The Guru, the Jet, and the Lie: Don Johnson’s Journey Out of the Prem Rawat Cult

Prem Rawat Addresses a Peace Education Meeting in Mexico

“He told me maybe the drinking was just a game—a test. That’s when I knew something was deeply wrong.”

Don Johnson’s story starts like many others: a spiritual seeker, a young idealist, someone hungry for meaning in a chaotic world. But his path led him deep into the inner circle of one of the world’s most enigmatic modern gurus—Prem Rawat, once heralded as a boy-prophet who could deliver inner peace and global harmony.

In this Cult Vault episode, host Kacey sits down with Don to unpack his decades-long involvement with the Rawat movement—once known as Divine Light Mission, later rebranded as Elan Vital. From wide-eyed devotee to instructor, from the ashram to the boardroom, Don climbed the ranks and found himself president of the U.S. arm of the organization.

But behind the message of peace was a far murkier reality: lavish spending, cognitive dissonance, secret drinking, and deeply troubling allegations.

Don reveals the moment his faith began to fracture—an intimate, surreal one-on-one meeting with Rawat himself where the guru dodged accountability and dismissed serious concerns with spiritual gaslighting.

🚨 "It was like reading porn," Don says of discovering the whistleblower accounts online. “I knew too much—and still not enough.”

This episode dives deep into:

• The real origins of Prem Rawat's global movement.

• What life was like inside the ashrams—including vows of obedience, chastity, and poverty.

• How cults use charisma, hierarchy, and isolation to keep members silent.

• Why survivors often face backlash—and legal intimidation—just for telling the truth.

• How Don rebuilt his life, career, and spiritual identity after leaving.

🧠 Whether you’ve heard of Prem Rawat or not, this episode is a masterclass in critical thinking, cognitive dissonance, and the power of reclaiming your own story.

🎧 Listen to the full episode of The Cult Vault wherever you get your podcasts.

📖 And check out Don’s new book, Living a Conscious Life: How to Find Peace, Wholeness and Freedom in a Chaotic World—a blend of practical wisdom, spiritual insight, and deeply personal lessons from a life rebuilt.