Reading Along with Prudence, Part 7: Real-Life Flora Brewsters

Chapter 6 of Combating Cult Mind Control presents the stories of a group of people for whom Hassan expresses high admiration: former cult members who came forward with their stories and have both helped other survivors escape and warned the public about the dangers of these organizations.  I'll list a few here whose stories have echoes to The Running Grave.

J.: a former Scientologist. Despite the fact that he reached the near-highest levels of the organization, he never developed the supernatural powers he was promised. The UHC people could probably relate to that. He was also subjected to defamation, including child abuse accusations, and decades of lawsuits. 

R.: Human trafficking victim. Forced sex with strangers and mental manipulation, with a behaviors controlled by rewards and punishments. 

M: Islamic terrorism cult: Members forced to cut all family ties, divorcing spouses and surrendering children for adoption. 

J:  Shasta Abbey, a Zen Buddhism cult. Told he would be jailed, committed to a psychiatric hospital or go broke if he left the community. Members were subjected to humiliating verbal attacks and sudden demotions. 

E: A former follower of Lyndon LaRouche. LaRouche, though a political rather than a religious leader, is described as narcissistic, and is a wealthy leader who proclaims himself to be at war with the world and who promotes his own doctrine above all. 

H: A male supermodel who was a member of the New Age cult Eternal Values, a group that believed that a geological apocalypse is eminent and that only their leader's contact with space aliens will save a remnant of humanity. This reminds us a bit of Shauna's odd beliefs about Wace. H's head was shaved to humiliate him, and he, like UHC members, was forced into slave labor. 

G: A member of a small (30 member) Christian cult. This group used the "Hot seat" technique that was depicted as the UHC's Revelation. This cult suffered a tragic loss when a young man with diabetes was persuaded to throw away his insulin, and subsequently died. G. was eventually expelled from the group for a "spirit of rebellion." This group, like the UHC, used physical beatings to punish members. 

G: Member of a group who focused on chanting a particular Japanese phrase for multiple hours per day, in the belief that wishes will be granted as a result. G. experienced a "high" from chanting, not unlike Robin. Conformity with the group doctrine was stressed, and G. and his wife, who were eventually expelled, were convinced terrible things would happen to them outside the group, if they stopped chanting. This group also had some notable celebrity members.  

R: A young man born into the Jehovah's Witnesses and felt his upbringing matched many of the cultic practices described in Hassan's book, including denigrating and forbidding contact with former members. Hassan credits R. and others born into cults who manage to leave with special courage, since they face losing all of their family and friends. TRG readers saw this in people like Linn Doherty and Kevin Pirbright. 

G: A woman who was caught up in a transcendental meditation cult. Like in the UHC, members were subjected to hours of meditation and questionable herbal medications. 

L and L:  Two other people raised in the Jehovah's Witnesses who where shunned by family after leaving. 

T: A leader in his LDS church, who had doubts about his faith despite his public practice. Like those in the UHC, Tom reported being taught that everything outside the faith was evil and "of the Devil." T's story is a lot like Will's, in that he gradually began to question the doctrine he had believed for so long. 

Hassan reiterates high praise for ex-cult members who have gone public with their stories, both to warn others about cult dangers and to help reduce the stigma associated with having been victimized by such groups.  As H. says, "We should be proud and hold our heads high.  Coming forward and telling out stories is one of the greatest gifts we can give to others."

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