Scientology - cult or helpful

[Lochnessgiraffe]

My dcousin has recently started going to the local scientology place and I have been concerned. He is doing and paying for the self improvement courses. He says that they are friendly and helpful and supportive. He is not long separated from his wife and family and I think v vulnerable. He has no other friends. I live over 3 hours away from him but try to contact him about every week but this is all he talks about now and posts about. He seems happier with himself and more confident. But I'm concerned.
Aibu to be worried or just leave him as he's happy?

Awful awful cult. One of my very close friend's brothers both joined and were totally cut off from their family for years.

Cult!

And. Where is Shelly Miscavige.

Google Leah Rimini

Do your research on groups who help people detach themselves from them. Act fast as they work to separate people from their loved ones or any voices of reason.
The auditing digs into your past and psyche and is then used against you - build up/break down - the cycle of dependence.

Cult. Cult. Cult. We stayed in a hotel in New York which was right next door to their Times Square flagship 'church'. Curiosity got the better of us and we visited. The doors were locked behind us, and the visit consisted of watching footage and a list of texts to buy, and funnily enough we couldn't actually leave until we gave our names and address in the UK. I gave my dads and his wife's details (I'm no contact but at that point still knew his address and mobile) as not a chance they were having mine.

Cult cult cult. I used to work in a Scientology school in Sussex. I never forgot how they 'questioned' the teenage students.

What malmi said. It’s a cult. But declaring it is to him when all he can see is support and a positive effect on his life will not end well. Be very careful. Tread gently.

It's a cult. Why are they allowed to operate in this country?

It’s full on indoctrination coupled with massive guilt and huge financial penance.
I would be very worried.

The founder, himself, seemed to distance himself towards the the end.

Cult. Scary....

I am always suspicious about any church that works on the theory that their teachings are not freely available to all, or is restrictive about who the members can associate with. Hard to spread the word about the good news if the people who don't already know it are considered verboten.

@Lochnessgiraffe
But it IS cult op. Even if he wants to 'get out' he won't be let go easily . Please educate yourself re these very dangerous people ( pps have posted very helpful links) and take advice re how you want to proceed, these are not helpful fluffy people!

Have a look at the work of Steve Hassan. He is a counselling psychologist in the US who was in the Moonies in the 1970s and has now become an expert on helping people leave coercive or closed groups. I have had correspondence with him over multilevel marketing (which he refers to as a commercial cult). He’s written books on supporting someone in a cult and on the techniques they use to indoctrinate someone and how he helps people start to question what is going on. I would be concerned about Scientology. I hope you can help him but it’s a delicate Socratic process and it’s best not to directly criticise him or Scientology .

Here’s Steve’s website freedomofmind.com/

It's a massive cult Ron Hubbard was a lunatic and his replacement is dangerous just watch any of the documentaries by former members

Cult, preying on someone who is vulnerable. I hope someone in the family can intervene.

Louis Theroux did a docu-film on it. Watch it, it’s very interesting but 100% a cult.

Katie Holmes was in it when she was married to Tom Cruise and I’m not sure their daughter has anything to do with her dad now because of the cult. I’m sure his other kids with Nicole Kidman have gone NC with either parent (I can’t remember if they stayed in and went NC with Nicole or the other way round)

I want to intervene but don't want to lose him. So I'm being superficially supportive but helpful. I don't want him to push me away.

I'll have a look at some of the suggestions thanks!

Cult. Watch Leah Reminis show.

I think the dianetics personality test is used against them further down the line, it's kind of an insurance policy for them, I also think that if you manage to leave they follow you everywhere, I watched a documentary on it and it was very scary.

Cult. Terrible, terrible, dangerous people. Watch Louis Theroux's documentaries about them.

Very dangerous and damaging cult. They give some kind of counselling sessions early on which are recorded. Then they have on record all your secrets etc and use this to blackmail you if you try to leave.

Watch Louis Theroux! And make him watch it too! They’re fucking dangerous!

The suck in vulnerable people, its absolutely a cult. Some of the things they've done is deplorable, and the way they hound ex members is terrifying.