Can anyone tell me anything about โยเร (yo-ray)? A friend of a friend is going to some kind of convention, but I can't seem to find much about it on the Intnernet (Googling on โยเร returns 1 hit but what little the site has is all in Thai; Googling on "Yo ray" is not helpful). Is it Reiki? Is it some kind of cult? Does it have anything to do with Buddhism?

Thanks in advance!

I'd never heard of it till your post, but googling for โยเร I came across lots of Thai web discussions. Appears to be a form of พลังสมาธิ or meditation energy that one can concentrate in the hands, and use for material gain. From what I've perused online it seems to be associated with hi-so Thai Buddhists and Wat Dhammakaya.

Google also turned up a site in Thai where a Thai man is genuinely concerned about his mother who spends 5.000 - 10.000 baht every month on donations to the Yore monks.

It is hard to judge of course, but provided his story is true, this does seem to be a bit like a cult with group pressure and brain washing techniques, and should be treated with caution. (website: http://www.konmeungbua.com/webboard/aspboa...n.asp?GID=10611 )

Google also turned up a site in Thai where a Thai man is genuinely concerned about his mother who spends 5.000 - 10.000 baht every month on donations to the Yore monks.

It is hard to judge of course, but provided his story is true, this does seem to be a bit like a cult with group pressure and brain washing techniques, and should be treated with caution. (website: http://www.konmeungbua.com/webboard/aspboa...n.asp?GID=10611 )

Right, I came across at least three other sites also warning Thais against getting involved with it. I remember a few years ago พลังจิต groups were all the rage but they seemed pretty harmless, a bit like qi gong, for better health and mental concentration. In the case of Yore it seems to be about financial gain