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| {{short description|Group of individuals that delivered the Exegesis Programme}} | |||
| {{notability|Companies|date=January 2015}} | |||
| ⚫ | '''Exegesis''' was a group of individuals that delivered the Exegesis Programme through an Exegesis Seminar. The alleged end result of the programme was individual enlightenment, a personal transformation. Founded in 1976 as ''Infinity Training'' by Robert D'Aubigny, a former actor, Exegesis ran seminars in the ] in the later 1970s and early 1980s. Although not in itself a religion or belief, the programme was popularly interpreted as such.<ref name="Chryssides" /> The ] categorised it as a "therapy cult", focused on personal and individual development,<ref name=independent-20021212>{{cite news |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/caplin-recruited-for-therapy-cult-investigated-by-police-135739.html |title=Caplin 'recruited' for therapy cult investigated by police |last=Kirby |first=Terry |website=The Independent |date=12 December 2002 |accessdate=5 October 2019}}</ref> and ] categorised it as a ].<ref name="Chryssides" /> | ||
| In the 1970s Robert D’Aubigny remodelled ]'s controversial ] into the more UK friendly Exegesis programme while keeping the essence of it unaltered. | In the 1970s Robert D’Aubigny remodelled ]'s controversial ] into the more UK friendly Exegesis programme while keeping the essence of it unaltered. | ||
| Graduates of the programme could attend workshops where a participant worked on personal development while being supported in confronting worst fears.<ref name=independent-20021212/> At one time Exegesis claimed to have about 5,000 people in the programme.<ref name=independent-20021212/><ref name=guardian-20030731>{{cite news |url=https://www.theguardian.com/science/2003/jul/31/badscience.research |title=Watch out, Caplin's about |last=Goldacre |first=Ben |newspaper=The Guardian |date=31 July 2003 |access-date=10 April 2020}}</ref> | |||
| Robert D'Aubigny was influenced by 'eastern mysticism', being very prevalent in the UK in the 1970's. The stated aims of the organisation were the 'transformation of society' as he viewed present society as 'misled'. Exegesis planned a 'university city' at 'Avalon' the fictional home of King Arthur where the headquarters for this 'transformation of society' would be engineered. Exegesis were quite happy to refer to themselves as a cult and one of Mr D'Aubigny's stated aims was to become an MP within '5 years'. His movement was almost entirely discredited as being the work of a ' paranoid megalomaniac'. He has maintained some cult following among pseudo 'new-age' groups and quack psychologists. | |||
| ⚫ | '''Exegesis''' |
||
| Greater interest in the programme led to the group being investigated by the press and becoming the subject of a controversial television play.<ref name="Unstable">Mick Brown, "". ''The Daily Telegraph'', August 31, 1998.</ref> In 1984 British ] raised questions in the ], to which the ] ] responded "some organisations and views are deeply repugnant to most sensible people and profoundly wrong-headed and damaging to those drawn into the web of their activities. Nevertheless, unless and until those involved actually break the law, it is difficult for the Government to set their hand against them." The ] asked the ] and ] to investigate Exegesis following the suicide of Ashley Doubtfire after he attended a 'seminar'.<ref name=hoc-19840514>{{cite web |url=https://api.parliament.uk/historic-hansard/commons/1984/may/14/mr-ashley-doubtfire |title=Adjournment debate - Mr. Ashley Doubtfire |id=HC Deb 14 May 1984 vol 60 cc124-30 |publisher=UK Parliament |work=House of Commons |date=14 May 1984 |accessdate=6 October 2019}}</ref> Although the police brought no charges, Exegesis ceased to run seminars around 1984,<ref name="Unstable"/><ref name=independent-20021212/> but re-emerged as a telesales company called ''Programmes Ltd'', which had a turnover of nearly £6.5 million in 1990.<ref name="Chryssides">{{cite book|author=George D. Chryssides|title=Exploring New Religions|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=vyX1sL8-0gMC|date=12 November 2001|publisher=A&C Black|isbn=978-0-8264-5959-6|pages=19, 278, 372}}</ref><ref name=observer-20030921>{{cite news |title=Cult taught Cherie's guru to confront demons |author1=Jamie Doward |author2=Ben Whitford |newspaper=The Observer |date=21 September 2003}}</ref> | |||
| Graduates of the programme could attend workshops where a participant worked on personal development while being supported in confronting worst fears.<ref name="Unstable"/> | |||
| In 1978 in London, British musician ] participated in an Exegesis seminar that included a rebirthing process. People{{Who|date=June 2012}} who met Oldfield after the seminar often found that he would stare at them from above, with his face only a few inches from theirs. The part that perhaps left the biggest impression on Oldfield was where he re-created the experience of his own birth. The course-goers were encouraged to do so. Through this, it emerged that Oldfield's problems all stemmed from him having a distressing birth. He then re-created the experience to disappear the feelings. Oldfield's metamorphosis has been described{{By whom|date=June 2012}} as "astonishing", a transformation from a "painfully diffident ]" into "a garrulous, over-bearing extrovert". Oldfield, who has since undergone psychotherapy and taken up meditation, described his behaviour after the programme, which included frequent interviews, nude photographs, flying lessons and a short-lived marriage to D'Aubigny's sister, as "a reflex action... I wanted to try everything", but also stated: "But it was right for me, that's all I know. I felt like I'd turned the clock back and had a second chance. It became obvious to me that all the panic I’d felt was the memory of my birth, coming out into the world."<ref name="Unstable">Mick Brown, "". ''The Daily Telegraph'', August 31, 1998.</ref> | |||
| Greater interest in the programme, arguably due to Oldfield's proselytising, led to the group being investigated by the press and becoming the subject of a controversial television play.<ref name="Unstable"/> British ] raised questions in the ], resulting in an investigation by ]. Although the police brought no charges, Exegesis ceased to run seminars around 1984,<ref name="Unstable"/><ref name="Independent">Terry Kirby, "". ''The Independent'', 12 December 2002.</ref> but re-emerged as a telesales company called ''Programmes Ltd''.<ref name="Chryssides">George D. Chryssides, '''' (1999), p. 372.</ref> | |||
| In 2014 and 2015 two books were published about the programme, a re-enactment, and a literal validation.{{Citation needed|date=April 2016}} | |||
| ==See also== | ==See also== | ||
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| ==References== | ==References== | ||
| {{Reflist}} | {{Reflist}} | ||
| ==External links== | |||
| * | |||
| * - a re-enactment of the seminar | |||
| * - a literal validation of the programme | |||
| {{New Age Movement}} | |||
| {{DEFAULTSORT:Exegesis (Group)}} | {{DEFAULTSORT:Exegesis (Group)}} | ||
| ] | |||
| ] | ] | ||
| ] | ] | ||
Latest revision as of 16:48, 10 December 2024
Group of individuals that delivered the Exegesis ProgrammeExegesis was a group of individuals that delivered the Exegesis Programme through an Exegesis Seminar. The alleged end result of the programme was individual enlightenment, a personal transformation. Founded in 1976 as Infinity Training by Robert D'Aubigny, a former actor, Exegesis ran seminars in the United Kingdom in the later 1970s and early 1980s. Although not in itself a religion or belief, the programme was popularly interpreted as such. The Cult Information Centre categorised it as a "therapy cult", focused on personal and individual development, and George Chryssides categorised it as a self religion.
In the 1970s Robert D’Aubigny remodelled Werner Erhard's controversial EST program into the more UK friendly Exegesis programme while keeping the essence of it unaltered. Graduates of the programme could attend workshops where a participant worked on personal development while being supported in confronting worst fears. At one time Exegesis claimed to have about 5,000 people in the programme.
Robert D'Aubigny was influenced by 'eastern mysticism', being very prevalent in the UK in the 1970's. The stated aims of the organisation were the 'transformation of society' as he viewed present society as 'misled'. Exegesis planned a 'university city' at 'Avalon' the fictional home of King Arthur where the headquarters for this 'transformation of society' would be engineered. Exegesis were quite happy to refer to themselves as a cult and one of Mr D'Aubigny's stated aims was to become an MP within '5 years'. His movement was almost entirely discredited as being the work of a ' paranoid megalomaniac'. He has maintained some cult following among pseudo 'new-age' groups and quack psychologists.
Greater interest in the programme led to the group being investigated by the press and becoming the subject of a controversial television play. In 1984 British Members of Parliament raised questions in the House of Commons, to which the Minister of State for Home Affairs David Mellor responded "some organisations and views are deeply repugnant to most sensible people and profoundly wrong-headed and damaging to those drawn into the web of their activities. Nevertheless, unless and until those involved actually break the law, it is difficult for the Government to set their hand against them." The Home Office asked the Metropolitan and Avon and Somerset police to investigate Exegesis following the suicide of Ashley Doubtfire after he attended a 'seminar'. Although the police brought no charges, Exegesis ceased to run seminars around 1984, but re-emerged as a telesales company called Programmes Ltd, which had a turnover of nearly £6.5 million in 1990.
See also
References
- ^ George D. Chryssides (12 November 2001). Exploring New Religions. A&C Black. pp. 19, 278, 372. ISBN 978-0-8264-5959-6.
- ^ Kirby, Terry (12 December 2002). "Caplin 'recruited' for therapy cult investigated by police". The Independent. Retrieved 5 October 2019.
- Goldacre, Ben (31 July 2003). "Watch out, Caplin's about". The Guardian. Retrieved 10 April 2020.
- ^ Mick Brown, "I know I'm unstable. I accept that". The Daily Telegraph, August 31, 1998.
- "Adjournment debate - Mr. Ashley Doubtfire". House of Commons. UK Parliament. 14 May 1984. HC Deb 14 May 1984 vol 60 cc124-30. Retrieved 6 October 2019.
- Jamie Doward; Ben Whitford (21 September 2003). "Cult taught Cherie's guru to confront demons". The Observer.