CultNEWS101 Articles: 11/18/2024 (November 18th is International Cult Awareness Day)

November 18th is International Cult Awareness Day

Video: International Cult Awareness Day: Reflections From Cult Intervention Specialist Pat Ryan

Spreading awareness of those harmed by cults

Cults became front-page news after the catastrophe of Johnstown in 1978, which was the launchpad for discussions and debates in which academics, family members, activists, and others yielded different perspectives on how to approach those in cultic environments as well as concepts that existed in those settings such as "brainwashing" (Langone, 2015).

Awareness of harms

Survivors of these groups who encounter cult recovery professionals are typically those who have been harmed in a destructive group environment and are seeking resources. However, it is important to recognize that an individual's experience in groups is unique, and can range from benign to extremely harmful.

Unfortunately, those who have experienced destructive group settings are often stigmatized for their associations due to a lack of understanding of undue influence and coercive control. It is essential to be aware of why individuals join cults as provided by Cult Recovery 101:

"When ex-members had been polled (at ICSA Recovery Workshops) they consistently gave these reasons for joining their groups: Idealism, Friendship, Love, Freedom, Community, Mission, Sincerity, Salvation, Enlightenment, Spiritual high. People don't join cults. They get involved in groups they are led to believe represent these high ideals." — Rosanne Henry, MA, LPC

46h Anniversary of the Jonestown Massacre (1978)

On November 18th, 46 years ago, over 900 individuals were victims of a mass-murder suicide who were members of the Peoples Temple cult. This event is most commonly known as the "Jonestown Massacre" which has been described as, "one of the largest mass deaths in American history".

Jonestown Collection

1978 - FBI Documents: The Leo Ryan Murder/Jonestown Investigation (RYMUR)

On November 18, 1978, while investigating human rights abuses by a large cult led by James Warren "Jim" Jones (1931-1978), Congressman Leo Ryan (1925-1978) and several companions were murdered by Jones' followers.

Ryan had traveled to "Jonestown," the cult's compound in the South American country of Guyana, at the behest of his constituents, some of whom had family members in the cult. Following Ryan's murder, Jones ordered his followers to commit mass suicide; more than 900 bodies were later found, most having died by taking poison.

The FBI, charged with investigating violence against public officials, opened a probe into the murder of Ryan (hence the case name RYMUR) and provided other support and investigative assistance in relation to the mass casualties.

This release consists of material released previously and ranges from 1978 To 1979.

Synanon (1991)

1991 - Wikipedia: Synanon

Synanon is a US-founded social organization created by Charles E. "Chuck" Dederich Sr. in 1958 in Santa Monica, California, United States. It is currently active in Germany.

Originally established as a drug rehabilitation program, by the early 1960s, Synanon became an alternative community centered on group truth-telling sessions that came to be known as the "Synanon Game," a form of attack therapy.  The group ultimately became a cult called the Church of Synanon in the 1970s.

Synanon disbanded in 1991 due to members being convicted of criminal activities (including attempted murder) and retroactive loss of its tax-exempt status with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) due to financial misdeeds, destruction of evidence, and terrorism  It has been called one of the "most dangerous and violent cults America had ever seen.

Shakahola Massacre (2023)

In April 2023, 110 dead bodies were found in the Shakahola forest, near Malindi, Kenya. Rescued survivors stated that they had been ordered to starve themselves to death by Paul Nthenge Mackenzie, leader of the Malindi cult. As of July 2023, the death toll has risen to over 400.

Timeline of Mass Suicides

Mass suicide is a form of suicide, occurring when a group of people simultaneously kill themselves.

Cultic Studies Review: Using the Bounded Choice Model as an Analytical Tool: A Case Study of Heaven's Gate (2004) (Janja Lalich, Ph.D.)

The purpose of this paper is to describe the "bounded choice" theoretical model and to illustrate how this new model can be used as a tool for examining and analyzing high-demand groups or situations, sometimes called cults. This new approach uses a conceptual framework of four interlocking dimensions that I submit are integral to the social dynamic found in cults. The four dimensions are charismatic authority, transcendent belief system, systems of control, and systems of influence. The dimensions involve both structure and process. That is, they make up the framework of the social system, and they include social processes that uphold and reinforce that social structure. The four dimensions are defined briefly as:

Charismatic authority: This is the emotional bond between leader and followers. It lends legitimacy to the leader and grants authority to his or her actions while at the same time justifying and reinforcing followers' responses to the leader and/or the leader's ideas and goals. The relational aspect of charisma is the hook that links a devotee to a leader and/or his or her ideas.

Transcendent belief system: This is the overarching ideology that binds adherents to the group and keeps them behaving according to the group's rules and norms. It is transcendent because it offers a total explanation of past, present, and future, including a path to salvation. Most important, the leader/group also specifies the exact methodology (or recipe) for the personal transformation necessary to qualify one to travel on that path.

Systems of control: This is the network of acknowledged, or visible, regulatory mechanisms that guide the operation of the group. It includes the overt rules, regulations, and procedures that guide and control members' behavior.

Systems of influence: This is the network of interactions and social influence residing in the group's social relations. This is the human interaction and group culture from which members learn to adapt their thoughts, attitudes, and behaviors in relation to their new beliefs.

The interrelated and interlocking nature of the four dimensions form a "self-sealing system," a social system closed in on itself and closed to the outside world. It is characterized by ideological totalism and processes of influence and control that may lead adherents to a high degree of commitment that I have identified as "charismatic commitment." Now the dedicated adherent becomes a "true believer" in the sense of being a deployable agent for the group or leader. Living within the bounded reality of the cultic social system, the cult member encounters no meaningful reality checks and becomes more and more enmeshed with and invested in the closed world of the group. For some, this may lead to a state of "personal closure," or the individualized version of the self-sealing system. The member's life and choices are constrained not only by the system but also, and perhaps even more powerfully, by the close-mindedness of the individual him- or herself who is functioning in alliance with that system. Now the dedicated adherent has entered a social-psychological state of being that I am calling bounded choice: in essence, life outside the cult has become impossible to imagine.

The exemplar group studied here is the Heaven's Gate cult, which came to prominence when the members committed collective suicide. On March 27, 1997, thirty-nine dead bodies were found in a mansion in Rancho Santa Fe, California. The deceased were followers of Bonnie Nettles and Marshall Applewhite (known to their devotees as Ti and Do).2 In addition to the male leader, Applewhite, among the dead were twenty-one women and seventeen men. According to announcements by the local coroner's office, the deaths had been caused by ingestion of a mixture of drugs and alcohol, and suffocation by plastic bag over the head. Because the group's Web site (www.heavensgate [dot] com) garnered so much attention after the suicides, this group, previously known as the Bo Peep cult by those who had some familiarity with the group, came to be called Heaven's Gate.

The data for this study include interviews with former group members, sympathetic followers and believers, and families of members and other associates. Additional data were drawn from my content analysis of archival material including the group's written documents, Internet postings, and audio and video recordings. Also I relied on the work of Robert Balch and David Taylor, who have been studying and writing about the group since the mid-1970s, as well as reviewing other scholarly and popular articles and media reports."

Join us in making a difference this International Cult Awareness Day! Your support can help us raise awareness and promote understanding. Consider donating to further the International Cultic Studies Association mission and empower individuals to navigate these critical issues. Together, we can create a brighter future!

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Mexican Authorities Shut Down Rehab Centers

November 18th is recognized as International Cult Awareness Day

2004 - San Diego Union-Tribune: Mexican Authorities Shut Down Rehab Centers

Mexican authorities have shut down three private U.S.-owned rehabilitation centers in Baja California that try to reform teenagers who have drug addictions and behavioral problems. Officials acted on complaints and reports that the youth were being physically and emotionally abused at Casa by the Sea, Casa La Esperanza, and Genesis.

___

Authorities have closed 10 unregistered drug rehabilitation centers in Ciudad Juarez and say they are going after others they fear may serve as cover or recruiting grounds for drug trafficking gangs in the violence-plagued city across from El Paso, Texas.

Gunmen have slaughtered 28 people this month at two rehab centers in Ciudad Juarez in separate attacks that investigators blame on a bloody struggle between rival drug gangs.

Sergio Belmonte, the spokesman for the Ciudad Juarez mayor’s office, says there is evidence traffickers are recruiting members through unregulated rehab centers.

“There are unregistered centers that they (traffickers) set up themselves, they are recruitment centers, because their most faithful soldiers are the addicts,” Belmonte said. “They give them drugs, draw them together and recruit them.”

Chihuahua state Gov. Jose Reyes Baeza said that while there are legitimate rehab centers, “there are others that have taken advantage of the situation to provide cover, while really doing other things.”

Reyes Baeza said irregularities have been discovered in at least 12 other centers, including a lack of permits, and he pledged “we are going to close” them.

Chihuahua state authorities said records showed the center attacked on Tuesday, Anexo de Vida, had not been registered with the government and may have been operating clandestinely. Ten other centers in Ciudad Juarez have been closed for operating illegally, although police would not say whether they may have been run by gangs.

Most of those closures occurred after a Sept. 2 attack that killed 18 people at a drug rehab center, which was not among those closed for being unregistered.

Drug-rehabilitation professionals worried that authorities could exacerbate the very social problems of addiction they are trying to fight.

“It is dangerous to demonize these centers. ... If these patients are put back on the streets, they are invariably going to return to their old behaviors,” said Alonso, an employee of the Ave Fenix recovery center, where neither counselors nor addicts are identified by their last names to avoid the stigma associated with addiction.

“Instead of closing them, the right thing to do would be to train them (the centers) so they can function correctly,” Alonso said.

Families have pulled relatives out of rehab centers because of the attacks. At least 41 people have been killed in attacks on Ciudad Juarez rehab clinics in the past year.

Javier, a 22-year-old drug addict, who refused to give his last name for fear of reprisals, has been in and out of rehab trying to cure a drug habit that began with marijuana at 14 and later progressed to cocaine. He is worried about the closures.

“There are rehab centers that really give you help, from the heart,” he said in an interview at the city’s Amarr clinic.

Authorities have blamed the latest shootings on a rivalry between the Sinaloa and Juarez cartels, although investigators have named no suspects.

The battle for both the local drug market and lucrative smuggling routes into the United States have made Ciudad Juarez the most dangerous city in Mexico, with at least 1,647 people killed so far this year.

That turf war, however, has changed since the government sent thousands of army troops and federal police earlier this year to patrol the city, Belmonte said.

Cartel lieutenants who once roamed the city in convoys of flashy SUVs, staging daylight shootouts on main boulevards, are now increasingly forced to take their battles to gritty back streets, in attacks that target lower-level operatives.

That may help explain why attacks on clinics have increased, Belmonte said.

“This is a war that was going on between the commanders, the leaders, and that is why they fought it out in the streets and the shopping malls,” he said.

“The joint operation has inhibited the battle they were openly fighting ... changing the method of attack,” he added. “It is now directed at the base level, the dealers.”

In an unrelated attack, four people – including a police officer and a 3-year-old boy – were injured when gunmen open fire on a people leaving an Independence Day parade in San Bartolo Tutotepec, a small town in the central state of Hidalgo, the state Public Safety Department said Thursday.

Police arrested a suspect in Wednesday’s shooting but had not established a motive.

#CultAwarenessDay #violence #exploitation #terrorism

#igotout #indoctriNation #religioustrauma #religiousabuse #manipulators #cultexpert #psychology #cultrecovery #cultsurvivors #cult #cultspecialist #suicide #AnexodeVida 

https://www.cultawarenessday.com/

Aberrations of Power: Leadership in Totalist Groups (Synanon)

2004 - Cultic Studies Review: Aberrations of Power: Leadership in Totalist Groups (Synanon)

November 18th is recognized as International Cult Awareness Day

" … Synanon was a residential drug treatment group founded in California by Chuck Dederich, in 1958.  Synanon’s treatment was based on the “Game,” a confrontational group session during which participants critically considered the defenses and illusions that sustained their substance abuse.  Within months, Synanon claimed to be an effective means of controlling not only alcoholism but drug addiction, as well. Between 1958 and 1968, the group processed over 5000 individuals (Gerstel, 1982).

The purported success of this program as a treatment for drug addiction was based primarily on unsubstantiated reports in the press (Ofshe, 1980).  While it is likely that members did remain drug free and sober while in residence (given the no-nonsense, confrontational Synanon approach), there is little formal documentation that Synanon provided a successful cure for individuals who moved to non-resident status (Ofshe, 1980).  In time, such graduation ceased to be a goal of the organization.  Its fame as a successful drug program led to donations, grants and expansion that permitted it to open businesses staffed by (unpaid) Synanon members (Gerstel, 1984).  By 1967 Synanon had over 800 members in various residence facilities and had begun to admit non-addicted individuals from the community.  The Game was offered as a powerful, albeit traumatic, means of self-exploration. Obviously it also served as a blunt instrument of punishment and control.

In 1968, Dederich formally re-conceptualized Synanon as a communal living experiment open to all. Entry required attending “boot camp” complete with sleep loss, vigorous exercise and other humiliating initiation activities.  Game “marathons” lasting over 24 hours became common at this point. (Gerstel, 1984). By 1975 Dederich had declared Synanon to be a religion, renounced his vows of poverty, allocated himself a substantial salary, and established a luxury residence for himself and his entourage. Dederich could broadcast at will to all Synanon locations and used this communication system, “the wire,” to humiliate any Synanon member who displeased him (e.g., Gerstel, 1984).

Promiscuous sexual activity at Synanon had long been tolerated and by 1977, was actively encouraged as a means of establishing “mutual love” among group members (Gerstel, 1984). Dederich’s power was reflected in the effectiveness of this edict even among married members as well as his success encouraging abortion and vasectomies for group members (Ofshe, 1980).  By the mid 1970’s, the group abandoned non-violence and formed armed security details designed to “protect” the group from outsiders as well as to discipline unruly members -- particularly resistant adolescents.  By 1975, these security personnel had engaged in physical attacks on local neighbors, the beating of an ex-Synanon member, and a case in which an “enemy” attorney was bitten by a rattlesnake placed in his mailbox—a crime that eventually resulted in Dederich's accepting a plea bargain of five years probation (Gerstel, 1984).  Synanon then lost a series of lawsuits stemming from the physical assaults made by the group.  The IRS revoked their tax-exempt status in 1986.  Synanon was formally disbanded in 1991, and in 1997 Chuck Dederich died of heart and lung failure in California where he was living in a trailer park (Yee, 1997).

Theoretical Analyses of Synanon (Social Identity Theory)

In accord with a social identity view, group salience in Synanon was high given the residential nature of membership.  Similarly, given the initiation ordeals, it is safe to assume that among those who chose to remain, group commitment and identification were very high (Baron, 2001; Pratkanis & Aronson, 2000). Moreover, the intense mortification process entailed in Gaming, recurrently encountered by both neophytes and veterans, was specifically designed to challenge members’ feelings of esteem and self-efficacy—conditions we have emphasized earlier as facilitating conditions for group identification. Given that Dederich lived among the other members, participated in Games on a weekly basis, and for years did not take obvious material advantage of his leadership position, one could argue that he was viewed as a prototypic group member. Thus, Dederich was deeply admired within the group and his opinions on a wide range of issues (from sexual promiscuity to the need for brutal mutual criticism) defined normative opinion and behavior within the group. In addition, Dederich took positions that differentiated him from those outside the group on a number of issues (e.g., private property, promiscuity).  Thus, conforming to his “prototypic” opinions helped establish the distinction between Synanon members and those outside the group. In short, in several respects, Dederich’s leadership style corresponds to that outlined by social identity theory.

However, as above, Dederich did not emerge as a leader because his attitudes and behaviors happened to correspond to prototypic group norms.  Rather, as creator of the group, such norms were defined by whichever opinions and actions he favored.  This fact does not correspond to the analysis offered by (Hogg, 2001). In addition, while there is little doubt that Dederich’s leadership stemmed in part from his prototypic status as Hogg’s analysis maintains, it is clear that Dederich aura of charisma was to his abilities as a speaker, manager, and innovator, over and above any attributional bias on the part of his membership.  On the other hand, Hogg’s suggestion that leaders come to rely more on coercive and reward power as they begin to distance themselves from the group is congruent with the fact that Dederich expanded his use of physical discipline as he adopted luxurious privileges not available to others.  In short, the social identity perspective corresponds in some but not all respects to the leadership history within Synanon.

Transformational Theory

One can also make a reasonable case that Dederich’s leadership pattern represents the pseudo-transformational style alluded to by Bass (1998).  Group members stood to gain any one of several transactional benefits, including a life free of drug addiction and crime (in the cases of drug addict members).  Dederich offered inspirational leadership, a transcendent purpose, and individual consideration of group members. However, Dederich had little toleration of dissent, was an expert in humiliation and criticism of his followers, focused on punishing transgressions (as opposed to rewarding correct behavior), and was manipulative and Machiavellian in dealing with the group.  Thus, Bass’s conception of pseudo-transformational leadership provides a close description of Dederich’s leadership style within Synanon."

#CultAwarenessDay #jonestown #Synanon #violence #exploitation #terrorism
#igotout #indoctriNation #religioustrauma #religiousabuse #manipulators #cultexpert #psychology #cultrecovery #cultsurvivors #cult #cultspecialist #suicide
https://www.cultawarenessday.com/

The Mother Next Door: Medicine, Deception, and Munchausen by ProxyBook by Andrea Dunlop and Mike Weber

Amazon

The Mother Next Door: Medicine, Deception, and Munchausen by Proxy

Book by Andrea Dunlop and Mike Weber

A groundbreaking work of narrative nonfiction that investigates Munchausen by Proxy from the host and creator of the award-winning true crime podcast Nobody Should Believe Me.

"I devoured this chilling yet critically important book in 48 hours, unable to believe what I was reading. Dunlop and Weber have written a powerful, unflinching deep dive into our country’s systemic failure to protect children from medical abuse." ―Stephanie Wrobel, bestselling author of Darling Rose Gold

No bond is more sacred than that between a mother and child. And no one is more sympathetic than a mother whose child faces a life-threatening illness. But what if the mother is the cause of the illness? What if the sympathy is the point?

Munchausen by proxy (MBP) has fascinated and horrified both professionals and the general public since this disturbing form of child abuse was first identified. But even as the public has been captivated by these tales of abuse and deception, there remains widespread misinformation and confusion about MBP. Are these mothers unfeeling psychopaths, or sick women who need help? And more important, how can we protect the children whose lives are at stake?

The Mother Next Door offers a groundbreaking look at MBP from an unlikely duo: a Seattle novelist whose own family was torn apart by it, and the Texas detective who has worked on more medical child abuse cases than anyone in the nation. Readers ride along on three high-stakes MPB investigations; through riveting reporting and shocking stories from the family members, friends, and doctors caught in the blast zone of these unthinkable acts, a twisted portrait of motherhood and deceit is revealed.

With help from some of the top MBP experts in the world, Dunlop and Weber uncover the complex maze of psychological, systemic, and cultural issues that compound MBP and offer solutions for how we might find our way out.

Este año, recordaremos a las víctimas de la tragedia de Jonestown.

- Este año, recordaremos a las víctimas de la tragedia de Jonestown.

Queremos honrar las vidas arrebatadas. 

John Cobb, superviviente de Jonestown, ha creado un sitio conmemorativo y, con la ayuda de la Sociedad Histórica de San Francisco, ha proporcionado fotografías que muestran los rostros de las víctimas de la masacre. Las víctimas iban desde niños a ancianos y la gran mayoría eran afroamericanos. 

Como se indica en el sitio conmemorativo, los familiares y amigos de las víctimas se reunirán en el acto conmemorativo anual de Jonestown, que se celebrará en el cementerio Evergreen de Oakland, California, a las 14:00 horas del viernes 18 de noviembre de 2022. 

El acto conmemorativo también se retransmitirá en directo a través de la página de Facebook Jonestown Memorial.

- Concienciación sobre los afectados por las sectas...

Las sectas se convirtieron en noticia de primera plana tras la catástrofe de Johnstown en 1978, que fue la plataforma de lanzamiento de discusiones y debates en los que académicos, familiares, activistas y otras personas aportaron diferentes perspectivas sobre cómo abordar a quienes se encontraban en entornos sectarios, así como conceptos que existían en esos entornos, como el de "lavado de cerebro" (Langone, 2015).

Definición de "secta

Históricamente, el término "secta" se ha definido de forma ambigua entre los profesionales del sector. 

Debido a este desafío, un enfoque alternativo ha sido identificar los efectos de los entornos grupales destructivos, que pueden situarse en un continuo, que puede encapsular muchos tipos diferentes de grupos destructivos, desde grupos explotadores extremos hasta aquellos que mienten

grupos destructivos, desde los grupos explotadores extremos hasta los que se sitúan en la "zona gris" (Aronoff, Lynn, & Malinoski, 2000, p. 94). Es importante señalar que la masacre de Jonestown se situó en el extremo del continuo de daños que pueden producirse en las sectas, y que tales extremos son minoritarios.

Dado que las sectas pueden abarcar una amplia gama de entornos psicológicamente abusivos, también pueden denominarse sistemas totalistas, entornos de grupos destructivos, entornos de grupos abusivos y definirse como:

"Un grupo o movimiento que exhibe una gran o excesiva devoción o dedicación a alguna persona, idea o cosa y que emplea técnicas de persuasión y control manipuladoras poco éticas (por ejemplo, aislamiento de antiguos amigos y familiares, debilitamiento, uso de métodos especiales para aumentar la sugestionabilidad y el servilismo, poderosas presiones grupales, gestión de la información, suspensión de la individualidad o del juicio crítico, promoción de la dependencia total del grupo y miedo a abandonarlo...), diseñadas para avanzar en los objetivos de los líderes del grupo, en detrimento real o posible de los miembros, sus familias o la comunidad" (West & Langone, 1986, pp. 119-120).

Prevalencia

¿Cuántas personas participan en sectas? Las cifras varían.

En 1982, Margaret Singer, profesora de psicología, sugirió que entre "300.000 y tres millones" de personas a nivel nacional estaban implicadas en sectas.

Informes más recientes de los investigadores Saldaña, Rodríguez-Carballeira, Almendros y Escartín (2017) sugieren que hay aproximadamente 2.500

implicados en sectas y más de 5.000 grupos destructivos en toda Norteamérica.

Conciencia de los daños

Los supervivientes de estos grupos que se encuentran con profesionales de la recuperación de sectas suelen ser aquellos que han sufrido daños en un entorno de grupo destructivo y buscan recursos. Sin embargo, es importante reconocer que la experiencia de un individuo en un grupo es única y puede ser desde benigna hasta extremadamente dañina. 

Desafortunadamente, aquellos que han experimentado entornos de grupo destructivos son a menudo estigmatizados por sus asociaciones debido a la falta de comprensión de la influencia indebida y el control coercitivo. Es esencial ser consciente de por qué las personas se unen a las sectas, tal y como se indica en Cult Recovery 101 (Recuperación de sectas 101):

"Cuando se encuestó a ex miembros (en los talleres de recuperación de ICSA), éstos dieron sistemáticamente las siguientes razones para unirse a sus grupos: Idealismo, Amistad, Amor, Libertad, Comunidad, Misión, Sinceridad, Salvación, Iluminación, Elevación espiritual. La gente no se une a sectas. Se involucran en grupos que les hacen creer que representan estos altos ideales". 

- Rosanne Henry, MA, LPC

- Recursos para quienes han sido perjudicados en una secta

https://cultawarenessday.com/

Swindled by Faith: A Time For Reconciliation

Richard Kiers is a survivor of a mind controlling cult referred to as "The Move", founded by Sam Fife, in the 1960's, this repressive cult grew to hold approximately 44,000 members at its peak.

Richard tells his story in a unique style, memories and thoughts throughout his younger years are articulated in a way that draws you into his life, paints a picture, and leaves you feeling as though you may have walked this road with him.

I encourage everyone to read this work, understand the heartache and long term pain survivors feel. Learn how to recognize a repressive cult, and help stop others from suffering the long term repercussions of such a cult.

Richard is a man who has faced his past, he has reconciled with those who have affected his life negatively, and he has above all, learned to forgive.

You are invited to take this journey, you won't regret it!

A competent, and highly motivational speaker, Richard is available for public speaking engagements throughout the USA and Canada.

https://www.amazon.ca/Swindled-Faith-Reconciliation-Richard-Kiers/dp/0228815088

Without the Guru: How I took my life back after thirty years

About the book  "For 30 years Mike Finch gave his total allegiance, his energy, his devotion, his dreams, and his love to Guru Maharaji (the Lord of the Universe, Prem Rawat). He also gave Maharaji and his organizations two inheritances, a house, and hundreds of thousands of dollars. As Maharaji's former chauffeur Mike was close to him personally; he lived as a renunciate in Maharaji's ashrams, and was authorized to reveal Maharaji's secret teachings. The book is a narrative of Mike's time with Maharaji, and his struggle to surrender his life to Maharaji, and to achieve the liberation that Maharaji promised. 

It is a story of being confined within a rigid belief system, realizing it, and learning how to break out from it. It is a story of how he came to live, think, feel, behave, and love, without 'the Guru', meaning both Maharaji, as the actual guru in his life; and in a more general sense of learning to face oneself and the world without any intermediary or negotiator, of any kind, in between."

https://www.amazon.com/Without-Guru-after-thirty-years/dp/1439245045

Dr Michael Robert Finch website:  https://mikefinch.com

International Cult Awareness Day

 

1. This year, we will remember the victims of the Jonestown tragedy…

We want to honor the lives that have been taken. 

Jonestown survivor, John Cobb, has created a memorial site, and with assistance from the San Francisco Historical Society, provided photographs that show the faces of massacre victims. The victims ranged from children to seniors and the vast majority of them were African Americans. 

As stated on the memorial site, family members and friends of victims will be gathered at the annual Jonestown Memorial Gathering which will be held at the Evergreen Cemetery in Oakland, California at 2:00 pm on Friday, November 18th, 2022. 

The memorial will also be live-streamed on the Jonestown Memorial Facebook site.

2. Spreading awareness of those harmed by cults…

Cults became front-page news after the catastrophe of Johnstown in 1978, which was the launchpad for discussions and debates in which academics, family members, activists, and others yielded different perspectives on how to approach those in cultic environments as well as concepts that existed in those settings such as "brainwashing" (Langone, 2015).

Defining “cult”

The term ‘cult’ historically has definitional ambiguity amongst professionals in the field. 

Due to this challenge, an alternative approach has been to identify the effects of destructive group settings, which can lie on a continuum, which can encapsulate many different types of destructive groups, from extreme exploitative groups to those who lie in the "gray zone" (Aronoff, Lynn, & Malinoski, 2000, p. 94). It is important to note that the Jonestown massacre was on the extreme end of the continuum of harm that can occur in cults, and such extremes are in the minority.

Because cults can encompass a broad range of psychologically abusive environments, they can also be referred to as totalist systems, destructive group settings, abusive group settings and defined as:

“A group or movement exhibiting a great or excessive devotion or dedication to some person, idea, or thing and employing unethically manipulative techniques of persuasion and control (e.g., isolation from former friends and family, debilitation, use of special methods to heighten suggestibility and subservience, powerful group pressures, information management, suspension of individuality or critical judgment, promotion of total dependency on the group and fear of leaving it…), designed to advance the goals of the group’s leaders, to the actual or possible detriment of members, their families, or the community” (West & Langone, 1986, pp. 119–120).

Prevalence

How many are involved in cults? The numbers vary.

In 1982, Margaret Singer, a professor of psychology, suggested that "300,000 to three million" individuals nationally were cult-involved.

More recent reports from Researchers Saldaña, Rodríguez-Carballeira, Almendros, and Escartín (2017) suggest that there are approximately 2,500,000 people involved in cults and over 5,000 destructive groups throughout North America.

Awareness of harms

Survivors of these groups who encounter cult recovery professionals are typically those who have been harmed in a destructive group environment and are seeking resources. However, it is important to recognize that an individual's experience in groups is unique, and can range from benign to extremely harmful. 

Unfortunately, those who have experienced destructive group settings are often stigmatized for their associations due to a lack of understanding of undue influence and coercive control. It is essential to be aware of why individuals join cults as provided by Cult Recovery 101:

“When ex-members had been polled (at ICSA Recovery Workshops) they consistently gave these reasons for joining their groups: Idealism, Friendship, Love, Freedom, Community, Mission, Sincerity, Salvation, Enlightenment, Spiritual high. People don’t join cults. They get involved in groups they are led to believe represent these high ideals.” 

— Rosanne Henry, MA, LPC

3. Resources for those who have been harmed in cults…

As we look ahead into the new year, in conjunction with International Cult Awareness Day, we wanted to mark May 18th 2024 as International Cult Recovery Day.  

Cult recovery resources will be added to Cult Recovery Day’s social media handles including Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook pages leading up to February 1st. Please follow, like, and share content recovery resources that will be added between now and February 1st by our sponsors and co-sponsors.

CultNEWS101 Articles: 11/15/2024 (United Nation of Islam, Legal, Cult Awareness Day, Anne Hamilton-Byrne, Australia)

United Nation of Islam, Legal, Cult Awareness Day, Anne Hamilton-Byrne, Australia

Highland County Press: 6 members of former cult convicted of forced labor conspiracy charges in years-long scheme that included multiple minors

"Following a 26-day trial, a jury in Kansas recently convicted Kaaba Majeed, 50, Yunus Rassoul, 39, James Staton, 62, Randolph Rodney Hadley, 49, Daniel Aubrey Jenkins, 43, and Dana Peach, 60, of conspiracy to commit forced labor. The jury additionally convicted Kaaba Majeed of five counts of forced labor. Two other co-defendants, Etenia Kinard, 48, and Jacelyn Greenwell, 45, previously pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit forced labor.

According to the evidence presented in court during the course of the trial, the defendants were all former high-ranking members of the United Nation of Islam (UNOI), or were wives to the UNOI founder, Royall Jenkins.

"The United Nation of Islam and these defendants held themselves out as a beacon of hope for the community, promising to educate and teach important life skills to members, particularly children," said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department's Civil Rights Division. "Instead, the defendants betrayed this trust, exploiting young children in the organization by callously compelling their labor. Prosecuting this case is a testament to the Justice Department's unwavering commitment to hold human traffickers accountable. The Justice Department will continue to vigorously investigate and prosecute parasitic criminals who target vulnerable victims to finance their lifestyles."

"The bravery shown by victims of the United Nation of Islam is inspiring, because they spoke up about heinous atrocities committed against them as vulnerable children," said U.S. Attorney Kate E. Brubacher for the District of Kansas. "In childhood, they suffered physical and emotional abuse, were denied a proper education, and were subject to forced labor. As adults, these victims found the strength and courage to pursue justice and face their abusers."

"Under the guise of false pretenses and coercion, these victims, some of whom were as young as 8 years old, endured inhumane and abhorrent conditions," said Special Agent in Charge Stephen Cyrus of the FBI Kansas City Field Office. "Today's convictions should serve as a stark warning that forced labor will not be tolerated by the FBI."

UNOI principles included many rules that members had to follow, required "duty" or unpaid labor and emphasized the negative eternal religious consequences of noncompliance. UNOI operated businesses in various cities around the United States, including Kansas City, Kan.; New York City; Newark, N.J.; Cincinnati, Ohio; Dayton, Ohio; and Atlanta, among other locations.

In their former leadership roles in UNOI, the defendants agreed to compel the labor and services of over a dozen victims, including multiple minors, some of whom were as young as eight years old, between October 2000 and November 2012. The victims worked in UNOI-owned and operated restaurants, bakeries, gas stations, laboratory and a clothing and sewing factory, often up to 16 hours a day. The victims also provided child care and domestic services inside defendants' homes. None of the victims was ever compensated for the years of work they performed at UNOI businesses or at the behest of the defendants. The victims all lived in deplorable conditions, in overcrowded facilities often overrun with mold, mice and rats. In contrast, the defendants and their immediate families lived comfortably."

November 18th is recognized as International Cult Awareness Day

2007 - Adam House

In 2007, in Mymensingh, Bangladesh, a family of nine, all members of a novel "Adam's cult", committed mass suicide by hurling themselves under a train. Diaries recovered from the victims' home, the "Adam House", related they wanted a pure life as lived by Adam and Eve, freeing themselves from bondage to any religion, and refusing contact with any outsiders. After leaving Islam, they fell out of boundaries of any particular religion.

Listnr: Detective meets The Family cult leader: "eyes of the devil"

"Anne Hamilton-Byrne was a charismatic and dangerous cult leader who convinced followers she was Jesus Christ reincarnated. She had an obsession with raising children as her own, isolated from the outside world.

The group dubbed The Family lived in a secluded property outside Melbourne Victoria and was prominent in the 1960s and 70s.

Former detective Lex de Man investigated The Family for more than four years and helped rescue dozens of children.

Lex de Man unpacks his investigation of The Family on Crime Insiders:

"Under the drug LSD. They were indoctrinated that they were seeing the Messiah. They were seeing Anne Hamilton-Byrne," Man said.

Hamilton-Byrne was obsessed with the Von Trapp family from The Sound of Music. She acquired children through adoption scams, dressed them in matching outfits and dyed their hair peroxide blonde.

The children, after suffering years of abuse at the hands of Hamilton Bryne and her followers, were eventually rescued after a police raid in the mid-80s.

Lex de Man came face to face with Hamilton-Byrne on the tarmac at JFK airport, New York while extraditing her back to Australia.

Crime Insiders: Detectives host Brent Sanders asked, "That first time that you saw Anne Hamilton-Byrne, you were described as looking into the eyes of the devil?"

"She's the most evil person that I've ever come across in my personal and professional life, and I stand by that," Man said."

News, Education, Intervention, Recovery

CultEducationEvents.com

CultMediation.com   

Intervention101.com to help families and friends understand and effectively respond to the complexity of a loved one's cult involvement.

CultRecovery101.com assists group members and their families make the sometimes difficult transition from coercion to renewed individual choice.

CultNEWS101.com news, links, resources.

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Cults101.org resources about cults, cultic groups, abusive relationships, movements, religions, political organizations, and related topics.

The selection of articles for CultNEWS101 does not mean that Patrick Ryan or Joseph Kelly agree with the content. We provide information from many points of view to promote dialogue.

Please forward articles that you think we should add to cultintervention@gmail.com.

Thanks

CultNEWS101 Articles: 11/14/2024 (Gloriavale, Universal Church of the Kingdom of God, Legal, UK, New Zealand, International Cult Awareness Day)

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The New Zealand Herald: Gloriavale's banned children's books: Senior leader's email lays out rules

" ... Lord of the Rings, stories about Christmas and Easter, and nearly all books containing pictures of animals wearing clothes are on the list of reading material considered too "worldly" for Gloriavale's children.

An email leaked from the West Coast Christian community and sent to politicians has laid out the vast amount of book categories senior leadership disapproved of for members who were homeschooling their kids.

Labour MP Duncan Webb, who has spoken against Gloriavale in the past, warns while some of the banned books might seem funny, the reality of the censorship was "deeply troubling" and children were being denied stories that served as a "window to the outside world".

The leaked email, sent from senior leader Peter Righteous' email address last month, noted he was "disappointed to find books celebrating Christmas on our shelves, and others that were simply worldly".

Righteous refers in his email to "rules" put in place by founding brethren, which forbid books in the following categories:

• Fairy tales and fantasies

• Science fiction

• Anything promoting Christmas, Easter and the like

• Supernatural or occult themes

• Myths and legends presented as truth

• Anything promoting evolution

• Books presenting wrong as right, or the idea the end justifies the means"

London News Online: Concerns raised over relationship between 'cult' church and Lewisham council

"Concerns have been raised over the relationship between Lewisham council and a church which allegedly showed teenagers a video of a dead body to scare them from leaving, according to former members.

The Universal Church of the Kingdom of God (UCKG) is a Christian denomination with five chapters in South London – Brixton, Peckham, Croydon, Woolwich and Catford.

The UCKG has been described as a "cult" by former members after allegations of preying on vulnerable people, brainwashing them, performing exorcisms and making them pay 10 per cent of their income to the church.

Two weeks ago the Diocese of Southwark – responsible for more than 100 Anglican churches in South London and east Surrey – apologised for including the Catford branch of the UCKG in an annual interfaith peace walk through Lewisham in September.

Rachael Reign, 30, the director of Surviving Universal UK, a support group for ex-members, said the inclusion of the UCKG on the interfaith walk caused "considerable upset and distress" among ex-members of the church."

November 18th is recognized as International Cult Awareness Day

1991 - Wikipedia: Synanon

Synanon is a US-founded social organization created by Charles E. "Chuck" Dederich Sr. in 1958 in Santa Monica, California, United States. It is currently active in Germany.

Originally established as a drug rehabilitation program, by the early 1960s, Synanon became an alternative community centered on group truth-telling sessions that came to be known as the "Synanon Game," a form of attack therapy.  The group ultimately became a cult called the Church of Synanon in the 1970s.

Synanon disbanded in 1991 due to members being convicted of criminal activities (including attempted murder) and retroactive loss of its tax-exempt status with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) due to financial misdeeds, destruction of evidence, and terrorism  It has been called one of the "most dangerous and violent cults America had ever seen.

News, Education, Intervention, Recovery

CultEducationEvents.com

CultMediation.com   

Intervention101.com to help families and friends understand and effectively respond to the complexity of a loved one's cult involvement.

CultRecovery101.com assists group members and their families make the sometimes difficult transition from coercion to renewed individual choice.

CultNEWS101.com news, links, resources.

Facebook

Flipboard

Twitter

Instagram

Cults101.org resources about cults, cultic groups, abusive relationships, movements, religions, political organizations, and related topics.

The selection of articles for CultNEWS101 does not mean that Patrick Ryan or Joseph Kelly agree with the content. We provide information from many points of view to promote dialogue.

Please forward articles that you think we should add to cultintervention@gmail.com.

Thanks

November 18th is recognized as International Cult Awareness Day

2004 - Cultic Studies Review: Scientific Evaluation of the Dangers Posed by Religious Groups: A Partial Model (Stephen A. Kent, Ph.D.)

 

" … Religiously driven violence fills the pages of history with battles, crusades, martyrs, and persecution. Yet similar themes recur in our era, as religion continues to motivate contemporaries around the world to perform heroic acts of courage and dramatic gestures of rage. Certainly, more religions exist now than ever before in history, as secular tolerance allows—and some say catalyzes—people’s claims to have been moved by the word of God. Consequently, in addition to the world’s major religions, which themselves often have violent legacies, we now also face threats from some smaller, newer, but occasionally dangerous new faiths.

 

High-profile events involving a few new religions drew attention to the reality of violence by and, often, against those religions. If we limit our understanding of violence to “multiple homicide or suicide,” then we can identify (according to the religious scholars Gordon Melton and David Bromley) some twenty newer religions implicated in violence in the last years of the twentieth century (Melton and Bromley 2002:44). Although they do not tell us which ones they identified, and their restricted definition overlooks failed attempts at killing (including shoot-outs and non-lethal bombings, poisoning, arson, assaults, etc.), certainly this list includes ones (such as People’s Temple and Aum Shinrikyo) that we all know (see Appendix). If, however, we use a broader, more comprehensive definition of violence—the use of force or its threat, causing harm or abuse—then the list of violent, newer religions is uncountable. Now we must identify groups that allow or at least facilitate the following: corporal punishment; medical neglect or assault (Asser and Swan 1998; Swan 1998); spousal violence; punitive dietary restrictions; exhausting work regimes; private, demanding re-education and punishment programs (Kent 2001); sexual assaults; emotional battering; and socio-political terrorism. Significant about the more widely drawn lists of violence in these religions is how many of the acts of religious aggression resemble, in varying degrees, what we know goes on within violent family settings.

 

Several reasons suggest why an examination of family violence literature might provide key insights into predicting violence among some religions. Both types of organizations—violent families and abusive religions—tend to be “somewhat detached from a society with which they are at tension ... and charismatically led. Intense relations, intimate face-to-face interaction, social isolation, and a dynamic of powerful leaders and dependent followers all provide the context for familial styles of coercion” (Cartwright and Kent 1992:351) and violence associated with radicalized religions. Indeed, a leading expert on family violence, David Finkelhor, used language to describe domestic violence that closely resembles what ‘cult-critics’ say about abusive religions:

'All forms of family abuse seem to occur in the context of psychological abuse and exploitation, a process victims sometimes describe as ‘brainwashing.’ Victims are not merely exploited or physically injured: their abusers use their power and family connection to control and manipulate victims’ perceptions of reality as well (Finkelhor 1983:20).'"

#CultAwarenessDay #jonestown #AumShinrikyo #violence #exploitation #terrorism

#igotout #indoctriNation #religioustrauma #religiousabuse #manipulators #cultexpert #psychology #cultrecovery #cultsurvivors #cult #cultspecialist #suicide

https://www.cultawarenessday.com/

A Visionary Leader Bridging Science, Education, and Consciousness

Press Trust of India

November 08, 2024

Ajay Prakash Shrivastava

New Delhi [India] November 8: Shri Ajay Prakash Shrivastava, an eminent scholar and leader, stands as a paragon of interdisciplinary excellence and social dedication. Born on May 3, 1955, Shri Shrivastava’s illustrious journey as a science scholar and researcher in Physics at the University of Texas, USA, has been marked by significant contributions across various fields. His lifelong pursuit of integrating scientific inquiry with consciousness studies and practical life skills has earned him numerous Legendary and Excellence Awards for his socio-educational services.

As the President of the Maharishi Institute of Creative Intelligence (MICI), a society registered under the Societies Registration Act, Shri Shrivastava has spearheaded numerous educational and charitable endeavours. Under his leadership, MICI has expanded its reach by managing public schools affiliated with the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE). A pivotal achievement of MICI has been sponsoring the establishment of the Maharishi University of Information Technology (MUIT) in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh. This university has emerged as a beacon of learning, embodying Shri Shrivastava’s vision of education that transcends conventional boundaries. In recognition of his expertise and commitment, Shri Shrivastava was appointed as the Chancellor of MUIT by the Government of Uttar Pradesh. His stewardship has guided the institution to become a centre of academic excellence, fostering innovative thinking and holistic student development.

Continuing his quest for educational advancement, Shri Shrivastava has been instrumental in the establishment of the Maharishi Mahesh Yogi Ramayan University in Ayodhya. As the Life-Long Founding Chancellor, he has laid the groundwork for this university, which has secured approval from the Government of Uttar Pradesh and is set to commence operations in August 2025. This institution aims to blend traditional Vedic knowledge with modern education, serving as a testament to Shri Shrivastava’s dedication to preserving and promoting India’s rich cultural heritage.

Further extending his educational vision, Shri Shrivastava has obtained governmental approval for the creation of the Maharishi Mahesh Yogi International Agriculture University in Kanpur. This initiative underscores his commitment to integrating sustainable agricultural practices with advanced research and education. Work on this ambitious project is already underway, and it promises to be a transformative force in agricultural education and rural development.

Shri Ajay Prakash Shrivastava’s influence extends beyond educational institutions to various esteemed organizations. As the President of Maharishi Shiksha Sansthan, he oversees the operations of over 125 Maharishi Vidya Mandir schools across India. These institutions, affiliated with either the CBSE or state boards, embody his dedication to accessible, high-quality education.

His role as the Founding Trustee of the Maharishi Ved Vigyan Vishwa Vidya Peetham (MVVVVP) Trust has been pivotal in promoting Vedic education through the Maharishi Vedic Pandit projects. This trust reflects his deep commitment to preserving the spiritual and intellectual legacy of Vedic teachings. Shri Shrivastava’s vision for social and spiritual renewal finds expression through the Swami Bramhanand Saraswati Charitable Trust (SBSCT). Founded to advance Maharishi Mahesh Yogi’s projects at Sangam Tat, Prayag, this trust plays a significant role in conducting Vedic Anusthans and related activities.

As the General Secretary of the Spiritual Regeneration Movement (SRM) Foundation of India, Shri Shrivastava has tirelessly worked to spread the practice of Transcendental Meditation (TM). Established in 1963, SRM is the oldest organisation dedicated to promoting TM as introduced by His Holiness Maharishi Mahesh Yogi. Shri Shrivastava’s leadership has been instrumental in bringing the benefits of TM to people across India, enhancing their well-being and fostering a culture of mindfulness and inner peace. Internationally, his role as a Trustee of the Maharishi Foundation in the UK highlights his commitment to sharing the teachings of Maharishi Mahesh Yogi on a global scale.

Shri Shrivastava’s leadership is not confined to education and spirituality alone; he has also contributed to sustainable development. As the immediate past President of the Solar Energy Society of India (SESI), he advocated for increased awareness and adoption of solar energy, aligning with India’s push for renewable energy solutions. His promotion of Maharishi Solar Technology further reflects his dedication to sustainable technological advancements.

Shri Ajay Prakash Shrivastava’s diverse roles as President, Chancellor, Founding Trustee, and General Secretary across various educational and charitable institutions underscore his multifaceted expertise and tireless commitment to social, educational, and environmental progress. By integrating scientific thought, Vedic wisdom, and modern education, Shri Shrivastava has created a unique legacy that continues to inspire and guide generations in India and beyond.

(Disclaimer: The above press release comes to you under an arrangement with PNN. PTI takes no editorial responsibility for the same.)