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The Cult Next Door

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  • May 12, 2015 at 2:15 am #76649
    Will
    Participant

    I’ve recently become aware of an organisation in my city that teaches some kind of spiritual awakening (it’s not at all clear what their teachings entail exactly) and I feel very confident they are a cult. All the hallmarks are there: a charismatic leader, expensive trainings, preternaturally friendly smiley people with a slightly vacant look in their eyes, and even a front organisation under a different name doing something seemingly innocuous.

    Yesterday I spoke to someone whose sister is in this cult (she called it a cult) and heard about her frustration with it. No one very close to me is involved with this, although I can think of some people it might appeal to (though I do hope they’ve got better sense than that). They pull in young people who feel a bit lost in life (no shortage of those) and lead them deeper into the woods while taking their money and making them feel like they’ve finally found the truth. It makes me angry.

    They’re based in a community centre I like and frequent. I know everyone’s path is different, I have no evidence this group is doing anything illegal, and ultimately it’s nothing to do with me. But it’s driving me nuts that they’re there.

    Has anyone else had this at hand? Do you have expriences with cults? I want to do something, but I’m not sure what.

    May 12, 2015 at 3:23 am #76652
    Matt
    Participant

    Will,

    I used to feel something very similar to this when walking through the mall. And watching television commercials. And reading message boards. The best response is to sit down and shut up. Who are you to say what is needed? 🙂

    For me, peace blossomed as I looked at how the teaching quality of suffering meets the inner resilience of people. A person buys into some ideas, makes the purchase, and while it may or may not be some transformational experience toward happiness, it is one of a thousand steps along their path. No matter what is being sold, the promise of enlightenment or a blouse, we don’t really know how that sale is influencing the buyer, how it steers them. This makes our assumptions about it being a step into or out of the woods false, projection of our own fear of being vulnerable, lead astray, and whatnot. Ironically, judging the cults in the world comes from ego and enforces it, making us less likely to be able to meet a cultist with the clear singing voice of our dharma. Me geting worked up, for example, by a salesman working hard at convincing a shopper that the latest fashion is just what they need, turns two people dancing with illusions into three people dancing with illusions. Fighting fire with gasoline, and the like.

    If its driving you really really nuts, then perhaps look deep at the way your developmental exercises have been making you feel better than others, more advanced, more “real”, more awake, more divine. That cult leader, for example, is every bit as human and important to nature as we are. That’s our human sibling, not a lesser character, and perhaps helps us turn our own swords to plowshares as we trigger ourselves by projecting and cycling with fantasy, getting bored, shutting up. What a blessing! Keep breathing.

    With warmth,
    Matt

    PS *waves*, thanks!

    May 12, 2015 at 4:51 am #76654
    Inky
    Participant

    Hi Will,

    Hi Matt!

    OK, there are two things you can do. One is to find websites that list organizations that are a cult. It might be already well known. If not, tell the moderators about it and have it put on the list.

    The other thing is to make a couple dozen flyers and put them strategically around the city where the kids are. No kid wants to feel duped and will give the place a side-eye after seeing a “Warning: Cult!” flyer.

    I mean my attitude is Yes, live and let live. But if my inner alarms are going off, and red flags are everywhere, Knowledge is Power. If a kid wants to join a cult or cult-like organization with both eyes open, fine. But I would want to give the people a heads up simply because I am part of the community. The organization has to earn the community’s trust and act legit (drop the outrageous prices, charismatic leaders and hypnotism of our young people).

    P.S. I once met a woman whose sister had been part of a cult. The woman had mob connections (this was back in the 70s/80s) and the mob got the sister out. Yes, it was one of *Those* cults where they sequester the family members away, and they had the sister’s daughter too.

    OK, Good Luck Will!

    Inky

    May 12, 2015 at 6:15 am #76657
    Matt
    Participant

    Hello Inky! Glad to see you still singing.

    The problem I see with your strategy is that cults have mystique, and those flyers are free advertising. Perhaps if Will addresses the “driven nuts” internal quality first, she would quite naturally know what to do? Not “live and let live”, such as forgive and walk away. Rather, become clear first, then flow with wisdom and compassion. Flowing, internally aligned, we meet the right people and have the right words to say at the right time.

    With warmth,
    Matt

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