Hi everyone, I am doing a research paper on the after effects of cults, and whether or not a shelter would help. I have some questions for those of you that have been involved in a cult or fundamentalist group if you don't mind answering them.

I would appreciate anything you have to say.

If you can think of anything else to add please do. This is something I am also thinking of doing in the future, and I would like to know if it will be worthwhile to open a shelter for ex-cult members.

If you can remember, answer the questions in the way you felt at the time you were going through these steps.

Why did you leave? What influenced you etc.?

What was the hardest step you had to take to leave?

What was the hardest thing to get over? Or something you are still trying to get over?

Would you have gone to a shelter if needed?

Did you think about or want help when you left?

If yes, why didn't you get help?

Have you or do you think about getting help now?

Would you have gone to a shelter for help if there was one for people leaving cults?

Would it make it easier to go if it were ran by an ex-cult member?

What has helped you overcome the most since you have left?

If you have ever left and gone back why did you go back?

If you joined a cult why did you join? What appealed to you most?

There are rehab/recovery facilities for former cult members.

There is a licensed mental health facility called Wellspring.

See [wellspringretreat.org]

Also see [www.culteducation.com]

I got out of LE. I'll lend you my answers:

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Why did you leave? What influenced you etc.?

It's hard to say, so many things. I think in the end it came to a buildup. During my time there was asked to repress a lot of my negative emotions about the cult. It was bizzare how it happened. I was on this high of being totally committed to the group, then in the next moment, everything just evaporated. You could say I just "snapped" out of it. After that, I was adamant that I was leaving.

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What was the hardest step you had to take to leave?

Being in a one on one with the leader. Since she was almost this unquestionable deity in our eyes, just talking to her face to face, trying to justify my rejection of cult values, was hard. She painted a very bleak portrait of my future for me if I left.

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What was the hardest thing to get over? Or something you are still trying to get over?

I was left with an unsolvable paradox which I think was installed for the purpose of keeping me loyal to the cult. I don't expect anyone to understand this unless you've been through it yourself, but you're left with a very black and white view of things, the cult included. And in order to justify that the cult is "wrong" some of what it teaches has to be "right."

But I think I'm gaining some of my perspective again. I now realise that although some of what LE teaches is valuable (some of which I still use), there are other aspects to the organisation that are rotten.

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Would you have gone to a shelter if needed?

Probably not. I consider myself quite an independent person and I like to take things away and solve them myself. I feel the answers I get are a lot more meaningful to me that way.

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Did you think about or want help when you left?

I just wanted to stop thinking about LE. About the leader. My brain was going at 100 miles an hour. In a way, talking to my friends (not about Landmark) was a good thing. It got my mind off things. The last thing I wanted was to talk about LE with anyone.

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Have you or do you think about getting help now?

I don't see the point in that now. It's been a few months, and I get enough reinforcement for my views here on this site. Again, I believe in self healing first. If things had gotten really bad, I probably would have gone to get help though.

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Would you have gone to a shelter for help if there was one for people leaving cults?

Perhaps. I wasn't aware of one. Even had I known I probably would have dealt with it on my own.

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Would it make it easier to go if it were ran by an ex-cult member?

Absolutely. The experience is something that you simply [i:476fa2933b]can't[/i:476fa2933b] put into words. And I don't think anyone is immune. Everyone has weaknesses that can be preyed upon. It just takes the right cult to find and exploit them. LE was quite good at that.

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What has helped you overcome the most since you have left?

Time and my own space. And my family, who has been very supportive.

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If you have ever left and gone back why did you go back?

I did leave and go back in a way. After the Sunday of my first course, I wasn't going to go back for graduation night. The guy who got me involved talked me around. I kept trying to leave on that night, but he kept on telling me "you've got nothing to lose by staying." and eventually he got me to sign up for the next course too (the one I walked out on.)

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If you joined a cult why did you join? What appealed to you most?

That's the saddest part. I mostly did these courses because my friend told me to. He is a great guy (I still think so) and I thought that LE could make me more like him. It didn't work, but by the time I figured that out, I was too deep.

Hope these answers help.

Dynamix,

Very Interesting answers. It is amazing how similar the cult experience is, even with very different types of cults.

I appreciate you taking the time to answer the questions. I have finished the paper but I want to start a shelter, I should probably call it something else, maybe a support group, so answers will always be helpful for that reason.

What is LE? If you don't mind saying. There is a group that some of my family got involved in that taught courses. While they were doing the courses it seemed very cult like. My aunt has talked to me about how helpful they are and I have considered going. Unless this is LE. Being from a cult I hope to never be deceived by one again.

Jewels

LE is Landmark Education.

It's one of the most popular cults browsed on this site, probably because it is very active and VERY agressive when it comes to recruiting. My advice is to stay far away.

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jewels36305
Hi everyone, I am doing a research paper on the after effects of cults, and whether or not a shelter would help. I have some questions for those of you that have been involved in a cult or fundamentalist group if you don't mind answering them.

I would appreciate anything you have to say.

If you can think of anything else to add please do. This is something I am also thinking of doing in the future, and I would like to know if it will be worthwhile to open a shelter for ex-cult members.

If you can remember, answer the questions in the way you felt at the time you were going through these steps.

Please let me know more about your plans to open a shelter.

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jewels36305
Why did you leave? What influenced you etc.?

I became overwhelmed by the delibrate deception and childish deadly constant obstacle courses set up by the cult leader to provoke reactions that would later be twisted to find fault with me as a person. I grew tired of being put down for being human. I grew tired of being labeled arrogant because I spoke my mind and didn't pull punches. I grew tired of always being labeled wrong and needing to become humble. I grew tired of the unwanted attention and fanfare by those who were deeply indoctrinated into the cult doctrine needing to know everything about me. I grew tired of having to meet the approval of strangers. I am a very private person and felt deeply violated by the curiousity and intrusions of the members who seemed dazzled by me.

I grew tired of the insecurity and picking and poking by the women in the cult. I grew tired of being insulted and constantly subjected to being questioned about my intentions when I had none. I grew tired of constantly having to explain my right of being and defend my self-esteem against belittling attempts. I grew tired of dealing with unhealthy and unhappy people who constantly projected their issues unto me and were making me sick by being among them. I grew tired of fighting a system who's survivial is predicated upon the subjugation and degradation of women. I grew tired of dealing with menatlly ill, broken and shattered men who had no business being in position of authority.

I grew tired of being labeled as an "love interest" of a man I never really knew who is the leader of the group in the area I once lived. He would hint to others about having a personal interest in me but would never tell me. I was viciously attacked by other women in the cult and recieved unwanted interest by some men in the cult because of his interest in me and to this day I have not been able to escape this cloud placed over my head.

I grew tired of the constant problems and bickering and never ending chaos and no progress when the group promised one would achieve success if they believed. I grew tired of my life accomplishments seperate from the cult being flushed down the toliet by being involved in group projects.

The final straw for me to break away in the beginning was when I began experiencing bouts of poverty (no money) and stopped paying attention to my personal responsibilities as the bottomless pit needs of the group was encouraged to be seen as more important than my personal needs and responsibilites. The leaders wanted for me to lose everything in order to twist it into spiritual trials and awakenings.

I grew tired of being manipulated by strangers who constantly asked of me but never gave in return. I grew tired of the hope instilling methods and empty promises. I grew tired of plans being made behind my back where everyone knew what was being planned for me but me. I grew tired of being toyed with and constantly challenged for no reason other than to aggravate me. I grew tired of the verbal abuse. I grew tired of others thinking I wanted fame in their cult when I did everything to escape the limelight in the cult. I grew tired of not being accepted for being me.

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jewels36305
What was the hardest step you had to take to leave?

Come to terms with the fact that I didn't belong. I was chasing a childhood dream. I thought by my being black american and my heart being good, sincere, and in the right place was good enough to be among these people.

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jewels36305

What was the hardest thing to get over? Or something you are still trying to get over?

The deception. I will never forgive the deception. They tired to destroy my life for no reason. I gave them life and they in return tried to give me death.

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jewels36305

Would you have gone to a shelter if needed?

No. I have family and friends. I had a support system to catch me before falling to deeply.

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jewels36305

Did you think about or want help when you left?

Yes. All i could think about was legal avenues to get these people back for committing crimes against me. I wanted justice.

If yes, why didn't you get help?

The fox wasn't worth the chase.

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jewels36305

Have you or do you think about getting help now?

No. I think about being of help for others who do not have a support system and have not acquired my knowledge on how cults work.

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jewels36305

Would you have gone to a shelter for help if there was one for people leaving cults?

No.

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jewels36305

Would it make it easier to go if it were ran by an ex-cult member?

I think so.

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jewels36305

What has helped you overcome the most since you have left?

Reading, talking, exchanging information about my experiences. Studying those who are still actively involved in cult groups or believe in the dogma from my former cult group has given me insight and indepth understanding. I have a become a watcher over cult groups as i see a connection to slavery in the history of black america and has deepened my eyes and hearing.

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jewels36305

If you have ever left and gone back why did you go back?

I never returned. Recently I thought about returning but realized that it is what it is and my good heart with all the wonderful intentions in the world would have never changed the fact that i do not belong.

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jewels36305

If you joined a cult why did you join? What appealed to you most?

I have childhood connections to this particular cult. But lost active involvement due too the cults history of going out of business. I returned 20 years later as an adult completely ignorant of exactly what some of my family members decades prior were actually involved in.

Currently, I am studying the reason particular family members joined in the 1960s under the original leader because nothing in their family background or adult lives match the profile of people this cult recruited among or designed its doctrine to appeal to.

Great Questionaire! :D

What direct contact have you had with the cult in question?

Did you only meet them on-line through the Internet, or did you physically attend meetings and participate first-hand in person?

Are you saying your only experience with this group was on-line and that you belive they are stalking you despite such a limited involvement?

There are rehab/recovery facilities for former cult members.

There is a licensed mental health facility called Wellspring.

See [wellspringretreat.org]

Have you filed criminal reports?

What was the result of filing such reports? Did the authorities take action? What action did they take?

Waysplusmeans,

Thanks for your response to my questions. I am probably getting more feedback now than I did when I wrote the paper.

I still have a few years before I can really get started doing much but I plan to start small with it and see where it takes me. I will do more and more as the income goes up. I am probably going to designate the shelter for people from polygamous cults because that is the type I am from and know the most about; however, I would never turn anyone away that needed help. There are many odds and ends to work out and decisions to make about the whole thing but I have a few years to do so. If it gets as big as I would like it to then my options will be limitless. I hope to get to the point where I can, or the shelter can, help people from all types of cults. Every cult I have heard about sounds just like the one I left; they are all so similar. I probably should come up with a better label than a shelter though. Nobody wants to go to a shelter.

Thanks again for your response.

Jewels

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rrmoderator
What direct contact have you had with the cult in question?

Hi,

I had no direct physical contact with the cult members I met online.

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rrmoderator
Did you only meet them on-line through the Internet, or did you physically attend meetings and participate first-hand in person?

No, I've only met online. I exchanged cellphone numebers with a few and spoke by telephone as well. But I never attended meetings and refused doctrine materials.

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rrmoderator
Are you saying your only experience with this group was on-line and that you belive they are stalking you despite such a limited involvement?

I was involved with the cult in Florida 3 years ago, Nation of Islam. I left that version of the doctrine without harassment stalking me after leaving the cult. However, an offshoot more fanatical version of this same cults doctrine was met via internet www.farrakhanfactor.com and www.seventhfam.com. It is these fanatical members who have obtained my credit card information and used it to break into my private life.

I have been threatened by these parties that my refusal to accept the doctrine (teachings) means divine punishment in justifying harassing me offline. High pressuring tactics (by proxy) has been used to try recruit me into physical attendance. I have been consistent in my refusal to NOT associate with these parties offline. They have threatened, manipulated, and tried to force themsleves upon me.

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rrmoderator
There are rehab/recovery facilities for former cult members.

Thank you.

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rrmoderator
There is a licensed mental health facility called Wellspring.

See [wellspringretreat.org]

Thank you

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rrmoderator
Have you filed criminal reports?

Yes. And several complaints with consumer reporting agencies.

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rrmoderator
What was the result of filing such reports? Did the authorities take action? What action did they take?

I left the last website www.farrakhanfactor.com alone 1 week ago and the cult members are still talking about me and making subtle threats of intimidation against me for refusing to join their group.

Police action is pending. I just filed complaints a few days ago when it became apparent I was dealing with people who have an Al Queda Mentality and level of fanaticism.

Thank you for your concern. :D

Very unusual story.

I have never heard of a any on-line group pursuing someone only as a result of Internet discussion without any personal physical contact through meetings and actual direct involvement as a participating active member.

Frankly, your account is rather difficult to believe.

This would be a matter for the police to review.

Please understand that this message board cannot offer professional counseling or legal advice. The resources linked previously do offer such counseling services though.