Hi Peter, I'm sorry that you have suffered manipulation from this woman. I am very glad you have been so brave to leave and cut off those people from your life. That takes courage and wisdom and guts. Good for you! You have the right to say no. Do not accept people not taking your "no's" for an answer. "No" is a complete sentence. You're boundaries wer
Forum: Abusive and Controlling Relationships

Hello, First post, I am not sure if this is the right thread! I was in a cult, or at least a cultish group, until 4 years ago. I got trapped in it for 2 years. During that time, there was a physical, sexual, verbal and emotional abuse. There was also some kind of brainwashing going on, but I don't fully understand the how of it yet. Feel free to point out a possible explanation. I am j
Forum: Coercive Persuasion and Undue Influence

Well well, this is common too. I was in a cultish group in which the leader began to sexually exploit one of the members. I got out before it got worse (which I expect it did). This cult leader introduced me to a few other members or friends who also preached the same "victimhood" doesn't exist message. The exact same thing. Its all a ploy to prevent victims from leaving the
Forum: Large Group Awareness Training, "Human Potential"

Wow. I just heard about "LGAT" & "Human Potential Movement" and realized I got sucked into similar groups several times. They are extraordinarily dangerous, and most 'leaders' are likely narcissists, psychopaths, and the like. AKA, they love to victim blame the real victims. Its all the same. They have a leader that is extremely charismatic and manipulativ
Forum: Large Group Awareness Training, "Human Potential"

@allalong exactly. These self-proclaimed gurus never admit the potential harms of the exercises. They also often advise against taking medication, going to counseling, etc.I just posted a reply to this thread too. They are very dangerous.
Forum: "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements"

Holy shit I am not alone. Thanks for this post. I was in a cult-like group. It was advertised as a yoga class. The entire group was very cultish. They made you feel that anyone who is not a part of this group is wrong and you HAVE to recruit them otherwise just don't be around that person. Its where the leader/guru (which everyone praised and thought was brilliant, but probably was just
Forum: "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements"

Hello everyone! I apologize if I formatted this different, this is my first time on this forum. I appreciate this thread so very much. Thank you so much "PowerofNo", for sharing such vital information. And everyone else here for their posts. Never have I felt so understood before. Your first two posts resonated so deeply with me, I felt like I was the same person as you. Unfortu
Forum: Recovery from Destructive Cults and Groups