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Are yoga and mindfulness in schools religious? May 20, 2019
Candy Gunther BrownThe Conversation - Professor of Religious Studies, Indiana UniversityMay 13, 2019Disclosure statementCandy Gunther Brown has received research funding from organizations that include the Lilly Endowment, Packard Foundation, Louisville Institute, Mellon Foundation, and John Templeton Foundation, and compensation from law firms representing school districts for expert witness service.Indiana University provides funding as a member […]
Meet The 'Raelians'- The Religious Cult That Believes We All Emerged From The Aliens May 20, 2019
Youth Ki AwaazShikha SharmaMay 16, 2019Origin stories of most religions border on the fantastical. Moses ascended to a mountaintop to talk to God. Jesus was born to a virgin mother. Buddha meditated under the Bodhi tree until he received alignment. And a French race car driver was abducted by aliens who told him that aliens […]
Alleged New York sex cult leader disciplined followers -witness May 13, 2019
Brendan PiersonJoseph AxReutersMay 13, 2019NEW YORK, May 13 (Reuters) - The leader of an alleged New York sex cult maintained strict discipline over his followers, forcing those who questioned his leadership to undergo training and excommunicating those who went against the group, a 12-year veteran said on Monday.The longtime member, filmmaker Mark Vicente, resumed testifying […]
Mark Vicente: Within NXIVM, the word 'cult' doesn't exist May 10, 2019
Los Angeles filmmaker testifying at criminal trial of Keith RaniereRobert GavinAlbany Times UnionMay 9, 2019NEW YORK — A former senior member of NXIVM broke down crying at the Keith Raniere trial Thursday, saying he was "bamboozled" while part of an organization he believes covered up "evil."Mark Vicente, 53, needed to compose himself on the witness […]
Measles Outbreak: Opposition to Vaccine Extends Well Beyond Ultra-Orthodox Jews in N.Y. May 10, 2019
New York TimesSharon Otterman and Sean PiccoliMay 9, 2019Noah Abdullah hasn’t immunized his 4-year-old son, Michael, saying that he’d read vaccines might be “no good” and that he’d “rather do natural things” to strengthen his child’s immune system.“I need to see more information before I start shooting him up with stuff,” Mr. Abdullah said.Donna Mosley […]
Who's Watching the Kids? May 10, 2019
This is a very informative and high-quality documentary on the troubled teen industry.
Motion for mistrial denied in Nxivm founder’s sex trafficking case May 10, 2019
NY PostEmily Saul and Lia Eustachewich May 8, 2019A Brooklyn judge on [May 8, 2019] denied a motion for a mistrial in Nxivm founder Keith Raniere’s sex trafficking case.The request from Marc Agnifilo, the lawyer representing the 58-year-old alleged sex cult leader, centered around witnesses in the trial testifying using only their first names.He said the […]
Unpleasant meditation-related experiences in regular meditators: Prevalence, predictors, and conceptual considerations May 10, 2019
Marco Schlosser, Terje Sparby, Sebastjan Vörös, Rebecca Jones, Natalie L. MarchantAbstractSo far, the large and expanding body of research on meditation has mostly focussed on the putative benefits of meditation on health and well-being. However, a growing number of reports indicate that psychologically unpleasant experiences can occur in the context of meditation practice. Very little is known about the […]
Disengagement: Lessons From Cults And Sectarian Groups April 30, 2019
Suzanne NewcombeCREST (Centre For Research And Evidence on Security Treats)21st May 2018Suzanne Newcombe looks at cults and the reasons why people both leave and stay.Violent extremist ideologies, particularly those associated with ‘Islamic terrorism’, cause the same kind of headline concern in the media that ‘cults’ did forty years ago. For example, the mass suicide-murder of […]
'My child left us to join a cult': Mother reveals son was brainwashed into thinking she abused him April 27, 2019
In 2008 Barbara Weed's son Tom Bell abruptly left his family after listening to thousands of podcasts by the founder of Freedomain Radio Stefan MolyneuxNATALIE CORNERThe Mirror August 20, 2015A young teen who believed his parents had 'mistreated' him walked out on his family to join a cult.Barbara Weed's son Tom Bell abandoned his family […]
Secrets Of The Multi-Level Millionaires: Ellie Undercover April 27, 2019
Ep 1/1Saturday 27 AprilFrom 10.00amBBC THREEJournalist Ellie Flynn goes undercover to investigate a multi-billion pound online selling industry that mostly targets young women with the opportunity to earn big money.The phenomenon known as ‘multi-level marketing’ is sweeping across social media as beautiful ‘influencers’ post job adverts offering the chance of six-figure incomes, cars and holidays […]
James Randy Carlos Channel Hoax April 26, 2019
"Carlos" was the name of a 2,000-year-old spirit allegedly channeled by José Alvarez when he toured Australia in 1988.Channeling was all the rage in Australia and an Australian television program contacted James Randi about finding someone who might show Australians that channeling was something doubtful.Randi approached Alvarez, a performance artist and friend who had long […]
Court papers detail creepy sex den allegedly used by Nxivm leader April 24, 2019
Emily SaulNY Post April 23, 2019Nxivm’s accused cult leader had sex with “slaves’’ in a pal’s home library — which included a bed elevated over a hot tub, according to new court papers.The creepy digs were detailed in grand jury testimony from two women who said they had sexual relations with Keith Raniere in the […]
ICSA: 8-session virtual event. Building Bridges: Leaving and Recovering from Cultic Groups and Relationships April 24, 2019
Starts tomorrow!ICSA: 8-session virtual event. Building Bridges: Leaving and Recovering from Cultic Groups and RelationshipsExit counselors Joseph Kelly and Patrick Ryan and Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist Rachel Bernstein will lead an 8-session ICSA virtual event.The event will take place at 7:00 pm eastern time, beginning on April 24, 2019 and will continue weekly until […]
Charles Manson's youngest cult member. A Stockbridge-based author. 'The worst part was keeping this a secret.' April 21, 2019
Heather BellowApril 20, 2019Berkshire EagleSTOCKBRIDGE — Dianne Lake hid from the truth for 47 years.Long ago, she had only told her husband and pastor that, starting at age 14, she had been one of "Charlie's girls" and the youngest member of Charles Manson's cult."And then I buried it," Lake said in an interview at The […]
Seagram’s liquor heiress Clare Bronfman pleads guilty in NXIVM cult prosecution, to pay $6 million forfeiture April 20, 2019
MOLLY CRANE-NEWMAN and LARRY MCSHANEBoston Herald April 20, 2019Seagram’s liquor empire heiress Clare Bronfman pleaded guilty to federal charges Friday for her part in running the sordid NXIVM sex cult, becoming the latest top-echelon member to cut a deal rather than face a jury.Bronfman, 40, spoke in an almost childlike whisper as she entered her pleas […]
Detention of St. Petersburg Church of Scientology leaders extended once more April 20, 2019
RAPSIApril 19, 2019ST. PETERSBURG, April 19 (RAPSI, Mikhail Telekhov) - The St. Petersburg City Court has again extended detention for the Church of Scientology of St. Petersburg leader Ivan Matsitsky and the religious group’s chief accountant Sakhib Aliyev charged with extremism and illegal business operations, Aliev’s defense attorney Yevgeny Smirnov has told RAPSI.The ruling on the […]
NXIVM bookkeeper invoked Fifth dozens of times in grand jury April 17, 2019
Kathy Russell had been asked about computer hacking and money launderingAlbany Times UnionBrendan J. LyonsTuesday, April 16, 2019ALBANY — A longtime bookkeeper for NXIVM invoked her right against self-incrimination dozens of times when she testified before a federal grand jury last year, refusing to answer questions about the secretive organization's leaders, her personal life and […]
Fake pastors and false prophets rock churches in South Africa - BBC Africa April 16, 2019
Mbulelo MtshilibeBBC News AfricaMarch 13, 2019Rape and fraud scandals involving fake pastors have prompted calls for regulation of churches in South Africa.There have been a number of high- profile cases in recent months involving disgraced pastors and self-proclaimed prophets. President Cyril Ramaphosa has even got involved, urging South Africans to come together to curb bogus […]