I liked what Shalom wrote "Good luck in finding the church or spirituality / religion that is right for you!" As free people, this is what we can do. We don't need to follow authoritarian or spiritually abusive groups. We choose our own belief systems. We learn that we can think for ourselves and believe what works for us. We can decide on our ideas to live by. We choose how we
Forum: Recovery from Destructive Cults and Groups

On one level, I was glad to leave the cult. As I was more uncomfortable with it, I moved away from it inside until I left. When I left, I didn't know what to do. There was a lot of freedom and open space in my life. I began to fill it with helping others that needed help with food and support. I started to meet other people that wanted to know me for me, not for some goal we were tricked int
Forum: Recovery from Destructive Cults and Groups

This is a good topic. It was difficult to rebuild my life after I left the cult. I left all of my "friends" behind. I needed to rebuild my life and learn how to follow my own mind and thoughts and not live for someone else. I was free, but I had to work through the exit phobia of what would happen to me when I left the cult. I learned it wasn't true after a while. I avoided those
Forum: Recovery from Destructive Cults and Groups

I agree that the experience of being in a cult can be emotionally damaging. The guilt one feels from getting others to join can be overwhelming. The feeling of being fooled into spending years of your life to work for someone for no pay is damaging. Many groups are emotionally abusive to break the person down to weaken them to join the cult and believe in the cult system. In some groups, members
Forum: Recovery from Destructive Cults and Groups

This is an interesting topic. I believe that some cult leaders do want power and are willing to do anything to get it, and know exactly what they are doing when they use cult techniques to trick people into joining their groups. Others may think they are getting converts for a great good of some sort, but still using cult techniques to trick people into joining. Some may enjoy the power they get
Forum: Coercive Persuasion and Undue Influence

I went back to this website and still can't find any evidence of a cult-like belief system. I couldn't find any membership, dues or meetings for this group or information on O'Brien. I do not agree with everything I found at this website and they do appear to have a set viewpoint, but many websites do this. To slap the label cult-like on groups that do not fit the criteria of a cul
Forum: Coercive Persuasion and Undue Influence

I have heard bad things about the International Church of Christ and have seen a friend pulled into this group. It was as if their personality all of a sudden was changed by the group and they cut off almost all contact with the outside world, moving in with members of this group. I was invited to a party by this group before I knew about it and people were overly nice and friendly, love bombing.
Forum: Hate Groups

I would agree that hatred is not a healthy response to a situation. Cults often play on peoples' emotions and either love bomb prospective members or attack others to solidify their support among cult members. To not fall into a cult's tricks is important, so one can learn to avoid cults and not be victimized by them.
Forum: Hate Groups

Sounds like there is something wrong with this counselor. Counselors shouldn't push their religion on others. You should try to get your brother help to understand what is going on here.
Forum: Abusive and Controlling Relationships

I have heard that some of the offshoots of the LDS control the movements and information of the people in their groups. Some of these groups have been investigated for polygamy and abuse.
Forum: Abusive and Controlling Relationships

I've heard that domestic violence abusers use mind control on their victims to terrorize them into staying in the relationship and then may be really nice to them, and this confuses the victim psychologically.
Forum: Abusive and Controlling Relationships

I'd heard that Hitler and Nazism were deeply connected to occult ideas. The history channel had a show about this. Their symbolism was connected to occult ideas.
Forum: Hate Groups

I'd heard that commercials use control-like techniques like flashing symbols, certain kinds of music, pairing a pleasant scene with a destructive product (like alcohol or cigarettes) and adding a humorous ending so people don't forget the product. I'd also heard that TV itself puts people in a daze to make it easier to put ideas into their minds. I'd rather be cautious and not
Forum: Coercive Persuasion and Undue Influence

There must be a way to get a law passed to stop these groups from controlling others. There should be public education on how to avoid cults and how to recognize cult recruiting techniques.
Forum: "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements"

Anything can be used for good or bad. Cults can take something like zen or buddhism, which when used properly can be used for good and destroy it and use it to make money and control others.
Forum: "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements"

I had heard that subliminal stimuli could be used in TV commercials and advertising. Repetition can be used as a mind control technique, so I avoid most commercials for this reason, and also since they are a waste of time anyway.
Forum: Coercive Persuasion and Undue Influence

I don't think so. I think that the awareness of mind control techniques should be taught to people, so they would be less likely to end up in a cult. This page http://www.counseling.caltech.edu/articles/cults.html The page lists ways to avoid cults and techniques that can help people avoid them.
Forum: Coercive Persuasion and Undue Influence

Lifton wrote a classic called "Thought reform and the psychology of totalism: a study of "brainwashing." This can be read in google books. "Brainwashing: the science of thought control" By Kathleen Eleanor Taylor" also on google books, looks like another good book. http://books.google.com/books
Forum: Coercive Persuasion and Undue Influence

I looked at the above links and could not find any evidence of a cult in either of them. The website connected to Brick seems to have a bunch of articles on how to avoid being mind controlled, when I clicked on the mind control tab there. http://ritualabuse.us/mindcontrol/ I read about Griffis testifying at the West Memphis 3 trial on the web. The 3 appeared to be guilty from the information
Forum: Coercive Persuasion and Undue Influence

I am always careful when any teacher approaches me. Emotions have been used to mind control me and whenever someone uses them on me or others I tell others they are being manipulated. This page: http://www.factnet.org/coercivemindcontrol.html talks about coercive emotional techniques.
Forum: Abusive and Controlling Relationships

I have heard that some people may turn their children against the other parent, but I also heard that the theory of PAS is used by child abusers to defend themselves in court with sad result that the abusers get custody of the child. I did a search on the web and found these pages http://fact.on.ca/Info/pas/wood94.htm http://www.leadershipcouncil.org/1/pas/faq.htm These pages also call t
Forum: Abusive and Controlling Relationships

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.
Forum: Former Cult Members and Affected Families