In 2010, a cult-like story began at Sarah Lawrence College in New York City. A group of students shared a dormitory until the father of one of the young women secretly moved in. His name was Larry Ray, and he gradually began to gain everyone's trust.

Isabella Pollok, Santos Rosario, Claudia Drury, and Dan Levin were some of the young people who fell under his influence. In 2011, several ended up moving in with Larry to an apartment in Manhattan, where he began to control their lives, isolating them from their families and subjecting them to long sessions of pseudo-therapeutic interrogation that were, in essence, complete brainwashing.

Recordings made by the group itself show how Ray alternated moments of apparent calm with insults, accusations, and threats. He kept them awake until dawn, implanted false memories, and pressured them into accepting absurd conspiracy theories, alleged poisonings, and injuries he himself attributed to them. Santos Rosario ended up accepting responsibility for supposed damages to the apartment, and Larry demanded more than $47,000 from him. Along with his sisters Yalitza and Felicia, Santos would become a significant source of income for Ray, who managed to extract approximately $300,000 from them through extortion and manipulation.

One of the most disturbing episodes involved Claudia Drury, who ended up selling her body at Larry's instigation to pay him the sums he demanded as compensation for alleged economic and physical damages. In 2019, an investigation published by New York Magazine publicly exposed the brutality perpetrated by Ray over several years. Finally, the FBI arrested him in February 2020, and he was sentenced to 60 years in prison.

Video about the brutal story of Larry Ray's cult: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hs53ddYWTa0

Blood drive is hosted by a Korean cult called world mission society church of god. They have a cheer squad for the event. This was back in 2015-2017 around there. Do you think this is bizarre?

Reuters:

More than three years after Kenyan authorities first unearthed gruesome mass graves linked to a doomsday sect, a court in Mombasa has convicted self-proclaimed pastor Paul Mackenzie and about 30 of his associates of murder. The landmark ruling centered on the deaths of 190 children and one adult, marking a significant legal milestone in one of the world's worst modern cult-related disasters.

Prosecutors established during the trial that Mackenzie and his Good News International Church instructed followers to starve themselves and their children to death in the remote Shakahola Forest. The radical teachings promised victims that by doing so, they would transcend worldly hardships and "meet Jesus" before the end of the world. While defense lawyers argued that the case relied heavily on circumstantial evidence and hearsay, and Mackenzie claimed he did not force anyone to starve, the court ultimately dismissed these arguments.

Police initially arrested Mackenzie in 2023 following a tip-off, which led to the discovery of hundreds of bodies buried in shallow graves across southeastern Kenya. In addition to the current convictions, the defendants have faced separate charges including terrorism, radicalisation, and preventing children from receiving an education.

#Kenya #CultLeader #Justice #WorldNews https://www.reuters.com/world/kenyan-starvation-cult-leader-found-guilty-murder-190-children-one-adult-2026-10-19/

My wife joined this online facebook cult in December 2021. Over the 5 years she has participated in Telegram groups, the private Facebook Group: Masati Xi Code community and the Live YouTubes every single day. Some days she listens to the “Hypermeditation” 20 hrs a day for 60 days in a row.

During the last 5 years she has had many affairs with the men on here. Also she has “deleted” all feeling of love, guilt, shame, with the help of the daily “Nero Linguistic Programing (Spacial Referencing) and hypnosis Yoga-Yoga Nidra.

Has anyone in this sub ever come in contact with this cult?

It’s tearing my family apart. My wife is teaching this cult to our 7 and 4 year old.

My cousin is in a cult

I (23m) recently went to my cousin's (25f) church. It is non denominational and only has the one location. I had never been there before, but my cousin was excited to bring me along. Very quickly I realized that it was a cult. They preached hateful, homophobic, racist, xenophobic stuff. It was actually really crazy, and I've heard some wild stuff before.

It took me almost completely by suprise. It must've shown on my face because after the service my cousin seemed very upset and apologetic. She was used to not ever speaking up & she had come into the cult at a time when she was very vulnerable. It seems like she's been questioning things but got used to just keeping it all inside to keep peace.

She kept apologizing but then would recite something the leader said. Watching the cognitive dissonance was astonishing.

After I left she texted again & told me she was sorry for everything. She sounded like she felt she wanted to say more but couldn't. I reminded her of the times before the cult & she remembers them very fondly.

I think she may leave the cult soon as she is about to move to work as a nurse at a hospital after she graduates. I need to know how to support her & stay in contact during the next phase of her life. The hospital is over an hour away so she's looking for apartments there, but the church will expect her to still drive back & forth for worship after she moves.

Any advice or experiences like mine would be very helpful

Im looking for docs about Cults. You know, for spooky season.

Ive watched

* Happy Shiny people

* Going Clear

* the two about Ruby Frankie

* at least one about Heaven's Gate

* The Get Down

* Love has Won

* the Vow

* Jesus Camp, which made me cry.

* that one that poisoned the restaurant- Vishu swami I think?

Ive got access to most steaming services.

Thank you.

For those who have seen the movie, did it remind you of relationships within a cult? A lot of people view Holmes’ intense staring as an attempt to appear genuine. Her eyes reminded me of other cult members who were interviewed. There is a lot she claims not to know, and maybe that part is actually true.

It looked to me like she had surrendered a great deal of her critical thinking to her spouse, which is seen in how they repeat each other’s phrases verbatim at different points in the film, and also the more obvious financial and social media control stuff. Did anyone else get the impression she is genuinely in a high-control relationship and was also in a similar dynamic with her former partner? She is aware that her spouse is speaking for her and is unbothered by that. Now that she is isolated, I don’t see her ever gaining a better perspective of her relationship with her husband.

So Cornell is linked to that cult that has slaves but also a lot of his science people were into misanthropic Accelerationism which is a political theory where causing chaos is a good thing. They see society like a phoenix which burns them is reborn. That group is also into closed loop behavioral modification research and sought to create an institution to study wiping peoples minds or reprogramming them. The Nazis were also accelerationists and used people as lab animals just like Epsteins group.

NZ Herald:

US cult expert and licensed therapist Rachel Bernstein is sounding an urgent alarm regarding the subtle yet pervasive presence of cults and high-control groups in modern society, ahead of her upcoming visit to New Zealand. Bernstein, who hosts the podcast Indoctrination, emphasizes that destructive organizations and manipulative leaders are not relics of the past or isolated to remote compounds; rather, they operate actively within mainstream settings such as wellness communities, corporate workplaces, self-help seminars, and religious organizations.

According to Bernstein, manipulation often begins subtly under the guise of personal growth, mentorship, or community connection. Perpetrators typically target individuals during periods of vulnerability, transition, or stress, systematically isolating them from external support systems and critical perspectives. She points out that high-control groups leverage sophisticated psychological tactics, including emotional manipulation, guilt, and peer pressure, to erode members' autonomy and independent thinking until compliance feels like the only viable choice.

During her upcoming New Zealand tour, Bernstein aims to raise public awareness, educate families on how to recognize the warning signs of undue influence, and provide guidance on how to safely approach and support loved ones who have become entangled in manipulative environments. She stresses that recovery is entirely possible with proper understanding, patience, and professional assistance, but community vigilance remains the first line of defense against exploitative systems.

#CultAwareness #MentalHealth #RachelBernstein #Indoctrination https://archive.ph/Jg1LU

In central Nevada for work and saw this while walking downtown for dinner. I can't fathom the mentality that goes into hanging this up.

李洪志就深谙骗钱的奥义，成立了法轮功邪教组织。传播初期，他靠所谓气功治病、举办培训班聚敛了大量钱财，后又通过大量印制书籍、录音带、录影带等骗得了巨额钱款，偷逃了大量税收。借此，李洪志在北京、长春拥有数处豪宅、多辆轿车，过着奢靡的生活。出逃境外后，李洪志更是过得风生水起，一方面，李洪志积极运营法轮功网站

Cleveland 19 News:

Reflecting on the historical tragedy of the Kirtland cult murders, cult intervention specialist Ashlen Hilliard emphasizes that falling under the influence of manipulative high-control groups can happen to anyone. Operating under her organization “People Leave Cults,” Hilliard assists survivors escaping abusive environments and fundamentalist settings. She explains that coercive control is applied intentionally over time, making it difficult for targets to recognize the danger until severe psychological harm has occurred.

Master manipulators like cult leader Jeffrey Lundgren excel at making followers feel uniquely understood and valued, a dynamic Hilliard describes as being trapped in a "prison of specialness." Individuals experiencing life transitions, such as divorce, empty nest syndrome, or health scares, are often most vulnerable to these tactics. Survivors frequently struggle with post-exit identity crises and deep internalized shame regarding actions taken while inside the controlling system, necessitating professional support to heal.

Hilliard notes that public fascination often centers on extreme media portrayals of cults, which can falsely reassure observers that such situations could never happen to them. Educating the public about subtle warning signs—such as excessive devotion, isolation, financial control, and suppressed dissent—is vital for prevention. Recognizing these red flags helps dismantle the stigma surrounding cult involvement and encourages individuals to seek help.

#CultAwareness #KirtlandMurders #CoerciveControl #CultRecovery https://www.cleveland19.com/2026/10/16/kirtland-cult-murders-cult-expert-explains-how-control-takes-hold/

In 2010, a man with a magnetic personality arrived at a private university residence in New York and ended up turning the lives of several students into a living nightmare. His name was Larry Ray, a man capable of gaining the trust of others, presenting himself as someone who had all the answers, and convincing those around him that they needed his help. But behind that image hid a calculating, manipulative, and terribly hostile personality.

What followed was a spiral of interrogations, false confessions, violence, humiliation, and exploitation that destroyed the lives of several young people for years. How did Larry Ray manage to exert such control over people who had once been his own daughter's friends? How did a man from outside that university end up building a structure of subjugation right in the middle of a student residence? This is the story of one of the most disturbing and destructive cults to emerge in a university setting.

Video about the brutal story of Larry Ray's cult: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hs53ddYWTa0

I was part of a spiritual group with a very clear hierarchy: a Maestro at the top, people closer to him holding more spiritual authority, and different levels of initiation and advancement.
One of the strongest things holding it together was “the mission.” We were taught that what we were doing was extraordinarily important for humanity, and over time the mission could be placed above family, relationships, personal needs, and even your own intuition.
What made it especially confusing was that we were also taught that we are our own first master and that family was deeply important. Yet if your own discernment or family needs conflicted with the group or the mission, suddenly those teachings seemed to matter less.
Whenever the contradictions became obvious, they could be brushed aside as “the paradox of spirituality,” as though calling it a paradox should somehow resolve how disorienting and crazy-making it actually felt.
Questioning leadership could then be reframed as ego, resistance, or not being spiritually developed enough to understand.
For those who experienced something similar: when did you realize that “the mission” was bringing you deeper and deeper away from truth? And how are you able to retrain your mind from the brainwashing?

I was involved in an organization over THIRTY years ago that still won't stop harassing me to this day.

I'm looking for therapy or counseling resources for Washington State if anyone knows of anything or where you may have sought resources for these cult/ex religion experiences.

I constantly fear that the cult I was involved in is watching me in ways others have expressed. They still send me mail after *30 years* of me being out of the organization. I still get phone calls I'm blocking. Voicemails. Members occasionally still find my address and come to my home just to make their presence known by knocking in the door or driving by my home wearing their suits. I don't understand how someone who had so little involvement decades ago (me) is still interesting to these people. I know others have tried and failed to sue them for harassment and for mental anguish. This organization I was part of is loaded with money and many celebrities have been involved.

As a result of my experience as well as my own childhood without any formal religion and other issues at home, I've got a deep distrust now of ANY organized religion or belief set whatsoever. That leaves a person feeling empty and lost as those around you seem to be settled in their own beliefs at this age. As someone who's mid life now, this distrust heavily impacts me in many areas of my life. It has shaped my brain, my emotions, my well being as a whole.

I'm not ready to name or discuss the "religious cult" or name of the organization because they already harass me in real life via mail and phone calls etc, and I absolutely know that there are church members hired to watch the internet for postings that make them look bad. I've seen them in forums tearing down former members and ex members have posted videos of being driven off the road, being harassed in their homes, places of employment etc. I don't want to become a target for this organization so speaking out is and always has been terrifying.

I am just feeling like I need resources to hopefully finally address all of this and get it out in a therapeutic environment so, wondering if anyone in Washington State has found resources for deprogramming or discussion with professionals of coming out of this mindset and the fear and anxiety of always being kept tabs on. It's crazy making. It's very difficult explaining or sharing any of this with normal everyday people who haven't experienced the level of intimidation and fear (mental tactics).

Thanks for reading.

Freaked out and needs resources, Washington State.

What do you think of Gigi Young?
I’m curious to hear people’s opinions about Gigi Young’s YouTube videos and teachings.
Have you followed her work or been a paying member of her website? What was your experience like? Has your opinion of her teachings changed over time?
I’m especially interested in hearing from current and former members, but everyone is welcome to share their perspectives.
Please keep the discussion respectful, focus on her publicly shared teachings and your personal experiences, and avoid personal attacks or speculation about her private life.

well well well. Old whitehead dudes will do the craziest stuff. Was so flabbergasted I had to turn around and go back to the store to see it rubbed my eyes at least three times.

Bruce Hales, head of the Plymouth Brethren Christian Church Cult, and his son Gareth Hales were questioned by the Australian Parliament's electoral matters committee on Friday 16 October. The full hearing is over 3 hours, so I cut it down to the parts I think matter most. Nothing is cut between a question and its answer.

In the clips:

• Senator Corinne Mulholland puts chat group messages to Gareth that mention far-right personalities who go to white supremacist and neo-Nazi events, and one person asking whether they should be paid by bank transfer or cash. Gareth says he's had no contact with neo-Nazis and rejects their views.
• Shayne Neumann asks Gareth, as CEO of Sante Global, whether the company paid activists or political parties. His answer: "No payments, no funds."
• Andrew Gee asks Gareth about Chris De Bruyne and "Australian Firebrand", and Gareth says it's the first time he's heard of Firebrand.
• Gee asks Gareth three times whether it concerns him that a former minister says two church members approached her. Gareth says he'll take it on notice.
• Alicia Payne puts reports about a chat group to Bruce, and Gee asks Bruce about the sympathy in his written statement. You can judge for yourselves how they answer.
• Julie-Ann Campbell asks about Bruce's role as leader, and Ben Small objects.

Full hearing, if you have the time: https://www.youtube.com/live/a68zMpjs9Po

Transcript with timestamps: https://freedomtimes.news/posts/draft-electoral-matters-hearing-transcript-2026-10-16

It's an edit, so watch the full hearing for everything. Parliament's Hansard should be published later this week.