Visit the author's website here

www.peoplefarm.com

Very, very interesting. He told me the cult leader had excellent academic credentials and that for a time, insurance companies had covered the costs of 'therapy' at Rancho Vista

did you read the book? i was considering ordering on amazon...wanted your review.

cheers,
acacias

I spent the past week out of town and by a total fluke, met the author of People Farm.

(We were both petting the same dog!)

We got to talking about this and that, and he volunteered that he'd been in a cult. (On my honor, he said it first, I did not).

So I have not yet had a chance to read the book.

Warning: according to some of the reviews, parts of the book are sexually very graphic. If you have trauma issues in that area, proceed with care.

I look forward to reading the book. I hope the author has described his recovery.

He is now a lawyer who does work for low income people who need help with durable powers of attorney and living wills--and he came across as a sweet, funny and energetic person.

i'm going to order it today -- i'll post a note on this thread when i'm done. and let you know how it was....i'm ok with the explicit part -- i'm a born and bred new yorker :wink:

cheers,
acacias

is great....i cannot identify this group...it reads like a mixture of synanon and children of god...with a little jonestown, rama and whitewater swan mixed in.......kind of like 'all your cults wrapped up into one little cult' i highly recommend it.

cheers,
acacias

[i:f9ca05b6d8]People Farm [/i:f9ca05b6d8]is probably the closest way an outsider can stand aside at a [i:f9ca05b6d8]very [/i:f9ca05b6d8]safe distance, and experience the desperation and vulnerability persons who are seduced into a psychotherapy cult and how they can be trained to function as extensions of the leader, even to the point of degrading each other and committing crimes.

The book also describes the endless hustling and scheming that went on behind the scenes, including how various events, group processes and PR were stage managed.

And, the final 80 pages describe how pathetic, helpless and childish the leader became as his empire imploded, and how he became increasingly dangerous as his conditon deteriorated.

Susoyev was stuck coordinating Cy Aaron's legal situation, and conveys his own split loyalties--knowing one at the same time that he loved this man for saving him from suicide, yet simultaneously knew Cy Aaron was dangerous as hell. Susoyev is convinced that Cy Aaron saved him from suicide. Yet he now lives with the knowledge that he did horrible things to people because of Cy Aaron--he was trained to became a victim-perpetrator.

Steve Susoyev wrote this book as an apology to those he harmed and in hope that people will better understand the hazards of charismatic psychopaths. He feels he got some real healing from his years with Cy Aaron, is grateful for Cy Aarons advocacy of Gay Rights, because Aaron's advocacy contributed to a major human rights victory.

Susoyev phones Cy Aaron once a year on his birthday, and at the same time keeps a very safe distance from him. He wrote People Farm to help us stay away if a Cy Aaron ever tries to enter our lives.

[b:f9ca05b6d8]Exploiting the Zeitgeist[/b:f9ca05b6d8]

What I found scary was that the franchise described in 'People Farm' enjoyed an excellent reputation during the glory days of the Human Potential Movement.

Steve Susoyev, author of [i:f9ca05b6d8]People Farm [/i:f9ca05b6d8] went to great lengths to cloak the name of this now-defunct grop and its personnel under pseudonyms. 'Cyrus Aaron', who was leader of the group, served time in prison--and emerged with his messiah complex intact. He had no appreciation for how he had betrayed the loyalties of those whom he had encouraged to trust him as their therapist--and savior.

If anyone was active in the Human Potential movement during the 70s, especially in the LA area, they'll probably figure out which group this was.

This book will be especially valuable to mental health professionals, journalists, sociologists and exit counselors. Anyone who is considering attending a 'growth group' or LGAT or intentional community should read this book.

The best hustlers exploit situations when people are desperate and have difficulty accessing healthy skepticism--and also exploit moments in history when it is fashionable to belittle critical thinking. The Sixties and Seventies were such a time and 'Cy Aaron' leader of 'Rancho Vista' played his cards well.

When 'Cy Aaron' was finally taken into custody, the judge was bombarded by clemency pleas from celebrated therapists, professors and even a Nobel Laureate.

'Cy Aaron' had such a lurid rap sheet as a pedophile that the judge ignored the letters and put him in prison.

(You must read the book if you want to find out exactly why so many of these people--including the Nobel Laureate--were so supportive.)


If you want to understand the hectic, behind the scenes grunt work needed to operate a cult, and especially the ways certain cult leaders select and exploit fads, fashions, and *hand-pick* talented, desperate people to serve as members of their inner circle---[i:f9ca05b6d8]People farm[/i:f9ca05b6d8] is a revelation.

[b:f9ca05b6d8]The Cost of Discipleship: Or 50 Ways to Make Excuses When Your Guru's Charged With Sex Crimes and Goes into Hiding[/b:f9ca05b6d8]

If you want to know the kinds of messes left behind when a cult implodes--[i:f9ca05b6d8]People Farm [/i:f9ca05b6d8]gives all kinds of gritty details:

Youthful disciples suddenly left holding the fort, fending off the press and making excuses for the leader's absences (caused by everything from drunkeness, drug use, extra-marital affairs, fleeing the country). Faithful disciples jumping out of bed in the wee hours to find the police at the front door and having to say they're only housesitting and dont know where Great Leader X has gone, groping for money to pay the bills, slinking to lawyer's offices to try to save their beloved leader's sorry ass--its all there. This brief description doesnt do justice to the book.

[b:f9ca05b6d8]Exploitation of Lucrative Suffering[/b:f9ca05b6d8]

Cy Aaron timed his outreach/recruitment strategies to take advantage of every new shift in the social landscape, exactly the way successful speculators time the stock market. (Or they think they do...) Cyrus Aaron was especially mindful of what insurance companies were most willing to pay for. One criterion for admission to his inner circle was the ability to write progress reports on patients that kept money coming in from the insurance companies.

When troubled kids and their distraught familieswere the lucrative market, Cy Aaron targeted them. Later, he shifted to an LGAT model and recruited wealthy corporate types who wanted to explore their potentials. Then, right when substance abuse issues in the workplace became a hot topic, Cy Aaron, targeted Human Resources departments in companies.

Ironically, by the time Aaron began targeting addiction issues as the cash cow, he was deteriorating into advanced alcoholism and paranoia.

Susoyev became the Cy Aaron's protege during the early years when Aaron targeted troubled families and children. Susoyev got to attend social functions where he saw his leader hobnob and network with Werner Erhard, Carl Rogers, Janov.

[b:f9ca05b6d8]The Fine Art of Exploiting Social Justice Causes [/b:f9ca05b6d8]

Cy Aaron even lent support to an important group of activist therapists who were the first to support Gay Liberation. For his own self enhancement, this hustler gave valuable, much needed support to a social justice movement that enabled mental health professionals to understand that homosexuality is not pathological but is simply one of a variety of naturally occurring sexual orientations. This change in perspective was revolutionary, and is saving lives.

For just after Cy Aaron went into hiding in 1978, Steve Susoyev picked up a newspaper and read that the American Psychiatric Association had removed homosexuality as a catagory from its new edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual. Bt this time Susoyev knew that Cy Aaron was dangerous, both to himself and others, was a coward and yet--this crazy, dangerous man had contributed to a victory for human rights.

(Historical Note) One of my seminary professors told me that before homosexuality was de-pathologized by the mental health profession, gay postive therapists had to keep a low profile. These were the days when people who identified themselves as homosexual were often advised to cure themselves through marriage, or get aversion therapy--which was a form of torture. (Steve Susoyev's therapist was giving him such advice and Susoyev's parents had already rejected him. Steve was on the verge of killing himself when he met Cy Aaron.)

My professor told me how careful she had to be when she referred suffering students to this 'under ground railroad' of gay postive therapists. Another gay therapist told me that he had to stay out of gay bars until he was in his 50s--when the APA depathologized homosexuality. In the 1970s, the gay bars were important places to socialize and network, so a gay person who felt afraid to go to them was in a lonely situation.

The lesson here is that when a social justice movement is starting to attract well spoken eloquent types--[i:f9ca05b6d8]be careful[/i:f9ca05b6d8]. Some of them may be opportunistic hustlers. But when you're desperate and need help, thats such difficult advice to follow.

And hustlers [i:f9ca05b6d8]know [/i:f9ca05b6d8]that.

Cy Aaron supported Gay Liberation, did it very well, but only came on board at the precise point when he intuited that the movement had garnered some social cachet and was on the point of achieving mainstream acceptance.

Aaron's timing was impeccable---as astute as that of Napoleon, who knew when to keep his troops in reserve, then charged forward the exact instant when the adversary hesitated and a gap opened in the ranks.

[b:f9ca05b6d8]Psychopaths--They'll Even Flunk Mafia Ethics[/b:f9ca05b6d8]

It appears psychopaths see life and society as a huge battlefield. They're highly effective---but they lack empathy. And they leave casulties in their wake.

Despite his contributions, Cy Aaron was a psychopath, serving only himself. He was not an altruist, with genuine interest in the welfare of others. It appears Aaron only selected causes & patient populations that made him look good and discarded those same cause and patients the instant these became liabilities, or were superseded by something more glamorous.

When Aaron's career imploded, young Steve Susoyev had to hire a lawyer to represent his mentor. The lawyer said 'I am not surprised Dr. Aaron needs someone like me.'

This attorney had a thick hide and was renowned for representing Mafia personnel. In a telling scene, the lawyer told Susoyev that Aaron cut a poor figure compared to his Mob clients. In the Mafia they have a code of ethics. They'll kill their adversaries, but loyal supporters are never, ever betrayed to the police.

But psychopath Cyrus Aaron was incapable of even Mafia-level ethics. To find out in exactly what way he demonstrated this, read [i:f9ca05b6d8]People Farm[/i:f9ca05b6d8].
[b:f9ca05b6d8]
How Hustlers Target and Seduce Unwary Mental Health Professionals[/b:f9ca05b6d8]

One of the 'innovative therapies' Cy Aaron created required that subjects be put in restraining harnesses, in a pit and hurl shit at each other. Cyrus Aaron gave a presentation on this in 1977--and received respectful inquiries from psychotherapists all over the world. (The back cover of [i:f9ca05b6d8]People Farm [/i:f9ca05b6d8]has a picture of the author in the shit-pit)

Only a few therapists had the sense to be horrified.

**What comes through between the lines of this account is how vulnerable the mental health profession was (and still is!) is to hustlers, crooks and fads.

Mental health professionals have to understand that they, as a group are a lucrative and powerful niche market . All too often, therapists are quite gullible as group. They want to help their clients and fall victim to schemes peddled by charismatic hustlers. Relatively few therapists are trained to function as 'scientist-practitioners' able to withstand fads, be wary of charisma, and conduct fine-grained literature reviews of new treatment modalities before using these on clients.

The brutal truth is that as a group, many psychotherapists are as vulnerable as rich widows--they're targeted by crooks.

And, as People Farm demonstrates, a surprising number of mental health professionals are unknowlingly seduced to form constituencies for persons who are pursuing covert, very shady careers as Cy Aaron did.

Unwary therapists risk referring their patients to these crooks unless they learn to DISTRUST CHARISMA and refuse to employ 'cutting edge therapies' until they have been rigorously tested and peer reviewed in sober, scientific settings.

And graduate programs for clinical psychology, social work and MFCC must teach students how to review literature, identify potential scams and scam artists, and become aware that charisma shoud be considered a red flag, NOT an endorsement. This needs to be regularly covered in Continuing Education courses, too.

(These issues are discussed in [i:f9ca05b6d8]Science and Pseudoscience in Clinical Psychology [/i:f9ca05b6d8]by Lilienfeld.)