Michael Mirdad
GURU RATING: 2 / 5 (QUESTIONABLE) Mirdad is best known for coining the term “lightworker” in the 1990’s and is the author of 8 books. The term lightworker refers to the light of God that people can bring into the… Continue Reading
Alive
Adyashanti
GURU RATING: 4 / 5 (GREAT) Adyashanti is a spiritual guru from California. He teaches an introspective approach to enlightenment which calls for radical honesty. With his technique, each thought is deeply examined as thoroughly as possible. As thoughts are gradually… Continue Reading
Mother Meera
GURU RATING: 2 / 5 (QUESTIONABLE) Mother Meera is a spiritual guru who claims to be the living embodiment of the Divine Mother. She’s known for her silent darshans where she “unknots” one’s subtle energetic body and floods devotees with divine light. This… Continue Reading
Doreen Virtue
GURU RATING: 2 / 5 (QUESTIONABLE) Doreen Virtue is a prolific spiritual author with dozens of books to her name, mostly dealing with Angels. Rather than a spiritually enlightened guru, she’s considered to be a teacher, counsellor or seer to some. Virtue… Continue Reading
Eckhart Tolle
GURU RATING: 4 / 5 (GREAT) Eckhart Tolle is a spiritual guru who unexpectedly discovered his true nature after years of crippling depression. It got so bad that he wondered whether he could continue living with himself. This created a psychological… Continue Reading
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar
GURU RATING: 2 / 5 (QUESTIONABLE) — NET WORTH: 150 MILLION. Sri Sri Ravi Shankar is a spiritual guru known for his Yoga breathing techniques as well as his peace initiatives. He is the founder of the Art of Living Foundation… Continue Reading
Pema Chödrön
GURU RATING: 3 / 5 (ADEQUATE) Pema Chödrön is a Buddhist nun within the Tibetan contemplative tradition. She helps run and teaches at a monastery in Nova Scotia, Canada. It was the first of its kind in the Western world.… Continue Reading
Gangaji
GURU RATING: 2 / 5 (QUESTIONABLE) Gangaji is a neo-Advaita guru that teaches the self-inquiry method of realizing your true nature, much akin to Ramana Maharshi and her own guru, Papaji. She was one of many Westerners authorized to teach by the… Continue Reading
Aziz Kristof a.k.a. Anadi
GURU RATING: 3 / 5 (ADEQUATE) Aziz Kristof (a.k.a. Anadi) is a Polish guru known for his teachings (in English) about the various states of spiritual enlightenment or consciousness. His expression veers on the intellectual but resonates with a distinct poetic quality… Continue Reading
Mooji
GURU RATING: 2 / 5 (QUESTIONABLE) Mooji is a well-known guru who teaches the lazy person’s way to spiritual enlightenment (his words). His approach is to help you realize that you are already enlightened. That is the whole of his teaching.… Continue Reading
Gurumayi
GURU RATING: 1 / 5 (AVOID) Gurumayi is a Western woman of Indian descent, “whose identification with the supreme Self is uninterrupted.” She has been hounded by controversy ever since she won a power struggle with her brother, Swami Nityananda,… Continue Reading
Amma
GURU RATING: 3 / 5 (ADEQUATE) — NET WORTH: 273 MILLION. Mātā Amṛtānandamayī Devī (better known as Amma, or “mother”) is a guru known for her powerful hugs. They are reputed to have a deeply spiritual quality. Like many saints… Continue Reading
Rajneesh Ozen
GURU RATING: 2 / 5 (QUESTIONABLE) Swami Rajneesh is a guru who began his spiritual path as an Osho disciple (sannyasin). He rose to prominence after his book Tears of the Mystic Rose was published freely online. In it he… Continue Reading
Marshall Vian Summers
GURU RATING: 4 / 5 (GREAT) Marshall Vian Summers has spent decades faithfully receiving, transcribing, sharing and teaching a great body of work which he claims is a New Message from God. More than a simple guru, he is claims… Continue Reading
Swami Nithyananda
GURU RATING: 1 / 5 (AVOID) Swami Nithyananda is a controversial guru from India who claims to be an avatar with siddhis (special powers) — the most realized spiritual state attainable by human beings. Nithyananda spent time training as a… Continue Reading