Discussion Are there any non-toxic cults I could join?

[emptyenvelopes]

One of the reasons I am so sad is I feel like I don't have community. The appeal of a cult is that you're stuck with those people forever. I'd never be alone again. If you know of any decent cults accepting new members, please share below.

 

[Little_Suzy]

 

[Pluto]

This is the main appeal of joining a local church. I would do it but I can't sell out on my own personal views just to fit in.

 

[Myforevercharlie]

One of the reasons I am so sad is I feel like I don't have community. The appeal of a cult is that you're stuck with those people forever. I'd never be alone again. If you know of any decent cults accepting new members, please share below.

How about a community living group? You can Google for those in your area or check Facebook.

 

[BruhXDDDDD]

> non-toxic
> cult

 

[_AllCatsAreGrey_]

As someone who was a member of a religious cult for a decade, I can understand the urge and yearning for community. Since then I have found positive communities with Buddhist groups - particularly Zen groups. They tend to be open to various levels of participation. What type of group would be a good fit for you is a matter of personal taste.

As a word of caution, I encourage you to learn about the BITE model. It's a way of examining different types of coercive control - the toxic part of cults.

 

[Onelegman]

No

 

[sserafim]

Join my cult @Rocinante

 

[Rocinante]

Join my cult @Rocinante

We should do an initiation ritual

 

[Contraband]

probably not a great idea. most of them start innocent and well-intentioned until some wacky psychopath steps in as its leader.

 

[Tangerines]

That's an oxymoron. There's no such thing as a non-toxic cult.

 

[Yarani]

@Pluto This post would have been your duty, now I'm sad

 

[emptyenvelopes]

How about a community living group? You can Google for those in your area or check Facebook.

I don't think I know what that is. What do you mean?

 

[EvisceratedJester]

What about this one?

 

[JustA_LittlePerson]

probably not a great idea. most of them start innocent and well-intentioned until some wacky psychopath steps in as its leader.

Imagine this fella realizing it's the same with politics lol

 

[ijustwishtodie]

Join my cult @Rocinante

Who is in your cult overall? I feel like @Abhorrence2 must be in your cult, right?

 

[Dr Iron Arc]

This is one of my deepest fears, getting into a cult and then not being allowed to leave. If you're looking for a community to ease your loneliness there are way better outlets to seek out there. I know that suggesting going outside and finding people who share your hobbies is a generic thing to say but I think in your case it's still better than joining a cult.

 

[sisyphean-nightmare]

As someone who was a member of a religious cult for a decade, I can understand the urge and yearning for community. Since then I have found positive communities with Buddhist groups - particularly Zen groups. They tend to be open to various levels of participation. What type of group would be a good fit for you is a matter of personal taste.

As a word of caution, I encourage you to learn about the BITE model. It's a way of examining different types of coercive control - the toxic part of cults.

View attachment 143189

Ironically enough Dialectical Behavioral Therapy fits into this.

 

[_AllCatsAreGrey_]

Ironically enough Dialectical Behavioral Therapy fits into this.

Hahaha. Yeah both CBT and DBT are not my jam. It often feels like gaslighting to me.

 

[golta]

Please never join a cult. They brainwash you and you are unable to leave. Better join other communities please

 

[thot88]

As someone who was a member of a religious cult for a decade, I can understand the urge and yearning for community. Since then I have found positive communities with Buddhist groups - particularly Zen groups. They tend to be open to various levels of participation. What type of group would be a good fit for you is a matter of personal taste.

As a word of caution, I encourage you to learn about the BITE model. It's a way of examining different types of coercive control - the toxic part of cults.

View attachment 143189

I'm just asking out of curiosity. What cult was that?

 

[_AllCatsAreGrey_]

I'm just asking out of curiosity. What cult was that?

The Hare Krishnas (ISKCON - the International Society for Krishna Consciousness). I joined when I was 17, shortly after my first ctb attempt, and left at 26. During that time I lived in several centers in the US, a monastery in Germany, one in Northern Ireland, and spent some time in India.

 

[spring vainglory]

i understand u, being in a cult you wouldn't have to do any of the work since you're basically forced to be around one another. just pick a church/mosque/temple of your choosing to attend. there aren't really any nontoxic ones though. maybe find some that are sexuality/race inclusive? i see lots of churches with gay flags hung up in my area.

i suggest playing cult of the lamb, its on steam and switch, might be on other consoles too. you could join the discord group for the game and make friends in the chat too. i feel like that might be a lot of fun for you. (it is for me)

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never realized how accurate a description this cult methodology is of every religion ever LOL!

 

[leavingthesoultrap]

The Hare Krishnas (ISKCON - the International Society for Krishna Consciousness). I joined when I was 17, shortly after my first ctb attempt, and left at 26. During that time I lived in several centers in the US, a monastery in Germany, one in Northern Ireland, and spent some time in India.

How was your experience, overall?

 

[_AllCatsAreGrey_]

How was your experience, overall?

Overall, it was great. I appreciated the structure and routine. I was a temple priest and really enjoyed that work and the opportunities it granted. (Example, I was able to move to Germany to become a head priest at a temple there. I was able to travel to India several times for priest training.) I found the rituals and ceremonies to be beautiful. Maintaining them was a full-time, likely overtime, job. It felt nice to have a clear place in a community.

Here is an example of a temple altar at a place I lived:


The downsides came primarily from misuse of power. The group I was in was very homophobic, so I was closeted most of the time. When I came out I was told to get married and have children, as a solution. (I thankfully avoided the children part.) I'm also still highly affected by the negation of the body - "you're the soul, not your body." This effectively made it difficult to develop the sensitivity to bodily signals. For example, you slept and ate at when you told you could. As a temple priest there was an emphasis on ritual purity, so I feel I've become uncomfortable and kind of stressed with bodily functions that are seen as impure - like going to the bathroom.

In recent years I've learned that I'm autistic, which gives me some insight to how I have been affected by the experience. Looking back I can see how religion became my primary special interest. Many of my former peers where not so adversely impacted.

As I write all of this out, it feels like there was more negative, but I still look back on a lot of it with fondness. It's complicated. Thanks for asking ^__^

 

[Pluto]