Elected through Terror

Untitled Part 41

In the 1980's the AIDs virus was causing a great deal of fear in the world. At that time, there was no cure for it, there was nothing that could hinder it once a person was infected.

The Rajneesh were very much concerned about it. On the ranch they had spray bottles of disinfectant everywhere – they would spray a phone and wipe it down before picking it up, and then spray and wipe down the receiver's ear and mouth pieces to insure they were sterilized. Door knobs, window latches, anything that a person might touch, cough or even breathe on were sprayed and wiped.

When we visited we were advised to use those precautions. I would watch as every time they picked up the phone, opened a door – even if they were the last person to use it – they would go through that cleansing ritual.

I am told Rajneesh often spoke of the threat in his daily teachings to the followers.

How much of it was paranoia; one of the allowances of the Rajneesh was to have sexual encounters with multiple people so there was some danger of acquiring it.

And how much was a genuine fear could be answered by Sheila's attacks on some of the followers that were trying to supplant her position with Rajneesh.

During the criminal investigation we found a series of housing units which were separated from the rest of the housing units on the ranch. These structures were occupied by Rajneesh followers who had been told they had the AIDs virus. These were enemies of Sheila who were supporters of a faction trying to lessen her influence on Rajneesh.

They submitted to the isolation, even though they couldn't be part of the commune's communal activities, because by being on the ranch they were close to the Bhagwan. They later found out that none of them had the virus. Actually, when you think about Sheila's abhorrent behavior, it is a wonder they hadn't been infected by her.

Taking advantage of the fear of the virus wasn't limited to Sheila's enemies at the ranch. She decided to create problems for the remaining non-Rajneesh residents of Antelope.

Sheila and her gang had purchased a number of dormitory type cabins from another cult in Montana. They were brought in and placed on property within the City of Antelope.

Originally it was thought that they would be placing the street people, who had been brought in to overload the vote in November 1984, in them. But they were not used for that purpose; instead they just dropped the homeless off in Madras, The Dalles and Portland.

However, a more nefarious idea was being concocted by Sheila and her minions.

While the city itself has a small population, the property within the city limits is quite extensive. Knowing that and that the county couldn't interfere with the city (unless it was proven that the city officials were corrupt – something I had begun working on) they decided they would have an AID's colony in Antelope.

The summer of 1985 they came up with the idea that people with AIDs needed a place they could go, since most citizens wanted them isolated to avoid being exposed to the virus.

Sheila made a big deal about how they were going to set up medical facilities and invite anyone with AIDs to come to Antelope and live there. The Rajneesh would be providing free medical assistance to these patients – in Antelope.

It was a credible threat based on Sheila's past behavior. She was very spiteful. This kind of false compassion to help people, when in reality it was to intimidate and scare people, was a favorite weapon of hers.

They never brought in anyone. I am not sure they ever intended to or if it was just another thing to provoke the local citizenry and get them to move out.

There were still a few people living in the town that were not Rajneesh and I was getting reports from them that the Peace officers were harassing them by putting spotlights in their windows late at night. They were following them anytime they left their residence making them feel uncomfortable.

If we could get enough evidence we could charge them with official misconduct and I had a couple of citizens keeping track of the dates and times of the incidents. We were going to try and make a case, but the Rajneesh group disintegrated before we could do anything.