Smoke Screen S2: I Am Rama Promo

Without Warning Podcast®

True Crime, Society & Culture, News, Politics, Documentary

4.4 • 2.7K Ratings

🗓️ 9 July 2021

⏱️ 6 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Season 2 tells the story of Frederick Lenz, a brilliant-but-troubled spiritual leader in the 80s and 90s. Beloved by many -- and eventually reviled by many others -- Lenz promoted his own brand of New Age spiritualism, calling himself Rama and helming what his detractors would describe as a cult. Rama defied society’s archetypal vision of a spiritual leader, eschewing minimalism for wealth and celebrity. He was, in a word: cool. Rama also seemed to be a man ahead of his time, encouraging his followers to develop careers in computer science before that was mainstream, and asking them to funnel much of their wages back to him. For some of his followers, following Rama's lead worked out spiritually, and financially too. But for others, Rama's actions contradicted his cool persona; some eventually came forward with accusations of abuse. Others vanished. Whistleblowers went to the media, and the group began to shrink and splinter. Things got ugly for everyone, including Rama. In 1998, in physical and emotional pain, Rama took a lethal dose of barbiturates, walked out to the end of a dock in Long IslandSound, and never came back. Hosted by award-winning storyteller Jonathan Hirsch (Dear Franklin Jones), this series will examine the rise and fall of Rama and the long tail of his legacy of followers. PI Page: www.sheilawysocki.com Podcast Page: www.withoutwarningpodcast.com Patreon: www.withoutwarningpodcasts.com Twitter: @scrappymomPI Instagram: @withoutwarningpi @privateeyepups Facebook: Without Warning PI All rights reserved © Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0	This episode is brought to you by Lionsgate Plus.
0:05.0	Great entertainment is a crucial ingredient for the perfect night in, and Lionsgate Plus
0:09.8	offers you the kind of entertainment that sets your pulse racing and keeps you glued
0:14.0	firmly to the edge of your seat.
0:15.8	They've got nail-biting exclusive shows, mind-blowing original series, and heart racing movies.
0:21.6	For entertainment that makes you feel, it lives on Lionsgate Plus.
0:26.3	Download the app and go to LionsgatePlus.com.
0:29.6	I'm here to tell you about a new show from NeonHum Media.
0:33.8	Smoke screens newest second season, I Am Rama, which tells the story of spiritual teacher
0:40.3	Dr. Frederick Lens, the third, better known as Rama, through the eyes of the students,
0:47.9	some who loved Rama and others who denounced him to this day.
0:53.8	Hosted by award-winning journalist Jonathan Hirsch, I Am Rama, tells the story of Rama,
1:00.4	a teacher whose brand of spirituality leans hard into the burgeoning tech industry.
1:08.0	This new season, in an unflinching investigation that's reflective and personal into the rise
1:15.0	and fall into the rise and fall of the spiritual leader of the 80s and 90s, who've blended
1:22.0	meditation with computer programming.
1:25.6	By following his advice, some students found wild success in computer programming.
1:32.0	Others lied their ways into jobs and were shunned from the industry.
1:37.2	You'll hear personal stories from the people who studied with Rama, amidst the students
1:42.8	who loved and loved Rama and much more.
1:47.6	Here's a little preview, a short clip from the show.
1:52.4	Some things you just can't explain.
	...

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