corboy Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > > > Friends the yoga scene is a trustful place > where > > people reinvent themselves - and few think to do > a > > background check. > > > > Radovan Karadzic. Serbian war criminal who > helped > > organize RAPE CAMPS hid for years as a New Age > > healer in t
Forum: "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements"

> Friends the yoga scene is a trustful place where > people reinvent themselves - and few think to do a > background check. > > Radovan Karadzic. Serbian war criminal who helped > organize RAPE CAMPS hid for years as a New Age > healer in the Balkan New Age scene. Karadzic Sentenced to Life in Prison Sex Slave: 'Evert day we were raped' Jasmina
Forum: "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements"

Friends the yoga scene is a trustful place where people reinvent themselves - and few think to do a background check. Radovan Karadzic. Serbian war criminal who helped organize RAPE CAMPS hid for years as a New Age healer in the Balkan New Age scene. How the New Age Cultic Milieu is a Great Hideout A Serbian psychiatrist accused of major war crimes hid for years, disguising his identity
Forum: "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements"

Ex-members are often shocked by discovering how similar cultic groups are to one another, even when the belief systems are very different. But in reality, it's quite simple: we aren't harmed by the belief system, we are harmed by systems of control (although, of course, specific beliefs can be traumatic too). Many destructive groups have a positive reason for existence, such as claiming
Forum: Recovery from Destructive Cults and Groups

A number of Western Traditionalists and Westernized Sufists have fostered art movements. Evola was an early participant in the Dada movement. Rene Guenon influenced the aesthetic theories of many Traditionalists. Guenon was introduced to Sufism by a Swedish artist, Agueli. Guenon influenced Frithjof Schuon. Gurdjieff had ideas of his own regarding music and dance. Small excerpts from a
Forum: "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements"

Some rituals can have neurological effects. Here are just two examples. In the 1960s, Robert Irwin participated in the 'imara, a ritual performed at an Algerian sufi community. QuoteOccasionally a faqir would collapse on the ground in a fit.A person who had fallen victim to one of these scary fits was described as melboos. It was generally a sign that something was wrong in the per
Forum: "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements"

Vera wrote: Your forum has been the single most important factor in the healing of many people who have escaped the cult of Butler. I have been on this forum for around 8 years and was able to forward many articles and resources to friends still suffering from their time in the cult. It has been of inestimable value in the recovery of one individual in particular, who was in an apologist daze fo
Forum: "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements"

This ties in with a concept from sociology -- 'cultic milieu" Health food stores are great places to see this. (Sadness) It is reaching a point where affluent westernized persons are becoming afraid of food. Calvin Trillin, in American Fried put it in humane terms: "Do you like it? Does it make you happy? Did you clean your plate?"
Forum: "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements"

Some rituals can have neurological effects. Here are just two examples. In the 1960s, Robert Irwin participated in the 'imara, a ritual performed at an Algerian sufi community. QuoteOccasionally a faqir would collapse on the ground in a fit.A person who had fallen victim to one of these scary fits was described as melboos. It was generally a sign that something was wrong in the per
Forum: Former Cult Members and Affected Families

A lot of useful resources in there, C. I am interested in the idea of the cultic milieu and the social commute. Both resonate with me a lot. I see these dynamics all of the time, and not just in cults. A lot of patriarchal workplaces exhibit similar group dynamics. It is not as extreme, because individuals still have an identity, and a social life. But those businesses tend to selectively
Forum: Former Cult Members and Affected Families

After what I have been through, I fact check everything. The old journalist's motto, too often forgotten is, "If someone says the weather is sunny, look out the window." (Grim) A version of this journalists proverb is, "If your momma says she loves you, fact check it." I ran a check to see who actually owned the house my mother said she had purchased with my f
Forum: Former Cult Members and Affected Families

Over many years I have found some items that have added to my understanding. Persuasions of the Witch's Craft by Tanya Luhrmann. Luhrmann is an anthropologist and this book is based on participant observation she did on various groups - covens and esoteric lodges. She was interested in how members combined their pre-modern beliefs with the need to live and function in evidence ba
Forum: Former Cult Members and Affected Families

QuoteThis shows how (one group) operate on the fringes, luring in people into fad diets and other "alternative" views or practices (such as drinking Hydrogen Peroxide) by posting seemingly interesting information which is designed purely to promote Desteni.... The post at the blog called "30 Bananas a Day... Sucks!" is the 18 year old author's description of struggling
Forum: "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements"

QuoteThis shows how Desteni operate on the fringes, luring in people into fad diets and other "alternative" views or practices (such as drinking Hydrogen Peroxide) by posting seemingly interesting information which is designed purely to promote Desteni.... The post at the blog called "30 Bananas a Day... Sucks!" is the 18 year old author's description of struggling wit
Forum: "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements"

No. It doesnt sound silly at all. It hurts. I have been there. They're still trying to get a fix on cultic milieu--the concept is a rich one. Ideas being treated as interchangeable (fungible), focusing on similarities rather than differences -- this entails a blurring of distinctions. Another example of the way cultic milieu treats ideas as interchangeable is the allegation tha
Forum: Former Cult Members and Affected Families

There's a concept 'cultic' milieu which can be helpful. In this social zone, ideas and ideologies are treated as interchangeable--'fungible' Ideas and ideologies that are actually discordant are slushed toghether. 'The sole thread that unites the denizens of the cultic milieu — true seekers ... the cultic milieu, ideas are fungible." Fungible means eq
Forum: Former Cult Members and Affected Families

There is a guy named John Falk who had a dramatic, before and after with depression. Its damn interesting to compare his situation with what Tolle self reports about his suddenly dropping his own allegedly suicidal depression - and Tolle never saying a thing about where he got support during the time that he by his report, was blissed out on a park bench in London. John Falk woke up at age 12
Forum: "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements"

This is a variation of what Jim Chamberlin identified as the 3 cards trick - its commonplace for these types to say its OUR problem or our lack of perceptiveness when we dismiss their stuff as twaddle. Chamberlin was discussing the case of Ken Wilber. But Tolle and others do versions of this as well. ----------- The Higher Level Card (i.e. Sorry, it's just over your head). You&#
Forum: "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements"

In Nuce: Unless very consciously practiced, all too often entry into the yoga scene turns you into a consumer. If you are very unfortunate and fail to fact check any and all recommendations, it can turn you into a mark and a recruit for the cultic milieu. Critical thinking is jeered at by entrepreneurs who tell you that your ego is bad, but they feed their own egos very, very well -and kee
Forum: "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements"

Friends, everything Walter1963 has written is worth reading. In the mid 1990s, a European physical therapy training method called Pilates became fashionable and even faddish for a couple of years. And it retains its loyalists today because it does work. But, Pilates did not offer an entry chute into the cultic milieu that yoga does. Pilates had no metaphysical pretensions. It did n
Forum: "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements"

The great majority of those I saw drawn into abusive cults (and I have, unfortunately, been part of two churches fitting this mold) fall into one of the following categories: 1). The Abusers - Overwhelmingly are people who suffered trauma as children, typically from a parent, usually a father who was physically violent, abusive, or a cold, uncaring hypocrite. The father figure would often put
Forum: Recovery from Destructive Cults and Groups

In this case "silence is assent" -- apparently zeuszor is still doing paid research projects for Steve Hassan's office. At this juncture we should return this thread to the topic, which is "Jesus Christians" and Dave McKay. I apologize for taking this trip off-track topically, but it was necessary to stop misleading information from being posted here that might pote
Forum: "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements"

from a site called pastebin QuoteMedicine - CUltBy: a guest on Feb 2nd, 2012 | syntax: None | size: 19.54 KB | hits: 134 | expires: Neverdownload | raw | embed | report abuse Copied Official Website: Members of Universal Medicine make claims about feeling more alert, healthier, more emotionally stable etc and whilst these are all great, if it is all based on a fo
Forum: "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements"

It may not be a matter of mere open mindedness. And it might not be a matter of failure to use one's intelligence, either. My hunch, after doing some reading about social movements is this: People who go for this kind of New Age cure are using their intelligence, but using it differently. They are part of a subculture, one sociologists term 'cultic milieu'. Because
Forum: "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements"

Cult 'Ecstatic Experience' as an Unprovable, Enjoyable Aesthetic Response--and Cult Exit and Recovery as Aesthetic Experiences that are Enjoyable, Emancipatory--and the Emancipatory Dimension is What Is Proveable. This essay is fascinating. And.. Exit Counselors who have a connection with art and play will find this a huge help. People may have an ecstatic experience that proves n
Forum: "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements"

How the New Age Cultic Milieu is a Great Hideout A Serbian psychiatrist accused of major war crimes hid for years, disguising his identity as a New Age healer. Its a set up where people are socialized to take everything and everyone on faith and never fact check. Boom. This guy hid out and evaded an international man hunt for years by hiding in a New Age milieu.
Forum: "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements"

part two of the essay ---------------- Happily, few people in self-serving cults achieve complete roboticism (those that do might already have a mental illness). Some exhibit stilted behaviors temporarily during meetings as they try to be perfect or enlightened. I have noticed that newer persons who "succeed" in such "schools" or "trainings" or "intensives&q
Forum: "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements"

Other red flags you are in cultic milieu territory and risk recruitment. The cultic milieu is a smoke filled room. Getting into a cult is inhaling enough smoke that your lungs get damaged and you forget what its like to have full lung capacity and function. In the subjective cultic milieu you're in a social situation that is going to be disempowering for you in the long run , no m
Forum: "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements"

There is just one book that comes close to filling the need articulated by The Anticult. Unfortunately, this book is written for practitioners and academics. What is needed--Hello!!!!--would be something aimed at intelligent busy laypersons. And the proposed book should list situations where you're at high risk of being targeted for recruitment into someone's exploitative cult
Forum: "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements"

Friends, we are going to witness a plethora of schemes and scamolas all dedicated to pushing the notion that 2012 is the Year to Fear. Its a perfect set up. Next year is a US Presidential election. Right away, thats a focus for anxiety. Many of us will claim to be 'spiritual' and to be above such mundane matters. But, subliminally, despite ignoring the significance of the election
Forum: "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements"