims.

Annie also goes into detail about what it was like visiting the ranch in 1983, when, she believes, much of the footage used in the documentary was filmed. She talks about the important role meditation played in being a Rajneeshee and what a normal day was like on the ranch.

She also shares her thoughts on how accurate the documentary was, how close she came to meeting Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh, and finally, how she left the cult in the end.

Overall, Annie explains why she doesn’t see the following as a religion or cult, but instead as a community and how this community had such an overall, lasting positive experience in her life.