It's getting low rated because of the ethics of the situation, people don't like how the group was misled even if it was for their own benefit as well. But I really urge you to watch this movie for yourself and make up your own mind, it's really worth it.
In the beginning, he sets out to expose many gurus as frauds, that pray on people seeking answers, for money, fame and even sex. He dons a beard and an AWESOME walking stick, and begins defining his teachings and seeking pupils.
When he actually gets followers, he is shocked how fast they tell him their life stories, considering he says very little at all. Some critics were appalled at this part and think it exploitative, but I would point out these people already signed a waver to be filmed, so they knew their outpourings of emotions were not just going to be heard by him but whoever saw the documentary. He didn't manipulate them into talking about themselves, they were fine with the whole world seeing it.
What's surprising in this movie is how many times he tells them as frank as you can get that he is a fraud, and they still don't believe him. It really makes you think about how other religions got started. In the bible, Jesus is frequently asked if he is the son of god, to which he always replied he was the son of man. Parallel here? It's easy to see how these things get started.
What he tells them as teachings are not morally wrong either. He tells them that they are normal, beautiful people. They don't deserve to dwell on their mistakes and be miserable, and they have the power to do it themselves. People turn to religion because it's much harder to turn to yourself and say, "I'm okay, I'm a good person, I'm a strong person", we seek validation by other people and deities to back up this thought. It's hard for most people to be selfish, even for their own good.
The documentary maker changed a lot himself during this process. He goes from wanting to expose gurus, to understanding why people seek them out. He genuinely cares about his followers and chickens out of revealing himself a few times.
Even after the reveal, some followers insisted he had physic powers, and that says it all. Some people were still not strong enough to believe that a teaching can come from a normal, everyday person, or themselves, and had to believe it came from someone with supernatural powers.
All in all, a very interesting look at religion, morality and faith. What he does and the way people react can easily be held up as a mirror to any of the major religions. It makes for some very interesting inner questions and topics of discussion for friends.
In the beginning, he sets out to expose many gurus as frauds, that pray on people seeking answers, for money, fame and even sex. He dons a beard and an AWESOME walking stick, and begins defining his teachings and seeking pupils.
When he actually gets followers, he is shocked how fast they tell him their life stories, considering he says very little at all. Some critics were appalled at this part and think it exploitative, but I would point out these people already signed a waver to be filmed, so they knew their outpourings of emotions were not just going to be heard by him but whoever saw the documentary. He didn't manipulate them into talking about themselves, they were fine with the whole world seeing it.
What's surprising in this movie is how many times he tells them as frank as you can get that he is a fraud, and they still don't believe him. It really makes you think about how other religions got started. In the bible, Jesus is frequently asked if he is the son of god, to which he always replied he was the son of man. Parallel here? It's easy to see how these things get started.
What he tells them as teachings are not morally wrong either. He tells them that they are normal, beautiful people. They don't deserve to dwell on their mistakes and be miserable, and they have the power to do it themselves. People turn to religion because it's much harder to turn to yourself and say, "I'm okay, I'm a good person, I'm a strong person", we seek validation by other people and deities to back up this thought. It's hard for most people to be selfish, even for their own good.
The documentary maker changed a lot himself during this process. He goes from wanting to expose gurus, to understanding why people seek them out. He genuinely cares about his followers and chickens out of revealing himself a few times.
Even after the reveal, some followers insisted he had physic powers, and that says it all. Some people were still not strong enough to believe that a teaching can come from a normal, everyday person, or themselves, and had to believe it came from someone with supernatural powers.
All in all, a very interesting look at religion, morality and faith. What he does and the way people react can easily be held up as a mirror to any of the major religions. It makes for some very interesting inner questions and topics of discussion for friends.