From the late 60's into the 70's there was an explosion of cults. I had my own brush with it and it ended up being a very important thing, that would not have made me what I am today without it.
Why,
Because having an intimate exposure to the cult mind and finding a way out on my own was more important than if I have viewed it from a distance. Fortunately, I never really got so immersed in the mindset as others did, because I always maintained a certain skepticism. I also was able to find a small group in the midst of this larger group that also had this skepticism and we supported each others common sense about things, till the need to leave became an obvious choice.
In the beginning of exposure to this group, everything that was said and done made perfect sense, especially when one of the main principals was, "don't believe anything, verify and question everything." In fact when the leader of this group tried to uproot this principal and it became obvious that he was doing so, that was in fact, when I left.
The reason it took so long for me to leave over a 7 year period, was because of how you should or should not cook frogs. (WHAT?!?)
Yes cook frogs: When you cook frogs if you put them into a pot of already boiling water, they will jump out. But if you put them into a cold pot of water and heat it slowly, they will not notice the gradual change in temperature until it is too late, remain and die.
So the ideas of the group I was in, changed so slowly and methodically, that if you didn't maintain your wits about you, it was easy to get seduced into the mass hypnosis of it. But like I said, I was fortunate to have a small group of skeptics like myself around me to be able to keep a certain distance. But in the process, I did get a clear picture and understanding of the kind of mind that was seduced by the situation and can now pass it on to you.
So what is cult thinking?
First and foremost, it is actually not thinking at all. It is simply believing and not questioning. It is assigning your decisions and morals over to another entity, group, person or others ideas and pretty thoughts and then allowing them to dictate your moral code and actions. To be in a cult, means that there is a group of people feeding into this assignment of their morals to the same entity, group or person. So in other words, cult thinking is not considering ideas and morals for yourself and understanding something for yourself in your own being. It is on faith and trust that you are taking the word of something outside of yourself to determine the right or wrong of your thinking and behavior. This includes every religion, big, small and spiritual practice.
Do you understand what I just said clearly? I ask this because this is very important for the next thing I am going to say.
So this is why I speak often about not basing your morals, thinking, life style or anything on belief and faith. Because no matter how you sugar coat it or cloak it in well established institutions, it is still cult thinking. When a certain group that would be considered to be a cult, get big enough, it it not longer called a cult, it is called a culture or a religion. But in the end, it is still cult thinking.
So consider this:
I doesn't matter if you have love and or other strong feelings about religion or any kind of spiritual 'whatever' or feel an unexplained connection with it, if you haven't verified and questioned every aspect of it and just believe, you are in a cult. If you are, even for a brief moment reading or hearing something that sounds beautiful, but don't really have a direct experience of it, than you are experiencing cult thinking. Does that mean you can't experience God or something spiritual, no, but when you say experience, what does that really mean? Is it a hunch, wishful thinking, hope or is a a true verifiable experience. Is it mistaken sensations due to certain psychological influences, drugs or spoiled milk or is it a truley direct experience. In my opinion, it is all a work in progress so don't be so damn sure of what it is. I refer you to the story of my experience with the Grand Canyon several posts back.
Here is a good example:
My cult teacher/mentor used to say in a very pious acting way that, "Becoming a fully enlightened being was a gift from God." It sounded quite beautiful and for a long time we all bought into his sociopathic piety and felt quite spiritual at the moment he would say that. He would also say that in his group, that only certain people would become fully enlightened and that he would know and confirm Gods will on the chosen ones.
This all worked for him quite well, but it didn't work for me. How could he or how would God limit anyone from achieving full enlightenment if that person worked hard and diligently to try and become so and some slacker would come lollygagging along and" poof," they were enlightened.
So one day my teacher/mentor said once again in the course of a particular subject about how enlightenment was a gift and implied that it wasn't in the cards for me and then it hit me. That very dissatisfaction with that scenario led me to the great realization that I cherish to this day and I confronted him right in that moment and said: "No conscious enlightenment is not a gift, it is being dissatisfied and not duped into thinking that ones own present level of consciousness was enough in this life time and not believing and falling pray to the kind of limitation that you are presently giving me is the gift. Conscious enlightenment is exactly that, a conscious understanding of how one became enlightened and also the enlightened person would understand the step by step process of how to get enlightened and could show others clearly how to do so and not fake it, like apparently now that you are and say that it was a gift."
It was then that it was obvious that I had to leave the group both for myself and the fact that I had removed the mask from the man and exposed him for the sociopathioc opportunist that he was. It was after that, that I began a whole new chapter in my pursuit of conscious enlightenment and have found some very amazing tools that can show you step by step how to reach your own full conscious enlightenment.
This is what Mindmavericks.org has to offer you. And, like I say in my pledge of sincerity, if I can't blow your mind in my workshop, I will give you your money back and God's gifts has nothing to do with it.
