Ilya: if you recommend your top 2-5 sources, I’ll commit to reading at least 30,000 words in the next two weeks. (I ask for more than one source in case you propose things I’ve already read.)
Live stuff on Robert Burton’s Fellowship of Friends: http://robertearlburton.blogspot.com/. Also some exposes are googleable. Also some stuff on wikileaks. I have personal second hand info on this cult (was never in it, but know people who were). The Fellowship of Friends has their main base (Apollo, in Yuba County) in California and preys on educated, high salary types.
There are a ton of Gurdjieff offshoots in various states of virulence/danger. One thing I learned about the concept “cult” is it’s a fairly fuzzy concept and sort of dissipates around the edges into fairly benign reading groups/clubs and so on. Probably has to do with how charismatic the main person (almost always male) is. So discussions of whether something is “culty” or not are, to me, kind of silly. If the question is raised at all, probably yes a bit culty.
I like reading lots of heterogenous sources and personal accounts to try to piece together what’s happening in places like that, rather than books.
Ilya: if you recommend your top 2-5 sources, I’ll commit to reading at least 30,000 words in the next two weeks. (I ask for more than one source in case you propose things I’ve already read.)
Scientology: http://www.xenu.net/ (clambake.org). Lots of interesting links there, including about offshoots.
Castaneda: https://www.amazon.com/Sorcerers-Apprentice-Life-Carlos-Castaneda/dp/1583942068. Also some other stuff online, easy to google.
Live stuff on Robert Burton’s Fellowship of Friends: http://robertearlburton.blogspot.com/. Also some exposes are googleable. Also some stuff on wikileaks. I have personal second hand info on this cult (was never in it, but know people who were). The Fellowship of Friends has their main base (Apollo, in Yuba County) in California and preys on educated, high salary types.
There are a ton of Gurdjieff offshoots in various states of virulence/danger. One thing I learned about the concept “cult” is it’s a fairly fuzzy concept and sort of dissipates around the edges into fairly benign reading groups/clubs and so on. Probably has to do with how charismatic the main person (almost always male) is. So discussions of whether something is “culty” or not are, to me, kind of silly. If the question is raised at all, probably yes a bit culty.
I like reading lots of heterogenous sources and personal accounts to try to piece together what’s happening in places like that, rather than books.
Thanks! Half of these are brand-new to me; commitment made.