Cultic Studies Review, Vol. 8, No. 3, 2009, Page 51
they could get away with from any source into their private religion. Since 1990, Agni Yoga
has enjoyed a revival, mainly in Russia, where it has catapulted to three million adherents
today.[i] This is extraordinary because both the ―I AM‖ and CUT groups have splintered and
faltered despite a mild revival, with members running only in the thousands. And what of
Helena Roerich reincarnated as Tatiana? Erin writes, ―Tatiana rejects all church teaching and
ritual, and thinks it would have been better if Mom had done something more constructive
with her life—nothing good came out of the church‖ (p. 270).
My final personal item regards Erin‘s choice of scholars of religion in sociology and a related
attitude toward the so-called anti-cult movement and deprogrammers. Erin mentions two
cases of failed ―forced‖ deprogramming by families of CUT members. One young woman,
―Tara,‖ was quite wealthy, with a large inheritance already targeted by Mother and her staff.
Erin reports that Tara was ―kidnapped and deprogrammed in 1987‖ (p. 160), but Tara ran
away and called police. Apparently, no charges were filed. This sounds suspiciously like one
case in 1987 that included me. I will not go into the drama, but no one was kidnapped or
held against her will in my case (believe me, I know the difference between being merely
pressured and illegally forced), even though the cult member‘s mother tricked her into
coming to a remote cabin. That ―Tara‖ could have walked away at any time, and she did
take walks alone at times (there were occupied cabins within half a mile). For some
inexplicable reason, she thought she had to run away. All involved spoke with the police
afterward to clear up the confusion. Erin reports that CUT targeted $1 million, but I recall
the inheritance was more like $5 million, most of which might have gone to CUT projects.
The other deprogramming case mentioned on pages 201–202 involved Erin‘s sister Moira. I
was not on that case, but two colleagues of mine were. Months later, one of them showed
me some video footage of Moira talking with the CUT member at the family‘s home. As Erin
tells it, Moira was disenfranchised and very critical of the group at the time. ―She was
adding her voice to those of the ex-members and anti-cult experts who had been
interviewed [regarding the arrests of CUT‘s security chief and Elizabeth‘s fourth husband for
illegal weapons purchase and transport in 1989].‖ Again, Erin writes that ―one of our
members was kidnapped and held against her will. The deprogramming didn‘t even work …
but Moira accepted $2000 in payment.‖ I double-checked with the woman who handled that
entire intervention. She insists there was no kidnapping because Moira would not have been
there under illegal circumstances. One has to be careful here because just as ex-members
will sometimes exaggerate what happened to them in a cult, so the ―heroes‖ who return
from a failed deprogramming might recall or report things quite differently than what
actually occurred.
Erin goes on to say, ―Deprogramming was, in my opinion, an ultimate violation of freedom
of religion.‖ I agree with her to the extent that no law should condone forcible
deprogramming. Even noncoercive intervention by surprise is troublesome, although the
―new religious movement‖ member can leave and/or refuse to talk at any time. Ninety
percent of my five hundred-plus, noncoercive intervention cases began by a surprise
meeting. By far, most of them worked out just fine. But there is a larger issue here that
speaks to Erin Prophet‘s values regarding why she broke away from her mother‘s cult. Her
book serves as evidence of what I am about to say.
Erin provides eye-witness information that challenges the belief foundation of both current
CUT members and anyone looking to join the movement from this day forward. In effect, in
sorting out the truth, she has gone through a self-deprogram or exit-counsel process. In
that process, she turned to other sources to find more appropriate plausibility structures for
her awakening from CUT and for delusions or misperceptions about Mother. She turned to
psychology and sociology for some of that structure (pp. 232-33). She especially found
insight from Lorne L. Dawson‘s review of thirteen apocalyptic groups. Erin, like so many ex-
cult members, had to reapply the overwrought aphorism ―know the truth and the truth shall
they could get away with from any source into their private religion. Since 1990, Agni Yoga
has enjoyed a revival, mainly in Russia, where it has catapulted to three million adherents
today.[i] This is extraordinary because both the ―I AM‖ and CUT groups have splintered and
faltered despite a mild revival, with members running only in the thousands. And what of
Helena Roerich reincarnated as Tatiana? Erin writes, ―Tatiana rejects all church teaching and
ritual, and thinks it would have been better if Mom had done something more constructive
with her life—nothing good came out of the church‖ (p. 270).
My final personal item regards Erin‘s choice of scholars of religion in sociology and a related
attitude toward the so-called anti-cult movement and deprogrammers. Erin mentions two
cases of failed ―forced‖ deprogramming by families of CUT members. One young woman,
―Tara,‖ was quite wealthy, with a large inheritance already targeted by Mother and her staff.
Erin reports that Tara was ―kidnapped and deprogrammed in 1987‖ (p. 160), but Tara ran
away and called police. Apparently, no charges were filed. This sounds suspiciously like one
case in 1987 that included me. I will not go into the drama, but no one was kidnapped or
held against her will in my case (believe me, I know the difference between being merely
pressured and illegally forced), even though the cult member‘s mother tricked her into
coming to a remote cabin. That ―Tara‖ could have walked away at any time, and she did
take walks alone at times (there were occupied cabins within half a mile). For some
inexplicable reason, she thought she had to run away. All involved spoke with the police
afterward to clear up the confusion. Erin reports that CUT targeted $1 million, but I recall
the inheritance was more like $5 million, most of which might have gone to CUT projects.
The other deprogramming case mentioned on pages 201–202 involved Erin‘s sister Moira. I
was not on that case, but two colleagues of mine were. Months later, one of them showed
me some video footage of Moira talking with the CUT member at the family‘s home. As Erin
tells it, Moira was disenfranchised and very critical of the group at the time. ―She was
adding her voice to those of the ex-members and anti-cult experts who had been
interviewed [regarding the arrests of CUT‘s security chief and Elizabeth‘s fourth husband for
illegal weapons purchase and transport in 1989].‖ Again, Erin writes that ―one of our
members was kidnapped and held against her will. The deprogramming didn‘t even work …
but Moira accepted $2000 in payment.‖ I double-checked with the woman who handled that
entire intervention. She insists there was no kidnapping because Moira would not have been
there under illegal circumstances. One has to be careful here because just as ex-members
will sometimes exaggerate what happened to them in a cult, so the ―heroes‖ who return
from a failed deprogramming might recall or report things quite differently than what
actually occurred.
Erin goes on to say, ―Deprogramming was, in my opinion, an ultimate violation of freedom
of religion.‖ I agree with her to the extent that no law should condone forcible
deprogramming. Even noncoercive intervention by surprise is troublesome, although the
―new religious movement‖ member can leave and/or refuse to talk at any time. Ninety
percent of my five hundred-plus, noncoercive intervention cases began by a surprise
meeting. By far, most of them worked out just fine. But there is a larger issue here that
speaks to Erin Prophet‘s values regarding why she broke away from her mother‘s cult. Her
book serves as evidence of what I am about to say.
Erin provides eye-witness information that challenges the belief foundation of both current
CUT members and anyone looking to join the movement from this day forward. In effect, in
sorting out the truth, she has gone through a self-deprogram or exit-counsel process. In
that process, she turned to other sources to find more appropriate plausibility structures for
her awakening from CUT and for delusions or misperceptions about Mother. She turned to
psychology and sociology for some of that structure (pp. 232-33). She especially found
insight from Lorne L. Dawson‘s review of thirteen apocalyptic groups. Erin, like so many ex-
cult members, had to reapply the overwrought aphorism ―know the truth and the truth shall
