QuoteprimericahaterI find it funny that this friend of a friend has been there for about 3 months and suprisingly hasn't got his licensing yet. Supposedly that is what the $199 is for, "the investment into your licensing, your future" HA..HA..HA. A reputable company would never charge their registered reps for their licensing fees. Those fees are supposed to be paid to the NASD
Forum: Multi Level Marketing and Commercial Schemes

FBI has a special unit devoted to Nigerian & West African money-laundering scams. You can report these.
Forum: Multi Level Marketing and Commercial Schemes

QuoteannoyedRecently a friend I haven't heard from in a long time contacted me and told me she just completed a seminar that "changed her life" and that I should attend. Gee, why do you suppose she suddenly contacted you out of the blue after so much time? You don't suppose she was told to recruit people and pulled up an old phone list or something, do you? :wink:
Forum: Large Group Awareness Training, "Human Potential"

Quotemach1I was wondering where the line is drawn between being a critic of isreal and being anti semetic? I think as long as people make it clear that they are criticizing "Israel" or "Israelis" or "the Israeli government" that's not in and of itself anti-semitic. But if they start criticizing "Jews" or "Jewish people", then that is anti
Forum: Hate Groups

Quotebonnie Yoga is used as a come-on by many cults to gain access to potential converts. (There is a lot about that on this website). Many cults offer Yoga classes; the religious stuff is slowly introduced to receptive students. 3HO teaches Kundalini Yoga, not Hatha Yoga. True, but that doesn't necessarily mean that yoga exercises or poses themselves are harmful. In fact, they'
Forum: Celebrities associated with "cult-like" groups

QuoteSavernakeA sort of related issue -- does anyone else notice LGAT type terminology leaching into general language? (ie via celebrities). I'm not sure whether it's paranoia on my part or something genuine. It could be happening, or it could be a case of "which came first, the chicken or the egg?" Is LGAT-type terminology entering the general language, or is the current
Forum: Celebrities associated with "cult-like" groups

Quoterrmoderator What is it about cults and extreme groups that attracts so many celebrities? Hollywood seems to be overflowing with such groups and stars flock to them. I don't think that proportionally or statistically celebrities are more involved in cults than the general population. It's just that you hear about it more often. If Joe Schmoe joins a cult, no one knows or cares bes
Forum: Celebrities associated with "cult-like" groups

I'm SO glad I didn't go see that last weekend with my husband and his friends. It looked way too violent and stupid for my taste. He came home raving about how great it was, and my stepdaughter now says it's her favorite film. Amazing the crap people will go for if it's in movie format!
Forum: Celebrities associated with "cult-like" groups

No doubt someone at your company got a kickback for hiring this company to do training. I agree that you should seek legal advice, and I also recommend gathering as much information and doing as much research as you can on this group, their methods, teachings and history, founders, and financial information on them if you can find it. If what you dig up on them is cause for concern, then ma
Forum: Coercive Persuasion and Undue Influence

I haven't noticed that at all. It probably depends more upon the region you live in (southern and midwestern USA tend to have more obese people), what the particular MLM is (the new age/health food/supplement MLMs tend to attract health nuts who care about their appearance), and where the MLM is recruiting (churches are a logical place for them to recruit because there's a large base o
Forum: Multi Level Marketing and Commercial Schemes

This sounds very similar to the Advaita spiritual path that I was on. It also uses self-inquiry as the main technique. Ramana Maharshi, J. Krishnamurti and Nisargadatta Maharaj are names that often come up in Advaita circles. While I don't think the teachings themselves are bad, I think that people do tend to fall into the trap of worshipping the teachers like gurus, because many people
Forum: "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements"

Quotejust-googling However, we see every day that some people in Iraq or Afghanistan are always chanting their mantra "Alla Akbar" but at the same time are killing others for the sake of "Allah"... The question remains, why are these people not becoming purified by chanting the names of God??? How can you prove they're not? Maybe to them that is being "purifie
Forum: "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements"

I saw it too. It was brilliantly funny!
Forum: "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements"

QuoterichardmgreenI found out that the yoga positions used during meditation are actually based on prayers to Hindu deities. So that may cause some cognitive dissonance for some people. My understanding of hatha yoga is that the exercises were developed to help prepare your body for meditation. I suppose it's possible that some of the positions ("asanas") are similar to positio
Forum: Celebrities associated with "cult-like" groups

QuoteGreg SlidelMr Ross, are you even a Christian? quote] Are you implying that there is something wrong with NOT being a Christian?
Forum: "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements"

Quoteelena But in this case the woman's thoughts, feelings, self-esteem issues, etc are merely discounted as a"story". And I think that in the way this seminar is being presented that a "story" is implied as an error in cognitive thinking. I am disappointed that the use of the term "story" has a negative implication that people's thoughts, feelings, etc
Forum: Large Group Awareness Training, "Human Potential"

Quotewriterchick I was specifically wondering if they used drugs to excert control. I know they eat raw beets and that a chemical in the beets makes people highly open to suggestion. I've never heard of beets being a problem, but if you are worried, then don't eat beets. And honestly, I would think even a cult or cultish sect would put its best food forward when dealing with a r
Forum: "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements"

This is the video I was talking about, showing the consequences of raising children with absolutely NO physical punishment:
Forum: "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements"

QuotebellinghamsailorI am disapointed but not surprised at the number of numbskulls who immediately start talking about spanking and corporal punishment to make children subject to THE WILL OF THE PARENT. The lack of beating does NOT lead to spoiled children, BUT beating a child DOES lead to any number of problems later in life including second-generation child abuse. Virtually all child abuser
Forum: "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements"

Is this the same thing as Neo-Tek? I have a friend involved in that.
Forum: Multi Level Marketing and Commercial Schemes

I can't see how something like that could ever get passed.
Forum: Large Group Awareness Training, "Human Potential"

QuoteHope I haven't seen Carolyn Myss recently. Caroline Myss is a guru? Since when? I have one of her books and it doens't seem guru-like at all. In fact, she complains about people expecting her to do all the work and says that she teaches people to do their own healing.
Forum: Large Group Awareness Training, "Human Potential"

I've done a Sedona Method weekend seminar in NYC with David Ellzey and I found the techniques very helpful during the weekend itself. However, afterwards I got lazy and stopped practicing them. They tell you at the end to pick a partner and call them during the week to practice the exercises, but my partner and I only spoke once afterward and let it drop. I still get emails about differ
Forum: Large Group Awareness Training, "Human Potential"

QuotePinkAndProudwow... I've heard a lot of complaints about "being taken advantage of" by Mary Kay directors and recruiters. Who made the decision to sign the Consultant agreement? who's choice was it to invest in inventory? Mary Kay has a proven (actually several) sales technique and the company has a website that teaches you EVERYTHING you need to know to sell the product.
Forum: Multi Level Marketing and Commercial Schemes

QuotemknormaBeing a Mary Kay consultant has been such a positive experience for me! I have never been tricked into believing that I could get a car for free. Nothing is free in life, duh!!! Everything that I have done in MK has been my choice :) When you do invest in MK products it is because you are going to sell them and make your profit...it's called investing!!! We cannot put the blame o
Forum: Multi Level Marketing and Commercial Schemes

Definitely don't see this guy again! He has control issues and it's quite possible he obtained access to your personal information from someone in your religious group. I doubt you can get your money back, but filing a complaint with your state's medical board is not a bad idea. It sounds like he's being seriously unethical.
Forum: Clergy and Therapy Abuse

QuoteLaura19 He told her that he was not eating and that he was a new person, and he is going to help her to do the same…..? That alone is frightening! Keep an eye on your daughter and monitor her eating habits. I hope he doesn't seriously expect her to stop eating, but you never know.
Forum: "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements"

As luck would have it, I met someone last Wednesday who used to be heavily involved with the Objectivists. Apparently there is a schism between The Ayn Rand Institute in Marina Del Rey, California, (the group led by Leonard Peikoff) and the Objectivists, who are based in NYC. One group is very much into preserving Rand's legacy and ideas with no room for reinterpretation, whereas the o
Forum: Celebrities associated with "cult-like" groups

Moderators, could this thread be moved to the LGAT forum? This doesn't seem to be the right place for it, as there don't seem to be any celebrities mentioned.
Forum: Celebrities associated with "cult-like" groups

Ok...I've been biting my lip during this whole thread, but I just have to say, for the sake of argument... What's to stop someone who was NOT in a cult from wreaking vengeance on a spiritual or religious group by claiming that they are a cult? We have no idea if Kath was really in a cult or whether the other poster who claimed to know her was correct in his claim that she is trying
Forum: "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements"