CultNEWS101 Articles: 2/3/2026

[Patrick Ryan]

Sai Baba, FLDS

EducaSectas: The Sindhi connection: The Canary Islands continue to resist the decline of Sai Baba's organization

"In 2000, former devotee David Bailey published a document entitled "The Findings" that shook the entire Sai Baba community . In this document, he detailed how the supposed "materializations" of sacred objects and jewelry were, in reality, sleight of hand performed with prefabricated objects. Bailey claimed to have repeatedly observed Sai Baba concealing vibhuti pills between his fingers, which he would then crush when necessary. The ash distributed in the ashram was industrially produced by burning cow dung and sandalwood, and processed by volunteers before being packaged. He also described the use of velvet robes and chairs to conceal objects that were later "discovered" through sleight of hand. Furthermore, the document presented numerous testimonies from students and young people in the Netherlands, Australia, Germany, and India who reported harassment, masturbation, and sexual acts by Sai Baba during private interviews, often justified under the concept of "kundalini awakening." In this document, Bailey alleged that child abuse had occurred. Following these revelations, Sai Baba's school in Sweden was closed and several international coordinators resigned.

Although Sai Baba's organization was recognized for its great works, Bailey's report presented an alarming internal reality at the Super-Specialty Hospital and the Water Project. Internal medicine physicians warned of deficient aseptic techniques and deplorable hygiene conditions. Despite massive donations—including one of $49 million—certain wings of the hospital remained closed due to a supposed "lack of funds." The report also detailed allegations of organ theft (specifically, a kidney) and ongoing legal disputes in India. Furthermore, the report contradicted the official claim that 750 villages were receiving water; field investigations and local press reports revealed broken pipes, nonexistent tanks, and villages that had not received any water at all.

Finally, Bailey's document described a deceptive funding system, particularly for foreign devotees. Numerous devotees reported handing over large sums of money for housing units at the ashram without receiving receipts or the promised properties. Despite the official "no fundraising" policy, selected devotees were given Indian bank account numbers for direct deposits. It was also noted that the organization offered false information about tax benefits for donations, claiming that the Indian trust was a UK-registered charity to avoid inheritance tax.

According to the experiences of former devotees, the worship of Sai Baba was maintained through mechanisms of psychological and social control. The long hours of waiting in darshan lines and peer pressure created a state of vulnerability where common sense was replaced by blind faith. Sai Baba made serious factual errors (such as being unaware of the death of journalist Peggy Mason or contradicting his own previous pronouncements on the birth of Christ), which disproved his purported omniscience. Members of his inner circle privately admitted that "Swami doesn't know what he's talking about," but they maintained the facade of divinity to preserve the power structure and personal gain.

Independent: Towns scarred by Warren Jeffs’ polygamous ’cult’ undergo dramatic transformation

"Prairie dresses, walled compounds and distrust of outsiders that were once hallmarks of two towns on the Arizona-Utah border are mostly gone.

These days, Colorado City, Arizona, and neighboring Hildale, Utah, look much like any other town in the remote and picturesque area near Zion National Park, with weekend soccer games, a few bars, and even a winery.

Until courts wrested control of the towns from a polygamous sect whose leader and prophet, Warren Jeffs, was imprisoned for sexually assaulting two girls, youth sports, cocktail hours and many other common activities were forbidden.

The towns have transformed so quickly that they were released from court-ordered supervision last summer, almost two years earlier than expected. It wasn't easy.

“What you see is the outcome of a massive amount of internal turmoil and change within people to reset themselves,” said Willie Jessop, a onetime spokesman for the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints who later broke with the sect. 'We call it ‘life after Jeffs’ — and, frankly, it’s a great life.'"

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