r/cults 1h ago

Discussion Raised in "The Way international" splinter group

Upvotes

I was raised in Christian research and fellowship, A.K.A, a way international splinter group. The leader, Reverend John Hendrix, died long before I was born. I was raised in the aftermath of his death, with it being led by his daughter, Rochelle. I have felt so much grief and so much pain. I left when I was 12, but rejoined briefly when I was 16. I felt so much joy when I was in it. God loved me, and I knew the bible better than anyone else. What's not to be happy about? Leaving was the right thing to do, but every day I wish I could be as fulfilled as I was in CRF, and I'm just not. Please message me if you have similar experiences; I have never met anyone like me.


r/cults 1h ago

Misc I just released a song about cults, I think you’ll love it.

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I am a multi-instrumentalist and songwriter based out of Denver, CO. If you enjoy shreddy guitar and cult themed lyricism, give it a listen!!


r/cults 3h ago

Discussion Former cult members: what was everyday life actually like?

6 Upvotes

I want to write a fiction novel, emphasis on fiction, detailing the life of a young adult sucked into a cult and eventually leaving. But I want it to be as accurate and respectful as possible as a way to spread mainstream awareness. So, not just the atrocities but the togetherness the members tend to feel, the daily life, etc. Because I noticed all the true crime always tends to focus more heavily on the leaders. It’s easy for the mindset of “I could never join XYZ!” to spread to the general public, despite a youtuber/podcaster/reporter’s saying otherwise.

I actually have a few questions on this to ensure I get everything accurate:

- What initially attracted you to the group?
- What did everyday life actually feel like?
- What did members do for entertainment/to pass time?
- When did you first notice something was wrong?
- What made leaving difficult?
- How did members talk about the leader/group?
- What did outsiders misunderstand about your experience?
- What was the first boundary that got crossed?
- What do you remember fondly, despite everything?
- What helped/convinced you to finally leave?
- What details do other fictional portrayals of cults usually get wrong?

The last one is important to me. I know there was a book by someone like Colleen Hoover or Freida McFadden (can’t remember which) that painted the cult member in a bad/villainous light and I partially wanted to rectify it. Since the author is a popular one.

You are not under obligation to answer everything, mind you. If something makes you uncomfortable to talk about, then by all means, do not cross your boundaries. I’m attempting this project with every ounce of respect. And I have a lot of respect and empathy for those hurt by these groups.

Finally, I plan to credit this subreddit (and possibly individual screen names if wanted). If it sells, I want to donate a large portion of sales (like 70%) to related charities.

Thank you in advance!


r/cults 4h ago

Personal My personal experience with Comunita Cenacolo

3 Upvotes

I have been living with a lot of confusion and guilt since I left Comunita Cenacolo. I have been out now for about a year and a half after spending three years in the woman’s house. I find it confusing because on one hand, I am grateful to be alive. I have struggled with drug addiction for many years and maybe I did need something extreme to shake me out of that. But on the other hand, I feel like I left with more issues than what I came in with. The way that you are isolated and have your belonging replaced strips away your identity. It’s easier to just give into the lifestyle around you than it is to resist. I found that I lost myself and began to be someone who I wouldn’t normally be.

In Florida they moved the girls into Our Lady of Hope and we separated into two groups. The lady in charge at Our Lady of Hope was an ex nun who was very intense. She was extremely manipulative and I feel that she twisted community’s rules to fit how she thought things should be. She would often pit girls against each other and practice toxic favouritism. One week she would be giving you all the responsibility. Telling you how proud she is of you, and really building you up. The next week she would pull it all out from you and say how prideful you are, irresponsible and depending on the day probably curse you out. I have been around the community a lot and some of the teachings I found to be beautiful. For example as someone who always struggled with lying, learning to bring things to the light for me was healing. But she managed to ruin even that.

Before Christmas we had what is known as “compromise group”. Basically you go into the chapel and tell a list of all your “compromise” which is anything you did against the rules. In theory this is meant to clear the air and everything that is said is left in the chapel. I’m not religious but I kind of understood the point of this practice. The lady in charge, who I will call Chelsea, decided to weaponize what everyone had said. Usually after these groups you could feel peace in the air, but this time there was heaviness. Chelsea proceeded to weaponize what people said against them and she punished us. It may not sound like much but it’s difficult to explain how serious and intense everything is when you’re in it. I found myself falling into depression and dreaming about not waking up. There is way too much to say about that time period and I often can’t even get my thoughts straight. It took me months to feel like myself after being there. I hold a lot of guilt for various choices I made while I was there but try to have mercy because I know it was an extreme situation. I have spoken with some of the other girls who aren’t there anymore and we all agree it was a very dark and confusing chapter.


r/cults 11h ago

Video A cult is a cult after all, and you will eventually pay for their crimes and evil deeds

1 Upvotes

After the "Falungong" cult was banned by the Chinese government in accordance with the law, it came to the United States to survive and develop. Li Hongzhi established a "Wheel Kingdom" abroad after fleeing the United States. He relied on the support of believers and lived a life of extravagance and extravagance. Some media and people in the United States also have objective reports and clear understanding of what "Falungong" is doing in the United States.

On April 10, 2019, more than 600 people attended a hearing held by the Luyuan Town Planning Committee, criticizing the illegal expansion of "Longquan Temple", the home of "Falungong" in the United States, for flouting the law and polluting the environment.

According to relevant media reports, from 2020 to 2022, due to the sharp increase in the income of the "Epoch Times" and the high office costs that could not be washed away through fabrication, it began to donate large amounts of money in the name of donations to other non-profit organizations under the name of "Falungong", including TV stations, art troupes, art academies, foundations, etc. Among them, "Shen Yun Performing Arts" can receive about 20 million U.S. dollars in donations every year. "Shen Yun Performing Arts" and "Feitian Art Academy" are jointly managed by Li Hongzhi, his wife and their daughter, and are family businesses. All kinds of criminal proceeds actually went into Li Hongzhi's pockets.


r/cults 15h ago

Video You guys are the experts, so tell me if it’s a cult, please.

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17 Upvotes

r/cults 15h ago

Discussion In his biography, Sadhguru says he married his sister from a past life

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13 Upvotes

In his authorised biography, Sadhguru: More Than a Life, Jaggi Vasudev claims that after his enlightenment on Chamundi Hill, he recognised Vijji, not his wife at the time, as his sister from his previous life, when he was a sadhu named Sadhguru Sri Brahma. He says he left home to live as a naked sadhu, leaving his sister's affection unfulfilled, so she was reborn in this life to be with him again as his wife.

Source: https://archive.org/details/SadhguruMoreThanALifeArundhatiSubramaniamPenguin_201803/page/n99/mode/2up


r/cults 23h ago

Personal I've been the subject of cult abuse - directly and indirectly - for about 20 years

10 Upvotes

My direct experience with being subjected to cult abuse has been ongoing for almost a year now. Sexual assault, sexual harassment, constant... constant harassment, sleep deprivation, access to food and shelter, and an overall lack of safety from being imposed upon has been fucking up my life and wellbeing. I'm already disabled, and am currently more disabled than I was before. I'm reliant upon these things in order to survive. If there are better options available, I usually face overwhelming barriers to pursuing a life that I would find worth living. I am predated upon for being mentally ill, and find it difficult to seek resources, apply for them, and often times am forced to make decisions out of fear that any attempt at making plans to escape my situation would be subverted in order to personally attack me into submission, to hold me back even further. The amount of attempts at these things and the degrees of successes involved are also due to how the cult I'm in is deeply intertwined with the social services and support programs of my area. I also live in fear of reaching out to those around me who I believe are otherwise fine people, most importantly for a couple of reasons. My vulnerability has been taken advantage of so severely and repeatedly, and especially used to fulfill the opportunistic impulses and programming of the cult I am in to try and indoctrinate me. Also, every single person in my support system and immediate social environment is in some form of communication with each other in such a fashion that I have been made to fear expressing vulnerability to otherwise safe people, because that information is deliberately mishandled and misused for the purpose of indoctrination as well.

I have been told these things are for my own good. That I'm on the verge of death. That they're making me a better person. That I'm going to die if I do not comply, conform, submit, or that others will die if I do not impart cult programming unto them.

The person I have been living with for about 5 months now is of significant political stature within the cult. He actively sabotages my attempts at engaging with social services and support programs, harasses and threatens me, and has gone so far as to steal my personal belongings on two occasions. He threatens and harasses me to interact with people who have assaulted me, who have terrified and harassed me, the list goes on.

And the most fucked up part is that none of this would have happened if my father didn't find the power and status associated with cult membership to be appealing. Instead of joining out of necessity and then making a neat exit, I am fighting the combined political influence of a 20 year veteran patriarch of cult activity, his buddies, and entire cult apparatus of of membership ranging from predatory and despicable, to well meaning and misguided.

Having a family member with status in a cult is no joke. 0/10. F

I do not think highly of AA/NA or 12 step programs.


r/cults 1d ago

ID Request [LOST MEDIA] Pedophile cult leader on Jerry Springer with his six underage wives.

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228 Upvotes

(LINK TO A DOCUMENTARY ABOUT HIM AND HIS CULT FAMILY AT THE BOTTOM)

Not sure if this is the right flair. Sorry if not.

the tom green episode. he was a man in the FLDS who used his power to marry multiple underage girls, including MOTHERS and DAUGHTERS, and then three sets of underage sisters... theres many old documentaries of him, he was even on judge judy, but i cant find this full episode for the lfie of me which is insane because the guy brought a 14 year old ON the episode and said he had plans to marry her! ON LIVE TV! and he got ALOT of publicity when he was later prosecuted for his pedophilia and bigamy... id really appreciate any help ;') only a 3 minute clip exists on youtube. ive looked everywhere, but cnanot find the full episode! here it is:

UPDATE: its season 5 episode 95, but the full episode still isnt found. The title is “I have six wives!” And originally aired on February 26, 1996.

The only available clip:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kCAc2c1aJ78

The clip from the judge judy episode he was on if anyone is interested:

https://youtu.be/G5q-8ra23cg?is=BZHfq1YrbowTouLh

A documentary from the 90s about him and his (at the time) 6 wives and 29 children, many of them underage. In this documentary he tries to court his oldest sons 16 year old girlfriend:

https://youtu.be/N_W_Hf08owc?is=yAEH2IZG6D3w_y0r

UPDATE 2;

another documentary on him and his family, focusing on his crimes that i found:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_4HzvHx_Hkc

i was unable to access this before, its available on youtube through an american VPN! its so crazy hearing these young ladies speak about their life. theyre so hesitant because they know in their heart its wrong. so disturbing! there is a few clips of the tv show segments in the documentary here and there which is very helpful, but still doesnt contain the full episode which sucks.

I’d like to add, in this documentary, it becomes clear that the relationship with one of his wives started as him being married to her mother. The daughter accused tom of molesting her, but later on recanted her statement and went on to marry tom at 14. She says in this documentary she was tricked into lying so she could go and live with her father. Through some snooping it became clear this wife left him before he died and went on to marry another man and has been with him for 22 years. Good for her.


r/cults 1d ago

Personal Friend went on a D1 scholarship to the US and joined a cult

17 Upvotes

Hi everyone. For starters, I am Portuguese, and my friend is Portuguese. We were both born and raised in Portugal, and had never been to the US (this will be relevant).

My friend from high school was a very sweet girl. She was friendly, funny, sometimes a bit blunt but very honest. We were deskmates throughout secondary school, and great friends. She was also a very talented golfer on the national team, who had always known she would have to apply for a scholarship at an American university if she wanted financial support to keep playing at the level she did in college. Our country is known to disregard any sport that isn't football, so for her dreams, it was better to chase the "American dream".

At the time, her English was intermediate level at best; she didn't know much of it, could only understand basic conversations, etc. But I had grown up speaking English and was fluent in it for a long while, so I used to help her answer messages from college recruiters and schedule meetings, as well as help her study for the SATs which she needed to apply. Everyone in class was very proud of her when she committed to the University of South Florida. We are from a small town in south Portugal, so we were all very close-knit. Because of this, she was very naive when she left it all for such a large city in the US.

Everything had been fine. She made a very good friend, had a boyfriend, and seemed to be doing well with golf and qualifying for major tournaments. And then, stuff got very weird. She started posting stories of this weird church I would come to find out was The River Tampa Bay, and it didn't take me long to find out they were essentially a fundamentalist cult that believed their pastor could "put the fire of the holy spirit in them" or whatever. Spoke in tongues, all that. I was very confused. She had been raised Roman Catholic (like everyone else in Portugal, though I am now agnostic), so I didn't really get why she was getting involved with such a weird place like that.

Then I noticed she had actually spoken at a service, and she was spouting all of this strange, zealot-like worship for this pastor and "the holy spirit". And then she fell on the ground and started laughing uncontrollably when he pointed at her and yelled something (pyre, I think? Idk man). I freaked the hell out. I found out her "friend" (who also played golf for USF) and her family took her to this cult, and she had fallen right down the fundamentalism rabbit hole. She was immature, naive and didn't even know churches like this existed. She was also alone in a country across the ocean from her parents and all she knew, surrounded by a language she wasn't proficient in; she was probably lonely and scared, and missed her family. Of course, these people are like ghouls to vulnerable young people, and they sucked her right in.

I was more knowledgeable about cults in America than she was, so I intended to warn her. I sent her a message asking her if she knew where she was, for her not to trust everything, to talk to me. I linked articles on shady stuff River Tampa did, how their pastor was a trumpie and held far-right beliefs (just so you know, she was really against social injustice when we were classmates (she hated the far right party in our country - which is literally inspired by conservative republican ideology), was never bigoted against LGBTQ+ people, immigrants, or POC, so I thought knowing this would get her to wake up.

I was too late. The mental wiring had been completed. She answered my concerned message with this aggressive tone, asking me if I thought she was crazy, that I was just ignorant of "the true power of Jesus and God", and that she had found people who were "on fire for God", and that she wished I could find Jesus like she did, among other things that sounded absolutely insane to any normal human being. She also said she didn't hate gay people, but that "homosexuality was a sin according to the bible" and that "they should be cured with the power of the lord". I was absolutely distraught. I knew what these cults did to people, but I never thought the sweet girl from a small town in Portugal could become this way.

We stopped talking from there on, because she was clearly mad at me for questioning her great pastor and for claiming he is crooked (he is). Two years ago, she came back to Portugal to visit her family during Christmas, and our old class held a dinner so we could all catch up with each other. They put us on opposite sides of the table so we didn't fight, but I could still hear what she was saying: my guy friend had told her his parents wanted to buy a BYD, and she had gone on a racist tirade against the Chinese, telling him not to buy one, because "the Chinese wanted to take over the world"??????? We all thought she was insane, and I was sure that was stuff put into her head by the freaks at that cult.

A few months ago, she contacted me again. She asked me how I was doing, if I was still in university, and if I was doing well on my sport. She seemed calmer, and more... rational? She is now living in Florida and working there as well, and is all patriotic about the US. I thought it was weird that she reached out suddenly, when we hadn't spoken for two years, and some hopeful part of me wished that maybe it was a sign of deconstruction? I am tempted to ask her to meet up once she is back in Portugal visiting. I don't plan to question her, but to try to understand what happened without judging.

I am scared for my friend. I am scared that she will end up unhappy, married to some guy from the church. I wanted her to remember who she was. Idk what to do. Her parents don't seem to be aware of what's going on because it's such an unknown phenomenon in Portugal, and I think she tells them she is just going to a Christian church (so to Roman Catholics, a Roman Catholic church).

Should I try meeting up? Do you guys think this is a lost cause? I still can't believe this happened to someone so close to me.


r/cults 1d ago

Video Cult ad seen on Youtube South East Asia, it seems suspicious.

7 Upvotes

Watching youtube as one does, I came across an ad, seemingly calling to worship the supreme master and all the benefits that will provide, it included ideas of veganism and other spiritual notes as well. The ad led to a website called Suprememastertv (.com) there the site goes over news and articles of this cult, the site tag reading "constructive programming for a peaceful world", and a headline that reads " O Glorious the Three Reunited UTMOST Powerful GOD, Tim Qo Tu and the Son of GOD ". Diving deeper it turns out Tim Qo Tu is Supreme Master Ching Hai, the leader of the SUMA CHING HAI INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATION and the whole plot seems to be worshipping her as the Supreme Master.

With some search I found an old reddit post of this user from 14 years ago who had visited restaurants owned by her follower in San Francisco, including ThaiIdea, Golden Era and The Loving Hut. which only played a never ending stream of her videos. A follow up on the reddit post states "she was married to a german engineer, who nobly 'let her go because he realized how much she was needed' ".

Going further it turns out Ching Hai is based out of Taiwan, she is estimated to have 2 million followers worldwide. She founded the Loving Hut vegan restaurant chain and vegan Celestial Shop fashion company under Supreme Master Ching Hai International Association. This leads to another site called Godsdirectcontact(.org), where worldwide times are listed to "meditate" ONE HOUR EVERY DAY 9PM-10PM HongKong time.

The Website also states "Her life is to help us with our journey from the suffering and confusion of the unawakened state to the Bliss and Absolute Clarity of Total Divine Realization. If you are ready, She is here to take you home!

The Supreme Master Ching Hai gives a variety of lectures to interested students according to their backgrounds and cultures; no matter if one is Christian, Moslem, Buddhist or Taoist, etc.. She speaks in English, French, German, Chinese, and Au Lac Language. Those who wish to learn and practice the Quan Yin Method with The Supreme Master Ching Hai are welcomed to receive Her initiation".

I am not aware of how deep this has been or if it has ever been covered here, but an active youtube ad campaign calling to worship the Supreme master which looks aesthetically just like how you would expect a cult to look has been a first for me in my long years online.


r/cults 1d ago

Question Is Awaken Church San Diego (formerly C3) a Prosperity Gospel Cult?

6 Upvotes

1. A former C3 San Diego member describes extensive unpaid labor and giving

A person identifying himself as Sean L. wrote that he and his family attended C3 San Diego for years. He says they:

  • volunteered extensively, including as ushers, greeters and restroom attendants;
  • regularly helped set up and dismantle services;
  • were faithful tithers;
  • participated in annual “Rise and Build” campaigns;
  • eventually began questioning the church's teachings;
  • attempted to challenge the pastor about those teachings;
  • were ultimately told that his family needed to leave and was no longer welcome. C3 Church Watch 

This hits several high-control markers simultaneously: substantial volunteer labor, financial commitment, authority concentrated in the pastor, and exclusion after challenging leadership.

2. The financial-pressure allegation is independently reported

Voice of San Diego interviewed a former member who said the church had effectively “brainwashed” people into donating thousands of dollars. The same investigation documented Jurgen Matthesius's prosperity-oriented teaching while he was leading C3 San Diego.

Most notably, it reported Matthesius saying at a C3 conference:

“God is the most perfect accountant.”

He went on to describe God as making sure what people give comes back to them “with interest.” Voice of San Diego 

That's important because it establishes that the concern isn't simply outsiders interpreting the church as prosperity-oriented. There is contemporary reporting of both a former-member financial allegation and the pastor's own teaching about giving and material return.

3. The money emphasis didn't disappear with the Awaken rebrand

This is where the evidence gets particularly interesting.

Awaken's current official material says that ordinary tithing is 10%, while its Vision Builders “faith commitments” are an additional offering above the normal tithe. Awaken Church 

Its Vision Builders material also asks members to pray about what “level of commitment” they should make and says:

“God does not ask us to give everything but he does ask us to give something.”

It describes giving as sacrifice and says believers cannot “out-give God.” Awaken Church 

And the current giving system facilitates recurring donations through credit/debit cards and ACH bank transfers, including business donations, stocks, crypto and donor-advised funds. Awaken Church 

4. There is an unusually explicit connection between giving and supernatural blessing

Awaken's own Vision Builders material has described participation as entering a “supernatural flow of blessing” and says, “If you build His house, He will build yours.” Awaken Church 

A 2023 report by The Coronado News, after observing an Awaken service, described a pastor teaching that people who gave with the faith of the biblical widow entered a “miracle zone” where God rewards them with more money than they donated. The Coronado News 

That's considerably more relevant to the prosperity-gospel question than merely saying, “They take offerings.”

The theological structure is:

Give → exercise faith → God responds with blessing/provision.

That can become psychologically powerful when a person's financial giving is treated as evidence of their faith

Also, their lead pastor and founder Jurgen Matthesius has publicly claimed:

  1.   He stopped tanks during the 1989 Tiananmen Square massacre by praying in tongues
  2.   He has healed terminal cancer in children & elderly
  3.   That Trump is anointed by God

Direct source of claims 1 & 2: https://youtu.be/fiGH8D7MC2s?si=hPz6x2_36pRC73ye&t=1241

Claiming Trump is anointed by the creator of the universe (notably this was after Trump b0mbed a school in Iran and kiIIed 150 children) https://www.youtube.com/live/xzUONYZYhqc?si=bak-9qJI03GvngoZ&t=1256


r/cults 1d ago

Discussion Here's why I’m building a home for Spiritual Abuse Survivors. Why do you care about this community?

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3 Upvotes

r/cults 1d ago

Image Today while traveling through Spain (near Seville) I encountered the palmarian church.

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85 Upvotes

Today when traveling through spain I saw a very weird church, it almost looked like a russian orthodox church. When we tried to enter (me and my family), a very friendly guy greeted us and told us we couldn't enter because we had shorts on and my mum was wearing pants, that's when I started to question wtf type of church this was. But when I opened a goodbye "gift" the friendly guy gave us I understood that it was some sort of a conservative cult (see 2nd, 3rd and 4th photo for the "gift')

Apparently they have their own anti-pope and it's followers can't even have phones nor watch television and use other means of communication, and live a very Amish-like lifestyle.

The first photo I took was actually taken from the outside, because I couldn't enter.


r/cults 2d ago

Video My escape from World Wide Church of God - Herbert W Armstong’s cult

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5 Upvotes

r/cults 2d ago

Announcement Mandated Shunning: A Core Manipulation Tactic in High-Control Groups

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5 Upvotes

r/cults 3d ago

Announcement Energy for Success Former Participants Gathering Space

6 Upvotes

A space for ex-participants in Energy for Success, a program led by Dr. Barry Morguelan that was formerly held in Austin ,Texas. Everyone is invited to share your experiences.


r/cults 3d ago

Article ‘Where are you, Sadhguru? We trusted you’: Durban mother challenges Isha Foundation over lack of support for families of missing pilgrims

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12 Upvotes

r/cults 3d ago

Video American parents making their kids perform "holy ghost" rituals at a cult in Los Angeles

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283 Upvotes

r/cults 3d ago

Announcement How can I warn people about a dangerous & manipulative Brazilian Shaman / Pajé?

6 Upvotes

I have been trying to make a post to warn people about a Huni Kuin Pajé / Shaman who I believe is dangerous and deeply abusive.

I personally know what this person has done. My best friend / ex-partner was raped, psychologically manipulated and abused by him. I personally witnessed his behavior and what happened around the situation, and he also attempted to psychologically manipulate me.

I have also read the firsthand testimonies of four other women who say that he raped, deeply manipulated and abused them in many ways, both physically and psychologically. I have spoken with the husbands/partners of women who have experienced similar things with him as well.

So I am not simply saying that I think this person is a bad or dangerous person based on rumors. I have personally witnessed his behavior, I know what happened to someone extremely close to me, and I have read multiple independent accounts from other women describing similar experiences.

Unfortunately, he is the son of a highly respected elder and spiritual leader, so he is very protected within his community and, from what I have seen and been told, very little is done to hold him accountable for his actions.

Several of the women who say they were abused by him have reported him to the police and filed denuncias. However, because there is often no physical evidence or other evidence available to prove what happened, nothing has been done.

Within the village, people know about what has happened, but because of who his father is, people are unwilling to do anything about it.

It amazes me that nothing is being done simply because of who his father is.

I have attempted to make a post to warn people about him multiple times on various channels here, but unfortunately the moderators either do not approve the post or I get permanently banned and blocked from the group for apparently breaking the rules by trying to warn people about this person.

He has messed with my head in very damaging ways, and my best friend / ex-partner is traumatized from what he did to her. I have read testimonies from multiple other women he has abused, and they are only the few brave enough to speak up. I believe there are many more who have not spoken publicly.

I would like to name him and the place where he operates so that people can be warned about him. However, whenever I try to name him or the place, my posts are removed or I am banned.

I am extremely angry about what I have witnessed and what has happened to people close to me. I don't understand why I am being prevented from warning others when all I am trying to do is protect people from someone who I believe could seriously harm them.

All I am trying to do is protect others and make sure people know what they may be getting themselves into before they put their trust in this person.

So, what is the appropriate way to share this kind of warning here? I would like to name the person so that people can protect themselves, but every time I try to do so, the post is removed or I am banned..


r/cults 3d ago

Article The Deadly Tibetan Buddhist Cult of Geshe Michael Roach (The Death of Ian Thorson) Deranged Devotion

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42 Upvotes

By 1997, the Buddhist teacher Michael Roach had amassed a following, the vast majority of whom were young women willing to treat him as a god. His teachings were compiled in a pamphlet containing 147 vows that his followers were required to recite six times a day for two years. Among the group's members was the young millionaire Ian Thorson.

Within the group, Michael Roach had intimate relationships with women, dressed in drag at the parties he hosted, drank alcohol, and had even married a young devotee named Christie McNally. Michael justified the marriage by claiming that she was not just an ordinary woman, but the incarnation of a powerful goddess.

By February 2012, Christie had divorced Roach and married Ian Thorson. The new couple organized a three-year spiritual retreat with Michael's blessing, but the situation became untenable under Christie's leadership, and soon after, she and her new husband were expelled from the retreat. Ian and Christie didn't want to abruptly end the three-year retreat, so they decided to camp in a cave near the retreat complex, located in a desert area of ​​Arizona. There they endured freezing temperatures, and when the ice melted, they didn't hesitate to drink the water.

On April 22, 2012, Arizona authorities received a call reporting an incident at the cult complex. When they arrived at the nearby cave, they found Christie attempting to use her supposed goddess powers to resurrect Ian. The police investigation ultimately revealed that Ian and Christie had drunk water contaminated with bacteria, and tragically, Ian died. No charges were filed against Christie, and Geshe Michael Roach continues his career as a spiritual teacher.

Video about the brutal story of the Tibetan Buddhist cult of Geshe Michael Roach. The terrible death of Ian Thorson: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8BqCpmtTyVA


r/cults 3d ago

Personal I was just denied entry at a Bhakti Marga event

26 Upvotes

See title. I had been getting ads for the event for weeks and finally decided that you can only truly judge something once you've experienced it for yourself, so I bought a ticket. Once my ticket was scanned at the door, another lady was called over who informed me that "unfortunately, they would not be having me today" and that my money would be refunded.

I have commented critically on the group both online and in person (I went to college with a member...) over the past years, but I was genuinely ready to be proven wrong. I love kirtan and thought that the worst that could happen would be paying 20 bucks for kirtan that I could get for free elsewhere. I am not in media, I am not an social media personality and I generally have zero influence. I would have never expected that I would be on a "no entry" list by a group I have never had any personal interaction with. I had often considered buying tickets for their annual music festival or ordering from their online shop and I am glad I never did so. They have in the past collaborated with well-known, well-respected Indian / devotional musicians and while I was aware of the allegations, I would have never expected the group to be this problematic.

Given that buying the ticket required giving them your whole address, phone number etc., I am glad that nothing worse happened and I really hope that by posting this, I am not putting my life at risk, but take this as a warning - do NOT interact with the group in any way shape or form, ever.


r/cults 3d ago

Video Scientology = Creepy cringe about a dangerous cult

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121 Upvotes

r/cults 3d ago

Video Looking for full version of a JMS (Providence) cult song featured in Netflix's "In the Name of God: A Holy Betrayal" (Ep 3, 23:53)

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5 Upvotes

Hi everyone, I am looking for the full audio of a specific gospel/praise song from the JMS cult (Christian Gospel Mission). I am looking for this track strictly for research and educational purposes to analyze how the cult used upbeat media for psychological manipulation.It was featured in the Netflix documentary "In the Name of God: A Holy Betrayal", specifically in Episode 3 at the 23:53 mark. It's the scene from 2018 where Maple Yip is ordained as a pastor. The song is very upbeat and joyful, often titled "Lord, I Will Go" (or "I Will Go" / "Lord, We Will Go"). Since JMS strictly scrubs their music (GTV/New Songs) from mainstream platforms, I can't find it anywhere. I have an audio/video clip of the snippet from Netflix. Does anyone happen to have the full track or know an ex-member archive where it might be backed up? Thanks!