"DER SPIEGEL" - Report about cult-exiting consultants

Todays issue of the german newsmagazin "DER SPIEGEL" (July 10th 1995, #28, pp. 94 - 100) brings a couple of articles about cult exit helpers. The first article gives a more general introduction into the difficulties of leaving cults and the "deprogramming" techniques. $cientology features as a really bad bad cult. The main part of the article deals with different deprogrammers and former cult victims. The example of one Herbert Knack is given and how his family managed to get him out of $cientology. Loosly translated from the text: "($cientologists are trained in behaviour-altering courses to become invulnerable against insults and attacks. In the talk marathon with the exiting counselor Knack reacted like he was taught by his cult-teachers: The socalled tonescale of the $cientologists has an optimal reaction for every situation in life ("Lebenslage") which is learned and executed in a robotic way. This means for example to endure the stares of critics or to react with desinterest or boredom upon hostility. After one week his resistance was broken. The young man began to accept his opposite as existent." "Exit counseling is a touchy business. (...) $cientology is thought to be the most aggressive psycho-club with approx. 30000 members in Germany."

Further cast: Mun, Bhagwan, Hare-Krishna, Childs of God.

The second one is about a former "Child of God". This woman is today an active exit-counselor.

The third one is an interview with one Steven Hassan, who is an ex-Mun- member. He does deprogramming as a business, usually called by desperate relatives ore spouses. Translated from the interview: S.H.: "You have to fight the peoples (cult victims, my insertion) fear that something terrible will happen when they leave. These fears are implanted ("eingeimpft") by all cults to bind their members to the cult. (...) It is a great help to have ex-cultists at hand who are healthy and sane and say: "I left five years ago and I am all well." " Question: "Are there hopeless cases?" S.H: "No, just difficult ones. Among these are the $cientologists, one of the most dangerous cults. They systematically train behaviour to intimidate their critics."

Another BigWin(tm) !

-- -- Rolf Elak | alt.religion.scientology: Have a look at the cults latest rem@nite. | attempts to combat freedom of speech on the net. toppoint.de | And while there, make sure to contribute to the (My own | "DENNIS ERLICH DEFENSE FUND". opinions) | More details found elsewhere in a lot of signatures.