After retiring from the NFL last year, Ricky Williams’ foundation to help underprivileged youth lost major donations. The organization found itself in a $32 million hole. In order to make up for lost funds, the Ricky Williams Foundation is now supporting the development of at-risk children through the teachings of a controversial, cult-like group called Access Consciousness.
The Ricky Williams Foundation, based in Austin, TX and held at local public schools, was created by Williams to be “instrumental in the physical, mental, emotional and educational development of at-risk individuals from low social-economic communities.” Since the foundation’s partnership with Gary Douglas and Dr. Dain Heer of Access Consciousness, the Austin youngsters are receiving classes on Level 1 of Access Consciousness from Ricky Williams himself, and on Levels 2 & 3 from Douglas and Heer.
The Austin Chronicle released a report Monday including several audio clips from an interview with Williams, Douglas, and Heer. In response to what the children would be taught, Douglas responded: “I teach them how to be aware of what they are aware of, and how to take answers out of other people’s heads when they take tests and stuff so they can all get A’s and B’s instead of C’s and D’s.”
Gary Douglas, founder of Access Consciousness, has made claims in the past that he can “read minds,” “heal the wounded with his bare hands,” and “speak with molecules,” but this is the first time Access Consciousness is being delivered to groups of children. And it is raising some concerns as to whether underprivileged children “could be persuaded to accept what seems to be a warped set of beliefs.”
You can listen to the full interview at RosterWatch.com. Warning: some parts of the interview contain offensive language.
Follow Carrie Healey on Twitter @CarrieHeals.