I know Daron well, have been in his home and had him in mine, he has spent time with my kids. There is so much wrong with the storytelling here that I barely know where to start. But how about this: You are at serious risk of libel charges with these unfounded accusations and characterizations. There is zero evidence at 300 Holman of cult activity, so the entire framing of your quest
Forum: "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements"

I'm not sure exactly where the story is in this. It seems tame. Are you with the Sentinel? I live in the area and have met Dr. Massey so I did some digging. Tenderness Gathering Place is the name they call the property in Lunenburg, Massachusetts. Property owner appears to be a Dr. Daron Massey, a psychiatrist employed by the University of Massachusetts in Amherst. Dr. Massey and his wi
Forum: "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements"

Breast Massage and Harsh Diets - Universal Medicine - Serge Benhayon Orgasmic Meditation One Taste - Nicole Daedone, Victor Baranco, Sex University Cuddle Parties Human Awareness Institute Sedona Arizona Temple of the Goddess Topic: "Goddess" temples busted in prostitution sting - many arrests & charges -- Four page discussion, thoughtful an
Forum: "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements"

Subject At Cuddle Parties, Strangers Don PJs and Snuggle Up By Libby Copeland Washington Post Staff Writer Saturday, August 28, 2004; Page C01 If Reid Mihalko is right, nearly all of us are desperate for someone, anyone, even someone we've just met, to hold us, rub our feet, stroke our hair. And because this is about healing, this someone might give us a long, soul-baring kiss. Th
Forum: "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements"

Quotehttp://www.wqow.com/story/23690360/2013/10/15/opening-of-madisons-snuggle-house-delayed-by-city-concerns Opening of Madison's Snuggle House delayed by city concerns MADISON (WKOW) - The opening of a Madison business involving staff members cuddling clients on beds is delayed, as the business operator attempts to allay city concerns. The Snuggle House at 123 East Main Street h
Forum: "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements"

__________QUOTE______________________ About Us History Trellis House was purchased in February 2007 after a year of dreaming and searching by Marc and Rebekah Beneteau. Rebekah had been living for 5 years, and Marc 3 years, in the Yonkers Morehouse, and we both had taken a lot of courses with the Lafayette Morehouse (previously More University). The experience of living in the comm
Forum: "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements"

There are also links to these Cuddle Parties, which are also being used by other Landmark grads as a way to find new 'marks'. a Cuddle Party is a Mark Group, which is a way to have an intro meeting to look for new recruits aka 'marks'. also, Trellis House is not a passive group. They are constantly recruiting. They have a Mark Group coming up. Notice the deceptive
Forum: "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements"

April 27, 2008 (Yahoo News) A Look Inside Local Cuddle Parties Reporting Mary Stoker Smith PHILADELPHIA (CBS 3) ¯ In today's non-stop rush to get here and there, maneuvering through a crowd of hundreds and in and out of lines of traffic, some people worry that they are losing touch with each other. Now as CBS 3's Mary Stoker-Smith reports there's a way to really reac
Forum: Large Group Awareness Training, "Human Potential"

Reading this thread was really upsetting. Amazing how everyone went on and on over what these "cuddle parties" are really about and whether they're good or bad -- the whole time being led on by "Acid Reindeer" who goes to sex parties on the weekend and so had to defend the cuddle parties. Just the thought of getting intimately physical with a bunch of strangers . . . y
Forum: Large Group Awareness Training, "Human Potential"

Scam is such a great word that most people can relate to. So much better than cult. I know when some people on another forum were talking about Cuddle Parties and Wayne Dyer on PBS, I referred them over here. They weren't convinced that these two entities were cults and made Kool-Aid jokes. It's the same with coaching. Some people think it sounds like a great idea, like mini th
Forum: Large Group Awareness Training, "Human Potential"

A well stated blog on Cuddle Parties at : =================== CUDDLE CORRUPTION This gave me pause: Quote It's not about sex and all about the touchy-feely experience of snuggling up to perfect strangers wearing pajamas. The grab fests are called cuddle parties, and since they started in New York in February, hundreds of people have paid $30 each to touch and embrace others in
Forum: Large Group Awareness Training, "Human Potential"

QuoteAcid Reindeer by the time the scandals came about est, the company already had a solid existence and a hardcore of dedicated followers. Cuddle Party has no such solid base. I find it amazing that you're still arguing this. You must have a lot invested in defending your experiences in alternate sexual activities. While the scandals may have become public after est had an establis
Forum: Large Group Awareness Training, "Human Potential"

Caligari, apples and oranges. by the time the scandals came about est, the company already had a solid existence and a hardcore of dedicated followers. Cuddle Party has no such solid base. and no one subjects them to seventy-two hours (plus, if you count the cost-free introductory events and homework) of thought reform. sort of like claiming the three hour introductory meeting cou
Forum: Large Group Awareness Training, "Human Potential"

glam, I make a distinction beween assuming and questioning. assuming I do not like so much, questioning I do like. never did I say that you must try Cuddle Party myself. I have not tried it, nor do I intend to do it. only saying you can hold off until you have more to go upon, like, I don't know, some proof that it causes harm? I have observed, firsthand, the dynamics of similar ev
Forum: Large Group Awareness Training, "Human Potential"

QuoteAcid ReindeerQuotecaligariThe view that the destruction of people's ego and individuality is good clarifies the principal for the defense of events like Cuddle Parties. destroy? awful big word for an event that last two or three hours. A temporary destruction of ego or loss of identity is a partial destruction of identity. QuoteAcid Reindeersee I try not to generalize like that.
Forum: Large Group Awareness Training, "Human Potential"

QuotecaligariThe view that the destruction of people's ego and individuality is good clarifies the principal for the defense of events like Cuddle Parties. destroy? awful big word for an event that last two or three hours. see I try not to generalize like that. I take what information I have and if I have enough, make a decision. haven't enough information and I (try not to) preten
Forum: Large Group Awareness Training, "Human Potential"

QuoteAcid ReindeerQuotecaligariQuoteAcid Reindeerif you looked into the folkways of any culture on Earth you will find losing identity as a central human experience. you will a lot more freaky business than Cuddle Party on this planet of ours. try ritualistic scarification ceremonies, group sex, Appalachian snakebiting cults, those crazy Japanese phallus festivals. shocking I know. If you consi
Forum: Large Group Awareness Training, "Human Potential"

QuotecaligariQuoteAcid ReindeerCaligari, though you keep harping on this damage or whatever that could happen, like I said, possibility does not equal certainty. What I am doing is predicting outcome based on activity. If you put human beings into a staged situation where they are doing a specific type of action, the results from those actions can be predicted. The prediction may turn out fal
Forum: Large Group Awareness Training, "Human Potential"

QuoteAcid ReindeerCaligari, though you keep harping on this damage or whatever that could happen, like I said, possibility does not equal certainty. What I am doing is predicting outcome based on activity. If you put human beings into a staged situation where they are doing a specific type of action, the results from those actions can be predicted. The prediction may turn out false, true or p
Forum: Large Group Awareness Training, "Human Potential"

QuoteAcid ReindeerCaligari, you remind me of my mom*... within the space of a sentence she would go from possibility to probability to certainty, provided she wanted to believe in that certainty. yes, alternate states of consciousness. no, inducing them does not invariably lead to Satanic machinations. if I start seeing Scientologist types handing out CuddleParty flyers on the street, if
Forum: Large Group Awareness Training, "Human Potential"

QuoteAcid ReindeerQuoteNow even people like those in the theatre will not start suddenly cuddling with strangers. no, they wouldn't, but they also wouldn't have paid to go to the movie theatre to cuddle with strangers any more than you would go to one of the cuddle parties to see a movie. To not discriminate who one is with, their motives, intellect and individuality and physically
Forum: Large Group Awareness Training, "Human Potential"

QuoteNow even people like those in the theatre will not start suddenly cuddling with strangers. no, they wouldn't, but they also wouldn't have paid to go to the movie theatre to cuddle with strangers any more than you would go to one of the cuddle parties to see a movie.
Forum: Large Group Awareness Training, "Human Potential"

The cuddle party site sounds very much like LEC-speak. Cuddle Parties were started by an LEC grad, so that's no surprise. It seems he simply found synonyms for many LEC words and phrases to pretend he's created something himself. But then, LEC is a synonym-copy of $cientology, which is undoubtedly cobbled together from somewhere else...after a while I guess it's impossible to keep
Forum: Large Group Awareness Training, "Human Potential"

QuoteglamSorry, but I still don't understand what you mean by "sex-negative programming." Are you saying that society programs us to be negative about sex? yes. QuoteAnd that "cuddle parties" may sort of release us from that programming? yes. the point I had to make though had more to do with pointing out the irrational degree of horror and disgust that some pe
Forum: Large Group Awareness Training, "Human Potential"

Sorry, but I still don't understand what you mean by "sex-negative programming." Are you saying that society programs us to be negative about sex? And that "cuddle parties" may sort of release us from that programming?
Forum: Large Group Awareness Training, "Human Potential"

I really would value the opinions of particpants in Cuddle Party versus people who have just read the website copy. or failing that, people who know well particpants in Cuddle Party or the founders, at the very least. I have a Pavlovian negative reaction to any group founded by a proud Landmark grad, but, actually I like the idea behind it a lot. I wish I could like it a lot more except tha
Forum: Large Group Awareness Training, "Human Potential"

In NJ and probably NY and other states, anyone can hang out a shingle and give counselling. It would be illegal if this woman claimed to have credentials that she did not have. You might want to point out her lack of credentials in a warning posted on Craigslist. A few weeks back, I posted here and another place about two "therapists' in NYC who started Cuddle Parties. On
Forum: Large Group Awareness Training, "Human Potential"

I wonder how far you have to get into the Cuddle Party "training" before it DOES become a series of orgies? It sounds to me like their "for the public" PR story about it being "just cuddling" is simply a reassuring way to get people to attend their first "safe" cuddle party, and then they slowly erode your normal barriers until the people who keep coming ba
Forum: Large Group Awareness Training, "Human Potential"

The link for the cuddle parties would be funny, if it weren't so terribly sad. How better to place people in a vulnerable childlike impressionale state than to replicate a pajama party? :roll:
Forum: Large Group Awareness Training, "Human Potential"

I suppose it's the regression into childhood that Cuddle Party uses - pajama parties, for pete's sake, and getting away with doing things commonly frowned upon. In The Forum, we experience the authoritarian principal-like leader cutting us all down for a handful of participants being late and having no integrity. Cuddlers can bring back memories of awkward feelings regarding their se
Forum: Large Group Awareness Training, "Human Potential"