For those of you who don't have time to read the whole book, I discovered a 5-minute interview with the authors of Guru Papers. The video has a strange introduction. The interviewer delivers his remarks one sentence at a time, with a fade-out/fade-in between sentences. Diana Alstad then defines the problem as "anyone who tries to control others, under the guise of claiming to know
Forum: "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements"

Meditation-Induced Psychosis Abstract Meditation is a self-regulatory psychological strategy that is frequently applied in Western as well as non-Western countries for different purposes; little is known about adverse events. A male patient is described who developed an acute and transient psychosis with polymorphic symptomatology after meditating. A literature search for psychotic states r
Forum: "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements"

Well, again I would argue that just because awareness of awareness seems like a direct experience of reality doesn't means that it actually is a direct experience of reality. But apart from that, I think we're on the same page. These regressive states of consciousness can be therapeutic. Which is great. But I don't take their achievement to be the ultimate goal of life -- which is
Forum: "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements"

Quotezizlz We can never experience reality truly unbiased or directly, unless we meditatively point awareness on itself. Then we don't experience any symbol/reference, just direct reality. It's true that, as we settle into quietness, the state of consciousness we encounter seems more real than our fading thoughts and emotions. But just because it seems more real doesn't mean tha
Forum: "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements"

Adyashanti is one of the few of these people I like. I’ve never heard anything bad about him. He’s like “the exception that proves the rule.” I agree with zizlz that his talks are insightful.
Forum: "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements"

too many suicides Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > It's from a talk by Karl Renz. > Karl has spoken out against Mooji in a few of his > books and talks. > The video title is "What do you have against > Mooji?" According to Chi Ting Apocalypse, Karl’s beef is that Mooji stole all his customers: “Karl Renz has been sighted sk
Forum: "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements"

QuotezizlzIt leads to the realization that form is no different and no less real than formlessness. That’s a great way of articulating it.
Forum: "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements"

QuoteSahara71 A friend of mine once tried to 'live in the now' for a period of several weeks and everyone quickly became frustrated with her because nothing was done and everyone else had to pick up the slack and it was as annoying as hell. That's interesting. The mindlessness E.T. advocates is like the condition of an infant. It makes sense that all the adults around such a per
Forum: "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements"

That model seems realistic. Stage 12 is interesting: "Mental & physical burnout & financial poverty." There's a book on trance by Dennis R. Weir that describes the end result of hypnotic spiritual practices as "an impoverished reality," by which he means a life of little variety and few choices. The new recruit to a cult believes that he or she is benefiting from
Forum: "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements"

A quick search takes you to the Cult Education Institute thread "Eckhart Tolle -- Comments From Someone who Knows Him." The original post was by Wanderer77, who apparently knew him 25 or 30 years ago, before he became famous. She characterizes him from her point of view as: QuoteWanderer77 An extremely, and I want to say, dangerously isolated individual, who has become worse,
Forum: "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements"

In case anyone else is searching for it: The Making of 'Moojibaba's Dancing Joy' — Interview with Sanoja and Krishnabai
Forum: "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements"

I would speculate that the situation is a trigger for him. It would evoke the same feelings as when his mother abandoned him. Hence his need to surround himself with devotees who would never dare to leave him.
Forum: "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements"

Gaja Wrote: > - he is attached to Sarah/Krishnabai. When she > left the table, he was scared/confused/lost (as if > mummy left forever because child was naughty) You know his personal history, right?
Forum: "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements"

On the Rajneesh thread I observed that Rajneesh communicates a subtext of "There's danger outside" > "To be safe, stick with me". You can see John MacArthur use the same technique. In a talk titled "Saved or Self-Deceived, Part 1" he stirs up his audience's fears. His message goes like this: Beware! Other preachers may appear to be Christian, but th
Forum: Destructive Churches

Christa Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > February 20, 2009 Wanderer77 > Let me tell you something , if I could, in my own > modest experience at being human myself, Tolle is > very unhealed. In other words, the "split": the smooth and knowledgeable public speaker on-stage, and the same old person off-stage. It's a mysterious bu
Forum: "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements"

corboy Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > This provision of support by Tolle's friends who > let him stay with them, and by his father who > supported his explorations when young deserve to > be given credit, for without their support, Tolle > would not have made it. The money from his father must have lasted quite a while, as Eckhart Tol
Forum: "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements"

I'm sorry to hear about your experience. This school does sound "abusive, manipulative and controlling," as you say, but it doesn't sound like a cult, though it may have some features in common with cults. Lalich and Langone list the typical characteristics of cults: Lalich and Langone explicitly say that their list is not intended to be a diagnostic tool. However, it d
Forum: "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements"

What I notice is the repeated subtext: Promise of reward > "Stick with me" > Danger if you leave Example #1 Promise of reward: "The absent picture becomes a door" Stick with me: "Through that door communicate with me" Danger if you leave: "Without this mala you will feel totally unprotected, totally in the reins of a force which can be harmf
Forum: "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements"

QuoteThe new horror film “1BR” uses the real-life experiences of Scientologists and those in NXIVM to paint a terrifying portrait of one woman’s descent into cult madness.
Forum: Large Group Awareness Training, "Human Potential"

@Caravel: Thanks for the links. I had not seen the South Africa article and am looking forward for time to listen to the Winston Shrout interview. One thing I have been noticing is claims of large numbers of followers (in the millions) but I'm sceptical about that.
Forum: "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements"

Yes it sounds very familiar, subtle cold shoulder and all. Mind control in action. Another symptom is response to questions. Usually, a few questions are tolerated as a means for them to hook you into their worldview. Watch their true colors come out if you ask too many, or the "wrong" questions. I have been watching this word-manipulation regarding the phenomenon of the One People&#
Forum: "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements"

One People's Public Trust, aka OPPT, is a New Age Cult organizing on the Internet to bring in new paradigm. Attracting desperate and gullible people all over the world. Using propaganda, mind-control, mass hypnosis? Once they opt in, minds tend to snap shut. Group claims to have collapsed all governments on earth as of 12/25/12 by default since nobody challenged the trustees' UCC filing
Forum: "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements"