Cult News

Keith Raniere and his “coaching” creation called NXIVM (pronounced Nexium, like the pill for heartburn sufferers) made the cover of the subscription issue of Forbes Magazine.

Mr. Raniere may need some of the original Nexium to help his stomach soon.

The NXIVM article titled “Cult of Personality” describes a seeming subculture of “devoted followers” focused upon the teachings of the self-proclaimed “Vanguard” Raniere.

It appears the Forbes reporter was not too impressed with Mr. Raniere’s philosophy, he speculated that it might just be “horse manure.”

But Raniere has attracted a moneyed enough following to warrant the attention of Forbes.

Vanguard’s philosophy or “manure” has fertilized the minds of such notables as Sheila Johnson, cofounder of Black Entertainment Television; Antonia C. Novello, a former U.S. surgeon general; Stephen Cooper, acting chief executive of Enron; the Seagram fortune’s Edgar Bronfman Sr. and two of his daughters; Ana Cristina Fox, daughter of the Mexican president and Emiliano Salinas, son of a former president of Mexico.

Forbes also noted “a darker and more manipulative side to Keith Raniere.”

Edgar Bronfman Sr. who dropped out of the NXIVM now says, “I think it’s a cult.” He hasn’t talked to his daughters in months; they remain devoted to Raniere and his teachings.

CutNews readers may recall that NXIVM/Raniere sued The Ross Institute (TRI) for posting critical articles about its courses. Raniere also sued the authors of those articles, psychiatrist John Hochman and psychologist Paul Martin.

The lawsuit claims that TRI and the good doctors were somehow guilty of trade secret and copyright violations by citing Raniere’s material within their critical analysis of his programs.

A federal judge has repeatedly rebuffed NXIVM’s legal efforts to remove the articles from the Internet.

Hochman’s article was quoted within Forbes.

NXIVM “is a kingdom of sorts, ruled by a Vanguard, who writes his own dictionary of the English language, has his own moral code and the ability to generate taxes on subjects by having them participate in his seminars. It is a kingdom with no physical borders, but with psychological borders–influencing how his subjects spend their time, socialize, and think,” Hochman stated.

Forbes also reported that one woman “began to have hallucinations and had a mental breakdown at her hotel near Albany. She went to a hospital and required psychiatric treatment.” Her psychiatrist stated that “in the last three years he has treated two others who have taken the class; one had a psychotic episode.”

Forbes Magazine has more than a million subscribers and the NIXIVM article is reportedly the cover story of the current subscription edition.

This may make the affluent crowd Raniere seemingly targets more likely to be on guard about “Vanguard.”

United States Congressman Mike Doyle recently received the “Conscience and Courage award” from the “Global Mission to Rescue Persecuted Falun Gong Practitioners” reported The Tartan.

Falun Gong is banned in China as an “evil cult” due to its extremism, which includes medical neglect and suicide.

The group like other purported “cults” was founded, is defined and led by an absolute leader.

Li Hongzhi, Falun Gong’s charismatic founder, now lives in exile within the United States.

But the man behind Falun Gong has been exposed as both a bigot and racist. Hongzhi has made harsh and condemning statements publicly and in his writings regarding interracial marriage and gays.

The recently given Falun Gong award may flatter Doyle, but after other politicians learned about Hongzhi’s racism and intolerance they distanced themselves from the controversial leader.

Hongzhi and his followers have become quite adept at manipulating the media and public officials in well-orchestrated events and photo ops to promote the group and its agenda.

Doyle joins a growing list of unwitting dupes used by Falun Gong like pawns in Hongzhi’s never-ending effort for power and influence in China.

On July 12th Dr. Julia M. Siverls died on Tiger Mountain, while participating in a Level Three “Master” initiation at the Dahnhak Yoga Retreat Center in Arizona.

Her family said, “We are devastated by her untimely death.”

Dr. Siverls’s sister-in-law posted this announcement on July 28th at a Yoga related message board.

Siverls was a professor within the Department of Social Sciences at Queens Community College of the City University of New York.

Her death appears to have been both sudden and unexpected.

Dahn Hak is a controversial organization that was founded in Korea by Seung Huen Lee.

Another New Yorker also once involved in the group warned, “Blind faith does not make you wise–beware of with whom you place your trust. It is entirely possible that a group may actually be a cult whose leader uses ancient references and exercises that have dynamic and profound effects to gain the trust of people–so that he or she may cultivate their own ego and riches.”

Seung Huen Lee, a self-proclaimed “Grand Master,” says that his practice of “Brain respiration strips away the mysticism from enlightenment.”

But for the family of Julia Siverls, one Dahn Hak retreat will always be associated with tragedy.

A man who runs a church from his home in Washington claims that growing marijuana is somehow a religious right and apparently smoking it a rite of his religion too, reports Associated Press.

Rev. Lee Phillips of Auburn, Washington told authorities, “This house is a church,” and added “People come to us for what we offer them.”

But it seems what the good reverend offers is an opportunity to get high on more than spirituality.

Police raided the Phillips home and found more than 200 marijuana plants under cultivation.

Though Mrs. Phillips has a doctor’s note, which supposedly allows her to use the controlled substance, it clearly doesn’t entitle the couple to grow and share a crop with others.

Phillips calls his church “The Center for Healing and Spiritual Renewal” and claims that “cannabis brings us closer to God.”

But this church’s “sacramental medicine” and apparent article of faith is illegal.

The street value of the plants seized was set at about $200,000 according to authorities. And police contend that the “church” was simply engaged in “selling dope.”

Some might think that anything done in name of religion should be a protected right and that a believer’s sacrament is his own business.

However, when a believer’s business is an illegal one, religious rights grant no special immunity.

Instead, whether it’s the illegal cultivation of a prohibited cash crop, sale of a controlled substance, medical neglect or child abuse, religious rights don’t include any behavior in the name of God.

Perhaps Rev. Phillips should have realized that sewing his seeds, would likely lead to a police raid rather than a “holy harvest.”

A group called the “Al Moroccan Empire or Moors” decided one of its religious rites or rights, is to distribute fake money orders, reports NBC News 10 in New Jersey.

Police rounded up members of the group yesterday and they are now facing criminal charges for passing out about $10 million dollars of the “funny money” orders.

The US Attorney said, “The essence of the group is their belief that they are not subject to the laws of the United States, but that they are owed money from the citizens and the government of the United States.”

Apparently Moorish believers felt buying Concorde tickets to Europe, luxury cars and squaring away their gambling debts with the faked tender, was an act of faith too.

In court group members steadfastly refused to recognize civil authority and one told the judge, “You’re fired.”

But despite their religious fantasy and fanaticism, it looks like the “Moors” will be subjected to a dose of reality as their crimes likely lead to a prison term, rather than a free trip to Europe.

“I’m from Missouri you’ll have to show me,” has been a skeptic’s refrain for generations.

But apparently the old saying may be dwindling in importance at one media outlet in America’s heartland.

Missouri’s KTVO TV ran a story about a “yogic flying” competition, without any apparent critical balance to create a meaningful context for this preposterous claim.

The so-called “yogic flyers,” devotees of guru Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, actually just hop around.

But the station reported, “Players propelled themselves several feet through the air using only a higher level of consciousness.”

Maybe this television station should say, “I’m from KTVO, do a show for me.”

It seems the ABC affiliate is more concerned with sensationalism than substance.

But chalk up another successful self-promotional publicity stunt for the old guru.

Free labor and even child labor, is the way some cults sustain themselves.

Groups simply open up businesses and then put devoted followers to work for little if any meaningful compensation, beyond room and board.

A controversial group in New Zealand is now being sued for apparently for doing just that.

One former member of the “Gloriavale Community” is suing the group for $80,000 in lost wages, reports Reuters/One News.

It also seems that in this case “blood” is not “thicker than water.” The plaintiff is the grandson of the group’s leader; a man once jailed on sex charges named Hopeful Christian.

But kids who grow up in “cults” don’t decide to join and that includes the children of leaders.

Mark Christian, the grandson in question, claims he was denied an education and forced to live a life he didn’t want.

Members of the small New Zealand sect were not even paid minimum wage.

A “cult” leader in Australia is garnering bad press as he faces sex charges in criminal court, reports the Illwara Mercury.

William Kamm, who calls himself “Little Pebble,” leads a small splinter group of former Catholics. Kamm claims he receives messages from the “Virgin Mary,” but has been banned by the church.

According to court testimony “Little Pebble” exploited teenage girls in the group. He allegedly persuaded adults under his influence to essentially surrender their children for sex. This was supposedly, “God’s will.”

A teenage girl testified this week compellingly about repeated abuse at Kamm’s hands. She said he called her his “queen.”

Soon it seems “Little Pebble” may be removed from his throne and confined to receiving “messages” from fellow prisoners on his cellblock.

Self-help guru Depak Chopra has a plan to avert war with Iraq. Has Chopra come up with a new paradigm for peace in the Middle East?

He wants to build a Disneyland for Iraqis.

Chopra says, “Let children breath free air at a place where fun and joy abide. What better way to reduce fear and anger?”

The self-help guru added that MTV videos and CNN might also pierce the wall of Iraq’s cultural isolation and somehow change the mindset of its populace.

Right.

But one military analyst said Chopra’s ideas were a “Mickey Mouse Peace Plan,” which could easily be perverted by Sadaam, reports The National Post.

Looks like Mr. Chopra should stick with his books and seminars. He has made millions selling a steady stream of such material to a public looking for the next self-help quick fix. But in the real world of global conflicts his solutions seem ridiculous.

Chopra’s mentor Maharishi Mahesh Yogi has his own plan for global peace.

The old yogi now 92 wants the world to help him build “peace palaces.” The result will reportedly somehow replace the bad karma of war with a “sort of karmic mellow,” reports the Pittsburgh Post Gazette.

Maharishi’s plan, like most of his ideas, would require putting some cash in the guru’s pocket. After all, palaces are not built for free and money seems to be this man’s mantra.

Falun Gong followers are always looking for any opportunity to promote their leader Li Hongzhi’s teachings and/or protest.

And the Chinese New Year is apparently no exception, or at least until this year.

Parade organizers in New York City appeared to resent the group’s self-centered and often seemingly obsessive efforts.

Last year Hongzhi’s devotees handed out flyers and did their exercises, rather than just parade and wave like other participants.

One community leader said, “Lunar New Year is supposed to be all the Chinese forgetting about politics for one day, just one day, just simply celebrating the culture, the traditions.”

The president of one Chinese business association made it clearer, “Celebrate, but don’t promote,” reported the Flushing Times.

Ultimately Falun Gong followers were included in the parade, but only upon the condition they not engage in self-promotion or otherwise disrupt the annual celebration in any way.

Yesterday when they paraded in New York’s Chinatown the group “drew no reaction from the crowd,”
reports Newsday.

It appears many within the Chinese American community are growing tired of the group and its leader.