One goal of Zen is to make you experience this. Personnal rules regarding spirituality The quest for spiritual enlightenment is not without danger. If one is not careful, one might fall into the hands of charlatans or might be brainwashed. By the way, this kind of chalatanism and brainwashing can be found in any religion. If you think your religion is above that, then your on your way to brainwashing.
Spirituality is a personnal matter.
If you hold as true anything a spiritual leader says you risk of being brainwashed. Beware of a spiritual leader that tries to control your personnal life. Your personnal life is your business. Some spiritual leaders try to impose rules over you. My opinion is that ethics, spiritual rules, etc. should be rooted in an inner understanding and acceptace of those rules.