Editing Rajneesh (section)

=== Sexual abuse and misconduct allegations ===
In 2022, allegations emerged that Rajneesh had sexually abused followers.<ref>{{cite book |last=Richter |first=Anke |title= Cult trip Inside the world of coercion and control|publisher=HarperCollins Publishers (New Zealand) Limited  |year= 2022|isbn=978-1-802471-76-2 |page=334 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web | last=Jackson | first=Brittney | title=The Crazy Cult of Indian Guru Osho Bhagwan & His Mixed Legacy | website=TheCollector | date=2025-01-20 | url=https://www.thecollector.com/cult-indian-guru-osho-bhagwan-legacy/ | access-date=2026-03-13}}</ref><ref>{{cite web | title=Osho – nirav-art | website=nirav-art | date=2023-09-20 | url=https://nirav-art.com/category/osho/ | access-date=2026-03-12}}</ref><ref>{{cite web | title=- YouTube | website=YouTube | date=2024-03-06 | url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?t=805&v=8Gr8YO078Ys&feature=youtu.be | access-date=2026-03-12}}</ref><ref>{{cite web | title=- YouTube | website=YouTube | date=2024-03-06 | url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?t=1298&v=MvDPV1SmVwc&feature=youtu.be | access-date=2026-03-12}}</ref>

Deeksha was a senior disciple of Rajneesh and part of the inner circle of his commune. She was among the relatively small group of followers who had direct access to him and held positions of authority within the movement.<ref>{{cite web | last=Botto | first=Giacomo | title=Dragon Lady | website=storielibere.fm | date=2022-08-30 | url=https://storielibere.fm/soli-dragonlady/ | language=it | access-date=2026-03-12}}</ref> In a podcast, she described allegations of sexual abuse. The first one is an incident in which a young Japanese follower emerged visibly distressed from a private meeting with Rajneesh, appearing shaken and agitated, and told her that he had forced himself on her and raped her; the woman subsequently left the ashram and later asked Deeksha to testify about what she had witnessed, a request that Deeksha said she did not respond to and later deeply regretted.<ref>{{cite web | last=Botto | first=Giacomo | title=Dragon Lady | website=storielibere.fm | date=2022-09-07 | url=https://storielibere.fm/osho-children-dragonlady-part2/ | language=it | access-date=2026-03-12}}</ref> She further alleged that alleged that Rajneesh later sometimes engaged in sexual conduct with female followers during private darshan sessions. Deeksha stated that she herself experienced unwanted touching during one darshan session. She also said that other women told her they had been pressured to perform sexual acts for him, including oral sex, or to engage in sexual activity with other women while he watched. According to her account, some women complied because they believed the requests had a spiritual purpose or were tests of their inhibitions. Deeksha said several later described the experiences as traumatic and as an abuse of authority. She also recounted confidences from another follower who said Rajneesh had demanded sexual acts and required her to swallow semen, which she described as coercive and humiliating. Women were reportedly expected to remain silent about what occurred during these encounters.<ref>{{cite web | last=Botto | first=Giacomo | title=Dragon Lady | website=storielibere.fm | date=2022-09-21 | url=https://storielibere.fm/osho-children-dragonlady-part3/ | language=it | access-date=2026-03-12}}</ref>

Another of his former disciples later wrote that Rajneesh had called her to his room for sexual encounters which, at the time, she believed were part of a sacred or tantric exchange between master and disciple. She stated that he instructed her to undress and directed her to engage in sexual acts, including masturbation and oral sex. According to her account, he also subjected her to physical acts involving her mouth and throat, and on some occasions partially penetrated her. She wrote that because she had been chosen as a medium in his energy darshans and as one of his group leaders, she believed at the time that these acts were connected to her spiritual role. In later reflections, she said she no longer regarded the encounters as sacred and instead viewed them as occasions on which she had been used and abused. She added that revisiting these experiences decades later led to severe psychological distress. According to her account, she experienced [[PTSD]] flashbacks, panic episodes, and intense fear, and for a period was unable to leave her house or carry on normal daily activities.<ref>{{cite web | title=What if I WAS in a cult? | website=Erin Robbins | date=1970-01-01 | url=https://www.erinrobbins.life/what-if-i-was-in-a-cult | access-date=2026-03-12}}</ref><ref>{{cite web | last=Lalich | first=Dr. Janja | title=Think Twice Before Posting That Osho Quote! | website=Lalich Center on Cults and Coercion | date=2022-09-02 | url=https://www.lalichcenter.org/blog/think-twice-before-posting-that-osho-quote/ | access-date=2026-03-12}}</ref>