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Criticism of the International Sahaja Public School

The International Sahaja Public School (ISPS) is a residential boarding school affiliated with the Sahaja Yoga spiritual movement, founded under the guidance of Shri Mataji Nirmala Devi. Located in Dharamsala, Himachal Pradesh, India, the school aims to provide a spiritually focused education for children believed to be “born-realized”—a term used in Sahaja Yoga to describe individuals who are thought to possess innate spiritual enlightenment.

Although official accounts state that ISPS was established in 1990, multiple testimonies and photographic records indicate that the school’s first cohort of students arrived in Dharamsala in 1989. The children were initially housed in basic wooden huts, and due to infrastructure challenges and cleansing of chakras, were temporarily relocated to Vashi, Mumbai, before the Dharamsala campus was finalized.

The school has drawn both praise from adherents and criticism from former students and observers. Concerns raised include the isolation from family, the lack of trained educational professionals aligned with international standards, and the spiritual pressures placed on young children. Personal testimonies describe strict behavioral expectations and social hierarchies influenced by Sahaja Yoga beliefs, especially regarding family structure and spiritual “vibrations.”

ISPS continues to operate and promote its mission of spiritual education within a boarding school format. The institution remains a topic of debate among former attendees, researchers of new religious movements, and child development advocates.

1. Introduction

The International Sahaja Public School (ISPS) is a residential boarding school located in Dharamshala, Himachal Pradesh, India. Established in 1989 by Shri Mataji Nirmala Devi, the founder of the Sahaja Yoga spiritual movement, the school was created to serve the children of Sahaja Yoga practitioners. While promoted as an environment for nurturing "born-realized" children in accordance with Sahaja Yoga principles, ISPS has faced criticism from former students, educators, and researchers for alleged emotional neglect, discriminatory practices, and lack of psychological safeguarding.

2. Background

2.1 Founding and Affiliation

The International Sahaja Public School (ISPS) was founded by members of the Sahaja Yoga movement under the spiritual guidance of its founder, Shri Mataji Nirmala Devi. While the official record states that the school was established in 1990, multiple testimonies and photo evidence indicate that the first group of children was sent to Dharamsala as early as 1989.

According to eyewitness testimony, children were initially placed in basic wooden huts in the rural hills of Dharamsala with the aim of laying the foundation for a spiritual boarding school environment. However, due to logistical and infrastructural challenges, the children were temporarily relocated to Vashi, a suburb of Mumbai, before the school’s permanent site in Dharamsala was finalized.

Photograph of original hut used during the first student stay in Dharamsala, 1989. Private archive. Evidence contradicts official founding date.

This transitional period from 1989 to 1990 contradicts the organization’s official claim that the school started fully in 1990. The school later evolved into a residential institution affiliated with Sahaja Yoga’s ideology of raising “born-realized” children in a spiritually protected environment.

Original dorm where the first group of children stayed in Dharamsala, 1989. Source: private archive.

2.2 Stated Educational Goals and Philosophy

The school's purpose is to foster a vibrationally pure environment through collective meditation, spiritual discipline, and minimal exposure to external culture. Children were expected to align with Sahaja Yoga values from an early age. Instruction was primarily in English, with an emphasis on moral development through spirituality.

2.3 Temporary Relocation to Vashi

Following the initial phase of the school in Dharamsala in 1989, the students were temporarily relocated to Vashi, a suburb of Mumbai, due to poor weather conditions, limited infrastructure, and the early developmental state of the Dharamsala site. The move was presented to parents as a continuation of the children's spiritual development in a safer, more manageable setting.

Testimonies from former students describe this phase as highly regimented, with a focus on spiritual "cleansing" and behavioral correction. Children were reportedly encouraged to "cleanse" themselves from Western habits and cultural influences, which were seen as incompatible with the Sahaja Yoga way of life. Daily routines involved extended meditation sessions, introspection on chakra imbalances, and practices designed to achieve "vibrational balance."

Girls' Dormitory with over 30 beds, 1989. Source: private archive.

One individual who was part of the Vashi relocation recalls experiencing physical discomfort, including frequent diarrhea and digestive issues attributed to the unfamiliar and extremely spicy Indian meals served at the time. For many children, this led to feelings of personal failure or impurity. Former attendees have described how physical symptoms and emotional distress were interpreted by staff as signs of chakra imbalance, reinforcing spiritual explanations rather than addressing health or emotional needs directly.

The children from the west need to cleanse their chakras by footsoaking and other treatments, 1989. Source: private archive.

According to some testimonies, the use of chakra cleansing techniques was experienced as a form of emotional control. Students perceived that being spiritually "imbalanced" placed them in a lower status among peers and staff. In some cases, former students have described this environment as fostering guilt, shame, and confusion around physical weakness or emotional sensitivity, especially among younger children.

3. School Environment and Practices

3.1 Curriculum and Religious Practices

The academic curriculum follows standard Indian education board requirements, supplemented by daily collective meditations, recitation of religious texts, and participation in pujas (Hindu worship rituals). Though the school is spiritual in nature, most teachers are local educators from the surrounding region and are not necessarily Sahaja Yoga practitioners. Instruction is conducted primarily in English and Hindi, with some lessons incorporating Sahaja-specific moral teachings.

3.2 Boarding Environment and Family Separation

ISPS is a full-time residential school, and children—some as young as five—are often sent to live there for several years. Former students report that visits from parents were rare and sometimes discouraged to maintain the spiritual “purity” of the environment. The concept of “detachment” was promoted not only from material desires but also from emotional dependence on parents. Some alumni have expressed that this practice led to long-term difficulties in forming emotional bonds and understanding family dynamics.

3.3 Role of Vibrational Hierarchy

Children were often evaluated based on their perceived “vibrations,” a Sahaja Yoga concept referring to spiritual energy levels. Those with “good vibrations” were considered spiritually elevated, while those with “bad vibrations” were sometimes isolated or excluded from group activities. Additionally, children whose parents were divorced or who had left the Sahaja Yoga movement were reportedly given lower status among peers and staff. This hierarchy, though informal, shaped students’ sense of identity and belonging within the school community.

4. Criticism and Concerns

4.1 Emotional and Psychological Impact

Former students and child development experts have raised concerns about the long-term emotional impact of the school's boarding environment. Young children were sent to live at ISPS for extended periods with limited or no contact with their families. Critics argue that this practice promoted emotional detachment as a spiritual virtue but caused confusion, anxiety, and difficulty forming attachments later in life.

4.2 Discrimination and Family Status

The school environment, according to multiple testimonies, reflected rigid traditional family values. Children from divorced families, or those whose parents were not practicing Sahaja yogis, were allegedly treated as spiritually inferior. These students were sometimes excluded from leadership roles in group rituals or treated differently by staff.

4.3 Conflict Between Collective Ideology and Personal Identity

Former students have reported that psychological safety was compromised at ISPS due to the rigid expectations of conformity within the Sahaja Yoga framework. In one testimony, a student described feeling alienated and emotionally unsupported after receiving repeated negative report cards, which were based not on academic achievement but on adherence to Sahaja Yoga norms. Despite expressing a desire to return to their home country and reconnect with their cultural roots, the child's parent — deeply committed to Sahaja Yoga — was unable to provide emotional support or acknowledge the child’s distress. This created a situation in which the child felt isolated, misunderstood, and psychologically unsafe. The child’s Western identity was suppressed in favor of surrendering to the collective ideology, leaving no room for individual expression or emotional needs.

According to a 1991 public talk by Shri Mataji, children in the Sahaja Yoga school were said to have developed "funny complications," despite high expectations of spiritual behavior.

4.4 Alleged Indoctrination and Group Dynamics

The pedagogy at ISPS was reportedly infused with Sahaja Yoga ideology, creating an insular worldview among students. Former attendees claim they were taught to view the outside world as spiritually "impure" and were discouraged from questioning the teachings of Shri Mataji. Meditation and daily “vibrational checks” were used to monitor spiritual alignment.

4.5 Lack of External Oversight and Safeguarding

Despite being a boarding school for minors, there is little evidence of transparent external regulation or oversight by independent child protection bodies. Teachers were reportedly hired based on academic credentials but not necessarily trained in child psychology or trauma-informed care.

5. Personal Testimonies and Public Accounts

Several former students have publicly shared their experiences at ISPS, including one individual who recalls being among the first cohort of children present at the foundation of the school in 1989. According to this testimony, children lived in basic wooden huts without formal infrastructure, and early routines centered heavily on collective meditation and devotional activities. This former student, under six years old at the time, recalls a strong sense of separation from family, uncertainty, and strict behavioral expectations based on spiritual "vibrations."

Photographs from this period, archived privately, support the claim that children were present on the premises in 1989 , contradicting the institution's official opening date of 1990.

6. Response from the Organization

In 2013, the Sahaja Yoga Central Committee was approached by parents concerned about the state of ISPS. Reports indicated unacceptable behaviors among some students. In response, new management was appointed in 2014 to address these issues and align the school with Sahaja standards. According to the committee, this led to improvements, though some parents and students remained critical.

7. Child Development Standards (Comparison)

7.1 Psychological Needs in Childhood

Child development research emphasizes the importance of stable attachments and emotional support during early years. Prolonged separation from primary caregivers can lead to attachment disorders and emotional difficulties.

7.2 Effects of Long-Term Separation

Studies have shown that children separated from their families for extended periods may experience increased stress, anxiety, and challenges in forming secure relationships later in life.

8. See Also

• Sahaja Yoga
• Religious child abuse
• Boarding school syndrome
• Cultic studies

10. External Links

• International Sahaja Public School Official Website
• Sahaja Yoga Central Committee Communication, 2013
• Reddit Testimony on Adverse Experiences at ISPS