1. In 1977 when I finished my first term paper on Eckankar (and one year prior to the second and more infamous term paper, THE MAKING OF A SPIRITUAL MOVEMENT), Eckankar's attorney, Alan Nichols, stated in a personal and confidential letter that Eckankar would sue me if I published my term paper. I did publish it. (In the span of some six months there were a series of letters between Eckankar's attorney and my sister, who is also an attorney, concerning my legal rights to publish my term paper. Eckankar eventually backed off, even though they sent out world-wide memos claiming that I was part of the Kal forces from the beginning of time.

    2. In 1983 when Brian Walsh (via Del Mar Press) published the first paperback version of the book, Eckankar legally threatened to sue me over the cover, which they claimed was copyright enfringement [there was an Ek symbol on the cover, with a no-smoking kinda of sign over it---and partially covered up by the line going through the Ek symbol]. They were also greatly troubled by my claims about Eckankar's history. This time Eckankar was very serious and I had to get top notch representation. I was represented by Rogers and Wells, the well known legal firm. After several months of intense legal pressure (I think Eckankar even went so far as to file suit), there was an out of court settlement, which worked both to my advantage and to Eckankar's. I am not allowed to publicly comment on it since it was agreed to be kept private.

    3. In the late 1980s I also received another legal threat from Eckankar; this time concerning new editions of my book.

    4. In 1993 when Eckankar learned that Garland Publishing, Inc., was going to publish a hardback, library, version of my book, they sent a series of legal threats to Garland. These threats were serious enough to cause Garland to cancel publication of the book, even though it was proof-read and ready for the press and advertised in their catalogs.

    Thus, Eckankar has always been legally threatening, in some form or another, the various manifestations of the book. I am fairly convinced that Eckankar will be after me again later this year, especially in light of the various internet postings.

    Will keep you up to date, when new information comes in.

    P.S. Concerning John-Roger Hinkins, MSIA and Insight Transformational Seminars (and co-author of Life 101, etc.), he was responsible for several death threats made against me and my associates. He was also responsible for the robbery and ransacking of my home/office on October 5, 1984. Although he used to be a member of Eckankar, J.R. has no connection with that group today.

    J.R. has never legally threatened me, even though on a nationally televised program I categorically stated that he personally robbed my home.

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    This is being posted to outline the lawsuit that was taken against Ed Gruss and Jim Peebles and Eckankar's response to THE MAKING back in the late 1970s

[Preface - THE EVOLUTION OF A TERM PAPER - from " The making of a spiritual movement" ]

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