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Dane jailed by Russia in Jehovah's Witnesses crackdown loses appeal - group's spokesman May 23, 2019
MAY 23, 2019MOSCOW (Reuters) - A Danish adherent of the Jehovah’s Witnesses jailed for six years in Russia after being found guilty of organizing a banned extremist group lost his court appeal on Thursday, a spokesman for the group said.Armed police detained Dennis Christensen, a builder, in May 2017 at a prayer meeting in Oryol, […]
2 charged in psychic scam; police say lawyer was swindled out of $1.5M May 22, 2019
DEBRA CASSENS WEISSABA Journal MAY 16, 2019A California lawyer who responded to a flyer for psychic readings was swindled out of $1.5 million by scammers who said she had to pay them to clear her chakras and eliminate her bad karma, police say.Two people have been charged in Las Vegas in the monthslong scam, and […]
The science of why so many people believe in psychic powers May 21, 2019
Neil Dagnall (Reader in Applied Cognitive Psychology, Manchester Metropolitan University)Ken Drinkwater (Senior Lecturer and Researcher in Cognitive and Parapsychology, Manchester Metropolitan University)The ConversationFebruary 4, 2019Disclosure statementThe authors do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations […]
Can I Be Sued By The Former Cult I Was A Member Of? May 21, 2019
William R. PelgerCivil LitigationMay 17, 2019Q: I was a member of a cult for decades. They practice shunning and have split up many families over the years. I have created a website to warn potential visitors and current members about the church. I signed a NDA while I was there. I am wondering if that […]
Don't talk (too much) about religion at work May 21, 2019
A British judgment on preaching to colleagues and clientsERASMUSThe EconomistMay 19th 2019BY HER own lights, Sarah Kuteh was evidently convinced that she was doing the right thing. But some of the patients who were interviewed by this devoutly Christian nurse, as they were being prepared for big operations, felt disturbed by her insistence on bringing […]
Shambhala International fights to survive in face of sex scandal May 21, 2019
CARINA JULIGReligion News ServiceMay 13, 2019BOULDER, Colo. (RNS) — The sexual misconduct scandal rocking Shambhala International, one of the largest Buddhist organizations in the West, is causing the organization to suffer financially, and many of their properties and programs are being sold off or downsized.Started in the 1970s by the Tibetan Buddhist teacher Chogyam Trungpa […]
Book review: Republic of Lies - American conspiracy theorists and their surprising rise to power May 21, 2019
“Republic of Lies – American conspiracy theorists and their surprising rise to power”, by Anna Merlan. Penguin/Random HouseHerald ScotlandMay 19, 2019My favourite of the many and varied conspiracy theorists cited in Anna Merlan's Cook's tour of the wild and wacky, has to be our own David Icke. This former BBC sports reporter has a vast […]
The NXIVM 'Sex Cult' Story Keeps Getting More Disturbing May 21, 2019
Lauren Salzman testified that Keith Raniere envisioned thousands of "slaves" and even one of them running for office.Sarah BermanViceMay 20 2019A woman who said she recruited six branded "slaves" and admitted to confining someone for nearly two years as part of her role within NXIVM testified at length about the self-help company’s inner workings Monday. Among […]
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 […]

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Editorial: Cast a wary eye on this swami scandal

The Hold: The psychology of how godmen come to control the minds of millions of devotees