The search for answers can sometimes lead down a very wrong path
By Erica Boucher
Any time a cult such as Heaven’s Gate or Branch Davidians hits the headlines, shock waves ripple through the nation. We shake our heads in amazement, unable to understand how anyone could be so deluded as to join one of these groups. We think of ourselves as intelligent, educated and worldly wise; surely we would see something like that coming from a mile away, right?
Not necessarily. One of the trickiest aspects of a cult—or in sociological terms, “new religious movement” (NRM)—is that it’s not always easy to define or recognize. And although most experiences are not lethal, they can, as two of my dear friends recently learned, have long-term emotional, spiritual and financial repercussions.
Searching for Answers
In 2012, self-improvement books, seminars and retreats were an $11.17 billion market that has grown significantly over the past decade. While all of this focus on growth and evolution may be a good thing—and there are wonderful, uplifting organizations—the search for enlightenment comes with risks.
It can be such a relief to believe that someone else has all the answers, has life all figured out. We’ve been groomed to look outside of ourselves for guidance and direction; after all, it’s built into many of our religious teachings. But beware any group—new or traditional—that tells you what to think, rather than encouraging you to think for yourself.
My own dangerous dabbling with a cult took place more than a decade ago, and while I didn’t understand or like what I was witnessing, I stuck around for the entire initial “training.” Although I never went back, it had a prolonged and disturbing effect on me, and it took me some time to realize to what I had been exposed.
The most troublesome part of the experience was watching hundreds of educated and intelligent adults fall prey to psychological manipulation right before my eyes. One by one they adopted a glassy-eyed, blissed out look, as if they’d just been handed the secret keys to the universe. Even though I was standing right next to them, I could no longer feel them. It was like being in a room of zombies.
If you didn’t join as a new believer, you were outcast. To prove you were a true believer you had to invest in the next level of training at a significant cost, and that was just the beginning of the financial investment you would be strongly encouraged to make.
Not only were you expected to buy in, you were expected to recruit others. In fact, I myself was there at the strong urgings of people I knew and respected. How could we all be so easily misled? My experience left me shaken, so I did some research and found similar stories—and warnings:
One man advised, “Stay away. An intense course that deconstructs personality and rebuilds it around continued participation in the group.”
Another described his experience as, “The most powerful and dangerous experience in my life… unlike anything I had experienced in 21 years of formal training and six years of medical residency.” He continued, “There is a real and measurable risk to the individuals involved in this work. So far, I have found eight case reports in the medical literature describing complete mental breakdowns requiring hospitalization after [this] training.”
As for my two friends, following what she describes as almost two years of brainwashing, isolation, and mental and emotional abuse, one was coerced into making financial decisions that resulted in a financial loss of close to half a million dollars. She managed to break away and is now re-evaluating her entire belief system.
Another remains with the cult, serving as a virtual slave to its leader, including sexual favors. Her glassy-eyed compliance has made our friendship challenging.
Again, these are mature, educated people, not naïve young seekers.
Who’s at Risk
According to the Cult Hotline & Clinic, “Cults no longer focus on the young and searching. They have expanded their recruitment efforts to include adults and senior citizens…they can bring in more money by preying on issues around mid-life crises, and fears around aging.”
Since cults often present themselves as religions, they appeal to the spiritually disillusioned in search of some kind of salvation or purpose. And because they offer instant acceptance, support and community, someone going through a life crisis or feeling isolated and lonely is particularly vulnerable.
To protect yourself, don’t share your financial information, and don’t go to a remote place where you may be unable to escape. This may sound farfetched, but brainwashing is easier to do without outside influences, and many cults use the lure of a “retreat.”
A number of cults continue to operate openly and successfully in our culture. With U.S. victims alone estimated at more than 20 million, chances are good that even if you don’t think you’ve had direct contact, you almost certainly have.
—International yoga travel guide, life coach and hypnotherapist Erica Boucher is the author of Showing Up Naked and creator of Empath Yoga, a heart-centered yoga training that includes personal development and elements of hypnosis.
Recognizing a Cult
Kevin Crawley, author of Reintegration of Exiting Cult Members with Their Families: A Brief Intervention Model, describes three typical essential elements of a cult:
• An “us” vs. “them” mentality.
• Subtle but intense indoctrination techniques, including one or more of the following: subjection to stress and fatigue; social disruption, isolation and pressure; criticism and humiliation; fear, anxiety and paranoia; control of information; escalating commitment; use of autohypnosis to induce peak experiences.
• A charismatic leader or group of leaders teaching that the cult is a special path to safety and salvation.
Be Proactive!
Most people are attracted to cults because they’re searching for either community and support, or greater clarity in their lives. To find others who share your interests and can potentially be friends, search online for a MeetUp (www.meetup.com) in your area; there are meetups for everything from horseback riding to walking meditation or reading poetry—and if you can’t find one that appeals to you, you can start your own. If you like to bike, join CICLE (www.cicle.org) or the LA Bicycle Coalition (www.la-bike.org). If yoga is your groove, check out after-class events via your local studio or, if it’s your inclination, at Angel City Brewery, where you can share a local brew afterward.
If it’s spiritual connection you’re seeking, L.A. offers many non-traditional options, including numerous meditation-based organizations, dozens of progressive churches and at least two Renewal-based temples.
To help find clarity in your life, look into psychotherapy, meditation or perhaps an intuitive healer or psychic (find suggestions in our Professional Services Directory, pg. 34 in our digital and print editions.)
The most important step to take is the first one: just begin. And whatever you decide to explore, don’t check your judgment at the door, and don’t give up if your first effort doesn’t bring the hoped-for result. There’s something to be learned in every moment, even if it’s only that a particular path is not right for you.
—Flo Atkinson
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