Hi,
I was wondering if anyone else has had experience of recreating similar kinds of abusive cult-like experiences in other forms since leaving the BKs? From the reading I've been doing on post-cult recovery it sounds like this "cult-hopping" can be a fairly common occurrence for people who manage to leave a major cult but do not have the opportunity to heal the psychological damage. I have only just realized after 25 years of being out of the BKs, that without unravelling all the mental programming and re-establishing a healthy sense of self, it is all too easy to repeat the same patterns over and over again in new groups or personal relationships.
In my case, because I did not even recognize that I had been in a "cult", I just left the BKs in 1985 and tried (fairly unsuccessfully) to get on with a "normal" life; such as going to college, trying to make friends etc. I had joined the BKs as very naive, innocent teenager and exited as an extremely unworldly and socially isolated 21-year-old. However, I still had a very strong interest in exploring spirituality so, naturally, I was attracted to other spiritual groups and individuals.
Looking back now I can see that I had imbibed so much of the BK programming that vegetarianism, celibacy and service seemed to be the only correct and acceptable lifestyle. Therefore I was a "sitting duck" for recruitment by the many different spiritual and New Age groups, and unethical individuals I encountered over the following years. I kept flipping between trying to live a "normal" life with a relationship (attracting some very abusive and unsuitable partners), and jumping into celibate religions. I very nearly became a Buddhist nun in 1996 (and, yes, after extensive personal experience I now have realised that Tibetan Buddhism is a cult too).
For all this time, I thought I was such a spiritual and highly evolved person with a selfless desire to serve humanity - and that all the abuse I received was just a spiritual test. Now, after 25 wasted years, I have finally woken up ... I was abused, disempowered and misled by the teachings of the BKSWU.
They filled my young mind with so many falsehoods and fears, that even after exiting the cult I could not properly pursue any worldly achievements or relationships ... or even spirituality. Even 25 years later, their poisonous prophecies of my punishment for leaving their organisation and "betraying God" still lurk in my mind and control my life. Well, enough is enough. I will remove the BK programming from my mind, and I will heal my life.
I send a big thank you to all the ex-BKs who have contributed to this forum. Your words have been instrumental in my waking from the long sleep ...
I was wondering if anyone else has had experience of recreating similar kinds of abusive cult-like experiences in other forms since leaving the BKs? From the reading I've been doing on post-cult recovery it sounds like this "cult-hopping" can be a fairly common occurrence for people who manage to leave a major cult but do not have the opportunity to heal the psychological damage. I have only just realized after 25 years of being out of the BKs, that without unravelling all the mental programming and re-establishing a healthy sense of self, it is all too easy to repeat the same patterns over and over again in new groups or personal relationships.
In my case, because I did not even recognize that I had been in a "cult", I just left the BKs in 1985 and tried (fairly unsuccessfully) to get on with a "normal" life; such as going to college, trying to make friends etc. I had joined the BKs as very naive, innocent teenager and exited as an extremely unworldly and socially isolated 21-year-old. However, I still had a very strong interest in exploring spirituality so, naturally, I was attracted to other spiritual groups and individuals.
Looking back now I can see that I had imbibed so much of the BK programming that vegetarianism, celibacy and service seemed to be the only correct and acceptable lifestyle. Therefore I was a "sitting duck" for recruitment by the many different spiritual and New Age groups, and unethical individuals I encountered over the following years. I kept flipping between trying to live a "normal" life with a relationship (attracting some very abusive and unsuitable partners), and jumping into celibate religions. I very nearly became a Buddhist nun in 1996 (and, yes, after extensive personal experience I now have realised that Tibetan Buddhism is a cult too).
For all this time, I thought I was such a spiritual and highly evolved person with a selfless desire to serve humanity - and that all the abuse I received was just a spiritual test. Now, after 25 wasted years, I have finally woken up ... I was abused, disempowered and misled by the teachings of the BKSWU.
They filled my young mind with so many falsehoods and fears, that even after exiting the cult I could not properly pursue any worldly achievements or relationships ... or even spirituality. Even 25 years later, their poisonous prophecies of my punishment for leaving their organisation and "betraying God" still lurk in my mind and control my life. Well, enough is enough. I will remove the BK programming from my mind, and I will heal my life.
I send a big thank you to all the ex-BKs who have contributed to this forum. Your words have been instrumental in my waking from the long sleep ...