Harleygal: I have major beefs with Abraham-Hicks but I can tell you that the way your husband is behaving is NOT in alignment with the Teachings of Abraham. It sounds like he's being a selfish, spoiled, terribly negative person.

Abraham does teach people to be "selfish" but not in that way. To many, the idea that you are here to look after yourself first is a revaluation. (like Shannon said, putting on your own oxygen mask before others). I agree with that level of selfishness. If a person can't take care of himself first then he's of no use to anyone else. But I don't think the Hicks are trying to be malicious. Maybe a bit manipulative and definitely profiting from people who are spending their last money on false hopes, but they don't tell men to treat their families like that.

Your husband is using Abraham-Hicks to serve his own negative behaviors. If he was Christian, he'd quote the Bible and find some way to twist that into making his behavior okay. I've even seen Buddhist people twist the Buddhism teachings in order to be callous, disgusting and self-serving.

I have to defend Abraham-Hicks in this situation, since your husband is totally NOT following the teachings. He's being an a$$hole and using whatever belief system he can latch onto in order to justify it to himself so he can sleep at night and look himself in the mirror. Plain and simple. And there are people who will do that kind of thing from ALL faiths, religions and belief systems.

According to the Cult Information Centre a cult is something that has all 5 of these issues in common:

What is a Cult?

Every cult can be defined as a group having all of the following five characteristics:

1. It uses psychological coercion to recruit, indoctrinate and retain its members

2. It forms an elitist totalitarian society.

3. Its founder leader is self-appointed, dogmatic, messianic, not accountable and has charisma.

4. It believes 'the end justifies the means' in order to solicit funds recruit people.

5. Its wealth does not benefit its members or society.

I can see the Abraham-Hicks business maybe has 3 or 4 out of 5 characteristics, so according to the site where this came from, Abe-Hicks doesn't qualify as a cult. I don't think #2 matches. Elitist? Possibly. Totalitarian? Not at all.
And #4, where the end justifies the means. I don't see that fitting in with Abe-Hicks.

I think there's room for discussion about the possibility of this organization being a cult since it does seem a lot like one. I don't think that it is a real cult, looking at these definitions. The Catholic church has at least as many of those characteristics and they aren't considered a cult. or are they?

questioner:

What specific accountability is there within the organization you are discussing?

Is there a democratically elected board that can reprimand and potentially dismiss the leader?

What financial transparency is there? Is there an independently audited financial statement or budget published and made public that discloses in detail all salaries, compensation and expenses of the group?

When leaders don't have meaningful accountability they can be seen as totalitarian.

See [www.culteducation.com]

Psychiatrist Robert Jay Lifton, who wrote the definitive book about thought reform (often called "brainwashing") also wrote a paper about cult formation. Lifton defined a cult as having the following three characteristics:

1. A charismatic leader, who increasingly becomes an object of worship as the general principles that may have originally sustained the group lose power.

2. A process [is in use] call[ed] coercive persuasion or thought reform.

3. Economic, sexual, and other exploitation of group members by the leader and the ruling coterie.

The Roman Catholic Church does not fit the criteria of a "cult." Actually, though there are many cults very few religious groups fits that definition.

rrmoderator: there isn't a board or anything like that because the business of Abraham-Hicks isn't really an organization. Esther Hicks is a motivational speaker who claims that the information she speaks and writes about it channeled.

What seems more cult-like are the groups that have formed around the Teachings of Abraham. Like the forums. It is free to join but you are not allowed to say anything negative and discuss the inconsistencies in the teachings.

Abraham-Hicks charges for their seminars and books but you can also get those books for free at the library and you can learn the basics of what they teach for free on their website & you can hear old seminars for free on Hay House Radio. it's not like a club where you join in a group. That's why I don't think it fits into the real definition of a "cult." It's the "fans" of these people who call themselves "followers" or "Abers" not the people who are driving around the country doing workshops.

There are some cult-like beliefs among the people on the online forums but Abraham-Hicks have specifically not created their own forum and instead have friends and business associates who run then. Maybe it is to distance themselves from the idea of being a cult.

questioner:

Seems like what you are describing is business designed to make money from "channeling" claims.

And based upon your response the Hicks have no meaningful accountability to anyone.

rrmoderator: I don't know the Hick's personally so I can't speak on their behalf but your statement
"Seems like what you are describing is business designed to make money from "channeling" claims. " sounds fairly accurate.

I don't know if their #1 reason for the business is to make money or if it is to help people in some way. I suspect it's a bit of both, like just about any business. They are authors & motivational speakers. It's like if Tony Robbins started claiming he was psychic or a channel. They're like the new age spirituality version of Tony Robbins (Tony & Abraham probably have pretty similar teachings in a lot of areas).

I wouldn't call Abraham-Hicks a cult. But there are definitely some cult-like behaviors among some of their fans. This seems to be a symptom of the self-help industry over all. There is a lot of truth to what they teach, but it is not the answer for everything as so many people believe it to be. That is where the problems begin. If you look at them as motivational speakers (or her, Esther), you can take what is useful and leave the rest. But a lot of people base their whole lives on the teachings and even though they believe they're thinking for themselves, it doesn't seem that way when they just repeat everything they've been taught.

It's a fine line and a grey area. I don't think it's fair to classify them as a cult. I do think it's important to keep an open discussion and make people aware because a lot of people get sucked in. There are fanatics in any belief system. Christian & Catholic fanatics, new age fanatics, Abraham-Hicks fanatics, Islamic extremists. Anything taken to the extreme and absolute can get unhealthy and dangerous. And the frustration is that people who want to have an open dialogue don't seem to have that option. With the forums, you're either pro everything Abraham says or it seems like you're against it and your posts will either be deleted or chastised. That aspect of it is VERY cult-like. But that isn't the direct work of Abraham-Hicks, that is a group of people who have created those online communities.

I also want to add a note to the pro-cult side of the discussion.

Because there is a lot of room for interpretation and because there is a lot of contradiction in the teachings, a lot of people are somewhat led astray. They put their faith in the words "you can be, do or have anything you desire" and instead of working hard they do nothing and wish and hope their lives away. I can't blame this 100% on Abraham-Hicks. Every person needs to take responsibility for his own life. But you will notice many people who "follow" Abraham-Hicks and end up in financial ruin. (but on the other hand there are many very wealthy and successful people who are fans of Abraham, too.
The financial ruin isn't necessarily from buying all their books and seminars (though I have heard of some people who have no money of their own racking up their credit cards so they can go on a cruise or to a seminar). That is a choice people make and I don't think Abraham-Hicks would tell people to rack up their credit cards. I'm pretty sure they've said the opposite.
But it is people's interpretation that if they wish hard enough and only focus on things that feel good, that their lives will turn around completely. Some people do this to the point of not being reliable at work or quitting a job that doesn't feel good with the faith that a better job is just around the corner.
There is some truth to the "thoughts become things" teachings. Your mood and attitude towards life have a huge impact on the success and happiness you experience. This is the truthful aspect of their teachings. It is very valuable information to remember. It's when things get extreme and people expect everything to be solved by happy thoughts that concerns me most.

questioner:

"pro-cult side"?

What is your purpose for posting here?

Seems like you are attempting to do a little bit of "victim bashing."

People that base their business schemes on "channeling" claims are dubious to say the least.

Frankly, the Hicks appear to be little more than "con artists" playing on people's vulnerabilities to make money.

People with personal problems are probably better off seeking help from licensed professionals that have meaningful accountability through educational and licensing requirements.

And if someone wants to enhance their income it's more likely they will benefit from continuing education through an accredited school.

By pro-cult side I mean I wanted to make a statement towards the argument that Abraham-Hicks could be considered a cult. Not to say that cults are a good thing. Part of what I've said has been that they are not a cult. I wanted to add some evidence that does support the claim that they are a cult.

I'm not victim bashing. My purpose of posting here is to discuss whether or not Abraham-Hicks is a cult. I'm not here to defend them or to slam them or any of their fans or followers. I'm trying to remain as impartial as possible because I can see some value in what they teach and I can also see some harm coming from it, too.

It seems like you picked out the words "pro-cult" and neglected to read the rest of my post. It clearly was NOT in support of cults or of con artists. Have you read any of their books? I have read almost all of them and I have seen them live and I have heard what they teach.

I'll repeat, I am not sticking up for them. I am not victim bashing. I am not saying they are good or bad or anything. I want to give the information that I have experienced and observed through my own personal involvement and let people decide for themselves. I do not support nor do I hate or want to speak against them. This is just my experience and people should be wary of anything that could potentially suck them in or leave them feeling conned.

I think there is a good chance it's a con. I don't believe what they teach is coming from a supernatural being at all. But I can't prove that they're lying, either. I'm not here to defame anyone.