A cross between a foreign legion boot-camp and a secret-society initiation ritual, the ordeals were grounded in pain. One thing was obvious: the agenda, which was dedicated to grave discomfort, had been drawn up by a passionate sadist.
The experiences described in Tahir Shah's "Sorcerer's Apprentice" resemble a brutal blend of a military training camp and a clandestine initiation rite. The trials participants undergo are intensely painful and designed to push them to their limits. There’s a clear intent behind these challenges, aimed at creating significant discomfort for those involved.
This agenda appears to be conceived by someone with a sadistic passion for inflicting hardship. The rigorous and tormenting nature of these ordeals suggests that they are not merely tests of endurance but also serve a deeper, perhaps more sinister, purpose within the narrative of the book.