From the UK publication The Times, 14 April 2022: Gwyneth Paltrow's sex guru, Nicole Daedone sues the BBC for libel. I assume this is in response to the BBC podcast The Orgasm Cult ? This seemed to me to cover the same ground as the Bloomberg articles , etc., so perhaps it is because the libel laws are different in the UK?
Forum: "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements"

I think the 2018 Bloomberg reporting talked about FBI investigations. I haven't heard anything further or anything new since then. Is there any actual news?
Forum: "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements"

I did a quick search on google patents. Astonishingly there are six or more people in the world named "Werner Erhard" but all the patents listed belong to companies in Germany or the Netherlands and are clearly unassociated with est or Landmark. The is also nothing under Landmark Education.
Forum: Large Group Awareness Training, "Human Potential"

The Ranier NXIVM patents are completely ridiculous, unrelated to their main business activity. Seems like they wanted them so they could say "we have patents." In the world of intellectual property, there is a name for patents like this. They are called "junk patents." How NXIVM Used the Strange Power of Patents to Build Its “Sex Cult” One of Ranier's patents won
Forum: Large Group Awareness Training, "Human Potential"

Werner worked for "Mind Dynamics" prior to creating his own business, est. Some assert est was a his version of Mind Dynamics. He also hired Charlene Afremow, a trainer who worked for LifeSpring. So likely est was initially a combination of Mind Dynamics and LifeSpring. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mind_Dynamics https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lifespring
Forum: "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements"

I thought Brad Warner's write up was very accurate, also quite a bit funny. I read it before I realized that I know who he is - I've read two of his books on Zen. He used to be a punk-rocker, which may explain why he doesn't take any "guff" from people.
Forum: "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements"

The Anticult Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > (EXCERPT for educational research) > > Quote: "The articles also reported the allegations > of a former student, Alan Steele, who said that > More coerced students into prostitution and > provided them with LSD and other illegal drugs". > My understanding is that Alan Steele bro
Forum: "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements"

I studied with BPI from ~1995 thru 1997. Compared to scientology, I'd say they are 'mostly harmless' - from what I can tell they are an enthusiastic group of people entirely without any skill what-so-ever in managing a business. I can't say I'm that impressed by Susan Bostwick, I'm much more impressed by the many senior students of her husband's who left the c
Forum: "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements"

David A. Palmer "Qigong Fever: Body Science and Utopia in China" I'd recommend the above work - the author is the adjunct professor of anthropology and religious studies at Chinese University of Hong Kong, obtained his PhD from the Sorbonne and was a fellow in Religion and Contemporary Society at the London School of Economics. The book covers the history of qigong in modern
Forum: "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements"

QuoteThe Anticult <snip> (Below is some information that is from earlier version's of the One Taste website, there might be some interesting info here, of course one has no idea if its factual or not). <snip> Taosha Gardiner Event Coordinator Event Coordinator and Environment Designer for ONE TASTE, Taosha received both a Masters in Communication and a Ph.D in Lifestyles fr
Forum: "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements"

QuoteThe Anticult <snip> NOTE: Notice how someone denied that Victor Baranco was prosecuted for drugs? Well, they were misleading people. Notice the ugly deception attempted again and again? The document below states that Victor Baranco and "his wife Cynthia were the subject of an LSD drug prosecution in Hawaii." There were also prostitution and other drug allegations alluded t
Forum: "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements"

QuoteSageGreenQuoteThe Anticultjust a little digging brings up lots of info. No wonder a young woman can disappear into this netowrk of groups. ONE TASTE could easily be a front-group, or just an off-shoot. The root of ONE TASTE comes from what is now called Lafayette Morehouse. Even their biased Wiki page points to blogs and articles about how its a fenced off community with guards, who call
Forum: "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements"

QuoteThe Anticultjust a little digging brings up lots of info. No wonder a young woman can disappear into this netowrk of groups. ONE TASTE could easily be a front-group, or just an off-shoot. The root of ONE TASTE comes from what is now called Lafayette Morehouse. Even their biased Wiki page points to blogs and articles about how its a fenced off community with guards, who call themselves Pur
Forum: "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements"

QuoteThe Anticult <snip> Nicole Daedone joined the former More University, sounds like a sex commune? <snip> As far as I know, Nicole Daedone took many courses from Lafayette Morehouse ( the former More University) and lived in the Hawaii Morehouse for several weeks. I don't think Lafayette Morehouse has a concept like 'membership', you live there or you
Forum: "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements"

QuotecorboyAn item about Baranco--interesting background for a founder of a university. THE BIRTH AND DEATH OF NEW RELIGIOUS MOVEMENTS Benjamin Zablocki . QuoteVictor Baranco was born in California in 1934. In 1969, he founded the More Institute. In an interview done at that time, he said the following: <snip> Today, Baranco’s nrm is still thriving although he, himself, is
Forum: "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements"