Andrew Cohen (spiritual teacher)

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Andrew Cohen (spiritual teacher)

Biography
Andrew Cohen (October 23, 1955 – March 25, 2025) was an American spiritual teacher and writer. He became a controversial figure because many former students, including his mother, accused him of mental, physical, and financial abuse. He founded EnlightenNext and developed a teaching approach he called Evolutionary Enlightenment, a form of nondual spirituality he described as an ongoing evolution of awakening that involves both individuals and cultures.

Early life and influences
Cohen was born in New York City. As a teenager, he experienced a spontaneous sense of cosmic consciousness at age 16. He later pursued a career as a jazz musician and, with the help of a significant inheritance, began traveling in search of spiritual insight. In 1986 he met H. W. L. Poonja, a teacher who inspired a decentralised, experiential approach to Advaita. This meeting helped shape Cohen’s early teaching, known at first as Neo-Advaita.

Teachings and evolution of his work
Cohen taught in the Neo-Advaita tradition, emphasizing that awakening can be impersonal and accessible without heavy spiritual practices. Over time he moved toward a broader framework called Evolutionary Enlightenment, later often described as Evolutionary Enlightenment or impersonal enlightenment. He argued that true awakening involves both the individual and humanity’s ongoing development, and that ego and an “Authentic Self” are two opposing aspects of the psyche. He drew on ideas from Ken Wilber’s Integral Theory, Don Beck’s Spiral Dynamics, Ramana Maharshi, and the broader Advaita tradition, while proposing a path that integrates personal awakening with cultural evolution.

Career milestones
- 1986: Began teaching as a neo-Advaita teacher after meeting Poonja; founded EnlightenNext (initially Moksha Foundation and the Impersonal Enlightenment Fellowship).
- 1991: Started EnlightenNext magazine, which helped establish him as a prominent spiritual figure.
- 2004–2007: Helped run the Conscious Evolution master’s program in collaboration with the Graduate Institute in Connecticut; served as core faculty for EnlightenNext.
- 2001–2010s: Played drums in the jazz-funk band Unfulfilled Desires, releasing several CDs.
- 2011: EnlightenNext magazine ended publication; the organization faced financial and logistical difficulties.
- 2013–2016: Accusations and controversy grew, with multiple former students and observers labeling his group a cult; he announced a sabbatical in 2013 and later issued apology letters.
- 2016–2017: Returned to public life with a redesigned website and announced a retreat in 2017.
- 2020: Launched Manifest Nirvana, an online meditation and teaching platform.
- 2025: Died in Tiruvannamalai, Tamil Nadu, India, at age 69.

Controversies
Cohen’s career was marred by serious accusations. Former students and his mother described physical, psychological, and financial abuse, sometimes under the banner of “crazy wisdom.” Critics said his methods were controlling and manipulative. Poonja, his early mentor, reportedly did not authorize Cohen to teach, which added to questions about the legitimacy of his authority. Critics also pointed to financial troubles and the closure of EnlightenNext, and a 2016 online petition by former students calling for him to stop teaching. Cohen publicly apologized in 2015 for past harms and pledged to emphasize compassion and opening to love.

Death
Andrew Cohen died on March 25, 2025, in Tiruvannamalai, Tamil Nadu, India, at the age of 69.

Works
Cohen contributed to outlets such as The Huffington Post, Big Think, and The Speaking Tree. He published numerous books on his ideas, including Evolutionary Enlightenment and related works, and he wrote about his theories of awakening and personal growth for a wide audience.

See also
- H. W. L. Poonja
- Ramana Maharshi
- Ken Wilber
- Don Beck
- Neo-Advaita