This paper relates to Millenarianist or "End of the World" cults and how to offer support for members and ex-members etc.
The BKWSU predictions for Destruction and the New World have, of course, failed on many occasions; WWII, 1950, 1976, mid-1980s, Year 2000 and so on ... but they keep pushing it back and re-writing it. The prefered response is a white-lie, a delusion or deception that goes something like this; "Baba has never given a precise date for Destruction" and the blame is placed on adherents misinterpretations. This is false. The failed predictions came directly from "Baba".
However, the statement is true to some extent which is what makes it such a convincing lie that the BK middle management can repeat with sincerity.
The spirit entity the BKs consider to be god, or the leadership, have never specifically said, e.g. "15 May, 1976 at 3pm" ... but what we have discovered independently on this forum is that "Baba" has most CERTAINLY given SPECIFIC predictions to a SPECIFIC year or so.
In the beginning, they thought WWII was Destruction. Then 1950 or so was predicted. They, very SPECIFICALLY, 1976 was predicted. In the 1980s, it was said, "50 years for Destruction, 50 for Creation" which would lead to the mid-1980s, e.g. 50 years from 1936 when the spirit of Shiva was meant to enter Lekhraj Kirpalani. Of course, we have discovered that date, Lekhraj Kirpalani's age and other details have also been falsified, re-written or covered up just as the predictions have been. Now the Brahma-kumaris edit and re-write the channelled messages to keep "God" looking convincing to neophytes who know nothing, and informed nothing, about all of this.
The BKWSU predictions for Destruction and the New World have, of course, failed on many occasions; WWII, 1950, 1976, mid-1980s, Year 2000 and so on ... but they keep pushing it back and re-writing it. The prefered response is a white-lie, a delusion or deception that goes something like this; "Baba has never given a precise date for Destruction" and the blame is placed on adherents misinterpretations. This is false. The failed predictions came directly from "Baba".
However, the statement is true to some extent which is what makes it such a convincing lie that the BK middle management can repeat with sincerity.
The spirit entity the BKs consider to be god, or the leadership, have never specifically said, e.g. "15 May, 1976 at 3pm" ... but what we have discovered independently on this forum is that "Baba" has most CERTAINLY given SPECIFIC predictions to a SPECIFIC year or so.
In the beginning, they thought WWII was Destruction. Then 1950 or so was predicted. They, very SPECIFICALLY, 1976 was predicted. In the 1980s, it was said, "50 years for Destruction, 50 for Creation" which would lead to the mid-1980s, e.g. 50 years from 1936 when the spirit of Shiva was meant to enter Lekhraj Kirpalani. Of course, we have discovered that date, Lekhraj Kirpalani's age and other details have also been falsified, re-written or covered up just as the predictions have been. Now the Brahma-kumaris edit and re-write the channelled messages to keep "God" looking convincing to neophytes who know nothing, and informed nothing, about all of this.
The personality of ex-cult members by Yvonne Walsh, Robin J. H. Russell and Pamela A. Wells
Available from 'Psychology Department, City University, Northampton Square, London EC1V 0HB, UK'
Abstract
A sample of 75 ex-members of cults or new religious movements completed two personality inventories: the short form of the Eysenck Personality Questionnaire and the Beck Sociotropy-Autonomy Scale. Compared to the norms, the sample exhibited elevated scores on neuroticism, sociotropy and autonomy.
The elevated neuroticism scores increasingly approached the norm as a function of time out of the cult. Ex-members in contact with support groups showed reduced levels of neuroticism and sociotropy in comparison with those who were not.
While it is not possible to draw firm conclusions from a study of this design, the results are consistent with the view that people with high autonomy scores are likely to leave or be ejected from cults or new religious movements and that doing so may cause psychological difficulties which are ameliorated by time and attendance at a support group.
Abstract
With the approach of the new millennium there was increased activity within many of the new cultic movements. Many of these organizations promise a future paradise on earth, and can be identified as millenarian cults. Others predicted the end of the world with the focus for this event being the new millennium, the beginning of which is mutable, some claiming it for the year 2000 others the year 2001.
The date for the end of the world can by quite idiosyncratic. It was, for instance, believed by the Movement for the Restoration of the Twelve Commandments to be due in March 2000, when over 1000 members of this particular Ugandan cult lost their lives, many through strangulation. The death toll was a stark demonstration of what appears to be some form of extreme control exercised within such groups. It has been estimated that there are between 500 and 800 different cults active in the United Kingdom with membership ranging from under ten people to thousands. This activity indicates that counselling psychologists need to be aware of the problem of the psychological damage with which some members or ex-members of cults continue to present and of the techniques of control practised within the cult and the effect that these techniques have on members.
These types of techniques and the resultant negative psychological consequences are the focus of this paper. This paper aims to begin to educate counselling psychologists in the techniques used within cults which effect social control.
It intends to equip counselling psychologists to work with a group of clients, that they will meet on an increasing basis as the new millennium, whatever date is allocated to it, approaches and passes. That is if heaven on earth or the earth's destruction does not materialize.