Dahn Yoga Supporters Respond To SFR Item On Claims Against Founder
Last week’s news brief about a lawsuit against the Dahn Yoga organization, a controversial group that SFR has covered previously, generated a goodly number of comments on our website. It looks like an astroturf campaign, judging by the pseudonyms and the striking similarity of the comments.
Many not only blame the messenger (that would be SFR), but also the woman who alleges she was sexually assaulted by Dahn Yoga founder Ilchi Lee, whom a follower describes as “the most giving considerate and hard working person I have ever met.”
It’s not all a love-fest, though. This comment, by a “Dahn Instructor,” suggests that Lee’s accuser just wants attention:
Jessica Harrelson is lying about these claims not only because she wants money, but because she knows that stupid, sensationalist reporters will eat it up. Why don’t you report AFTER the trial… And why don’t you report a public apology about your BS story AFTER the trial…
For the record, the reason newspapers don’t wait to report until “AFTER the trial” is because hundreds of years of legal practice in countries around the world has led to the expectation that trials will be public events. The reason people got so upset about Guantanamo Bay was that the military commissions there were closed to the public and thus, prone to abuse.
This is Civics 101, folks, which must not be included in Brain Wave Vibration courses.
Others worry about the harm to Ilchi Lee’s reputation:
Trail [sic] by media tarnishes the reputation and discredits the life of a person who has dedicated his life to empowering people to recover their health and happiness and toward establishing peace on this planet. This kind of irresponsible reporting will unfortunately prevent people from experiencing all the benefits of this practice.
More irresponsible would be to swallow Dahn Yoga’s sales pitch as a kind of miracle cure—as one commenter writes, “so much cheaper then paying at hospital!”
In any event, the response was enough to warrant a reply. And, it seemed worthwhile to post a copy of the complaint, so anyone who’s curious can read exactly what’s been alleged against Dahn. Here it is in PDF form.
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June 16th, 2009 at 9:03 pm
Hi corey,
Thank you for your interest in dahn yoga. I am too am a dahn yoga instructor and was very disappointed to learn about the lawsuit against Dahn Yoga. I know that you don’t believe in it as a practice and feel it is probable just something that soft headed people do to make themselves feel better. I know that it can and does get results; sometimes even in situations where the western orthodoxed approach to medicine fails.
I know that Dahn Yoga is a company that has triple bottom line, to help people become healthier, to share the philosophy of Hong Ik Ihn Gan, E Hwa Sae Gae(To be the person who widely benefits others, and creates a more harmonious earth) and like any other business to make money.
I would just urge people to keep a cool head, and realize that the at this point it is only a complaint and not a declaration of guilt.
June 17th, 2009 at 6:10 pm
It is so sad that something like this occur, but I also believe that truth will prevail. I know that my heart is in the right place. I decided to become part of Dahn because I saw the vision that spoke to my heart and soul. It has been an incredible journey to be able to see others and myself grow and be able to expand our love.
June 17th, 2009 at 7:04 pm
Thanks for pointing out a few issues to consider…
I am somebody who has had good experiences with Dahn Yoga.
I’m also familiar with many of the individuals making the complaint. From what I know and have experienced, this complaint is unfounded and malicious slander.
But you are right, newspapers have the right and responsibility to report on this kind of thing and when the initial complaint is so negative, it would be unusual not to report in that way.
Dahn Yoga is not what the people filing this lawsuit assert. Dahn Yoga is an organization aimed at deliving tools, techniques and support for better health, happiness, and peace.
In the end I am confident our debate will show that to be true.
June 17th, 2009 at 11:18 pm
Some people are motivated by revenge, others by the chance to make some easy money. Also there are those who thrive on scandal and spreading discontent. Let’s be thankful for the majority who are fair-minded, good-hearted human beings.
I am confident that the allegations in this complaint will be proven untrue based on my own very positive experiences with Dahn Yoga, the programs and people involved.
June 18th, 2009 at 8:51 am
“This is Civics 101, folks, which must not be included in Brain Wave Vibration courses.”
“More irresponsible would be to swallow Dahn Yoga’s sales pitch as a kind of miracle cure-”
Hmm this Corey guys sounds bit too hostile and defensive for a reporter…
I think he has some preconception about the organization… Is this just a personal blog or a real news website. Isn’t reporters supposed to be unbiased? Unlike being just a “messanger”, he seems like he has a personal agenda here…
June 18th, 2009 at 10:07 am
Maybe let a jury decide on these allegations instead of people with an emotional and financial investment in the case. Lots of groups through history have lofty, humanitarian goals, yet use means that are manipulative and harmful.
No one is disputing that the exercise produces results. Just because part of an organization helps people does not mean that it could not possibly manipulate others. I understand that it is hard to see in from the outside, but folks, it’s also hard to see out from the inside.
June 21st, 2009 at 11:00 pm
Hey all you “pots” calling the kettle black. Dahn’s “vision” is all about money; Ilchi Lee is made into a gazillionairre on the backs of cheap human labor, expensive programs, and huge donations. These plaintiffs aren’t in it for the money; they may pay dearly for their attempt to bring attention to their experience, financially and emotionally. It’s a long, grueling and painful ordeal to sue for undue persuasion in this Caveat Emptor culture where blaming the victim, especially a sexual assault victim, is typical. I applaud you, Corey, for helping to bring this lawsuit (and that some of Ilchi Lee’s government endorsements were unintended) to the public’s attention. The Dahn defenders here sound self-centered, only thinking about themselves and how Dahn makes them feel so good. Of course exercise is fantastic and healing; group love (“love-bombing”) feels fantastic, the idea of saving the earth and the world feels fantastic. That’s how manipulative organizations succeed in creating loyal followers who will work 24-7 to recruit more loyal followers. The masters who are suing now would have been defending Dahn and Ilchi Lee here too if they hadn’t been jerked out of their sycophantic brain fog. The people here don’t get a clue even knowing that a woman died on a healer school hike while other trainees literally watched her suffer for hours and hours (the reports say they had a cell phone too!) They don’t see any sign of sexual exploitation even though a high level master who worked closely with Ilchi Lee published her story of sexual exploitation in 1999 and another top level master who held an executive position filed suit in 2002 against for the SAME kind of reasons that the 24 masters are suing now. And those are just the cases that made it to the internet. Wake up people!
June 22nd, 2009 at 11:48 am
This is Astro-turfing at the highest level. I was a Dahn master and know exactly how these things happen. Every response you see here is because masters have been given a “mission” to post their positive comments on all “anti-sites” as they call them to try and combat “negative information”. I agree with PK – the benefits of the practice are REAL, but the leader is corrupt and has harmed so many people because he can no longer see himself.
June 25th, 2009 at 3:58 pm
I have a loved one in this cult and the back office side of brain washed employees is a cult. My loved one used to tell me about a lot of the same things that are detailed in this lawsuit until she got further in and then the story changed as she denied what she had told me just a few months before. Ilchi Lee throws out his ideas as facts and then his followers take the approach that if you can’t prove me wrong then it must be right. My loved one works for a little over minimum wage; has no health insurance because she can’t afford it on that little wage (oh but she doesn’t need it because true Dahn masters can heal themselves); doesn’t get paid time off; is pushed to go on trips that she can’t afford so she begs, borrows, and steals to go on them [she can't seem to say no to them]; she has gone nearly $20k into debt in less than two years because of this cult; and she has damaged or destroyed nearly every relationship she had two years ago (a Dahn master told us that if we wanted to train with Dahn then we needed to remove all our attachments [expect to Dahn of course]).
Our family has been seeking professional help from a therapist who specializes in cults. So let me ask you all, does this sound like a healthy organization? Is this a place that you want to join? I think there are positives to what they teach in the regular classes but Ilchi Lee’s greed destroyed a good business and put the emphasis all on making him rich (or richer). $5k, $10k, and $20k membership levels??
Don’t forget, the ultimate vision of Ilchi Lee is to get 100 million people to be “enlightened” by Dahn. At a $1,000 a pop or more for membership, that’s a LOT of profit for Mr Lee (he doesn’t have a real doctorate degree so shouldn’t be using Dr).
Every center has a “vision” for how much they are supposed to make. Every item in the center is meant to generate revenue for Ilchi Lee; $90 vibrating brains, $6 socks, $10 CDs, uniforms that you have to buy, etc.
Members are pressured (I have witnessed this first hand) into classes, workshops, and energy checkups that they can’t really afford but foolishly believe the Dahn people are looking out for them. I’ve talked to members who were promised free classes or workshops and then a new master comes to the center and the deal disappears.
Ever wonder why the masters are rotated so frequently?? Dahn doesn’t want any pesky attachment to occur with members.
As far as the sexual assault charges, I believe that a man with the greed and hunger for power that Ilchi Lee has will let it go to his head and believe that he can do anything. I’ve seen how his die hard members act when he is around, like he is a living God. It is odd to me the previous lawsuit was settled out of court after failed attempts to get the case sealed. I would think that a real man who was innocent would want to prove it in court instead of pay off someone who doesn’t deserve it. Settling looks like guilty to me.
Dahn is a very well oiled machine. When this lawsuit came out all the employees were coached on it and what their response should be. Ask a Dahn employee about it and it will echo nearly perfectly with the Dahn spokesman.
I pray everyday that my loved one will be saved and returned to us. After that we will be looking for payback too, payback for the financial damages and the extensive therapy treatment that my loved one will need.
This story is not over…. time to face reality and the American justice system Ilchi Lee! Hopefully there will be a nice prison cell waiting for you before you reach that nice warm place after you kick the bucket. One way or another judgement day will come for you and you’ll pay for what you’ve done.
June 27th, 2009 at 3:00 pm
I’m the newest creation of Dahn. who was being groomed for operation of a Brain and Body Center. For non members this is where you have a franchise supposedly separate from Dahn. This means all the liability lies with the franchise owner instead of Dahn and they still milk the money. The training you receive is laughable, you have expertise in nothing, but you are made to believe this is how all the Dahn centers were started and then you realize the very masters you thought were so gifted had no training either. I came to Dahn to learn yoga and to better my life. I made the mistake of sharing personal information in the beginning that allowed my vulnerbility for mind control. The classes were guided to make you feel healthy, and relaxed. The techniques were nothing to speak of they used simple stretching like a dancer would use, they than entered short spurts of thought stopping with hypnotic trances. But after these classes you would have to share about what you felt during class, you would be encouraged to sign up for workshops coming that weekend. Each workshop was designed to bring you closer to the core member statis. Which meant they were systematically giving you a Dahn brain instead of your old brain. After a while you were conditioned to believe that following Ilchi was the only thing you had to understand and you shouldn’t even really understand it, just know you are on the right path. This meant you were to limit outside information, outside involvement with people who were not on your enlightened path, to give up your attachments to children, to material things, to money, to sex. You were made to believe that giving these things up made you stronger on your path to spiritual completion
These classes were followed up with self massage and sometimes group massage with partners. The love bath was mandatory after every class with members hugging other members, and members having to hug masters before leaving. Your old brain keeps coming up with questions that masters are trained not to answer and soon silence is assumed understanding and you eventually quit asking, and just accept everything to be truth, or maybe the word is conditioned to accept. Dahn has some basis in Tao, and allowed with no push for money would have been pure. But the cancer started with the very thing Tao philosopers warn against, greed.
Soon the reality is the cancerous machine sucks the power in the form of money from all its followers, till one can see no way out. They talk of happiness, freedom, creating your life as you want it, the trouble is they have altered your thinking to a dillusional world where Mr. Lee is dictating and in reality you no longer exist, you only live for his madness. I pray every day that the good honest people sucked in will find there way out. And that the world will see Ilchi for the mad man he is.