Talk:John G. Bennett

Copyright
Although parts have been rewritten and expanded from other sources, this is skating a bit close to copyvio from. Tearlach 01:17, 19 August 2005 (UTC)


 * Absolutely. Previously, it was a direct, unadulterated lift from . Now it's compiled from various sources, but still very much a work in progress . Feel free to rewrite bits. Personally, I think it needs a good editor with an objective, fresh eye to extensively reshape it. TheMadBaron 09:59, 19 August 2005 (UTC)
 * Such extensive plagiarism can't be left. Regretfully, I'm going to delete the material copied straight from that copyrighted sourced.   Will Beback    talk    23:11, 26 April 2010 (UTC)
 * Unfortunately, the copying was throughout the article. The only real alternative was to blank most of the article. I urge anyone interested in this topic to start again, using their own writing.   Will Beback    talk    04:19, 27 April 2010 (UTC)

Um, I've just come here and found the same problems William M. Connolley (talk) 17:53, 4 February 2011 (UTC)
 * But only because some anon reverted your removal. I've restored your cut-down text William M. Connolley (talk) 19:14, 4 February 2011 (UTC)

Djamichunatra
The author notes the destruction of the remarkable building but gives no further information. Didn't it have some connection with Frank Lloyd Wright?  Vernon White 17:01, 4 September 2006 (UTC) 

He went to see it - there's a frequently reproduced photograph of Wright and Bennett in a group near the building, which at least affords one the chance to see its great size. He wasn't involved in its construction, which was a part of the work at Coombe Springs. Grangousier 08:15, 5 September 2006 (UTC) The photograph was taken by a John Donat

 Thanks for the further info on the Djamee at Coombe Springs. I wonder why the author of this article has not used Bennett's book Witness as a source. I recall being very impressed by his tone of humility in Witness, for instance, when he found he had been given the skill to learn Turkish with amazing rapidity. 

 Some 'bot thinks this article is too long, but it is difficult to know how it could be split up. There could certainly be a separate entry for Coombe Springs. It's a pity Bennett has not got an ODNB article.Vernon White 21:36, 5 September 2006 (UTC) 

Re the destruction of the Djamichunatra: construction was completed finally by January 13th 1966, in time for a last party including a concert, a performance of Gurdjieff movements and of Bennett's play about the construction of Chartres Cathedral. A push was made to construct the audience gallery in time for the gig. Thereafter the community moved out, finally vacating completely by June 1966. When Shah decided to sell the property to developers a year later, the Djamichunatra was dismantled. Buyers were sought for the great five sided stained glass windows, but eventually these were broken up as well. The foundations were so solid that dynamite had to be used to demolish them to make way for upmarket townhouses. My source is that I was there - I'm John Bennett's son.Ben Bennett 16:30, 19 February 2014 (UTC) — Preceding unsigned comment added by Bbennett9000 (talk • contribs)

Information about Claymont
I attended one of the basic courses at Claymont a long time ago, and wonder if anyone has any electronic information about it that you can share with me. I was also curious about the mention of the self-styled leader that took charge in the 80's, and wondered if anyone could expand on that. 141.157.251.148 (talk) 21:03, 25 November 2007 (UTC)

Check Claymont's own page — Preceding unsigned comment added by Bbennett9000 (talk • contribs) 03:33, 12 November 2012 (UTC)

Missing info
- Where did he die? - What did he die of? - What is his familiar background, who were his parents et al.?

- a link is given to a photo of the exit visa but the link is broken. Who added the link and please can we see the photo? Pvortex (talk) 11:35, 10 April 2014 (UTC)pvortex

—Preceding unsigned comment added by 77.188.92.55 (talk) 16:14, 19 October 2009 (UTC)

Lack of balance (and lack of references)
This article is worrying. I will try and alert other editors with the time (and also lack of bias) to come and help clean it up:


 * First, although plenty of sources are listed, the majority of the text is not referenced so one can't tell what comes from where, or indeed what is the assertion (or even original research - see WP:NOR) of an individual editor


 * Second, given the controversial nature of the subject, some more balanced sources are urgently needed


 * Third, the article gives every impression of being in the hands of various sectarian interests (or, as I would call them in a less than scholarly manner, fruitcakes) who follow these "teachings" - see WP:NPOV

As an example of what's going on, see this (sourced and referenced) paragraph which was deleted some time ago and not replaced by anything which would give a similar impression of the flavour of the man and his "work":


 * A notable illustration of the thinking around Bennett is provided by the account of the "strange circumstances of his death" given by actress and Bennett enthusiast Diane Cilento in her autobiography "My Nine Lives". Cilento writes that Dr Chandra Sharma, a homeopathic healer and associate of Bennett's, was in his consulting rooms in London when he saw Bennett (at that time physically located at Sherborne, Dorset, some 100 miles away). According to Sharma, Bennett spoke to him, confirmed he had died and then vanished. Sharma telephoned Sherborne and asked to speak to Bennett but was told he had been found dead that morning in his armchair.

Testbed (talk) 08:27, 3 January 2012 (UTC)

(Dr Chandra Sharma was Bennett's personal physician and Bennett was physically located in Sherborne Gloucestershire, not Dorset. I would not put too much store by Dr Sharma's assertion—this is typical of his conversational style. This is John Bennett's son verifying.)Ben Bennett 16:36, 19 February 2014 (UTC) — Preceding unsigned comment added by Bbennett9000 (talk • contribs)

One mistake I notice immediately is the date of Bennett's first encounter with Gurdjieff, which should be altered to October 1920. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 68.163.136.118 (talk) 16:13, 15 September 2012 (UTC)

COPYVIO
Seven years after this issue was first raised, the article still contains a great deal of word-for-word copyright violation (see top item for original complaint). This really is not good enough; we cannot expect others to respect us if we do not respect them. The source is the same: Macdonald-ross (talk) 21:44, 4 November 2012 (UTC)

Could you give examples? 1Z (talk) 13:34, 14 November 2012 (UTC)


 * The entire section on Subud in this article is just a slight rewrite of the paragraphs "Subud"-"Psychokinetic Studies" on the page linked above. --JBirken (talk) 11:07, 17 September 2013 (UTC)

Ben Bennett says he is not happy about the Subud reference because of bias. He says it is "quite untrue" to say that one of Bennett's pupils suffered a "violent death." However, I have a copy of the first edition of his father's autobiography, 'Witness,' and in it his father, John G. Bennett, actually uses the word "violent" in his description of the death of a student from practicing latihan; moreover, John G. Bennett indicates in words that the Subud 'latihan' was in fact the proximate cause of death of the student. From page 345 of the 1962 edition of John G. Bennett's autobiography, 'Witness:' "A man who was opened early in July reacted so powerfully to the latihan that he ignored the signal to stop... For twenty days he would not eat or wear any clothes. He refused to see a doctor, and became dangerous violent when it was suggested... Several men volunteered to stay with him day and night... At times he was so violent that he would smash down doors... On the twenty-first day, the crisis ended... but this intermission lasted only a few hours... [Two days later] his breathing had gradually slowed down and his body was cold..." Yes, I would call that a "violent" death, myself. Kitty Grimnirs (talk) 13:53, 18 April 2016 (UTC) Marnie Tunay

I am not very happy about the Subud reference, not so much because of copyvio, but because of bias. It is quite untrue to say that one of Bennett's pupils suffered a "violent death" this has been extensively researched by the man's family, mainly his eldest son, and was the subject of a coroner's enquiry, which returned an open verdict. There is a detailed account in the first 1960 edition of Bennett's autobiography, excised in later editions.. Ben Bennett 16:42, 19 February 2014 (UTC) — Preceding unsigned comment added by Bbennett9000 (talk • contribs)

I want contradict the above sentences by Ben Bennett re the reference to one one "Bennetts pupils suffered a violent death" I am the eldest son of the said pupil who mysteriously died at Coombe Springs. My in-depth research into the death of my father JD Ross at Coombe Springs on the 5th of July 1957 reveals that it is highly likely that it was indeed a "violent death". There was an inquest and asphyxia is on the death certificate but the coroner stated he had concerns about death. I hope the reference to a violent death is not removed because the origional writer had been told of a violent death and I uncovered enough believe he was correct. [User:concraigie] — Preceding unsigned comment added by Concraigie (talk • contribs) 17:56, 14 December 2014 (UTC)

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