Hi Dan and all.

Great thread, lots of interesting and important observations.  Lots to learn from.

This whole aspect of choice, responsibility, free will, blame, conditioning and so forth can be so difficult to unravel, I guess it is a lifetime work.

An article which I have found very useful in giving some perspective on how people join cults, what the dynamics that allow them to stay and finally, for many but not all, the process of leaving.  I don't agree with all that is said in this article, but useful nevertheless.  (I have linked to this article before, worth repeating).

T