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Kevin  R. D.  Shepherd  (born  1950)  is  a  British  writer.  He has composed diverse books ranging from Psychology in Science (1983) to Pointed Observations (2005).   He  also contributed  two  earlier  websites, and these  are respectively  citizeninitiative.com (August 2007)  and kevinrdshepherd.net  (September 2008). See further independentphilosophy.net (November 2009). He has a blog on philosophy at Observations and Reflections.  His  fifth  website  is  citizenphilosophy.net  (January  2010).

The  present  website  comprises  the  following  webpages  by  Kevin  R. D. Shepherd:

ASPECTS  OF  CITIZEN  PHILOSOPHY

A  compact  explanation  of  the  orientation  expressed  by  Shepherd  in  web  articles,  published  epistles, and  his  book  Pointed  Observations. This  orientation  includes,  as  an  extension,  his  earlier  exercise  in the  philosophy  of  culture,  which  he  describes  as  interdisciplinary  anthropography,  not  to  be  confused with  ethnography.

KATE  THOMAS  AND  THE   FINDHORN   FOUNDATION

A  coverage  of  the  major  dissident  at  the  Findhorn Foundation,   who  was  repressed  and  stigmatised by the management and staff of this "alternative" organisation. The Findhorn Foundation has claimed spiritual and therapeutic characteristics, and for many years capitalised upon the theme of "conflict resolution." In reality, there was no such resolution with dissidents, despite marked tendencies to reconciliation  from  the  latter.   The  evasive  policy  of  the  Foundation  has  caused  Kate Thomas  to resort  to  solicitors.   A  unique  feature  of  this  webpage  is  the  incorporation  of  the  legal  attention factor in detailed format.  Solicitor  correspondence with the Findhorn Foundation, dating to 2008-2009, is here  reproduced. That  correspondence  has  confirmed  the  evasive  tactic of the organisation at issue, and  made  the  position  of  the  Findhorn  Foundation  even  more  indefensible  in  the  eyes  of  observers.

THE  FINDHORN  FOUNDATION:  PROBLEMS

Findhorn  Foundation  wind  turbines

An overview of some basic events concerning the alternative community, which originated in 1962 in a caravan  park  at  Findhorn  Bay  (Moray, Scotland).  The  eventual  reliance  of  the Findhorn Foundation upon  commercial "workshops,"  associated  with  the  prototype of  Esalen (in California), met a setback in the promotion  of  the Grof alternative therapy  known as Holotropic  Breathwork, which was suspended because of an official warning made in 1993 by the Scottish Charities Office, who acted on a report commissioned  from  Edinburgh  University.  The  subsequent  economic  problems  of the Foundation receive  mention,  and  also  the  controversial  pursuit of CIFAL status that was gained in 2006 for a projected ecology programme associated with the Findhorn Ecovillage.  Formerly  obscured dissident correspondence  with  Scottish  politicians  is  here  exhumed,  casting  light  upon  events  too  rarely  seen in  due  perspective.

LETTER  TO  ROBERT  WALTER  MP  ON  THE  FINDHORN  FOUNDATION

Robert  Walter  MP

This epistle to a British Member of Parliament is dated November 2008. It was written in counter to a misleading  communication  from  the Director of  the Findhorn Foundation,  who  was attempting to justify the discrepant position of that organisation in relation to solicitor confrontation. Arranged in nineteen sections, the letter of Kevin Shepherd describes and clarifies numerous points in connection with the Findhorn  Foundation  and  dissidents,  one  of  whom  was  his  mother.

KEN  WILBER  AND  INTEGRALISM

Ken  Wilber

A  lengthy  and  annotated  webpage  on  the  American  writer  Ken Wilber.  His   influential  books are described  from a critical viewpoint. The "post-metaphysical" version of spirituality by the versatile integralist  is  attended  by  a  claimed  convergence with postmodernism. The "integral psychology" of Wilber,  plus his  early "Up from Eden" theory, are amongst other components outlined.  Points of disagreement  are  charted,  and  in  relation  to  the  increasing  volume  of  "Wilber  critique"  that  has been  in  evidence  on  the  internet  during  recent  years.  The  survey  includes  reference  to  Frank Visser,   the  Dutch  commentator  who  was  formerly  a  partisan  of  Wilber  in  the  major  published  guide to  the  latter's  life  and  works  (Ken Wilber: Thought  as  Passion, 2003).  Visser  has  since  become  a  critic of  his  former  hero,  and  the  reasons  for  this  change  of  attitude  are  here  investigated.

THE  INTERNET  TERRORIST  GERALD  (JOE)  MORENO

l to r:  Gerald  (Joe)  Moreno, Sathya  Sai  Baba

Gerald  (Joe)  Moreno, of  New  Mexico, is  notorious  for  libellous  materials  that  have  gained  description in terms of blog attack, cyberstalking, and web harassment.  Moreno (alias Equalizer) has asserted  an explicit  campaign  against  critics  of  the  controversial  guru  Sathya  Sai  Baba.   However,  the  Indian factor  is  here  marginal  in  the  discussion  of  American  internet  terrorism  associated  with  a  sectarian agenda, and  one  assisted by  the absence  of  public responsibility  on the  part  of  blog  media  giants blogspot.com  and wordpress.com.  Not  content  with  militating  against  ex-devotees,  Moreno  has also attacked  complete  outsiders  to  the  Sathya  Sai  Organisation.  This  webpage  duly confronts the misinformation  and  harassing  tactic  directed  at   an  outsider.

SHIRDI  SAI  BABA   AND  THE   ' SAI  BABA  MOVEMENT '

l to r:  Shirdi  Sai  Baba,  Upasni  Maharaj,  Meher  Baba

An  annotated  webpage  describing  three  deceased  saints  of  Maharashtra. The  Muslim  faqir  Sai  Baba of  Shirdi  (died 1918)  has  been  Hinduized  in  many  portrayals.  His Hindu disciple  Upasni Maharaj (died 1941)  of  Sakori  was  an  unpredictable  guru  who  aroused   strong  opposition  from   the  brahman  caste by  his  promotion  of  female  rights  in the  sphere of  spirituality.  Upasni  created  a  distinctive  community of nuns at  his Sakori  ashram.  Meanwhile, his Irani   Zoroastrian disciple Meher  Baba (died 1969) established  Meherabad  ashram  near  Ahmednagar and  commenced silence in 1925,   a  discipline  which did  not  prevent  him  from  undertaking  many  journeys  and  conducting  diverse  activities.  This  varied trio have since  been  subsumed under the contested denominator of "Sai Baba Movement" by commentators  who  have  favoured  by  association  the  later  instance of  Sathya  Sai  Baba  of  Puttaparthi, who  lived  in Andhra  and not  Maharashtra.   Complexities of  the "Movement"  issue  are now of widespread  interest.  This  webpage  may   be  regarded  as  a  supplement  to  the  book  by  Kevin R. D. Shepherd  entitled  Investigating  the  Sai  Baba  Movement  (2005).

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None of the written materials on this website may be copied for public use or posting without written permission.

The photograph of Kevin R. D. Shepherd is copyrighted and requires due permission for public use or posting.

The photographs of Kate Thomas are also copyrighted with similar considerations of potential legal complexity  in  cases  of  abuse.

The  photographs  of  Stephen  Castro  are  also  copyrighted  with  similar  considerations  entailed.

The  photographs  of  Jill  Rathbone  are  also  copyrighted  with  similar  considerations  entailed.

The  photograph  of  Sylvia  Darke  is  also  copyrighted  with  similar  considerations  entailed.

Copyright  ©  2010  Kevin  R. D.  Shepherd.   All  Rights  Reserved.  Page uploaded August 2009,  last modified January 2010.