1. Use of mail drops (private mail boxes) in lieu of regular street addresses. Known members of the group almost never give their actual street address in seeking employment. This is probably the most salient single characteristic of followers of the Rama cult. Nearly all followers have cut themselves off from their families and past friends and use private mail boxes, sometimes a series of them, to make it more difficult for friends and family to locate them.

2. Marital Status. Virtually without exception members of the group are single or divorced and will not give a family member or relative as a person to be notified in case of emergency.

3. Frequent moves. It is typical of the members of the group to move as often as each six months and in some cases even more often than that. If members feel that their actual street address becomes known to friends, other than group members, or to their family, they will generally move to a new location within a short time.

4. Unlisted phone numbers. Members almost always have unlisted phone numbers. And, whether the numbers are unlisted, or in those few cases where they may be listed, the phone is almost always answered by an answering machine so that it is very difficult to call and get an actual person on the line.

5. Contract work. Members of the group seldom accept permanent employment with one company. Instead they almost always work as temporary or contract workers hired through an outside agency. Also, previous employers or places of employment may be only telephone answering services or offices which provide only office services. In a number of cases the employment agency or consulting firm through which contract employees are hired is, itself, operated by the group or members of the group.

6. Inflated resume's. Lenz encourages his followers/students to include qualifications and experience on their resume' that they don't have. This enables them to be employed at positions above that which their actual level of experience would justify, and at higher rates per hour, enabling him to take a larger portion of their income. There are also several dummy corporations or organizations, having only a post office number or an answering service, which exist only to provide references and to verify previous employment or experience. Further circular references are a common practice, that is with several members of the group giving each other as references and verifying each other's past employment or experience.

7. Personal appearance. The women frequently wear red and black clothing. These are the "power" colors they are encouraged to wear. The men will dress quite well, even too well considering the informal atmosphere of some organizations.

8. Automobiles. The more affluent are encouraged to purchase red Mercedes. This is the power car and power color. Members can only own or drive the 300 series Mercedes. Lenz saves the 400 and 500 series for himself. Others will drive four wheel drive vehicles.

9. Home furnishings. Typically the houses or apartments occupied by members will be in better class neighborhoods, but will have few furnishings. At most they will have a computer, some stereo equipment, and perhaps a futon to sleep on. There are two reasons for this. First, since they are living in expensive neighborhoods, driving cars which are more expensive than they can generally afford, and paying a large portion of their earnings to Lenz they usually have little money left over for furniture. Further, they are taught that they should not have more than they can pack up in one car and move quickly.

10. Martial arts - All the male members are encouraged to become proficient in some form of martial arts. There is a high proportion of black belts among them.

11. Socializing - Members seldom, if ever, develop any social contacts or have social activities outside the group. Similarly they seldom engage in outside hobbies or sporting activities which bring them into close contact with non-members.

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