Is anyone familiar with the term cradle or cradling and “stretch”? Is it done in other LGATS? I do know that these are “Choices” words.

I first heard the term when hearing about Choices. Something about a bunch of people cradling a person (on day five I think) and there is a song played called a “cradle song”.

To my knowledge it involves an individual receiving a huge group hugging session or huddle session to music.

The reason I bring it up is I am seeing something rather alarming happening among some funerals I have attended in the last year and a half. I attended 5 funerals, and of the five, four did something I have never seen at any funeral, ever, let alone a native funeral.
(I am native and live on a reserve)

They did a “cradle” as they call it, to the recently departed, in their coffin as part of the funeral service.

The first funeral I saw this happen at, also did something I think is called a “stretch”. As part of the service they played a powerpoint presentation of the person’s life (this I have seen many times, some really touching ones) but then the people attending the service were told to yell and scream and cheer the deceased on in their journey. I was totally stunned when this was going on because I know this is a “Choices” thing. But with the dead? This was a funeral with over 500 people in attendance, and as people were yelling I looked around and saw the looks of shock and silence on many people while the many “Choices” people yelled and hollered as the powerpoint played. I would say there were about 100 active screamers, and peer pressure created probably 150 more. There were many loud warrior crys and hoops and hollers if you know what I mean.
Then the “Choices” people were called up to do a cradle for the deceased. I watched as about 75 people walked up to the coffin and surrounded it and huddled it, all hugging and leaning on one another almost swaying back and forth.

This was a funeral for a native person, on a native reserve in BC. There were many people attending, native and non-native. I bring this up because I feel that the non-native people may probably now have totally mistaken ideas of what they witnessed as being a “native funeral” or “native customs” and “native culture”. And I feel like screaming for all to hear that it most definitely is NOT!
These were funerals of people and/or families that had gone through the “Choices” Seminars.

Since that first funeral, I have seen the “cradle” repeated at 3 more. I noticed at the last funeral, some people that did not go to Choices, go up and participate in the “cradle”. And at one, the deceased did not attend Choices, but the very influential person handling the service is a diehard Choices believer.

It makes me wonder, at that first funeral, who would have suggested a “stretch” and “cradle”? Where did they get the idea from? The family of the deceased all attended Choices. Would someone directly from Choices suggest they do this? Is this comparable to other LGATS and how funerals services are done?

:?:

If you get a copy of a memoir by Steve Susoyev, entitled [i:fff89e25de]'People Farm' [/i:fff89e25de]you get detailed descriptions of this 'cradle' technique.

The book describes a human potential group/commune that existed in the late Sixties into the early 1970s and then imploded around 1978. Everything is disguised as pseudonyms but really happened. The author gives precise descriptions of the techniques used, including the cradle--and he uses the term. His leader was a major player in the Human Potentials scene and networked/competed with all the major players.

One piece of music Susoyev's leader favored when employing the 'cradle' was [i:fff89e25de]'Sometimes I Feel Like a Motherless Child.'[/i:fff89e25de]

. You can get the [i:fff89e25de]People Farm[/i:fff89e25de] book on amazon.com and the author also has a website entitled www.peoplefarm.com

From Susoyev's descriptions 'cradling' appears to be a very powerful technique--

Thank you Corboy,

I will look for that book.

I am alarmed at how fast the "teachings" (I'll call them that because what I really think, I can't print here) these "seminars" push, can creep in and take over different areas of peoples lives.

And something else I have noticed on my reserve. The people that have embraced Choices the most, seem to be the families whose personal lives were already highly dysfunctional to begin with, and still are. Sure, they work and hold respected positions within the community, but their personal lives are still a mess.

This cradling at funerals though….

Has anyone out there experienced this? Or heard of this? Does anyone know instances where these lgats have influenced the way funerals are done?

Dragonfly

it is amazing how so much new age garbage has found its
way into so many peoples lives.

i dont think most people have the slightest idea as to
how far into this path this nation and some others have
taken.

new age religions, scientology and landmark
landmark now seems to have its seven commandments.
scientology having people basically sign their lives
away to them, never stopping to think that some day
they may want out.

american corporations buying up the politicians and the
companies themselves becoming involved in the cults.

the christian right and its love of money.

all the new age money grabbing schemes and so on and
so on.

its all around us and yet when u tell people about it what
i usually get is a good cursing and told that this could
never happen in america.

its unbelievable, and its the truth.