I believe that "snapping" is partly due to buying into the image of an exclusive group that "the world" is against. If you can be convinced that no one else has the truth, and everyone else out there hates you because of it, it's a short step to distancing yourself from family and friends, and changing all your habits and interactions.
It's a vicious circle: you make a statement that you believe to be the simple truth, but is incredibly insulting, your family is insulted and gets defensive, you see the defensiveness, perhaps your rudeness is met by some retalitatory rudeness and insults from your family. The cycle continues to escalate until you are purposfully distancing yourself from your loved ones. You think back and remember that you were warned that your family would reject you if they rejected "the Word". You smugly think you've got it all figured out and that Satan is running your family, blissfully unaware that your actions are driving them away; your family is convinced that you are brainwashed, totally clueless that they played a role in the self fullfilling prophecy.
This vicious cycle is most definitely by TWI’s strategic design, not happenstance. The process plays well into TWI’s ‘isolate & control’ strategy. During a period of transient vulnerability, our general reality orientation is purposefully destabilized by TWI’s coordinated programs of covert packaged persuasion. Our true historical self is overridden and overwritten by the new TWI cultic pseudo-self & pseudo-identity. “We” then proceed to do as you outlined so well, alienating of family & friends, causing further isolation. This sets the stage for further thought reform intense indoctrination from TWI.
This is most assuredly not a healthy spirituality, but a exploitative, manipulative sick religion. It is not only obviously unethical, it is probably illegal as well.
JKB, you said a lot of very insightfull things in your last post, but THIS in particular I think, needs to be matted, framed and hung on the wall around here.
TWI is parasitic of the genuine love & pure-heartedness of the people it deceives into joining its ranks
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It seems to me that the parasitic nature of TWI is what enabled it to perpetuate itself these many decades. TWI was the Predator, cloaked in conspiracy of adaptable secrecy. We, the potential new recruits, were the targeted prey who had “needs” (i.e., transient vulnerabilities to exploitative manipulation).
Once a Parasite attacks its targeted host organism, the organism often becomes permanently disabled, mentally &/or physically. Others just die. Some ‘fortunate’ ones have only minimal scars or a measurable & bristling immune response to the attacking Parasite. Due to the superstitions of some of those so afflicted, they rationalize the experience with the Parasite as somehow ‘beneficial.’
The only 'good' Parasite is one that no longer exists..........Fold TWI, FOLD!!!
JK, I really enjoy your posts. I do have one question, all these things VP did, and the obvious combination of Hermeticism and other things, and his programs, and how he manipulated - where do you think he learned how to do this?
Did he make a conscious effort from the beginning? Go out and read books on brainwashing techniques? Or did all of this just come naturally. I'd like to hear your opinion on how he did this. I ask, because he just doesn't seem smart enough to do all of this in a conscioius manner. So. where'd he get it?
Sunesis----thank you for posting that question.I would like to know too! THose are huge accusations. I am more skeptical since I left. I dont take every little thing seriously here, I dont need to adopt others ideas because they have them....maybe I havent snapped..personay, I dont want to snap into anything..I did the fece running and jumping over..Its time to rest. and enjoy this life.:)
Sunesis, here is my opinion on HOW Wierwille became aware of & utilized thought reform techniques in TWI.
A budding cult leader really doesn't have to be bright to understand & apply these unethical practices. He doesn't have to understand neurology, neuro-anatomy, neurotransmitters, or neuro-endocrine modulators. It does help if the Hierophant of the Mysteries is a natural con man.
Most of the techniques have been around since time immemorial. Whether humankind's current contiguous history began in 12,000 BC or 4,000 BC, these people had a great deal of time to devote to the continual improvement of these techniques. Manipulation, exploitation, & "man's inhumanity to man" seem to come 'naturally' to Homo sapiens.
Categorically, the techniques in this time-honored group would include psycho-social peer pressure, modeling, & trance* induction. Trance can be induced by various means such as: voice rolling; by conversational patterned speech with stylized voice intonation and inflexion modulation; by indirection, implication, & anchoring; by invocation of universality; by guided imagery; by excessive concentration on a topic for several hours; by presenting material as though it were logical when in fact it is illogical, thus inducing a subtle confusion; by mind-numbing activity such as {TWI-styled} Glossolalia; by mind-numbing activity such as {TWI-styled} 'renewed mind;' by triggering of previously implanted anchors, whether auditory or visual; & many others.
*The type of trance induction being referred to is of the 'eyes wide open' trance variety. Its induction is actually measurable by an EEG, a device that measures electrical brain-wave activity. An easily understood analogy to this type of process is what we experience when we drive a long distance, but can't recall extended intervals of the drive; it's as though we were on subconscious 'auto-pilot.'
New Thought Transcendental Metaphysics had its origins in approximately 1830 with the teachings of Phineas Parkhurst Quimby. Of course this movement was based on the ancient & Renaissance perennial philosophy of the Hermetic arcane. The New Thought movement was to grow & become the inspiration for the New England metaphysics movement championed by such authors as Ralph Waldo Emerson, Henry David Thoreau, Ralph Waldo Trine, & others. Trine authored a book with interesting correlations to TWI's 'law of believing.' His book was entitled, In Touch With the Infinite. At the turn of the century, William James became interested in this 'healthy minded religion,' & wrote Varieties of Religious Experience. The 'therapeutic' side of New Thought metaphysics deals with the utility of trance induction 'for the good' of the recipient.
Religious spin-offs of this movement include: Theosophy, Christian Science, Scientology, & others. TWI appears to be an admixture of this material with that of biblical fundamentalism, Pentecostalism, & revivalism.
In 1903, Ivan Pavlov published his work on classical conditioning in Russian, & it was translated into English in 1927. Around 1910 John Watson began publishing his research on behavior modification. Ousted by his university for having an affair with a lab assistant, Watson got into the marketing business at J. W. Thompson. Much of what Dr. Richard Cialdini describes years later in his book, Influence: the Psychology of Persuasion, was originated in the advertising and marketing areas based on behavior modification techniques. B.F. Skinner began publishing his research regarding operant conditioning around 1930.
Unlike Pavlov's "classical conditioning," where an existing behavior (salivating for food) is shaped by associating it with a new stimulus (ringing of a bell or a metronome), operant conditioning is the rewarding of an act that approaches a new desired behavior.
Lenin, Stalin, Hitler, Mao, & others used this knowledge for detrimental purposes, not only on an individual, but also on a national scale.
Dr. Joost A. M. Meerloo published Rape of the Mind ~ 1956.
William Sargant published Battle for the Mind in 1957. This book, although designed to describe coercive persuasion, became a 'bible' for would be cult leaders.
Psychiatrist Dr. Robert J. Lifton's book on thought reform was published in 1961. Although Lifton was describing what he saw in operation, this book, as Sargant's, became a veritable 'bible' for use by budding cult leaders.
Douglas Hyde published Dedication and Leadership in 1966. This book focuses on psycho-social group techniques of coercive persuasion more so than trance induction.
By the mid to late 1960's, the psychology literature was revealing that thought reform was much more effective and lasting if no physical coercion was used. Instead, it was demonstrated that manipulations via the 'softer' & upbeat techniques of non-consented, covert packed persuasion were much more lasting than the thought reform induced by physically coercive means. Neither of these two approaches, of course, had a 100% success rate.
A major key in this subtle, covert approach is to identify those potential recruits with "needs," i.e., transient vulnerabilities, and then manipulatively exploit the person under the deceitful guise supplying spiritual assistance. Regardless, the variable proportion of 'takes' via coordinated programs of covert packaged persuasion, such as that of TWI, is sufficient to support the cult leader & his or her top lieutenants. It's all about money and the selfish interests on the cult leader.
You also inquired regarding possible sources whereby VPW was able to get up to speed on Hermeticism, & then incorporate it into TWI’s ‘sacred science.’
One book that rapidly puts much of this information at your fingertips is Modern Esoteric Spirituality edited by Antoine Faivre & Jacob Needleman. It is Volume 21 of World Spirituality: An Encyclopedic History of the Religious Quest.
This book discusses literallly hundreds of potential sources which VPW could easily have utilized.
Also, keep in mind the significant influence of E. W. Kenyon, father of the Word of Faith movement, on VPW. The Word of Faith theology contains many elements of Hermeticism, typically intermixed with the biblical literature.
Another interesting aspect of thought reform via non-consented covert packaged persuasion:
Per Oakspear:
There is a tendency among many to believe that "It wasn't like that when I was in". To admit that abuses were taking place means admitting that you were either evil for supporting the abuses, or stupid for not seeing them; so they didn't happen, or they happened somewhere else where they didn't affect where you where. Few want to admit to either being evil or stupid.
So we have those whose position is that TWI was a godly organization, full of sweet wonderful people, teaching 'God's rightly divided Word', until the day that they left
From Skyrider's thread, TWI Manipulation by Inference:
I think the terms you may be trying to recall are "indirection & implication," as in exploitative manipulation by 'suggesting' certain directives regarding 'acceptable' TWI behaviors via indirection and implication, in the explicit sense, which is more so governed by social aspects of thought reform such as peer pressure, modeling, manipulated artificial 'commitment,' etc.
Also, indirection & implication alone, or in combination with anchoring triggers, are a means of inducing eyes-wide-open trance states, which leaves one in a state of hyper-suggestibility to implicit 'directives.' This is a 'light' form of trance, typically with no recall of events during the reverie, such as one might experience when driving an auto for a long distance for multiple hours and later being unable to recall certain segments of the trip.
Together, this combination of strategically coordinated aspects of psycho-social exploitative manipulation (via covert packaged persuasion), is reasonably 'effective' in achieving the goals & objectives of cultic TWI.
It is really nice after all of these years to have names to put on this stuff and to be able to understand in a clinical sense what has happened to us and why it was effective.
Thanks guys for placing some very vital peices of the puzzle in place for me.
Exit phobia exists on a spectrum or continuum. On one end, the factor for us might have been that we were apprehensive that we would loose a relationship with family members or friends whom we loved very much that remained in TWI.
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Perhaps a midrange concern would be that we would be viewed as a quitter and therefore scum in the tainted eyes of TWI.
At the extreme end of the exit phobia, TWI-promoted concepts such as family members or ourselves becoming very ill & even dying, serious accidents, financial collapse, possession, & many other outlandish claims designed by TWI to induce fear-based exit phobia.
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Per Skyrider: (from the Waybrain thread):
I agree with this exit-phobia continuum. For me, it all resided on the low-end......factoring into my decisions and all. To me, my God would not abandon me and allow the devil to rough-shod his way thru my life. Just couldn't buy into that devil-will-kill-you manipulation.
I just didn't believe that for one-new-york-minute.
Probably, more than anything........my youth and competitiveness were MAJOR PLAYERS in why I continued to stay with twi despite the red flags. And, while on the field........I did continue to see prayers answered and three or four miracles. Yes, instantaneous healings.
Of course, all of this was IN SPITE OF twi's manipulation and shenanigans.
BUT.......as years roll by.......and I gain more access to information, and cover-ups........I KNEW, FOR ME, IT WAS TIME TO EXIT TWI. No more trying to "build a fortress with rotten lumber." No more faxing reports to twi leadership in "this paper blizzard of reporting back." No more trying to salvage "a ministry with lusting lords in leadership."
I was empowered to WALK AWAY FROM TWI.......and never look back. And, the loss of "friends".........yeah, right. Co-workers, maybe. Comaraderie and all........but NOT friends.
And, eight years later........I vividly see twi's continual spiral DOWNWARD.
Per Belle (from Waybrain thread re exit phobia):
I experienced all of this. I was first paranoid about getting possessed and having horrible things happen to me and to my "earthly" family because of my "disobedience" to TWI. I was worried about getting some awful disease or in a debilitating car crash, etc. I was in constant fear as I started doubting TWI and recognizing its effect on my mental, emotional and physical health.
Then, because I really had a hard time with people not liking me, I was hesitant to leave or make waves for fear of the labels and ugliness that I knew would follow along with everyone talking about me behind my back, as TWIts (especially leadership) are wont to do.
Finally, I realized that the five years I had spent trying to stay in TWI to salvage my marriage and to try to get my ex to see TWI for the evil that it is, was moot. If he would leave me because I left TWI, then it really wasn't a loving, strong marriage to begin with. A husband who would choose a group of people over his wife couldn't have really married for love - for better or worse - under every situation and in every condition... and so I shouldn't continue making myself sick and miserable trying to salvage something that wasn't there to begin with.
Once I got past all those hurdles - which was probably the hardest thing I've ever done in my life - I was able to leave it all behind and start all over. I am so much more peaceful, happier, healthier and I truly believe that a bad day outside the oppression of TWI is much better than a good day in the midst of all that ever was.
"...If VPW was a sweet little minister who lacked the skills to put together a church and stole someone elses work and it got people saved I could stop at your post and say yeah, she's right, the heck with things. VPW made a mistake and some good cane out of it.
But it was bigger than that; VPW stole the man's lifetime work, then started a ministry to abuse people. So, we got saved and were immediately escourted in to depravity, abuse and oppression.
VPW was the counterfiet sent to make sure those that were looking were rendered impotent shortly after finding Christ..."
"...What VPW, Hagin and other have done is market a product. They have taken "Ideas" from others, some previously published, some not.
They have packaged, branded and marketeted them more successfuly than those (Bullinger, Kenyon, Leonard, Stiles and others) who developed them. These assimilators were more sucessful at diseminating the information because they were better marketers. Pehaps because part of their motivation was wealth power and prestige.
I remember VPW stated durring the first part of the foundational class how much he had read works "around" the bible an "Word" for years before he started to just go to the "Word".
He takled about how he had met many men who had great ministries but he at least implied that they fell away from him because they would not "Go to the Word". I now wonder if this was his attempt to attribute and credit by discrediting his sources. Was it an excuse to plagarise? An indication of VPW's own weakness?
I also wonder what it was he saw in the "man of God" that came to teach at his church. I can't remember his name but if I remember the story, when "The man of God" was introduced to VPW he asked VP- what he wanted to do when he grew up and VP replied "be a man of God like you sir". Why? From a psychological stand point this could reveal a great personal weakness..."
"...I believe that while there was some good stuff in PFAL, the seeds for abuse were planted right there in the class; one example is the "every woman belongs to the king" b.s. - my opinion is that PFAL was designed, not as a vehicle to help peoiple, but as a vehicle to control people, any helpful aspects were part of the bait..."
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I agree. TWI was/is a bait & switch scam, i.e., it routinely operated via fraudulent misrepresentation. That alone disqualifies it as a 'ministry.' Then factor in TWI's strategic use of non-consented covert packaged persuasion, & the evaluation of TWI's 'ministerial' CONDUCT is much worse than being simply unethical, as bad as that is for a supposed 'ministry.'
The woman that committed suicide was the sister of Al Wainberg, who was ordained clergy of TWI. Al at that time was a branch leader in San Francisco, California. From what little I know of the incident, I heard that she was very pretty. I also heard a very disturbing rumor connected with her demise. She was in the first year of residence in the Way Corps, TWIs leadership training program. Dr. Wierwille, perhaps a voyeur, always seemed excited about showing a film that he truly loved called the Animal Farm to the incoming Way Corps. I think he must have enjoyed watching the ladies responses to the sexually explicit scenes depicting sex between animals and women. I heard that VPW took special notice of Al’s sister and spoke to one of his people stating that she was naive and that he could help her.
Per Sunesis:
I was very close to Rochelle, in fact she called me the night before she left H.Q.
Rochelle was in her last year in-residence when she committed suicide after leaving H.Q. I was on staff at H.Q. at that time.
Anyone who knew Rochelle knew she had a history of attempted suicide and suicidal tendencies. She was very open about this to those who knew her. JAL had not wanted her to come back after her interim year, they felt she needed a little more time to "mature." Rochelle insisted.
When they went out lightbearers, Rochelle had gone with another believer to see a fortune teller, she had tremendous guilt about this when she came back, we discussed it. She also had the pressure of her research paper, which was not going well. She was also through all of this, in great pain and was on constant painkillers for her neck and other injuries suffered in the accident. She would also feel guilty that she was not living up to the standards of the corps. I spent hours with her. Oddly enough, before she died, she seemed very at peace. She said God had been showing her a lot about the Hope.
Then, she got thrown out of the Corps - it was a shot out of the blue, very quick and fast. They decided LOA would be best for her. She was devasted. I do not know the specific reasons why. She was supposed to leave, I think on a Monday morning or something after seeing the leadership (MF). She was very good friends with another guy from Emporia who was also leaving and going LOA. Not wanting to suffer the embarrassment and humiliation of staying, she left with him. Now the rest I know because I asked him personally, he knew how close we were and so told me the whole story.
Rochelle was going LOA and was to drive to her brother's house in Connecticut where he was a leader there. Anyway, Rochelle was young, cute and loved cute guys - i.e., a normal young girl. She offered to take the corps guy to Indiana. I think she didn't want to be alone just then. They stayed at the limb home a few days while he made arrangements to get to Kansas. She was very depressed during this time and the limb people were not very nice to her and wanted her to hit the road. In a state of depression she leaves.
She makes it to my town, Columbus, Ohio. That's as far as she got. My father called me after seeing the article in the Columbus Dispatch of her suicide in the motel. I drive past that place every day to and from work now - room 34. Anyway, her brother called me at H.Q. and gave me the news. We talked. It seems Rochelle had quite a few pain pills, was alone in the hotel room and decided to do end her life. She killed herself with her painkiller pills. She was found on the floor of the hotel room.
After her death, the Trustees lied and said she had been entertaining a guy there. Anything to smear her name. She had been alone.
After Al called I went to see MF, the corps coordinator. I was furious. I asked how, knowing her history - or that he should have known - they could have just let her go like that? Or how could they not call the limb home and make sure someone was with her or have her brother come get her? Its a long lonely ride from Indiana to Connecticut on your own in that state of mind. MF was annoyed at me, how dare I butt in. I asked how he could have let this happen. He said it wasn't his fault and didn't seem to particularly care. I then told him that he had her blood and death on his hands. I still believe that to this day - he in particular. Plus any other leadership who made this decision and those in Indiana.
He was not a happy camper after that. I'm surprised I wasn't thrown off staff. It still boggles my mind they just got rid of her, no follow up. MF said she disobeyed because she was supposed to wait and leave later. Right, like this young girl, in depression and suffering the humiliation of leaving her corps, is going to stick around for more BS verbal abuse from the leadership. I would have left too. People don't understand if you were corps, the total humiliation of not "cutting it." Keep that in mind.
But for those to try to smear her good name, memory and life, especially with perverted sex rumors or that she was sexually loose or promiscuous, keep in mind these are lies - lies started by the Trustees, one in particular.
As far as I know she was never with VPW, if she was, it would have been just one more thing to push her over the edge. But, she was a sweet young woman, who I believe if had been handled with love and compassion instead of hardness and cruelty would still be here today...
…Well, the sad thing about Rochelle's suicide is her brother was really the only relative she had. They had fled Russia. I don't remember if her father had deserted them, but I know he wasn't in the picture and Rochelle had grown up with a mom who had been in and out of institutions. It was a terrible home situation.
So, TWI was literally the only family she had. Leadership knew this. Its on their hands…”
Sunesis, thank you for setting the record straight with honesty and compassion. I've forgotten a lot of the people I briefly knew during my time with The Way International, but I can remember Rochelle's smiling face as if it were yesterday. She was the good friend of a casual friend of mine. I never heard about the accident, or heard so little I forgot it. There should have been lawsuits against The Way for negligence, and putting those kids at risk. I know they or their parents probably signed releases, but one lawyer tells me that releases aren't worth much in a civil court. How many other former Corps kids are still coping with injuries they suffered in that accident? The Way International is a corporation and they bear the liability for these things, and for the pain and suffering of Rochelle's devastated family. They dumped her out on her own (to "mature" of all things - what was the Corps supposed to be about?) and when she couldn't go on, she took her own life and they smeared her name to cover their own tracks. How ugly those people are. How cruel. How heartless!
Speaking in general. I've always noticed that former way leaders are always so into the "forgive and forget" mentaility most likely because they fear reprisals from people they have mistreated. I recall one former leader who used to go around talking to people going "hey I was just doing what I was told, I'm with you , I was misled also". No that is a lie and they know it but they preach "forgive and forget" to try to get the account all squared up so THEY don't have to worry about things. A variation on this concept is the "just get over it" approach wherein they try to bully people into stop making references to very real problems in TWI. These people are just very eager for you to forget how badly leaders treated people just so they can rest easy. But trying to talk someone into "forgiving" before they are ready is selfish which of course is a hallmark of the Way leader.
I say let God do the forgiving , he is much better at it than any human. Besides, I'll be the one to decide when its time to forgive someone. Anyone who tries to negotiate forgiveness from someone else is clearly sufferring from a guilty conscience. Don't let an arrogant way leader (past or present) attempt to beguile you of your own healing timeline which is something that cannot be fast-tracked - especially to satisfy the needs of a a guilty person who seems so desperate for it. Forgive ONLY when the time is right else it will not be genuine and very little will have been accomplished. Lots of way leaders and those who perpetrated wrong on their fellow believers are very anxious to be fogiven (at least those who have a working conscience do) because they are acutely aware of how badly they treated others. Of course some , such as LCM, will never admit to doing anything wrong, ever and will always seek to blame their own misfotune on others.
Per satori001:
[some] find it easier to forgive wickedness than the consequential unforgiveness it often engenders. When that's the state of grace in our day and in our time, it's no wonder some people, in the direst of personal circumstances, with nobody to lean on but The Way International, just killed themselves. The grace of God becomes the aquittal-by-technicality of the most rotten, and the condemnation of the most wronged.
The animal sex video is true. He showed it to the 7th Corps at Emporia in one of those late evening meetings, and as I recall, the college people were locked out of the room, since of course, you had to be spiritual to "handle it". I had no idea how much he must have used the video. He commented on how beautiful the women were, how the dog had more sense than the women as he didn't want any part of it, and how you could learn from the women by watching them. All the time drinking his Drambuie and smoking Kool shorts.
Very sick stuff.
Per igotout:
Where did he get this video and under what circumstances?
Why would he carry it around on the motorcoach with him (where there was a video player in the back bedroom area)?
Had he shown it to others such as LCM and other top leadership including other women in top leadership positions?
Why was not Mrs. Wierwille present to witness this video? Had she seen it and did she know her husband was showing it to us?
Why were we not given an option to stay or leave the meeting if we did not care to watch this filth? We could have been warned in advance that it contents and encouraged not to watch if we did not care to be exposed to this material. If I recall these were very imoprtant Night Owls when VPW was visiting. You simply did not consider NOT being present for his every word.
Did he explore the possible legal ramifications possessing and showing this bestiality video to hundreds of single young men and women, 99% of whom had never been exposed such gross pornography?
Per My3Cents:
I'm 48 years old. In all my years of life, I know more people who committed suicide in the way than I know who did outside the way. Most were on staff or corps or in leadership positions.
I can't say if the way caused all those deaths, or just attracted unstable individuals and then exacerbated their illness. Then they had the audacity to cover up what actually happened.It was almost never mentioned in public. What a horrible organization.
Per justwannabeme:
The inresident Corps were also treated to his ultra-X homemade sex movie. But there was another movie shown; one with group sex.
Two men and two women come into the room, strip and have at it on a mattress on the floor. VPW made comment that one male participants endowment was not usual...something to that effect.
Per Catcup:
Driven to Suicide
Note of explanation: Tom Mitchell's widow is none other than recently remarried Ramona (Hannig) Bidon - a named defendant in the Allen lawsuit and sex partner of Craig Martindale for many years.
Tom Mitchell served on staff in the Safety Department at TWI HQ in 1995. Rather abruptly, Tom decided to leave staff and convinced his wife Ramona (Mitchell Bidon Hannig) to come with him.
Craig Martindale became aware during a leader's meeting he was conducting, that Tom and Ramona were leaving. Martindale reportedly became quite alarmed. In the middle of this meeting, in front of a room full of assembled top leadership who witnessed this, Martindale allegedly requested Bill Greene to immediately go out and STOP Ramona from leaving HQ with her husband. It is reported he said something to Greene to the effect of "Tell her I want to see her.. You make sure she doesn't go anywhere... You married her, you have entrée into her life, she will listen to you", basically, Martindale told Greene not to let her leave grounds.
Ramona did not leave HQ grounds that day. Tom left HQ alone.
Take it however you will, but it has been reported that Ramona confided to others that she spent that afternoon with Martindale having sex in his motor coach.
Within 12 - 24 hours of this incident (precise time frame uncertain), Tom Mitchell, obviously terribly horrified and distraught, went out into the back yard of his parents' home and shot himself in the head.
One of my concerns associated with VPW's plagiarism is the assumption that some make that the material that he stole constititues "god breathed" word as if Stiles and Leonard had it all right and nothing they wrote was wrong. As far as I can tell its not a given that its necessarily "Right On" either. OBviously VPW saw some appeal to that material and format (the "class" format) so he copied and repackaged these ideas and words (without permission of course) and sold it as PFAL and RTHS... and it worked at least for the 70s and some of the 80s. A lot of money was made. But still none of this means that the works of Stiles, Leonard, Kenyon, Bullinger was necessarily "pure" or error free. I don't believe that it was. I do believe that they at least attempted to develop their points of view in a somewhat scholarly fashion (much more so than VPW) so thats fine but to assume that its "The Word and Nothing But The Word" is a real problem.
Supporters of PFAL wish to dismiss VPW's illegal and unethical behavior under the premise that what he stole and presented to us was so pure and good that it doesn't matter. His sins will be washed away by his "herculean" efforts to get us access to "the word" when its still just repackaged material from other men.
There simply cannot be enough said about how VPW appropriated the works of others and made money off them. TWI was a business and as far back as the mid 70s I was told that our goal was to promote the "word over the world" and that the best way to accomplish that was "run classes, run classes, run classes". There was no ambiguity about this. Going WOW of course was a great way for TWI to get an energetic, mobile, cost free resource to push PFAL. Great business model. You have tireless salesmen working for nothing so all monies are profit.
TWI never sponsored missions, fed the homeless, set up shelters, or tried to improve the community. Most REAL churches have a natural interest in helping people even those who are very down and out but not TWI. We were taught that "unbelievers" are "corpses" even our own blood family relations were characterized as such especially so if they didn't want to participate in TWI lifestyle. TWI never demonstrated compassion or even minimal towards humanity in general. They isolated themselves and set themselves apart from all other forms of worship and took a horribly dim view of anyone wanting to maintain even minimal ties to their religious heritage.
The interesting thing is that you do still have very hardcore admirers of VPW as if his death emptied all that was good and pure from TWI (Though I think that happened once VPW consolidated his power by taking over Way West). In many ways these staunch supporters are like any religious fanatic who will hear no criticisms of the great leader and its often impossible to get them see it any other way. One thing I've noticed about most VPW hardcores is that they have very little exposure to the bible and the concept of christianity prior to their Way experience. So TWI was their entree into the world of
Jesus, salvation, and deliverance.
They are like a young kid who gets his driver's license and his dad gives him a broken down VW as a starter car. At first The kid thinks its just the best thing in the world; however, for the average kid, he starts to notice that there are perhaps better cars out there and when the VW dies, he moves on. But in the rare case , the kid still looks at that first VW as if it was the "one and only" even after it just broke down one day. They still pine for it and will claim that it was "The best running thing I ever had" even when everyone else knows it was just a hand-me-down car. They confuse things and let nostalgia and romanticism of a different time get in the way of reality.
Well corny car comparisons aside this still accurately reflects the fanatical determination that some have to preserving the idea that VPW was "The Teacher" who saw "snow" and was here to "teach the word like it hadn't been since the first century". In reality there aren't that many who feel this way but given their loud support of VPW it is sometimes easy to get the idea that there are more of them. Whenever I talk to people who still pine for the "good ole days" its interesting that they don't normally mention VPW or other Way leaders as being important to the good times they had. They always mention other people like themselves - well meaning, young, energetic people who wanted to make a difference. Yet for some reason they confuse these friendships as being validating of TWI. Its my claim that those poeple were good people no matter what church they went to . And give those people the credit for doing good NOT VPW or TWI.
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jkboehme
In another thread {Wierwille, Jonestown, & "cults"} I mentioned how VPW & LCM, in ~ December 1978, endeavored to 'explain away' the existence of cults, & insisted that twi itself just coul
jkboehme
Per Oakspear:
This vicious cycle is most definitely by TWI’s strategic design, not happenstance. The process plays well into TWI’s ‘isolate & control’ strategy. During a period of transient vulnerability, our general reality orientation is purposefully destabilized by TWI’s coordinated programs of covert packaged persuasion. Our true historical self is overridden and overwritten by the new TWI cultic pseudo-self & pseudo-identity. “We” then proceed to do as you outlined so well, alienating of family & friends, causing further isolation. This sets the stage for further thought reform intense indoctrination from TWI.
This is most assuredly not a healthy spirituality, but a exploitative, manipulative sick religion. It is not only obviously unethical, it is probably illegal as well.
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jkboehme
Per rascal:
It seems to me that the parasitic nature of TWI is what enabled it to perpetuate itself these many decades. TWI was the Predator, cloaked in conspiracy of adaptable secrecy. We, the potential new recruits, were the targeted prey who had “needs” (i.e., transient vulnerabilities to exploitative manipulation).
Once a Parasite attacks its targeted host organism, the organism often becomes permanently disabled, mentally &/or physically. Others just die. Some ‘fortunate’ ones have only minimal scars or a measurable & bristling immune response to the attacking Parasite. Due to the superstitions of some of those so afflicted, they rationalize the experience with the Parasite as somehow ‘beneficial.’
The only 'good' Parasite is one that no longer exists..........Fold TWI, FOLD!!!
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Sunesis
JK, I really enjoy your posts. I do have one question, all these things VP did, and the obvious combination of Hermeticism and other things, and his programs, and how he manipulated - where do you think he learned how to do this?
Did he make a conscious effort from the beginning? Go out and read books on brainwashing techniques? Or did all of this just come naturally. I'd like to hear your opinion on how he did this. I ask, because he just doesn't seem smart enough to do all of this in a conscioius manner. So. where'd he get it?
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likeaneagle
Sunesis----thank you for posting that question.I would like to know too! THose are huge accusations. I am more skeptical since I left. I dont take every little thing seriously here, I dont need to adopt others ideas because they have them....maybe I havent snapped..personay, I dont want to snap into anything..I did the fece running and jumping over..Its time to rest. and enjoy this life.:)
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jkboehme
Sunesis, here is my opinion on HOW Wierwille became aware of & utilized thought reform techniques in TWI.
A budding cult leader really doesn't have to be bright to understand & apply these unethical practices. He doesn't have to understand neurology, neuro-anatomy, neurotransmitters, or neuro-endocrine modulators. It does help if the Hierophant of the Mysteries is a natural con man.
Most of the techniques have been around since time immemorial. Whether humankind's current contiguous history began in 12,000 BC or 4,000 BC, these people had a great deal of time to devote to the continual improvement of these techniques. Manipulation, exploitation, & "man's inhumanity to man" seem to come 'naturally' to Homo sapiens.
Categorically, the techniques in this time-honored group would include psycho-social peer pressure, modeling, & trance* induction. Trance can be induced by various means such as: voice rolling; by conversational patterned speech with stylized voice intonation and inflexion modulation; by indirection, implication, & anchoring; by invocation of universality; by guided imagery; by excessive concentration on a topic for several hours; by presenting material as though it were logical when in fact it is illogical, thus inducing a subtle confusion; by mind-numbing activity such as {TWI-styled} Glossolalia; by mind-numbing activity such as {TWI-styled} 'renewed mind;' by triggering of previously implanted anchors, whether auditory or visual; & many others.
*The type of trance induction being referred to is of the 'eyes wide open' trance variety. Its induction is actually measurable by an EEG, a device that measures electrical brain-wave activity. An easily understood analogy to this type of process is what we experience when we drive a long distance, but can't recall extended intervals of the drive; it's as though we were on subconscious 'auto-pilot.'
New Thought Transcendental Metaphysics had its origins in approximately 1830 with the teachings of Phineas Parkhurst Quimby. Of course this movement was based on the ancient & Renaissance perennial philosophy of the Hermetic arcane. The New Thought movement was to grow & become the inspiration for the New England metaphysics movement championed by such authors as Ralph Waldo Emerson, Henry David Thoreau, Ralph Waldo Trine, & others. Trine authored a book with interesting correlations to TWI's 'law of believing.' His book was entitled, In Touch With the Infinite. At the turn of the century, William James became interested in this 'healthy minded religion,' & wrote Varieties of Religious Experience. The 'therapeutic' side of New Thought metaphysics deals with the utility of trance induction 'for the good' of the recipient.
Religious spin-offs of this movement include: Theosophy, Christian Science, Scientology, & others. TWI appears to be an admixture of this material with that of biblical fundamentalism, Pentecostalism, & revivalism.
In 1903, Ivan Pavlov published his work on classical conditioning in Russian, & it was translated into English in 1927. Around 1910 John Watson began publishing his research on behavior modification. Ousted by his university for having an affair with a lab assistant, Watson got into the marketing business at J. W. Thompson. Much of what Dr. Richard Cialdini describes years later in his book, Influence: the Psychology of Persuasion, was originated in the advertising and marketing areas based on behavior modification techniques. B.F. Skinner began publishing his research regarding operant conditioning around 1930.
Unlike Pavlov's "classical conditioning," where an existing behavior (salivating for food) is shaped by associating it with a new stimulus (ringing of a bell or a metronome), operant conditioning is the rewarding of an act that approaches a new desired behavior.
Lenin, Stalin, Hitler, Mao, & others used this knowledge for detrimental purposes, not only on an individual, but also on a national scale.
Dr. Joost A. M. Meerloo published Rape of the Mind ~ 1956.
William Sargant published Battle for the Mind in 1957. This book, although designed to describe coercive persuasion, became a 'bible' for would be cult leaders.
Psychiatrist Dr. Robert J. Lifton's book on thought reform was published in 1961. Although Lifton was describing what he saw in operation, this book, as Sargant's, became a veritable 'bible' for use by budding cult leaders.
Douglas Hyde published Dedication and Leadership in 1966. This book focuses on psycho-social group techniques of coercive persuasion more so than trance induction.
By the mid to late 1960's, the psychology literature was revealing that thought reform was much more effective and lasting if no physical coercion was used. Instead, it was demonstrated that manipulations via the 'softer' & upbeat techniques of non-consented, covert packed persuasion were much more lasting than the thought reform induced by physically coercive means. Neither of these two approaches, of course, had a 100% success rate.
A major key in this subtle, covert approach is to identify those potential recruits with "needs," i.e., transient vulnerabilities, and then manipulatively exploit the person under the deceitful guise supplying spiritual assistance. Regardless, the variable proportion of 'takes' via coordinated programs of covert packaged persuasion, such as that of TWI, is sufficient to support the cult leader & his or her top lieutenants. It's all about money and the selfish interests on the cult leader.
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jkboehme
Sunesis
You also inquired regarding possible sources whereby VPW was able to get up to speed on Hermeticism, & then incorporate it into TWI’s ‘sacred science.’
One book that rapidly puts much of this information at your fingertips is Modern Esoteric Spirituality edited by Antoine Faivre & Jacob Needleman. It is Volume 21 of World Spirituality: An Encyclopedic History of the Religious Quest.
This book discusses literallly hundreds of potential sources which VPW could easily have utilized.
Also, keep in mind the significant influence of E. W. Kenyon, father of the Word of Faith movement, on VPW. The Word of Faith theology contains many elements of Hermeticism, typically intermixed with the biblical literature.
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jkboehme
Another interesting aspect of thought reform via non-consented covert packaged persuasion:
Per Oakspear:
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jkboehme
From Skyrider's thread, TWI Manipulation by Inference:
I think the terms you may be trying to recall are "indirection & implication," as in exploitative manipulation by 'suggesting' certain directives regarding 'acceptable' TWI behaviors via indirection and implication, in the explicit sense, which is more so governed by social aspects of thought reform such as peer pressure, modeling, manipulated artificial 'commitment,' etc.
Also, indirection & implication alone, or in combination with anchoring triggers, are a means of inducing eyes-wide-open trance states, which leaves one in a state of hyper-suggestibility to implicit 'directives.' This is a 'light' form of trance, typically with no recall of events during the reverie, such as one might experience when driving an auto for a long distance for multiple hours and later being unable to recall certain segments of the trip.
Together, this combination of strategically coordinated aspects of psycho-social exploitative manipulation (via covert packaged persuasion), is reasonably 'effective' in achieving the goals & objectives of cultic TWI.
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rascal
It is really nice after all of these years to have names to put on this stuff and to be able to understand in a clinical sense what has happened to us and why it was effective.
Thanks guys for placing some very vital peices of the puzzle in place for me.
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jkboehme
Exit phobia exists on a spectrum or continuum. On one end, the factor for us might have been that we were apprehensive that we would loose a relationship with family members or friends whom we loved very much that remained in TWI.
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Perhaps a midrange concern would be that we would be viewed as a quitter and therefore scum in the tainted eyes of TWI.
At the extreme end of the exit phobia, TWI-promoted concepts such as family members or ourselves becoming very ill & even dying, serious accidents, financial collapse, possession, & many other outlandish claims designed by TWI to induce fear-based exit phobia.
_____________________
Per Skyrider: (from the Waybrain thread):
Per Belle (from Waybrain thread re exit phobia): Edited by jkboehmeLink to comment
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jkboehme
Per Dot Matrix (from the B.G. Leonard thread):
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oldiesman
I will never be the same again.
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jkboehme
OM,
Is Drambuie any good in egg nog?
Merry Christmas / jkb
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oldiesman
Absolutely!
Try this treat:
Victor's Eggnog
3 oz Drambuie
6 oz milk
1 oz half-and-half
1 egg
Combine ingredients in a blender with half a cup of crushed ice.
Blend until smooth.
Pour into a collins glass, sprinkle with nutmeg, and serve.
Oh Gloray!
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jkboehme
From the BG Leonard archival thread:
Per ckeer:
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jkboehme
Per Oakspear (from the BG Leonard thread)
___________________________
I agree. TWI was/is a bait & switch scam, i.e., it routinely operated via fraudulent misrepresentation. That alone disqualifies it as a 'ministry.' Then factor in TWI's strategic use of non-consented covert packaged persuasion, & the evaluation of TWI's 'ministerial' CONDUCT is much worse than being simply unethical, as bad as that is for a supposed 'ministry.'
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jkboehme
Per diazbro (from the BG Leonard thread, re FCA = Fellowhip of Christian Athletes as compared to Athletes of the Spirit):
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jkboehme
From the suicide in the way thread:
Per Wayne Bragg:
Per Sunesis:
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jkboehme
Per QamiQazi (from the BG Leonard thread):
Sunesis, thank you for setting the record straight with honesty and compassion. I've forgotten a lot of the people I briefly knew during my time with The Way International, but I can remember Rochelle's smiling face as if it were yesterday. She was the good friend of a casual friend of mine. I never heard about the accident, or heard so little I forgot it. There should have been lawsuits against The Way for negligence, and putting those kids at risk. I know they or their parents probably signed releases, but one lawyer tells me that releases aren't worth much in a civil court. How many other former Corps kids are still coping with injuries they suffered in that accident? The Way International is a corporation and they bear the liability for these things, and for the pain and suffering of Rochelle's devastated family. They dumped her out on her own (to "mature" of all things - what was the Corps supposed to be about?) and when she couldn't go on, she took her own life and they smeared her name to cover their own tracks. How ugly those people are. How cruel. How heartless!
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jkboehme
From the Suicide in The Way thread:
Per diazbro:
Per satori001:
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jkboehme
[ From the thread, suicide in the way]:
Per Bob Lunsford:
The animal sex video is true. He showed it to the 7th Corps at Emporia in one of those late evening meetings, and as I recall, the college people were locked out of the room, since of course, you had to be spiritual to "handle it". I had no idea how much he must have used the video. He commented on how beautiful the women were, how the dog had more sense than the women as he didn't want any part of it, and how you could learn from the women by watching them. All the time drinking his Drambuie and smoking Kool shorts.
Very sick stuff.
Per igotout:
Where did he get this video and under what circumstances?
Why would he carry it around on the motorcoach with him (where there was a video player in the back bedroom area)?
Had he shown it to others such as LCM and other top leadership including other women in top leadership positions?
Why was not Mrs. Wierwille present to witness this video? Had she seen it and did she know her husband was showing it to us?
Why were we not given an option to stay or leave the meeting if we did not care to watch this filth? We could have been warned in advance that it contents and encouraged not to watch if we did not care to be exposed to this material. If I recall these were very imoprtant Night Owls when VPW was visiting. You simply did not consider NOT being present for his every word.
Did he explore the possible legal ramifications possessing and showing this bestiality video to hundreds of single young men and women, 99% of whom had never been exposed such gross pornography?
Per My3Cents:
I'm 48 years old. In all my years of life, I know more people who committed suicide in the way than I know who did outside the way. Most were on staff or corps or in leadership positions.
I can't say if the way caused all those deaths, or just attracted unstable individuals and then exacerbated their illness. Then they had the audacity to cover up what actually happened. It was almost never mentioned in public. What a horrible organization.
Per justwannabeme:
The inresident Corps were also treated to his ultra-X homemade sex movie. But there was another movie shown; one with group sex.
Two men and two women come into the room, strip and have at it on a mattress on the floor. VPW made comment that one male participants endowment was not usual...something to that effect.
Per Catcup:
Driven to Suicide
Note of explanation: Tom Mitchell's widow is none other than recently remarried Ramona (Hannig) Bidon - a named defendant in the Allen lawsuit and sex partner of Craig Martindale for many years.
Tom Mitchell served on staff in the Safety Department at TWI HQ in 1995. Rather abruptly, Tom decided to leave staff and convinced his wife Ramona (Mitchell Bidon Hannig) to come with him.
Craig Martindale became aware during a leader's meeting he was conducting, that Tom and Ramona were leaving. Martindale reportedly became quite alarmed. In the middle of this meeting, in front of a room full of assembled top leadership who witnessed this, Martindale allegedly requested Bill Greene to immediately go out and STOP Ramona from leaving HQ with her husband. It is reported he said something to Greene to the effect of "Tell her I want to see her.. You make sure she doesn't go anywhere... You married her, you have entrée into her life, she will listen to you", basically, Martindale told Greene not to let her leave grounds.
Ramona did not leave HQ grounds that day. Tom left HQ alone.
Take it however you will, but it has been reported that Ramona confided to others that she spent that afternoon with Martindale having sex in his motor coach.
Within 12 - 24 hours of this incident (precise time frame uncertain), Tom Mitchell, obviously terribly horrified and distraught, went out into the back yard of his parents' home and shot himself in the head.
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diazbro
One of my concerns associated with VPW's plagiarism is the assumption that some make that the material that he stole constititues "god breathed" word as if Stiles and Leonard had it all right and nothing they wrote was wrong. As far as I can tell its not a given that its necessarily "Right On" either. OBviously VPW saw some appeal to that material and format (the "class" format) so he copied and repackaged these ideas and words (without permission of course) and sold it as PFAL and RTHS... and it worked at least for the 70s and some of the 80s. A lot of money was made. But still none of this means that the works of Stiles, Leonard, Kenyon, Bullinger was necessarily "pure" or error free. I don't believe that it was. I do believe that they at least attempted to develop their points of view in a somewhat scholarly fashion (much more so than VPW) so thats fine but to assume that its "The Word and Nothing But The Word" is a real problem.
Supporters of PFAL wish to dismiss VPW's illegal and unethical behavior under the premise that what he stole and presented to us was so pure and good that it doesn't matter. His sins will be washed away by his "herculean" efforts to get us access to "the word" when its still just repackaged material from other men.
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jkboehme
Per diazbro (from the BG vs. VP thread):
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WordWolf
You forgot an editorial on T*m M1tchell's death,
http://www.greasespotcafe.com/editorial/dr...-to-suicide.htm
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