In the Shadow of Enlightenment: A Girl's Journey through the Osho Rajneesh Cult

Sarito Carroll

Jan 2025 · Heroine Publishing · Narrated by Zoe Fletcher

About this audiobook

In the Shadow of Enlightenment is the gripping story of Carroll’s childhood inside the Osho Rajneesh cult—one of the most controversial spiritual movements of the 20th century. While in the commune, Sarito was submerged in a world where devotion and freedom clashed with manipulation, sexual misconduct, and neglect. This was the life she knew until the movement collapsed amid scandal and criminal charges in 1985, when sixteen-year-old Sarito was thrust into a society she knew little about.

Now, decades later, after battling shame, fear, and self-doubt, Sarito breaks her silence to expose the abuse, exploitation, and disillusionment she endured in the Rajneesh community. She stands up against this formidable spiritual institution that promised liberation while concealing dark secrets behind its facade of love and joy. With raw honesty and heart-wrenching clarity, she recounts her fight to reclaim her identity, confront the community’s betrayal, and heal on her own terms. It is a powerful story of survival, resilience, courage, and hard-won freedom.

In the Shadow of Enlightenment is a profoundly moving exposé about the hidden dangers lurking behind charismatic leaders and spiritual movements. It will inspire and challenge you to question where you place your trust.

Ratings and reviews

This is a deep study of the good and the bad in life, the duality that exists in this world. I believe the author has had a profound understanding in the end. The pain and suffering that happen in life are often beyond our ability to rectify. But the true justice can only happen within us. Where we see that our truth, our spirit is transcendent to whatever can happen on the outside. Peace does only happen if we embrace it regardless of what life brings. Our heart is whole all along! That is life's lesson.