Prem Rawat’s World: John Patterson Tells His Story--Bags of Cash and What Happened to Bill Patterson

John Patterson had a front-row seat to the extraordinary early years of Prem Rawat and Divine Light Mission. His brother, Bill Patterson, was one of Rawat’s earliest and most prominent American followers, and John himself became deeply involved in the organization in Miami. In this candid conversation, he recalls working within the organization, helping provide security for Rawat, and carrying bags of donated cash to a Miami bank as followers raised money to support a lifestyle that included expensive cars, mansions — and a Boeing 707. But John’s story goes far beyond money and excess. He describes the growing doubts that eventually led him to walk away, and tells the deeply moving story of his brother Bill and his sister, both of whom, in very different ways, struggled profoundly after devoting so much of their lives to the movement. For John, leaving was different: he was able to move forward, build a life, and eventually make peace with an experience he once believed in completely. Now 77 and living happily in the highlands of Panama, John looks back with remarkable perspective — neither denying what happened nor dismissing everything he experienced. It’s a fascinating and sometimes heartbreaking conversation about belief, disillusionment, family, spiritual authority, resilience, and what it takes to reclaim your own life.