Sanford

I think you are being a bit disingenuous in your brief blow off of Cynthia's post.  What Cynthia is bringing our attention to I believe is very important to the topic of this forum.  The subject she is quite rightly bringing to our attention is the ability for groups (cults, NRMs, whatever) of being able to use thought reform and coercive techniques to enlist unsuspecting people into such groups.

Cynthia is also bringing our attention, amongst other things, the fact that a well known cult apologist organistion, CESNUR, have taken great pains to put out rubbish research saying that thought reform and coercive techniques do not exist.  It will be no surprise to hear that CESNUR has strong links with an extreme Brazilian cult and are extremely well financed.  Also Elan Vital, in their FAQs, quote from CESNUR.

So, I think what Cynthia is posting is very germaine to the topic of this forum. Unfortunately it is a bit of hard slog wading through the whole story of CESNUR, the people behind it and the various organisations that it is linked to.  It is purposefully a hard slog as that is exactly what cults and their apologists do - make the story as obscure as possible in the hope that folks like us will walk away in confusion.

Not a hope!!!

I do urge you to read some of the links that Cynthia has provided.  You will be shocked at how widespread cult apology spreads.

Thorin