What Can We Learn From The Children of Cults?'

Ex-I, In spite of the limitations of Dr. Lalich's sampling methods, her data are useful to individuals currently in cults, those who are exiting, and those who have left. I will agree that there needs to be closer attention to the BK values imposed in children and the ways they have negative effects on child development.

Preface

I am sharing this answer from Quora regarding the harm that is done when children are exposed to 'adult stuff" and linking it to what children are exposed to in cults.

You will notice whenever there is a ratings warning on media content that any rating other than "G"-rated (general viewing) will often have the reason/warning "Contains adult themes".

Why are themes dangerous?

Kids have yet to develop a strong discriminatory and rational ability to filter & work through things. Imagination and emotion are much stronger impulses than reasoning and skepticism.

Most adults can suspend disbelief to then sit back to engage with the unbelievable or the tragic without much effect etc but most kids tend to have a strong link between engagement & belief. What we know personally has been reinforced through research: that we are psychologically affected much more by what we have an emotional association with than things that lack any emotional 'association' or connection. (Why advertising is more effective when it appeals to emotion as much as, or more than, reason).

The harm that cults do to children largely comes from their insistence that even the children must think in terms of the cult's ideas and concepts. They know that childhood is the time minds are shaped. As per the Jesuit maxim "Give me the child until they are 7 and I will give you the man", children do not have not the tools to sift through their various experiences to be able to consciously choose what to accept or dismiss.

When adults take on board certain "themes" and ideas, they innately know that they have actually chosen to believe this over that. The corollary of that innate knowing is also implicit; they also know that at any time they can consciosuly choose to no longer believe it.

Children are still having their consciousness shaped (in-formed) by whatever they encounter. They trust whatever is brought in front of them as being true, hence the PG- ratings advice "Parental Gudiance recommended", ie the parent needs to guide the child and explain how to evaluate what is presented.

But what if the parent is a bad guide as in the example below, or in the case of BK parents who are consciously trying to turn their children into "perfect BKs" rather than raising them to make their own choices freely?

That can make it worse - as other posts on this forum testify.

Why shouldn't kids watch adult stuff?
Answer from Pratibha Abhishek Sahu

I am the best person to answer this as I have been carrying this trauma my entire life and if you have a kid at home, please read the answer until end. I don’t care about upvotes and views, if this can change one kid’s life, I can consider my life successful.

It was when I was around eight years old. One afternoon my Dad was at work and my mom was sleeping. I was playing around all by myself as my siblings had afternoon shift for school while I had morning shift. Feeling bored, I turned on the TV and an old Indian movie starring Sanjeev Kumar and Vidya Sinha “Tumhare Liye” was on.

Those who watched this movie might know how dark this movie is. This movie is about reincarnation. Characters of the movie remember their past life multiple times. They not only long for their loved one from past life, they cry, they mourn for them in the movie.

I watched this entire movie in disbelief and pain. I thought of every single person known to me and realised that they would be gone one day. Imagine, an eight year old who hasn’t (and couldn’t) lived without her parents for a single day worrying about them in such an extreme way. I cried for hours like anything. My childhood wasn’t same. My innocence wasn’t same. My sense of security was gone and I felt so many emotions which my mind wasn’t ready for.

That evening I asked my Mom about reincarnation and asked how can I find her in my next birth. My mother always treated me more as a friend than daughter. Instead of explaining me that this all is baseless and shouldn’t worry me, she told me that I won’t remember anybody after this life as there is a ritual known as ‘Kapal Kriya’ during which memories are taken out of the head before cremation. It made the matter worse. It added to my trauma.

Since that day, I became overly sensitive about everybody around me. Growing up, I realised that watching that one movie has affected all my decision for my entire life. Since then, I plead parents around me to regulate what kids can watch. It should not necessarily be porn, horror movies or explicit scenes that affect them, anything for which their mind is not ready yet is going to leave a lifelong impact in that impressionable age.

there is a ritual known as ‘Kapal Kriya’ during which memories are taken out of the head before cremation. It made the matter worse. It added to my trauma.

Not wishing to distract from the discussion above, kapal kriya is performed during the cremation of a deceased person, & involves cracking open the head, & pouring ghee into it, to ensure it is properly burnt, during which family members are supposed to sit, watch, & wait until the process is complete. No wonder it traumatised the kid!

The problem of BK mothers, known as "adi-kumaris" or 'half' BK Sisters in recognition of their diminished status within BKism, projecting onto their daughters to turn them into 'full' surrendered BK Sisters is a problem we probably haven't explored enough. And have no real idea of the scale of.

The fact is, putting aside the psychological damage, they are essentially enslaved to the BKs, and trafficked around their network to work for free, starting at the lowest level of menial servant. The same or worse that if they were just married off to a stranger, ie cooking, & cleaning for more senior Sisters & their guests etc.