I don’t mean one of the socially acceptable ones like Christianity but more something like heavens gate. Was sort of cult was is? Did they eventually get out?
Have you ever known someone who joined a cult
by Anonymous | reply 96 | February 22, 2019 6:38 PM |
Yes, it’s called my fundamentalist Christian family.
by Anonymous | reply 1 | February 3, 2019 6:42 AM |
I know an older guy who was a moonie. He experienced deprogramming and later developed an addiction to Benzos. Gifted musician. He's been drug and alcohol free for well over 25 years.
by Anonymous | reply 2 | February 3, 2019 6:52 AM |
I don't think the Christianity based cults should be dismissed. I was in the International Churches of Christ.
by Anonymous | reply 3 | February 3, 2019 6:54 AM |
My 89-year-old father is a Trumptard.
by Anonymous | reply 4 | February 3, 2019 7:01 AM |
My aunt was involved in the Self-Realization Fellowship when I was a child. It wasn't the type of thing where she cut off family members or friends, but it was all she talked about for a while and taking courses and volunteering took up all of her time.
I remember her always trying to get me to meditate with her and telling me that when people are serious enough about it they can eventually levitate, read minds, or become invisible.
by Anonymous | reply 5 | February 3, 2019 7:07 AM |
I have a couple of family members that were Jehovah Witnesses, but they don't really practice. I've met other JW people that were more into it, and they could be a bit obnoxious.
by Anonymous | reply 6 | February 3, 2019 7:22 AM |
When a lived in Hollywood Scieno was offering free classes to actors. I was always running into people that were convinced Sciieno was the solution. Like the other actors that were pushing "Life Spring," I listened politely for a few minutes and then asked exactly how t the various classes had helped their careers. They couldn't give me a straight answer. Of course I never paid for a course.
Have told the story of being taken to a Scieno party at the Celebrity Center. Really, really creeped me out. Staying for less than 1/2 hour was too long for me. Can't handle being around those who are totally brainwashed, zombie-like. No I'm not kidding. Ever see the original "The Manchurian Candidate?"
Later I was paid to do research about Scieno as my law firm was representing LA Magazine against a Scieno suit. Family member knew the origins of L Ron Hubbard's Dianetics, and how he'd been laughed out of the Sci Fi writers' community for his silly book.
by Anonymous | reply 7 | February 3, 2019 7:22 AM |
R6, Had a college housemate, one of 20, who's mother had pushed her into joining JW. Her engineer father had to go on dialysis and later died. Interesting but creepy stories. JW do not approve of women going to college. She described a JW party. I tried not to laugh, and I'm from an ultra-Conservative family too.
Away at college she didn't have time or transportation to attend JW meetings. Her husband wasn't in to it and she left JW permanently when she got married.
by Anonymous | reply 8 | February 3, 2019 7:26 AM |
r8 "JW do not approve of women going to college."
Really? That is so funny. One of those obnoxious JW I mentioned was a female student teacher for a summer school college course I took. One day we were all talking about religion in class and somehow the conversation got to the point where she agreed that her religion was right and everyone else's religion is wrong. I was surprised she actually went there. What was even more perplexing to me at the time was that she was from Mexico and a JW. Most Mexicans from where I grew up tended to be Catholics, and I wrongly assumed that Mexico is a mostly Catholic country.
by Anonymous | reply 9 | February 3, 2019 8:01 AM |
R9, This was quite awhile ago however my friend was strongly discouraged from going to college. Women are supposed to be submissive, wives, and mothers and to spend their free time fellowshipping. They meet their spouses at JW parties, no alcohol of course. Conversation revolves around the hours they spend recruiting new members. Almost all movies and popular music is taboo. Be curious how many gay & bi men on the down-low marry JW women since pre-marital sex is still considered to be a sin.
by Anonymous | reply 10 | February 3, 2019 8:08 AM |
JWs aren't that enthusiastic about anyone of them going to college, not just women. Although these days they're easing up on that stance due to the economy, etc.
by Anonymous | reply 11 | February 3, 2019 8:09 AM |
R10, JWs absolutely drink alcohol. They don't smoke though,
by Anonymous | reply 12 | February 3, 2019 8:10 AM |
My brother belonged to the WAY ministries at the end of high school and for a few years afterwards. Through him I met a number of people in that cult. Most of them eventually left, but a few stayed in for quite a few years. It was creepy. I did attend a "service" he invited us to attend. People talking in tongues, etc. (It was gibberish, really - that was obvious). I also lived in NYC during the time when the Nam Myoho Ryenge Kyo chanting Buddhist cult was at its height. I was coerced into attending a chanting session by a coworker. I actually enjoyed the chanting, which was very loud but relaxing because of its rhythmic quality. But I was very off-put afterwards by the "testimonial" phase of the service, in which people got up and talked about the material things that came their way because of chanting. The nickname of the cult in NYC in my time was called "chanting for condos" and I only understood that after attending a session. The people were super friendly to me up until the moment when I declined their offer of a shrine to chant to of my very own. Then they literally wheeled on their heels and shunned me the rest of the evening, Which was fine with me.......
by Anonymous | reply 13 | February 3, 2019 8:16 AM |
R13, I understand exactly what you mean by the fake love bombing, and then absolute antagonism when you tell them you don't want to be one of "them." Reminds me when I was in 3rd grade and a close friend told me she and her mother had stayed up all night praying for my soul to become Southern Baptist. When I told her I couldn't, she was no longer my friend anymore because I was destined to burn in Hell after the Rapture.
Better that cult members just give you the cold shoulder. Scienos I ran into kept talking about their goal, to afford their own E-meter. Cult members can't talk about anything else but their cult and how joining was essentially saving their lives.
by Anonymous | reply 14 | February 3, 2019 9:26 AM |
I was surrounded by people who belonged to the Church of Christ in the late 1990s up in Harlem ... not to be confused with COGIC.
The Daily News finally did a story about them after which they packed up and left.
by Anonymous | reply 15 | February 3, 2019 12:07 PM |
I know a couple of women involved in a small scale cult run by a guy called Serge. It's a kinda boutique Lifespring tageted at married women 30-50. Serge and his kids run these workshops and meditation retreats that are all positive reinforcement and "go for that promotion, yes you CAN start that business". So the targets go to the workshops and come back all fired up to take on the world, and yeah, they often do get the promotion. Which means they've got more money to spend on the $3000 wilderness fasting weekend or the $5000 12 week meditation course. Meanwhile between the new job and the endless rounds of courses Serge is skimming all their disposable income and most of their free time, but all they can see is career success and "positivity".
I have to hand it to Serge, it's a very cleverly operated cult. It's all legal and nobody is particularly coerced.
by Anonymous | reply 16 | February 3, 2019 12:40 PM |
Every JW I've ever met was a live-in janitor.
by Anonymous | reply 17 | February 3, 2019 12:58 PM |
Anyone ever heard of Young Life? A Protestant youth ministry that had camps and infiltrated wealthier usually private schools to recruit high school kids? That was/is a blatant cult. They recruited the very popular kids (athletes, rich kids, good looking kids) and those were then taught to recruit the "next tier down" on the social ladder. Seriously, they drew a ladder on the chalk board w popular cool good looking kids on top rung and goth kids on bottom and circled the second rung for recruitment. It was subtle but powerful and all over the wealthy private schools. I think it still exists.
by Anonymous | reply 18 | February 3, 2019 1:20 PM |
When I moved to Portland, Or in 1995, my land lords were a former Rajneesh couple. The woman wore all purple. Some of the nicest people ever!
by Anonymous | reply 19 | February 3, 2019 1:22 PM |
A straight married couple who I know spent a lot of time in NXIUM. They did not get involved in the sex cult part of it. They were just two of the unsophisticated folks who got fleeced for their money which was subsequently used to fund the sex cult part of it.
They continue to think that the workshops they did were very useful to them and that Keith Raniere is a great guy who's being railroaded by the feds.
by Anonymous | reply 20 | February 3, 2019 1:30 PM |
My friend is a Olivia Newton-John fan.
by Anonymous | reply 21 | February 3, 2019 1:37 PM |
Fuck yeah. Everyone whoever enrolled at Texas A&M!
by Anonymous | reply 22 | February 3, 2019 1:47 PM |
The Amma cult, this asshole female guru who hugs everybody in public and beats her servants behind the scenes.
by Anonymous | reply 24 | February 3, 2019 1:49 PM |
Every Trump supporter ever.
by Anonymous | reply 25 | February 3, 2019 2:00 PM |
Yes, I do. She was born into it, and grew up knowing nothing but that particular way of life.
Her father was the leader of the cult, and he became popular in the Hollywood crowd. She grew up with insane parents, and their insane “friends”.
She ended up changing her name, and tried to have a “normal” life, but eventually, she started doing smack again, and went through years of fucking hell.
She eventually got her shit together, and she’s OK now.
She’s one of THE SMARTEST women that I’ve ever met. Extremely well educated even though she didn’t attend college, and a really good person. She’s someone you can talk to for hours, about anything. I love her for that. She’s also very compassionate, and is able to embrace people regardless of their race, religion, gender, or background.
She is still involved with people in this cult, however. She struggled with keeping some of these people in her life for a very long time. I think she’s finally made peace with it.
by Anonymous | reply 26 | February 3, 2019 2:00 PM |
r18, I remember Young Life in my high school in suburban Atlanta in the late 80s. I only lived there a year, but I was struck by the social hierarchy. The Young Life kids were the "in-group," absolutely. I was Catholic and a goth, and all the Catholic kids were goths. Texas schools did not work like that.
by Anonymous | reply 27 | February 3, 2019 2:01 PM |
A good share of my family (brother, aunt, cousins) are Baptists. Another cousin and her family are Jehovah Witness. They are cults to be sure. If you aren't with them, you're not going to heaven, or wherever the JW folk go. All are very nice and are sociable with me. They are also very conservative Republicans and still support Trump to some extent. Both sets of grandparents were Methodists and don't know how these relations ended up in these religions. Oy vey!
by Anonymous | reply 28 | February 3, 2019 2:02 PM |
I thought politics was off-limits for JWs.
by Anonymous | reply 29 | February 3, 2019 2:07 PM |
r26 What is the name of the cult? I'm very intrigued. We are anonymous here, so I don't think it would be a problem. Glad your friend got to a good place.
by Anonymous | reply 30 | February 3, 2019 2:11 PM |
R30, I totally understand your curiosity, however, if I name the cult, I’d essentially name her. I don’t feel comfortable doing that.
I can’t even begin to tell you how many times I’ve wanted to discuss her family and her father on here, because it’s fascinating AF, but I just cannot bring myself to do it. It would not be right.
It’s her story to tell, not mine.
by Anonymous | reply 31 | February 3, 2019 2:20 PM |
Darn R26! I really love cult stories.
An aunt joined JW. Her mom was essentially atheist and my family was horrified. Eventually her mom accepted the JWs by saying as a group they really help one another out.
Eventually, When I was a teen, the JW aunt would send me their literature, their whole stories sounded juvenile and were written at a third grade level. So was not attracted to the religion and have always assumed a person would need to have a low reading comprehension and low IQ to find that religion appealing,
by Anonymous | reply 32 | February 3, 2019 2:30 PM |
I knew someone in the International Churches of Christ, r3. Did you have to attend one of their colleges? This guy studied theology but now sells high-end men’s shoes. Very nice man but emotionally arrested at about 15 years old.
by Anonymous | reply 33 | February 3, 2019 2:50 PM |
Yes I know someone who supports Trump. It’d very sad.
by Anonymous | reply 34 | February 3, 2019 2:53 PM |
Does Landmark Education count? They remind me of Scientology but a lot cheaper. I don't know if it's a requirement to be a good groupmember, but many of their acolytes are such zealots at the beginning that they push and push and push their friends to join for the introductory session. I went to a three-day into session (might have been two-day -- it's been years) and saw it for what it was: a self-help group for people who think they are more intelligent than they are. It's all common sense garbage about letting go of the past and living your "truth," but it's packaged as something special. I found most of the people nice but obnoxious, because they were always trying to one-up each other in the success dept.
by Anonymous | reply 35 | February 3, 2019 2:53 PM |
I worked at a law firm where two attorneys were into "Landmark Forum" seminars. The female attorney would prattle on about "authentic communications" or some shit I ignored. They were annoying, but obviously troubled persons to all who encountered them.
by Anonymous | reply 36 | February 3, 2019 2:55 PM |
My sister is in a MLM scheme selling skin creams. Maybe it’s not really a cult but it feels like it.
by Anonymous | reply 37 | February 3, 2019 3:01 PM |
Use to go to a Hari Krishna temple in college with a friend for the vegi food on Sundays and after several months got kind of bored with the religious sermons and moved on, many years later a mutual friend said that my old pal died after picking up a homeless woman for sex who moved in with him and when he told her to leave she ended up bashing in his brains in his sleep, so I stopped in the funeral to say goodbye and was surprised there was a Hari Krishna conducting the service, I wondered if their sex only for reproduction creed meshed with his demise.
by Anonymous | reply 38 | February 3, 2019 3:16 PM |
R38 that's terrible 😧
by Anonymous | reply 39 | February 3, 2019 3:19 PM |
R36, lots of people in AA end up getting involved in the Landmark scene, and even Scientology.
It’s one of the biggest problems that I’ve faced, while being in AA. There are so many people in there that get into these platforms, and MLM schemes. I’ve found that maintaining a decent relationship with them, is difficult, especially if you’re not interested in buying their products, or paying a few grand to attend these “life changing” seminars.
The thing is, that kooky, weird people, are really interesting. I love hanging out with crazy people who simultaneously maintain a level of sanity, with no criminal behavior in their makeup. I like oddballs, I like underdogs and weirdos. But I’m not interested in pursuing any of the bullshit that some of these people get into.
Even in AA, I have issues, because I’m an atheist. I struggled with that for years, because I was raised in a charismatic, evangelical movement, and even though I understood it was all bullshit, I struggled to separate unconditional love with the concept of Christ. It was drilled into my head, from the time I was born, that the only being who is capable of unconditional love, forgiveness, and acceptance, is God/Jesus Christ. So I was primed for the picking when I got sober via AA in my late teens, early twenties. AA pretty much took over from where fundie dogma left off.
As I’ve gotten older, and have gone through extensive therapy, I’ve realized that I can still embrace my kooky friends who get involved in these weird movements and MLM schemes. They are not in any way whatsoever, representative of who I am, what I believe in, or don’t believe in. Same with AA. Though I disagree with so much that is written in the AA Big Book, I can still attend meetings for emotional support. I don’t take any of the shit written in the Big Book personally, nor do I become resentful when other AA members tell me shit that makes absolutely no sense.
People get involved in cults for many reasons, but I’ve observed that most people do this because they are lonely. They usually join at a time when they are extremely vulnerable, and experiencing some sort of internal crisis. These people want love, and acceptance, and there is no better place to easily find that, than in a cult. This is why cults are so appealing. Where else can you walk into scenario, where a group of people, who are complete strangers to you, accept you immediately as part of their tribe, and love bomb you?
Even social media, is an extension of cult like practices. Everyone who is heavily into social media, and under a certain age, are continually seeking likes, and positive affirmations and validation from people whom they’ve never even met.
Think about it.
by Anonymous | reply 40 | February 3, 2019 3:38 PM |
I did Landmark and thought it was insightful and useful. It sucks that they make it cult - like. If they just got rid of the hard-sell techniques and cultish structure, there is useful insight. Unfortunately it’s set up as a money-making scheme that preys on people - especially troubled people. When I went back for a second time after much prodding, it really hit me what a manipulative cult it is.
I find sticking to the major religions and philosophies is a safer and more direct route to insight. Most of the New Age stuff is just a mosh-mosh of Eastern and Western religious and philosophical thought - packaged neatly for consumption by Americans in a prosperity-and-happiness format.
by Anonymous | reply 41 | February 3, 2019 3:53 PM |
I used to know someone who's father dragged them into arica, which was a druggy little cult. It struck me as some strp-mall mix of common sense, drugs and Eastern woo woo. As per typical cult people, the person couldn't stop talking about it, thought it was THE GREATEST THING EVAR!!!!!!! Oh by the way, in every consequential way, his life was a mess.
by Anonymous | reply 42 | February 3, 2019 4:08 PM |
My uncle's ex-wife's daughter (who wasn't my cousin, if you see what I mean) got into a cult about thirty years ago when she was in her teens and living in northern England, and was, one day whilst out shopping, talked into going to stay with a group of people deep in the Scottish countryside, and that was that. She didn't get out of it for quite a few years.
by Anonymous | reply 43 | February 3, 2019 4:12 PM |
R9 JW’s canvas Hispanic neighborhoods and are very successful in recruiting from them. Lots of Mexican immigrants get converted. God knows why. Blacks too.
by Anonymous | reply 44 | February 3, 2019 4:17 PM |
R35 you’re spot on with your assessment of Landmark Education. I lost two friends that were heavily involved in the organization. When I confided to them that I was going through a rough patch with my partner, they both strongly encouraged me to pay for and attend the introductory workshop. I decided to not continue on with the program because ‘it wasn’t for me’ they quickly stopped calling me. They must have considered me lacking authenticity because I didn’t embrace the program. BTW, my partner and I resolved our issues and have been happily together for close to 30 years.
by Anonymous | reply 45 | February 3, 2019 4:51 PM |
r18 Young Life was a huge deal in my suburban Bay Area public high school in the '60s, so it's been around a while.
How about the Masonic-type youth groups, like DeMolay, Job's Daughters, Eastern Star, etc.?
Or service organizations like the Elks, Lions, Odd Fellows (how gay is THAT name?)
by Anonymous | reply 46 | February 3, 2019 5:07 PM |
AA is a cult but it also helps some people so whatever.
by Anonymous | reply 47 | February 3, 2019 5:16 PM |
When I was an undergrad and I was an RA, one of my residents joined a cult. I did not notice until after she was well into it as she was a dance major and was gone essentially from 6 in the morning until about 10 at night. I remember my boss talking to me how I should have noticed that she was involved in this and me arguing that it would be hard to know since her major kept her very busy. A few months later I along with two other resident assistants received a wedding invitation from her. She apparently was getting married to God who was the leader of the cult. We opted not to go but we did joke around about what to get God as a wedding present since he would know what we got and God doesn't need anything. I don't know if she is still in it as she never returned to school.
by Anonymous | reply 48 | February 3, 2019 6:02 PM |
I was editor of our small Midwestern college paper and one of my staff went to San Franscisco with some friends over the January Interterm. She apparently met Moonies on Fisherman's Wharf and went to a dinner with them and never came back. I heard her family went out to try to get her out, but never heard what happened after that.
by Anonymous | reply 49 | February 3, 2019 7:53 PM |
I knew a guy once who joined the Episcopal church. Pretty fucked up stuff. At least he was a top.
by Anonymous | reply 50 | February 3, 2019 7:56 PM |
I just got a hand written note along with a tract from a JW. I live in a gated community -- it's not possible to talk your way into the neighborhood either, so we never have a problem with door-to-door visitors, unless it's from within the neighborhood. I guess the JWs see a lot of potential -- it's 2500 homes from 150k (condos) to $1.5 million estates and everything inbetween -- because they actual sent the letter via US Mail. OF course, I threw it in the garbage, but I realized just how desperate they are for converts.
by Anonymous | reply 51 | February 3, 2019 8:33 PM |
R41 Would you give some specific examples of "insightful and useful"?
Thanks
by Anonymous | reply 52 | February 3, 2019 8:38 PM |
What makes someone join a cult? I think it’s one of the benefits of having grown up in a mainstream religion - you can explore spirituality but you learn it’s all BS. Seems like non-religious kids would be most susceptible to thinking they “found something” that had answers. Though I don’t love Catholicism and am now an atheist, I’m kinda glad I had a structure to reject spirituality and organized religion.
by Anonymous | reply 53 | February 3, 2019 9:24 PM |
I think the primary insights/usefulness of Landmark are derivative of Buddhism (or from a philosophy standpoint, Stoicism). Some shorthand summaries of a lot of the concepts delivered over a weekend. I don’t think Landmark is uniquely insightful or useful - but it can provide information to someone who hasn’t studied religion or philosophy that can be helpful in day to day life. The danger is they sell it as “the answer” and not as information to look at and contemplate to see if it makes sense or is helpful. The hard sell makes the whole experience nauseating. Ideally, go to the source and study religion/philosophy that has been discussed, refined and has endured for millennia.
by Anonymous | reply 54 | February 3, 2019 9:32 PM |
I knew someone who joined the JW and she was just the naive idiot (with a genius IQ), to do it.
by Anonymous | reply 55 | February 3, 2019 9:46 PM |
yes, a kid from my high school class in his first year at a big 10 univ he went to (as did I)//////////by the moonies in 1974. He was abducted and gone for quite a while. He was always kind of a strange guy and his mother was this pathetically fake sweet conservative passive aggressive ballbreaker behind the scenes that never gave either of her kids the slightest freedom or choices in life and then they went off to college on their own////////////
by Anonymous | reply 57 | February 3, 2019 11:26 PM |
A relative (who has a wealthy father) became an Orthodox Jew under the auspices of a rabbi who I believe is a cult leader. She changed her first name, renounced all of her male friends because male friends would not be compatible with a future husband (she was not dating anyone at the time), deferred to the judgment of the rabbi as to who she could and could not date (as he knows her best), and recently became engaged to an uneducated, unemployed man with whom the rabbi set her up. The couple's future plans are to continue their lifelong studies. I will attend the wedding, but have made it clear this is not something I believe is worth celebrating.
by Anonymous | reply 58 | February 3, 2019 11:50 PM |
Grew up Southern Baptist and attended a 'megachurch' in the Dallas area 3-4 days a week. It was kind of in that grey area between cult and religion (though I'm now of the mind that they're pretty much one in the same) but looking back there was a lot of weird shit and they were incredibly predatory to lower income families. My parents were barely scraping by but they put up a fairly sizeable percentage of their income, as instructed by the church, to help 'grow the ministry'. This literally meant that they were building Starbucks and shit inside the atrium and paying for Billy Graham to make appearances (hope hell is treating you well, Billy). Also a lot of truly fucked up views on women---I had to attend overnight 'girl's retreats' every few months where we talked about what was expected of us as we got older, mostly just learning to be subservient and shamed for having future ambitions. They also promoted conversion therapy pretty hard and of course demonized gay people in general. I think I would've realized I was gay and come out about ten years sooner if that hadn't been my entire childhood.
by Anonymous | reply 59 | February 4, 2019 12:03 AM |
Yes. AA.
by Anonymous | reply 60 | February 4, 2019 12:08 AM |
R35, I've casually been around cult members and those who've taken Landmark and similar self-improvement courses. Gives me a splitting headache trying to listen to them so earnestly talk about what to me sounds like so much "world salad."
Realize they aren't even using the English language correctly. "Be of this world, but not in this world." Phony imitations of the lessons to be learned from reading Aesop's Fables
"The Secret" followers are also extremely cult-like. So are a lot of YouTube phony health advisers or whatever you call the 2019 style of miracle workers.
by Anonymous | reply 61 | February 4, 2019 3:15 AM |
The Secret is another great example of dumbed-down Buddhism for a consumerist society. Anyone who references it as meaningful is someone I automatically dismiss as mentally shallow.
by Anonymous | reply 62 | February 4, 2019 3:28 AM |
WHET the Moonies and the Hare Krishnas? You don't hear about either of them too much anymore.
by Anonymous | reply 63 | February 4, 2019 3:47 AM |
R63, Hare Krishnas have re-branded themselves. They've been sponsoring the Color Festival combined with a day of yoga practice in Vegas and multiple other cities around the world. Most who go aren't aware of the long cult associations.
Was taken to see my former roommate perform his magic skills and have a vegetarian dinner at a local residence. Beautiful outdoor atmosphere. Once there I realized it was Hare Krishna when I asked for a refill of a beverage, and was given a horrified look by the cultists.
by Anonymous | reply 64 | February 4, 2019 4:34 AM |
R59, Attended women's socials with a college roommate's Baptist church. Later attended potlucks with another GF's LDS group. Never attended either of their church services.
Social events were very beneficial & enjoyable for me at the time as I was recovering from car accidents and still feeling socially isolated at the particular time. Everyone was extremely positive and so encouraging.
However attitudes re women reminded me of those of my backwards' thinking family and were one of the main reasons I stopped attending. Especially offensive to hear was the view that women are lucky to have any man be interested in dating them, as very few single men attended these morally ultra-Conservative churches. So young women had to bend over backward to accommodate any man.
Understand how so many religious women end up unknowingly marrying gays and bisexuals. Or straights with very serious hang-ups and even dysfunction re sex. Virginity at marriage only works if you're tying the knot at puberty, an age were very few are emotionally and financially prepared to deal with being part of a permanent couple.
by Anonymous | reply 65 | February 4, 2019 4:55 AM |
R62, I have a sister who started putting the affirmations taught by The Secret on all of the mirrors in her house. Of course she tried to pressure me to do the same thing. One of the many reasons I had to "divorce" her, and many others with the same mentality.
Wish I'd been on DataLounge way back when I started encountering others heavily into these cult-like groups. I'd have known how to respond to them, ie avoid anyone who gets in to malarkey like the plague.
Mother temporarily joined a pseudo-feminist-similar to a Wiccan cult of women. She'd start saying, I jumped over a fire so you don't have to worry about a future career. You're going to get married and have boys. Eventually they kicked here out as she started talking about her mainstream religious faith, of which they were adamantly opposed.
by Anonymous | reply 66 | February 4, 2019 5:02 AM |
I was enticed into a group called Edna's Edibles. It was a harrowing experience. One of the girls named, I think, Claire fucked my anal cavity with a broomstick coated with Dana Plato's pussy juice.
by Anonymous | reply 68 | February 4, 2019 7:35 AM |
"If you aren't with them, you're not going to heaven, or wherever the JW folk go. All are very nice and are sociable with me. They are also very conservative Republicans and still support Trump"
Now I know you're making shit up. JWs do NOT believe in taking any stance politically. They don't vote, aren't supposed to support any political person or side, and won't run for office, none of that. They don't even salute the flag.
by Anonymous | reply 69 | February 4, 2019 7:35 AM |
I was involved in Est for about two years just before it morphed into Landmark Forums. I know people who're active in it can be obnoxious. However, I wouldn't rate it as a cult since there was no encouragement or pressure to cut off people who aren't involved. Rather, people who've broken off family ties were encouraged to clean things up if possible and re-establish ties. And people who'd walked away from their childhood religious affiliation often returned to church or temple or whatever.
by Anonymous | reply 70 | February 4, 2019 11:16 AM |
Yes. Crossfit. Had to punch and delete.
by Anonymous | reply 71 | February 4, 2019 11:31 AM |
R71, Why is Crossfit a cult?
R70, Exactly what did you learn at EST?
by Anonymous | reply 72 | February 4, 2019 11:40 AM |
Same here, R51. Where do they get our names and addresses? It used to be the phone book, but I haven't had a landline in 10 years, but even then, I can't imagine that sitting with a phone book and hand writing out these letters can actually work for them, much less paying for a mailing list, a postage stamp, and paper and envelopes is a good return on investment.
I thought about writing Mrs. Dobson back (she put her name and return address on it! Probably the address of their church, but whatever) and including a page ripped from an International Male catalog, but that would probably just encourage them. And I realised I'd have to get a catalog because they don't mail those any more.
by Anonymous | reply 73 | February 4, 2019 1:45 PM |
R72, I’m not the person you’re asking about Cross Fit’s cult eligibility, however, I think that social movements, and groups of people who join together in order to promote certain products, or tasks that are centered in either a philosophical origin, or a business/marketing origin, can, and often do, tick off most of the boxes required, in order to be considered a cult.
R56, I’ve never heard of this cult in particular, and I’m really interested in learning more about them. Thanks for posting that.
I’m also grateful to hear about the experiences that others here had with mega churches, and charismatic, evangelical movements. I grew up in that scene. I think that the one thing that saved me from going in deep, was the custody arrangements my parents had when they divorced, which provided me the opportunity to experience two different households, and two different geographic locations.
It really is interesting to look back, and realize that something that looks so trivial, can actually shape and/or change a person’s life.
Cults are basically a huge or moderate MLM scheme, as are most religions, or movements that require constant growth, in order to maintain and meet financial objectives set by those at the top of the pyramid. This isn’t the only way to define a cult, but those parameters are often times in place.
by Anonymous | reply 74 | February 4, 2019 1:57 PM |
R35, I'm glad you mentioned Landmark. I don't know if it's a true cult, as my friends have left the forum with no repercussions, but they do use aggressive, high pressure tactics to keep people toeing their bottom line. A couple of old friends got into Landmark in college and invited me to the day at the end of the course where family and friends are invited. I was stuck in a room without my friends, where a couple of leaders implemented extremely high pressure techniques to try to get me to sign up. I refused, and my friends stopped temporarily talking to me over my decision. One friend met her future husband there. He was finishing up some sort of high level internship with them and called me every week trying to convince me to sign up.
Thankfully, within a couple of years my friends all completed their courses and returned to their normal selves. None of them, including the formerly creepy husband, have any association with Landmark now or ever mention it. I wonder if they'd say it changed their lives if I asked them today? haha.
by Anonymous | reply 75 | February 4, 2019 3:29 PM |
Yes, someone I knew through work (he did not work for my company) did back in the late 90's. His wife, who had made it through an almost fatal medical crisis got hooked up with this religious group. The best I can remember they called themselves Church Of Christ. They had no church but rather held their services in various large rented facilities. They eventually had a rather huge following. The guy was fighting tooth and nail to get his wife (who eventually got her own parents involved) out of this group. He was about the farthest thing from being a "believer" as you could ever find. The first thing the church made everyone do was, just like Scientology, reveal every bad thing they'd ever done in their life. This church ruled these people's lives.
Fast forward several months and he slowly had come around and literally everything out of his mouth was something about this cult church and their crazy teachings and how wonderful it was. It got so bad that some of his company's clients he visited started complaining to his superiors and they told him to keep his mouth shut about that church or anything else about religion when he was meeting with clients. Once that happened he quit after a few weeks and found a job somewhere else. I saw him about a year later in a grocery store. He was still ranting on about religion and I got away from him as fast as possible. Never saw him again, thank goodness.
by Anonymous | reply 76 | February 4, 2019 3:59 PM |
My Dad joined a cult run by a guy named John Bennett in an old mansion out near Cheltenham UK. My father's (second) wife refused to join the group and instead divorced him, taking their car with her. My Dad and I hitchhiked out there from London and got a ride in an ice cream truck! Dad's guru basically had them doing all the work on maintaining the mansion and grounds while giving them a single biscuit of shredded wheat to start their day. I was horrified and left after one day. My father stayed for the rest of the year and swore it was good for him. He left with a new goal of becoming a guru himself and he even bought some land in upstate NY and a bulldozer to start an "alternative community" but it never came into being.
A former friend of mine was a follower of the Rolls-Royce guru, Rajneesh. He read all the books and told me he was now focusing his energy on getting a wire transfer of $40,000 into his checking account. He wasn't supposed to be greedy and only ask the Universe for what he truly needed. He figured this would get him back on his feet again. I asked him how and where was the money coming from but he said he was a believer and just kissed that question up to heaven.
by Anonymous | reply 77 | February 4, 2019 4:25 PM |
My ex husband tried to drag me to a cult known as Realizations...
Dreadful yutz
by Anonymous | reply 78 | February 5, 2019 6:02 PM |
I've met a couple of Mormons. In my book, that's one of the most bizarre cults out there. It's really amazing how they've managed to rope so many people into thinking they're just a regular old Christian denomination,
by Anonymous | reply 79 | February 7, 2019 5:33 AM |
--Friend whose wife got him into Herbalife. Got to be obnoxious. He seemed to take the hint when I (and a number of his friends) began distancing themselves. They're still into it as far as I know. Seems to be an L.A. thing.
--Cousin who got involved with Team National, one of those "multi-level marketing" (aka pyramid scheme) shopping clubs. Her finances have always been chaotic--she managed to blow through a million+ dollar insurance settlement after her husband was killed on the job, and I've long suspected her of having some sort of borderline personality thing. I don't see her often but her brother and I are close and he reported for a year it was impossible to interact with her without a sales pitch. Of course she ended up losing money over it.
--Stepdaughter who teaches a sociology-type course at a mid-level college in one of the mountain states. She's almost an SJW parody straight out of Portlandia (she went to Evergreen) but I cut her slack as she grew up Mormon and there's no fanatic like a convert. Also I have to keep the peace with her dad, who I'm married to.
by Anonymous | reply 80 | February 7, 2019 6:52 AM |
Landmark is just EST in drag, do any of you kids remember EST all over California in the 70's? Landmark is just that dressed up, and is just as insidious with the whole recruitment obsession.
I had friends get into a church named The Church of Emin, it was meant to be mostly christian but as they got more into it, was revealed to be very scientologisty, brains from other areas etc. Anyhoo, I was touring schools with her and got tired of her talking total shit so one night deprogrammed her, having rad the great book 'The Cult'. Only took a bottle of tequila and logic
by Anonymous | reply 81 | February 7, 2019 7:01 AM |
R81, Who is the author of "The Cult?" Multiple books with that name on Goodreads.
by Anonymous | reply 82 | February 7, 2019 7:26 AM |
Simon Ehrlich
by Anonymous | reply 83 | February 7, 2019 7:46 AM |
It looks like Guru Serge is about to get the 60 Minutes treatment.
I'm getting the popcorn ready
by Anonymous | reply 84 | February 16, 2019 3:34 AM |
Yes.
by Anonymous | reply 85 | February 16, 2019 3:53 AM |
R18 Anyone ever heard of Young Life? A Protestant youth ministry that had camps and infiltrated wealthier usually private schools to recruit high school kids? That was/is a blatant cult.
Yes, there was a Young Life group in my town, but what you’re describing is just old fashioned religious recruitment. A true cult has specific requirements beyond “get others to our meetings/services.”
There is a single, charismatic leader, financial or work requirements, isolation from others, complete subservience, the promise that this is the one true solution, um ... what else?
Basically, an organization can have cult-like [italic]aspects,[/italic] but it has to check about 6 or 8 serious boxes to be an actual cult.
by Anonymous | reply 87 | February 22, 2019 1:10 PM |
I worked for one (accidentally). When I was in grad school I took on odd data entry jobs for extra cash. I got hired by this self-improvement workshop type company to build their database for them, and at first it seemed hammy but well-intentioned. Then I realized a few days in that none of their methods were based in psychological theory and none of their counselors were certified or licensed in any way. Once they tried to offer me free “improvement” sessions in favor of pay I was out. To this day my friends will randomly text me, “remember that time you worked for a cult for a week?”
by Anonymous | reply 88 | February 22, 2019 1:18 PM |
[Quote] To this day my friends will randomly text me, “remember that time you worked for a cult for a week?”
Lol i'd do that too.
by Anonymous | reply 89 | February 22, 2019 1:39 PM |
I knew a young couple who belonged to the same small Christian cult that Tom Neitherton belonged too.
I had a friend who joined the JWs.
by Anonymous | reply 90 | February 22, 2019 1:56 PM |
[quote]R53 What makes someone join a cult?
They’re Unstable people seeking validation and a purpose.
Indoctrination into a cult can be a long, subtle practice. Some cults know that if they laid everything out on the table right away, the recruits would FLEE.
by Anonymous | reply 91 | February 22, 2019 2:07 PM |
R87, Young Life is a cult with very un-Christian like practices. They purposely & aggressively target the school's top athletes, student body leadership council, most attractive teens, hoping the run of the mill kids will follow suit.
Quite different form the more typical bible study which offers an emotional support network, to discuss personal challenges during lunch and after school, and usually is supervised by a teacher. It also doesn't charge fees for participation.
by Anonymous | reply 92 | February 22, 2019 2:15 PM |
R87, There are many stories of former Young Life members describing their super controlling cult-like experience and sexual, mental, and even physical abuse like forced abortions at the camps and elsewhere. Changes in leadership won't solve the inherent problems with this perhaps well intentioned group.
by Anonymous | reply 93 | February 22, 2019 2:20 PM |
R90, Would this be the cult to which you're referring? Warning, reading the description might be triggering as it's rather hard core Christian Baptist.
by Anonymous | reply 94 | February 22, 2019 2:36 PM |
Interacting on Datalounge feels like a cult.
by Anonymous | reply 95 | February 22, 2019 2:41 PM |
If you never had a family, a cult feels like a family.
by Anonymous | reply 96 | February 22, 2019 6:38 PM |