Most of the members were young women looking for a romantic partner. I have left Meet Up groups and Facebook groups if they get to be too controlling. Like the FB group started out fun, but then the leader started requiring that we wear certain colors to events. I'm just not into that at every event. If it was an elegant "blue and white" party or something like that, it would be fine. But every event, I don't want someone telling me what color clothes to wear.

Incredibly disturbing and mind blowing that a loser like Jeff could exert so much mind bending control. I was appalled by the claims of divinity, the senseless mutilations and that poor innocent child. Just another example that people desperate to belong will do anything to be a part of something.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I know the party line is that anyone can fall for this kind of thing, and I have lived on the edge of woo so I have been susceptible to an extent to culty pseudoscience—but GD this man is so repulsive. My insides churn nauseatingly when he talks about sex. I could never. UGH. Yet I can’t look away, I love shows like this.

n

What on earth is the “edge of Woo”?

Agree on everything else … Jeff is ludicrous, revolting, a turn off and fascinating all at once …

It is mind blowing that he manages to control so many people with his bizarre logic that is on par with the “drink bleach to prevent COVID” claims another cult leader made ….

Edge of woo - basically every woman under 30 who has offered you a crystal and told you that significant aspects of her personality and yours are reflections of your zodiac sign.

Pp here. Ha! Close but no cigar. More like, trying to fit into natural childbirth/parenting mold, orthorexia, naturopaths, chiropractors, etc. but never being full-on antivax or anything. I’ve reached a place of balance and reason but can see how thin the line between nutty and normal can be. I think the lady in TFU has the woo aspect but doesn’t come across as very intelligent, and the guy is such a confident grifter I guess he doesn’t need intelligence to convince vulnerable people? Idk man. I think he’s gross.

Anonymous wrote:Watch the Amazon show. I think it's better than the Netflix one or at least adds quite a bit more. Different group members, journalist and others, slightly different vibe.

Woah, had no idea there was an Amazon version. Thanks

Watch the Amazon show. I think it's better than the Netflix one or at least adds quite a bit more. Different group members, journalist and others, slightly different vibe.

Anonymous wrote:This was bonkers and while I can imagine making poor decisions in difficult times, this couple is gross and he’s mean so it’s hard for me to get their appeal. I feel terrible for everyone they conned. Why didn’t Michigan police do anything?

It's not illegal to convince people to give you money for something like a class, regardless of how dubious the content. And once they set up the cult as a religion, it's super difficult to take any legal action against them. This is why Scientology is illegal or severely restricted in many countries, but it's a tax exempt religion here in the US. People just need to be really, really cautious with groups that want to take your money or control your behaviors.

This was bonkers and while I can imagine making poor decisions in difficult times, this couple is gross and he’s mean so it’s hard for me to get their appeal. I feel terrible for everyone they conned. Why didn’t Michigan police do anything?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I know the party line is that anyone can fall for this kind of thing, and I have lived on the edge of woo so I have been susceptible to an extent to culty pseudoscience—but GD this man is so repulsive. My insides churn nauseatingly when he talks about sex. I could never. UGH. Yet I can’t look away, I love shows like this.

n

What on earth is the “edge of Woo”?

Agree on everything else … Jeff is ludicrous, revolting, a turn off and fascinating all at once …

It is mind blowing that he manages to control so many people with his bizarre logic that is on par with the “drink bleach to prevent COVID” claims another cult leader made ….

Edge of woo - basically every woman under 30 who has offered you a crystal and told you that significant aspects of her personality and yours are reflections of your zodiac sign.

Anonymous wrote:I know the party line is that anyone can fall for this kind of thing, and I have lived on the edge of woo so I have been susceptible to an extent to culty pseudoscience—but GD this man is so repulsive. My insides churn nauseatingly when he talks about sex. I could never. UGH. Yet I can’t look away, I love shows like this.

n

What on earth is the “edge of Woo”?

Agree on everything else … Jeff is ludicrous, revolting, a turn off and fascinating all at once …

It is mind blowing that he manages to control so many people with his bizarre logic that is on par with the “drink bleach to prevent COVID” claims another cult leader made ….

Anonymous wrote:I know the party line is that anyone can fall for this kind of thing, and I have lived on the edge of woo so I have been susceptible to an extent to culty pseudoscience—but GD this man is so repulsive. My insides churn nauseatingly when he talks about sex. I could never. UGH. Yet I can’t look away, I love shows like this.

+1

I know the party line is that anyone can fall for this kind of thing, and I have lived on the edge of woo so I have been susceptible to an extent to culty pseudoscience—but GD this man is so repulsive. My insides churn nauseatingly when he talks about sex. I could never. UGH. Yet I can’t look away, I love shows like this.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm only halfway through watching this, but don't know if I can continue. I have had the unfortunate experience of a "high control environment" with one of my adult children and although my child's experience was more "mainstream", so many things mirror things on this show; including this group's teaching of kind of ganging up on each other to keep others in line and keep the group's leaders being in control. It is one of the most heartbreaking things that I've ever witnessed or experienced.

I am disgusted by these people, and also still tying to grasp how easy it is to prey on vulnerable people. Pure evil in my opinion.

I am literally sick to my stomach seeing how this progressed.

So sorry for your DC’s experience. So often they come from loving homes but may have been going through a lonely or insecure period that masked them More susceptible to the exploitative group think. We saw in the Sarah Lawrence college case that many of them were from good homes and on promising life paths prior to getting entangled in the charismatic cult leader’s web of lies, control and abuse.

I really hope you manage to help your DC move away from the high control group. That must be truly heart breaking.

Again very sorry for your DC’s experience. Virtual hugs.

Thank you so much for your kind response. It really is heartbreaking. Especially since I think the chances are slim that he will ever leave them because they are a "fringe" group of a mainstream religion, so how can it be bad, right? Religion is good and believing in god is good right? It is hard to fight that, but the damage that has been done to his relationships with others because of this religious group is far reaching. And of course as his mother I blame myself for not being able to anticipate this far enough in advance to prevent it. I can only continue to stay as close as I can to him and hope that one day he will wake up. It has been a nightmare.

Just saw this now sorry.

Please don’t blame yourself - many cult members come from good and loving families …. There are all kinds of reasons why people get sucked in … it is great that you are staying as close as he allows and letting him know that you will always be there for him.

We have a close family member who was living in a fringe cult of a mainstream religion and it took years to even semi deprogramme her. She is happy now though and engaged in many charitable activities that grew out of that time (We have major disagreements over reproductive rights but at least she tolerates different points of view now).

I hope you have a Support group or some kind of help from people who understand high control cult groups for you to be able to process your experiences and changes relationship with your son.

Very best wishes to you

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm only halfway through watching this, but don't know if I can continue. I have had the unfortunate experience of a "high control environment" with one of my adult children and although my child's experience was more "mainstream", so many things mirror things on this show; including this group's teaching of kind of ganging up on each other to keep others in line and keep the group's leaders being in control. It is one of the most heartbreaking things that I've ever witnessed or experienced.

I am disgusted by these people, and also still tying to grasp how easy it is to prey on vulnerable people. Pure evil in my opinion.

I am literally sick to my stomach seeing how this progressed.

So sorry for your DC’s experience. So often they come from loving homes but may have been going through a lonely or insecure period that masked them More susceptible to the exploitative group think. We saw in the Sarah Lawrence college case that many of them were from good homes and on promising life paths prior to getting entangled in the charismatic cult leader’s web of lies, control and abuse.

I really hope you manage to help your DC move away from the high control group. That must be truly heart breaking.

Again very sorry for your DC’s experience. Virtual hugs.

Thank you so much for your kind response. It really is heartbreaking. Especially since I think the chances are slim that he will ever leave them because they are a "fringe" group of a mainstream religion, so how can it be bad, right? Religion is good and believing in god is good right? It is hard to fight that, but the damage that has been done to his relationships with others because of this religious group is far reaching. And of course as his mother I blame myself for not being able to anticipate this far enough in advance to prevent it. I can only continue to stay as close as I can to him and hope that one day he will wake up. It has been a nightmare.

Anonymous wrote:I'm only halfway through watching this, but don't know if I can continue. I have had the unfortunate experience of a "high control environment" with one of my adult children and although my child's experience was more "mainstream", so many things mirror things on this show; including this group's teaching of kind of ganging up on each other to keep others in line and keep the group's leaders being in control. It is one of the most heartbreaking things that I've ever witnessed or experienced.

I am disgusted by these people, and also still tying to grasp how easy it is to prey on vulnerable people. Pure evil in my opinion.

I am literally sick to my stomach seeing how this progressed.

So sorry for your DC’s experience. So often they come from loving homes but may have been going through a lonely or insecure period that masked them More susceptible to the exploitative group think. We saw in the Sarah Lawrence college case that many of them were from good homes and on promising life paths prior to getting entangled in the charismatic cult leader’s web of lies, control and abuse.

I really hope you manage to help your DC move away from the high control group. That must be truly heart breaking.

Again very sorry for your DC’s experience. Virtual hugs.

Anonymous wrote:The woman is a pig with lipstick. FULL STOP

???