1) To get a take on how the leader might have gotten started (this is just a hunch), get and read 'Prophetic Charisma' by Len Oakes, who is a clinical psychologist and researcher in Australia. Dr. Oakes was once in a group led by a charismatic leader and if you can locate him (use Google) he may be able to offer you some pointers. His book may help you de-mystify the leader. Anoth
Forum: Recovery from Destructive Cults and Groups

a friend has list on her refrigerator of various signs that one is making progress. My favorite is: 'You lose interest in the games of domination and submission on offer in various theatres of cruelty.'
Forum: "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements"

lets not get too hard on each other. QuoteShall we not get back to the issue at hand, your less than spirited defense of gurus and all the ignoble platitudes that they have been hurling upon mankind for centuries? Dervish has given a spirited support to the RR.com board, contributed lots of helpful information, and wants people to have necessary information for informed decisions and that le
Forum: "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements"

Key thing is to ask,'Is this group likely help or hinder my spiritual practice and outside relationships/interests? And will this group give me the maturity needed to tell when, some day I may be ready to leave this group and graduate?' A group that is just right for you may hamper someone else, regardless of its lineage. One of the best things available written for people trying
Forum: Clergy and Therapy Abuse

Some groups may take on characteristics of psychotherapy cults. A leader may be charismatic, even helpful in some important ways, but not have formal training as a psychotherapist--or the person may once have received formal training, taken and passed coursework on ethics and boundary issues, yet be unable to apply such knowledge to running his or her groups. If teacher and students are trapp
Forum: Clergy and Therapy Abuse

Abusive Secretive Groups--Recurring Problems/Pitfalls There are legions of small groups. Some last for decades. The leader may have a shady past. He or she may pretend to teach from one tradition (eg present themselves as a Hindu guru) while actually using material from a completely different source (Gurdjieff, or commercial trance methods such as NLP). If a teacher pretends to teach fr
Forum: Clergy and Therapy Abuse

(Note: These are guesses and hunches from a layman. This material is not intended to replace psychotherapy with a mental health professional. If any of this does seem useful, share this with your psychotherapist if working with one. And---do feel free to suggest additional reading material--including journal articles.) Small Group Dynamics and Pitfalls-General Overview **(This material is s
Forum: Clergy and Therapy Abuse

a very good overview on how to evaluate any group or teacher The remarkable readiness we have to experience amazing things, and then attribute them to an external source (these last two may generate annoy pop up ads. Just close the junk and keep reading) finally, this article on one of the Google groups discusses what can happen if people are encouraged to become dependan
Forum: "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements"

Dr. Len Oakes wrote a book entitled 'Prophetic Charisma' in which he interviewed 20 charismatic leaders of groups. Its highly readable, and well worth the extra price for a rush order from amazon.com, because it will give you helpful pointers on these leaders' life trajectories, mannerisms and the kinds of questions to ask during your interviews. If you contact him privately (yo
Forum: Large Group Awareness Training, "Human Potential"

Do a search on Factnet.org at the message board. Someone posted some material there. The main source of info about Maharishi's TM group is www.trancenet.org Read their information about the physical effects produced by TM. Then see if people practicing the Art of Living's meditation techniques are free of these problems or are reporting similar reactions. There is a helpful boo
Forum: "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements"

here on this thread. If anyone has found additional books or articles that have been helpful, please list them. Thats how the message board grows!
Forum: Clergy and Therapy Abuse

Members are quite happy to share online material/URLs when these are available. If they do not, it may be that the article in question is only available by subscription.
Forum: Large Group Awareness Training, "Human Potential"

Entire article is worth reading. See if it rings any bells. One thing that can trigger depersonalization in some people is--use of marijuana.
Forum: "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements"

on this thread.
Forum: Former Cult Members and Affected Families

1) The message board at www.factnet.org 2) Go to Google, click the 'groups' tab and that enables you to search all the Google listserves. Sometimes material shows up on listserves earlier than anywhere else.
Forum: "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements"

To learn how very easily 'experiences of sound and light' can be induced in seeking, receptive persons, go here: To learn more about the Divine LIght Mission (Maharaji's organization) go here:
Forum: "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements"

It may not be the topic (BDSM) thats the problem but that chat rooms are a way to feel connected without the complexity or messiness of real, face to face relationships. In cyberspace, people can construct masks, fictional identities, hide behind them. If someone really gets obsessed with this stuff their social skills can wither or (in the case of young persona) fail to develop. Best
Forum: Coercive Persuasion and Undue Influence

Despite being called 'The Work' Byron Katie's material apparently has no tie to Fourth Way/Gurdjieff work. Only way to tell if a group or teacher is helpful or not is to look at long term effects reported by former participants and friends, relatives and family members of participants. A group or teacher that are helpful will foster autonomy and students will not feel pressured
Forum: "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements"

These are general recommendations--like items of clothing in a store. They dont directly describe your former group but try them on as you would try out clothing in a store and see if any of this 'fits' 1) Prophetic Charisma by Len Oakes He surveyed 20 charismatic leaders and described their psychology. They all had a remarkable similar inner landscape and surprisingly similar life
Forum: Former Cult Members and Affected Families

It can get intense around here. Pace yourself. You live in one of the most beautiful parts of the world, so take advantage of that.
Forum: Large Group Awareness Training, "Human Potential"

Dear Ioanan: There are probably lots of different answers to your question. I am not a mental health professional, so test what I say against your observations. Our friends at pokrov.org may be able to guide you toward additional reading matter. There is an excellent book entitled 'Prophetic Charisma' by Len Oakes in which Oakes described how he interviewed 20 charismatic leaders
Forum: Destructive Churches

Woody had some comments about the 'chocolate/vanilla exercise' QuoteThat exercise isn’t about ‘deciding’ or ‘choosing’ or ‘letting go’. We learn throughout our lives, from teaching and the things that happen to us or we do to others, that decisions should be made on understanding, knowledge and our own experien
Forum: Large Group Awareness Training, "Human Potential"

A sociologist named Michael Cuneo wrote a survey of different Catholic groups, and has a chapter on SSPX. His book which is very readable, is entitled 'The Smoke of Satan'--you can probably find it on Amazon.com and there may be used copies available on abebooks.com and alibris.com, as well. Do some comparison pricing. If you google Dr. Cuneo, (I think he is on faculty at Fordham) th
Forum: "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements"

then find out which department in your state government is responsible for licensing and disciplining mental health professionals. Find out what kind of credential this therapist has and then which professional organization regulates this type of counselor in your state. For psychiatrists its the American Psychiatric Association For Psychologists its the American Psychological Associati
Forum: Clergy and Therapy Abuse

and see if its worth purchasing... Go to the bookstore at your local medical school and see if they have a copy--that way you can read enough to see if its worth purchasing. Often medical school bookstores have books that have not yet appeared in a med library's stacks. Sometimes a local psychoanalytic institute may have a library--call and see if an interested member of the general p
Forum: "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements"

If you have access to an up to date medical library with a good psychiatry section, take look at Dorpat's book 'Gaslighting, the Double Whammy, Interrogation, Other Methods of Covert Control in Psychotherapy and Analysis'. Dorpat took a good hard look at processes that could de-rail psychotherapy and turn it harmful rather than helpful. He admits that he unknowingly did some
Forum: "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements"

QuoteThat being said, someone with a personality disorder would, of course, have attendant challenges. . If you read through the messages on this board, some visitors report being harmed or who have seen loved ones harmed --and did not have any pre-existant personality disorders. Its normal to feel confused after one has been through an LGAT, feels great about it, then visits the RR.com s
Forum: Large Group Awareness Training, "Human Potential"

If anyone is wondering how on earth a particular teacher seemed so utterly bewitching and influential, read the material here, then see if it rings any bells. Text of entire article can be read here (quote) 'If a person is unaware of being in trance, or is unfamiliar or unconvinced of the phenomenon of hypnotic enhancement of perception, fantasy and suggestibility, then that p
Forum: "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements"

(quote) If a person is unaware of being in trance, or is unfamiliar or unconvinced of the phenomenon of hypnotic enhancement of perception, fantasy and suggestibility, then that person is likely to attribute the vividness and intensity of the trance experience to some special characteristic of the message and/or communicator. (Moderator note: social psychologists call this 'attributio
Forum: "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements"

that applies, both to battering relationships and high-demand groups. Professor Janja Lalich, who was once a member of a political group centered on a charismatic leader, terms the process 'bounded choice.' Lalitch found that persons in these high demand groups usually remain highly intelligent, capable of rational, logical decisionmaking. But what happens in toxic relationship
Forum: Large Group Awareness Training, "Human Potential"