corboy Wrote: - > During this time, you make friends and, gradually > lose > what capacity you had for objectivity. > Anthropologist Tanya Luhrmann > has termed this 'interpretative drift'. One learns > from group > participation how to interpret events the way > one's companions do. > > You're often told that any critical informati
Forum: "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements"

"the teachings say to thoroughly check out the teacher" There are a few problems with the classic advice Misstyk quotes on character checking a teacher. This is not a criticism of Misstyk, who has given solid information about patterns of abuse in Vajrayana. What follows is my misgivings about this classic advice given in Vajrayana sources. And which has even been passed on
Forum: "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements"

Over many years I have found some items that have added to my understanding. Persuasions of the Witch's Craft by Tanya Luhrmann. Luhrmann is an anthropologist and this book is based on participant observation she did on various groups - covens and esoteric lodges. She was interested in how members combined their pre-modern beliefs with the need to live and function in evidence ba
Forum: Former Cult Members and Affected Families

For more, get and read Persusions of the Witch's Craft by anthropologist Tanya Luhrmann. We preserve our identities as skeptical and educated, while changing our interpretative strategies, get entangled in various forms of confirmation bias while ignoring that we are doing this. (quote) Interpretive Drift Persuasions of the Witch's Craft "In her groundbreaking soci
Forum: "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements"