Hello, it's been a very long time since I have been on this forum. Since then (without the chanting) I have studied abroad in Europe for five months and have been pursuing my degree in Radio and TV. I have been very well and every now and then have an urge to chant but not really. It feels good to no longer struggle with the fact that nothing bad is going to happen with me if I do not chant.
Forum: Former Cult Members and Affected Families

@Findingmyway I agree with Blue Lady, just mail it back to the community center where you got it from. You don't have to put your address or anything on it. Just mail it. That is exactly what I am planning on doing.
Forum: Former Cult Members and Affected Families

@doubtful- take your time when telling people that you want to leave and understand that it is a process. It does not happen overnight. Also, understand that their may be a tendency to go back and to falter after having made such a drastic lifestyle change. My advice to you would also be to seek counseling with a therapist and maybe join a support group. I know that that is what is helping me ge
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@Doubtful. I was so anxious when you posted this last post that I actually had to calm down. I can empathy for you right now. I don't feel resentful and guilty for any of those things that you just posted about because at the time I SINCERELY thought that I was doing the right thing. I am just thankful to those that I did bring to a meeting that they never got their Gohonzan's. My spons
Forum: Former Cult Members and Affected Families

All the more glad that I am not apart of this organization anymore, and that I do not have to buy that Stupid World Tribune anymore, cuz I know where the money is going through. Also, I am sooo glad that I don't have to participate in May contribution anymore. The Big Wigs of this organization should be ashamed of themselves. They are pimping people left and right.
Forum: Former Cult Members and Affected Families

@doubtful- ---- thanks for your encouragement as far as practicing is concerned. Honestly I don't think that I will chant anymore. At this point and time I am jaded. I understand that the organization has nothing to do with Nichiren Buddhism, however, I am having a hard time separating the two. This may sound quite peculiar but, for the past two weeks I have been contemplating whether to mai
Forum: Former Cult Members and Affected Families

quote from evergreen: hey all feeling really angry right now. My parents just called to ask if they could bring my five year old to the Rock the Era rehearsals for the Elementary School Division. As a side note, I tried to start a toddler group years ago and you wouldn't believe the bullshit I had to go through - local, regional leaders and even other mothers ("you have to meet here a
Forum: Former Cult Members and Affected Families

@findingmyway, In the beginning before I could see things for what they were, and before the delusion, I thought that the organization was awesome. In truth during my first 4-6 months of the organization we very seldom talked about Ikeda and focused more on chanting, Nichiren and Shakaymuni Buddha. Then something change and I no longer began to Shakabuku as many people as I had in the past. I cou
Forum: Former Cult Members and Affected Families

@findingmyway. You are welcome anytime. I remember in the early years of my practice when I had my doubts of SGI, yet I never did any research at that time. I do however remember asking my shakabuku if we were considered a cult, and that was only because I heard that Orlando Bloom was in a cult. I remember her asking why I felt the need to question this, and I voiced some of my concerns and her e
Forum: Former Cult Members and Affected Families

@ findin gmyway. You sound just like me in a lot of ways!! I to suffer from anxiety. As a matter of fact I went to my therapist today and we talked about SGI. This seems to be the topic of discourse at our sessions nowadays mixed in with other issues. It's funny that you mentioned that you were in counseling for your self-esteem, because today when I was talking to my therapist, I was honest
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quote from tsukimoto: "Cousin Rufus would be utopia, a perfect-strife-free world where everyone is equal? Funny, some people thought that communism would be like that too." I felt the same way to!! Especially at the last Rock the Era meeting before I left for good. It was very scary and very creepy. All of these young people were giving "experiences" and the number one th
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OH S@i%!! It was not my intention to give my real name. I swear I can be sooo absentminded sometimes. Well I guess the cats out of the bag. The chances of anyone from my area, I believe are very slim as far as coming onto this site are very slim. Although I still have a close friend who is connected with the organization. Not sure how she would feel knowing I've posted on here. Damn. Oh wel
Forum: Former Cult Members and Affected Families

@ Nichijew if I had a glass of water, I would have spit it out of my mouth instead of swallowing. Devries university is sooo not a prestigous Univeristy. I know because there are some out here on the left coast where I live. And in economics? Yeah right. I think that the members know that as well but choose to be ignorant because it's a bliss. Anyways where I live- I know I've said thi
Forum: Former Cult Members and Affected Families

Hello all, it's been a long time since I've been on the thread. I have been following everyone's comments and as usual they are very helpful. As some of you may know; a while back I posted that I suffered from a deep depression. Well everyday is a struggle now, but with the help of family and friends in some ways I am better and other days it's really horrible. Despite all of
Forum: Former Cult Members and Affected Families

hello all. it's been awhile since I've responded, yet I have been keeping up with everyone's post and find them very insightful. I don't know if this is an indirect or direct path as a result of being in the SGI, but I've had a very depressive episode this past week and now realize that I may need to seek more than counseling when it comes to my mental well-being. I�
Forum: Former Cult Members and Affected Families

@evergreen what you are going through is completely normal. I say, just allow yourself to feel whatever it is that you are feeling and it will pass. I have learned a lot by going to therapy and the one thing that stayed with me is that just because you are feeling a certain way does not mean it is true. I can attest to this because almost everyday I run into and SGI member. So far I have been sup
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@Rothaus In the beginning I used to shakabuku everyone (the first 6 months of my practice, then very infrequently afterwards) but then I stopped because I did not want to bring someone else into the hell that I had been through. Thank goodness the handful of people that I shakubuked never got their Gohonzans. If that happened I would never feel right knowing that I ruined somebody's state of
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@findingmyway, please listen to what evergreen is saying. I should also, like to note that I to started practicing in 2006 and experienced everything in your post that you just wrote about. I can certainly empathize with the way you feel as far as feeling a sense of loneliness in your life once you decide to leave the SGI (or if you decided at all, I don't want to make it seem as if I am pre
Forum: Former Cult Members and Affected Families

@wakkata1 I agree doing the right thing for is never easy, but it's even harder when you continue to do the wrong thing. There is that song that pops up in my head, "I can see clearly now the rain is gone". That is how I feel as a result of leaving the SGI. At times I feel angry because I was sold a dream. The person who I am most angry at is my "sponsor" because she knew
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@tsukimoto and Evergreen now that I think about it they're are some benefits to quitting the SGI. They are: Not having to watch Ikeda's video Not having to read that biased, very boring World Tribune Not having to feel pressured to buy the boring World Tribune when you don't want to Not having to do another Byakuren shift for one of those big and/or smaller meetings Not havi
Forum: Former Cult Members and Affected Families

@Evergreen-I just want to acknowledge you for stepping out on faith. Although I only practiced for four years I to felt the conflicted and looked down upon when I tried to use my mind. There was even a member who used to wear a shirt that said "Don't Think". And yes it is true that life is unpredictable and you don't know what is going to happen at times but I often felt confu
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@SGBYE and tsukimoto I feel you guys both, on the "go-go-go overscheduled lifestyle!! They would always contradict themselves on that because they would always say that SGI is an organization that helps you to deal with your problems in the real world. You go to meetings chant at your homes and then you go out into society. But it was never like that for some of the members. Some of them wou
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@Kitty I've just accepted the fact that it is going to sting for awhile and that there is nothing I can do about it but to breathe and let is sting. Nothing last forever. I practiced for four years and in those four years while I enjoyed some of the experiences and some of the meetings-I cannot say this enough but something was just never right. I would try to sit on my thoughts and convince
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@Kittyluv good for you for standing your ground. I have encountered two members and I to have taken the high road when telling them that I no longer want to practice. How mean-spirited of your neighbor to say that you will be in the same position 10 years from now. This is just another mind-controlling tactic of the SGI to keep you in. I agree just keep it short and simple and keep it moving. You
Forum: Former Cult Members and Affected Families

Day by day, little by little it's being expunged from my system So many memories and Random thoughts about what was said to me. They just happen. I remember a member saying if you slander another member in this organization your Kharma will get you. Never mind the fact that if you did that to anyone Kharma may or may not get to you anyway. The people of the organization were so adamant about
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@SGBYE I totally understand you wanting to protect your anonymity. @Nichijew- as far as revealing things to the SGI I know that I have not revealed anything to incriminating as well, yet at times feel a sense of guilt because they're truly a lot of things that I wish that I had not of said to members because they were used against me. So far it has been about a week since I have taken down m
Forum: Former Cult Members and Affected Families

@SGBYE I was not aware that Orlando Bloom came to a big meeting in 2009, I am positive that he did attend one of the big meetings in 2006 or 2007. I just can't remember the year. I also know that he went to FNCC for an arts conference because on the the YMD said he went, people could talk to him but were not allowed to take pictures. I never cared but was surprised to find out that he chante
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@SGBYE I remember hearing about that meeting. If I am not mistaken that was in or around 2006? Well anyways I never for one minute believe that everyone was considered equal regardless of if they were a leader or not. Especially in the beginning when, I first joined there was this group of girls who pretended to be my friends. Right before I got my Gohonzan they would pick me up for meetings and
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dragon 14 quote: Worse still were the movies based on The Human Revolution. I hired someone I knew from the SGI at my company, and he started recruiting everyone in sight. I went with this guy and about five other people from our office to one of the showings. Those movies were so pathetic and preachy, I wanted to crawl under the chair. I have no regrets about leaving, but I still have a lot
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@evergreen- my sponsor was a very toxic person. As a matter-of-fact my mother and sister never liked her and were very suspicious of her from the beginning. It would take to long to explain in just one post, and at times she would go back and forth-one minute complaining about the organization and Ikeda and the next acting like a hard core member. When I stopped practicing the first time and I to
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