Testimony of Maria. Poland

I left New Acropolis one year ago. I was a member for five years, and during my last year I was in training for « Live forces » (the inner group of New Acropolis). I never finished it.

Although I was a part of some Live Forces meetings, where we always saluted each other with an outstretched right hand raised high. I went there because I was looking for a place where I could learn more about philosophers and philosophy in general.

First of all, I want to start with something significant in my opinion: the director of New Acropolis in Poland is a very sensitive and good man. However, as he steps in the role of the 'instructor' he changes beyond recognition. I didn't know him very well but I saw the transformation he underwent. During 'live forces' meetings he becomes a different person, he resembles a strict father raising his children. I wanted to begin with that because I noticed what big influence NA has on people.

My biggest grudge I have against NA is that I learned about the crucial aspects of its activity five years after I became a member. The most important question is what New Acropolis believes in. It is crucial, that people who think the same way and people who don't share their view can decide for themselves consciously. That's how simple it is…

There is something called codes of 'ladies' and 'knights', which literally means codes of women and men. No one who does not fit these rules would feel comfortable there. They present themselves as a school of philosophy, but it's all about a particular ideology. Unfortunately, it's hidden until you decide to join the 'inner circle'. What is the purpose of this? So again, can't people be told the truth right from the start, what the organization believes in and what it promotes? Why not give people a free choice?

There are organizations which put it straightforwardly: 'we believe the world is run by green folk' and this is a clear message to people who think the same way and to those who do not share this view. Is it possible to be straightforward? NA believes in reincarnation, believes that people who don't want to join them have not 'awakened' yet, that feminism is not the way for a 'real lady' and men should learn to handle guns. As far as I know, in many countries, guns are present in NA headquarters. It is also important for people to know about Livraga's passion for guns and his conviction for illegal gun possession. These are things I would like to have known earlier, it's important so I could have made a conscious decision if I wanted to join an organization like this or not. It is just not fair, don't you agree?

I was a member of New Acropolis for almost five years. I left one year ago. But the truth is that, before I did it, some doubts gradually began to appear. It all started at the beginning of my 'live forces' training. This terminology system itself, which is created by this organization made me think, why would one create a different, secret language which no one from the outside could understand e.g., 'live forces', 'axes' and so on. I did not know what live forces really meant. The answers to my question were: 'live force has its own inner life', 'live force devotes time to help at school'… it was not a good enough explanation for me, because almost from the beginning when I became a member, I was committed to helping at school and I knew all my life that I had an inner life, just as any other human being. But despite this I continued until I entered the so-called 'mind phase'. Then my questions and doubts caused great dissatisfaction. The director, during the next meeting, said directly with a firm tone that either I liked something or I didn't. It made me feel depressed, I felt like I did something wrong. Fortunately, I found strength to follow my feelings. Although it was not easy, because we always want to be liked and feel accepted. Especially, in a place where you spend so much time, because time spent at school never ends. There is always something to do, service, lectures, trips, organizational meetings lasting many hours. Even if there was nothing going on, 'LFs' were almost always there.

Questions about organization and its structure, why they do something the way they do, were not welcome. Attempts to discuss the texts of the founder Jorge Livraga, as well as texts of Delia Steinberg, who still calls him her master, ended up with accusations of attacking the school or misunderstanding the author's intentions.

For me one of the things I couldn't understand was the obligation of wearing the same uniforms for the ceremonies. When I asked why, they said it's because of unification, to unite better and not to distract one another. But during my visit in Madrid I saw Livraga's office and museum dedicated to him with his tailor-made ceremonial golden robes... so there was an exception, he didn't have to obey the rule... Can anyone from New Acropolis tell why, if as you claim, you do not worship Livraga?

There came a time when doubts began to grow and I knew that there were things members did not know about. Being in training for 'LF' I was given some of Livraga texts to read, they frightened me. Although, as it turned out later, they were not as aggressive as others he had written. I knew that there are things that members don't have access to. They are not available to them because, as the 'teachers' say, they are not ready for them, they are not conscious enough to understand them or they insist that it is their 'internal' intimate matter. Especially when it comes to Livraga's text about 'LF' and the directors. There is also the argument that, after all, in other schools like at universities, professors do not make all the materials available at once either. It's just that at universities, students' intimate lives are not discussed, professors don't 'suggest' to a girl that she should have an abortion, just as they don't warn against disease-spreading homosexuals. And all this appears in the texts of the founder of this organization.

I think if people from NA here in Poland, heard all of these horrific things that Livraga wrote about, from a random person on the street, who then would offer them to teach about universal 'truth', they wouldn't hesitate and refuse. But to say 'no' to the founder of the school you trusted for 10, 20 years is very hard. I understand that it's difficult to let go of what we've accepted as truth all along. The myth of the cave of Plato, so often mentioned there in relation to life outside NA has special relevance here.. I'm talking about Polish Acropolitans because I got to know them a bit and I know they don't have bad intentions. But as adults we can face reality instead of running away from it. And in my opinion this organization adopted several methods of breaking others, their psyche in order to make them obey. I heard many times to leave my personality outside the school. On duty you stop being yourself, all this leads to unconditional obedience, which is translated as sacrifice for a higher purpose.

How much can you sacrifice? Can a higher idea justify immoral behavior, such as pretending not to see materials that say homosexuals are evil, that suicidal people are selfish and justify them in different ways, like 'those were different times..' My grandmother lived in those times and she had many homosexual friends and it was not a topic of discussion for her because she had normal attitude to it. These arguments make no sense and only make those who defend Livraga so stubbornly look even worse. They often criticize politicians or the church but they do exactly the same thing. They put the interest of the institution before morality.

Why has it not ever been mentioned that Gabriel Tonetto died in tragic circumstances on NA estate? I will never forget when I heard from our 'teacher' that people suffering depression are selfish.. Considering that the organization has children in its care or plans to educate them such views appall even more.

And finally, one more question. Who has the courage to say that they found the universal truth and the master who proclaims it? Does it not, by any chance, mean we are putting ourselves in the role of somebody who knows what true wisdom is?

I am not saying it is like this because of bad intentions. I think it is more about the mental condition of human beings, those who want to do something good for themselves and others, and believe in a better world. The important thing in all of this is that we are adults and we decide if we want, for the 'great ideal' (whatever that means) to sacrifice our beliefs and go against ourselves. Is this not how we cross out what we believe in?

Maria, April 2023