Nori Muster
In a recent email to Nori: "Your experience and the fact that you have transformed it in such a way into doing good, in my opinion is a huge triumph for the human spirit over manipulation."
Articles - Essays - Books - Fiction - Poetry - Interviews - Miscellaneous - Artwork - Photography
Losing the Delta Queen Aug. 13, 2007; and The Delta Queen Fights Back! story and photos by Nori Muster, Nov. 2, 2007, published at CruiseMates.com.
Life as a Woman on Watseka Avenue Published in the book, "The Hare Krishna Movement: The Post-charismatic Fate of a Religious Transplant," by Edwin Bryant, Ph.D., and Maria Ekstrand, Ph.D., eds., Columbia University Press, 2004. (See book cover, below.)
My Study of Child Abuse in Cults Published in the book, "Take Back Your Life: Recovering from Cults and Abusive Relationships," by Janja Lalich and Madeleine Tobias, Bay Tree Publishing, Berkeley, California, 2006. (See book cover, below.)
Archetypes of Ex-Membership Abstract: A researcher and ex-member of ISKCON, The International Society for Krishna Consciousness, offers an inside view of what it's like to be an ex-cult member. She identifies post-traumatic stress and identity crisis as the two most common themes of ex-membership. At the root of post-traumatic stress are the themes justice, stigma, and perspective; at the root of identity crisis are the themes home, personal belief system, and storytelling. She offers literary examples that serve as myths to illustrate the ex-member experience. The stories are drawn from American literature, the Vedas, and popular culture. (Click here to read Archetypes of Ex-Membership. Or, read the original, unabridged version of this essay, which includes more examples and metaphorical stories: click here.)
Story Matters Lessons and warnings against child abuse in the Hindu scriptures
Book Review: The Satanic Verses, by Salman Rushdie (reviewed by Nori Muster)
Book Review: Servant of the Lotus Feet: A Hare Krishna Odyssey, by Gabriel Brandis Universe, Inc. (New York, 2004), Cultic Studies Review, Vol. 4, No. 2, 2005, Reviewed by Nori Muster.
Betrayal of the Spirit, by Nori J. Muster, University of Illinois Press, 1997.
"A delightfully written narrative tapestry."- Dr. Larry Shinn
Click here to read reviews from Publisher's Weekly, Yoga Journal, and others; click here for the Betrayal homepage at this site; click here to go to Amazon for table of contents, index, and first six pages of the book; click here to see the University of Illinois Press' page for the book.
Learning to Flow with the Tao, by Nori J. Muster, Surrealist.org, 2000.
Over the years, thousands of people have come to Surrealist.org to read their I Ching. We have received dozens of letters of thanks. Click here to read your I Ching online.
The Hare Krishna Movement: The Postcharismatic Fate of a Religious Transplant by Edwin Bryant, Ph.D., and Maria Ekstrand, Ph.D., eds. Columbia University Press, 2004.
This is a collection of articles by members, ex-members, and academics who have studied the Hare Krishna movement. It traces the organization's development since the death of Srila Prabhupada, hence the title "post charismatic fate." Nori's article is Chapter 18, Life as a Woman on Watseka Avenue. Click here to read the article at this site. The book is $50 and available through Amazon (click here). Read reviews at the Columbia University Press web site: click here.
Take Back Your Life: Recovering from Cults and Abusive Relationships by Janja Lalich and Madeleine Tobias, Bay Tree Publishing, Berkeley, California, 2006. Nori's article, My Study of Child Abuse in Cults, is Chapter 17 in this book. Click here to read the article at this site. To see the table of contents and excerpts at Amazon, click here. Publisher's site: BayTreePublish.com.
Cult Survivor's Handbook: How to Live in the Material World Again, by Nori J. Muster, Surrealist.org, 2001. Self-help book for people recovering from cult involvement or family of origin issues, if the family operated like a cult. Read the book, posted free at this site, click here.
Dreaming Peace: Your Thoughts Can Change the World, by Nori J. Muster, Surrealist.org, 2007. Positive thinking for the post-9/11 world. Read the book, posted free at this site, click here.
Spiritual Summer: A Novel, by Nori J. Muster, Surrealist.org, 2002.
This is the story of a young woman who spends the summer between high school and college at an exotic Indian temple in Los Angeles. She falls in love with Jeff, a staunch follower, in an environment that is inhospitable to love. Read the book, posted free at this site, click here.
05 February 05 Mermaid Winds
08 March 03 Thoughts about birds and war
Free Writing, c. 2002
Rumi + Free writing based on the poetry of Rumi
Mohini Photos and description of Mohini Murti, by Nori Muster
Last Days A short story about leaving the Hare Krishna temple
The True Story of Noriland An introduction to Nori's artwork
07 September 02 An Angel Cries - Thoughts on the first anniversary of 9-11
Excerpt from the Noriland Manifesto - poem
Spiritual Summer a novel (written in 1990, now posted free at this site - see book cover, above)
Find Me At the Gates A sci-fi story that takes place in 2012 about a woman who used to be a Hare Krishna. She moves back to Los Angeles and has to face her past.
The Surrealist Workshop - a social movement to restore honesty to society.
The Capitol Days Nori's interview with her parents about their years at Capitol Records in the 1950s
Old Hollywood with Lu Kennard Nori's interview with family friend Lu Kennard about her history in Hollywood in the 1950s - 1960s.
Dream Book An illustrated book of dreams from 1994.
Star Registry Name a star through Surrealist.org.
The Nitty Gritty on Cults Writings about the Krishnas, other cults, and gurus in general.
Authoritarian Culture and Child Abuse in ISKCON published in Cultic Studies Review Vol. 3, No. 4.
American Religions Collection (ARC) - Alongside the core collection donated by Melton are more than 60 other discrete manuscript collections. The Nori Muster Betrayal of the Spirit Collection, for example, contains correspondence, diaries, interviews, and other material from a former member and associate editor of ISKCON World Review: Newspaper of the Hare Krishna Movement.
Child Abuse Information Writings on child abuse recovery, the symptoms of child abuse.
Ongoing Weblog Drug war, 9/11, Bush Crisis, Culture War.
Parenting Workshop Essays and advice for families.
Sureralist Archives Pages that were removed from Surrealist.org in 2005, reinstated.
