Nativeflower: I consider it all "hypothesis," ideas that may or may not be right, but deserve at least our respect (unless someone is trying to shove them down our throat). I too have gone through a lot of spiritual searching. Having escaped a New Age cult with harshly racist undertones, for a while I was very uncomfortable with any beliefs at all. I left Christianity because of
Forum: "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements"

I know many Avatar Masters and others involved in this group. It is scarily cult-like. It can cost into the tens or hundreds of thousands of dollars eventually for the exhorbitantly expensive classes. And the main reason for life for many of these people is recruiting others into it. It's basically the same New Age stuff, with the added idea that Avatarians represent the most Spiritu
Forum: "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements"

We have family members involved in Opus Dei. They think the Catholic Church is the only true Church, all Protestants are going to hell, and even destroy protestant bibles and religious artifacts as the work of Satan. They are NOT simply faithful Catholics.
Forum: "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements"

QuotenogginMy question is, can a cult be based on a group who all have the same attitudes to a certain goal, rather then a charismatic leader? I think they can be, based in my experience with cults. This is also a place the internet would excell: "charisma" doens't come across well in blongs and chat. However, philosophy and ideleogy, especially those distilled down to a suc
Forum: Coercive Persuasion and Undue Influence

The erosion of separation of church and state is of real concern to me too, NativeFlower. I do think cult formation is on the rise. Non-christian groups and splinter Christian groups are using the fear of a religious America as both a recruiting tool and a way to politicize members. Many of these are becoming pretty extreme in their rhetoric. Add to that the already growing idea that one
Forum: "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements"

Angela: your comparing leaving a cult with the grief experience is very astute. I've been through both, and they are very similar. As for "obsessing" over the cult, I think that is normal. You fear getting back into that trap, you wonder how it happened in the first place and you realize that cultees are just normal people in a very abnormal situation and worry about them.
Forum: Former Cult Members and Affected Families

Forum: "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements"

Yes, the signs are pretty typical, since they all signal depression and possible mental illness. They make an obvious appeal to attract people who are very vulnerable to their manipulations. Sadly, instead of getting help, these people will be led much further into a kind of insanity. Changes at the DNA level? I hear this all the time, but it's nonsense. Give your wife support,
Forum: "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements"

The damage they do, to their own members and innocent family members and others who cross them, is the saddest part of all this to me. It's easy to see this as "Newageapaloosa" (I term I love, by the way) but to ignore the fact some of these "burnouts" can be quite violent. When you believe you have direct contact with God and Angels, and they are telling you to destroy
Forum: "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements"

Johnbennie: This feeling of a coming "transformation" of the world has fundamentally changed much of New Age belief (I use that term just because there really isn't a common term for these spiritual groups). And it makes me very uncomfortable, since some groups are becoming increasingly militant and extreme. I think a lot of people hear the "spiritual" rhetoric and
Forum: "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements"