The Spiritual Oppression of Women: How Patriarchy Has Shaped and Suppressed Female Awakening
What if I told you that the spiritual oppression of women has been woven into the very fabric of religious, spiritual, and self-development teachings for centuries? That the patriarchal structures shaping spirituality have systematically suppressed female awakening, ensuring that the wisdom, the sacred texts, the practices, and even the so-called universal truths were designed by men, for men, to uphold a system that benefits them?
For centuries, women have sought spiritual fulfillment within frameworks that were never built for them. Whether through organized religion, New Age movements, or self-help ideologies, women have been taught that their highest spiritual aspiration is to serve, to surrender, to forgive, and to disappear into selflessness. Meanwhile, men are encouraged to seek power, leadership, transcendence, and divine purpose.
This systemic spiritual inequality is not an accident. It is the deliberate spiritual conditioning of women under patriarchy, reinforcing the idea that men are the seekers, the gurus, the enlightened ones—while women are their silent supporters, their caretakers, and often, their sacrifices.
Spirituality as a Tool of Patriarchy
When we look at most spiritual teachings, they were crafted by men and primarily for the benefit of men. From religious doctrines to modern self-help movements, women are repeatedly given guidance that keeps them in a role of service rather than sovereignty.
Most spiritual advice focuses on ego dissolution, humility, and non-attachment—principles that are valuable but disproportionately preached to those who already hold power, dominance, and control. These teachings tell men to soften, to surrender their pride, to develop empathy.
But what about women? What about those who already embody deep empathy, who already give, who already surrender too much of themselves? Should women be taught the same lessons as men when their struggles are completely different?
For a man conditioned by patriarchy to dominate, the path to enlightenment is letting go of control. For a woman conditioned by patriarchy to serve, the path to enlightenment is reclaiming her power.
Layla Saad Quote
“Women’s spiritual power has been hidden, distorted, and silenced for centuries. Reclaiming it is not only an act of personal awakening but an act of collective revolution.”
How the Patriarchy Controls Women’s Spirituality
Patriarchy does not just suppress women’s voices in politics or the workplace—it controls their spiritual evolution as well.
- Women in Religious Roles – Most major religions bar women from leadership, despite claiming that all humans are equal in spirit.
- Buddhist Monasticism – Many Buddhist temples and monasteries require nuns to serve monks, reinforcing the idea that women exist to facilitate male enlightenment.
- Spiritual Bypassing in New Age Teachings – Women are told to “just forgive,” “just raise their vibration,” or “just send love” when dealing with abuse, oppression, or violence. These teachings ignore the structural inequalities that create suffering.
- The Sexualization of Female Spirituality – Many male gurus have taken advantage of female disciples, claiming that sexual submission is part of “spiritual liberation.”
- The Erasure of Female Mysticism – Ancient cultures were filled with powerful female healers, shamans, and oracles, yet today their wisdom is dismissed or distorted.
- Heaven Designed for Men – Many religious visions of the afterlife reflect patriarchal fantasies. For example, in Islamic descriptions of paradise, men are promised beautiful, obedient virgins, reinforcing the idea that even in the afterlife, women exist to serve men’s desires.
Women have been taught to serve spirituality, but never to own it.
The Invisible Women Behind Male Enlightenment
Throughout history, many celebrated male spiritual figures have been upheld as selfless visionaries, dedicating their lives to enlightenment and the betterment of humanity. Yet behind many of these men were unseen women—wives, disciples, or silent supporters—who sacrificed their own spiritual growth and well-being to sustain these male figures.
Religious & Spiritual Leaders
- Gandhi preached non-violence and detachment, but his wife, Kasturba Gandhi, endured emotional neglect, served his every need, and was expected to submit to his spiritual authority.
- The Buddha left his wife, Yashodhara, and newborn son to seek enlightenment. While he renounced material life, she was left behind to raise their child alone, often forgotten in the narrative of his greatness.
- Christianity’s saints, mystics, and priests have built doctrines on female devotion—nuns, wives, and mothers who worked in the shadows, rarely receiving recognition for their own spiritual journeys.
- Islamic traditions elevate the teachings of male scholars, while women’s roles in shaping Islamic mysticism and theology have been largely ignored.
- The Mormon Church enforces strict patriarchal structures, where women are expected to serve their husbands while male leaders, including Joseph Smith and Brigham Young, engaged in polygamous marriages with underage girls under the guise of spiritual duty.
New Age & Self-Development Gurus
This pattern continues into modern New Age movements and self-help industries, where male figures dominate the space, often engaging in manipulation, sexual abuse, and exploitation of women.
- Osho (Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh) – Preached spiritual liberation, but his teachings on sexual freedom were used by some within his communes to justify the exploitation of female followers and young girls under the pretense of awakening.
- Bikram Choudhury – Founder of Bikram Yoga, accused of sexual harassment, assault, and financial exploitation of female students.
- John of God (João Teixeira de Faria) – Brazilian faith healer convicted of sexual abuse after years of exploiting women seeking healing.
- Tony Robbins – The self-help icon has faced allegations of inappropriate sexual behavior, including claims that he groped female attendees and exposed himself to assistants.
Many self-development organizations have devolved into cults centered around charismatic male leaders, exploiting followers—particularly women—under the pretense of enlightenment and personal growth.
- Keith Raniere (NXIVM) – Marketed as a self-improvement group but functioned as a cult where women were sexually branded and coerced into servitude.
- Gregorian Bivolaru (MISA – Movement for Spiritual Integration into the Absolute) – Exposed for sexual exploitation and manipulation.
The Pattern: Male Dominance, Female Subjugation
Across religions, spiritual movements, and self-help industries, a recurring pattern emerges:
- Men rise to power as enlightened leaders, gurus, or self-development experts.
- Women support, serve, and often suffer behind the scenes, their contributions erased or minimized.
- Spirituality is weaponized to control women’s bodies, choices, and autonomy.
This systemic pattern of spiritual patriarchy expects women to serve male enlightenment rather than pursue their own. Recognizing these hidden dynamics is essential to creating spiritual spaces where women are no longer objects of service, but sovereign beings in their own right.
Reclaiming Women’s Spiritual Power
The spiritual journey for women cannot mirror that of men because their struggles are different. Where men need to soften, women need to rise.
Women’s spiritual paths must focus on:
✔ Radical self-prioritization.
✔ Owning their voices, desires, and boundaries.
✔ Reclaiming leadership in spiritual communities.
✔ Holding male leaders accountable for the dynamics they create.
Spirituality must evolve beyond male-centric teachings and become a place where women are no longer silent servants, but powerful, sovereign beings.
The divine feminine is rising. And this time, she is not asking for permission.
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Frank Vilaasa on at
You say ….Osho (Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh) – Preached spiritual liberation but ran a commune infamous for exploiting female followers and encouraging sexual submission under the pretense of awakening.
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Really? Where you there? What is this based on? How were female followers ‘exploited’?
I was a member of his community, both in Pune and also in Oregon USA. What he actually encouraged was for both men and women to shake off the repressive influence of their (mostly Christian) upbringing, and to return to a more normal and natural expression of sexuality.
There was never any suggestion that women should be ‘sexually submissive’. Where on earth do you get this idea from?
Based on my experience, and interactions with many commune members, we all benefitted greatly from his guidance, in both the healing of sexual repression, and also transforming sexual energies through Tantric practices.-
Ami Elsius on at
Hi Frank,
Thanks for sharing your view.
There are multiple first-hand accounts from former members who describe being **pressured into sexual activity under the guise of spiritual awakening**, particularly as children, and a **lack of supervision or accountability** that allowed these dynamics to persist. While most of these reports involve high-ranking members of the movement, there are also allegations against Osho himself.Here are some sources detailing these testimonies:
🔗 **https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2024/oct/12/abuse-rajneesh-cult-children-communes
🔗 **https://www.thetimes.com/uk/society/article/children-of-the-cult-documentary-interview-336bgbxvv?utm_source=chatgpt.com®ion=global
🔗 **https://www.thetimes.com/culture/film/article/children-of-the-cult-film-review-movie-922jc5rd2?utm_source=chatgpt.com®ion=global
🔗 **https://www.erinrobbins.life/letter-to-osho-community
🔗 **https://www.oshonews.com/2021/09/05/sarita-abuse/
🔗 **https://www.hindustantimes.com/world-news/raped-50-times-was-a-child-sex-slave-woman-describes-osho-cult-horror-101727687899991.htmlThat being said, I do like a lot of what Osho teaches, I am an advocate for Tantra and I have personally spent time at the Osho ashram in Pune.
Of course, as a man, this kind of behavior may not have been as visible to you at the time. Have you spoken to those who were children in the movement? I think their experiences are crucial to understanding the full picture.
Reply-
Frank Vilaasa on at
Hello Ami, Thanks for your reply. Your sources are mostly from mainstream media, whose motives for focussing on these kind of stories are dubious, to say the least. You’re unquestioning acceptance of them is a concern.
The one interesting source you do quote is a story by Sarita in the Osho News.
Two points I’d like to make about about this… Firstly, her ‘abuse’ actually happened outside of the commune. Secondly, (and what’s even more interesting about her account), is that she, more than anyone, actually gives an intelligent perspective on how to view what happened 50 years ago.
It’s worth quoting a passage from her story here…‘In our various Osho Communities around the world, people were experimenting with testing the edge on everything… From violent encounter groups to free sexual exploration. This was also reflected in the society as a whole. When the sexual revolution happened in the 1960’s and 70’s people threw themselves into the enthusiastic exploration of all forms of sexuality with wild abandon.
In this milieu, many children and young adults were exposed to too much, too early, whether that be drugs, sex or loud music. In my case, I smoked my first joint at age 12. I took my first LSD trip at age 14. I had consensual sex the first time at age 15. This was not so unusual in those days. Yes, we were bruised, scarred and fucked up. And we learned valuable lessons, and moved on. Since the culture as a whole was going through vast upheaval and change so quickly, it would have been very unusual for anyone to point a finger at anyone else for sexual misconduct. The society as a whole was in a state of misconduct!
Now we are in a different era. The #MeToo Movement has given women permission to voice their great displeasure at not being treated with respect and even reverence by men. This era of the divine feminine demands patriarchy to give way, allowing the goddess in every woman to shine.
When women complain in today’s world about abuse carried out 30 or more years ago, two different cultures are colliding……. What was accepted as normal just a few years before is now called abuse and men are being asked to go to prison for offences which were not seen as offences at that time. The world is changing and women will not rest till they take their place as the embodiment of the divine and are treated with a worshipful attitude. Along the way, there will certainly be many earthquakes!’So, Ami, I’d love to see you adopting this kind of broader and more nuanced & understanding perspective that Sarita has…
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You say ….Osho (Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh) – Preached spiritual liberation but ran a commune infamous for exploiting female followers and encouraging sexual submission under the pretense of awakening.
Really? Where you there? What is this based on? How were female followers ‘exploited’?
I was a member of his community, both in Pune and also in Oregon USA. What he actually encouraged was for both men and women to shake off the repressive influence of their (mostly Christian) upbringing, and to return to a more normal and natural expression of sexuality.
There was never any suggestion that women should be ‘sexually submissive’. Where on earth do you get this idea from?
Based on my experience, and interactions with many commune members, we all benefitted greatly from his guidance, in both the healing of sexual repression, and also transforming sexual energies through Tantric practices.
Hi Frank,
Thanks for sharing your view.
There are multiple first-hand accounts from former members who describe being **pressured into sexual activity under the guise of spiritual awakening**, particularly as children, and a **lack of supervision or accountability** that allowed these dynamics to persist. While most of these reports involve high-ranking members of the movement, there are also allegations against Osho himself.
Here are some sources detailing these testimonies:
🔗 **https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2024/oct/12/abuse-rajneesh-cult-children-communes
🔗 **https://www.thetimes.com/uk/society/article/children-of-the-cult-documentary-interview-336bgbxvv?utm_source=chatgpt.com®ion=global
🔗 **https://www.thetimes.com/culture/film/article/children-of-the-cult-film-review-movie-922jc5rd2?utm_source=chatgpt.com®ion=global
🔗 **https://www.erinrobbins.life/letter-to-osho-community
🔗 **https://www.oshonews.com/2021/09/05/sarita-abuse/
🔗 **https://www.hindustantimes.com/world-news/raped-50-times-was-a-child-sex-slave-woman-describes-osho-cult-horror-101727687899991.html
That being said, I do like a lot of what Osho teaches, I am an advocate for Tantra and I have personally spent time at the Osho ashram in Pune.
Of course, as a man, this kind of behavior may not have been as visible to you at the time. Have you spoken to those who were children in the movement? I think their experiences are crucial to understanding the full picture.
Hello Ami, Thanks for your reply. Your sources are mostly from mainstream media, whose motives for focussing on these kind of stories are dubious, to say the least. You’re unquestioning acceptance of them is a concern.
The one interesting source you do quote is a story by Sarita in the Osho News.
Two points I’d like to make about about this… Firstly, her ‘abuse’ actually happened outside of the commune. Secondly, (and what’s even more interesting about her account), is that she, more than anyone, actually gives an intelligent perspective on how to view what happened 50 years ago.
It’s worth quoting a passage from her story here…
‘In our various Osho Communities around the world, people were experimenting with testing the edge on everything… From violent encounter groups to free sexual exploration. This was also reflected in the society as a whole. When the sexual revolution happened in the 1960’s and 70’s people threw themselves into the enthusiastic exploration of all forms of sexuality with wild abandon.
In this milieu, many children and young adults were exposed to too much, too early, whether that be drugs, sex or loud music. In my case, I smoked my first joint at age 12. I took my first LSD trip at age 14. I had consensual sex the first time at age 15. This was not so unusual in those days. Yes, we were bruised, scarred and fucked up. And we learned valuable lessons, and moved on. Since the culture as a whole was going through vast upheaval and change so quickly, it would have been very unusual for anyone to point a finger at anyone else for sexual misconduct. The society as a whole was in a state of misconduct!
Now we are in a different era. The #MeToo Movement has given women permission to voice their great displeasure at not being treated with respect and even reverence by men. This era of the divine feminine demands patriarchy to give way, allowing the goddess in every woman to shine.
When women complain in today’s world about abuse carried out 30 or more years ago, two different cultures are colliding……. What was accepted as normal just a few years before is now called abuse and men are being asked to go to prison for offences which were not seen as offences at that time. The world is changing and women will not rest till they take their place as the embodiment of the divine and are treated with a worshipful attitude. Along the way, there will certainly be many earthquakes!’
So, Ami, I’d love to see you adopting this kind of broader and more nuanced & understanding perspective that Sarita has…