By World Economic Forum from Cologny, Switzerland [CC BY-SA 2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons This week my family was invited to an advanced showing of a new documentary, The Music of Strangers: Yo-Yo Ma and […]
Creativity, Spontaneity, All Spring from the Authentic Self: Silk Road Project Film Read More
On Thursday, news broke that another of the missing Chibok schoolgirls kidnapped by the Islamist extremist cult Boko Haram two years ago has been found. The second in just as many days, she is being hailed officially by the authorities of Nigeria as a success story and paraded in front of the media as proof the new government’s ability to defeat the cult. However, there have also been reports circulating that paint a much less celebratory picture.
It seems that some of the locals in the villages are afraid of accepting anyone who has been involved with Boko Haram. In some areas, the fear is so strong that other women who have returned from the group’s forced captivity are considered to be “unclean” and “untrustworthy” – including innocent babies fathered by acts of rape. Though it is true that sometimes women taken by the militant cult have been used as suicide bombers, even those who present no physical danger are being cast away and even shunned. This same situation is occurring with those fleeing ISIS and other cults across the globe.
Cult Survivors Need Compassion and Help to Recover Read More
A recent photo of Gladys Gonzalez, myself, and Nestor Garcia M.D. May 11th 1976 was the day. After five days of deprogramming, I “woke up” and emerged from being a “model Moonie” and leader to
My Waking Up Day- 40 Years Later- I am Filled with Gratitude! Read More
In 2010, I wrote a Huffington Post blog about the need for Scientology’s U.S. tax exempt status to be removed. With no change six years later, it is time to really make an effort to get the IRS to act.
Word on the dangers of this group is getting out. The past few years have seen the release of important books like Ron Miscavige’s Ruthless, Leah Remini’s Troublemaker and Jon Atack’s classic A Piece of Blue Sky. The group has lost a few high profile members (Lisa Marie Presley, Katie Holmes) who have spoken out against the organization. In addition, a number of documentaries including Lawrence Wright’s Going Clear, Louis Theroux’s My Scientology Movie, and the 30 hour conference Getting Clear (which was recorded and is available online) featuring top former leaders and insiders have been made telling us what’s really going inside the group.
Let’s End Scientology’s Tax Exemption Now! Read More
By now, almost everyone reading has heard the news that Prince has died. Though the exact cause of his death is still unknown, there have been speculations that his beliefs as a Jehovah’s Witness may have played a part. Whether or not the rumors are true, it is a fact that Jehovah’s Witnesses are taught to abstain from blood transfusions. If Prince were to have refused treatment and died, he would not be the first to do so as a result of Watchtower doctrine.*
One has to wonder though, how does a person like Prince become a Jehovah’s Witness?
Prince and the Power of Undue Influence Read More
I am often approached by concerned family members of adult cult members who need help. I work with the family by coaching them to use my Strategic Interactive Approach. This involves teaching them how to
Reaching Out: Communicating After Cult Exit Read More
Tomorrow is the third anniversary of the infamous Boston Marathon bombing. As an American citizen and a resident of the Boston area, I feel a great sense of sadness when I think about that horrible
Boston Marathon Bombing: Three Years Later Read More
The World Mission Society Church of God (WMSCOG) has been growing exponentially in recent years. The little known group, thought by many, including myself, to be a destructive group is taking to the streets and posting YouTube videos in an effort to recruit even more people into their ranks. I posted a video of a presentation done by a Korean anti-cult activist, Professor Ji-il Tark, on my vimeo.com site at http://vimeo.com/14811127
Amazingly, there has not been a single major media expose done on the group yet, and I am hoping that this blog will motivate a lot of coverage. The public needs to be warned.
Countless times over the past weeks, I’ve been asked: Is Mormonism a cult? My life’s work has been studying the psychology of influence, so that’s a fair question. Since I myself was rescued from the
An Expert Responds to the Cult Controversy re: Mormonism Read More
Last night, I went to see Martha Marcy May Marlene, the new movie about a woman who runs away from a destructive cult. Writer/director Sean Durkin has clearly done his homework. His film gets so
A Cult Expert Reviews the Movie “Martha Marcy May Marlene” Read More
In an article in the Santa Fe Reporter, “Khalsa vs Khalsa,” journalist Corey Pein reported on the dramatic schism erupting between the students and family of the late Yogi Bhajan, who are feuding in Oregon
The Disturbing Mainstream Connections of Yogi Bhajan Read More
This morning’s Boston Globe reads, “An avalanche of worry” and I can’t help but think that there are countless numbers of people whose lives will be negatively and psychologically impacted by these grim economic developments.
Vulnerable Times: We All Need to Protect Ourselves and Each Other! Read More
