There is much to be said about situations where "friends" ask demanding personal questions about what one does with their personal time (which is none of the "friend's" business). Many stories could be told about this. Anyway I just want to say that I can think of at least two situations in which I have had a "friend" who started becoming judgmental an
Forum: Abusive and Controlling Relationships

Very good point. Thanks!
Forum: Coercive Persuasion and Undue Influence

One of the best things I've ever read about evaluating channeling was in a book written by Robert Perala (I believe he has a website, but I'm not sure what it is). I never did have the time to read his whole book so I don't even know if I entirely "agree" with everything in it --- but one thing he said in it was that he found in his own life experiences that SOMETIME
Forum: Coercive Persuasion and Undue Influence

Just want to say that I very much appreciate Corboy's comments. Regarding radio waves --- no they are not the work of "Satan" -- but suppose someone used radio waves to PRETEND like they were God, and speak over them. THAT is what I am getting at. Like say we came across primitive people, or any people that are somehow ignorant of the "magic" of radio waves.
Forum: "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements"

I would like to continue a thought I put somewhere in these message boards regarding channeling. This regards people who present themselves to other people as having a hotline to God. Often these sorts of people do not come out and overtly say they have a "hotline to God." But they conveniently imply that they do, and to young inexperienced and naive people, it is similar to
Forum: Coercive Persuasion and Undue Influence

I am not necessarily against channeling. Channeling can easily be a very convenient ploy for those wishing to control or manipulate others. Naive others who hear channelings often presume channelers have a hotline to God. If anything spiritual is going on at all (any more than any conversation anytime, anywhere is spiritual) --- then the spirit entity being channeled is not necessa
Forum: "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements"

I didn't realize John Edward charges the people he "comes through" for. I thought they just had a ticket to be in the audience. --------------------------- Note: I am coming back in to edit this and want to say that I have checked around, and I understand that tickets to John Edward's television audience are either free, or for a nominal fee. Also I heard that so many
Forum: "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements"

I think that some of these "channelers" start out with egotism as a underlying motive, and others of them don't, but that even the ones that don't sometimes become too dependent on their supposed psychic revelations. I know of one individual who used to do something along the line of "channeling" (but has mostly quit), and he means well but I think sometimes he
Forum: "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements"

Sorry but I just did not have time to think of a good topic to label this. My computer was logging me out if I took more than a few minutes from logging in and getting everything written, to submitting it so I just put in as quick of a topic as I could think of. ------------ I'm coming in to edit this later now, and want to say I think that is a very good point you make: life
Forum: "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements"

I have to make this quick because somehow my computer keeps logging me off and I'm losing all I've written by the time I submit it. But I am seeing what I find to be an alarming trend among many people in either religious or spiritual circles, where they presume it is "wrong" or a taboo to get (or especially voice) a negative impression about someone. Certainly, we w
Forum: "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements"

To answer Terry's questions as best I can right now: First, I went in and edited my last response so that it did not cut off mid-sentence. Next, I agree that some of these spirits no doubt are downright malicious, and seeking to harm people, or perhaps even mold people to their own ends. Also I think it is rare that any entity so driven by their own agenda (and only that) is g
Forum: "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements"

Hello Terry: Sorry it's taken me so long to respond but my life has gotten busy (too busy) lately so I haven't had time to even check back on what responses have come. I am not too familiar with "the spirit world" myself, but I definitely believe it is there, and that all people are more or less "in tune" to it. In fact I read a book once (a true story
Forum: "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements"

The last five years or so I've been attending meditation groups fairly frequently. Usually they are simpy that --- a meditation. Once in awhile, however, I have been "caught" in situations where the agenda has been changed after everyone arrived at the meditation. Often, it is that someone is going to "channel" --- something I usually don't go for. Th
Forum: "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements"

I am remembering now that there is at least one person who communicates with the deceased who does not seem to be caught up in the ego of having special knowledge: he is the guy on television (I think it is the sci-fi channel), John Edward. Also there is a lady who comes on the Animal Planet channel who is a pet psychic, and I think her motives are okay. She is just concerned about the pet
Forum: "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements"

I tried to send you a reply to this but somehow my computer (or something) logged me out by the time I had it written, and so I guess I lost it. I even tried to log in again and use the back button to retrieve what I'd lost, and it wouldn't let me do that. Anyway I will just say briefly here (before it logs me out again), that whether or not these people really channel the dead, I
Forum: "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements"

I attend a meditation group simply because I find the meditations very relaxing. They are a very good stress-reliever. Every once in awhile, a lady will show up who afterward will do something called "channeling." Generally if I am "caught" in a situation where she is going to do this, I will discreetly slip into a back room because I find it obnoxious and I do not atte
Forum: "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements"

At my meditation group, after the meditation I casually mentioned that I had been "mad at the world" earlier that day, and that I'd decided to buy some (sheet) music about it. I MEANT to simply point out the futility, that I didn't know what good it was going to do (buying music, like burying my head in the sand), but at least I was going to have my own small world and space
Forum: "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements"

I have attended a meditation group for a few years now. It is going to fold soon for various reasons,* and only a handful of us are still attending it. This group is not exactly a cult, but once in awhile certain of its attendees have exhibited cult-like tendencies, some of which I would like to describe here. I personally attend ONLY for the meditation. Another local group I heard o
Forum: "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements"