Anyone curious about the history of Werner Erhard, the creator of the Forum and EST (Erhard Seminar Training), which became Landmark Education can click on the following link. See Erhard, EST and Landmark has a long history of complaints, lawsuits, labor violations and bad press. Basically the Forum seminar and other courses offered by Landmark is a device to download the composite phil
Forum: Large Group Awareness Training, "Human Potential"

Test 11-09-2017 6:28
Forum: Tech support for this board

Test
Forum: Tech support for this board

Video online explaining working definition of a destructive cult. See See Psychiatrist Robert Jay Lifton, who wrote the definitive book about thought reform (often called "brainwashing") also wrote a paper about cult formation. Lifton defined a cult as having the following three characteristics: A charismatic leader, who increasingly becomes an object of worship as the gen
Forum: Large Group Awareness Training, "Human Potential"

Last resort: Please don't speculate about supposed supernatural claims of "energy" on this message board. This board is not about supernatural conspiracy theories.
Forum: "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements"

Here are some helpful videos online about how to analyze groups and recognize the behavior of destructive authoritarian groups, often called "cults." See Also see
Forum: "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements"

Warning Signs By Rick Ross, Expert Consultant and Intervention Specialist Ten warning signs of a potentially unsafe group/leader. Absolute authoritarianism without meaningful accountability. No tolerance for questions or critical inquiry. No meaningful financial disclosure regarding budget, expenses such as an independently audited financial statement. Unreasonable fear about t
Forum: "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements"

Cult Formation The Harvard Mental Health Letter/February 1981 By Robert Jay Lifton, M.D. Two main concerns should inform our moral and psychological perspective on cults: the dangers of ideological totalism, or what I would also call fundamentalism; and the need to protect civil liberties. There is now a worldwide epidemic of totalism and fundamentalism in forms that are political, re
Forum: "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements"

See This is the archive subsection within the Cult Education Institute about the Bruderhof group. Also see Critical information about the Bruderhof group.
Forum: "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements"

HappySpaces: What proof do you have from public records to prove your claims?
Forum: "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements"

HappySpaces: What proof do you have from public records to prove your claims?
Forum: "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements"

HappySpaces: What proof do your have from public records to support your claims?
Forum: "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements"

Sidhartha is the architect: If you fear that your life is in danger report it to local law enforcement in your immediate area.
Forum: Former Cult Members and Affected Families

JungleJames: I have received very serious complaints about MacArthur over the years. IMO a very authoritarian personality-driven group. There are Christians that feel they were abused by the ministry. You are certainly entitled to your opinion. But it does seems like you are trolling here and attempting to attack people. This is a safe place for those victimized by a destructive
Forum: Destructive Churches

JungleJames: Is your only purpose posting here to defend John MacArthur? If not what mistakes do you think MacArthur has made that you can point out? Is there something he has done that you disagree with, which you can comment about here?
Forum: Destructive Churches

The book "Cults Inside Out" has a chapter specifically about LGATs and how they manipulate people. There is also a chapter about "Cult Brainwashing" and how it works with extensive research footnotes. See There is a distinct difference between the level of manipulation used through education, advertising/sales and thought reform, which is commonly employed through LGATs
Forum: Large Group Awareness Training, "Human Potential"

No. Thought reform is the second characteristic used to define a cult in Lifton's paper "Cult Formation." My book "Cults Inside Out" cites "Cult Formation" as the nucleus for a definition of a destructive cult and includes thought reform, coercive persuasion and certain influence techniquest in a chapter titled "Cult Brainwashing." See The
Forum: "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements"

Lifton defined "thought reform" based upon those eight criteria. See Lifton also wrote a paper published at Harvard specifically about destructive cults. See Lifton stated that destructive cults can be identified by three primary characteristics. 1. A charismatic leader who increasingly becomes an object of worship as the general principles that may have originally sust
Forum: "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements"

Thank you for this information. Yehuda Berg lost in the Los Angeles lawsuit. He was found guilty of sexually harassing a KC student. Did not know about the Moscow situation.
Forum: "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements"

To whom it may concern: Preaching in an effort to convert people at this message board is prohibited by the rules. No one should use this thread for that purpose. But at times it is necessary to point out how certain groups twist the scriptures and manipulate a person's faith for selfish purposes, which are inconsistent with that religious tradition.
Forum: Former Cult Members and Affected Families

Lb: You seem to be saying because you have not experienced anything negative, nothing negative could be happening in the Uma Inder group. However, others directly contradict your personal experience. You have only positive seemingly promotional things to say about Uma Inder. And frankly, you seem to be here on behalf of Uma Inder to defend the group. You cite nothing negative or criti
Forum: "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements"

Lb: So your only critique of Uma Inder is "that she shouldn’t keep giving so much." Excuse me, but that is not criticism, but rather you building her up and promoting her here. You say that you have "other teachers." Who are these teachers specifically. Please name them and where they are located. Have any of these teachers specifically contradicted what Uma Ind
Forum: "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements"

Again, can you think of anything Uma Inder has said or done that is wrong? What negative experiences have occurred to others that you think are Uma Inder's responsibility? Is any of the criticism directed at Uma Inder valid? If so please explain how you see it as being valid and meaningful.
Forum: "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements"

So you basically think that anything said critical about Uma Inder must be wrong and you are here as an apologist and/or to attack anyone that has had a negative experience.
Forum: "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements"

Lb: In your experience was their anything you found unsettling or problematic about Uma Inder? Did you witness any mistakes or improper behavior? Do you think it's possible that Uma Inder could cause people to have a negative experience, or is it always their fault if things don't work out well?
Forum: "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements"

What can be done is also being done on this message board and through the Cult Education Institute database. That is, sharing information online that anyone can access for free through a search of the Web. This message board is a great resource. It now has more than 125,000 entries going back more than a decade. Obscure groups that no one has heard of are discussed here. And more than a f
Forum: "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements"

See Helpful warning signs and video.
Forum: "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements"

A reminder to everyone: This message board is not a place to debate theology or to promote a specific viewpoint regarding religion. It is relevant to point out where a certain group may have manipulated scripture to control people and gain undue influence. But otherwise discussing personal beliefs is not relevant.
Forum: Former Cult Members and Affected Families

Ananda: I did not say, "all bad" and I don't think that. Each group and leader must be evaluated based upon the facts. Divine Light Mission has frequently been called a destructive "cult." The Cult Education Institute has a subsection with historical information about the group and its leader Prem Rawat aka Guru Maharaji. See There are objective criteri
Forum: Former Cult Members and Affected Families

iamthat: If you can spin Rajneesh you can spin anything and you appear to be an apologist for groups called "cults." Rajneesh was responsible for the first bio-terrorist attack in American. He was a criminal and was deported from the US due to criminal conspiracy. Read the archived information at the link previously posted on this thread. History is history and facts are facts.
Forum: Former Cult Members and Affected Families