Cultic Studies Journal, Vol. 11, No. 1, 1994, Page 12
Table 2. Terms Rated Beneficial and Harmful by Critics Versus Experts: Means,
Standard Deviations, and Percentages
Critics (n=58) Experts (n=85)
X SD %X SD %
Terms Rated Harmful and Very Harmful by Critics
Scientology 1.11 0.31 100** 2.14 1.15 65
Dianetics 1.30 0.85 93** 2.18 1.20 60
Cult 1.41 0.74 91** 2.14 1.06 58
CARP 1.55 0.82 80** 2.93 0.40 06
est 1.57 0.82 90** 2.81 1.01 30
Ramtha 1.65 0.89 76** 2.62 0.89 37
CUT 1.67 0.99 72** 2.94 0.39 05
Church Universal &Trium-
phant**
1.68 0.90 79** 2.71 0.75 25
Channeling 1.68 0.81 86** 3.06 1.15 33
Occult 1.70 0.92 87** 2.95 1.18 26
Lifespring 1.71 0.91 84** 3.00 0.88 13
Levitation 1.72 0.69 87** 3.09 0.89 15
The Forum 1.73 0.81 78** 3.14 0.79 10
Hunger Project 1.87 1.01 77** 3.72 1.03 06
Fundamentalism*** 1.91 0.82 78 1.97 0.97 71
TM 1.91 1.01 79** 3.74 1.11 11
Terms Rated Beneficial by Critics
CAN 4.48 0.89 85** 2.95 0.48 03
Psychology 4.33 0.55 93* 4.01 0.82 79
Neurology 4.09 0.87 76* 3.78 0.91 55
Terms Rated Beneficial by Experts
Natural healing 2.49 0.90 10** 4.51 0.78 90
Consciousness 3.94 0.86 60** 4.39 0.87 84
Mother Earth 3.34 0.92 28** 4.34 1.06 84
Chakras 2.63 0.70 06** 4.22 1.03 79
Affirmation 2.89 0.61 17** 4.16 0.82 77
Holistic massage 3.11 0.80 26** 4.12 0.92 75
Human resource devel-
opment
3.27 0.58 24** 4.05 0.88 71
*p .05 **p .01
Note: Table includes only the means of those terms rated from 1.00 to 1.99 (harmful) and
from 4.00 to 5.00 (beneficial) on a five-point Likert scale. Percentages represent total of
harmful and very harmful or beneficial and very beneficial ratings. Ns vary slightly from term
to term.
**CUT and Church Universal and Triumphant, which refer to the same religious group, were presented separately to
check reliability.
***Fundamentalism was the only term rated harmful by the Experts.

Cultic Studies Journal, Vol. 11, No. 1, 1994, Page 13
Table 3. Statements Rated Agree and Disagree by Critics Versus Experts: Means,
Standard Deviations, and Percentages
Statement Critics (n-58) Experts (n=85)
X SD %X SD %
Statements Rated Strongly Agree by Critics
New Age techniques when
mandated for all employees are an
invasion of privacy.
4.68 0.81 97* 3.94 1.07 71
Channeling is a fraud. 4.53 0.83 86** 2.65 1.25 20
Most New Age concepts are not
supported by scientific evidence.
4.50 0.66 91** 2.82 1.17 33
Statements Rated Agree by Critics
While spiritual growth is impor-
tant, public schools should not
prescribe the methods whereby
children grow spiritually.
4.30 0.91 89** 3.89 1.01 78
In the New Age movement the
combination of Eastern mysticism,
experimental approaches to
psychotechnology, emphasis on
experience, desire for transforma-
tion, and profit motivation
combine to create a strong
potential for the development of
cultic modes of relating.
4.18 0.80 72** 3.06 1.26 47
Thinking that one is God is ridicu-
lous.
4.16 1.00 83** 2.57 1.48 26
Programs like the
Forum for business executives are
a rip-off.
4.13 1.08 72** 2.80 0.80 10
Thinking that one is God is a
narcissistic delusion.
4.09 0.98 82** 2.57 1.41 28
Thinking that one is God is
spiritual arrogance.
4.07 1.05 83** 2.58 1.42 26
The New Age is dangerous. 4.04 0.99 80** 1.98 1.16 12
Statements Rated Agree by Experts
Raising individual consciousness is
necessary to save the world.
2.45 1.09 18** 4.24 1.01 82
Everyday problem solving and
fundamental breakthrough
insights tap an innate capacity of
the unconscious which all can
learn to apply.
2.50 1.04 16** 4.10 0.85 82
Statements Rated Strongly Disagree by Critics
Because man is a deity and can do
no wrong, there is no sin, no rea-
son for guilt.
1.25 0.86 05** 2.13 1.22 13
Spiritually advanced people
succeed at everything they at-
tempt.
1.29 0.46 00** 2.0 0.94 07