If you go to Scroll down to the section on gurus whom Ken Wilber admires. One of them is Sri Aurobindo, one of the two (now deceased) leaders of Auroville. It describes some of the claims Aurobindo made. He apparently claimed to have been the reincarnation of both Leonardo da Vinca and Michelangelo, which presents a problem as both men lived during the same time spread. Jeffrey Masson
Forum: "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements"

by which one can distinguish groups that actually support spiritual development from those which undermine it:
Forum: "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements"

it might be a good idea to alert the bishop/archbishop of the diocese where your mom lives--this group may be causing others to run scared. It is possible to search the discussion groups on Google--go to the Google search option, click the 'groups' tab and then do an advanced search--it will take you to whatever material has been posted on the Google listserves.
Forum: Destructive Churches

The author was in a group (Friends of the Western Buddhist Order) which was structured differently from a Large Group Awareness Training (LGAT), neverthless, some persons who have been through an LGAT may find this essay a helpful resource. Read it for yourself and see if it rings any bells. The entire article is worth attention--but two sections may be pertinent: 'Outline of
Forum: Large Group Awareness Training, "Human Potential"

one can use to understand what Boz is describing: The vulnerablity of the Microsoft Windows operating system to various computer viruses, worms, etc. The program is very useful, lots of people benefit from it. But the MS program has certain vulnerabilities, deficiencies in its boundaries, that permit alien and disruptive programs (viruses, worms) to enter the system, then be carried by the
Forum: Destructive Churches

'Science and Pseudoscience in Clinical Psychology' by Lilienfedl, Lynn and Lohr is up-to-date and has a chapter on repressed memories, and describes how to tell the difference between therapeutic modalities that are being properly used and when they are being used in ways that are irresponsible and not supported by scientific testing.
Forum: Former Cult Members and Affected Families

must also be matched to the needs of the client. Therapists have a lot of power in relation to clients. Any recommendation of outside resources, must be done very carefully. Reading a book or participating in a 12 step program are not the same as participating in an LGAT. You're free to disagree with a book, you can put it down when bored, and 12 Step meetings last no more than 1.5 to 2
Forum: Large Group Awareness Training, "Human Potential"

People can be in high demand groups for 'just two years' and be quite deeply affected. It all depends on: *What you were going through at the time you were recruited/joined the group. Problems you had before joining the group may still be unresolved and need attention after you've return to the outside world. If you joined when very young, you may miss out on life experiences
Forum: "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements"

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

on a dissociative disorder termed 'depersonalization.' See if any of the signs and symptoms in the article match up with the 12 signs described in the posts given above. The author of the second article used to be a New Age healer, sincerely believed in the material, then eventually realized that much of it was not true and decided she had, with the best of intentions, led
Forum: "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements"

Persons who have been members and can describe 'life on the inside' are also more likely to have relevant information. An unusual belief system is not itself enough to make something a cult. A key aspect of a cult is whether prospective recruits are told the full truth about the leader, his or her background, the actual doctrine of the group, living conditions, whether disagree
Forum: "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements"

The author was in the Friends of the Western Buddhist Order but persons dealing with other groups may find this material is transferable to their experiences as well.
Forum: "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements"

Quote On her second date with Carlos Santana, the future Deborah Santana accompanied the guitarist to his Marin manse, meditated with him under a painting of Jesus, then spent the night. By the time the couple wed in Albany, they were devotees of guru Sri Chinmoy, whom they considered an avatar but who was really a manipulative cult leader, as Santana writes in Space Between the Stars (Ballan
Forum: "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements"

This does not specifically address sexual abuse but offers one framework by which to understand recovery from any violation of trust.
Forum: "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements"

(To find it, put 'tolle' in the search slot) Scroll down and read the 10-21 post from 'PSISurvivor'. This person had been through another group called PSI Seminars hence the username.
Forum: Large Group Awareness Training, "Human Potential"

There's an interesting discussion on BK on the integralnaked.org forum, which can be read here: (Reading the material is free. If you wish to register as a member on the IN.org forum, you have to pay--read their terms) This new article describes how recovery takes place sequentially. The kind of question asking used by some spiritual teachers appears to be a powerful techni
Forum: Large Group Awareness Training, "Human Potential"

(There are many ways to understand recovery from abuse. This is one framework, offered by a psychotherapist named Borzymenyi-Nagy. It was submitted as an article on a blog ) The key insight is that a person who has suffered abuse must first recognize he or she has had her boundaries violated and trust compromised by persons who were supposed to be protective and honest. Only when you'
Forum: Recovery from Destructive Cults and Groups

PSEUDO-IDENTITY and the Treatment of Personality Change in Victims of Captivity and Cults by Louis J. West, M.D. Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, UCLA School of Medicine Paul R. Martin, Ph.D. Director, Wellspring Retreat and Resource Center, Albany, Ohio Excerpted with permission from Dissociation: Clinical and Theoretical Prespectives, ed. Stephen J. Lynn **and Judit
Forum: Recovery from Destructive Cults and Groups

'Bridging the Chasm Between Two Cultures' The author is a former New Age healer and teacher.
Forum: "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements"

If you can find URLs for links, posting them would be great. If a public figure is organizing a fundraising effort, it will important to see if their organization ensures that that money is accounted for and will go to support the stated cause. Anyone raising funds, especially for a disaster that has tugged at our hearts, and obtained massive media coverage, must exert tremendous and long
Forum: "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements"

Nobody, since you're appear to be investigating various therapeutic methods, Id recommend a book entitled 'Science and Pseudoscience in Clinical Psychology' by Lilienfeld, Lynn and Lohr. The price may seem expensive, but it is much less expensive than a therapy session and will give you background knowledge that will help you evaluate a prospective therapist. The authors discus
Forum: "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements"

If you get a copy of a memoir by Steve Susoyev, entitled 'People Farm' you get detailed descriptions of this 'cradle' technique. The book describes a human potential group/commune that existed in the late Sixties into the early 1970s and then imploded around 1978. Everything is disguised as pseudonyms but really happened. The author gives precise descriptions of the techni
Forum: Large Group Awareness Training, "Human Potential"

I am not a counselor, so these are some educated guesses based on what Ive been through and what Ive read about other people's recovery. Make sure to check this with your counselor. First, recovery occurs in stages. What helps you in one stage of recovery may not help later. Its like children and shoes--kids outgrow shoes and you dont want them wearing a pair that's become too small
Forum: "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements"

Congratulations on what you did for yourself, 'Nobody'. Can you recall what helped you/what you did or learned to do to take your power back? And you mention altered states of consciousness. Did you find anything especially helped you recover from this? And how long it took? Were there any books, persons or things you did that aided your recovery?
Forum: "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements"

In an interview, Dan Shaw makes some interesting comments about patterns and pitfalls for some persons who leave high demand groups, then join another similar group, or create a spiritual project of their own while still subconsciously operating from the indoctrination/world view of their old group. Shaw does not say so, but this might be similar to what people go through when they've be
Forum: "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements"

additional material on psychotherapy issues here:
Forum: "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements"

If anyone who has benefitted from participation in Wellspring's program can describe what the program was like, that would be terrific. Especially the features that you felt made the most difference in your recovery. And were there any things you were advised to do after you returned home that you found especially helpful in either extending or stablizing your recovery?
Forum: Recovery from Destructive Cults and Groups

Gary Lachman's book 'Turn Off Your Mind' you'll find lots of information about books and art movements that influenced the leaders and aesthetic taste-makers of the 1960s. The fascinating thing is how certain science fiction (eg Robert Heinlein) and fantasy writers (Tolkien, Castaneda, HP Lovecraft) inspired various groups and commune movements. According to Lachman Rob
Forum: Large Group Awareness Training, "Human Potential"

'Science and Pseudoscience in Clinical Psychology' by Lilienfeld, Lynn and Lohr discusses many of these issues, including use of psychotherapy on the talk show circuit, use of untested, controversial methods that have not been adequately tested in double blind research, and various problems that come up with alternative and new age therapies propagated by charismatic individuals and cot
Forum: Former Cult Members and Affected Families

'creating more tolerance for his behavior' (paraphrase) is termed 'grooming' by police and mental health professionals who study persons who commit boundary violation. The agent often figures out what type of person he or she is attracted to, often these people are already vulnerable and off-balance. Its not unusual for child molesters to single out children already in tr
Forum: Large Group Awareness Training, "Human Potential"