Happiness is a choice. Fight for it!

My parents were involved in "I Am" which merged with something else and became "Children of the Light."
Starting in Santa Barbara, circa 1969, continuing for 4 or 5 years, ending with an escape from Los Angeles in the dead of night.

Since the parents were heavily involved and ran the private school for the cult member's kids for several years, I do consider I was in the cult.
At age 9, they had me fasting and scraping paint all night long once. Clearly out of their minds... they did a "clearance" when I burst into tears the next day. I was also given a peanut butter sandwich.

Parents never really recovered IMO.

Primal scream, encounter group, and other flat out brainwashing techniques were used. Toward the end, it got very destructive and manipulative. No licensed therapists in evidence... but they did separate people from their families, and have them do months of fasting, no sleep, hard labor and stuff that amounted to sexual abuse. Ripoff theosophism meets Therapy Cult and creates evil baby, is one way to put it.

I'm leaving out a link to the book pitch in development, I'm not here to spam, I'm here to research the story I have to tell.

There's a terrible revenge book written and self-published by my Aunt, and not available anywhere, that mentions incidents to which I was not a witness. I think many of the other adults are dead, but I'd like to see if the other children are still alive and want to discuss what happened .

Greetings, other survivors, and cheers!

Best,
Richard Walker

I was involved with HAI. I completely fell under the spell after Level 1, and Level 2 made me question everything. I finally came to the conclusion, based on the evidence of all I had seen and heard at workshops and parties, that although they SAY you are always at choice, you are encouraged to make the choice they want you to make. The choice they advocate is in a lot of ways the "free love" society of the hippies in the 60s. Sex is everything, should be for recreation, and fidelity is unenlightened and stupid. It became obvious as time went on that the people involved were being groomed for participation in poly relationships and even group sex.

No thanks.

I remember a tan bus with the star of david giving me a ride one night in florida. Bartholomew explained to me the three keys to the kingdom of heaven. A liquidation was performed in which I was required to throw everything I owned in the dumpster except the $80.00 I had just earned. That was money that could be converted to fuel. After walking on a 10,000 mile pilgrimage I was lead to the colorado river on the california side, about 12 miles in from interstate 10. There I met Michael the Archangel and Jesus Christ lightning amen. From there I was given 6 others to follow me "in the wind". We ended up in Mexico. Along the way we performed liquidations of property, including a house in Arizona. All the money was deposited into the christ family account. I was told I was one of the 10,000 saints chosen to be a witness to the keys to heaven. No killing, no sex and no materialism. This means opposite the world. Opposite the three sins: the lust of the eyes, the lust of the flesh and the pride of life.

To this day I am still trying to live according the those three keys. If anyone knows the truth about this group please reply. Thanks,
Mark

Mark

I was never in a cult BUT I am trying identify a murder victim from 1980...no easy task and it appears the "cult" angel has not been explored a great deal...a little but not allot. Why am I looking there.....because after 30 years this girl has been known as nothing more then Jane Doe and I want her to have her name back.

why do I think possible cult.... medical examiner made special note / and those at the scene how heavily calloused her feet were. I think they wrote it off as a hitchhiker...me..I'm not to sure...I did my days hitch hiking in mid 80's and yeah I had some callouses but not to the point it would be remarkable. I was thinking going barefoot allot. No clothes were found so I can't say robe (Christ family was into the robe thing - not sure about Into the light), her head was shaved (which could be "cultish" or maybe a converted skin head)

I am looking for any information about group activity, habits,where they stayed, symbols anything at all in 1979 and 1980 in the southern Minnesota for these two groups

"Into The Light" Ministries - founded by Ronald Bernier - Ronald had a connection with the state trooper who confessed to the murder...he joined their group but it is said he joined after the murder...not sure if that is correct. I understand he gave up his house and it said even their shoes? Did this group go barefoot? I know they were based in MN, moved to Texas, and are now based in Branson, MO.

the other group..

"The Christ Family" founded by Charles McHugh...rumor was they were in the area doing some recruiting. Now this group seems to be mainly TX and CA area but here they use to wonder allot. Anyone know of any connection to Southern MN? I know Charles was arrested in Oct '86 - believe it was a gun and drug charge...and 10 members were arrested in '85 from their rance in Helmet, CA

I'll wrap this up....

though years have gone by this can be done......I am thinking this girl could have belong to one of these cults and would have come up missing in approx May of 1980. While you were in the cult...do you know of someone who came up missing all of a sudden?

Thank you

I don't want to state a lot about the cult I grew up in until I know people better, but it was very abusive to children and adults. They acted like there was no problem in the real world to cover up what they did.

cultsurvivor22, you are among friends here. NO ONE will demand you say what cult you were affected by. There are many here who "lurk" and never post. This website by Rick Ross is clearly for them as well as it is any of us.

I have lost friends to cults. The most shocking loss was a woman I was friends with who got sucked into the Unification Church ("Moonies"). Another is (or was, I haven't spoken to him in 20 years) involved with Scientology.

Please explore the above links such as "getting help", "mind control" and "search"(where you can type in the name of the group you escaped to see what others on this forum have posted about it and their experiences).

Good luck and good health!

I was in the Christ Family.

Mark

saintmark, the Christ Family appears to be a true cult. Please see here and read this thread of others, like you, who were involved. I think responding on the thread listed below will be the best way to get you the best answers to your questions/help/support:

[forum.culteducation.com]

Sparky, sorry, I am not sure where to click to get to the forum. I need to learn more, just don't know where to click to get to it. I see where it says forum.culteducation.com. Is this where I click? This is important to me because after over 30+ years, the christ family is much more to me than a faded memory. I am just now realizing it really was a cult. Thanks.

Mark