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Culture, Charisma, and Consciousness: The Case of the Rajneeshee
Author(s) -
Lindholm Charles
Publication year - 2002
Publication title -
ethos
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.783
H-Index - 44
eISSN - 1548-1352
pISSN - 0091-2131
DOI - 10.1525/eth.2002.30.4.357
Subject(s) - charisma , loyalty , psychic , consciousness , cult , perspective (graphical) , psychoanalysis , sociology , charismatic authority , epistemology , psychology , aesthetics , social psychology , philosophy , art , theology , medicine , alternative medicine , pathology , visual arts
This article outlines the basics of a theory of charisma drawn from a synthesis of the classic texts of Weber, Marx, and Freud. This abstract theoretical perspective is then applied to an analysis of the charismatic religious cult led by Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh. Emphasis is placed on the methods used to inculcate loyalty infollowers and on the personal history and psychic capacities of the leader.