Thank you Shavoy. I was there, but it is all a blur to me. Until you just mentioned it, I had no memory of Tina Turner. Now, I do recall a huge stage and her performing. That trip was a horrible experience for me; I also remember one of the buses breaking down on a busy, traffic jammed D.C. freeway or highway. Utter chaos from beginning to end.
Simplify, thank you, too. I didn't know that there were other people out there who had been thru what I'd been thru, until I found this mb. I had no choice but to grow up in this cult. I also had to literally fight my way out of it. 2-3 phases for me: 1) pre-cult time = doesn't exist (I was born into it) / 2) cult time = misery, fear, mind games, ritual, mindless activities & practices, psycho people, manipulation, authority / 3) post-cult time = initially confusion, solitary searching and self-education, "finding my way" ;-), a new worldview, happiness, no more fear or manipulation, freedom of choice and self-determination.
This brings me to the subject of a fascinating post by Anticult:
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The Anticult
It seems that basically all cults try to pathologize "anger" for misdeeds done by the cult to people.
But its perfectly natural and healthy to be upset about lies told, or wrong's done, or if a person has been used and deceived.
One theory puts forward 3 ideas about anger..
Passivity------------Assertiveness------------Aggressiveness
Most folks in culty groups seem to be too far to the passive side, regarding the cults manipulation.
But being full of rage might be too far too the rage side.
The healthiest is strong assertiveness, with strong boundaries. Cults hate those people!
They try to crush that so-called "Ego", when in fact its healthy.
But after getting duped, lied to, deceived, used, tricked, its perfectly natural to get angry, in a healthy way.
Every culty group tries to make "anger" wrong, except when its directed at the cults "enemies"...then it is Righteousness.
;-)
I'd say this theory is correct. I was nothing but passive for most of my time in the cult. Just doing what I was told to do - without question. The more passive you are, the more extreme manipulation you are funneled thru. Getting older, thinking for myself and questioning, I slowly became more assertive in my push back and resistance. The culties absolutely hate the "ego" and intellect - it's a huge threat to their control. Aggressiveness and anger allowed me to fight my way to that last "exit" door and critical thinking (which cannot be crushed) allowed me to finally kick it down, walk out and away.
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Nichijew
I was out of the country in 1982. The three big conventions I went to were Boston [year?] with the giant picture of Ikeda next to Washington and Ben Franklin, New York 1976, and Chicago [year?].
I remember some of those. The subliminal "father" message was so bizarre and blatant.
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Nichijew
In retrospect a waste of time and despite the giant parade and non-stop activities, very few new people joined. You can take the men and women of SGI out of Japan but not Japan out of the SGI leaders. Very militaristic and cultlike activities. Lots of walkie talkies, marching, standing in the sun and under the stars, control center, people movements, "protecting" leaders, chanting to pictures of Ikeda, working up to a hundred hours a week for a month or more in advance, costumes, brass band, fireworks, cheap food, little sleep, rally after rally....
buku
EXTREMELY authoritarian and militaristic. And during the actual events, being put into cheap hotels, 3-4 people to a room with only two beds. I even remember some Men's Div. members bailing at that point (and their wives excoriating them for their onshitsu-ing) and driving home. I practically begged one whom I knew to please take me with him, but of course he couldn't, lest he suffer the WD group gaggle wrath later. One fellow turned on his heels, waved his wife away and left her speaking to the wind about slander. Hilarious stuff now that I look back, but definitely not at the time.
(PS - Btw, Nichijew, it's still going on, it's just been moved across the pond to another continent [
www.youtube.com].)
And finally, here's a big bulls-eye:
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wayfarerfree
A lot of people, age 30+, dont go through the Youth Division process first, either.
This is a different kettle of fish altogether, and much more intense.
If all members were driven by the hyped up carrot-and-self-flagelation-stick in the same way Youth Div. are, I'm sure it would be considerably less appealling. Not to say that the politics of those outside YD isnt controlling, but you simply dont get exposed to the full brunt of what it really means to be in SGI at first.
Absolutely, 100% correct. It's an entirely different world from the Men's & Women's Div. and you are dealing with a cohort of individuals who are essentially tabulae rasae, very impressionable and easily manipulated. Boy, did they ever take advantage of that at times, too.
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wayfarerfree
The thing is though, is that even though the leaders would refute any allegations of cult-like activity (with a straight face - lol!), they so obviously make huge efforts to not show all aspects of SGI to newcomers and people who have come to their first ever meeting.
And why exactly is this, then.....?
Hmmm.
Again, exactly right. Hmmm, I wonder why, indeed. I also noticed that when parents/adults returned to pick you up, the yelling stopped, the minds games slowly dissolved away and the authority was ratcheted down several notches . . . . . . but just until the next time, whereupon it would all start over again. Some of these people knew exactly what they were doing. Isn't that right, Ethan Gelbaum (current
Vice General Director).
The organization is a wolf in peaceful sheep's clothing.
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/13/2012 07:58AM by Hitch.