My nephew has joined this group ([www.humanitysteam.com]) and has moved to a group home in Oregan. He believes he is going to change the world and cannot be convinced that this group seems nothing more than a way of somebody making money out of him. He has already withdran large amounts of money.

Does anybody have any knowledge or information on this group and whether they might be dangerous?

They are fairly new and I have not found any information about them so far.

Thank you.

First, as you do research, look both on Google and also click 'groups' and go to the Google listserves. The listserves are discussion groups and you often find information there that you cant find on Google itself.

Note the types of discussion groups which yield the most information for you. That can give a clue what types of people are interested. I found the material on Humanity's Team on listserves catering to people interested in A Course In Miracles ( ACIM)

ACIM itself may not necessarily be a cult. But it attracts people who dont do background checks. The ACIM holy books that are supposedly advice from God or angels 'channelled' through psychically talented people.

A lot of people who are fed up with mainstream religion (persons who prefer mainstream religion are the ones called 'religionists' by the leader of Humanity's Team), gravitate toward these psychic groups. They form a recruitment pool which can be readily exploited by charismatic persons who operate outside of formal social networks.

The leader’s name is spelled Neale Donald Walsch

He may be referred to as ‘Neale Walsh’ or misspelled as ‘Neal’—keep all this in mind when using various combinations of search terms in Google. Other worried friends and parents may be asking for help, and they may post queries using ‘Neal’ instead of ‘Neale’.

[www.google.com]


(A sample of HT’s ideology)

[www.google.com]


[www.google.com]

It looks like Neal D Walsch is highly charismatic. I advise doing further research.

If at some point your nephew needs money, dont send it to him directly. Clothes and non refundable gift certificates are best. If he says he needs money for medical or dental care, arrange to pay the doctor or dentist directly, otherwise the money might go to the group not your nephew.

If he wants to go home, send someone to take him home. If you send money for a ticket, there's a chance he may change his mind or be persuaded to stay, and the money will go to the group not your nephew.

Most people in these groups do eventually leave, so dont despair.

Just wondering how old your nephew is. I hope he's not a minor. Walsch is connected with James Twyman, who sounds like a deceptive wannabe cult-leader. Interesting article at [www.selectsmart.com]

I don't feel good about Walsch. Profit motive seems evident. There are a lot of new age authors out there making money on naive new age spiritual seekers. It's amazing how many of these new age authors have a background in entertainment. Walsch is an actor, former radio announcer (Bob White). Twyman is a musician. Walsch wrote a Conversations with God book for teenagers and started a group called The Changers for teens. I haven't seen anything about child or sexual abuse or brain-washing on the Internet in regard to Walsch (or Twyman). It would be good if you could get your nephew to report back if he comes to see anything unkosher going on.

Good luck,
Peony

Just wondering how old your nephew is. I hope he's not a minor. Walsch is connected with James Twyman, who sounds like a deceptive wannabe cult-leader. Interesting article at [www.selectsmart.com]

I don't feel good about Walsch. Profit motive seems evident. There are a lot of new age authors out there making money on naive new age spiritual seekers. It's amazing how many of these new age authors have a background in entertainment. Walsch is an actor, former radio announcer (Bob White). Twyman is a musician. Walsch wrote a Conversations with God book for teenagers and started a group called The Changers for teens. I haven't seen anything about child or sexual abuse or brain-washing on the Internet in regard to Walsch (or Twyman). It would be good if you could get your nephew to report back if he comes to see anything unkosher going on.

Good luck,
Peony

read 'Prophetic Charisma' by Len Oakes

These charismatic types have wildly different belief systems but remarkably similar life trajectories Oakes interviewed 20 charismatic leaders and found that they were all narcissistic, and compensated for personality flaws by working hard to develop their social skills--learning to play people like violins.

Many had been teachers and entertainers. All of them were avid students of social manipulation, attending workships, reading, learning tricks by participating in various cults and social movements, and learning which subgroup of people would be most responsive to their message.

Quite a few persons who affiliate in New Age venues such as, 'channelling' 'Course in Miracles' and the various Unity Churches are often highly vulnerable. They distruct conventional reality, and often dont check the background of a prospective teacher or group.

You can begin to see who Neale Donald Walsch associates with if you go to [www.brainrespiration.com]

"Dr." Lee (doctor of what, prey tell?!) claims that the University of Irvine is researching his "Brain Respiration" program, which he says results in HSP (like ESP, e.g. the ability to see without using their eyes.) The article at [www.selectsmart.com] says UCI denies this. It's good marketing to tell people that there is scientific proof.

I don't see Ilchi Lee's video of kids doing spoon-sticking and blind-folded reading anymore on his site (supposedly a scientific study with Twyman's psychic children). It was so stupid that it was funny, but sad too that people fall for that stuff. Maybe it's there somewhere or maybe he took it off. But I see that he still claims supernatural powers of Brain Respiration, and I'm sure he still tricks kids into thinking they are doing these things. I'm sure it's psychologically damaging to trick kids. It probably wouldn't bother me so much if kids weren't involved. Rick Ross has articles on the Ilchi Lee Dahn Center at [www.culteducation.com]

I can see that Lee's connections go all the way to the UN, if not beyond. Seymour Topper (Pulitzer Prize admin., etc.) and Maurice Strong (UN) are affiliated with Ilchi Lee's so-called Peace University (where Brain Respiration is a primary subject.) You can see them pictured and mentioned here on Ilchi Lee's website for his Peace University, along with Walsch. [www.peace.ac.kr]
It's a whole network of new age authors.

I wonder what a Masters Degree in "Peaceology" will do for you?

Peony

I just got done reading for the first time Neale Walsch's first three CwG books. I thoroughly enjoyed reading them. Actually, most of what he had written, I believed myself, except for a few things.

I enjoy reading the comments on RickRoss.com by other people too. And I knew for certain before I even logged on here tonight to check out the comments about CwG, that Neale Walsch would be called a Cultist Leader!

Any new thought about religion or any new philosphy about God or how this Universe works is always criticized and laughed at in the beggining. I knew Neale Walsch would be "in" for it.

However, I must admit that I haven't been to any of Neale's seminars, or retreats. I haven't heard him speak in person or seen how he interacts with people.

I hope that the success of his books hasn't caused him to grow a big Mount Rushmore sized Ego. Nothing is more unattractive in a human being, especially one that is trying to impart a grand Spiritual Messsage to the world.

I do think that Neale's books could change the world. Let's hope he doesn't goof it up by getting too greedy and too big for his pants!

Neale isn't offering any new cutting edge philosophy, the criticism of him isn't because he's being 'persecuted' for his great ideas. He is a charlatan, he promotes a rather creepy moral relativism and claims to speak with/for God himself. I think he had a Mr. Rushmore-sized ego to begin with and he is quite openly materalistic and greedy. I saw an interview with him and he was showing off his new $800 boots and saying how he didn't feel guilty about buying them because God wants us to have whatever we want (and he knows what God wants!)

He also promotes cheating on one's spouse because he, sorry, God says it's much worse to cheat oneself out of having as much sex as possible than to betray your marriage vows. He promotes moral relativism and the idea that by thinking the right thoughts you can pull yourself out of poverty (poverty is your own fault, you just chose it and you can just as easily un-choose it). He also blames victims of sexual abuse for 'attracting' the abuse and says there are 'no victims or villians' in life. Standard New Age B.S.

There is a new movie out about him that I think is trying to capitalize on The Secret's success called "Introducing Neale Donald Walsch: God's Latest Scribe?" (2009). I came across it yesterday on Amazon.com. I'm trying to sell my old Abraham-Hicks DVD's and since I did a search on pricing Amazon.com put it up as a DVD I might be intersteing in (no thanks!) I'm trying to put all that nonsense behind me, I hope people will wake up and stop giving up their personal power to these charlatans. Walsch IS a charlatan. Although he may not be as bad as a Warren Jeffs he still promotes a very destructive philosophy. I wasn't aware there were actual Humanity's Team group homes so it may be even worse than I thought. I know the OP was a few years ago, but I hope the poster's son has not given those large sums of money he withdrew to Humanity's Team or NDW and is doing OK.