COERSION, HYPNOSIS, NO FREE WILL, NO CHOICE? CULTS CAN AFFECT US ALL (From News Shopper)

A Cult expert and victim visits Bromley High School GDST

in Bickley By Imogen Smith - community correspondent

Ian Howarth an author and founder of the Cult Information Centre (CIC) came to Bromley High School last week to educate the pupils of Year 12 & 13 on the issue of cults and how they are still around today.

He estimated that there are over 500 cults in the UK alone and they usually go under hundreds of different names. We may think that we could never be affected by this in our society but there is a large suspected cult as close to us as Chislehurst.

Ian Howarth began to tell the students of how he himself became victim of a Canadian cult in the late 1980s, the organisation was called the PSI Mind Development Group LTD and although he lucky escaped from their grasp after only two weeks, he had resigned from his job, spent over 1,500 Canadian dollars with the group and then faced 11 months of withdrawal after being completely rapt in the cult.

He then founded the Cult Information Centre and now travels around UK schools advising students on how to stop themselves getting involved in such groups and also on how to help a friend if they fall victims.

The group he was involved in offered him courses to help quit smoking but other cults offer food-cooking courses and religious help. A cult is described as having all of the following characteristics:

1. It uses psychological coercion to recruit, indoctrinate and retain its members 2. It forms an elitist totalitarian society.

3. Its founder leader is self-appointed, dogmatic, messianic, not accountable and has charisma.

4. It believes 'the end justifies the means' in order to solicit funds recruit people.

5. Its wealth does not benefit its members or society.

If you know someone that you fear is in a cult, what do you do? Ian Haworth told us that the victim may be completely consumed with the idea that their cult is the greatest organisation alive and may be immune to even bad press about them. So caution must be taken to educate them on the truth.

Firstly, the family must be told and lots of research into the cult must be undertaken before approaching the victim. Then they should gradually and subtly 'plant seeds of doubt' and also visit the Cult Information Centre online who could help by getting them involved in cult counselling or getting the person in contact with someone who is an ex-cult member if possible. Also, Ian Haworth’s book ‘Cults: A Practical Guide’ may be of help and it only costs £3.99 it can be purchased off the Cult Information Centre website - http://www.cultinformation.org.uk/home.html.