| Author | Message | ||
     Anonymous |
I know that most people probably would say it is not possible , but seeing as the more i read on a cult behaviour i find myself saying that is exactly what happened to me . I joined a group/community on the internet for mothers around 3 years ago. when i joined this group i was very depressed and having financial problems along with marital problems, when i joined the group i was made to feel important by the owner or leader as she was called, at first i was made to believe that i would be taken care of and people became personally involved with my life and helped me .. as i stayed longer i was asked to do things for the leader of the group as in hassle other people etc. i was expected to be there for the group and others at all times no matter what the situation was or what was going on in my life, if i declined or refused i was ridiculed and made to believe that i was a noone and would be left out or even worse alone and that because i was in this group that i wouldnever be accepted anywhere else, i found myself being rude angry and malicious to people i never knew because the leader told us to. The leader often belittled people in front of everyone and called them names and if they left she would continue her abuse by harrasing them calling them names and or calling their house etc. If the leader made a decision whether right or wrong everyone was made to support her decision or leave the group with the idea that noone or any friends they made would stay with them as friends, at one time i had a person in the room that lived within my own city that was led to believe what the leader was saying although lies and has yet to talk to me to this day, i saw many members come in with goodmarriages good jobs etc and leave with divorce medical problems depression amoung other things. anyone on the outside of the group that told members that the leader was a controlling and or bad person the members were told to never associate with them again even if they were family and friends and the people did it . If you did not listen to what she said you were made to leave and took the chance and the fear of her becoming a harrasing person on the real world by her calling your house making threats on ur or ur childrens lives etc. when i finally woke up to what was going on and took a stance i was kicked out and then my good friend was removed also because she stood up for me and all remaining members were told lies and stories to make sure that they were scared of me and or what I was capable of, i found myself at first believing that i had lost everything to me and it took me 10 months to fianlly realize that i had a better life outside. After leaving though i endured many months of physical threats to me and my childrens lives from the leader and many people that she sent to do things for her , i had to have numbers changed etc for my own safety and lived in fear of what could be done to me in my life because i chose to so called step out of the group, members of the group that have joined since me all have formed opionins on me and are quite quick to join in on the threats of violence and even make comments of joining as one to complete them.Now 10 months later i find that my life is less chaotic i have found that i can survive without the dictation was led in that group and have moved on but the threats and comments and harrasment havent. My fear is so many women are still involved with this group and just like me have given up so much in their lives for this woman some even as far as starving themselves because she feels that they should all lose wight because she wants to. I know it sounds strange for a person to be able to be controlled by a vvirtual existence but i can say it is and i would never have thought so before i was in this group. Am i wrong in my thinking or is this what it is. I know that if these people ever joined in the same place that they would be very dangerous to other people yet when i go to the people still there and try to get them to see what they are involved with they are all told to never talk to me again and the ones that have have all been done the same as me. So my question is , is it poosible now that cults are notonly in the world on land but also starting on the internet to get their members in a hidden unregulated form. | ||
| neil Johnston |
I have been researching this very problem myself over the last few months, due to a very dear friend who has changed completely since joining a 'chat' room. Your experience seems to be the classic cult encounter of a person dominating every part of a ‘groups’ life. I have discovered that this type of internet cult is not unknown, not only in chat rooms, but can even extend to message boards such as we are using here. It is also something that seems to becoming more common with the widespread use of computers. My experience is slightly different in that my friends ‘Chat’ group doesn’t have a hierarchical leader, but is bound by a common purpose or goal shared by the members of the group. This also is not unknown within cults. My friend was put under pressure by her new ‘friends’ to finish our relationship, and has now been told that she is only allowed to communicate within the room. She has been told not to contact me at all. It isnt a womans group, but involves men as well. I don’t pretend to be an expert on cults; I have only been investigating them since my own experience happened a few months ago. I have spoken to people who seem to know what they are talking about, and who seem to have experience in this area. Their answer is that yours and my ‘encounters’ are by no means unheard of, and are classic examples of cult like behaviour. In answer to your question ‘is it possible now that cults are not only in the world on land but also starting on the internet to get their members in a hidden unregulated form?’ I am afraid the answer is most deffinitly yes, and they seem to be as dangerous controlling, and as abusive as traditional cults. I am afraid we are going to see more and more of this behaviour in the future. Be thankful that you have made the difficult break, and I wish you good luck for the future. My friend is at the moment in the midst of this cultic abuse, and I am heartbroken that there is little or nothing I can do to help her. | ||
| Anonymous (209.240.205.61) |
yes, me too...I wish you well and hope you can stay away of any like-minded group, on the net or in real life..that isn't working to help or aid humanity as a whole, without prejudice. I too was involved with a cyber-type church, however subtle...that existed to fling salt in a wound at a cult we all knew about. It began as a gathering point of former members to give every form in expression to the negative experiences (to those engaging the format, A VOICE)...of that group of ex-members. After a short while, I noticed peculiar characters/personnas...who would go beyond the forum to pump you for all types of personal information. These personnas were not honest with you either. They had so many secrets like "I can't tell you this or that but I wish you could know that so and so is NOT who he says he is", and things of that nature. You could not confront any of these posters, or speak to them off the board...to see that they hadn't an agenda against you...or other members of the forum. The closer you get to the fact that the board is a board within a board, used to gather information about others...possibly to see if you may be fodder for a lawsuit or something against the main cult most disapprove of...the deeper you can be drawn in...and then because you are a questioning person...looking for answers as to why an anti-cult site would use the same mechanics as the cult they left in dealing with others (such as avoid, discredit, harass, etc.)...and the cult that is supposedly despised is no longer discussed, now it's just the people participating (whew!)...you become the target of personal attacks on the board, your so-called friends will have nothing to do with you except will use disengenuous words, like 'I love you' on their posts - pretending to unsuspecting people that you indeed have relationships with these freaks, (also good way to shut you up or so they think...) Anyway, I find these boards distressing due to that false group of people...and the fact that lots of ex-cutltees are looking for windfall settlements from the main group they appear to be against in the first place... and MAY BE using your situation (which down the road could put you on a witness list)...to raise the settlement money. There IS alot of money going around suing cults who have legitamitely harmed people...but at the same time, alot of the uncomfortable truth still remains with the cultee (accountability) for belonging to something they did not check out first, pros and con...iregardless, we are all accountable for our choosing affiliations..but victims to the swindles, the coersions, etc. There are more lies being spread by ex-cult groups towards ex-cultess in order to serve their purpose of making the cult pay..but not to you for your hard earned experience. Be careful. Come and go thru these sites for information and support. If you feel something isn't right with someone elses interest in your person life, or they tell you the most bizarre stories (that should be with a mental health facilitator)...be aware and avoid. I call these groups - cyber churchs of the deluded. Some may be there for good reasons, but you will notice they eventually leave hanging around a negative cyber-spot for very long. There are worse things I can tell, boundary jumpers, and sneaks who eavesdrop, etc...but you don't have to be in an ex-cult group top know about these types..although they are in cult groups to the 10th power because they have no sense of self. Use common sense and rely on your true (in the flesh) friends for ultimate support...not handles where all types of bizarre and difficult people play behind. Hard lesson learned, isn't it? It's easy for these uys to operate for the time being, I'm told...that is until our cyber policing of law breaking catches up with some of these game-playing malcontents. Be careful, be you, be honest, and do not tell ANYONE you do not personally know up clopse and person...your personal details. They have their own agendas. You are not to know about it... So, you might get blind-sided by petty, anti-social types (their watchdogs) while trying to understand "why". It's not worth your happiness, or to have insult added to injury. I believe in my heart - the disengenuous, the users, the freaky deekie judgemt calls made by greedy or extreme groups...have their own price to pay. Be protected by all manner of common sence and you'll be alright. Stay clear of newly released (dumped cultheads) people who immediately hang out with other new dumpees...they have only the cult hurt and coping behaviors learned from the cult,-in common...and revive SO MUCH of it, (their denials off the chart because their behaviors seem normal to them). You do better spreading yourself around...avoiding 'groups'...and finding or just being yourself...unattatched to the outcome it might present to such groups - now off-shoots of the original. Money is very important to many of them. hey'll do anything to make millions of their cult once they have found the formula to do so...and they do..and they win. But at what cost personally? Nobody TOLD them to join, or sleep around, or lie to others, abusing others...if they have a conscience and some 'balls' of their own, you know. Feel better soon. Don't go back for more of the same. | ||
| Anonymous (209.240.205.61) |
Well here we go again I see, somebody else with my IP number above post. Fascinating. The person above is NOT me. Ok, now here is my story which just happened a week ago and I am very upset about it. I was on a forum and it was for a problem I was having. I was on under one name, and then I changed my name to another one when i MOVED and when I was tired of being treated so badly under the one name. The thing that got me treated badly was I didnt agree with someones opinion, and everyone on that board had to agree with about 3 peoples opinions or else. So I TOLD the board that I had been under two names, when they were on about their third fight in a year, major one, and I said that I knew they were falling back into the same pattern as before so I kind of egged it on because of how bad they had treated me before. WELL NOT ONLY DID THEY THEN MAKE A COMPLETELY UNTRUE STORY UP ABOUT ME, THEY BROUGHT UP THE NAMES OF THE PEOPLE INVOLVED IN THE FIGHT IN THE PAST AND LIED ABOUT THEM TOO. I was appalled, just a little name change could cause this huge slanderous lie to come spewing forth out of them...well one of the people in the past is now threatening to sue them, and I dont know what to think. And this is all because we didnt just go along with the three people you had to agree with on this board or else. SO they thought they could literally LIE about me and these other people....and the guy threatening to sue actually works in this field and I am so upset....it was like a group cult..... | ||
| Common Sense (209.214.1.77) |
This is cyberspace *shrug*. People can and will say anything, pretend anything. Take it as a given that nothing and no one is as it seems. It is easy to make cyberspace more real than the "real" world, because you don't have to do uncomfortable things like look people in the eye. It is easy to get away from the problems of your "real" life, because you can hide behind your screen. It is easy to believe rosy promises and cyberspace authority figures if what you want is to believe in something, anything, except the fact that you feel helpless. The answer is go out in the sunshine and talk to real people. Volunteer at a soup kitchen or a senior center, take an art or acting class, play a sport, whatever - just get yourself out of the fake world and back into the "real" world. If you are comfortable in your own skin, no one can fuck with your head. | ||
| Anonymous (209.240.205.61) |
No, the answer is not to go out in the REAL WORLD because being OUT IN THE REAL WORLD is what has now caused me not to be able to be out there. The "real world" that I found was full of cruel violent people who seemed to like to commit crimes on me and until I get out of the city I now live in, full of certain types of people who won't quit committing crimes against me, I'll be on this fake world for a while...at least no one on the internet has ever pointed a gun at me. Like they did in the 'real world". | ||
| Common Sense (209.214.1.77) |
Okay then. Sit in fear of everyone in the real world and in fear of everyone in cyberspace if that's what makes you happy. Have a nice day. | ||
| ohwretchedmanthatiam (ohwretchedmanthatiam) Junior Member Username: ohwretchedmanthatiam Post Number: 28 Registered: 1-2005 Posted From: 24.237.119.69 |
It is interesting years ago I read an article that indicated the internet, i.e. if you read up on all the ungodly names, acronyms, content, etc. it creates a pretty devastating impact on children and adults. Then there is the actual time spent posting these messages vs applied knowledge in the daily community of living. I spend too much time on the inet when my health is poor, i.e. sedentary work tasks between resting for the few hours per day I get mobile and out of my hibernation slumber place of habitation. LOL Oh well LOL There are some interesting pieces of information to share with others, i.e. I hack my way through the junk programming, i.e. web publishing, etc. and repair people's p.c.'s and pull many out of a dumpster to salvage parts. LOL I'll try to wake myself out of hibernation, kick the smelly bears out of the way, and clean up this cave, mop the dirt floor, move some straw around, etc. LOL Living as a prophet in old testament times is not a lot of worldly comfort. LOL Some of my previous hideouts, LOL KJ Judges 6:2 And the hand of Midian prevailed against Israel: and because of the Midianites the children of Israel made them the dens which are in the mountains, and caves, and strong holds. 1 Samuel 13:6 When the men of Israel saw that they were in a strait, (for the people were distressed,) then the people did hide themselves in caves, and in thickets, and in rocks, and in high places, and in pits. Job 30:6 To dwell in the clifts of the valleys, in caves of the earth, and in the rocks. Isaiah 2:19 And they shall go into the holes of the rocks, and into the caves of the earth, for fear of the LORD, and for the glory of his majesty, when he ariseth to shake terribly the earth. Ezekiel 33:27 Say thou thus unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD; As I live, surely they that are in the wastes shall fall by the sword, and him that is in the open field will I give to the beasts to be devoured, and they that be in the forts and in the caves shall die of the pestilence. Hebrews 11:38 (Of whom the world was not worthy  they wandered in deserts, and in mountains, and in dens and caves of the earth. Any minor improvements from Jesus/GOD in Heaven have to be a lot better than what we have here. Thank Jesus/GOD there are no computers in Heaven, i.e. nothing wicked can enter in.. KJ 27 And there shall in no wise enter into it any thing that defileth, neither whatsoever worketh abomination, or maketh a lie: but they which are written in the Lamb's book of life. The irony is Jesus/GOD had his Holy Spirit with many of those people living in caves. Nothing was hidden. | ||
| shauno (shauno) New member Username: shauno Post Number: 1 Registered: 1-2005 Posted From: 138.130.2.138 |
I am a journalist writing a story on internet cults. I have had some experience with conventional cults but these internet groups apear to be just as damaging. The story will appear in an Australian internet magazine. To ensure the story is factual, though, I need to speak to some people who have had some experience with internet cults and can tell me their personal story. It would simply be a very easy, informal chat, either on the telephone or email/MSN Messenger. I welcome your decision to remain anonymous if you wish. Either way, I would be very grateful for your cooperation, as will many other people as you would be helping to provide a timely warning. You can contact me on email or Microsoft Messenger by the address: shaun917@hotmail.com Many thanks Shaun |
