Recent Research on the Claims of Sathya Sai Baba

Brian Steel   
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Introduction to This Topic:
Sathya Sai Baba: The Guru Who Claimed to be God on Earth
Basic Myths and Pertinent Questions about the Guru Sathya Sai Baba (Updated)

For Researchers

Sathya Sai Baba Myth-Dissolving Evidence

The truth about this controversial guru involves much more than the widely disseminated sexual allegations. Relevant documentary evidence and discussion is available online and in the extensive body of Sathya Sai Baba literature. Academic interest in the wider picture is slowly awakening.
(For background reference, a composite list of my research publications.)

The following articles are offered as possible starting points for independent research on Sathya Sai Baba.

Dossiers

Dossier 1: Sathya Sai Baba as Storyteller
Dossier 2: Sathya Sai Baba's Claims of Divinity and Divine Powers

Dossier 3: The Packaging of Sathya Sai Baba's Telugu Discourses
The Packaging of Sathya Sai Baba's Discourses. An Appendix for Researchers and Others

Dossier 4: Discrepancies in the Official Sathya Sai Baba Story: The Early Years

Research Bibliography
(Expanded and Updated, December 2007):

An Annotated Working Bibliography for Research on Sathya Sai Baba. Part 1 (WORD doc.)

Full .PDF Version of SSB Bibliography. Part 1
(Warning: 63 pages. Very SLOW to download.
Mea Culpa. Please be patient.)

 An Annotated Working Bibliography for Research on Sathya Sai Baba. Part 2
An Annotated Working Bibliography for Research on Sathya Sai Baba. Part 3

Recent devotee books about Sathya Sai Baba. Part 1. Accounts by early devotees
Recent books about Sathya Sai Baba. Part 2. Different Types of Hagiography

Most recent:

Erlendur Haraldsson Breaks his Silence on Sathya Sai Baba's Final Decade

Erlendur Haraldsson and Sathya Sai Baba: Background Information to a 40-year Relationship

Sathya Sai Baba Update by E. Haraldsson

Tips for Research on Sathya Sai Baba. 1

Tips for Research on Sathya Sai Baba. 2. Vishal Mangalwadi

A Recent Academic View of Sathya Sai Baba by Professor Smriti Srinivas

Sathya Sai Baba's credibility gap: Contributions by John Hislop

Sathya Sai Baba, Elsie and Walter Cowan, and John Hislop. A Discredited 1971 Resurrection Claim

Sathya Sai Baba's Public Use of English and its Perception by Devotees.
Insights into his Charismatic Influence.

On the Terms "Sai Baba" and "the Sai Baba Movement"

Puttaparthi on a hot day in October

Sathya Sai Baba's Questionable Stories and Claims
Fuzzy Dates in the Official Biography of Sathya Sai Baba. A Re-examination. (Extended)
Research on Sathya Sai Baba. New Factors for Researchers to Consider

 The Year 2000: Major New Evidence about Sathya Sai Baba from 4 Sources
Sathya Sai Baba's Illnesses, Afflictions, and Injuries - a Significant Pattern?
Downgrading Divinity (An Update)
Promoting Sathya Sai Baba in Today's Spiritual Marketplace
The Latest Example of His Master's Voice
Recycled Acclamations of Sathya Sai Baba as God and Avatar

Introduction to 3 Bibliographies about Sathya Sai Baba

Evidence of an Internet Activist in Action: Gerald 'Joe' Moreno
Diversionary Tactics by an Internet Demagogue
Bill Aitken's Book on Sathya Sai Baba
An Interesting New Development in the Sathya Sai Organisation:
The Prasanthi Council

The Truth Resuscitated: Suppressed Evidence Reappears
Cherished SSB myth further discredited by SSSO Evidence
Sathya Sai Baba's Latest Story Discrepancy
  Counter-Evidence to the Sathya Sai Baba Divinity Myth and Related Topics.
A Basic Source Guide

Brief Notes on a Recent Visit to India
 A New Celebrity Endorsement?
Basic Notes on Sathya Sai Baba's Credibility Problem
Devotees' Expectations and SSB's Lingam Production
What Wikipedia Doesn't Tell Us about Sathya Sai Baba
Two Messages for Busy Websurfers

A Very Revealing Week in the Life (and Demise) of a SSB Devotee Chat Group
Misleading Remarks Accepted as Truth
Towards a More Realistic Assessment of SSB on the International Scene
The Waning of SSB's Divine Status. A Small Insight

A Reference List of Brian Steel's Internet Postings about Sathya Sai Baba
(December 2007 to December 2008)

Sequel to a Controversial New York Times Article about Sathya Sai Baba

NOTE: A HUGE CORNUCOPIA of mind-boggling up-to-date revelations and links about SSB
are available on the principal website of ex-devotee and ex-SSO official ROBERT PRIDDY.

Earlier evidence about The Guru from Puttaparthi

Sathya Sai Baba's CLAIMS
Sathya Sai Baba: Man of Many Stories
Sathya Sai Baba's Claims of Divinity: Avatar and Triple Avatar

SSB's Claim to be the Reincarnation of Shirdi Sai Baba

 Sathya Sai Baba's Fluctuating Claims of Divinity

The Immaculate Conception

Clumsy Attempts at Persuasion

 More on Sathya Sai Baba's Stories:

The University Chancellor and His Schoolboy Stories

Paranormal References: Wolf Messing and Kirlian (Revised)

More Messing

SSB's Wolf Messing Stories Revisited

Yugadi 2002 References to the World Bank

The Sathya Sai Organisation (SSO)

The Sathya Sai Organisation (part of Ch. 7)

  Further National Variants of "Who is SSB?"

The Cult of the Personality

The Elusiveness of International Fame

Arnold Schulman's Baba - an Embarrassment for the SSO?

 Brief Observations on President Kalam's Convocation Day Speech

CLAIMS and Contributions by OTHERS:
Spokespersons, Writers, Devotees

Misleading Evangelism (Updated) (part of Ch. 4)

SSB and the Psychics: A Case of Mistaken Identity? (part of Ch. 4)

Notes on the Responsibility of Writers of Sathya Sai Baba Books  (part of Ch. 4)

Devotees and Their Contributions to the Purna Avatar Myth Surrounding SSB (part of Ch. 4)

The "Mehdi Moud" Prophecy Revisited (part of Ch. 4)

 Practical Tips on How NOT to Defend SSB from Criticism

Reference and Introductory Materials

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Sathya Sai Baba: God or Guru? (Remaining Chapters)

 Copy of Personal Statement from November 2001

Clarification

Preliminary Notes for Devotees and ex-Devotees of Sathya Sai Baba

SSB - Some Realities and Questions

How Can We Tell Them They are Mistaken?

A Brief Update on SSB News

Chapter 2 - The Packaging of SSB's Discourses

Chapter 3 - SSB's Language and its Perception by Devotees

Chapter 5 - Omniscience and Truth

Omnipotence? (part of Ch. 6)

Omniscience, or Ranting?

Some Notes on SSB's Religious Knowledge

SSB and Christianity. Some Observations

Early Stories About SSB. Variations on Themes

Fresh Light on Sathya Sai Baba's Discourses

More Nonsense

The Packaging of SSB's Discourses - an Update

   

Miscellaneous Information

 Sathya Sai Baba and Mata Amritanandamayi: Some Comparative Notes

Exchange of Views with Hari Sampath

Kaleshwar, a Premature Prema Sai, or Just Local Competition?

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