Just a little clarification
When I suggest that feminists need to study psychology I am not suggesting that they undertake a professional course in psychology. I am suggesting that feminists familiarise themselves with the uses and abuses of psychology and different models of psychotherapy within, for example, advertising, the pick up artist movement, the generation of false memories, social engineering, the arts, religious and psychotherapy cults, politics etc.
I am not suggesting that feminists do this in order to participate in the collective manipulation of the masses, but to empower ourselves with an understanding of what we are up against so as to enhance strategic thinking and capabilities when challenging pseudoscience and dangerous social engineering and threats to freedoms and democracy.
One of the most important subjects, especially in relation to the appropriation of feminism by cults, is the study of the Human Potential movement.
The HP movement is a fascinating example of a new age hippy movement encompassing syncretic spiritual movements, yoga, meditation, vegan / raw food diets, various hippy / new age schools of psychotherapy, community / revolutionary / therapeutic theatre groups, LGATS, sex cults, the use of psychedelic drugs and other areas of interest.
The HP movement has influenced many models of psychotherapy currently in use in the UK and internationally and has contributed significantly to the development of various “women’s empowerment” and “women’s leadership” movements that demonstrate beliefs regarding sex and gender that are like a hybrid of the “surrendered wife” movement and the film “The Stepford Wives”.
Some of links of interest, please be advised that they contain material any reasonable person will find distressing
Firstly an example of a Russian cult with evident HP movement origins, that displays many features of other similar cults and, sadly, there are plenty of them.
www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-4909556/Sex-cult-guru-faces-extradition-Russia.html
Another example here - also makes for very distressing reading
www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2785423/Sect-leader-raped-thousands-female-followers-claiming-heal-sex-sparks-international-arrest-warrant.html
Finally, and this is truly fascinating, a very recent and very disturbing small cult that caused significant harm to vulnerable young people (be warned it makes for extremely disturbing reading) and that demonstrates many elements that can be found in much larger, successful, highly abusive cults, although these elements may not be evident without a lot of digging.
www.thecut.com/2019/04/larry-ray-sarah-lawrence-students.html#comments
There are a number of themes that permeate all of these kinds of movements in my experience
They include:
A strong emphasis on sex and gender in teachings / doctrines. Women are told that feminism and modern life are toxic and are influencing women to become masculine. In order to discover / awaken the woman within / feminine essence / inner goddess / wild woman / authentic self / whatever women need to detoxify their bodies of various forms of pollution.
In this respect the central narrative is not unlike that used to market jamu sticks, vagina bleaching creams, lysol douches, secret ceres, yoni pearls etc. The narratives is basically as follows: Your vulva, vagina and uterus are dirty, polluted, blocked, contaminated with invisible psychic hooks, worms or parasites. These oppressive forces are the residual remnants of child sexual abuse (including abuse that you cannot remember but is locked in the body at cellular level), oppressive sexual messages from society and bad sex with incompetent partners.
Various types of yoga and medication focussed on the womb / yoni / female reproductive organs must be undertaken in order to “clear blockages”. These therapeutic treatments may also include genital / anal massage or even, as in the case with Dobes Jaroslav aka Guru Jara and various other “tantric” rapists, pimps and abusers, by surrendering to sexual violations by the guru / cult leader.
These abusive movements promote the concept of feminine empowerment via surrender to a male guru.
A fascinating and extremely disturbing example of this kind of cult is NXIVM, which is currently all over the news and makes for horrible reading.
The control of followers diets is standard within these movements.
If the guru prefers very slim women then the female followers are placed on starvation rations. If the guru’s preferences are for fuller figured women then the followers are fattened up like livestock. The adverse health effects of extreme diets on the health of the women is considered irrelevant. The guru’s happiness and satisfaction is all that matters.
Women are typically isolated from their friends and families, treated by various quack methods to “clear blockages” and “sever links to toxic relationships”. Once “awakened” the women frequently make false accusation of incest against their parents and, once completely alienated from their friends and families, are put to work to recruit more women and girls, are often used as spies, human assets, blackmailers, sex workers etc.
A very clear example of this can be found here:
(scroll down for the piece titled ""Govt services" and two parents agony")
www.afma.asn.au/afmanov991.html
There are other common features of these movements which I can write more about, but I would hope that readers here will make some discoveries for themselves.
One of the most concerning features, as evidence in this thread, is the victim blaming of victims.
It is easy to understand how this happens when people expressing opinions do not understand the human unconscious and do not understand the nature and mechanisms underlying coercive control.
So much more to write but this will do for now.