A paper on 'Mothers in cults: The influence of cults on the relationship of mothers to their children' by Alexandra Stein. In a way, given how much Lekhraj Kirpalani leans on the symbolism of mothers and mother child relationships - whilst at the same time dividing families, stealing parents or children, and demonising the "monkey-like" female sin of "attachment" - it's a shame she did not look at the so called "feminist" Brahma Kumaris ... where children are seen as not just obstacles to spiritual progress, but "Scorpions and Snakes".
If she had, she would have found another element were women with children as seen as second class to women - virgins or those Westerner with more prior access to birth control - who did not.
An opener for discussion ...
The author also observes how ...
... and how ...
There is more if others care to look, share their observations, and relate it to the Brahma Kumari experience.
If she had, she would have found another element were women with children as seen as second class to women - virgins or those Westerner with more prior access to birth control - who did not.
An opener for discussion ...
Alexandra Stein wrote:There is a dual allegiance. It's a power relationship. Your child is powerless, and you have less power than the cult leader. Your child has no one but you to protect them ... a mother should primarily be taking care of her child. But in a cult, it's always a conflict.
A mother's position within a cult may be judges by the behavior of her children ...
A serious burden to recovery is the leader's parting curse - a frequent phenomenon in cults ... these women had to continually work through [its] weight.
The more I tell my own story, that diminishes the shame, although the regret is intact. All mothers should teach their children to think - at the risk of them disagreeing with the parent.
All the mothers interviewed for this article suffered fairly severe depress after leaving ... one women broke down, attempted suicide, and was hospitalized for an extended period.
For most of the mothers, leaving the cult was a complex process involving the following factors ... Beginning to connect a "generalise feeling of being unhappy" with an often protracted intellectual process of evaluating the group's actions ... Reaching some kind of limit in how their children were being treated ... a small break in isolation ... concern for the children's welfare.
The author also observes how ...
The mother may continue to consciously disagree with the cult practises, but will give in externally to resolve the pressure being applied on her.
... and how ...
Some mothers may resolve the conflict by a total submission to the group and its deceptions, perhaps in exchange for a degree of power.
The conflict of struggling against the cult can be so intense that giving in feels like a resolution. This feeling is analogous to that of a battered woman ... she simply 'gives in' and does what she is told. If she agrees, ... she is, at least briefly, "loved".
There is more if others care to look, share their observations, and relate it to the Brahma Kumari experience.