Although Kevin Shepherd is a staunch Anti-New Age advocate and Anti-Guru advocate, he devoted a lengthy section (on his page discussing the Sai Controversy) to Dr. Timothy Conway, citing him as a credible and intelligent reference against Sathya Sai Baba. Some relevant quotes:
“However, the counter of Dr. Timothy Conway is more convincing to non-sectarian analysts...Even the American ex-devotee Dr. Timothy Conway has been on the edged receiving end of sectarian disapproval...A relevant report comes from Dr. Timothy Conway (an American ex-devotee, not a medic but a scholar of Indian religion). He has contributed a recent lengthy webpage that substantially contradicts the sectarian evasion of alleged sexual abuse by the guru...The total list of these three categories involves ‘nearly 50 named and unnamed individuals. Dr. Conway adds that sectarian denials are contradicted by the (obvious) fact that ‘there are simply far too many allegations corroborating each other on similar crucial details.’...Dr. Conway informs that ‘numerous students have allegedly expressed fear to researchers about saying anything of Sathya Sai Baba’s sexual improprieties with them for reasons of shame and family situation (e.g., their parents and grandparents are devotees).’...Dr. Timothy Conway exited from the sect in 2001. He was subsequently asked to submit questions for Dr. Michael Goldstein as part of the BBC research preparations for their 2004 documentary The Secret Swami...”
Although strong counter-arguments have been made against Dr Timothy Conway, Kevin Shepherd blindly referenced him although Timothy Conway is a true believer and promoter of Gurus [3], Mystics [3], Enlightened Masters [3], psychics [1] [2] [4], levitation [5], bi-location [5], miracles [5], remote-viewing [4], elementals, meditation [2] [6], paranormal powers [5], aliens [4] [10], rebirth [1] [7], reincarnation [1] [7], karma [8], oracles [2], I-Ching [2], sensitives [1] [2], channelers [1] [2], astrology [2], astrologists [2], palm-reading [2], non-duality [9], etc. (the list goes on and on).
For example, if you are looking for an answer to a difficult problem, PhD Timothy Conway suggested the following solutions:
“Ask God (Spirit, the one God-Self) for guidance and for some kind of ‘omen’ or ‘sign,’ if needed, to proceed in a certain direction (i.e., making choice A, B, C or whatever). Be willing to wait several days or weeks (or, in some cases, months or even years for this guidance to manifest)...Use an oracle, such as the I Ching (Book of Changes). More simply, you can ask for Divine Guidance and then flip a coin--with heads meaning one choice, tails meaning the other choice. If you like, flip it 10 times and see if a clear pattern emerges. You might say, ‘Well, how the coin flips is simply due to chance.’ Perhaps. But one can also trust that there is a deeper Principle behind everything that happens, and you can ask this Divine Guiding Intelligence to show you an answer via the coin-tossing process. Alternatively, you can create a slightly more sophisticated oracle of your own by getting out 3 or 4 pieces of paper. Then write ‘yes’ on one, ‘no’ on another, ‘wait’ on a third piece of paper, and, if you like, ‘wrong question’ on the fourth piece of paper. Then turn them face down, scramble them up, and pick one of the 3 or 4 pieces of paper to get guidance this way...You can also consult a psychic ‘sensitive’ and/or an astrologer or a palmist (Indian jyotish astrology followed by Western astrology seem to be the most accurate astrology systems. And, curiously, palmistry and astrology seem to complement each other as different methods for getting to the same ‘karmic’ information on the soul’s mission, destiny, strengths and vulnerabilities).” (Reference)
Timothy Conway is also set to release two books praising over 40 Gurus, “Wonder-Workers”, Sages, Saints and Tantriks in 2009. What is so amusing about this is that Kevin Shepherd often attacks New Age believers and Guru promoters as being brainwashed and mentally sick. However, when it comes to Sathya Sai Baba, Kevin Shepherd discards his “scholarly”, “academic” and scientific posturing and cites New Age believers and Guru promoters as reliable and reputable references against him. Since Kevin Shepherd heavily cited Timothy Conway on his domains, he apparently researched Timothy Conway’s beliefs and approved of them.
Timothy Conway cannot take a consistent position for or against Sathya Sai Baba. For example, Timothy Conway had the following to say about Sathya Sai Baba and his alleged paranormal powers:
- Timothy Conway: “ I remain convinced that there are paranormal miracles (wondrous anomalies), and ‘deep, mysterious energies,’ perhaps involving multi-dimensional physics and paranormal or supra-normal power, that are occurring around and through the personality of Sathya Sai Baba.”
- Timothy Conway: “Sathya Sai could be an amazingly accomplished but fallen yogi (yogabhrashta)...”
- Timothy Conway: “We should also be aware that these energies and powers could be coming from Sai Baba of Shirdi and/or the Divine Absolute...”
- Timothy Conway: “Perhaps he is just a highly adept but fallen yogi or an inter-dimensionally powerful but contaminated ‘channel’ for the former Sai Baba of Shirdi (d.1918).”
- Timothy Conway: “the powers of someone who has some ‘elemental spirits’ or other entities helping him from interdimensional planes? (–no joke: it’s a very old, worldwide knowledge that one can derive certain powers by contacting such entities).” Ref: Conway Email No. 8.
- Timothy Conway: “Now, a purna avatar would, it seems, incarnate the totality of God, including the polarity play of light-dark, purity-mischief, unattachment-lust, and so on. This is a disturbing concept, but perhaps quite applicable to Baba’s controversial activity. Moreover, the sexual activity, which we now know to apparently involve considerable lust, might be Baba’s way of transmuting the very heavy sexual energy among humanity at this time on the planet.”
- Timothy Conway: “I have sometimes thought that Sai is lustfully ‘taking on’ (on a psychic level) the lust of humanity to clear our sexual karma.”
- Timothy Conway: “I grant that much or most of Baba’s spectacular mission has been about teaching and demonstrating Love.”
- Timothy Conway: “I do believe that there has been an astonishing amount of genuine goodness, compassion and spiritual upliftment in and around Baba.”
Does Kevin Shepherd agree with these statements by Timothy Conway as well, or are his agreements selective and self-serving?
Timothy Conway also believed and endorsed (Ref) the alleged experiences of Shirlи Klein-Carsh, a so-called “Indigo” (an alleged extraterrestrial alien that voluntarily incarnates in human form on Earth). Shirlи Klein-Carsh claimed she was psychologically, spiritually and artistically guided by a cleverly disguised alien from Sirius (the star in the constellation of Canis Major) who worked as an electronics repairman in a second-hand shop. Timothy Conway said:
“This is a fascinating study of someone with sensitivities hardly dreamed of by most persons. Other books present the carefully presented and reasoned case for the existence of inter-dimensional aliens interacting with humans. This book goes straight into the mystery and wonder of the human-alien contact.” - Timothy Conway, PhD., author of ‘Women of Power and Grace’
Furthering his alien and UFO beliefs, Timothy Conway attempted to argue that if Sai Baba possesses paranormal powers, he could easily “warp spacetime” by creating an “insular interdimensional environment” where he could engage in abuse without easy detection. Attempting to bolster this asinine argument, Timothy Conway argued that people who are abducted by aliens and who experience the “missing time” phenomenon, have been lifted, transported and relocated to other areas without their spouses being aware of anything amiss. That’s right, Timothy Conway believes that it is possible that Sai Baba molested alleged victims on another dimension, which is why it is so difficult for them to prove their allegations and why there is an abysmal lack of witnesses supporting their claims (Ref: Conway Email No. 10).
These are the amusing beliefs held by a PhD who attempts to take a sober and rational position against Sathya Sai Baba. Timothy Conway, Ex-Devotees and Kevin Shepherd are hypocrites who immediately jump to the worse case conspiratorial view and adamantly refuse to coherently and legitimately provide factual and verifiable information to support their smear campaigns against Sathya Sai Baba.
Kevin R.D. Shepherd not only endorsed and cited Guru Advocate & New Age Promoter Timothy Conway, he also endorsed and cited Psychic Trance Medium Conny Larsson, New Age Practitioner & Reincarnator Alan Kazlev and New Age Ramtha Adherent Ullrich Zimmermann. What does this say about Kevin Shepherd? Kevin Shepherd is obviously a very gullible and naive person who is willing to give credence to New Age beliefs by claiming that New Age followers are intelligent, honest, credible and reliable individuals who are worthy of being referenced by him (an alleged “scholarly” and “academic” author not given to superstition or superstitious beliefs).
Tsk.
