>> Or should I try my best to pull my family out of this cult


it is close to impossible, it really depends on the type of person being attracted to Ching Hai group, you cannot do much really



[ramsss.com]

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There is no "type of person" per se that is attracted to cults.

In my experience almost anyone can be recruited during a vulnerable time in their life and/or by a friend, coworker or family member.

It is possible to get people out of groups like Ching Hai, as the link previously posted indicates.

There are some basic "coping strategies" you might try.

Some families do an intervention, but that may be too expensive, with you in Thailand.

I don't know of anyone that professionally does intervention work regarding cults in Thailand.

>>Hi all I am new to this site. The reason I search the internet for a site like this is that all of my immediate family member have are devoted disciples of the Ching Hai cult. I’m really confused now, not sure what to need do. Kind of need some...


I had a similar experience with my friend regarding what you just talked about. It's extreme difficult to try and explain to them the things that "just don't add up" about her. No matter how hard you try and persuade them to see your light of view, they're completely adamant about their beliefs even to the point of being unreasonable. It's not surprising that your family refuses to bother even reading some of the articles you've printed out.

In some of the conversations I've had with some ex-members of her organization, they say the best way to depart is for them alone to make the choice to leave. You can spend months and months trying to pry your family members away, but as most cult study groups will say, it'll only strengthen their core of beliefs. They need to see the "entire picture" for themselves, not with you.

It's a tough choice, whether you should intervene in your situation; in my eyes, family is the most important thing, if it were up to me and I was going to do something about it, I'd really rethink my strategy. At the same time, the more and more they become involved in the movement, the more strained and disconnected your relationship may become in the near future.

There is a book called "A Theory of Religion" by Rodney Stark, who is a sociologist; he goes into detail about cult establishments, it's a interesting book that I think you might want to take a look at if you're interested in learning more.

Anyways, sorry about the short post, I really would have liked to say more...
Send me a PM if you'd like, I have no problems further discussing this.

Many cult members leave through the persuasion and persistence of concerned family members.

Many cult members have also left directly through intervention efforts.

They key issue is how much harm the group may do during whatever time a member remains under its influence.

Of course this varies from group to group.

In Ching Hai members appear to be financially exploited through contributions and labor provided.

FYI -- Rodney Stark has been criticized academically regarding his objectivity concerning groups called "cults."

See [www.culteducation.com]

Here is an excerpt:

Zablocki made another, potentially more damning charge, however–one that Robbins did not take up. A significant amount of cult money, he wrote, has gone to scholars–in support of research, publication, conference participation, and other services. Zablocki did not name names. But a number of professors freely admit that nontraditional religions (in most cases, the Unificationists and Scientologists) have cut them checks. The list includes some of the most prominent scholars in the discipline: Bromley, Barker, Rodney Stark of the University of Washington, Jeffrey Hadden of the University of Virginia, and James Richardson, a sociologist of religion at the University of Nevada at Reno. All five have attended cult-subsidized conferences, and Bromley, Hadden, and Richardson have occasionally testified in court on behalf of cults or offered their services as expert witnesses against brainwashing theory. "This is an issue," Zablocki wrote sternly, "of a whole different ethical magnitude from that of taking research funding from the Methodists to find out why the collection baskets are not coming back as heavy as they used to."

Wow, what a shame. I have read many of Stark's works; I do agree, a lot of his most recent stuff seems riddled with outlandish statements. It's a real disappointment that some of these scholars accept funds and services from the cults they study.

Hi all I am new to this site. The reason I search the internet for a site like this is that all of my immediate family member have are devoted disciples of the Ching Hai cult. I’m really confused now, not sure what to need do. Kind of need some advice guys. I tell you the whole story.

My self and my whole a family were non religious. Both my self and my sister were born atheists. My family were first aware of ching hai 10 years ago from my uncle which had joined this group. My uncle told my mother This is not a religion this is simple a meditation technique and convinced her into going to their meditation session in Brisbane Australia. With in 12 months of going to this first meditation session my whole family except for me had joined this group. My mother Father and sister. They constantly tell me that this is not a religion it is only a meditation method. They did try to convince me to join the meditation group. They said it was going it would help me with my problem of insomnia. I try abit of it even when to their session did not like it I thought Ching Hai wanted to be a model more than a meditation master. But anyway I told my family I was not interested in joining her (I’m not a spiritual person at all) my family respected my choice on that.

Anyway 10 years have past since my family was introduced to Ching Hai. My mother Father and sister are now devoted followers of ching hai, fanatic vegetarians and have supreammaster television on all fringing day..

Recently I have seen changes in my sister view on life. She was so worried about the world turning to an end and her husband had not joined the Ching hai movement and become vegetarians. So she ask some of ching hia advisers about weather her husband would be spared when the world come to an end and they told her “one does not have to join the ching hai movment to be spared one must only do good deeds” anyway I have become more and more anti ching hai after my family put supream master television on all day. I see this stupid Fxxxing Bxxx dancing and singing in the music videos look like she wants to be Madonna more than Buddha. I really think my sister to get that worried about the end of the world if everybody does not turn vegetarian is so out of character even if the response she gets was reasonable it was still out of character to change her views on life so much like this.

Anyway a few more months have pasted ching Hai has now opened a new restaurant in Bangkok called loving hut. Oh sorry I forget to mention earlier my family joined ching hai in Brisbane Australia then them moved to Bangkok Thailand 6 years after join ching hai and joined ching hai’s Bangkok branch..

Ok back to the point now my mother father and sister donated money for loving hut but I do not know the exact amount though my father says it is not a lot. My father is not helping in the restaurant by my mother and sister are. I have seen large personality changes in my sister now she works very hard toward this place and she is usually not an aggressive person but now I see her screaming really stressed out about loving hut’s operation. My mother comes home at mid night every night working at loving hut working for a place that does not even belong to them.

I relies something is wrong I do not think ching hai’s movment is a meditation method I think she is a cult leader. I search the internet and come up with this site.

I have read all articles I can find about her. I have talked to my family about this. I printed out articles about ching Hai my family refuses to read them saying member who behave badly and get expelled from the movement and try to take revenge by making up lies. I read about Takar Sing his relation to ching hai and also is embezzlement and his sadistic sex scandals. I told my mother about this she was a little surprised but not out of the world surprised . I printed out so many articles and my family refuse to read them only supream master tv for them.

I talked to my father about ching hai he does not want to talk about it he likes to change the topic and says religion is not important and start talking about investments although I really do feel my father is simple following my mother he is still not a religious person even after following ching hai. Although he is still reluctant to read anything which I have printed out from this site.

I would really like some advice from you guys what should I do in this situation should I leave my family to choose their religion with out bothering them.. When every I say anything about the articles I read hear to them They say ching hai is not dangerous ching hai has never ripped me off. You don’t need to donate to ching hai if you don’t want..

Or should I try my best to pull my family out of this cult before it does some real damage to my family. I don’t need to let us become victims first.

Or even should I spend my spare time being an activist to try to stop this evil movement and if so how .

Any advice to my current situation would be greatly appreciated.

Are their any know recourses site regarding tips or stories of how family members convince others to leave the cult.

I think my family like the social gathering with this group just as much in not more than her teaching most of my parents and sisters circle of friends are in the movement.

I told them about Ching Hai real past and links to Takar Sing and my mother just said that the people at their meeting in her circle of friends are good people and Ching Hai in on the other side of the world.

Does anybody know of if any intervention work has been done on this organisation

There will always be some fringe social science intellectuals, who will get on the gravy-train in one way or another, and take money from these groups and cults.
There is so much money at stake, it must be very lucrative for them to hire themselves out to the groups in various ways.

That's why its so valuable to keep track of the various cult-apologists, as they are known, so at least people know the alleged "objective information" they are getting could be bought and paid for by the group.

>> to the point of being unreasonable


your post reflected what i experienced,
well said on every word.

first, i read about group members broke up their family after joining the group on the Internet many years ago.

soon these Internet stories happened to me,
now many years past after divorced.

just a dream in the course of life.

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There are numerous online content that I'm sure can be of help to you. I just came across this page on the RR site:

http://www.culteducation.com/prep_faq.html

It's a nice little section on intervention, which maybe be a good start.