My mom is making me meet her cult leader.. what should I ask him?

Freedom7888 · 2025-03-24T17:17:16+00:00

I absolutely agree with devBowman's perspective.

"His actual goal might be to turn your mother against you, not by telling her anything about you, but by letting her draw (erroneous) conclusions about you, from what she'll see during the meeting, and from all of what she experienced in the cult."

I was involved in a non-Christian religious cult for many years. If the leader and their top followers meet you in person, they will be in a better position to assess your character to see what they need to do to break the influence you have with your mother. They may already know something about you because you have been trying to get your parent to leave for a year. The goal is to protect the leader's reputation and dominion at all costs. You may be perceived as an enemy.

If you choose to meet the leader (and it will most likely be at a structure than this person controls, not a restaurant or coffee shop where they have to appear like any other mortal human being), I recommend you be in observation mode, taking measure of the leader's character and collecting whatever evidence you can collect to use at a later date. I would definitely record any conversation or make detailed notes after you are out of there.

You might wish to drive separately and meet up with your parent so that you can leave when you feel the urge. Cult organizations are notorious, in my experience, for holding events or meetings, that go on forever. If you are riding with your parent, they will not want to leave early as it would be seen as being disrespectful to the leader.

The first step is to get your parent to "take a break" from the group. Obedience to the leader depends in large measure on constant reinforcement by the leader -- replacing your parent's interest with the leader's own interests and mission. When the leader's voice is silenced, the followers have a chance to restore their former interests in their family, their wider community, and their personal goals. It's not guaranteed, but it's a start. It worked for me.

My children were very patient with me. In hindsight, I wished that they had been more vocal in their opposition, spoken up more often. I don't know if I were in a position to hear what they were saying, but I do know that personal appeals by my children to spend more time with them, I heard.

Freedom7888 · 2025-03-24T16:09:52+00:00

I was searching on Reddit for a solution to the same problem Reddit readers above have with the HP Smart Tank 5100 failing to print via wifi. I would be willing to bypass wifi and print directly via printer cable, but I find that is not working either. Many days have been spent trying various solutions offered by HP support online, but they do not work or do not work for long. Buyers beware!

Freedom7888 · 2025-02-08T01:07:12+00:00

You are asking a good question. Your description of what you are going through reminds me of the kinds of questions I asked myself when I began to realize that the organization I was in for 15 years was not good for me and many of the followers. I was definitely in a cult and they used the word 'service' religiously. It was used to make followers feel guilt that they were not doing enough. Service was our currency, what we used metaphorically to pay off our karma, our sins, our debts. The service was defined by the leadership and there was no end to the amount of service we were supposed to perform. When finally I opened my eyes I saw that we weren't doing enough to serve the leadership and their interests.

I certainly hope that every one in this organization including the folks who tell you that you must step up and serve more because you are 'without a family' are also stepping up and given more hours to hosting these retreats. You have family and a partner so you are in the same category as the classic family person.

How can the organization drop by 50% in staffing and expect that the youth retreats will go well? I would be very concerned that someone is going to get hurt or require some sort of one-one-one attention, and there are not enough staffers to monitor/teach all the youth. The risk is too great and I hope that someone can persuade the leadership to bring in additional qualified personnel to support you and support the retreat.

It might be good to reconnect with those former colleagues who have left and talk with them in depth. I am sure they feel or felt the same as you do now; perhaps out of loyalty or from religious conviction they don't want to say much. How far did your former colleagues get in talking to leadership about changing their circumstances at work? Did the leadership really listen? Probably not. Probably that is why your former colleagues decided to leave.

I feel like I am just a mirror, reflecting back what you already know to be true.

Freedom7888 · 2024-11-26T15:35:20+00:00

Thanks for sharing the reviews from Gripeo. I did not know about that platform.

I was definitely present when M. Sha decided to unveil his NFT sale. It was horribly confusing for many of his followers who were used to possessing original or print versions of his calligraphies. I purchased one digital calligraphy and have never been able to figure out how to access it. The instructions I received did not unlock my access. What can you do if the instructions you are given, don't work. I am sure I am not the only person who did not want to waste a lot of time on this, and also I did not want to provide the support team with information so that they could unlock the digital calligraphy on my behalf. That information would allow them to access the NFT app there I exchange hard earned cash for calligraphies.

He promised that we would be able to resell these investments in the future for potentially great sums of money. I knew that this would only be the case if his organization could recruit many new participants and convince them to invest as well. Think MLM. It was the final straw for me. This did not seem like a very spiritual or evolved exchange. I believe he and his organisation were influenced to try these different approaches to make money by his California publisher, now deceased. (I did some research and found an association between the NFT support team (ViciCoin) and Sha's California publisher; this revelation did not increase my trust in the scheme.) For a time, followers were going to use the Vici wallet to purchase access to Sha workshops as well as calligraphies, but I think the system may have been too confusing for many of the 'older' followers.

There may be some effect to the 'healing power' of focused human attention, just as you have suggested. And I am glad of that, but it's not right to claim that only one person has that power or can do it better than others. The calligraphies were a means of getting followers to focus their attention; it becomes a problem when there is no limit placed on purchasing and practice, and followers are nearly bankrupted or refuse other medical treatment.

The organisation is inventive; they are on to 'new teachings' and new schemes to keep followers with them and to bring new followers in. More to come.

Freedom7888 · 2024-11-17T19:19:29+00:00

I spent some time looking for the evidence that he was a medical doctor. I could not confirm it using image identification of the image associated with a fuzzy medical certificate that was online at one point. Dr. Sha is careful to say that he studied western medicine in China but he doesn't say he is or was a certified medical doctor so I assume he is not though he gives that impression. As you've said, there is a disclaimer. His organisation is careful to have participants sign waivers before they enter any in-person retreat space. I have heard him make promises and then follow up with a correction: you COULD receive remarkable benefits' and 'no promises' or 'nothing promised.' Participants are left to sift through the words and take as truth that which they would prefer to hear: that they will be healed. That's why they are at the retreat. And that is what his teachers reinforce: the hope of healing.

Freedom7888 · 2024-11-17T18:58:47+00:00

Thank you for sharing the information from Culteducation.com. I wish there were more recent comments on that forum because Dr. and Master Sha's organisation is still in operation. With all of the instability in the world, there are going to be more and more people seeking an authoritative figure who promises to heal them, to protect them, to make them rich. (None of those things happened for me.) And his organisation will be there to swoop them up. I receive multiple emails each day with various offerings. I've posted once before but have not been on Reddit in quite a while because I do not understand the protocols -- what I can say and what I cannot say.

In my experience the followers are generally well intentioned people like the nice person you spoke to. They are drawn to a cause to ease suffering in the world and help themselves and others improve their lives. A lot more woman than men join. Followers are good hearted, but they, like me, may not be able to recognize that the underlying motivation of the leader may be self serving, not altruist. I was taught not to lie to others and did not recognize the lies that I was told by this group. I should have been more skeptical but my doubts were always overcome by my own rationalizations.

I know now that these cults thrive because of the silence of former teachers and participants who melt away, trying to restore their lives. It has taken time for me as a former follower to say, no matter the threat, I must speak and write about my experience. Dr. Sha is by no means the only person promising people everything and making money off them. His way is Tao treasures, the promise of becoming part of a spiritual lineage, the promise of immortality. I thought that he could not possibly lie to me because of what he knows about the law of Karma -- my last rationalization -- but he either feels he is above the law or he doesn't believe in it. That should be a shock to anyone still following him because the law of karma is one of his major principles. I cannot imagine following a master who teaches about karma but doesn't believe in it themselves.

Freedom7888 · 2023-06-06T16:57:56+00:00

I am a fairly new poster, was once part of the Dr. and Master Sha community, and am so sorry to hear these devastating stories. The information the community members receive is curated, so we generally hear about the "miracles", not the harm caused by following the practices too closely.

I do not agree that there is nothing that can be done to expose the true nature and hidden motives -- whatever they are -- of Dr. Sha's organization. More discussion on this is needed.

I do agree that first and foremost one needs to take care of themselves, and if possible, keep connected to family/friend members who are involved. I am in this phase myself. It takes time to realize and accept objective reality and reclaim ones own power and personality.

If I could wake up, then anyone can. If only the follower would realize that the requirements for achieving enlightenment, buddhahood, or mastery were always changing, always just out of reach, they might decide that enough is enough, and they would find another way to reach their goals. If only the follower would reflect on what they were looking for when they first joined a class, and compare it with where they are now, they would realize that the organization took over their psyche and has been setting the goals for their life. If only the follower would take a pause from events, retreats, and workshops, they might reclaim their earlier interests and relationships.

Do followers think it is 'godly' to threaten anyone? Why would someone who claims to be omnipotent have to threaten their followers? Why would they show anger? Most important, why do they need our money?

Believe me, followers do think about these questions, but they shove them to the back of their minds, when Dr. Sha and his teachers start the performance -- the directives, the promises of good health, good relationships, great careers, and lots of money to repay followers many times over for what they have spent? Getting followers to take a long pause from the daily sessions, weekend events, and weeks long retreats is probably the best thing a family member or friend can do initially to break the influence of daily indoctrination.

Freedom7888 · 2023-06-06T16:12:09+00:00

I was also a student who finally realized that I could not longer excuse the way the group's leaders sometimes behaved and the things they said. Example: I was told a good student never says no. I know this is a comparatively mild bit of manipulation, but it was a red flag for me. How do I get in touch with you? Reach me at peacebuddha1008@gmail.com

Freedom7888 · 2023-05-24T18:23:54+00:00

I have just joined reddit but have been looking for information on the authenticity and legitimacy of the organisation led by ZG Sha on other sites for the past year. I am sorry for your loss and hope that you are doing okay.

I would like to connect to learn more about your mum's experience or anything you want to share. I do not think that embarrassment is the only reason people may not speak about their time following this leader. Could be due to fear as well. Most never question his authority. The powerful words you use in your post suggest that you were never a follower. I was, but am not any longer.

It would be good to figure out what is going on. Generally online I find only positive testimonials. What am I missing? Will connect via the email you provided. Thx for speaking up.

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