QuoteThe Anticult Again, this is just a general comment for internet readers...conspiracy theories seem to be similar to fundamentalist religion, they don't change no matter how the evidence is presented. Quote Just to follow up on this comment by AC ... I have a friend who is a fundamentalist Christian. He also believes that the world is currently under the complete control & dominati
Forum: "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements"

Hi Xythos. I take your point and understand that your observations are from life experience and not just from reading conspiracy theories. Just to clarify - I'm not American. I don't want to get into details for the sake of privacy, but I was not born or raised here. I imagine that there are many people of different nationalities posting on this board, don't you think? I do
Forum: "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements"

Xythos, I'm sorry that you feel under fire here. I understand that you feel personally attacked but I don't think the comments were intended as 'vitriolic'. They were not on my part. It simply seems better to me to avoid conspiracy theories that we can't really back up with verifiable facts. It is my own personal opinion that it can sometimes add to our confusion rathe
Forum: "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements"

What's interesting here is how many people from Desteni have come to defend their group. Desteni members please note that the purpose of this forum is to provide a free space for those who are becoming educated on the process of thought-reform and mind control. The purpose of this thread is to provide information for those who have come to research & learn about the group from a
Forum: "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements"

Quotexythos Before I continue let me quote the president that that Obama clown is constantly being referred to but is nowhere close in possessing any real authentic charisma (not fabricated by the media or his backpushers), substance, integrity or uprightness (he's a Kenyan born 'bought' lackey who is doing his masters' bidding, just like Bush Jr was): Xythos you are enti
Forum: "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements"

At one time (probably about the year 2000) the Master was claiming to have 1 million practitioners throughout the world in 67 countries. Claims as to the number of students currently practicing have been pretty much dropped from the official websites. Mr. Dang began teaching students in California in 1989. These students were predominantly drawn from the pool of Vietnamese refugees residing th
Forum: "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements"

At one time (probably about the year 2000) the Master was claiming to have 1 million practitioners throughout the world in 67 countries. Claims as to the number of students currently practicing have been pretty much dropped from the official websites.
Forum: "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements"

QuotecorboyIt would be interesting to know where 'Master Luong Minh Dang' learned his material. One doesnt hear of yoga being practiced in Vietnam...one would be more likely to find chi gong and tai chi being used as part of the indigenous methods of body work, to supplement Buddhist sitting and walking meditation. corboy - Thank you very much for bringing this point up. From t
Forum: "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements"

For those seeking further information about this Group: Spiritual Human Yoga was founded in 1989 by a Vietnamese Guru called 'Master Luong Minh Dang'. Originally known as IHUERI - 'International Human and Universal Energy Research Institute.' The organization has been known by several other names including 'Mankind Enlightenment Love'. (MEL) The 'Master
Forum: "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements"

I have also noticed that the tone of Mme. Ching Hai's messages has become more extreme over the last year or so. I agree with Anticult that the 2012 date will be re-set when it has passed. Some few disciples will drop out but many more will re-dedicate themselves with increased energy to the cause. Failed prophecy is a calculated risk that in a bizarre twist of cult psychology works in favor
Forum: "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements"

Thanks AC, I must have missed that before somehow or forgotten ... I'd also like to comment, going back through and re-reading about Ms. Skolnick that the term 'soul surgery', which is the title of her blog, was not new to me. I heard that phrase a great deal during my own time in a cult. The idea that the Guru (or his delegated representatives) could reach into your soul a
Forum: "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements"

I'm not sure if the following link has been posted in this thread yet. It may be of interest for those who are still learning and researching the topic of Byron Katie in particular and cult relationship in general. I don't mean to scapegoat Ms. Skolnick but her intensely personal story has been posted on the Web for anyone interested to read freely. Her story may help to illuminate t
Forum: "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements"

Looking at the official Byron Katie blog tonight, there are definitely implicit claims being made by those involved that 'The Work' cures illness: Quote from the BK Blog: " One story in particular I wanted to tell you about is the story of M, a psychologist who was very interested in The Work. She came to our first workshop because she had been suffering from pain in her face an
Forum: "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements"

Thanks corboy. That disclaimer is extremely detailed in comparison to the one we used. Clearly Landmark must have had incidents over time of harming people with various mental health problems. It is interesting the way that they basically allude to the fact that going through Landmark is a stressful, emotionally charged experience that may bring up feelings of 'irritation' and '
Forum: "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements"

corboy - please could you re-post the link in the last post that you made? I would like to look more closely and compare Landmark disclaimers to the one that I had so many people sign without giving it much thought at all: Student (looking at disclaimer): "What is this?" Me: "Oh, it's nothing, just a legal thing we need to do to. Just go ahead and sign right there. Gre
Forum: "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements"

QuoteThe Anticult Bascially, self-obsessed narcissists seem to get attracted to all of these ME ME ME ME New Agey things.quote] Ouch! Yes indeed, in my experience, myself and many people in my circle had often dropped our concerns for normal social acceptance and approval through 'ordinary' pursuits such as having a family, career, or pursuing creative and artistic outlets. In
Forum: "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements"

QuoteStrivinghard Modern Society teaches us that having a good career and wealth is a part of gaining human admiration and respect, but that is only true because greed propels those who are poor to seek the status of those who are wealthy. quote] I would like to point out that people have other reasons for having good careers than simply amassing wealth and gaining the 'love and admiratio
Forum: "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements"

helpme2times: I just watched the youtube video of Byron Katie with the man with terminal cancer. It was so painful to watch the whole way through. In fact I had to stop the video a couple of times. I made myself watch the whole thing because I wanted to witness her in action right to the bitter end. I have reflected on what I saw and I can think of no reason whatsoever to force someone with te
Forum: "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements"

Hi Omondi. I am not a Jehova's Witness but I was in a cult for ten years so I can share my experience to help you understand your friend. Although cults are different in the things they believe, they are often alike in the ways they influence people to believe and stay in the group. I know that it must be very hard for you to see your friend in a group that seems to be controlling
Forum: "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements"

Yes. I do understand that as far as recognizing a cult it is about the behavior and not the belief system. It's just kind of a shock to realize that what you once thought were 'divinely inspired' teaching received directly from God in meditation were in fact just a hodgepodge of ideas borrowed from all kinds of sources. It is this apparently seamless and well-constructed be
Forum: "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements"

I am curious to know how many other groups / cults / spiritual teachers use the mythology of the lost continent of Atlantis in their teachings. My own Guru said that the Atlanteans had destroyed their advanced civilization through greed for power, and that the modern world was headed for the same destruction if humanity didn't change its selfish ways. I now know that Edgar Cayce descri
Forum: "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements"

helpme2times - I am also reading this book and enjoying its sane, logical approach very much. There are many things that my Guru said about trying to reduce negative emotions, or how to handle relationships for example that at the time I thought were divinely inspired ideas from God. He did have a lovely way of putting things sometimes. But now when I read David Burns' book I see that
Forum: "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements"

corboy wrote: It may be that a common denominator for cultic milieu is not so much what people believe, but the mood and suspension of critical thinking and refusal to concern oneself with long term consequences. One can move within this milieu and take up a succession of belief systems that are actually incompatible, but that doenst matter. What matters is clinging to the mood--possibly a way
Forum: "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements"

It is so easy to look at other cults, to know that the leader is obviously a fake and a fraud; that the teachings are just a hodgepodge of Western and Eastern spiritual concepts or something like that. It is a whole different story trying to de-construct the Guru in my own cult. Even though the whole things sounds like madness when I write it down, it all made such perfect sense at one time th
Forum: "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements"

Possible 'LGAT' techniques in my Hindu-based Yoga Meditation Group. Large Seminar Rooms in the Hotel kept very cold; much colder than the main body of the Hotel. Hotel chairs set up in theatre style seating. There were long days of learning. At earlier seminars, students would be listening to the Guru talk for up to ten hours for nine or ten days at a time. (It was a question and
Forum: "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements"

I can now see clearly many concerns and problems with my own yoga/meditation group, which I have posted about a little bit on other threads. I cannot deny, however that I did personally have vivid physical sensations of 'energy' transfers, as when the Guru would transfer energy in a class. It most certainly felt like a strong, warm 'wave' coming across the room, emanating
Forum: "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements"

Yep. helpme2times, it's true. Being human with normal human emotions just doesn't cut it when you are on the vanguard of spiritual evolution, you know? I just finished reading 'Enlightenment Blues'. I saw that it was the same thing with Andre van der Braak's experience with the American Guru Andrew Cohen. People would be harassed by Andrew or the other students until t
Forum: "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements"

corboy - I understood that you didn't write that letter about TM. corboy wrote: "... they may well be persons from traumatized backgrounds who as children made excuses for abusive parents, rationalized thier own misery as 'character building' dissociated from their horror and sense of shattering betrayal, and identified with thier perpetrator". This idea has com
Forum: "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements"

My God. What a powerful letter on first reading. Thanks for that corboy. helpme2times - I saw it all the time with my Guru's wife. She would love-bomb the hell out of people to where they were kneeling or weeping on the floor in front of her! They were often exhausted from travling to the seminar, struggling with money issues from coming up with $1,000 - 2,000 to pay and then this woman w
Forum: "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements"

Looking back through this thread and trying to absorb some of the interesting material, it seems that we can't underestimate the ways in which these different groups really back each other up, both knowingly and unknowingly. Katie tells you to 'love what is' not to trust yourself, your own identity, your own thoughts, feelings or beliefs. Tolle does essentially the same thing
Forum: "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements"