Hey corboy Thanks for sharing that. It's really consice and describes the process very well. corboy Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > Psychologist Alexandra Stein has an approach to > the experience intentionally cult leaders > intentionally produce. > > Here's an earlier post on the topic of 'Fear > Without a Solutio
Forum: Clergy and Therapy Abuse

Psychologist Alexandra Stein has an approach to the experience intentionally cult leaders intentionally produce. Here's an earlier post on the topic of 'Fear Without a Solution'.
Forum: Clergy and Therapy Abuse

Along with Agehananda Bharati, I highly recommend Alexandra Stein's Terror, Love, and Brainwashing. She tells us exactly what is done to recruit and then keep us in abusive groups and guru set ups. The basic recipe. Trauma bonding. Here are some references to Alexandra Stein. (Bookfinder dot com is a great place to go and comparison price books) I learned about Bharati'
Forum: "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements"

QuoteAlexandra Stein has pioneered the application of attachment theory to cult dynamics. Briefly put: she shows that the main task of the high-demand group is to re-wire the recruit’s attachment patterning to the disorganized end of the spectrum, where they are in an acute state of arousal amidst the contradiction of needing to devote themselves to the person who is abusing them. One of the
Forum: "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements"

Truth wins Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > None of these fancy words. > The process we entered in, was fear and salvery > mixed with some joy, peace and bliss. Duality confirmed. > The Western, decadent unqualified version which > turns devotees into atheists. The goal? Truth wins Wrote: --------------------------------------------
Forum: "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements"

Truth wins wrote: QuoteBut fear in a spiritual setting, is the greatest red flag and should alert you to leave. And yet I stayed in the midst of the horror movie for years. The worst trap is feeling afraid and not knowing we feel afraid. In a situation like this, we do not feel our fear, we have become our fear. Likewise, in this situation we do not feel our anger, we have become our
Forum: "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements"

Alexandra Stein discusses Cults and Cult Leaders in this video. She describes the main leader, with all the control at the apex of the cult, and “nasty” lieutenants, generally horrible people, who do the main leaders bidding. That really resonated with me, as this site is full of descriptions of those people. Many left and formed their own groups, filled with family members, so that they could re
Forum: Destructive Churches

Happy New Year to everyone.I hope you all find joy, healing and liberation on your road to recovery! This is my New Years gift to those seeking answers, on the “road less travelled” finding true recovery and happiness in this life. A great interview with Alexandra Stein, who tells it like it is, in a “ down to earth” matter of fact way. She illuminates all the practice’s found in KCF, and other
Forum: Destructive Churches

Thanks for the video, and thanks for keeping on posting. I thought I was going mad for a long time after leaving KCF and questioned my own experiences, my own memories. Reading others' experiences has felt validating. Sad that its all happened, angry that there's never been any acknowledgement, but there is a comfort in knowing that there are others out there too. One of the things
Forum: Destructive Churches

Matthew Remski has analysed a talk given by Reggie Ray, a teacher who was trained by Chogyam Trungpa, a notoriously abusive guru. Am posting the URL here in case others find it useful in understanding what they have been through. Reggie Ray Spiritualizes The Terror of Disorganized Attachment in Relation to Trungpa Matthew Remski This excerpt from a 2014 “dharma talk” by disgraced f
Forum: "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements"

This was written about a teacher who was trained by Chogyam Trungpa, a notoriously abusive guru. Am posting the URL here in case others find it useful in understanding what they have been through. Reggie Ray Spiritualizes The Terror of Disorganized Attachment in Relation to Trungpa Matthew Remski This excerpt from a 2014 “dharma talk” by disgraced former Dharma Ocean founder Reggie R
Forum: "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements"

Another Toxic Scenario The teacher/Master may go into seclusion during this Covid Virus pandemic, creating a leadership vacuum. (In happier times, the leader may vanish for a vacation or perhaps a bit of plastic surgery.) Before leaving, leader gives ambiguous or confusing guidelines. Disciples are told to show initiative and maturity. When the leader returns, those who did dem
Forum: "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements"

QuoteMaybe Kundalini Yoga Works through Trauma Responses Alexandra Stein has pioneered the application of attachment theory to cult dynamics. Briefly put: she shows that the main task of the high-demand group is to re-wire the recruit’s attachment patterning to the disorganized end of the spectrum, where they are in an acute state of arousal amidst the contradiction of needing to devote th
Forum: "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements"

Keywords Reggie Ray Chogyam Trungpa Vajra Regent Rich Dharma Village Dharma Ocean Crestone Alexandra Stein Trauma Bonding Inconsistency Reggie Ray studied under Chogyam Trungpa Reggie Ray Flips His Own Abuse Crisis Into His Own Ultimate Dharma Teaching This material is valuable as it includes a video that has been deleted elsewhere. Quote QuoteWhat’s fascinating is th
Forum: "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements"

To learn more about the hazards of eliciting dependency in disciples, read what psychologist Alexandra Stein has written about "insecure connection". Do a search of this message board. Put Alexandra Stein into the search slot, select Exact Phrase the select All Dates. Learning and healing cannot take place in the context of an insecure relationship. This negates any argumen
Forum: "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements"

Many thanks Corboy for suggesting Alexandra Stein...wow...so much to read...she has a rich history, is so well-informed, and has much to offer! It is useful to see how others have survived damaging, abusive cult relationships...it's all to easy for myself and others to fall into the same traps over and over again with other people...teachers and gurus especially. It's important fo
Forum: "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements"

I recommend reading about Alexandra Steins findings on the specific features if cultic relationships. What I've seen after much personal searching is that healing cannot happen unless in the context of secure relationships. The damage done in all abusive relationships happens because these are insecure relationships orchestrated by someone keeping us off balance and disoriented. Too
Forum: "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements"

Hi Corboy, Thank you for the link to Remski's article...it is rich with information. This section caught my attention: The paradox of being in a group like this is that you are isolated within it. Alexandra Stein says it this way: Contrary to the stereotype of cult life, followers are isolated not only from the outside world, but in this airless pressing together they are also
Forum: "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements"

Quote"It's like being absorbed into a group of false, sometimes cruel friends. Cults have the illusion of solidarity, but Stein describes them as a perverse group of deeply lonely individuals who have lost the will and the capacity to make decisions on their own. "You can't confide in anyone in a cult," she says. "If you say, 'There seems to be a problem here,&#
Forum: "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements"

What is created by the controlling lover, the totalitarian leader? A garden of instant bliss. A garden of instant bliss in which slow poison of fear taints every fruit, every blossom, every brook and fountain. People rave about it. There are enticing videos online. People at your meditation groups, yoga classes talk about it. What about harm reviews? They're unfindable online
Forum: "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements"

The more sophisticated cults train their members to be incredibly nice, even get a public reputation for being incredibly nice, always smiling, always cheerful. If a cult has experience with theatre arts, they may train their subjects to tune you out without looking like zombies as they do it. They may be tuning you out by visualizing their sheikh or baba while smiling at you, with luminous
Forum: "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements"

So this is a recipe for fear amid the bliss. Knowing that if you disagree or dissent or fail to please, you will be unfriended and shat out of Monte Sahaja. Does Constantin or anyone have a guess how many persons have been kicked out of Monte Sahaja? Knowing this can be done to you is the recipe for creating the based attachment Alexandra Stein tells us is characteristic of a totalis
Forum: "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements"

On another thread, someone told how followers of a guru would look blank when someone poured out their hearts. A savvy person replied: QuoteThey have possibly been told to "stay as the self" as they listen to your problems, which I'm told involves glazing over and not engaging with you in any way. Then they just report what you said to someone else. Such is the life of what
Forum: "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements"

They have possibly been told to "stay as the self" as they listen to your problems, which I'm told involves glazing over and not engaging with you in any way. Then they just report what you said to someone else. Such is the life of what Alexandra Stein calls a "deployable agent". I'm told they don't even think they're human anymore. This makes sense with
Forum: "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements"

Let us remember that in Orwell's novel 1984, when Winston Smith is found to be in love with Julia, he has formed an inner life that excludes Big Brother. In Big Brother's regime, this is forbidden. Big Brother's enforcers intervene and destroy their love. How Totalism Works -- Alexandra Stein This entire article is worth a close look. Here are a few quotations.
Forum: "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements"

The "Drama Triangle" The second section gives articles about the work of Alexandra Stein and other psychologist describing how social bonds formed in cults and abusive, battering relationships are clearly different from non cultic relationships. Insights into abusive group and cult behavior - people are so disempowered that their thoughts and emotions are split apart from ea
Forum: "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements"

Quote"It's like being absorbed into a group of false, sometimes cruel friends. Cults have the illusion of solidarity, but Stein describes them as a perverse group of deeply lonely individuals who have lost the will and the capacity to make decisions on their own. "You can't confide in anyone in a cult," she says. "If you say, 'There seems to be a problem here,&#
Forum: Former Cult Members and Affected Families

Quote"It's like being absorbed into a group of false, sometimes cruel friends. Cults have the illusion of solidarity, but Stein describes them as a perverse group of deeply lonely individuals who have lost the will and the capacity to make decisions on their own. "You can't confide in anyone in a cult," she says. "If you say, 'There seems to be a problem here,&#
Forum: "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements"

From the Alexandra Stein article: Quote"It's like being absorbed into a group of false, sometimes cruel friends. Cults have the illusion of solidarity, but Stein describes them as a perverse group of deeply lonely individuals who have lost the will and the capacity to make decisions on their own. "You can't confide in anyone in a cult," she says. "If you say, '
Forum: Large Group Awareness Training, "Human Potential"

A cult studies psychologist named Alexandra Stein has published some very interesting material describing the exact nature of the personal bonds that distinguish cult leaders from genuine healers. Fear is always part of the bond between a cultic leader (or abusive partner) and others. A Cult Member Turned Expert Explains How Anyone Can Be Brainwashed Dr. Alexandra Stein was brai
Forum: Large Group Awareness Training, "Human Potential"