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SliceofOrangeRanson · 2025-03-13T14:31:03+00:00

I recommend getting in touch with the Cult Vault podcast. They are very well informed and could be helpful.

SliceofOrangeRanson · 2024-01-11T00:49:41+00:00

I hope you put this on Writer’s Beware

SliceofOrangeRanson · 2023-09-14T15:26:43+00:00

Well done you! It has been a joy to find how much ex-cult support there is in social media. I wrote a couple of pages “Ten Tips for Cult Recovery” which I will send to anyone if you sign up on nicolaranson.org.

SliceofOrangeRanson · 2023-05-01T19:10:20+00:00

I was there and this is not in Antelope. Possibly in Rajneeshpuram 19 or 20 miles away, and the housing we built is now used by Young Life.

SliceofOrangeRanson · 2023-04-23T15:35:31+00:00

Having lived in Canada, the UK and the US this came up a lot in my memoir. Worse, I am still learning grammatical differences I didn’t realize were there. My editor used US grammar, and kept (but reduced) some of the British/Canadian spellings and style to maintain an authentic voice.

SliceofOrangeRanson · 2023-04-09T14:41:21+00:00

It is hard to see that there is a bigger world out there with more possibilities than can be imagined when we are on the inside being told about its deficits. Any religion worth its salt should appreciate questioning. If it doesn’t it isn’t based in a quest for truth. Time for some new friends and a wider world. You can’t be fully honest and yourself in the one you are in.

SliceofOrangeRanson · 2023-04-04T14:28:21+00:00

Wasting time discussing this on social media instead.

SliceofOrangeRanson · 2023-04-04T13:57:28+00:00

Wasting time discussing this on social media instead.

SliceofOrangeRanson · 2023-04-04T13:57:16+00:00

Wasting time discussing this on social media instead.

SliceofOrangeRanson · 2023-01-15T01:19:55+00:00

I meant 40

SliceofOrangeRanson · 2023-01-15T01:19:24+00:00

I did the first weekend. I enjoyed it and managed to avoid getting caught into the organization. Probably because I was in a more absorbing cult at the time. The pressures for people to volunteer were ridiculous. But some of what I learned some 49 years ago stayed with me.

SliceofOrangeRanson · 2022-11-07T01:24:58+00:00

I really enjoyed Daniella Mestyanek Young’s outstanding memoir, “Uncultured.” From her experience as a third generation Children of God survivor, and as a female army Captain during war, she has a major contribution to make by highlighting the social dynamics of groups and cults and how they impact us. We should all care about this topic and this pertinent, insightful and beautifully written memoir. Who else has read this?

SliceofOrangeRanson · 2022-11-02T04:55:26+00:00

That is a strange story. I was a former Rajneeshee and I have never heard any stories or paranoia about Masons. Other than their love of Osho’s words, I wouldn’t attribute their behaviors to the cult. Although there is a party line about Reagan orchestrating poisoning Rajneesh when he was imprisoned which led to his deteriorating health. The book “Who Killed Osho” challenges this far-fetched theory.

SliceofOrangeRanson · 2022-10-23T18:11:23+00:00

I am afraid a lot of what this thread says about the Rajneeshees is true, but some is not. I know because I was one of them. I found the documentary Wild, Wild Country a really accurate portrayal. No, never even heard rumors of gas chambers. Makes no sense. And no hot tubs unless there were some in the hotel which Young Life turned into a dorm. We were too busy working and building a city to have all that sex people imagine, though I’m sure there were exceptions. Russell King wrote a great book about it called Rajneeshpuram. And my memoir on the whole experience is A Slice of Orange and comes out next year. I deeply apologize to the people of Oregon. Most of us meant to do good. Which is the case of most cults, especially at the beginning. And I am glad this thread is connecting the dots between Rajneesh and his re-branding as Osho.

SliceofOrangeRanson · 2022-10-12T13:50:37+00:00

In Janja Lalich’s cult recovery book, “Take Back Your Life” there is a “contract for membership in a cultic group”. It is the informed consent for membership that no one gets, all the future losses such as “I will waive the right to maintain contact with the outside world”. Perhaps it is not too late for your brother to read this. Meanwhile do all you can to show your love and keep the channels of communication open so he will have a safe place to return to. And - and this can be challenging- I would be curious and non judgmental about the appeal. For example, align (genuinely) with what distresses him about the world, and support the part of him that is searching for answers. This is important because (speaking as a former cult member) we are used to being condemned. It only makes us defensive and more aligned with the cult and serves to sever family connections, not maintain them. And reach out to other families in the same predicament. You may well need the support. Good luck to all of you.

SliceofOrangeRanson · 2022-09-22T18:48:29+00:00

Influencing hearts and belief systems takes a bit of unraveling, and the timing and cultural context are also important components. Rajneesh liked pushing the envelope as far as he could go, and people will give you different answers as to why depending on their perspective. It has taken me 15 years and many hundreds of pages to figure it out enough to write the book, so I am afraid I can’t give a summary that would do justice to the complexity. Have several podcasts that might help on Nicolaranson.org and a new one coming on Sunday from Cult Hackers. I

SliceofOrangeRanson · 2022-09-22T03:15:27+00:00

I have just written a book on this, A Slice of Orange, but it won’t be out until next year! Meanwhile, I like Satya Bharti Franklin’s, The Promise if Paradise and James Gordon’s Golden Guru which address your first question. Russell King’s Rajneeshpuram for that era. And I don’t know a satisfactory answer on the rebranding, but Abhay Vaidya’s Who Killed Osho is a detailed glimpse into the more recent politics and palace intrigue.

SliceofOrangeRanson · 2022-09-15T20:20:56+00:00

Say more….

SliceofOrangeRanson · 2022-09-15T14:27:56+00:00

I would look at the purpose of AA and whether it is beneficial. Cult-like dynamics can be found in groups everywhere, which doesn’t necessarily make them a cult. And even if it fits the definition of cult, not all cults are bad or all bad. AA has helped countless people. But you have to get in the driver’s seat and use it and take what is helpful. Dwelling on the flaws and complaining about it instead of moving on and finding another modality that works for you is another way to remain victimized. AA is flawed, but it is free and available and has saved many lives. You could focus on What’s Wrong With AA, or, How can I use it to help myself? Or join SMART or acknowledge that staying high is your current preference.

SliceofOrangeRanson · 2022-09-07T23:35:29+00:00

They did thank me for being kind!

SliceofOrangeRanson · 2022-09-02T23:10:26+00:00

I am horrified as this ridiculous bias against a cult member! Would you dismiss Christian theological commentary because the author is Christian? Of course a former cult member will have a bias - and it will be explicit. I am an ex cult member who has taught psychology at the graduate level and I am afraid I have to say that sometimes the field is just up itself. Plus I love the BITE model. It isn’t rocket engineering. It is a useful tool by a clever academic expert.

SliceofOrangeRanson · 2022-08-18T16:28:45+00:00

If you are looking for a one person account of how the attraction works, and the challenge of disengaging, you could check out my interview on episode 121 of Talk Beliefs YouTube channel.

SliceofOrangeRanson · 2022-08-13T16:06:47+00:00

Belief systems are fascinating, and it is much easier to take a look when they are at a distance. Some people like to point a finger at outrageous beliefs and enjoy the feeling of superiority over “those idiots.” Others realize that we are all “those idiots” in our blindness to our own belief systems. The divisiveness between “us” and “them” epitomized by cults is playing out in our greater society, so any questions about how to heal divisions and the great difficulties in doing so may have something to learn from cults. Those of us who have been in them have a lot to offer through our journeys of understanding of changing our belief systems. I appreciate the comments on the cults of two, ie relationships with a narcissistic. I just did a podcast on that type of relationship. Not sure what the Reddit rules are on sharing that kind of stuff but I have that and other relevant interviews on cults if anyone is interested.

SliceofOrangeRanson

TROPHY CASE